Posts in Category: Costa Rica
Volcano
Volcano Hummingbird: Batsu Gardens, San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, March 2025 — One of the two smallest hummingbirds (with the very similar Scintillated) in the mountains of Costa Rica. This one was working the flowers around the observation deck at Batsu, high above the Savegre River on the mountain side. Despite being only small, they are totally fearless. 🙂 Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Flame Colored
Flame-colored Tanager: Batsu Gardens, San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, March 2025 — Batsu Gardens is a project of one the grandsons of the original settlers in the Savegre Valley. High on the mountain side above the stream there is little terrace with flowering and fruiting plants, and two shelters where birders and photographers can sit and watch or photograph the visiting hummingbirds, tanagers, toucans, parrots, finches, silky-flycatchers and ground doves. This is the Flame-colored Tanager, one of the most common tanagers of the mountains, and one of the brightest colored. Almost like flame 🙂 Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Mountain Gem
White-throated Mountain Gem: Miriam’s Quetzals Cafe, San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, March 2025 — There is a little Cafe halfway down the sharp mountain valley of the Savegre River, perched on a little shelf high above the water, where they serve good food and coffee and where the birds of the cloud forest come close. One of my favorite spots in the world. 🙂 This is an aptly named White-throated Mountain Gem…a gem indeed, and at home in mountains of Central America and Costa Rica. I am always so happy to encounter one. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator. (The Cafe had a new name when I was last there in March…but it is still Miriam’s Quetzals to me.)
Quetzal again
Resplendent Quetzal: San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, March 2025 — another shot of the Resplendent Quetzal from our mid-morning encounter. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Singing Quetzal
Resplendent Quetzal: San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, March 2025 — If you go out early in the morning to whichever wild avacado trees are currently fruiting in the Savegre River Valley around San Geraldo de Dota, you are almost guaranteed to see perhaps the most sought-after bird in Central America: The Resplendent Quetzal. The Quetzals are Trogons, but with exceptionally long outer tail covert feathers that stream behind the males, brilliant green and red and white plumage, a remarkable crest and a bright yellow beak. Altogether resplendent! Mario, our guide convinced us to NOT go out early…if the birds are near the road there are literally bus-loads of tourists, birders, and photographers there at daylight…anywhere from 50-100…all jammed together in the road, jostling for a good view and swinging big lenses and tripods with such abandon that it can be dangerous…and at the very least…somewhat unpleasant. He asked us to trust him that he could find Quetzals later in the morning. It was taking a big risk, as, after sunrise, Quetzals are much less predictable. We got to the fruiting trees mid-morning, and no more than stepped off our transit van than we heard at least two males calling. And then they were there. Resplendent in the morning sun, chasing each other through the dense cloud-forest canopy. Such a treat. I could see Mario relax and bask a bit in the vindication. Quetzals are never easy to photograph…never close enough or in ideal light…but I got some of my best Quetzal photos ever that morning. This shot is of a resplendent male singing, and though it is still a heavy crop of a high ISO image, I am pretty happy with it. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Flower Piercer
Slaty Flowerpiercer: San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, March 2025 — Down along the stream below Savegre Mountain Hotel and Reserve, there are almost aways Flowerpiercers working the flowers along the road. This is a female. That beak is specialized for making small holes at the base of flowers and allowing access to the nectar. Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds follow them around and use the holes after the Flowerpiercers are done. Win win. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent (cropped to about 1200mm equivalent). Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Some feet!
Grey-cowled Wood Rail: Cope Art, Gualpies, Costa Rica, March 2025 — Cope has had Wood Rails frequenting his little back yard sanctuary for several years now. He just has the remains of a small talapia pond not much bigger than one of those above ground pools from Walmart, but it attracts an amazing array of birds. You have (or I have at any rate) to admire those amazing dark pink legs and feet and that bright red eye. 🙂 Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 457mm equivalent (too close for the full zoom). Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications (dark in there around the pool, so ISO 16000). Processed in Photomator.
Crested Owl
Crested Owl: Gualpies, Costa Rica, May 2025 — A highlight of any visit with Cope is a prowl around the local forest in search of day-roosting owls. Cope generally knows where the Spectacled Owls are, and some years, he has a line on the Crested. This year a Crested Owl is roosting at the edge of the pasture at his parent’s farm. Easy. Though still a challenge to photograph in the darkness under the banana leaves. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator. The image, in order to show detail in the owl, is much lighter overall than it was to the naked eye. It really was dark in there. 🙂
Rufous-winged Woodpecker
Rufous-winged Woodpecker: Nectar and Pollen Reserve, Gualpies, Costa Rica, March 2025 — Nectar and Pollen Reserve is a small hummingbird garden, with fruit feeders, on the side of the mountains coming up out of Gualpies on the way back to San Jose. In the past year the owner, Miguel Delgado, a retired birding and nature guide, has built a hide for King Vulture observation as well. We were there early on our last morning in Sarapiqui to see if we could see some vultures…but this Rufous-winded Woodpecker entertained us while we waited. Looking at the red just on the nape, this is a female. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
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.