Spring came to REGUA late this year. Low temperatures and low humidity kept insect activity noticeably reduced into late September, and some species, including Shrike-like Cotinga, did not to appear on territory as early as expected. However, there have been many fantastic birds sightings on the Reserve over the last two months or so.

4×4 Track to Casa Anibal: Frilled Coquette was recorded on one occasion in the garden of the abandoned Casa Anabal at the top of the trail. Other birds along the trail included White-necked Hawk, Tawny-browed Owl, White-throated Hummingbird and Sombre Hummingbird (both scarce at REGUA), Spot-billed Toucanet, Yellow-throated Woodpecker, Yellow-eared Woodpecker, Scaled Antbird, White-bibbed Antbird, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Grey-hooded Flycatcher, Ochre-bellied Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tyrant, Blue Manakin, Bare-throated Bellbird, Golden-chevroned Tanager, Chestnut-bellied Euphonia, Yellow-green Grosbeak, and Crescent-chested Puffbird.

Elfin Forest Trail: Many interesting species were recorded along this beautiful trail: Shrike-like Cotinga, Sharpbill, Russet-winged Spadebill, Brown Tinamou, Blue-bellied Parrot, Brown-backed Parrotlet (a single sighting), Golden-tailed Parrotlet, Pileated Parrot (heard only), Saffron Toucanet, Mantled Hawk, Black Hawk-Eagle, Scale-throated Hermit, Planalto Hermit, Least Pygmy-Owl, Black-billed Scythebill, Pale-browed Treehunter, White-browed Foliage-gleaner, Salvadori’s Antwren, Such’s Antthrush, Short-tailed Antthrush, Tufted Antshrike, White-bearded Antshrike (heard only), White-shouldered Fire-Eye, Slaty Bristlefront, Rufous Gnateater, Spotted Bamboowren (heard only), Oustalet’s Tyrannulet, Mottle-cheeked Tyrannulet, Black-tailed Flycatcher, Greenish Schiffornis, Golden-crowned Warbler, Green-winged Saltator, Brown Tanager, and Plumbeous Pigeon.

Forest Trail: Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle, White-necked Hawk, Crane Hawk, Laughing Falcon (nesting), Capped Heron (on a nest), Amethyst Woodstar (unusual here), Reddish Hermit, Surucua Trogon, Ruddy Quail-Dove, Blue Manakin, Striped Cuckoo, Moustached Wren, Long-billed Wren, Southern Antpipit, Giant Antshrike (in September), Sooretama Slaty-Antshrike, Rufous-winged Antwren, Star-throated Antwren, Unicoloured Antwren, Eye-ringed Tody-Tyrant, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Euler’s Flycatcher, Ruby-crowned Tanager, Red-legged Honeycreeper, Swallow Tanager, Crested Becard, Buff-throated Saltator, Orange-bellied Euphonia, and Rufous-capped Motmot.

The lodge garden: Curl-crested Jay, Greenish Elaenia, White-eared Puffbird (all scarce here), Black-banded Owl (first record for the garden), Rusty-margined Guan (at dusk), Channel-billed Toucan, Yellow-headed Caracara, Maroon-bellied Parakeet, White-eyed Parakeet), up to 14 Orange-winged Parrot, Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift, Rufous-breasted Hermit, White-chinned Sapphire, Black Jacobin, Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, Violet-capped Woodnymph, Glittering-throated Emerald, White-flanked Antwren, Yellow-backed Tanager, Flame-crested Tanager, Hooded Tanager, Long-billed Wren, Brazilian Tanager, Burnished-buff Tanager, and Purple-throated Euphonia.

Onofre Cunha Trail: On occasions fantastic night-birding was experienced here with sightings including Giant Snipe, South American Snipe, Short-tailed Nighthawk, Pauraque, Long-tailed Potoo, Mottled Owl, Black-banded Owl, Tawny-browed Owl, Tropical Screech-Owl, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl and Barn Owl. Day time birds recorded here included Uniform Crake (heard only) Ash-throated Crake, Blackish Rail, Slaty-breasted Wood-Rail, Limpkin, Rufous-capped Motmot, White Woodpecker, Short-tailed Hawk, Barn Swallow, Sick’s Swift, Moustached Wren, White-eyed Parakeet, Grey-hooded Flycatcher, Rufous-breasted Hermit, White-flanked Antwren, Channel-billed Toucan, and Rufous-tailed Jacamar.

