Here’s a view of assorted twitchers viewing the visiting White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus) in my garden this week.

Where did it go?

Here it is!

The visits continued today when Pieter Westra of Aratinga Tours http://www.aratinga-tours.com/hey-how-are-you-doing/ came by, together with his family and with friends Steven and Magda Easley. The vireo had been in hiding most of the day and it was late in the afternoon before it finally appeared, in close company with a pair of Philadelphia Vireos and two Mountain Elaenias, in a fine drizzle.

Each day brings a new surprise, however. Today, prior to our visitors’ arrival, we had a bird fly into the back bedroom window, an occurrence which, thankfully, has been much reduced in the last couple of years. I have seen a total of at least 154 different species in or from my garden, but today’s accident victim was a new species here, the Ochre-bellied Flycatcher (Mionectes oleagineus). Recovery was a little slow and the birdie spent a little time regurgitating small black and yellow berries.  I did not observe the wing-flicking normally associated with this species.

Ochre-bellied Flycatcher catching his breath

From my hand to the bench, where he spent a good lengthy spell before flying off, apparently in good health.

Two regurgitated güitite berries dangle from the tip of the bill!

This particular Mionectes flycatcher is quite common lower down, in the Botanical Garden at CATIE for example. Stiles and Skutch consider it rare above 900 m elevation but it is found without too much difficulty at nearby San Diego and Verbena Norte. Identification is simplified by its having neither wing bars nor eye-ring, but the yellowish plumage below and the rather obvious ochre colour of the belly clinch it. The Ochre-bellied Flycatcher is now  added to the lists for My Yard and for San Antonio. This moves the San Antonio species list to exactly 200.