Three Wattled Bellbirds perched on a distant tree. Cloudy weather brings them out on exposed purchases of the canopy. Immature males often join adults at this time of year as their mechanical calls resonate in the forest. Not at all like a bell by the way. Who named this bird anyway?
This orchid was at 2100m on a tree at the edge of a pasture on Mr. Vega’s property. First time seeing this one blooming.
Julio with Violet Sabrewing
The MTCF hummingbird hat has been requested by many guests who saw this on a previous blog entry. So here are a few images of happy humans and hummers.
Ryan and Violet Sabrewing
Niko with Green Crowned Brilliant
Alma with Violet Sabrewing
Mateo with Scinttilant Hummingbird
Julio with Green Violet Ear
Niko with Magnificant Hummingbird
Colleen with Scintillant Hummingbird
Ana with two Violet Sabrewing
Marco with Violet Sabrewing
Mateo with Scintillant and female Green Crowned Brilliant
Marco with Bronze and Silver Beer Can………
Julio Crispin, a recent guest at MTCF, brought his remote controlled model airplane on site and put together this wonderful video. The video camera mounted on the plane provides a fish eye view of the core common area of MTCF.
An Ornate Hawk Eagle’s view of MTCF!!!
We had a trio of entomologists last week at Mount Totumas Cloud Forest. John Heppner from the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, part of the Florida Natural History Museum organized the group. John specializes in Lepidoptera, specifically in micro moths, Nick Donnelly in dragonflies and Ed Fuller is an expert on click beetles. It was a great week of collecting and the group inspired one of our guest volunteers, Bret Carlson, who made some stunning macro photography of some of the insects that were attracted to our traps and lights.
John Heppner at work with specimens where we converted our mudroom into a lab.
Some of the micro moths collected during the week.
Check out the mites infesting this beetle
