Short-tailed Pygmy-Tyrant

This was indeed an unexpected lifer for me; Short-tailed Pygmy Tyrant.

It happened on June 9, 2024. I was at the river cabin and again I was minding my own business. I was just looking for anything to photograph. Suddenly I heard a noise, short but clear. It almost sounded like how manakins are moving around. And right afterwards this tiny bird appeared infront of me. With nest material.

She had a mouthful too. At first I just started to take pictures, too afraid she might just disappear again. But surprisingly she did not move at all and wasn't even paying attention to me either.

Later I learned that it was a tiny flycatcher. One that you can find inside the forest at eye level. Well, this was the first time I have seen such a tiny flycatcher up close and personal. Yellow and greenish with a white eyering. That is the best I could describe this lifer for myself.

Every ten minutes she appeared with nest materials to the same spot. 

And the nest looked indeed like a flycatcher's nest. Almost similar like the Common Tody-flycatcher's nest. They are like little engineers building a nest out of nothing at all. No degree or what so ever, just pure instinct.

Here she stood still for a while before heading back into the forest to gather more nest material.