Posts in Category: Costa Rica
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.
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.
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.
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.
Cinnamon Woodpecker
Cinnamon Woodpecker: Pierrella Ecology Gardens, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, March 2025 — Pierrella Ecology Gardens is the only place I have ever seen anyone put out coconuts for the birds! I apparently works, at least for woodpeckers, as the always have Cinnamon Woodpeckers around the dinning area. Such a handsome bird. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Basilisk Lizard
Basilisk Lizard: Pierella Ecology Gardens, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, March 2025 — I first visited Pierella Gardens on my scouting trip in December 2024 with Victor of Tico Rainforest B&B, and was delighted to be able to include it in my March trip, along a whole group of Point’nShoot Nature photographers. It is truly a wonderful place. This is mature Basilisk Lizard, something I have never seen this close. You can really appreciate the colors and the dragon-like form. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator. And this is a good demo of the subject identification, eye-tracking auto focus on the a6700 at work even in low light!
Grosbeak
Black-faced Grosbeak: La Selva Biological Station, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, March 2025 — Somehow in more than 20 trips to Central America (10 of them to Costa Rica) I have managed to miss this bird until my Sarapiqui scouting trip in December of 24. And here it is again in March, at a different location. 🙂 It is the size of our North American Rose-breasted Grosbeak, but endemic to Central America from Mexico to Panama. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Yellow-throated Euphonia
Yellow-throated Euphonia: Selva Verde Lodge, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, March 2025 — There are several Euphonias in Costa Rica that look much like this bird, but based on location, the yellow throat, and the extent of the yellow cap, this has to be the Yellow-throated. Euphonias are finches, or “true finches” to be more precise, and they are named for their light sweet songs. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Doubling up
Little Tinamou: La Selva Biological Station, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, March 2025 — I am going to double up on Pics 4 Today for a while, since I am not quite half way trough my photos from March in Costa Rica, and now have a slew of photos from the Biggest Week in American Birding on the Erie Shore in Ohio. This is the best shot I managed of the Little Tinamou we encountered along the trails at La Selva, one of the outposts of the Organization for Tropical Studies in the Sarapiqui of Costa Rica. La Selva is known as one of the most biologically diverse properties in the world, and is the temporary home of hundreds of researchers and students every year. Not to mention Tinamous 🙂 Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. ISO was maxed out in the low light of the rainforest floor and the camera only managed 1/320. Still, the bird is there! Processed in Photomator.
Snowy Cotinga
Snowy Cotinga: La Selva Biological Research Center, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, March 2025 — Just a quick post as I am on my way to do my first workshop at The Biggest Week in American Birding here in Ohio. This bird was at the extreme limits of photography…so small in the viewfinder that only its extreme whiteness allowed me focus on it. 🙂 And, actually, this is as close to this bird as I have gotten in Costa Rica. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Cropped drastically and upscaled during processing in Photomator. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications.