Thursday 1 October 2015

Bats, Bees and C is for Catharus Thrushes

Our banding here in Tortuguero in the lowland Caribbean forest of Costa Rica is underway.



Five Veerys today, and no other thrushes. On a previous visit on these dates Veerys were the first Catharus thrush species too before the waves of Swainson's then Gray-cheeked.

The day got off to a poor start !!


First hiccup... lovely early start but the bats still flying....and two in the nets...ok....bitten but sorted.
Next...net ride 5 and disaster. Leaned the pole against the tree for a second and bees came pouring out. Not a bat nibble, but pain and and current agony from many bee stings to the head.

A couple of Prothonatory Warblers lifted the day ..


Variable Seed-eater and White-collared Manakin brought us back to Costa Rica



Both species are common here and have good moult pattens to aid teaching.


Hummingbirds too, this the wing of a Rufous-tailed.
This showing the well known Hummingbird wing moult, moulting descendantly and ascendantly around P9

A Migration Monitoring visit to the beach....


This very juvenile Common Black-Hawk, rather caught our attention, whilst counting swallows overhead.
Bea, an STC - Sea Turtle Conservancy Research Assistant photographed this Slaty-tailed Trogon whilst carrying out an area search for us too


Bea is from Chile, and more about all of our helpers as our visit progresses

Poles cut and ready for loading on our 0445am boat to our banding site at Cano Palma  in the morning..


A final look at the Tortugureo Canal from our boat dock at STC, confirmed 2 Glossy Ibis coming in to roost with the herons for the third night. The local species is the Green Ibis. Also our first American Black Tern for the site....

A magical end to the day.......
(That started with bats and bees)

Photos by Bea and Wendy

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