Day 1 We all arrive in Sao Paulo and transfer to the Cuiaba flight. When we get there EVERYone has all their luggage and Alyson is waiting at the arrivals gate. Life is good as we board our luxury bus, get some lunch (Who knew 4 cheese lasagna would be a Brazilian specialty!!!) and drove to a Pantanal reserve. These 7 hectares are all that’s left of the original Pantanal habitat anywhere near Cuiaba. We were there specifically for the black-tailed marmosets, a small primate with an amazingly long tail. There were lots of them and they were all in great shooting range. Even a mother with a baby on her back. On the way to Paoso Alegre ranch we stopped along the road for an amazing Rufescent tiger heron in the last golden light of day. Great poses, but when he flew….it was magic! We are hoping for giant anteaters tomorrow!
Day 2 AM We were out EARLY this morning with the idea that giant anteaters go for the bush when it gets hot. Our drive started at 5 AM in the big open sided truck. There were a few deer and lots of birds in the predawn light but no anteater. By the time the sun came up we were at the bridges that have great views of the Pantanal. On the edge of one pond was a black collared hawk on a great perch and 2 capped herons fishing in the shallows. I’ve never had more than 2 minutes with this species so it was nice that they were fishing and weren’t bothered by us. We were almost home when Alyson spotted the giant anteater browsing along in short grass. We got out of the vehicle and followed her for about 20 minutes. GREAT shots. Next were breakfast and a hike to find the great potoo, a huge nightjar. The bird was on a high perch doing his very best branch impersonation. It was a great end to an amazing morning.
Day 2 PM We took a REST for the whole mid-day and didn’t go out till 4:00. We drove through Pantanal woodlands and photographed some interesting subjects. There was a South American Coati running around with a crab in its mouth, a crab-eating fox with nothing in its mouth, and a small, lily covered pond where a black collared hawk was fishing for frogs. He swooped from perch to perch, skimming the pond with each pass. Guys were trying to catch the flight but it was really unpredictable. After 6 or 7 passes I thought I would take a shot and got a couple off on one of the dives. When I looked at it while editing I found a great surprise…a Pantanal caiman was bursting out of the water to try and catch the hawk. Very cool…VERY lucky! Eat, pack sleep because tomorrow we drive the Trans-Pantanal Highway to get to our jaguar boats.
Day 3 AM Up and shooting at 6:00. I’ve never shot at this ranch before so it was cool to see what was up and about. A lineated woodpecker with his red crest and striped face had a nest at eye level and was hopping in and out of its hole. An aguti was eating a ripe mango, while hyacinth Macaws flew in and out of the scene. Breakfast at 7:00 and then we drove the Trans Pantanal Highway and photographed tons of stuff on the way. My best ones were turquoise fronted parrot and yellow-headed vulture. From Port Geoffrey we took the boats to the new and improved Floatel. It is utterly amazing! The new suites take your breath away with space, comfort and the view of the river right off your personal deck.
Day 3 PM Right after lunch we went for the first jaguar quest. Not to say we were lucky but we found one just 10 minutes up river and God bless him, it was Sergio, the cat we first saw 3 years ago. He had just entered the area and no one had ever seen him before so we were able to name him (for Sergio Mendez the great Brazilian musician) He had been collared for some misguided research project 18 months ago and disappeared from the area. He must have gotten the collar off because he’s back and really healthy looking. We stayed with him for 2 hours as he relaxed in the shade, giving us different poses and a couple of MASSIVE yawns. Jaguar tongues are about 3 times longer than leopards so it’s quite a show! Maybe we’ll see him again in the morning….
Day 4 AM This morning was slow for jaguars (no Sergio) but great for birds. There are a couple of beautiful golden beaches where skimmers hang out. It’s breeding season so there are pairs of them nesting, flying, and skimming together. It’s also timer for the sulfurous butterflies to migrate from the Amazon. Hundreds gather at a tide line on the beaches for the minerals deposited there. The soft lime green and yellow butterflies make lovely patterns on the sand.
Day 4 PM There’s another jaguar fairly close to our house boat. He’s buried in the bush with a tiny window to see his spotted stomach. He’s named (Awkwardly) Mick Jaguar and I suppose he warrants it because he’s not the best looking jaguar on the beach. We moved on and went for the skimmers who put on an aerial show as part of their courtship ritual. Beaks agape, they spiral together through the air. Then came the large-billed terns diving from high above the river to their sand nest. Not to be out done, a white-backed stilt flew in and 2 collared plovers were chased off the beach by a pied lapwing. That’s enough for one day but on the way home we found Ruth, a beautiful female jaguar, hunting in the green reeds. We stayed with her for the last 45 minutes of the day as she hunted along the river. We left her to her dinner after she caught a capybara. Dinner and sleep.
Day 5 AM Another fab breakfast before the boats. This morning it seemed like every other kingfisher had a fish in his mouth. We had great chances at both Green and Ringed kingfishers before we went to Caiman Island for capybaras and …wait for it…caimans. The capybaras had 2 little babies who were nursing like bookends, one per side. We got word that Mick Jaguar was out on the beach and by the time we got there he had found a lovely spot at the top of a beach in the shade. He was awake and gave us lots of looks, grooming and a yawn or two. He is a bad dude, has a bad eye and the world’s most unfortunate name to go with his unfortunate face. He’s no Sergio.
