04 September 2009

Paz’s Popular Piha….(Paz de las Aves, NW Ecuador): August 6, 2009



Another day at the so called “antpitta farm”. This day began with the usual Sickle-winged Guans muscling in on the fruit feast first before some of the more interesting birds came in to check out the fruit tables, with first a Toucan Barbet (that bizarrely appeared just as a bold Giant Antpitta came bounding down the steps to the blind and all but walked into the blind with us!) At one point you had to decide where to place your bins, on the colorful, chunky barbet wolfing down grapes, or the rufous-breasted form of the Giant Antpitta on the steps behind. What awful choices to have to make! While we were momentarily distracted by a Golden-headed Quetzal this subtle cotinga, the Olivaceous Piha (see top photo) sneaked into the now deserted fruit feeders, but not before we managed to reel off a couple of shots. The morning continued with this Yellow-breasted Antpitta (see bottom photo) that faithfully followed Rodrigo Paz to its designated feeding area, before we crammed in Velvet-purple Coronets, Empress Brilliants and others at the hummer feeders (that brought in 12 species on this day), a bolones brunch, and finally a male Orange-breasted Fruiteater to name just a few of the many birds that slipped onto our list on this fine day!

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