Pantanal 2018 - One last Jaguar search, and north up the Transpantaneira

Oct 27 (PM)

We spent our last evening on the river in search of more mammals. We ended up 3-for-3 on Jaguar searches...or more like 4-for-3, since we would see two cats this afternoon.

One, a thin young female, was cruising the water's edge for prey. Alas, no luck there for her. Later we would only briefly view a large male that stayed out of the open. Photos of the female below.




hey, life is good

Oct 28

After breakfast on the boat we said our good-byes to the crew and disembarked at Porto Jofre. A pair of HYACINTH MACAWS was feeding in the palms near the dock.

Hyacinth Macaw

We made our way back about two-thirds the length of the Transpantaneira to the Pousada Rio Claro, where we would stay for one night - our last night in Brazil.

your typical Transpantaneira bridge




Nanday Parakeets were the stars here.

Nanday Parakeets

In the afternoon we took a walk around the grounds followed by a boat trip up the Rio Claro. We ended our final full day with a bang when we came across a SOUTH AMERICAN TAPIR near some water hyacinth! What an absurd-looking animal.

South American Tapir



Our one and only GREEN-AND-RUFOUS KINGFISHER of the trip was spotted perched in the shadows of the river's edge; we enjoyed more SUNGREBE and SUNBITTERN sightings.

Green-and-Rufous Kingfisher

Marsh Deer

Wattled Jacana

Yellow-chevroned Parakeet

Chestnut-bellied Guan

Oct 29

With afternoon flights out of Cuiaba, there was not much time for birding on our final day. We did, however, squeeze in a productive pre-breakfast walk, highlighted by a male MATO GROSSO ANTBIRD, a regional endemic.

On that note, we said goodbye to the Pantanal...for the time being. Another successful Connecticut Audubon Society trip was in the books. I would highly recommend the Pantanal to anyone who loves wildlife. It is not just for birders...in fact, it's really the mammals here that steal the show.

 - Nick

Comments

  1. Stunning, the tapir shots especially! Fantastic trip! Gr. John

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