Tabapuã dos Pireneus, Goiás: October 7, 2012

The three-day weekend caught us unaware, as both Aimee and I have been busy at work, so the best I could do was to recommend a short hike at a nearby private reserve on Sunday.  Tabapuã dos Pireneus is located a few kilometers outside Cocalzinho, just over an hour's drive from Brasília.  There are several decent trails through gallery forest, as well as ample expanses of other Cerrado habitats, both within the private reserve and the adjacent state park.  The bird list is decent sized and includes several species typically only found in the Atlantic Forest region, such as Pin-Tailed Manakin, Chestnut-Headed Tanager, and Black Jacobin.  As Aimee pointed out, the views here are nothing to celebrate and certainly don't compare to those of Chapada dos Veadeiros, which is also located in Goiás.  But you can more or less have the place to yourself and find some peace here, whereas more scenic destinations are typically overrun by crowds on the weekend.

Getting a late start, we still managed to round up a few birds on the entrance road to the state park, including Bran-Colored Flycatcher, Shrike-Like Tanager, and Rufous-Winged Antshrike.  I was hoping to show Aimee her first Blue Finch, but the same hills that were ringing a just few weeks ago with its call were now devoid of its characteristic whistle.  In the shade of the gallery forest in the private reserve we spent more time relaxing at the modest waterfalls than birding, but it was hard not to notice the conspicuous Helmeted Manakin, Greenish Schiffornis, and Rufous-Tailed Jacamar.  Aimee also spotted a roosting White-Collared Swift behind one of the waterfalls.  Near the reconstructed boardwalk that passes through swampy forest, we dug out a Sharp-Tailed Stramcreeper, a delightfully plump bird that responded nervously to playback.  Ochre-Cheeked Spinetail has been another reliable tick at the reserve, which we noted in the same area.  The reserve's owner explained that the Pin-Tailed Manakin lek is along this boardwalk too, but despite hearing it several times, we were unable to spot one in the foliage overhead.

Notable birds seen: Yellow-Chevroned Parakeet, White-Collared Swift, Fork-Tailed Woodnymph, Rufous-Tailed Jacamar, Ochre-Cheeked Spinetail, Sharp-Tailed Streamcreeper, Rufous-Winged Antshrike, Bran-Colored Flycatcher, Common Tody-Flycatcher, Sepia-Capped Flycatcher, Bran-Colored Flycatcher, Greenish Schiffornis, Helmeted Manakin, Buff-Breasted Wren, Masked Gnatcatcher, Guira Tanager, Blue Dacnis, Burnished-Buff Tanager, Violaceous Euphonia, Black-Goggled Tanager, White-Lined Tanager, Shrike-Like Tanager, Green-Winged Saltator, Double-Collared Seedeater, Grassland Sparrow, Black-Throated Saltator, Wedge-Tailed Grassfinch.