Monday, July 16, 2018

but they're tropical LBJ's

We hung out at the hummingbird feeders for a while hoping the rain would clear.  It didn't.  We headed into the forest anyway.  It'd be nice to have some nice portraits of Spotted Nightengale-thrush to lead of with (picture a juvenile robin but with an orange bill and lemon base colors to the underparts).  It sang but didn't come in for a visual.  We did track down a Club-winged Manakin.

After being left frustrated by another very high tanager flock mostly obscured by rain, mist, leaves, and narrow windows we did find some mid-story flocks which were a lot more satisfying.  And even if the birds weren't super colorful, you won't find them in Michigan!

This is an Ochre-breasted ... Tanager.  Sexes are alike

Yellow-throated Bush-tanager is another not exactly flame faced bird.
I worked pretty hard just to get bad pics of those dull tanagers that were pretty fast moving.

There were woodcreepers, first Spotted
 Then Brown-billed Scythebill

followed by Wedge-billed
I wonder how many grad students have studied the bill differences in the woodcreepers.

Foliage-gleaners are another bird we don't find in Michigan.  They move FAST, definitely birds to study hard before confronted with them.  I'm (pretty sure) this first one is Streak-throated

and this one (a personal favorite) Buff-fronted.

Finally a pip of color with Purplish Honeycreeper

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