Almost Paradise: Tortuguero

By Lukas Musher

American Pygmy Kingfisher, Tortuga Lodge, Tortuguero, Costa Rica

This morning while checking nets at one of our sights in primary forest in Tortuguero, it hit me, this is pretty much as close to paradise as you can get.  It began to rain lightly, and the duetting roars of both thunder and howler monkeys echoed around me.  The nets were mostly empty except for an American Pygmy Kingfisher and a White-breasted Wood-Wren.  While extracting the kingfisher, I tried not to flinch as the tiny pricks of mosquitoes drawing blood plagued my hands and face.  As they gorged and I fiddled with the bird trying to figure out the secret to its removal, my mind went blank as I finally couldn't take the agitation any longer, letting go of the bird with one hand to slap the mosquitoes from my cheeks and neck.  My hand returned to the bird, now with bright red stains and minuscule black lines that once were legs.

Wedge-billed Woodcreeper, Tortuga Lodge, Tortuguero, Costa Rica

No, it wasn't perfect, or comfortable, or luxurious by any means, but there is something about this crazy place that has held a particularly special place in my heart (and in my brain; I find the tropics fascinating) since I first visited the tropical rainforest as a young teenager.  Droplets of sweat, like condensation on a cold bottle of water, littered my forehead and upper lip.  I breathed slowly, trying to block out the dizziness and slight headache from dehydration.  I know it sounds horrible, but it truly is an amazing place.

Purple-throated Fruitcrows began calling above me.  The female flew over and paused to stare with nesting material in her mouth – a life bird.  Somewhere not too far away a Laughing Falcon began calling, guaco guaco guaco, over and over.  Tiny poison dart frogs, bright red with blue hind legs (called bluejeans frogs) jolted spasmodically over the leaf-covered forest floor.  Finally the bird was out.  I put it in one of our cloth bags and tied the draw string, then returned to the banding station.

Female Purple-crowned Woodnymph, Tortuguero National Park, Tortuguero, Costa Rica (iPhone photo)

Since I got to Tortuguero 5 days ago I've seen and done a lot.  Although it rains a lot, and I haven't been able to get too many photos, we've caught all kinds of interesting species, and seen some cool birds.  Gartered and Slaty-tailed Trogons, Keel-billed and Black-mandabled Toucans, Mealy and Red-lored Parrots, Black-cowled Oriole, and lots of other species have been seen regularly.  On the boat ride here we saw an adult and juvenal King Vulture.

Grayish Saltator with an interesting molt limit in the remiges (flight feathers of the wing).  Notice primaries 1-3 and secondaries 1-3 are retained.  This bird is a member of the family, Cardinalidae, related to grosbeaks and cardinals.  Not sure why it would show eccentric molt like this.  The other wing showed molt in primaries 1-3 and secondaries 2-4.  The tropics are crazy.

Banding has been slow, and we've had some trouble opening nets due to rain, but the birds we catch are quite special and interesting.  Hummingbird captures have included Blue-throated Goldentail, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Bronzy, Stripe-throated, and Long-billed Hermits.  White-capped Manakins are our most common species and well-studied by CRBO biologists.  Other cool captures here have included Wedge-billed Woodcreeper, Great Kiskadee, Common Tody-Flycatcher, Grayish Saltator, among others.

Juvenal Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Caribbean Conservation Corporation, Tortuguero, Costa Rica

Pale-vented Pigeon, Caribbean Conservation Corporation, Tortuguero, Costa Rica

Costa Rica: The Talamanca Highlands

By Lukas Musher

Barred Becard, Madre Selva, Talamanca Highlands, Costa Rica

I just got back (though still in Costa Rica) from two-and-a-half weeks in the Talamanca Highlands banding resident landbirds.  We didn't have internet most of the time so I never had a chance to post about all the great stuff I was seeing and catching.

To start, I was living on a finca consisting of hundreds of acres of primary and secondary cloud forest, a dairy farm, and three small lakes.  Needless to say I kept myself busy birding and banding, (and sleeping, waking up early is rough, ok...).

One of the interesting things about the Central Cordillera of Central America is the large number of northern or temperate taxa that inhabit the highlands.  Many of these species evolved from species that were able to disperse south during cold periods in earth's history. Examples of temperate taxa that call the Costa Rican highlands their home include Contopus (pewees; Ochraceous Pewee), Selasphorus (genus of hummingbirds; e.g. Volcano Hummingbird), Empidonax (genus of Tyrant Flycatchers; e.g. Black-capped Flycatcher), and Catharus (genus of Thrushes; e.g. Black-billed Nightingale Thrush).  Furthermore, the fact that the Costa Rican highlands, along with those of western Panama are well separated from other highlands in Latin America, allowed for speciation to occur in many taxa, meaning many endemic species to Costa Rica and western Panama.

Here is a complete list of birds seen and/or banded during my 18-day stint at CRBO Madre Selva, 2500 meters (>1.5mi) high in the Central Cordillera of Costa Rica:

Least Grebe
Black Guan (endemic to CR and western Panama)
Spotted Wood-Quail
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Swallow-tailed Kite
Short-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Ornate Hawk-Eagle (Quite rare in the highlands and a super lucky find by Sara, my banding partner.  It flew into a tree at our banding site and stuck around for less than a minute before taking off again.)
Barred Forest Falcon (In the hand, sweet)

Barred Forest-Falcon

Band-tailed Pigeon
Ruddy Pigeon (In the Primary Forest at Tapanti National Park)
Bare-shanked Screech-Owl (Endemic to CR and western Panama)
White-collared Swift
Fiery-throated Hummingbird (endemic to CR and W Panama)
Magnificent Hummingbird

