Tropical Kingbird on the beach
Immature Large-footed Finch
Brown-capped Vireo
Golden-hooded Tanager, best I could do so far
Flutterby big eye
February 25, 2012
Off to the mountains
We're heading up to the mountains tomorrow until the 5th or so of March. It'll be my first time up there with my new lens, so I'll finally get some Flame-throated Warblers, Torrent Tyrannulets, the weird looking Black Phoebes and hopefully a RESPLENDENT QUETZAL... Happy leap year.
Tropical Kingbird on the beach
Immature Large-footed Finch
Brown-capped Vireo
Golden-hooded Tanager, best I could do so far
Flutterby big eye
Tropical Kingbird on the beach
Immature Large-footed Finch
Brown-capped Vireo
Golden-hooded Tanager, best I could do so far
Flutterby big eye
PIPMAN
More banding in the park today, which of course means catching mostly Long-billed Hermits. Looking godly after release:
But it's also meant catching Wood Thrush the last two times
And little did we know, a Red-capped Manakin was on this side of the canal. Though I'm sure they can be found in many places on either side of the canal, we had only seen them at a more remote banding site our first week here.
Today we realized that part of the reason pictures of these Manakins can look so fake/surreal/doctored is that base of the red crown feathers are yellow (like the thighs) creating a weird gradient of yellow, orange and red when viewed from any angle but straight on.
Taking a rest before take off.
But it's also meant catching Wood Thrush the last two times
And little did we know, a Red-capped Manakin was on this side of the canal. Though I'm sure they can be found in many places on either side of the canal, we had only seen them at a more remote banding site our first week here.
Today we realized that part of the reason pictures of these Manakins can look so fake/surreal/doctored is that base of the red crown feathers are yellow (like the thighs) creating a weird gradient of yellow, orange and red when viewed from any angle but straight on.
Taking a rest before take off.
February 24, 2012
More MANCAN
MANCAN is the 6 letter code for White-collared Manakins, if anyone was wondering. Our one and only capture at our slow airport site yesterday, wast this handsome devil.
Trying to keep his head stationary.
Aided by some very thin and pointed flight feathers, the males make an incredibly loud snapping noise.
Won't fly away while holding on to his own feet.
Trying to keep his head stationary.
Aided by some very thin and pointed flight feathers, the males make an incredibly loud snapping noise.
Won't fly away while holding on to his own feet.
February 23, 2012
Mishmash
Totuguero has it all!
Other than Great Kiskadees and Great-tailed Grackles, Lesser Greenlets seem to be, by far, the most common bird here in Tortuguero, though we do not catch them too often
While we hear Howler Monkeys every morning and throughout the day, its a lot easier to get looks at Spider Monkeys
A few shorebirds! Like this ocean-loving Whimbrel.
Cayman (and crocs...and I guess Crocs© too)
Turtles, of course, but this river turtle cowers at the mere thought of the massive greens and leatherbacks that will soon arrive ocean side
There are ants everywhere. Tiny, gold, army, leafcutter, flying, crawling, swimming, falling on my face while I set up nets, etc.
Other than Great Kiskadees and Great-tailed Grackles, Lesser Greenlets seem to be, by far, the most common bird here in Tortuguero, though we do not catch them too often
While we hear Howler Monkeys every morning and throughout the day, its a lot easier to get looks at Spider Monkeys
A few shorebirds! Like this ocean-loving Whimbrel.
Cayman (and crocs...and I guess Crocs© too)
Turtles, of course, but this river turtle cowers at the mere thought of the massive greens and leatherbacks that will soon arrive ocean side
There are ants everywhere. Tiny, gold, army, leafcutter, flying, crawling, swimming, falling on my face while I set up nets, etc.
February 22, 2012
A few from up in the mountains
Buff-fronted Quail-dove
Green Violetear
Slaty Flowerpiercer (second year male)
Showing some old brown feathers
Green Violetear
Slaty Flowerpiercer (second year male)
Showing some old brown feathers
Collared Aracari
Usually in pairs, toucans are fairly common around Tortuguero, and can be easy to find because of how loud they are, though it's not too often that they're easily photographed.
An Aracari nest in our yard
An Aracari nest in our yard
February 21, 2012
February 20, 2012
Water rules everything around me
We woke up to a downpour and though it's only drizzling now, the horizon from the beach does not look promising and we may be rained out for the day. Amanda, however, still headed out to meet her grandmother, Bee, for a birding boat tour before they head back to the mainland.
Yesterday, we managed to show them a few good birds while banding and then headed across the canal in the afternoon for some birding the tiny town of San Francisco.
Bee and Amanda at our banding site in the national park
Amanda and a Plain-brown Woodcreeper
A banded Black-cowled Oriole
Mangrove Swallows
Yesterday, we managed to show them a few good birds while banding and then headed across the canal in the afternoon for some birding the tiny town of San Francisco.
Bee and Amanda at our banding site in the national park
Amanda and a Plain-brown Woodcreeper
A banded Black-cowled Oriole
Mangrove Swallows
February 19, 2012
Out of hand
With a real lens now, I am excited to see almost any bird again! Even this boring Common Tody Flycatcher, how common:
Or this filthy Slaty-tailed Trogon...
...who kept lookin' at me funny like.
We caught this guy later on in the day (Western Slaty Antshrike):
Ocassionally imitating a calling bird will bring them in, so after hearing some low whistling from an unknown group in the treetops I repeated it a few times and drew in a small flock of Purple-throated Fruitcrows.
Or this filthy Slaty-tailed Trogon...
...who kept lookin' at me funny like.
We caught this guy later on in the day (Western Slaty Antshrike):
Ocassionally imitating a calling bird will bring them in, so after hearing some low whistling from an unknown group in the treetops I repeated it a few times and drew in a small flock of Purple-throated Fruitcrows.
February 18, 2012
Around Madre Selva
For some context here are some photos from around our site and lodging in the mountains:
Just outside the door is one of many fenced in cow pastures:
We run into cows everyday, and do our best not to slip n slide through cow pies. I just wanted to scratch their noggins! (My outfit is a result of it being the first afternoon at elevation, I was confused and was transitioning into cold weather gear, ok?!)
Our banding site called LAKE.
We found an asian market in San Jose, which aided greatly in the production of something other than rice and beans! Like these Spicy PB/sesame noodles.
Just outside the door is one of many fenced in cow pastures:
We run into cows everyday, and do our best not to slip n slide through cow pies. I just wanted to scratch their noggins! (My outfit is a result of it being the first afternoon at elevation, I was confused and was transitioning into cold weather gear, ok?!)
Our banding site called LAKE.
We found an asian market in San Jose, which aided greatly in the production of something other than rice and beans! Like these Spicy PB/sesame noodles.
February 17, 2012
Thanks for all the birthday wishes!
Though I had only seen my first the day before, on our last day of banding at Madre Selva we managed to catch three Magnificent Hummingbirds, two males and a female! They are monstrous, blinged out birds.
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