Pantanal and Caracas - Day 2 18/7 - Pousada Aguape

18/7/19

Up for 7 o’clock breakfast which was another buffet with a wide selection of cheese and meats, plus sausages in tomato sauce, and some lovely Brazilian dishes which were made from cassava flour and mixed with cheese, or filled with tuna or chicken plus a selection of fruit including two kinds of melon and pineapple.

We met up and checked out at 10 to 8, wandering out to wait for the bus to take us to the airport. A quick look round found vultures and a house wren before we boarded the bus to terminal two. A short stop to get money and then we started checkin, which went smoothly to start but, apparently, the gate closed half way through, even though the man continued to check in our luggage. We were told we would have to take the 3.00 pm flight but a little dismay and pressure and we were ‘rushed through’ with an escort taking us along the staff access channel, through security and onto the boarding gate where they re-opened the desk, scanned our boarding passes and let us onto the plane. A slight hiatus with missing boarding passes and a mislaid passport and then we were in our seats ready for the flight with at least 15 minutes to spare.

An uneventful flight with free water and we landed at Campo Grande an hour and a half later, met up with our luggage, which came off towards the end with Brenda’s the very last case off, found our driver and set off to Pousada Agaupe.

The drive was quite uneventful, although we did see southern Lapwing and our first Greater Rhea. A stop for lunch was welcome and we spent a bit of time checking out the birdlife around the cafe area. Our first Red-legged Seriemas were standing around at the end of the garden, but soon moved away. A Chachalaca, which would be very common through the trip, wandered through a tree into the denser part and there were several Sayaca Tanagers flitting about. There were a couple of Rufous Horneros and

Chalk-browed Mockingbirds feeding on scraps. Lunch was a choice of burgers with a variety of combinations or steaks. David and I shared a steak and Marco and the driver shared one, it came with rice, lettuce, tomato and chips and was very nice.

The journey continued on asphalt roads but then we turned off onto a dirt track. Part way down I shouted ‘STOP, Anteater’. The van backed up a few yards and there in a ditch beside the road was our first Giant Anteater accompanied by three or four Anis. It snuffled about for about five minutes before making its way through the grass into the field. In the trees around were Variable Orioles and a Shimmering-bellied Hummer. Carrying on we saw 9-banded Armadillo and Coati as well a a few birds, but viewing was difficult and we had a date with a tour round Pousada Aguape so we pressed on.

We were a bit late getting to the Pousada so we were given the choice of relaxing and spending some time at the feeders or dumping our stuff and going out for a ride, we went out for a ride.

The trucks have a bank of seats which are so high that you need a set of steps to get into them but they do give a great view over the surrounding fields. As we set out, I mentioned that one of my most wanted was Burrowing Owl, we did a 180 turn, bumped across a field and there was our first stop, one of my most wanted birds, a pair of burrowing owls. Something I’ve wanted to see for a while. We then drove some of the trails across the estate. We saw Capybara, Rosy Spoonbill, Crab Eating Fox, Caiman Rheas and Seriema amongst other things. Before arriving back for an hour before a lovely BBQ dinner.

There was some excitement after dinner when Brenda found a snake in the bathroom and a quick check for bats but with no response. There was also a frog in one of the sinks which is probably some kind of glass frog.