On a roll 05/30/2010
Flush with the fruits of Bruno's visit last week, I clocked up a few firsts this weekend during a late-morning walk down to the riverbank. Top of the list was my first photo of the Eye-ringed Tody-tyrant (Hemitriccus orbitatus) a minute and exquisite flycatcher that I hear all the time from high branches at several points in the forest. Because it is so tiny, it is very hard to catch on camera, but this one posed nicely just above the trail that runs along the river.
Like the tody-tyrant, the Unicoloured Antwren (Myrmotherula unicolor) is a Near-Threatened species endemic to the Atlantic Forest. This one turned up near the same place, in a tangle of vines and branches by the riverbank and gave me my best photo yet of the the species.
And on the same walk, another first. Since there was not that much activity I decided to let my sound recorder roll for five minutes on the main trail to see what I might get, and captured this very distinctive song I did not recognise, apparently coming from the canopy.
And on the same walk, another first. Since there was not that much activity I decided to let my sound recorder roll for five minutes on the main trail to see what I might get, and captured this very distinctive song I did not recognise, apparently coming from the canopy.
At first I thought it was some kind of hawk, but on consulting with Bruno I now realise it is a Buff-bellied Puffbird (Notharcus Swainsoni), which Bruno had spotted beyond the fishing lake when he was here. This is the first decent recording in existence, apparently. It shows the advantage of recording lengthy periods at random in the forest, as there are so many species that will only sing once or twice and you can never hope to react quickly enough.
