A quick respite from my New Guinea updates here to highlight a remarkable event "back home" in Ecuador (where I am supposedly living, although have not been much this year!) I returned from my long spell in the US, China, Australia, and Papua New Guinea to find my beloved Tandayapa Lodge had undergone a remarkable change: it had acquired an antpitta since I had gone. And what an antpitta at that, a super confiding Giant Antpitta. Since early July this young Giant Antpitta has been literally hopping right around the lodge, and regularly comes in to be fed worms within view of some of the rooms. Unfortunately, when I went to visit to take in this latest antpitta phenomenon the "room with a view" was unavailable (I guess the paying guests did have a right to a place in the front row!), so I had to make the 2 second walk from the lodge hummingbird balcony to go and see it. I think we waited all of 7 minutes before it appeared. I had been reading all about this bird while I was in PNG and had been hoping and praying it would stay around for me to see it, I mean this is almost my back yard after all! Imagine the shame if I had not seen it! Anyway the ease with which this young bird allows you to see it, I think my stress was a little unfounded. The bird was present on and off for the whole weekend. Nothing like watching dozens of hummingbirds buzzing around you while an antpitta looks lazily up at you for a handout! It's hard to believe that just a short time ago the word mythical was applied to this species! Long may this continue, a top notch wildlife experience.
2 comments:
Angel Paz must have trained all of the Giant Antpittas in Ecuador!
The Antpitta craze is catching on everywhere, and there are actually now quite a few places in both Ecuador and Colombia where you can get up close with antpittas. It is an amazing development.
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