Michael´s Third Year

[Peter Connan]

9 hours ago, xelas said:

 

Bravo, bravo, maestro!!!

 

I completely agree!

Magnificent tally, magnificent bird, magnificent photography pretty much throughout.

[Dave Williams]

On 10/4/2018 at 4:21 AM, Peter Connan said:

 

I completely agree!

Magnificent tally, magnificent bird, magnificent photography pretty much throughout.

me too!

 

Superb way to bring up the 500. Cracking capture.

[Galana]

On 9/29/2018 at 10:45 AM, michael-ibk said:

but I also spent an awful amount of time sitting in front of the PC and scratching my head which species it could be.

I know a chap in SLO who spends his days at work doing just that!

 

Congratulations on the magic 500 Michael. A well deserved achievement for your efforts. I think you qualify for full membership of the EBC club with some of those offerings and I have really enjoyed catching up with the album.

 

In view of all those Antbirds and Creepers I have decided to cancel my trip to CR. It is an EBC practitioner's dream trip and it will save money if I stay at home and just run off 600 prints of the same bird and defy @Dave Williams to challenge any of them.

 

 

[xelas]

24 minutes ago, Galana said:

know a chap in SLO who spends his days at work doing just that!

 

Just don't tell my boss ... . I could just sit back waiting for Michael to do the dirty work ... but where is the fun in doing so ?!

[Kitsafari]

congrats on the 500th! and what a bird to celebrate. it's truly resplendent and spectacular. 

[michael-ibk]

On 10/6/2018 at 4:42 PM, Galana said:

Congratulations on the magic 500 Michael. A well deserved achievement for your efforts. I think you qualify for full membership of the EBC club with some of those offerings and I have really enjoyed catching up with the album.

 

Thank you Sir and I´m happy to report I have some more really worthy stuff coming up!

 

On 10/3/2018 at 8:37 PM, Tdgraves said:

Congrats on what is likely an unbeatable 500, with plenty more to go I fear...

 

Oh, it´s beatable - as a matter of fact I already positively know I will be beaten. Not only beaten but trampled into the ground.

 

And thanks a lot for all the kind words everybody - the Quetzal is a wonderful bird indeed, and we all were happy it was generous enough to give us such a nice and resplendent sighting.

[michael-ibk]

Back to slightly less splendiferous stuff - yes, still more Wrens.

 

501/C194.) White-Breasted Wood Wren (Henicorhina leucosticta) / Waldzaunkönig

 

Rancho Naturalista, 26/7. This species hunts from the forest floor, rarely getting higher than two or three metres.

 

[michael-ibk]

502/C195.) Grey-Breasted Wood Wren (Henicorhina leucophrys) / Einsiedlerzaunkönig

 

San Gerardo, 27/7. The highlands counterpart to the White-Breasted WW, extremely similar but more greyish below.

 

[michael-ibk]

503/C196.) Yellow-Winged Vireo (Vireo carmioli) / Gelbbindenvireo

 

San Gerardo, 27/7. Just to cement my newly granted full access membership of the ebc-club. The only Vireo we saw.

 

[michael-ibk]

504/C197.) Buff-Rumped Warbler (Myiothlypis fulvicauda) / Schmätzerwaldsänger

 

Arenal, 16/7. New World Warblers are a family one can get many more of in the dry season - most of them are only migrants or winter guests in Costa Rica so we did not see a lot of them. This one was very common in the Arenal area but scarce anywhere else.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

505/C198.) Mangrove Warbler (Setophaga petechia) / Mangrovenbaum-Waldsänger

 

Isla Dama, 4/8. Recently split off from the Yellow Warbler - and they do look quite different with their chestnut head.

 

[michael-ibk]

506/C199.) Grey-Crowned Yellowthroat (Geothlypis poliocephala) / Wiesengelbkehlchen

 

On the way to Lagu Hule, 15/7. This strictly Central American species was common in middle elevations.

 

[michael-ibk]

507/C200.) Flame-Throated Warbler (Oreothlypis gutturalis) / Feuerwaldsänger

 

San Gerardo, 28/7. Common in the highlands. Another CR/Panama endemic. This species feeds primarily on arboreal insects and arthropods.

