Day 2 Folha Seca

 I returned to Mr Dabronzo’s paradise today to continue my quest for hummingbird.  There is a considerable disparity in sizes of species here and due to the territorial nature of hummingbirds the smaller species approach warily and quickly retreat when challenged so getting pictures of the smaller species is difficult. 

Thus far I have positively identified 11 hummingbird species with three more temporarily sitting in the marginal category.  I decided to spend more time with the binoculars today and concentrate on identification. I was able to pick up a few captures and as well as an assortment of pictures of his feeding stations and the flora around his home. 

I note that Mr. Dabronzo does not care for the term garden so I will not use it here, he has planted carefully largely with local flora and does not do any weeding or maintenance, primarily to maintain a natural setting. Of the roughly eighty Hectare property he has developed less than one and plans to leave the rest untouched. He has introduced only a few foreign species that are non-invasive such as several Asian Orchids and Red Ginger that are favorites of the hummingbirds.
I was interested to learn about the Meliponines of Brazil, he keeps a few hives amongst the feeders under the cover of his roof. Meliponines are a stingless bee that live in specially designed hives and the honey is harvest from small globes by syringe. Apparently the species he keeps has be used in Brazilian Ethnomedicine for centuries.

Green Honeycreeper (Chlorophanes spiza) ♂

Versicoloured Emerald (Amazilia versicolor)

Meliponines, stingless bees (Melipona sp)

Meliponine Hive