Even with all this natural habitat around us, several bird species are taking advantage of our infrastructure to build their nests. This Cliff Flycatcher (Hirundinea ferruginea), for example, has put nesting material on an impossibly narrow ledge formed by the top of one of the pillars supporting the lower roof of the house. It is barely 10cm wide and there is not even room for the adults to perch, so they keep watch from a pile of rocks and rubble on a bank a few metres away (see photo above).
I guess this bizarre choice of nest location is mimicking the conditions of the narrow rock ledges where the species is "supposed" to live. Every now and again they flutter off on an acrobating flycatching manoeuvre, displaying their unmistakeable plumage of reddish-tan wing and tail feathers.
The pair of Crested Becards (Pachyramphus validus) which arrived from their migration a few weeks back have now set up home in one of the exotic pines planted just in front of the house by our predecessors - demonstrating that some birds are not too fussy about choosing native species above alien invaders.
Another couple of examples: some Blue and White Swallows (Notiochelidon cyanoleuca) are nesting in the apex of the roof space above our barbecue area - I have not been quick enough yet to get a picture as they swoop in and out....
...and believe it or not, this very unglamourous pipe hole in the side of our swimming-pool base is the entrance to a nest made by a Southern House-Wren (Troglodytes musculus) - again, watch this space as I will try to get a shot of one them flitting in and out.
Back to aesthetics, and I have finally managed to get some decent photos of the Dusky-throated Hermit (Phaethornis squalidus), the tiny hummingbird species that can always be found now in thick undergrowth by the entrance to our main forest trail, an area rich in Heliconia flowers. Even though they are constantly singing their hearts out, they are very difficult to spot as they perch on twigs just above the ground among dense vegetation, but help given themselves away by a constant, rapid raising and lowering of the tail which these photos may help to show.
Finally, another confession. Some weeks back I wrongly identified this other hummingbird species as White-throated Hummingbird. In fact, it is the delightfully-named Festive Coquette (Lophornis chalybus), an immature male identifiable by the pair of "tuft" feathers starting to form near its throat (click on the photo for a better view), which will later develop into an extraordinary black and white ruff that gives the species its name.
