BryanP
Little known member
Had a great day this past week on our usual morning birding route here in Quebradas, Perez Zeledon, Costa Rica. This quick and dirty walk is about a 2 kilometre wander up to the cell phone tower and back with a 16 story elevation change. We're pretty well guaranteed a few birds but with all the fruiting trees this week they were out in force.
In one Miconia tree (drawing below) alone near the Quebradas river there were all at once, a family of Grey-headed Chachalaca, Fiery-billed Aracari, the three Euphonia species that occur at this elevation, Yellow-throated, Yellow-crowned and Spot-crowned. The usual Tanagers such as the Blue-grey, Palms, Scarlet-rumped, Golden-hooded and Speckled along with clouds of Clay-coloured Thrush and Buff-throated Saltators, Bananaquits made a show and a Green Heron was in the same fruiting tree of all things.
Lots of Kiskadee and Social Flycatchers were visiting. White-crowned Parrots along with Orange-chinned Parakeets were at the buffet. Sulphur winged Parakeets were charging back and forth across the river valley but I never saw them land in the tree.
Up the road from there in some understory we got great views of a pair of Blue-crowned Manikins (male and female) and then immediately saw a handsome Male Orange-collared Manakin and not five minutes later a male Wihite-ruffed Manikin. Also three kinds of Wrens, the Rufous-breasted, the Isthmian and the White-breasted Wood Wren. Brown Jays and a fair few Warblers, Chestnut-sided, Tennessee and also a regular, an American Redstart.
The highlight of the morning though was seeing the family group of Red-crowned Ant Tanagers. A year ago this group were a solid guaranteed sighting every day until an illegal clearing of underbrush occurred. After that unfortunate event they disappeared, till now. I'm guessing the under brush has grown back enough to suit them. Very glad to see them again.
So that was a good day for us and here's hoping there are more to come.
Cheers,
Bryan
In one Miconia tree (drawing below) alone near the Quebradas river there were all at once, a family of Grey-headed Chachalaca, Fiery-billed Aracari, the three Euphonia species that occur at this elevation, Yellow-throated, Yellow-crowned and Spot-crowned. The usual Tanagers such as the Blue-grey, Palms, Scarlet-rumped, Golden-hooded and Speckled along with clouds of Clay-coloured Thrush and Buff-throated Saltators, Bananaquits made a show and a Green Heron was in the same fruiting tree of all things.
Lots of Kiskadee and Social Flycatchers were visiting. White-crowned Parrots along with Orange-chinned Parakeets were at the buffet. Sulphur winged Parakeets were charging back and forth across the river valley but I never saw them land in the tree.
Up the road from there in some understory we got great views of a pair of Blue-crowned Manikins (male and female) and then immediately saw a handsome Male Orange-collared Manakin and not five minutes later a male Wihite-ruffed Manikin. Also three kinds of Wrens, the Rufous-breasted, the Isthmian and the White-breasted Wood Wren. Brown Jays and a fair few Warblers, Chestnut-sided, Tennessee and also a regular, an American Redstart.
The highlight of the morning though was seeing the family group of Red-crowned Ant Tanagers. A year ago this group were a solid guaranteed sighting every day until an illegal clearing of underbrush occurred. After that unfortunate event they disappeared, till now. I'm guessing the under brush has grown back enough to suit them. Very glad to see them again.
So that was a good day for us and here's hoping there are more to come.
Cheers,
Bryan
