Anybody going to the Pantanal, been to the Pantanal, thinking about the Pantanal?
 

I'm all 3.

I'd love to swap Capybarra or Chaco Chachalaca tales.

Atravelyn,

I seem to remember us talking about the Pantanal previously. Didn't you go before and share some pictures? My old Fodor's id was EDH_Traveler.

Anyway, I think 2010 will be the Pantanal year for us. We are thinking 2 weeks with half the time in the Amazon and the other half in the Pantanal. I am still researching lodges and places to go. From some of my research, it appears that having a dedicated guide and/or having a tour company book your in country travel arrangements may be the way to go.

This would be a dream trip for us so I am starting the research early.

Alan

Possibly 2010 for us too.

But right now, I just really need to make a decision on this September's trip. Every week I flip flop between keeping or dropping Madagascar.

I did go to the Pacific coast of Mexico over the weekend and have some West Mexican Chachalaca photos to upload.

Patty,

You might get some more peccaries and coaties in the Pantanal.

Not to dissuade you Patty, because I would love to see your first hand account for selfish reasons, but have you seen the recent violence in Madagascar?

Atdahl, Looks like it would be a good trip! Lots of great places in the Pantanal.

No, I hadn't seen that. Thanks for mentioning it, Lynn.

Lynn - I'm only 2! Never been, but we're going in September to many of the places you've already been. So I'll swap stories when we return. Can't wait to hear about the southern pantanal!

Marsha

Yes - 2010 - and looking at all your posts to get some ideas on how best to do it. I can afford 14 days on ground. Just made another post regarding the Jaguar Research Center and whether anyone has been there or knows anything about it. They seem to claim a ton of jaguar sightings, but not sure if there is a catch.

I posted on your other thread. I'd ask for past clients to contact as references. The catch in any wildlife viewing is it is all luck and you usually spend 90% to 99% of your time waiting and watching for 1% to 10% of the excitement.

Very true. Since I do most of my safaris in India, I can absolutely agree.

Lynn,

We're back from the northern pantanal...it was everything you said and more! Absolutely loved it and we're considering a trip to see the southern panatanal sometime, as well as the Amazon region.

We saw over 400 species of birds (the cheeky saffron toucanet was my favorite), several groups of giant river otters, 7 jaguars in 2 boat trips (WOW!!!), and we ate boatloads of pacu (a fruit-eating piranha).

We also went to Iguazu Falls for 3 days where we caught the tail end of that huge tornado-spawning storm. We had rain the entire time we were there...producing fewer birds, but the falls were spectacular with 30% more water than usual.

We're still processing our photos and will post a link when we're finished. But I've uploaded a few video clips at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/2154217...7622487011898/ (hope the link works.)

You're trip report really helped us with our trip to the pantanal...thanks again!

Marsha

These videos are wonderful; thanks for sharing. It was great to see the beautiful birds in action! I hope you will be posting a trip report, I will be curious to learn where you stayed and where you saw the jaguars. Thanks!

Great videos. I think we were in the southern pantanal at the same time you were in the northern. No jaguars for us...

Marija, did you get any of that terrible storm? It supposedly hit Mato Grosso do Sul pretty hard. Loved your trip report...it's part of the reason we're considering southern pantanal and the Amazon area. Sounds like a trip to the northern pantanal for jaguars is in order for you!

numbat83, sorry but that's all the trip report I can muster...I'm not very good about journaling our trips. But here is our itinerary....let me know if you have any questions about hotels.

