White-winged nightjars

The reserve has a big lake in the middle, to the North of the reserve is the Cerrado which is like savannah and to the South is the North Atlantic forest habitat. The Capuchins that I‘ll be studying live in this patch of forest which is about 3miles ^2.  The reserve is surrounded by farm and bush land which is land designated to the native people who share it between them. 

At around 8pm last night we headed North beyond the Cerrado to an enormous eucalyptus farm. We met up with Paul Smith, a naturalist and expert on Paraguayan fauna, who was taking a group of nature loving OAP’s to look for some white-winged night jars.

There are only 3 known breeding places in the world for this species of night-jar and we were in one of them. Their numbers suffer due to extensive habitat loss but they are also very picky about their breeding sites. They need the grass to be the right height to enable them to lek, which for this species involves the males jumping into the air and making themselves look attractive to any available females that may be watching. This pickiness along with their slow response to oncoming vehicles such as tractors doesn't do their numbers any favours. On the road out to find them there was evidence of forest clearing. A line of tree roots, stumps and snapped branches. On one side was forest, the other mostly sand with patches of grass. It looked like a tornado hit but this particular desert we can accredit to a farmer and his bulldozer. The night-jar habitat we visited, one of only three in the world! Only exists because it conveniently acts as a fire break between the patches of eucalyptus crop.

An hour earlier whilst eating dinner we had received a message from Paul saying he had just spotted a pair or maned wolves with his tour group (which just happens to be the animal I most want to see whilst I'm here.. other than the monkeys obv). So as the other volunteers and I sat in the back of the Highlux on our way to look for the night jar  we eagerly scanned the surrounding grasslands for any signs of the wolves. The stars were out and the air smelt of eucalyptus as we passed through a clearing in the forest where the trees towered either side of the road.

Eventually we caught up with Paul and his possie. They had a huge lamp that shone for miles which they were using to look for the glowing eyes of the night jars in the grass. It took us 10 minutes or so to find a night-jar that stayed still long enough for us to get a close look at it.

We watched and took pictures for about 15 minutes or so before it took off into the night. So here you go, some pictures of one of the rarest birds in the world.

This little guy is sat on a termite mound where he has a slightly better view of any passing predators.

We headed out this morning to search for the monkeys but no sign of them today. The plan was to do a late night search in order to observe their sleeping sights but a storm has rolled in so no monkeying around tonight.

Presently I’m sat in the cabin waiting for the storm to pass. The last storm ripped the hatches off the windows so myself and fellow monkey researcher Georgia had to quickly put up a make shift screen using a bin liner I brought from home (there are none here) and a wooden board. Fingers crossed it work otherwise I’ll be getting a wet head tonight. The closest thing I got to a wolf encounter so far is the puppy that is currently nipping my ankles under the table. He’s no maned wolf, but he is cute. 

Here are some pictures of the lake and one of Rubie's bats collected for her bat inventory.

Oh and one very cute puppy..