Day 5 PM We started with a few birds before we found Lightning WAY up one of the estuaries. He was where we had Persephone hunting otters in 2012. He was resting in a bush and there was no photo…at all. Then we got word that Mick was walking the beach where he was this morning. When we got there it wasn’t Mick at all (thank God) It was Paolo. That’s Ruth’s son who we named in 2012 when the cubs came out for the first time. He’s almost 3 and I think he might be scavenging off Mick’s kill from yesterday. He sat for a while at the top of the beach, gave a yawn and walked right to us on the smooth sand beach… Unbelievable. He is a handsome boy and will grow into his huge paws in a year or so. He walked up the dune, sat by a lovely flowering bush before crouching to hide from a capybara family. By then it was dark….SUPPER!
Day 6 AM It’s breakfast and then down the Piquri River in search of giant otters. Our first set had just caught a huge striped catfish and started eating it right in front of us. Best shots were him bursting out of the water just when he caught it and then holding it sideways like a flute and taking the first bite of the tail. We spent a lot of time on land chasing hyacinth Macaws, nest building casiques, and a cute yellow armadillo! Jabiru storks were gathering nesting sticks and drinking from the river. Home for lunch.
Day 6 PM Not much searching this afternoon. Mick and Paolo were within 100 yards of each other. Mick in deep shade and Paolo on the alert up river on the bank. There were some small branches in the way that ultimately made for cool shots…some added mystery instead of a super clean shot. It’s so hot I could talk myself into anythingJ We stayed with him as he fidgeted and kept looking downstream. I wonder if Mick is too old to care about another jaguar around him and if Paolo is too young and inexperienced to be a threat. It was HOT out and he finally came down and waded, sat and drank in the shallows before heading to the bush…avoiding Mick’s area. As the light went we stopped for a look at Mick….still got the eye problem…time to go home.
Day 7 AM Otters and trogons and cats…Oh My. Corny, right? First light made a family of giant otters in still, chocolate brown water look like they were in studio light! Simple swimming shots look like works of art. A blue crowned trogon was next followed by the most beautiful anhinga with auburn back feathers. The soft green background made it a perfect set for us. Last of the morning was an old and well-loved female jaguar named Sylvia. She’s around 10 years old and you can see the marks of age and a greying feel about her fur. She has been a good mother and even at this age has 2 eight month old cubs. She walked in the long grass along a remote channel of the Three Brothers River.
Day 7 PM More otters…This time in a small pool by their den piling on each other 6 at a time. Then they started fishing and coming up with snack sized fish that fit in their mouths for one gulp! Then it was a bird shoot with a female Amazon king fisher holding a fish in her mouth on a great perch with a peachy background followed by a great black hawk, an uncommon yellow-tailed hawk and a sweet coquoi heron. Last was an unfledged tiger heron chick standing up on its nest. We thought we were done but some Golden Howler monkeys came on the scene. The sat on the perfect jungle branch male scratched his most handsome black beard.
Day 8 AM Last boat ride at 3 Brothers. All our luggage went early to Port Goffrey. On the way we shot some nice enough stuff at a skimmer rookery and the some brilliant hyacinth Macaws once we got to shore. On the road we stopped for a break where there’s a lovely stand of trees, sort of an oasis, and got great shots of a great horned owl in the open. (There was a so-so horned owl behind some leaves) We got to the ranch, moved in, had some lunch and discussed the possibilities of jaguars this afternoon.
Day 8 PM We have new boats that are smaller, more maneuverable and less stable so we’ll be learning new skills. The river here is really a long, narrow ox bow lake so there’s no current and everything is pretty close. Lots of birds in flight and especially birds fishing. Black-collared hawks, great black hawks, yellow-headed car acara, and kingfishers are in constant motion looking for a meal. Our goal is get them in good light and in focus with an intriguing wing position…sounds easy….We did have some good chances, though. I love the way the water sprays out behind them as they fly away with their catch! Last of all was a jabiru stork catching fish while the bees circled his head. There were deep forest shadows behind so way under exposed shots have a studio light feel to them.
Day 9 AM There’s a tree that puts out new salmon colored flowers every morning and every morning the birds come in. They pick each flower and drink the nectar from the back until the tree is bare. Then the whole thing starts again the next day. Today it was yellow chevron parakeets and tropials as the main event. A Rufus hornero was in and out of its horn shaped mud nest. We hit the boats after breakfast and had a great (and HOT) boat ride that got us kingfishers, hawks, 100s of snowy egrets, an uncommon whistling heron that gave us a nice shoot and best of all, an otter family with 6 week old babies. The mothers were carrying them in their mouths to cross the river.
Day 9 PM Alyson checked the forest for brown Capuchin monkeys, but no luck so we headed for the boats and a Great Potoo hunt. Ten minutes up the river we beached the boats when we found not only the Great Potoo, but the Lesser Patoo five minutes later. In the forest it’s all about the little windows where there’s a clear shot. The light was soft and overcast so the forest had a soft green feel as a background. As we shot the lesser, the sun came out under the clouds. We ran back to the Great Potoo and found him bathed in the last golden light of the day. WOW! On the way home we were congratulating ourselves and our good fortune when a Neotropical cormorant came up with a big river catfish halfway down his throat. Unreal!
Day 10 AM and PM This was a morning to remember. The parakeets were back for the new nectar. It was raining pink flowers as the parakeets plucked and tossed them. The troupial was back with his more polite style of drinking a leaving the flower. Breakfast and then the boats. We were getting GREAT action from beginning to end. Flying hawks, diving kingfishers, gliding coqui heron, a week old tiger heron in a nest, and a cocoi heron fishing right in front of us… Too much….
PM was very much like the morning…lots to shoot; birds flying, otters swimming, king fishers with fish, but top it all off with a nice sunset and you have a memorable end to a rewarding photo safari to Brazil
Brazil Photo Gallery
