2008/02/29

Regular visitor


This guy is visiting us several times a day. I looked for it in my guide and couldn't find it, the head is greyish/brownish, white around the eyes and throat going down in the chest until it meets yellow around the belly and all the way to the tail. In the chest and belly some brownish spots, dark legs and beak. I'll just keep on googling trying to find out the name of this guy.


Pictures are not great, as we have just a regular camera with simple zoom and this guy is fast! But Tommy managed to take a couple :)

Every time it visits, picks between the palm tree on the corner, the top of the brick wall or the patio furniture. It stays there until something catches its eye, usually a moth, and flies trying to get it. We've seen it a couple of times actually capturing something while flying and it was amazing!


Some other days it just sits on the patio furniture, goes down to the grass, picks something and flies back to where it was to eat or look again.
We are planning on naming this fellow as it is the most frecuent visitor these days, any suggestions?

11 comments:

WHO IS IN CHARGE said...

hola, gracias pro el comentario a mi blog birding in southern peru, e felicito por tu blog se nota que esta mjuy trabajado; bueno el ave de yellow belly es un inmaduro de Pyrocephalus rubinus o Vermilion flycatcher, espero sea de ayuda, q mail tienes para contactarte, gracias

Mary said...

Hi Mel,

Actually, your photos are very good when I enlarged them! Someone should be able to identify this cute little bird. My field guides are of most North American birds. I wish I could help! A flycatcher of some sort? Check your field guides again. Your photo is good for an ID.

Good luck!

Mary

Mel said...

Thanks Mary!
Actually, Maruricio (aka who is in charge) is right! I just checked it :)

¡Gracias Mauricio! Me diste el dato preciso, era lo que necesitaba :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Mel

I just found your blog. Thanks for posting a comment on birdingnet.com. I can't help you with the id of this bird, but I recently bought the wonderful "Birds of Peru" field guide and I also have other guides for South America because I hope to visit that continent soon.
I will try to help you in the future to identify some birds.
Your blog is great. Looking forward to helping you.

Miranda Bell said...

Just found your blog - great photos - where abouts are you? I'm guessing from the rest of the pics that you're somewhere in Peru? We're miles from you in Northern France where spring is bringing all the wonderful flowers and it's a lovely sunny day as I write... Miranda

Stuart Price said...

Hi. Thanks for your comments on my blog........

Wish I could go to Peru........I went to Venezuela a few years ago which was my only experience of that part of the world.....

Mel said...

Hello Markus, Miranda and s.c.e.!

Markus, thank you for your future help! ;) I sooo want that guide! But over here is way too expensive, ironic, huh? Anyway, before I can travel within the country trying to find some exotic and unique fellows, I'll start learning from the guys around home, and keep sharing my small findings with my great blogger friends from all over! When you decide to visit Peru let me know if I can somehow help you :)

Miranda, thanks for visiting! Great pictures in your blog!
Yes, I am in Peru, I live in Lima, the capital, right now we are in summer! Still have a month or so of too hot weather ahead.

s.c.e. as I said to Markus, if you ever plan to come this way, let me know :) Wish I could go to Japan! ;)

Anonymous said...

Hola Mel

the Birds in Peru guide sells for about 30 US$ at amazon.com (plus shipping). Maybe it's cheaper ordering it there.
It's sad that the guide is expensive in Peru. I think it should be available everywhere, in schools, libraries etc. The more people learn about birds, the more will help protect them. And a Spanish edition is very important, too!

About the Vermilion Flycather. I don't know if you know this already. There are several subspecies in Peru. Most coastal birds look like the one on your photograph. The ardens form has a brighter red on the lower belly and lives in the Marañon Valley below 2800m.

Mel said...

Hola Markus,
I might try that sometime, that particular guide is sold at 3 times the number you say in local libraries.
I totally agree on the learning part of your comment, protection comes with knowledge, and education is the key. As you said, we should have more access to such material and education.
Check out my post 'Saturday Morning - Parque de la Amistad' (Feb 23,2008), maybe it's not much, but it's a beginning :)

Anonymous said...

Hola Mel

that post about the Parque de la Amistad is very interesting.
I've also added your blog to my link list on birdingnet.com.

if you ever consider buying the Birds of Peru book from amazon, then you could also buy it via the birdingnet.com store (an amazon.com powered shop)!

Mel said...

Thanks! :)
I'll keep the store in mind.