Orange-Eared Tanager
Here’s another wonderful green bird. This orange-eared tanager (Chloroschrysa calliparaea) was photo’d at about 6,000 ft on the wet, east side of the Andes. It was in a mixed species feeding flock. As I recall, we probably had about ten tanager species as well as other birds in this one flock that swept by us in about a 5-10 minute period. Keeps you busy.
We were birding along the main road into Manu Park and the Madre de Dios River valley, an area literally about the size of Massachusetts. It wasn’t very busy with about one car/truck about every 15 minutes — dirt road, steep in places, numerous waterfalls and flowers everywhere. We spent much time driving slowly along the road while Ramiro, who has terrific ears, listened. When he heard a bird or flock, we would all pile out of the van. Sometimes we would go a mile or so between stops. Very often, we would have flock after flock in quick succession. Some of the best birding I’ve ever had.
John Longstreth Nature Photography 
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