Tridax daisy (Tridax procumbens)
Native range is Mexico to southern South America.
Tag Archives: Pousada Xaraés
Tridax daisy (Tridax procumbens)
Native range is Mexico to southern South America.
Campo Flicker (Colaptes campestris)
The only species of woodpecker I encountered while at Pousada Xaraés. This was the second and last, and being the last few hours of my stay I think I should be satisfied. In fact it was only a few metres away from my room, so another proof you don’t have to go far to see […]
Rufous Hornero (Furnarius rufus)
As I was photographing plants I noticed the constant return of and foraging of this bird on the ground around me. Not at all nervous about me, and came very close on several occasions. Finally I found out where it was heading, and the nest was very close. It’s an amazing construction and is re-used […]
Pantanal plant 33
My last day at Pousada Xaraés, and finally some rain! Not torrential, but at least sufficient to get the ground wet and muddy in some places. As I’m soon to leave, I stay close to the buildings and find lots of plant species new to me. Please help me identify it – leave a comment!
Long-flower Tobacco (Nicotiana longiflora)
My last day at Pousada Xaraés, and finally some rain! Not torrential, but at least sufficient to get the ground wet and muddy in some places. As I’m soon to leave, I stay close to the buildings and find lots of plant species new to me. Native to Bolivia to Brazil and North Argentina. Please […]
Mosaic flower (Ludwigia sedioides)
Native range is Mexico to Paraguay.
Mosaic flower (Ludwigia sedioides)
I found none in bloom, so I wonder when they do bloom, as soon the locations they grow in will be under water again. Native range is Mexico to Paraguay.
Pavonia sidifolia
Native range is Mexico to Paraguay.
Pavonia sidifolia
Native range is Mexico to Paraguay.
Solanum palinacanthum
Native range is Bolivia, Brazil to Argentina. This plant has big spines high on its agenda, so apparently the leaves are delicious to insects and herbivores, but I saw neither consuming the soft new parts.
Solanum palinacanthum
Native range is Bolivia, Brazil to Argentina.
Solanum acerifolium
Native range is Bolivia, Brazil to Argentina.
Wineflower (Boerhavia diffusa)
Native range is tropics and subtropics.
Wineflower (Boerhavia diffusa)
Native range is tropics and subtropics.
Mimosa sp
My last day at Pousada Xaraés, and finally some rain! Not torrential, but at least sufficient to get the ground wet and muddy in some places. As I’m soon to leave, I stay close to the buildings and find lots of plant species new to me. This one looks like mimosa. Please help me identify […]
Mimosa sp
My last day at Pousada Xaraés, and finally some rain! Not torrential, but at least sufficient to get the ground wet and muddy in some places. As I’m soon to leave, I stay close to the buildings and find lots of plant species new to me. This one looks like mimosa. The buds look like […]
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)
This is such a tiny bird of prey, and when they sit still in the rain like this, they’re easily missed, as no prey is making any warning calls. The rain has dampened a lot of activities, and this couple was observing and preening feathers with no intention of taking flight and not bothered by […]
Peach-fronted Parakeet (Eupsittula aurea)
My last day at Pousada Xaraés was a wet one, and a totally different setting than the previous two, which were sunny and hot. This group of parakeets look soaked and miserable, but they seemed to welcome the wetness as a different sort of having a bath. In the dry season they have to find […]
Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus)
The sitting bird looks frightened in this photo, but this is all play and fun! This tree is often busy with younger birds (less than 7 years) as well as established pairs. You can see the branches have been chewed on, and they will be bitten to pieces much quicker than the process of decomposition. […]
Pantanal Gecko 02
This is the second gecko species I found on the walls of Pousada Xaraés, and I’m certain there are several more species living in and around these buildings.
