Sunday, March 16, 2014

funky flycatchers

The initial theme of our afternoon walk at Carara was weird flycatchers.  A spadebill popped up pretty quickly.
 It was called out as a Stub-tailed.  It flew down and a Golden-crowned Spadebill popped up immediately.  All of my pics however are of the olivish-backed, bright-capped Golden-crowned.  It's possible I was on the wrong bird initially, but I took Stub-tailed off my list.

Next was Eye-ringed Flatbill.  I didn't manage a great pic of it in profile; it was another one of those birds that liked  to move around rapidly in shadow too dark for reliable auto-focus, but it was just as big-headed in life as this pic suggests.

We had a small mixed group that had Tawny-crowned Greenlet, a moulting Dusky Antbird that threw us for a bit, some more Chestnut-backed Antbirds as well as 2 birds somewhat antswarm associated, Tawny-winged Woodcreeper ...
 ... and Gray-headed Tanager.

We then spent some time sitting next to a shallow little stream where some of the forest interior birds would come to bathe in the late afternoon dark.  Here's a female Blue-crowned Red-capped (thanks David! see comments) Manakin, and the warbler-like Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher in Vernon's flashlight
 We saw no male Blue-crowns, but there were a couple male Red-capped's.

Some of the female Blue-Crowneds were quite green, reminiscent of a female Painted Bunting (that is if I'd ever seen one).

The only Bicolored Antbirds of the trip worked the edges methodically as well.
 The huge eye is an adaptation to the thick understory underbrush they favor.

We had our best look at another deep interior forest floor bird, a Ruddy Quail-dove lit up in the flashlight.  We'd seen 2 others but none in the open.
 Finally a Great Tinamou that walked slowly past.  The grouse-sized bird walked past the water but never climbed in.

One the way out we heard a few Streak-chested Antpittas, the 2nd species I've heard.  I've not seen one though.  That may have to be a focus on the next trip.

2 comments:

David Bell said...

Hey Matt,

Your first Manakin (with the Sulphur-rumped Fly) is a female Red-capped - note the more olive-yellow colour and pale bill (compare with the second photo which is indeed a female Blue-crowned).

Cheers,
David

Matt said...

Thanks, nice pick-up