Monthly Archives: January 2020

Streaming in the wind: Resplendent Quetzal

Another shot from our “chance” encounter with a Resplendent Quetzal in San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica. “Chance” in the sense that we were not looking for Quetzals when we saw it…not chance at all, of course, in the sense that Edwin, our guide, was always looking for Quetzals in the cloud forest of the Savegre River valley. Those long, streaming tail coverts are shown to good advantage here, and you can even see the real tail peaking out from behind. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications, plus Multi-frame Noise Reduction. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.

Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush

It was cold and windy and rather damp on the Paramo when we visited, in the mountains above San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica, and we got only glimpses of the target birds…Volcano Junco and Timberline Wren…but some of us got great looks at this Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush. The Nightingale-Thrush is a common bird of forest edges in the highlands, so this one was at the upper end of its elevation range. Not a tree in sight, let alone a forest. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.

Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher

The Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher is not a flycatcher, nor is its tail particularly long, as tails go, but it is “silky”…in the same way a Cedar Waxwing is “silky”. The feathers are fine and lay close to the body. It is a fruit eater, as you see here. They are common around the grounds of Savegre Mountain Hotel, Reserve, and Spa in San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica in December when the Point and Shoot Nature Photography Adventure visits, as there are two fruiting trees close to the dinning hall that attract them. This is as close to one as I have been, as it settled on fruit in a tree about 6 feet from me while I was waiting for our bus. Snap. Snap. Snap. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. Assembled in FrameMagic.

Sulphur-winged Parakeets at the limits!

Sulphur-winged Parakeets at the absolute limits of what the Sony Rx10iv (or about any camera) is capable of. They flew overhead several times while we watched from beside the Savegre River just below Savegre Mountain Hotel, Resort, and Reserve in San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica, and then settled in an apple tree waaay up the side of the mountain. I could not see them with my naked eye, green against green, and kept losing and then having to refind the right tree. I could barely see them through the viewfinder of the camera. This shot is at 1200mm equivalent on the Sony, using 2x Clear Image (digital) Zoom, and then cropped to between 1 and 2 mega pixels from the 20mp frame. Absolute limits! I would have loved to have had them closer, but we make do with what we are given. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv as above. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.

Female Volcano Hummingbird at the feeder

In my experience, Volcano Hummingbirds rarely come to feeders, and I was surprised to see this female at the feeder at Batsu Gardens in San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica, even though Volcano Hummingbirds are common there, and I had seen both males and females feeding in the flowers around the viewing platform. This one came to a feeder only 4 feet from me, right at the closest focus of my camera. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.

Flame-colored Tanager in the moss

This Flame-colored Tanager at Batsu Gardens in San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica shows well in contrast to the rich detail and color of the moss. One of the best things about Batsu Gardens is that it is perched on the side of steep valley with the valley open before it. The out of focus mountains across the way provide a great backdrop in telephoto shots. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.

Talamanca Threesome

An interesting threesome: Left to right, Silver-throated Tanager, Golden-browed Chlorophonia, and Tennessee Warbler. Batsu Gardens, San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica. It was getting late and the light had gone. The Tennessee Warbler was the most common of our North American breeding warblers in Costa Rica in December. We saw them everywhere. The contrast between the winter plumage of the Tennessee and the colorful Chlorophonia and Tanager couldn’t be more marked. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.

Pic of the Day 2: Alternative display of Lesser Violet-ear

The alternative dominance display of the Lesser Violet-ear Hummingbird. This is what they do when they aren’t wing posturing. Cleary where the violet-ear name comes from. Batsu Gardens in San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.

Lesser Violet-ear displaying

The Lesser Violet-ear was the Green Violet-ear until recently. In its range it is the most aggressive hummingbird. It actually spends more time in dominance displays and defending food sources than it does feeding. Though it seems counterproductive, the strategy seems to work for this bird…as it is also among the most numerous hummer in its range. It’s displays involve both wing posturing, as in this photo, and flaring out those violet-ears until they stand away from the head pretty much their full length. This one is at Batsu Gardens in San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.

Stripe-tailed Hummingbird

This Stripe-tailed Hummingbird was the rarest species at Batsu Gardens in San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica when we visited in December. We only saw it a few times and we never did find where it perched away from the feeders. The stripe-tailed is easiest recognized, despite its name, by the highly visible patch of rufous on its wing. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.