Interesting Stuff Close to Home

 I had grand visions of heading to Utah for a week to look at red rocks.  The weather had other ideas, so we stayed closer to home; allowing us to scamper back when things took an ugly turn. As it turns out, there are plenty of things worth doing that are close by.  So, we did some exploring.  This is a compilation of several shorts trips in no apparent order, but folks have been wondering what we are up to.  So, here it is.  Lots of rocks, and petrogplyphs and a few pictographs, and fossil tracks, and old mining stuff, just so we appear to be well rounded.  Yes, most of it involves hiking.  Birds have been scarce on our ramblings.  In fact, we spent one day without seeing a single bird.

Blue man.

Bob goes all rock climby.

Pictograph sheep!

Not the usual perspective for this feature.  The pinnacles from above.

Fossil bird and cat.  I think.

Bob executes a flying Rachel on the surf board.  Good form.

Underground.  Yep, a bit spooky for me.

The water does roar through there when it rains.

Looks like fish rocks got a new coat of paint.

Fossil tracks.  We think dog, but maybe cat.

Actual bighorn, rather than the petroglyph variety.

Pictograph humans

A launch from Vandenberg

How about that stope?  We didn't even think of going in.

Moqui Marbles without the iron oxide.

Petroglyph Sheep

Green mudstone, I like it.

Blue deer and people.  Very cool pictograph.

Bob tells me it drops straight down,  I took three years off my life looking from where I was. I am hoping those missing years will be nursing home years and not hiking years.

Look at me getting all brave.

Another sheep.

Kissing arch.

Really like the hand.

I am not happy.  The trail is narrow and the drop off steep.  And then we couldn't get through, so I had to go back down.  Even less happy about that.

Me in the driver's seat of the 1924 Stutz fire engine.  We went on the Maturango Museum's tour of Trona hosted by the Searles Valley Historical Society.  Go if you get a chance. I did not realize how much of Trona's history, the Historical Society has preserved.   Well done.

In the eye of elephant trunk arch.

Northeast Brazil - Part 6 (Conclusion)

Red-necked Tanager

In case you missed it: 

Northeast Brazil - Part 1

Northeast Brazil - Part 2

Northeast Brazil - Part 3

Northeast Brazil - Part 4

Northeast Brazil - Part 5

eBird Trip Report

Day 19 and 20 - Serra Bonita Reserve. We rolled into the small town of Camacan late in the afternoon of Day 19 for the ride up the mountain to the Serra Bonita Reserve. Our transportation would be a vintage 4WD Toyota Bandeirante (Land Cruiser) for the climb up. The reserve is a large tract of virgin lowland rainforest, one of the largest privately managed remaining in Brazil. For more information, click this link. Nearly 450 bird species have been recorded in the reserve, it's a pretty special place. 

The next day we birded from dawn to dusk at the upper reaches of the mountain tallying over 70 species with 29 of those as life birds for Susan and me. We used the big 4X4 to shuttle then walked the road and trails. It was a fantastic day, one I won't forget. 

Our ride

Some lovely views from the mountain top

Pin-tailed Manakin

Spot-billed Toucanet

Green-headed Tanager

Azure-shouldeded Tanager

Chestnut-bellied Euphonia

Crescent-chested Puffbird

Spot-billed Toucanet

Sharpbill

Salvadori’s Antwren

Striated Softtail

King Vulture

Swallow-tailed Manakin

Day 21 to 23 - Serra Bonita to Porto Seguro. On our way down the mountain, we made an early stop at a lowland forest part of the reserve. We saw many new species there including the rare Ochre-marked Parakeet. After that, we drove about 3 hours to the coast city of Porto Seguro, our final destination. Even though we were based in a big tourist city, it was only a 30-minute drive to the Veracel Reserve which has a unique lowland Atlantic forest. We had a great time there in our day and a half of birding, even staying out well past dark the first night for owls. This reserve is notable for two difficult to see species of cotinga, Banded and White-winged. We saw both, but only got a flyover look at Banded Cotinga. Too bad, he's a real looker. The White-winged were much more cooperative by perching in a fruiting tree for many great views. So many other species were new to us so it was an excellent finish to the trip. 

Morning birding in the lowlands of Serra Bonita

The sun sets at Veracel Reserve, and so does our adventure!

Black-capped Donacobius

Caatinga Cacholote

Ochre-marked Parakeet

Ochre-marked Parakeet

Plain Parakeet

White-chinned Sapphire

Violet-capped Woodnymph

Black-capped Screech-Owl

Common Pauraque

White-winged Cotinga female

White-winged Cotinga male

White-winged Cotinga male

White-winged Cotinga female

Red-headed Manakin

The following morning we were on our way home. But what a fantastic adventure it was. Many thanks to our great friends Nancy and Linda for coming along. And a very special thank you to our guides Ciro and Lucas of Brazil Birding Experts. You guys took such great care of us, found so many amazing birds. and were wonderful to spend three weeks with! Amazing!