I will as well I had seen a fair bit of Asia it’s in a little bit of Africa but
Asia it’s in a little bit of Africa but
Asia it’s in a little bit of Africa but I had never been in the new world had
I had never been in the new world had
I had never been in the new world had never been in South or Central America
never been in South or Central America
never been in South or Central America so I flew to Panama City and went to
so I flew to Panama City and went to
so I flew to Panama City and went to Baja Colorado Island which is a
Baja Colorado Island which is a
Baja Colorado Island which is a beautiful island in Lake Atun in central
beautiful island in Lake Atun in central
beautiful island in Lake Atun in central Panama and is the principal field
Panama and is the principal field
Panama and is the principal field station of the Smithsonian Tropical
station of the Smithsonian Tropical
station of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute they got very
Research Institute they got very
Research Institute they got very interested in this flower this is the
interested in this flower this is the
interested in this flower this is the flower of a tree called the balsa tree
flower of a tree called the balsa tree
flower of a tree called the balsa tree and this very fast-growing pioneer
and this very fast-growing pioneer
and this very fast-growing pioneer attracts its pollinators by offering
attracts its pollinators by offering
attracts its pollinators by offering insane amounts of nectar about two
insane amounts of nectar about two
insane amounts of nectar about two ounces so what happens if nobody messes
ounces so what happens if nobody messes
ounces so what happens if nobody messes Phyllis this is in the late afternoon
Phyllis this is in the late afternoon
Phyllis this is in the late afternoon this flower opens it takes about two
this flower opens it takes about two
this flower opens it takes about two hours but often times naughty monkeys
hours but often times naughty monkeys
hours but often times naughty monkeys mess with it and because there’s already
mess with it and because there’s already
mess with it and because there’s already some nectar in the afternoon so rather
some nectar in the afternoon so rather
some nectar in the afternoon so rather than waiting for it to open they pry it
than waiting for it to open they pry it
than waiting for it to open they pry it open
open
open drink the neck down often in the process
drink the neck down often in the process
drink the neck down often in the process destroy the flower so that’s not a good
destroy the flower so that’s not a good
destroy the flower so that’s not a good thing for the tree but they can’t do
thing for the tree but they can’t do
thing for the tree but they can’t do much about it and others take advantage
much about it and others take advantage
much about it and others take advantage of that so once the flowers open still
of that so once the flowers open still
of that so once the flowers open still in the daytime in the afternoon there’s
in the daytime in the afternoon there’s
in the daytime in the afternoon there’s two wasps having a conversation about
two wasps having a conversation about
two wasps having a conversation about who should actually drink that nectar
who should actually drink that nectar
who should actually drink that nectar test birds this is a yellow rump cacique
test birds this is a yellow rump cacique
test birds this is a yellow rump cacique taking off from one of these flowers
taking off from one of these flowers
taking off from one of these flowers it’s a big flower it’s about the size of
it’s a big flower it’s about the size of
it’s a big flower it’s about the size of a big beer glass so this is a tiny
a big beer glass so this is a tiny
a big beer glass so this is a tiny hummingbird he can’t really come from
hummingbird he can’t really come from
hummingbird he can’t really come from top because he he would get trapped in
top because he he would get trapped in
top because he he would get trapped in there so he pokes its beak between two
there so he pokes its beak between two
there so he pokes its beak between two petals and sucks it from the side of
petals and sucks it from the side of
petals and sucks it from the side of course that attracts predators like
course that attracts predators like
course that attracts predators like there’s a boa hoping for me probably
there’s a boa hoping for me probably
there’s a boa hoping for me probably more for bat because as bats that come
more for bat because as bats that come
more for bat because as bats that come later later
later later
later later there’s bees coming so everybody comes
there’s bees coming so everybody comes
there’s bees coming so everybody comes because it’s a huge amount of pollen and
because it’s a huge amount of pollen and
because it’s a huge amount of pollen and it’s a massive amount of nectar and each
it’s a massive amount of nectar and each
it’s a massive amount of nectar and each flower is only open for one night then
flower is only open for one night then
flower is only open for one night then right at nightfall the night shift
right at nightfall the night shift
right at nightfall the night shift starts coming in and this here is a
starts coming in and this here is a
starts coming in and this here is a woolly opossum
woolly opossum
woolly opossum it’s a tiny guy like a half pound and
it’s a tiny guy like a half pound and
it’s a tiny guy like a half pound and they come very early they come right in
they come very early they come right in
they come very early they come right in the moment it becomes dark enough so
the moment it becomes dark enough so
the moment it becomes dark enough so they’re not seen by Raptors they start
they’re not seen by Raptors they start
they’re not seen by Raptors they start coming out
coming out
coming out and the reason why that got so energetic
and the reason why that got so energetic
and the reason why that got so energetic about being free early is that about 45
about being free early is that about 45
about being free early is that about 45 minutes later the next bigger guys come
minutes later the next bigger guys come
minutes later the next bigger guys come in and they kick them out so they have
in and they kick them out so they have
in and they kick them out so they have about 45 minutes to drink as much as
about 45 minutes to drink as much as
about 45 minutes to drink as much as they can and they do and then and you
they can and they do and then and you
they can and they do and then and you get an idea of just how much nectar is
get an idea of just how much nectar is
get an idea of just how much nectar is in there it’s like a lake and they’re
in there it’s like a lake and they’re
in there it’s like a lake and they’re very enthusiastic about it this is the
very enthusiastic about it this is the
very enthusiastic about it this is the next mini guy so this is a common person
next mini guy so this is a common person
next mini guy so this is a common person and they are not so friendly and about
and they are not so friendly and about
and they are not so friendly and about four times the size so they no come in
four times the size so they no come in
four times the size so they no come in they kick the little guys out bats come
they kick the little guys out bats come
they kick the little guys out bats come often not very gracefully they kind of
often not very gracefully they kind of
often not very gracefully they kind of pancake on top of the flower and drink
pancake on top of the flower and drink
pancake on top of the flower and drink some and then they fly off again and
some and then they fly off again and
some and then they fly off again and then there’s the kinkajou and that
then there’s the kinkajou and that
then there’s the kinkajou and that appears to be the main pollinator
appears to be the main pollinator
appears to be the main pollinator in that area some very shy things came
in that area some very shy things came
in that area some very shy things came to this is a night monkey an owl monkey
to this is a night monkey an owl monkey
to this is a night monkey an owl monkey and the reason why that is black and
and the reason why that is black and
and the reason why that is black and white is because they were really really
white is because they were really really
white is because they were really really nervous so this is taken like many of
nervous so this is taken like many of
nervous so this is taken like many of the photos I was not that was they were
the photos I was not that was they were
the photos I was not that was they were taken with a remote camera that I set up
taken with a remote camera that I set up
taken with a remote camera that I set up and then pushed the button from quite a
and then pushed the button from quite a
and then pushed the button from quite a distance those binoculars so this one we
distance those binoculars so this one we
distance those binoculars so this one we even needed to take the whole visible
even needed to take the whole visible
even needed to take the whole visible light aspect out of it and we used a
light aspect out of it and we used a
light aspect out of it and we used a modified camera that could see in the
modified camera that could see in the
modified camera that could see in the infrared and we use light like flashes
infrared and we use light like flashes
infrared and we use light like flashes where we blocked all the visible light
where we blocked all the visible light
where we blocked all the visible light so you saw coming out was like like from
so you saw coming out was like like from
so you saw coming out was like like from your remote and a TV so this is a photo
your remote and a TV so this is a photo
your remote and a TV so this is a photo taken entirely without visible light
”
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