Lesser Violetear and White-throated Mountain-gem
Lesser Violetear and White-throated Mountain-gem: Batsu Gardens, San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica, December 2022 — As I mentioned it was a missy, mostly cloudy afternoon at Batsu Gardens and Marino put out flowers for us to photograph the hummingbirds. This is two of the classic high country hummers of Central America: the Lesser Violetear and the White-throated Mountain-gem. The Lesser Violetear used to be the Green Violetear before it was split, pretty much at the northern border of Costa Rica, with the birds north now called Mexican Violetear. The Lesser ranges to the edges of South America. (And, no, there is no Greater Violetear.) The White-throated Mountain-gem is even more confused. It is endemic to the Talamanca Mountains and higher volcanos of Costa Rica and Panama, but some authorities consider the Panama birds to be the Grey-tailed Mountain-gem, a separate species endemic to Panama. Whatever! Still both attractive hummers of the high mountains. Sony Rx10iv at 493mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 2000 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Fiery-throated Hummingbird
Fiery-throated Hummingbird: Paradiso Quetzales Lodge, Costa Rica, December 2022 — Yup. This is what a Fiery-throated Hummingbird looks like when the sun hits it just right. For some reason the Fiery-throats insisted on perching on the deck and wire railings rather than all the nice natural perches provided…but still it is one amazing hummingbird. Sony Rx10iv at 586mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 500 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Female Scintillant and Talamancas Hummingbirds
Scintillant and Talamancas Hummingbirds: Batsu Gardens, San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica, December 2022 — Not the best weather at Batsu Gardens today, but still there are few better places for hummingbird photography. Two high mountain specialist in a single frame. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 1000 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Day of the Resplendent Quetzal
Resplendent Quetzal: San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica, December 2022 — It was the day for Resplendent Quetzals. We had at lest 3 males and one female at the usual December spot along the road above Trogon Lodge. We waited a long time and took a lot of photos when it was really still too dark…but were rewarded with some good shots in good light. One of my fellow travelers saw a painting of the bird here at the lodge last night and asked “does it really look like that!?” I assured her that, yes indeed, it does look just like that, and maybe even more impressive and beautiful in life. Sony Rx10iv at 561mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 640 @ f4 @ 1/500th. Plus .7EV.
Snowy-bellied Hummingbird
Snowy-bellied Hummingbird: Las Cruses Biological Station / Wilson Botanical Gardens, Costa Rica, December 2022 — Not the best photo but a very good bird. We missed it yesterday…at least missed photo ops…so I was out at sun-up in the gardens waiting for it this morning and it came just as I would have had to leave to make it back for breakfast. One quick stop in the sun and it was gone again. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 800 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Golden-hooded Tanager
Golden-hooded Tanager: Wilson Botanical Gardens, Las Cruses Biological Station, Costa Rica, December 2022 — One of my favorite Tanagers of Central America…especially when seen in good early morning light. Found on both slopes from lowlands through foothills. Sony Rx10iv at 591mm. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/800th.
Grey-headed Kite
Grey-headed Kite: I spotted this bird sitting above the road as we traveled from Danta Corcovado Lodge on the Osa Peninsula to the Wilson Botanical Gardens in the southern foothills in Costa Rica today. I called it a White-hawk, but after we backed up far enough to see it properly, Mario (our guide) recognized it as a Grey-headed Kite. Though it has a wide range in the foothills and lowlands of both slopes in Costa Rica, it is listed as “uncommon”…so we were privileged to have spotted it. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f5.6 and 4.5 @ 1/1000th.
Sunday Supplement: Squirrel Monkey
A troop of Squirrel Monkeys roost right over the dinning area at Danta Corcovado Lodge here on the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica, but they only appear when it is almost dark. We found this troop along the road into the Las Tardes Community Ecology Project at the edge of Corcovado National Park. They have to among the cutest of the primates! Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos.
ISO 640 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Scarlet Macaws
Scarlet Macaw: Playa Blanca, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica, December 2022 — not the best bird of the day by far, but certainly the slowest! A large flock of Scarlet Macaws are attracted to the Beach Almond trees along the waterfront in Playa Blanca, not far from Danta Corcovado lodge here on the Osa Peninsula. We saw maybe a 8-10 there last year, but this year there were more than two dozen, maybe more, feeding in almost the same trees (between rain storms). It was a treat to watch and photograph these large spectacular…and very noisy…birds. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 250 @ f4 @ 1/500th. Plus .3EV.
Immature Long-billed Hermit Hummingbird
Immature Long-billed Hermit Hummingbird: Danta Corcovado Lodge, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica, December 2022 — While we were waiting for our 4 wheel drive transport in to the very edge of Corcovado National Park, at the Las Tardes Community Ecology Project, this young Long-billed Hermit kept us entertained. Since its tail is not typical of the species we had some debate as to what it actually was…but settled on Long-billed…I mean, look at the bill! Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 800 @ f4 @ 1/500th.