Jacamar again
Rufous-tailed Jacamar: Pierrella Ecology Gardens, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, March 2025 — Once the Jacamar had finished the Blue Morpho butterfly (see yesterday’s post for that story). It sat on an open perch, again, right in front of us…perhaps hoping for another. I always think Jacamars look like huge hummingbirds. For me at least, it is a bird, and this was an experience, that had me jittering on the edge of too much wonder to contain. I am sure I was grinning ear to ear, and so were all those with me. And, while I was disappointed to find my camera in the wrong mode when I finished…still, I have a record of that wonder. Goes to show you. Goes to show me. It is not really about what I do…it is about what the birds are doing. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program with my macro modifications (by mistake). Processed in Photomator.
Jacamar
Rufous-tailed Jacamar: Pierrella Ecology Gardens, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, March 2025 — The husband of our guide, who. with our guide, owns and operates Pierrella Butterfly Farm, got involved in our tour when it was time to locate the resident Rufous-tailed Jacamar, one of the more spectacular birds of the rainforest. He found the pair, deep in the undergrowth, then found us to send us there, and went running off, who knows where. He returned with a big Blue Morpho Butterfly, so obviously he had been to the butterfly enclosure. The butterfly was caught carefully between the fingers of one hand. “Watch” he said, “Be ready!” Then he released the butterfly and the male Jacamar swooped from its hidden perch and caught the Morpho in the air, then landed on perch right in front of us to dismember it and eat the good parts. Totally astounding. The closest I have ever seen a Jacamar, and to see it in action! What a treat. Of course, it turned out that I had not reset my camera to my birds and wildlife modifications after taking some insect macros, so these shots might have been better…but still! Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my macro modifications (f16…as I say, by mistake). Processed in Photomator.
Black-throated Green
Black-throated Green Warbler: Magee Marsh Boardwalk, Oak Harbor, Ohio, USA, May 2025 — Always one of the most numerous warblers at Magee in May, the Black-throated Green is generally one of the easiest to photograph. Along with the Chestnut-sided, it feeds at eye-level along the artificial edges the boardwalk creates as it cuts through the marsh. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Common Paraque
Common Paraque: Pierrella Ecology Gardens, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, March 2025 — Both time I have been to Pierrella Ecology Gardens, the guide has been able to show us their roosting Common Paraque. It, of course, roosts in the deepest, darkest spot it can find so it pushes the limits of any camera, but it also roost fairly close to the trail, which is nice for a change. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Pushed to the limits. ISO 25600 at 1/60th. Processed in Photomator.
Chestnut-sided
Chestnut-sided Warbler: Magee Marsh Boardwalk, Oak Harbor, Ohio, USA, May 2025 — As I have said before and as I will probably say again, this year was not an easy year at Magee for warbler photography. The birds were there but so were the leaves, and getting clear, unobstructed shots of any warbler was very difficult…even if the warblers were as cooperative as the Chestnut-sideds often are. Chestnut-sided Warblers at Magee feed at eye-level and often right next to the boardwalk, where the little opening the boardwalk creates makes finding insects relatively easy. This one was singing…which made it easier to locate…though no easier to photograph. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
White-whiskered Puffbird
White-whiskered Puffbird: Pierrella Ecology Gardens, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, March 2025 — It as hard not to be infected by the infectious excitement of our guide at Pierrella Ecology Gardens, who happened to be the wife in the couple who owns and manages the property. Each bird was the best bird yet, and she showed us each one as though it had be specially created just for us this moment, and as though she knew the artist personally. Something like that. And I totally get it. This is not a bright flashy bird by any means, but it is a very special bird, and one I don’t think I had ever seen before…and there is was on the branch of a coffee tree, deep in old plantation by the trail. Such a treat! Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
American Redstart
American Redstart: Magee Marsh Boardwalk, Oak Harbor, Ohio, USA, May 2025 — One of the more numerous and visible warblers during the Biggest Week in American Birding on the Ohio Erie Shore was the American Redstart, though I saw way more males then females and no females at all until later in the week. As with all warblers this year, t was hard to find a clear line of sight through the already well developed foliage at eye-level in the marsh. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
White-collared Manakin
White-collared Manakin: Pierrella Ecology Gardens, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, March 2025 — there is noting much more fun than watching, and listening to, a male White Collard Manakin on his lek. They make a lek by cleaning a small patch of rainforest floor, about 3 feet in diameter, of very twig, leaf, and sapling plant to create a bare patch. They then sit at one edge and sing until a female responds. At that point they raise their wings up over their back so the tips, which have a velcro like structure, stick together and snap them apart fast enough to break the sound barrier (that is faster than the speed of sound), which creates a loud pop…like the cracking of a whip. The pop propels them back and forth across the lek, edge to edge almost faster than the eye can follow. He might pop back and forth a half a dozen time before moving back to a perch. The hope (both on our part and the male’s) is that a female will come and join in…popping back and forth across the lek in time with the male. We did not get to see that, but we got to see the male do his thing many times. The leks are always in deep foliage, and deep shadow, so managing photos is always a challenge. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Chorus line over Ottawa
White Pelicans: Estuary Trail, Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Oak Harbor, Ohio, USA, May 2025 — The Magee Marsh boardwalk is sandwiched between Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge and Lake Erie. When you can’t be out on the boardwalk (due to crowds or regulations…we are not allowed to take our class groups out on the boardwalk) there is always the Estuary Trail at Ottawa, which you can get to from either end of the Magee parking lot. And Ottawa has Pelicans! We saw several flight going overhead, some close, as these were. I like the formation here. It reminds me of a chorus line in a musical, though Pelicans are not all that musical. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds-in-flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Tree Swallows being Tree Swallows
Tree Swallows: Magee Marsh Boardwalk. Oak Harbor, Ohio, USA, May 2025 — It is hard to say whether there were more Tree Swallows or more Warbling Vireos at Magee this Biggest Week in American Birding. The only bird that might have outnumbered both is the Red-winged Blackbird. 🙂 It would have been close though. The Swallows were exploring any likely nesting cavity, and several pairs were already on the nest. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.