White-backed Stilt (Himantopus melanurus)
It’s almost dark, and hard to see, and most of the birds are quiet now. This individual was standing by itself in the middle of the pond, while all the other birds were resting on its edge. It sounds like this:
Pantanal (Pousada Xaraés)
The sun is setting behind the trees, and dusk is fast approaching. This vista is typical of this part of the Pantanal. Lush green even at the end of the dry season, the jabiru storks are still finding plenty of food in the myriads of pools, and here and there you’ll come across fences seen […]
Gray Brocket (Mazama gouazoubira)
Astonishingly this brocket was not startled by my approach (a 4×4), so I was able to take a couple of shots before it decided to move on. Pantanal is amazing this way, or at least those areas where landowners long ago have let large portions of their farms revert back to their natural state, including […]
Red-and-green Macaw (Ara chloropterus)
This is perhaps the best time of day as the air has cooled substantially and the light is mellow and soft. Many birds are now preparing for the night, but these macaws were still in food mode. The macaws are noisy and should be easy to see as their plumage is intensely colorful, but these […]
Chopi Blackbird (Gnorimopsar chopi)
A common bird in Pantanal, and several resides close to the buildings of Pousada Xaraés. This is a pair with chicks that perhaps the very same day had left their nest, and thus they were trying to divert me from the chicks on the ground. They were unable to fly, so they had left the […]
Pantanal plant 27 (Centrosema)
The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach. I was unable to find a plant with fresh flowers. apparently this species was at the very end of its flowering season. I found it on the very fringes of […]
Pantanal plant 27 (Centrosema)
The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach. I was unable to find a plant with fresh flowers. Apparently this species was at the very end of its flowering season. I found it on the very fringes of […]
West Indian Buckeye (Junonia evarete)
Old and worn out, but still in good health as it was by no means sitting still when I repeatedly approached. Location was near one of the many dwindling pools of water.
Six-Banded Armadillo (Euphractus sexcinctus)
As I was focusing on the many small and low plants in the sandy open spaces around the buildings of Pousada Xaraés, this armadillo was passing by. As with the others I’ve encountered here, it was moving quickly, sniffing in one area for a short time, then quickly moving on. Here it’s superficially digging into […]
Pantanal plant 26 (Indigofera)
The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach. Just after a couple of hundred metres on the private road leading to Pousada Xaraés you’ll encounter the deep sand – only passable by large trucks and 4x4s. It was […]
Pantanal plant 26 (Indigofera)
The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach. Just after a couple of hundred metres on the private road leading to Pousada Xaraés you’ll encounter the deep sand – only passable by large trucks and 4x4s. It was […]
Indigofera hirsuta
The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach. Just after a couple of hundred metres on the private road leading to Pousada Xaraés you’ll encounter the deep sand – only passable by large trucks and 4x4s. It was […]
Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris)
The fruit of the Acuri palm (Attalea phalerata) is important food for a number of Pantanal bird and mammal species, and here one adult capybara of a family of several youngsters enjoys the ripe (yellow) fruits. It appears the husk is what they prefer, as none of the nuts were cracked open. The capybara should […]
Willowleaf Angelon (Angelonia salicariifolia)
The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach. Native range is Bolivia to Brazil and Argentina.
Willowleaf Angelon (Angelonia salicariifolia)
The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach. Native range is Bolivia to Brazil and Argentina.
Indigofera sabulicola
Native range is America and Africa.
Indigofera sabulicola
Native range is America and Africa.
Indigofera microcarpa
The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach. Native range is America and Africa.
Pantanal plant 23 (Waltheria)
The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach. This species has very small flowers and a very dense foliage. Please help me identify it – leave a comment!
Pantanal plant 23 (Waltheria)
The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach. Densely haired leaves gives a whitish tint. The broad leaves and the fast growth of this species gives it the opportunity to dominate wherever it gets a foothold. Please help […]
Rhabdadenia pohlii
Notice the indentations on the buds! Native range is South America.
Rhabdadenia pohlii
Native range is South America.
Heliotropium indicum
The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach. Just after a couple of hundred metres on the private road leading to Pousada Xaraés you’ll encounter the deep sand – only passable by large trucks and 4x4s. It was […]
Euphorbia thymifolia
The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach. Just after a couple of hundred metres on the private road leading to Pousada Xaraés you’ll encounter the deep sand – only passable by large trucks and 4x4s. It was […]
Ludwigia sp
The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach. Just after a couple of hundred metres on the private road leading to Pousada Xaraés you’ll encounter the deep sand – only passable by large trucks and 4x4s. It was […]
Ludwigia sp
The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach. Just after a couple of hundred metres on the private road leading to Pousada Xaraés you’ll encounter the deep sand – only passable by large trucks and 4x4s. It was […]
Stingray Vine (Cissus spinosa)
The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach. This species was climbing on the vegetation bordering the forested islands, and sometimes also the fences of Pousada Xaraés. It also grows alongside rivers, and sometimes grows to dense carpets […]
Stingray Vine (Cissus spinosa)
The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach. This species was climbing on the vegetation bordering the forested islands, and sometimes also the fences of Pousada Xaraés. It also grows alongside rivers, and sometimes grows to dense carpets […]
Stingray Vine (Cissus spinosa)
The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach. This species was climbing on the vegetation bordering the forested islands, and sometimes also the fences of Pousada Xaraés. It also grows alongside rivers, and sometimes grows to dense carpets […]
Echinodorus
The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach. This species usually grows in water, but in Pantanal water can be everywhere for months and then scarce for months, as this individual has found out here. Please help me […]
Echinodorus
The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach. This species usually grows in water, but in Pantanal water can be everywhere for months and then scarce for months, as this individual has found out here. Please help me […]
Heliotropium indicum
Native range is South America.
