Sooty Thrush

Sooty Thrush: Cerro Buenavista, Talamanca Mountains, Costa Rica — Cerro Buenavista at 11,453 feet, is not the tallest mountain in Costa Rica, but it might well be the tallest you can drive to the top of. It is just off the Pan-Am Highway south of Los Quetzales National Park and the turn down into San Geraldo de Dota and its lodges. There is an array of antennas on top of the mountain, and the service road gives about the best access to the Paramo you could want. It is a regular stop on my trips to the Costa Rica, and I am sure, on many other birding trips as well. The Sooty Thrush is not restricted to the paramo (the short grass, bamboo, and shrub habitat above tree-line in the tropics) but it is common there (and down as low as the lower edge of the humid (cloud) forest). This one was waiting for us when we hopped out of the bus for our first “scenery” break on the mountain. On a clear day, you can see both the Caribbean and the Pacific from the top of Buenavista, and of course it is the place to look for Paramo speciality species like the Volcano Junco and Timberline Wren. Not that we were not delighted with our first bird there! Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 640 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

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