Daily Archives: February 17, 2022

Migrants

Western Tanager and Rose-breasted Grosbeak: Batsu Gardens, San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica — Of course a fair number of the birds you see in Costa Rica in December are wintering migrants who nest in North America…our birds of the forest and edges. There are many warblers, and they can be among the most common birds you see in the lowland and foothills. I have seen way more Wilson’s Warblers in Costa Rica than I have ever seen in North America. These two larger passerines were high in the mountains at Batsu Gardens, mixed in with the tropical specialties of the cloud forest. Both are typical of the winter plumage of birds that we see in more colorful plumage here in the US. The Western Tanager, as its name suggests, is limited to the western third of the US and Canada, while the Grosbeak is pretty much restricted to the eastern two-thirds. There are limited areas, in Canada mostly, where you might see both birds in the same location. They coexist nicely on the Pacific Slope of Costa Rica in winter, neither in large numbers…but they can be seen, as we saw them at Batsu, in the same place at the same time. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. Tanager ISO 800 @ f4 @ 1/500th. Grosbeak ISO 400 @ f4 @ 1/500th.