Saturday 23 February 2013

Sergeant Pepper's - The Beatles

From what I had read prior to this trip, today was the one that had most tickled my fancy. Only a hours drive from the city, I was not to be disappointed.
 
 Otte pays the Gate Keeper.
 What one American client of Otte's described as 
the 'Best 100 Yards of Birding'  Ever!
 On this stretch alone we picked up
 CINNAMON ATTILA,
 
 a stunning female BLACK-CRESTED ANTSHRIKE,
 with a less photogenic male in pursuit,
 PIRATIC FLYCATCHER
and all of the other wildlife noted below except
PLAIN-BREASTED GROUND DOVE
A 'troupe' of SQUIRREL MONKEYS pass through.
 This was the view and distance when Otte spotted the next bird,
can YOU see it yet?
 
 A little closer if you dare!
There it is.
 
 As we walked through the main gate Otte pointed to a tree and told me there had been a resident
 GREAT POTOO
 there for many years but not seen in more recent times.
 With that he reaches the end of the 100 yards
 and finds this 'huge' beauty.
 
 A 'Skipper' like BUTTERFLY
 While Otte names this
SHORT-CRESTED FLYCATCHER
 'Restall' in the Field Guide gives it a 'Family Name' of
INEZIA (it's beyond me all this name changing)
 Seems there was an EIGHTIETH PARTY going on at the 
LEAF-CUTTER ANTS place?
 Considered a 'great' find
 male WHITE-WINGED BECARD
 
 then the female showed up.
 
 LIZARD
 
 Nest of COMMON TODY FLYCATCHER
 
 Thought at first to be a Slender-billed Kite, it turned out to be no more than a
ROADSIDE HAWK
 
 More SQUIRREL MONKEY'S
 A most unobliging female 
VIOLACEOUS EUPHONIA
the male was less so, but still a 'Lifer'.
 
 How's this for a DRAGONFLY?
 PLAIN-BREASTED GROUND DOVE
A FLOWER
 If you go down to Willow Farm, to look for butterflies, flutterbyes, gutterflies.  
Open your eyes, it's full of surprise, everyone lies, like the fox on the rocks, 
and the Musical Box.
Supper's Ready - Genesis