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 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.
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.)
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.
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.
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.
Slaty Flower-piercer: Savegre Mountain Hotel and Spa, San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, December 2023 — Coming to the end of my Costa Rica photos from my trip last December. This is Slaty Flower-piercer from the gardens at Sevegre on the way to breakfast on our last day on the mountain. Flower-piercers make a hole a the base of the flower to draw out the nectar. That is what that specially adapted beak is all about. OM System OM-1 with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Resplendent Quetzal: San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, December 2023 — We talked our guide into taking 2 of us back for another dawn with the Quetzals. We sat on the bus waiting to see if the rain would stop, and when it got to drizzle I said now or never, and we made the hike down to the stream and then back up the other side to the shelf where the Quetzals come, when they come. It turned out to be another good morning for Quetzals. Never enough light, but we make do with what we have. If I go again this year, I have some new techniques I want to try to see if I can do better. (But I know better is really about more light from closer…and that is unlikely to happen at least at this spot.) OM System OM-1 with M.Zuiko 100-400IS at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.
Lesser Violetear Hummingbird: Batsu Gardens, San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, December 2023 — a few more shots from the flower set-up at Batsu Gardens, on the mountain- side high above Savegre Mountain Hotel and Spa. On the day we visited, in the misty rain, it was mostly Talamancas and Lesser Violetears. The Lesser Violetear is probably the most common hummingbird in Costa Rica at all elevations up to Cloud Forest. They are super active and aggressive defenders of nectar sources. OM System OM-1 with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 570mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds in flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.
Talamanca Hummingbird: Batsu Gardens, San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, December 2023 — Batsu Gardens, high on the mountain-side above Savegre Mountain Hotel and Spa in San Geraldo de Dota, was specifically designed for bird photography. There are two permanent metal roofed awnings for shelter from the rain when it comes…one primarily purposed for Hummingbird photography and one facing the moss covered structure against the backdrop of the mountains across the valley designed for the fruit and seed eaters. Generally Felipe Chacon, grandson of the original settlers in the Savegre Valley, and the garden’s creator, picks you up at the Hotel in a 4 wheel drive van for the sharp climb to the gardens, and then sets out an array of fresh flowers from the gardens to attract hummingbirds against a backdrop of the slope behind. You can have a cup of coffee or use the clean and pleasant rest rooms close by while you wait. He also puts out fresh fruit in front of the other pavilion, so you have your choice. There will always be hummingbird action near both awnings. We drew a partially rainy day with not the best light, but it is still possible to photograph the hummers without flash. This the Talamanca coming in to the set-up flowers in the rain. OM System OM-1 with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 506mm equivalent (the hummingbirds are close!). Program mode with my custom birds in flight and action modifications. In the low light I was shooting at ISO 25600 to 32000 to get a shutter speed of 1/1600. I would, of course, have preferred a lower ISO and even higher shutter speed but we work with what we are given. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.