Aug 28: Fly Chicago to Dallas/Ft Worth to Sao Paulo to Rio
Aug 30: Rio Quinta da Boa Vista and Zoo
Aug 31: Rio Botanical Garden; Oceano Copacabana Hotel (would not recommend this hotel)
Sep 01: Rio to Itatiaia National Park; Hotel do Ype (videos of hanging feeders and capuchin)
Sep 02: Itatiaia NP mid-elevation; Hotel do Ype
Sep 03: Itatiaia NP upper; Hotel do Ype
Sep 04: Itatiaia NP lower; fly from Sao Paulo to Cuiaba via Campo Grande; drive Cuiaba to Currupira das Araras
Sep 05: Currupira das Araras (where we saw the Harpy Eagle)
Sep 06: Currupira das Araras; drive to Caceres via Cuiaba; boat trip on Rio Paraguay to Hotel Baiazinha
Sep 07: Boat trip on Rio Paraguay to Taiama Island Reserve (saw 4 jaguars); Hotel Baiazinha
Sep 08: Hotel Baiazinha grounds; boat trip on Rio Paraguay
Sep 09: Boat trip on Rio Paraguay to Caceres; drive to Pocone; Transpantaneira Road to Rio Pixaim; Hotel Pantanal Mato Grosso (videos of Aracari and Troupial)
Sep 10: Dawn boat trip on Rio Pixaim (videos of Giant River Otter); Transpantaneira Road (K65) to Porto Jofre (K145); Hotel Porto Jofre
Sep 11: Boat trip on Rio Cuiaba and Rio Tres Hermanos (saw 3 jaguars, including the gimpy one in the video); Hotel Porto Jofre
Sep 12: Drive Transpantaneira Road to Pouso Alegre (K33)(video of Hyacinth macaw)
Sep 13: Drive Transpantaneira Road to Pocone to Cuiaba; Chapada dos Guimaraes; Pousad do Penhasco
Sep 14: Chapada dos Guimaraes; Pousad do Penhasco
Sep 15: Fly Cuiaba to Sao Paulo to Foz do Iguacu via Sao Paulo; drive to Hotel Sheraton Iguazu Argentina and arrive at 2am!
Sep 16: Hotel Sheraton Iguazu Argentina
Sep 17: Hotel Sheraton Iguazu Argentina
Sep 18: Fly Foz do Iguacu to Sao Paulo to Dallas/Ft Worth to Chicago

Finally got our photos from Brazil online at www.pbase.com/deseml/ ...it's the last gallery on the page.

I've also put up a few more videos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/2154217...7622487011898/

The Pantanal is a fabulous area to explore. Thanks again to Lynn and Marija for their oh so helpful trip reports!

Marsha

Great photos, OB!

The Harpy Eagle has to be a huge thrill for birders like you. Was it commonly seen there or were you just very lucky?

I was admiring the saffron toucanet too.

Your bird photos are outstanding. Love the jaguar peeking through the leaves.

What company did you use again and what kind of vehicle were you in in N. Pantanal? What an outstanding itinerary and results!

Lynn:
The Harpy Eagle was a stake out bird, or rather nest. Harpys have a 3 year cycle where after hatching the chick stays around the nest for 2 years and the third year is when the adults go off to breed and are not around the nest site. The nest we saw was actually discovered 10 years ago by our Argentinian guide which made it all that much more exciting. This is THE bird to see for birders traveling to Brazil.

I too loved the saffron toucanets...very tame (hand fed them bananas), cheeky and wild-eyed looking in a beautiful way.

We've been traveling with Borderland Tours, a birding tour company out of Tucson. They use Trogon Tours, a birding company out of Argentina, to organize and guide their Brazil tours.

There were 15 of us and I think we had a 20 seater (plus back seat) van. The upper windows opened, which was good for photography. But I thought the van a little too small for the number of birders and photographers, especially since we were road birding all along the Transpantaneira (180 miles roundtrip). It's the age old problem of one side of the vehicle being able to see and not the other. Oh, the other interesting thing about the van was that the driver's area was walled off with glass...maybe to let him smoke or to give him peace from the tourists? Whatever the reason, it did impede the forward view. But I think this might be the norm as I recall all vans/buses seen having similar set ups.

FYI - most of the pictures are Dave's, not mine. He uses a DSLR and gets so much better photos, especially of those tiny or far away birds. It never ceases to amaze me how he gets some of those photos!

Unfortunately the Northern Pantanal might have to wait until 2011 or later.

Marsha

I did know that about the Harpy. So did you plan your trip to coincide with the behavior so that you weren't there on the "odd year out"?

Interesting info on the vehicle.

Thanks, Ovenbird!

Thanks so much for sharing these beautiful photos and posting your itinerary details. The diversity of birds is just amazing in your photos.. It sounds like you saw the jaguars in the same general area as Lynn did on her trip. The three of you (OB, Marija, and Lynn) are making it absolutely impossible to decide where to go in the Pantanal -- everything sounds amazing and I think I'd need more time and money than I have to see it all. Thanks again for all the info!

Thanks...I'll let Dave know his pictures are appreciated!

I think all birding tours to Brazil are planned around the 3 year cycle of that specific Harpy nest. It's a side trip and a bit off the beaten path for non-birders, so general wildlife tours probably don't go there and don't have to pay attention to the cycle.

But that's not necessarily a bad thing. Since Lynn's tour wasn't focused on birds, I think she saw many more mammals than we did. I'm just very happy we saw jaguars. However, Giant Anteaters would have been nice...next time!

Marsha