Strangler Fig (Ficus americana)
The way the the strangler figs spread the constrictive “tentacles” around the palm’s trunk is as artistic to the casual viewer as it’s deadly to the host. This tree is out in the open, with plenty of light, which sometimes saves the tree, as light and soil is what the fig requires, it should not […]
Euploca pottii
Native range is Brazil (Mato Grosso do Sul).
Euploca pottii
Native range is Brazil (Mato Grosso do Sul).
Pantanal plant 16 (Eupatorieae)
The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach. Just after a couple of hundred metres on the private road leading to Pousada Xaraés you’ll encounter the deep sand – only passable by large trucks and 4x4s. It was […]
Euphorbia hirta
Native range is America.
Euphorbia hirta
This species had one of the smallest flowers I encountered. Native range is America.
Portulaca cryptopetala
The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach. Just after a couple of hundred metres on the private road leading to Pousada Xaraés you’ll encounter the deep sand – only passable by large trucks and 4x4s. It was […]
Portulaca cryptopetala
The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach. Just after a couple of hundred metres on the private road leading to Pousada Xaraés you’ll encounter the deep sand – only passable by large trucks and 4x4s. It was […]
Commelina erecta
Native range is America, Africa and Arabia.
Commelina erecta
Native range is America, Africa and Arabia.
Scoparia montevidensis
This species sometimes grows into large, dense mats seen in part here. Native range is Mexico to Honduras, Venezuela to Argentina.
Largeflower Mexican clover (Richardia grandiflora)
Native range is Brazil, Bolivia to Argentina.
Sphagneticola sp
The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach. Just after a couple of hundred metres on the private road leading to Pousada Xaraés you’ll encounter the deep sand – only passable by large trucks and 4x4s. It was […]
Sphagneticola sp
The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach. Just after a couple of hundred metres on the private road leading to Pousada Xaraés you’ll encounter the deep sand – only passable by large trucks and 4x4s. It was […]
Sida sp
The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach. Just after a couple of hundred metres on the private road leading to Pousada Xaraés you’ll encounter the deep sand – only passable by large trucks and 4x4s. It was […]
Sida sp
The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach. Just after a couple of hundred metres on the private road leading to Pousada Xaraés you’ll encounter the deep sand – only passable by large trucks and 4x4s. It was […]
Centrosema brasilianum
This species is found in the edges of the grassland in the thickets surrounding the forest islands. It’s a large plant, and forming bark on older growth. Native range is Panama to Argentina.
Largeflower Mexican clover (Richardia grandiflora)
This species can create large and widespread mats which when in bloom is a wonderful sight! Native range is Brazil, Bolivia to Argentina.
Centrosema brasilianum
This species is found in the edges of the grassland in the thickets surrounding the forest islands. It’s a large plant, and forming bark on older growth. Native range is Panama to Argentina.
Centrosema brasilianum
This species is found in the edges of the grassland in the thickets surrounding the forest islands. It’s a large plant, and forming bark on older growth. Native range is Panama to Argentina.
Stachytarpheta elatior
Native range is Mexico to Paraguay.
Stachytarpheta elatior
Native range is Mexico to Paraguay.
Thevetia bicornuta
This plant is popular with humans, and found in many gardens! Native distribution is Bolivia, Brazil to Argentina.