Magnificent Hummingbird

Green-fronted Lancebill

Green-fronted Lancebill

White-throated Mountain-Gem (Endemic to CR and W Panama)

Volcano Hummingbird (Endemic to CR and W Panama)

Collared Trogon

Collared Trogon

Resplendent Quetzal

Acorn Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Red-faced Spinetail

Ruddy Treerunner (Endemic to CR and W Panama)

Buffy Tuftedcheek

Spot-crowned Woodcreeper

Spot-crowned Woodcreeper

Silvery-fronted Tapaculo (endemic to CR and W panama; heard only in Tapanti)

Paltry Tyrannulet (a common bird in CR but super rare in Madre Selva)

Paltry Tyrannulet

Mountain Elaenia

Olive-striped Flycatcher

Torrent Tyrannulet

Yellowish Flycatcher

Black-capped Flycatcher (Endemic to CR and W Panama)

Black-capped Flycatcher

Black Phoebe

Great Kiskadee

Tropical Kingbird

Barred Becard 

Brown-capped Vireo

Yellow-winged Vireo (endemic from CR to W Panama)

Blue-and-white Swallow

Ochraceous Wren (endemic to CR and W Panama)

House Wren

Gray-breasted Wood-Wren

Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush (endemic to CR and W Panama)

Black-billed Nightingale Thrush

Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush

Black-faced Solitaire (endemic to CR and W Panama)

Black-faced Solitaire

Clay-colored Thrush

Mountain Thrush

Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher (endemic to CR and W Panama)

Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher

Black-and-yellow Silky-Flycatcher (endemic to CR and W Panama)

Black-and-yellow Silky-Flycatcher

Flame-throated Warbler (endemic to CR and W Panama)

Collared Redstart (endemic to CR and W Panama)

Collared Redstart

Black-cheeked Warbler (endemic to CR and W Panama)

Common Bush-Tanager

Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager (endemic to CR and W Panama)

Juvenal and Adult Sooty-capped Bush-Tanagers

Flame-colored Tanager

Spangle-cheeked Tanager (endemic to CR and W Panama)

Spangle-cheeked Tanager

Slaty Finch

Large-footed Finch (endemic to CR and W Panama)

White-naped Brush-Finch

White-naped Brush-Finch

Yellow-thighed Finch (endemic to CR and W Panama)

Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch

Rufous-collared Sparrow

Juvenal Rufous-collared Sparrow

Black-thighed Grosbeak (endemic to CR and W Panama)

Black-thighed Grosbeak

Bronzed Cowbird

Golden-browed Chlorophonia (heard only...damn)

This is just a species of Lizard that was everywhere.  No idea what it is though.

Photo Study: Birds of Northern Minnesota

By Cory DeStein


In late February I joined a birding tour group lead by Ethan Kistler and Frank Nicoletti through the bogs of northern Minnesota. The main destination of the trip was Sax-Zim Bog, a well known wintering location for Great Gray and Northern Hawk Owl as well as over 240 breeding and migrant birds in the spring! The trip was highlighted by 5 species of owl; Great Gray, Northern Hawk, Snowy, Northern Saw-whet, and BOREAL Owl!!!

Freaking Boreal Owl!!!!!!

While owls were certaintly a highlight of the trip, the boreal species of the northern woods were unbeatable. The feeding stations at the Bog were filled with Pine Grosbeaks, Gray Jays, Common and Hoary Redpolls, as well as Evening Grosbeaks. A Short-tailed Weasel even made his home at one of these stations!

Female Pine Grosbeak

Short-tailed Weasel

Heading up to the Superior National Forest we got very lucky with 9 Spruce Grouse in the middle of the road, many of them displaying. The birds were exceptionally tame, allowing everyone in the group to get fantastic looks, and some great pictures as well. Grays Jays and Pine Grosbeaks were through out the forest, and we were also treated to a pair of Red Crossbills feeding along the road.

Male Spruce Grouse

Male Red Crossbill

Back at the feeding stations in the bog, peanut butter did the trick to attract a Boreal Chickadee at eye level for the whole group. Hoary Redpolls were numerous throughout, and offered great practice for the group in identification. Frank had a recent sighting of a Northern Hawk Owl nearby and lead the group for great closeups of the gorgeous owl. On the way out Frank was able to spot a Northern Goshawk perched in the distance.

Boreal Chickadees

Female Hoary Redpoll

Northern Hawk Owl

In all it was a great trip for me, resulting in 5 lifers. Visitors to Northern Minnesota can hope for all the birds mentioned above as well as other birds in the area; Sharp-tailed Grouse, Black-backed Woodpecker, Northern Shrike, Rough-legged Hawk, and Bohemian Waxwings. I highly suggest a winter (or spring!) trip in your future!

Bohemian Waxwings

Black-backed Woodpecker 

Gray Jay

Great Gray Owl 

Pine and Evening Grosbeaks, Common Redpolls, and American Goldfinch.

Male Pine Grosbeaks

Common Redpoll

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Snowy Owl

Male Spruce Grouse

Northern Saw-whet Owl

Bird of the Week: Blue-winged Warbler

Earlier this week I spent some time in Sterling Forest State Park in Orange county, NY to try to photograph some Golden-winged Warblers.  Although I was able to get brief glimpses of one and heard another, the photo opportunities were completely lacking.  But among the 16 species of Warblers I detected in the park (also including Worm-eating, Cerulean, Hooded, Prairie, American Redstart, and Louisiana Waterthrush) my only really good photos came from a very cooperative Blue-winged Warbler along the power line cut at the end of Ironwood Drive.  I also found a color-banded individual.  I hope you enjoy the photos.

This one has color bands.