14 Sept 2001The weather remains overcast and gloomy - I've given up on the hummingbird, and must be content with a photo of the maracuja. I spend most of my time walking the forest. Periods of near total silence are interrupted by the feeding flocks so characteristic of the tropics. There are mainly two types, the insectivores and the fruit-eaters. The latter have the most colorful birds - Blue Dacnis, Golden-winged Cacique, Rufous-bellied Thrush, but best of all tanagers. I've enjoyed a beautiful assortment of tanagers endemic to Mata Atlântica - Chestnut-backed, Red-necked, Green-headed, Brassy-breasted, Rufous-headed - avian jewels all. Alas for the photographer, these little birds are the very definition of impossible-to-photograph. They live entirely in the forest canopy, seldom venturing to within 10 m of the ground. Moving with the flock unpredictably through the forest, they dart into a fruiting tree, scramble about for a few minutes, then it's away to the next tree.
15 Sept 2001
Luis is unique among the Brazilian guides. On our first outing he always called out two words when a bird was seen. As I learned his accent, I realized that he was saying the scientific name of the bird - he has memorized them all, the only birder I know to have done this.
My last full day at Intervales dawns warm and sunny. Luis and I, along with Eduardo and his girlfriend Noeli, search for my nemesis bird, the Blue Manakin.
Another Mata Atlântica endemic, Blue Manakin is arguably the
most beautiful of manakins, a family unique to the neotropics. In addition to its
colors, it has a remarkable mating display, consisting of a coordinated dance involving
three males. Whenever a female approaches, the alpha male and his two cohorts perch
on a horizontal limb, singing and taking turns leaping over one another. Once the alpha male senses that her interest is sufficiently
piqued, he emits a series of "eeks", upon which the cohorts disperse, leaving
the alpha male to complete the dance and mate with the female. The two cohorts,
usually younger males, participate in this ritual for months or even years, and never once
mate with a female. Biologists have wondered how such a trait could
evolve. The answer seems to be that to win a female, the dance is the only game in
town. Cohorts patiently play their role until the alpha male dies, then one of the
two becomes the new alpha. Another cohort is then recruited, and the game goes on.I have heard many Blue Manakins at Intervales, but they remain firmly ensconced in the dense forest, yielding only an occasional tantalizing glimpse. This is my last chance, but I am not optimistic. Late in the morning we come to a thicket, choked with bamboo, vines, and low trees, where Blue Manakin males are calling. We work our way through the undergrowth until Luis motions for me to stop. He imitates their calls and whistles. One or two curious males fly down near us, and I begin to take photos. Conditions are trying. I am hand-holding the camera and 300mm telephoto lens, hoping that the rapid flash will stop movement. The heat and humidity are excessive - biting flies are merciless. After a while the manakins realize they are being conned - they return to their high perches, and we leave the thicket. This was my best chance for a photo, but I will not know the result until November.
16 Sept 2001
I am spending two nights at the Mariott near São Paulo's international airport. This puts a dent in my budget, but sometimes the weary traveler needs to be pampered with good English and plush carpets. Tomorrow I fly to Argentina.