Pantanal plant 03
The leaves are full of glandular hairs, but I forgot to touch and smell so I don’t know what scent it has or how sticky it is! The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach. Just after a […]
Pantanal plant 05
The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach. Just after a couple of hundred metres on the private road leading to Pousada Xaraés you’ll encounter the deep sand – only passable by large trucks and 4x4s. It was […]
Pantanal plant 05
The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach. Just after a couple of hundred metres on the private road leading to Pousada Xaraés you’ll encounter the deep sand – only passable by large trucks and 4x4s. It was […]
Staelia sp
The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach. Just after a couple of hundred metres on the private road leading to Pousada Xaraés you’ll encounter the deep sand – only passable by large trucks and 4x4s. It was […]
Staelia sp
The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach. Just after a couple of hundred metres on the private road leading to Pousada Xaraés you’ll encounter the deep sand – only passable by large trucks and 4x4s. It was […]
Pantanal plant 03
The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach. Just after a couple of hundred metres on the private road leading to Pousada Xaraés you’ll encounter the deep sand – only passable by large trucks and 4x4s. It was […]
Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)
The burrowing owl is one of very few species of owl that is so available to humans. Many species do reside close to human structures and activities, but are nocturnal. You’ll only hear their calls, but visually you’ll only glimpse them in the light of a full moon or when the briefly fly through artificial […]
Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)
This is a common owl species in the Pantanal, and I suspect every farm has at least one breeding pair. This couple was tending to 3 juveniles, so the food seems plentiful here. Of course the location of their burrow is an important factor, as it’s right in the middle of a cross roads of […]
Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus)
It’s such joy to see how the hyacinth macaws thrive here at Pousada Xaraés, and they will continue to do so as the owner is truly committed to continuing his support for this amazing and endangered species. This is a group of juveniles (7 years or younger) resting in the evening sun in a cecropia. […]
Feral Pig (Sus scrofa)
Once upon a time humans settled on the Pantanal, and they brought pigs. One day some escaped and found lovers in the wild! The result is what you see here. They are a hybrid of domestic and wild pig (peccaries), and is one of very few species allowed to hunt in Pantanal. This sow was […]
Black and Gold Howler (Alouatta caraya)
This part of the Pantanal has numerous forested islands. Islands, as they are truly so during the annual floods, but also virtual islands during the dry season as they have a completely different vegetation than the flood plains. Despite being separated by grasslands and lakes, the howler monkeys thrive here. This encounter was not far […]
Black and Gold Howler (Alouatta caraya)
This part of the Pantanal has numerous forested islands. Islands, as they are truly so during the annual floods, but also virtual islands during the dry season as they have a completely different vegetation than the flood plains. Despite being separated by grasslands and lakes, the howler monkeys thrive here. This encounter was not far […]
Acuri palm (Attalea phalerata)
These nuts are irresistible to the cattle as well as the hyacinth macaws. The cattle like the husk surrounding the nut, and their digestive system is unable to process the hard shell and passes undamaged through it all and end up on the ground where the hyacinth macaws pick them up and crack them open […]
Barbados Lily (Hippeastrum puniceum)
There are many islands densely forested in this part of Pantanal and with a different flora than that of the fields flooded in the rainy season. They are just 2-3 metres higher than the surrounding fields and during the dry season they don’t appear to be islands other than of a different kind of vegetation. […]
Barbados Lily (Hippeastrum puniceum)
There are many islands densely forested in this part of Pantanal and with a different flora than that of the fields flooded in the rainy season. They are just 2-3 metres higher than the surrounding fields and during the dry season they don’t appear to be islands other than of a different kind of vegetation. […]
Bromelia sylvicola
This was the only bromeliad species I encountered while in the Pantanal. It’s a large plant and easy to see during flowering when the intense red leaves form around the inflorescence. The ones I found were in bloom – none had fruit. The ones I found grew in the edges of the grasslands, where low […]
Dalechampia scandens
The ones I found grew in the edges of the grasslands, where low and dense brush dominated. Native range is tropics and subtropics.
Dalechampia scandens
The ones I found grew in the edges of the grasslands, where low and dense brush dominated. Native range is tropics and subtropics.
Wattled Jacana (Jacana jacana)
A canoe is the perfect means to silently glide one the water and get close to the diverse flora and fauna. The jacare caimans veer off just a couple of metres away and don’t dive to get away as they otherwise would when in a motorized vehicle or upright. This jacana was fully focused on […]
Boat-billed Heron (Cochlearius cochlearius)
This is a nocturnal bird for the most part, but that doesn’t mean they are asleep during the day. Here I passed by silently in my canoe, but even though I was at a distance, they were disturbed and restless in the dense trees they had chosen for their roost. There is absolutely now way […]