 

[michael-ibk]

508/C201.) Slate-Throated Whitestart (Myioborus miniatus) / Larvenwaldsänger

 

Bosque del Tolomuco, 28/7. Formerly a Redstart. The only sighting of this species.

 

[michael-ibk]

509/C202.) Collared Whitestart (Myioborus torquatus) / Halsband-Waldsänger

 

San Gerardo, 26/7. Also downgraded from Red- to Whitestart, previously apparently the red start was considered to be the "start" of this bird now it seems to be the tail. Huh. Well, bird naming never made much sense to me. Very common in the highlands so I am a bit bummed I did not get a nicer perch.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

510/C203.) Black-Cheeked Warbler (Basileuterus melanogenys) / Schwarzwangen-Waldsänger

 

San Gerardo, 29/7. Despite its relatively tiny distribution in central and southern Costa Rica and western Panama, three subspecies of Black-cheeked Warbler are currently recognized. The only sighting.

 

[Galana]

6 minutes ago, michael-ibk said:

the red start was considered to be the "start" of this bird now it seems to be the tail.

 

Just in case the above is not a joke may I clarify?

I am sure that you know but "Start" is from the old English for tail. Hence Red Start = red tail which is common to all "Red Starts" in the old world. There is of course a Blackstart too with a black tail but not to be confused with Black Redstart.

No Redstarts in New world but that cute little fella at 509 is correctly named.

 

[michael-ibk]

On to the last big chunk - Tanagers! The bird book says "the resulting mix (of species) does not allow for a succinct summary of what makes a bird a Tanager", so they are quite a diverse family.

 

511/C204.) Grey-Headed Tanager (Eucometis penicillata) / Graukopftangare

 

Bosque del Cabo, 31/7. Only ever found in forests so not the easiest Tanager to get. A widespread species, from Mexiko to Paraguay.

 

Edited October 7, 2018 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

1 minute ago, Galana said:

 

Just in case the above is not a joke may I clarify?

I am sure that you know but "Start" is from the old English for tail. Hence Red Start = red tail which is common to all "Red Starts" in the old world. There is of course a Blackstart too with a black tail but not to be confused with Black Redstart.

No Redstarts in New world but that cute little fella at 509 is correctly named.

 

 

 I´m flattered about the level of knowledge you think I have of old English, but no, did not know. There you see how enlightening this Big Year is. And apparently the people in the Americas also did not know because for a very long time this bird was a Redstart despite not having one.

[michael-ibk]

512/C205.) Tawny-Crested Tanager (Tachyphonus delatrii) / Schwarzachseltangare

 

Manzanillo, 23/7. A small and restless Tanager which is found in the understory of dense wet forests.

 

[michael-ibk]

513/C206.) Passerini´s Tanager (Ramphocelus passerinii) / Passerinitangare

 

Bogarin Trail, 17/7. Abundant on the Carribean side, one of the five most common birds I´d say.

 

 

Male

 

 

Female

[michael-ibk]

514/C207.) Cherrie´s Tanager (Ramphocelus costaricensis) / Cherrietangare

 

Esquipulas, 3/8. The Pacific counterpart to the Passerini. The males look absolutely identical but the female is more orange on the breast. I read somewhere that the two species have been lumped back into their old status, the Scarlet-Rumped Tanager, but all online sources still treat them as two. Not as common as its counterpart, or at least we did not see it that often.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

515/C208.) Crimson-Collared Tanager (Ramphocelus sanguinolentus) / Flammentangare

 

Bogarin Trail, 17/7. This striking bird only occurs on the Carribean side. Two sightings - it made up for the lack of quantity with quality.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

516/C209.) Blue-Grey Tanager (Thraupis episcopus) / Bischofstangare

 

Bogarin Trail, 17/7. Another super-common Tanager. One of the most widespread and ubiquitous birds of the humid lowland neotropics. Well, we have Sparrows Costa Rica has these - not a toughie who has the upper hand here.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

517/C210.) Palm Tanager (Thraupis palmarum) / Palmentangare

 

Manzanillo, 22/7. A close relative to the Blue-Gray and also pretty common. Found everywhere in tropical Central and South America.