Posts in Category: birds
Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher (and Baltimore Oriole)
Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher (and Baltimore Oriole): Miriam’s Quetzals, San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, December 2022 — The Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher is not, in fact, a flycatcher, but it does have a long tail. Here in the US, we also have a silky-flycatcher, the Phanopepla of the South West deserts. And, of course, the Baltimore Oriole keeping company with the Silky-flycatcher is a common summer bird all up our east coast. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. The birds were not close, and the “close-up” is a heavy crop. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Yellow-thighed Bushfinch
Yellow-thighed Bushfinch: Miriam’s Quetzals, San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, December 2022 — There are generally a few Yellow-thighed Bushfinches around the feeders at Miriams, and they are always a treat to see. Such an unlikely bird! The sooty-black, fine textured plumage and then those bright yellow booties. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 3200 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Flame-colored Tanager
Flame-colored Tanager: Miriam’s Quetzals, San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, December 2022 — Though the Flame-colored Tanager does come down to foothills level, I have never seen one except high in the Talamanca Mountains. In fact, it is first bird I generally see that I think of as unmistakably a mountain bird. Though they feed in the mid to upper canopy, they do come to feeders, especially on the mountain side where the feeders are already at canopy level for the trees downslope. In my experience they are also quite variable in color, from palish orange to deep orange. Both of these birds are males, and both were coming to the feeders at Miriams, so this is not a “trick of the light.” They were different color orange. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 1000 (paler bird in the shadows) and 200 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Lesser Violet-eared Hummingbird
Lesser Violet-eared Hummingbird: Miriam’s Quetzals, San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, December 2022 — Another hummingbird we got our first looks at off Miriam’s back deck. The Lesser Violet-ear (and, before you ask, there is on “Greater” Violet-ear…maybe they are anticipating a possible split??) is one of the most common, and certainly one of the most aggressive, hummingbirds in the American tropics, and can be found from Rainforest to Cloud Forest and everywhere in between. A gorgeous bird wherever it is found. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 640 and 800 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Uganda Edition: African Fish Eagle
African Fish Eagle: Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — Certainly one of the most impressive and recognizable birds of Africa…with a range through all but very center of sub-Saharan Africa (all of the “safari” countries), and a common sight where ever there are larger rivers and lakes. These birds were perched along the shore of Lake Mburo, and seen from the tour boat on the lake on our late afternoon excursion. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmotor Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 320 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Talamanca Hummingbird
Talamanca Hummingbird: Miriam’s Quetzals Restaurant, San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, December 2022 — We left Los Cosningos after lunch and had time for a coffee, hot coco, and birds stop at Miriam’s Quetzals on the way down into San Geraldo de Dota and the Trogon Lodge. Miriam’s perches high on the side of the Savegre Valley and the feeders she maintains off the deck on the back of her restaurant generally provide our first views of some of the mountain specialties. Trouble is, once you are there, and have your cup of excellent coffee or coco, it is hard to get away, and you do not want to be late for your first trout dinner at the Trogon either. The Talamanca Hummingbirds were so bold they came to sit within inches of those who got too close to the feeders. One of the larger hummingbirds…the largest in Central America, it is always impressive, and never more so than when the late afternoon light catches the gorget. Such a treat! Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 2000 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Uganda Edition: African Finfoot
African Finfoot: Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — Another highlight of the boat tour on Lake Mburo. The African Finfoot has two distinct ranges in East Africa, one along the western borders of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania and one along the south/north borders of western Kenya and Tanzania, with a lot of Finfootless territory in between. Sony Rx10iv at 580mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 800 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Velvety Manakin
Velvety Manakin: Los Cosingos Sanctuary, Costa Rica, December 2022 — A very difficult bird to photograph…deep in the tangle of the rainforest understory…but the only male Velvety we saw on our trip. There was a nice green female showing at the Wilson Botanical Gardens. This is a confusing bird to me. There was once a Blue-Crowned Manakin that had a range in both Central America and South America. There is now a Velvety Manakin with a range primarily in Central America, Columbia, and northern Ecuador and a Blue-capped Manakin with a range in the rest of Amazonian South America. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications and multi-frame noise reduction. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. Equivalent ISO 2500 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Uganda Edition: Striated Heron
Striated Heron: Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — we saw this small heron, very like the Green Heron, along the shore of Lake Mburo from our tour boat. The Striated Heron’s range spans the tropics…Central and South America, across Africa, through all of Asia, and on the larger pacific islands and the Galapagos. I have seen it on the Galapagos and along the Amazon in Peru, as well as in Panama…and now, Africa! (I will keep an eye out for it in India in March 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 320 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Uganda Edition: Ruppell’s Starling
Ruppell’s Starling: Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — This shot was taken from the last tour boat on Lake Mburo for the day. They held the boat for us or we would not have made it. Too may photo-stops on the way through the park. Ruppell’s Starling is a long-tailed starling, common everywhere in Uganda in savannahs and lawns. Though it looks black in some light, it is actually quite colorful with it’s green and purple iridescence. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 250 @ f4 @ 1/500th.