Manakin mania

A great day here at Asa Wright Nature Centre again today with mostly sunny skies and great birding.  Up early to have coffee on the verandah at 6am and nothing new but similar stuff to the afternoon before - palm and white-lined tanagers, a bunch of hummers, a white hawk (which was new), and the bearded bellbird, amongst the others.

We had breakfast and then headed out on the orientation walk with Molly, one of the local guides.  Man she has sharp eyes, not missing a thing along the way.  We had a few other things including golden-olive woodpecker, bay-headed tanager, and both golden headed and white-bearded manakins at the lek.  They were not displaying a whole lot, but managed a few photos.  Glimpsed rufous-breasted wren and good views of white-throated thrush, plain antvireo and white-flanked antwren.  We also had really good views of male bearded bellbirds calling, and managed a few half decent record shots.  Probably the highlight of the morning was a porcupine up in the tree tops, very cool!

We then headed back up and I spent some time trying to photograph leaf-cutter ants with pieces of flower petal, not sure if they are great, but oh well.  Then before and after lunch a bit more time at the manakin leks.  By this time they were going off, and the females were visiting with the males really strutting their stuff.  Very cool and managed a few good shots, so pretty happy.  Then back to the verandah area for photos of hummer,s etc.

Now its rum punch on the verandah and hoping for the rain to clear for a night walk...let's see what we can find tonight!

Trinidad motmot trying to be sneaky

Male white-lined tanager

Crested oropendola - these things sound amazing

Male white-bearded manakin at the lek

Male bearded bellbird singing with his mouth open - these things are LOUD!

Porcupine up in the tree looking down on us 

Leaf-cutter ants with bits of flower petal

More leaf-cutters, or perhaps these were flower cutters?

Two male golden-headed manakins at the lek, waiting for a girl

A bit closer

Golden tegu lizard

Female black-throated mango at flowers

Male white-necked jacobin hovering - stunning birds

Again

Green honeycreeper, creeping in the shrubbery

Crested oropendola closeup

Orchid of some sort

Male white-bearded manakin at his display site

Same

Female white-bearded manakin looking for the sexiest boy

Male white-bearded manakin....manakin mania!

Up close and personal with a bananaquit