Waldenoor and Veludo Trails: The abandoned house part way along the trail was, as usual for this time of year, a reliable spot for the tiny and gorgeous Frilled Coquette, with up to two males and a female putting on a great show for birders here as they fed on flowering trees around the house. Other birds recorded along these two trails included: Mantled Hawk, Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle, Least Pygmy-Owl, Spot-winged Wood-Quail, Blue-winged Parrotlet, Saw-billed Hermit, Versicoloured Emerald, Giant Antshrike, White-shouldered Fire-Eye, Spot-breasted Antvireo, Variegated Antpitta, Scaled Woodcreeper, White-throated Woodcreeper, Buff-bellied Puffbird, Black-tailed Tityra, Black-capped Becard, Green-backed Becard, Rufous-breasted Leaftosser, Rufous-capped Spinetail, Ochre-breasted Foliage-gleaner, Rough-legged Tyrannulet, Azure-shouldered Tanager, Red-necked Tanager, and Variegated Flycatcher. On the approach road to the trailheads: a showy Ash-throated Crake, White-eared Puffbird and Cliff Flycatcher were also seen.

Waterfall Trail: Sightings from Casa Pesquisa up to the Waterfall: White-bellied Tanager, Temminck’s Seedeater, Buffy-fronted Seedeater (both seedeaters at seeding bamboo), Brown Tinamou, Pauraque (several nests along the trail), White-necked Hawk, Black Hawk-Eagle, Rufous-thighed Kite, Barred Forest-Falcon, Ruddy Quail-Dove, Saw-billed Hermit, Black-throated Trogon, Variegated Antpitta, Rufous-breasted Leaftosser (nesting near the waterfall), Salvadori’s Antwren (on several occasions), Spot-backed Antshrike, Spot-breasted Antvireo, Black-cheeked Gnateater, Rufous-capped Antthrush, White-throated Woodcreeper, Buff-bellied Puffbird, Yellow-fronted Woodpecker, White-thighed Swallow, Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper (at the waterfall), Pin-tailed Manakin, Bare-throated Bellbird, Rufous-headed Tanager, Greyish Mourner, White-throated Spadebill, Grey-capped Tyrannulet, Eared Pygmy-Tyrant, Black-throated Grosbeak, Sooty Grassquit (at the seeding bamboo), and Uniform Finch.

Wetland Trail: Around the wetland and rapidly growing secondary forest areas were: Black-breasted Mango (in November), Magnificent Frigatebird (rare at the reserve), Solitary Sandpiper, Southern Lapwing, Masked Duck (very low numbers this year), Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Tataupa Tinamou, Cocoi Heron, Limpkin, Spot-tailed Nightjar, Short-tailed Hawk, Great Black-Hawk (regular), Blue-winged Parrotlet, Maroon-bellied Parakeet, c13 White-eyed Parakeet, Blackish Rail, Rufous-sided Crake, Russet-crowned Crake (heard only), Slaty-breasted Wood-Rail, Grey-necked Wood-Rail, Blue Ground-dove (heard only), Rufous-thighed Hawk, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Pale-vented Pigeon, Biscutate Swift, Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift (regular at dusk), Moustached Wren, Lemon-chested Greenlet, Green-barred Woodpecker, Blond-crested Woodpecker, Black-capped Donacobius, Green-backed Becard, Wing-banded Hornero, Fuscous Flycatcher, Tropical Pewee, Yellow-browed Tyrant, Yellow-lored Tody-Flycatcher, Common Potoo (on nest), Dark-billed Cuckoo, Hooded Tanager, Brown-chested Martin, Chopi Blackbird, White-bellied Seedeater, Pileated Finch, and Glittering-bellied Emerald (an unusually low elevation record).

Open country adjacent to the reserve: A few species of more open habitats were recorded on the farmland around the Reserve: Grassland Yellow-Finch (several of this regionally rare species were regular by the approach road in October), Boat-billed Heron (a single bird on the Guapiaçu river at night), Whistling Heron, Crane Hawk, Savanna Hawk, Aplomodo Falcon, Striped Owl, Tawny-browed Owl, Burrowing Owl, Spot-tailed Nightjar, Green Kingfisher, Grassland Sparrow, White-browed Blackbird, White-eyed Parakeet (c70), Orange-winged Parrot, Red-cowled Cardinal, Common Waxbill, Yellowish Pipit, Sooty Swift, Biscutate Swift, Campo Flicker, White Woodpecker, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, White-rumped Swallow, Giant Cowbird, Hooded Tanager, and White-rumped Monjita.