(This is being written at Houston International airport while awaiting our flight back to Sacramento.)
Enrique was determined that we see an Austral Pygmy Owl and he would play the call of this bird whenever we were in a place where he had seen it. It worked only once (that story comes later), but each time he either played the call or whistled it, the cutest collection of little birds would jet
into the area around his fussing at what they perceived as a threat. These birds included these:
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| Austral Negrito |
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| Thorn-tailed Rayadito |
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| Rufous-collared Sparrow |
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| Tufted Tit-tyrant |
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| White-crested Elaenia These very tiny birds, of course, saw any owl as a serious threat to their own lives as well as the lives of their families. The sparrow was seen everywhere and has a lovely song, but the others were not so easily seen. The owl call, however drew them in each and every time. The Elaenia photo was lifted from the web because these birds are very tiny, very fast and very nervous. Ivan was unable to get a photo. Later in this blog, I'll go on and on about the first bird on this posting, the Austral Negrito, which is one of the cutest and most audacious little birds I've ever seen! Its local name is "Collegial" which, we were told, means 'school child.' The reference is to the brown back of the bird which looks like a backpack that school children wear. |
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