Last week (Feb. 2) I tried to see what birds would come around my terrace as the sun starts setting around 5 pm, with camera in hand of course! 🙂 There were several other birds, but I managed to capture only five, and of those only the Clay-colored Thrush (feature photo) was in good light, but regardless, here’s five common birds often around my house with the Oropendola staying near the tops of tall trees and not photographed as often. The Doves and Chachalacas are seen more in the mornings. Others are “special” or more rarely seen.
I believe this is a small or immature Tropical Kingbird in the shadows of my garden. I like the softness of the image even though not very sharp or in good light. 🙂 It could be a rare Western Kingbird, but I don’t think so with the faint white on the neck.
This is the last bird I will show from that nice morning walk up my hill with camera in hand! It is the fairly common Tropical Kingbird (eBird description link) and of course I have a lot more photos in my Tropical Kingbird Gallery from 18 different locations in Costa Rica! 🙂
Tropical Kingbird, Atenas, Alajuela Province, Costa Rica
But that was only the case for an hour or so Sunday morning for my early breakfast around 6 AM. By 7:30 or 8:00 the wind was blowing like normal this time of year, It is windy mid-December to Mid-March or later and I’m guessing later this year because the wind has been stronger. Since the “Windy Season” overlaps the “Dry Season” it creates a recipe for brush or grass fires, especially later in the season like right now. We had our annual grass fires in Roca Verde a week or so ago, so not as much dry grass left to burn. (I water my grass!) And as usual, we were fortunate to have no house on fire. Our local Atenas Bomberos (Firemen) are super good at stopping the fires quickly.
And my four morning birds are just ones that are very common in my yard, but it was nice to see them in my Cecropia tree at breakfast for a change! Maybe I should eat earlier every morning since it is less windy early. 🙂 They were . . .
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ~JESUS, Matthew 6:26
Tropical Kingbird is one of the more common birds in Costa Rica and I have seen him in my gardens several times before this photo. Yes, there are two other birds with similar coloring but clear distinctions can be seen between this and the Western Kingbird and Gray-capped Flycatcher. Click above name link for more information on the Tropical Kingbird.
Seeing and sometimes photographing birds like this in my garden is just one of the many joys I have in living here. Tranquilo is a favorite Spanish word used here to describe Atenas and translated to English that means “calm, quiet or peaceful.” Fellow residents like this Tropical Kingbird help make it so as do other birds in my Costa Rica Birds Gallery.
These are some of the most beautiful and interesting birds with some eating flies or ants and another one doing a “Michael Jackson Dance” to attract a female.
The other day I told about the coast to coast hiking trail El Camino de Costa Rica and mentioned that the one section I hiked was nearly all uphill and I then decided I would not try to hike the entire trail. To visually see what I’m talking about as a mountains trail, see this Map with Elevation Chart of Camino de Costa Rica.
Of course you could also say that half the trail is downhill or about the same amount of downhill and uphill as you travel from sea level to sea level over the mountains, one over 7,000 feet tall! 🙂
Orange-bellied Trogon female Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Resort & Nature Reserve Near San Ramon, Costa Rica
Silver-throated Tanager Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Resort & Nature Reserve Near San Ramon, Costa Rica
Tropical Kingbird Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Resort & Nature Reserve Near San Ramon, Costa Rica
Broad-winged Hawk Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Resort & Nature Reserve Near San Ramon, Costa Rica
Yellowish Flycatcher Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Resort & Nature Reserve Near San Ramon, Costa Rica
Green-crowned Brilliant Hummingbird Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Resort & Nature Reserve Near San Ramon, Costa Rica
Bay-breasted Warbler juvenile female Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Resort & Nature Reserve Near San Ramon, Costa Rica
Rufous-collared Sparrow Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Resort & Nature Reserve Near San Ramon, Costa Rica
And of course as on all bird walks, we saw many more than I photographed. Some are too small or too far away or I try and don’t get a usable photo. The last 2 photos were actually shot on my first afternoon here while exploring, but we did see both of them on the morning bird walk. The three new birds for me are the Silver-throated Tanager, Bay-breasted Warbler and Broad-winged Hawk. Plus the photo of the Orange-bellied Trogon female is my new best photo of that species. Every trip has its rewards even beyond new birds and this one is no exception! Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Resort & Nature Reserve
And of course the new ones will soon appear in my Costa Rica Birdsphoto gallery.
My Trip Gallery on this visit (being developed now)
