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Morning and afternoon walks down one of the Centre's trails, all "sulphured" up to hopefully avoid the chiggers lurking in the dry leaves. Many of the birds we are seeing are not new, but they are good-looking and review is worthwhile. A couple of striking new ones though. This morning were a duet of male Bearded Bellbirds. Their loud metallic "Tonk" carries through the valley. When you see them though, they put their whole body into it: stretch their neck up, mouth wide-open, but they have a "beard" of multiple fleshy strings that flop all over as they display. Pretty unusual.
After lunch we headed back down the trail. Caught White-bearded Manakin males displaying; they pop and click (wing action) while rapidly bouncing between vertical sticks. When really excited the whole body vibrates and their puffy white neck extends way beyond their bill. Females are supposed to be impressed. The Golden-headed Manakin is a stunner. Black body, bright yellow-orange head with an eerie looking yellow eye, he glides horizontally along a branch to dance for the female. We were lucky to see both species displaying.
Late afternoon we headed down the valley into town to Waller Field, the old WWII American airstrip, a good place for a picnic dinner (complete with rum punch). We found night birds: many Pauraques, White-tailed Nightjars, a hard-to-see Tropical Screech-owl. A good, but long day (and so far no chigger bites).
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Tracey Awesome AND no chigger bites.