Squirrel Cuckoo

Squirrel Cuckoo: Bougainvillea Hotel, San Jose, Costa Rica — I flew into Costa Rica a day early, because if you try to fly direct in one day from Maine, you arrive late in the evening, and, as the leader, I like to be there when the other’s arrive. That gave me a day to wander the extensive grounds and elegant gardens of the Bougainvillea, on their hill overlooking San Jose. And one of the first birds that graced me with its presence was this Squirrel Cuckoo, moving through the bare branches of a tall tree right over my head in the morning light. Squirrel Cuckoos are not uncommon in Costa Rica (except at the highest elevations), and range from Northern Mexico to Argentina, covering all of the lower elevation habitats of both Central and South America. They are unmistakable…big and brown with that black and white spotted tail…but their movement, very squirrel-like indeed running along branches, is enough to give them away. Still they like dense foliage and can be hard to see. I was delighted to find this one out in plain sight (after it did indeed move through several dense bushes below the tree when I first saw it). Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 125 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

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