Birdwatch: a close encounter I had waited almost six decades for

After a tiny movement in dense Panamanian foliage, finally, there it was: a violet-capped hummingbirdIt had been a frustrating morning, as rainforest birding so often is; made even trickier by bright sunshine and high winds, which meant the birds were even more elusive than usual. After two hours' effort in the central highlands of Panama, the number of species we had seen was still in single figures.Then our guide Jorge noticed a tiny movement in the dense foliage, and there it was: the bird I had waited almost six decades to see. A small, dark hummingbird, perched conveniently at eye level, just a few metres in front of me. Continue reading...