Tony Smith at Tapichalaca having just ticked Jocotoco Antpitta, S. Ecuador January 2009.
Drifting back to my early days of travelling around the UK in search of birds I can remember a few very good long weekends at Portland Bill Bird Observatory near Weymouth. Invariably when I visited a certain A. Smith was there with a few of his birding mates. Alpine Accentor and Savannah Sparrow were just a few "goodies" that turned up while I was there and Tony was always around somewhere near the Bill. Later I bumped into him on the East Bank at Cley and from time to time during some local birding at Staines Reservoir. In the latter years of my twitching "career" I shared a journey with Tony down to Poole Harbour for Little Swift. The blow of the "dip" was softened by the copious amounts of beer on the way back (we weren't the drivers) but with my early twitching retirement I saw less and less of this "old school" birder.
Lately though I've had the pleasure of Tony's company on a couple of trips to Peru and last January in S. Ecuador. I'll never forget that magic moment when a couple of White-capped Tanagers were located above the lodge at Tapichalaca and Tony (who had left his boots inside) tripped and slipped along the wet cobbled path in flip-flops at least 3 sizes too small for him. He saw the tanagers though! An ex-Naturetrek leader, Tony's experience and anecdotal skills are unrivalled. His directions may leave a little to be desired ("On top of the f***ing tree!") but if you get a chance to bird with Tony ........ do it.
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