PeterHG's Big Year-4th time

[PeterHG]

48. Clay-coloured Thrush. Sarapiqui, January. Costa Rica's national bird. This may seem a strange choice for a country with so many colourful birds, but its song can be heard everywhere and we were told that farmers knew that when their singing started in  spring it was also time to start sowing.

 

[PeterHG]

49. Green Honeycreeper. Sarapiqui, January. Another splash of colour in the shade of the forest. The female is also green, albeit a slightly less shiny version.

 

[PeterHG]

50. Red-throated Ant-Tanager. Sarapiqui, January. Selva Verde turned out to be the only place we managed to see this tanager. Another lifer.

 

[mvecht]

@PeterHG  stunning shots. You have certainly put CR on my wishlist.

[Peter Connan]

Beautiful stuff!

[michael-ibk]

Welcome back Peter, glad to hear you had a good (and hopefully dry) time in Costa Rica! Some super shots already, very nice to see some familiar birds from last year, and even more to get also some of the migrants (like the Oriole and the Summer Tanager). I´m very, very much Looking Forward to seeing all your photos.

[xelas]

Another warm welcome! If posted are all done by Olympus, then I am amazed by the quality and sharpness. It seems to me that you have found a way to unload some of the burden from your back. 

[PeterHG]

Thanks @Galana, @mvecht, @Peter Connan, @michael-ibk and @xelas

We only had some rain on 3 days, @michael-ibk, so a completely different experience from yours last year.

Yes  @xelas, they are all Olympus. I did not take the Canon with me. I am quite impressed with the quality  of the camera and lens. I'll share my thoughts on the combo more extensively, if it would be of interest to others. 

[Kitsafari]

what a beautiful set of tanagers and such sharp details of the birds. Looking forward to more. 

 

[PeterHG]

Not all of them were as obliging as the previous batch. Another lifer, nonetheless and the only time we saw one

51. Scarlet-thighed Dacnis. Sarapiqui, January

 

[PeterHG]

52. Black-crowned Tityra. Sarapiqui, January

[PeterHG]

53. Cinnamon Becard. Sarapiqui, January. It simply refused to turn its head...;)

 

[PeterHG]

54. Orange-billed Sparrow. Sarapiqui, January. It did not visit the feeders, but was regularly seen in the undergrowth near them, so probably looking for some spilled bits.

 

[Zim Girl]

Pleased to hear you had a great time @PeterHG, and that the new camera performed well.  Some really lovely pictures so far.

[PeterHG]

55. White-ringed Flycatcher. Sarapiqui, January. Seen a few times. There are so many flycatchers in Costa Rica, that sometimes it's hard to tell them apart. This one looks a lot like the Social Flycatcher, but the ends of the white 'ring' meet at the nape. Not really visible in this photo, but fortunately we had a good view of it through the binoculars.

[PeterHG]

56. Southern Rough-winged Swallow. Sarapiqui, January. 

 

 

 

[PeterHG]

57. Squirrel Cuckoo. Sarapiqui, January. Seen only once when pointed out to us by some friendly American birders. At first it was hidden somewhere between the tangle of branches and leaves, but a little patience provided a better photo opportunity.

 

 

 

[lmSA84]

Beautiful shots! Glad to hear that the weather was kind. I look forward to seeing more 

[PeterHG]

58. Variable Seedeater. Sarapiqui, January. Not uncommon at all, but I found it hard to et a clear shot of one. There are two races of the species: the Caribbean one and the Pacific one. Here are the males of both races:

 

Caribbian race:

 

Pacific Race (photographed at Macaw Lodge in February)

 

 

[PeterHG]

59. Mealy Parrot. Sarapiqui, January. The only shot I managed of this parrot, flying by late afternoon.

 

[PeterHG]

60. (CR 19) Buff-throated Saltator. Sarapiqui, January

 

[PeterHG]

61. Orange-chinned Parakeet. Sarapiqui, January.

[PeterHG]

62. Bright-rumped Attila. Sarapiqui, January. Not too many striking features to make an ID, but the hooked bill pointed me in the right direction.

 

[PeterHG]

63. (CR 22) Long-tailed Tyrant. Sarapiqui, January. The only time we saw this graceful little flycatcher. 

 

Edited March 7, 2019 by PeterHG

[PeterHG]

64. (CR 23). Ruddy Ground Dove. Sarapiqui, January. Very common almost everywhere we went.