Pale-billed Woodpecker

On 15 July 2018 we visited Costa Rica’s La Selva Biological Station. I looked forward to visiting this research area run by The Organization of Tropical Studies. Despite its nearly 4000 acres of forest, I was slightly disappointed by this famous location. The entry fee was high and I was surprised that the station was adjacent to a major highway. I thought the center was more isolated. The station teamed with biology students and the forest paths were wide and very well-travelled. A station guide was mandatory, sort of like an official minder. We saw very few birds, although, of course, our main goal was finding dragonflies.

Our tour guides took us directly to a large, overgrown pond full of dragonflies, as you will see in the upcoming posts. As the morning progressed, new dragonfly species seemed to appear from either the pond or the surrounding forest. (The official minder was a pleasant fellow who knew little or nothing about dragonflies.) Along the way, we did find a Pale-billed Woodpecker. This large bird is common from northern Mexico to western Panama. It is less tolerant for deforested habitat than the similar Lineated Woodpecker and is now absent from parts of its former range (Schulenberg 2009).

Scaly-breasted Hummingbird

Although common in Costa Rica, Scaly-breasted Hummingbirds proved to be hard to photograph. On 15 July 2017 I captured this image at La Quinta Sarapiqui Lodge. The bird was perched in a treetop. The species is found in a wide variety of habitats, both in open and forested areas, across Central America and parts of Colombia. These birds drink the nectar of a number of plants and also flycatch after small arthropods. They are dominant and aggressive against other, smaller hummingbirds.

Olive-backed Euphonia

Euphonias are finches that were once thought to be tanagers. Several species inhabit the New World tropics. Olive-backed Euphonias range along the Caribbean slope of Central America, from southeastern Mexico to western Panama. Being consumers of fruits, they readily visited the Laguna del Lagarto Lodge bird feeders during our July 2017 visit.

Little Swamp Dasher

One of the attractions of Costa Rica's La Quinta Sarapiqui Lodge’s gardens were a couple of ponds. We found a few interesting dragonflies there, including this Little Swamp Dasher (Micrathyria pseudeximia) on 16 July 2017. Males often perch on pond-side vegetation. Females lay their eggs in ditches and ponds (Delasalle).

Red-throated Ant-Tanager

We spent three nights and two days (14  to 16 July) at La Quinta Sarapiqui Lodge in Costa Rica. This upscale hotel consists of a group of duplex cabins surrounded by ten acres of forest. The lodge maintains a large garden, with a stream and ponds. Best of all, the lodge has an active bird feeder. We made two major side-strips, one to La Selva Biological Station and one to Braulio Carrillo National Park. On the 17th we returned to San Jose and, early the following morning, we flew to Dallas.

Red-throated Ant-Tanagers were the first birds at the feeders. These tanagers inhabit forests and thickets from Mexico to northern Colombia. Ant-Tanagers travel in flocks of up eight birds. They eat insects and fruit. The females build the nests and incubate the eggs. Males and other flock members help feed the young (Chiver and Morton 2010).

Purple Gallinule

On our Costa Rican travels on 14 July 2017, we stopped for this Purple Gallinule. I am not sure I have ever seen a gallinule outside of a marsh. This grassy field, however, was near a wetlands. Gallinules are, however, adaptable creatures. They are known to wander far, with individuals straying to Switzerland and the Galapagos. Normally they are found in the Americas from southern Canada to Argentina. Many populations are migratory, others are year-round residents. Because of this vagrancy, Purple Gallinules do not vary consistently across their wide range—no races are described (West and Hess 2002). I did think our Costa Rican bird was slightly larger than those I am more familiar with from Florida, but perhaps that was because it wasn’t half-hidden by marsh vegetation.

White Hawk

On the afternoon of 14 July we drove to La Quinta Sarapiqui Lodge. Along the way, we stopped when our driver, Ramon, spied a White Hawk. (The name White Hawk is a good example of why we should always capitalize common names.) This raptor with common from southern Mexico south through Central and South America. White Hawks in Central America live up to their name, while South American populations can be mostly black.

White Hawks are forest birds that eat a wide variety of prey. They are especially fond of snakes. White Hawks seem to prefer coral snakes, despite those reptiles’ neurotoxins. Other prey items include arthropods, birds, mammals and amphibians (Magnier and Schulenberg 2013).

Argia sp.

On our last day at the Laguna del Lagarto Lodge, 14 July 2017, I photographed this dancer, perched on the railing of the lodge. No clue what it is. Perhaps it is an immature Green-eyed Dancer. Too bad I lacked a net or a degree in entomology.

Common Loon Bathing and Preening

On 19 April was sunny and warm. I returned to the Superior Drive Pond here in Northfield, Minnesota, to take waterfowl photos. Two loons loafed on the lake. I took a couple of hundred images of a bathing loon. These seven pictures, all of one bird, more or less represents what I saw. The loon began by “showering.”

For almost a minute the loon splashed water all over itself. Then it raised its body almost to the point of tipping over. Presumably it was drying itself after showering. Although loons bathe infrequently, this behavior is well-descriped in the literature (Evers et al. 2010).

The loon proceeded to preen its feathers. Loons can preen at any time of day. Preening lasts from one to 29 minutes (Evers et al. 2010). After floating almost on its side while it worked on its belly feathers, the bird rolled over and floated on its back, with one foot pointing upward. I did not notice this loon shaking its leg, a behavior described for other loons. All the while it continued preening its belly.

After finishing its belly preening, the loon worked its back and breast. Loons often preen, almost always while on floating on water. Loons spend their days alternating between preening and feeding.

Finally finished, it floated with its neck held high. Then it swam off, fishing, like one would expect a loon to do.

Black Vulture

Black Vultures are found in the eastern and extreme southeastern United States, south though much of South America. This Black Vulture sunned itself on the morning of 14 July 2017 at the Laguna del Lagarto Lodge, Costa Rica. Unlike Turkey Vultures, Black Vultures do not locate carrion by smell. They rely on their eyesight. Often they will follow Turkey Vultures to carcasses, where they are able to displace the Turkey Vultures. Clearly sunning dries and warms vultures. Sunning may also kill bacteria acquired while the vulture feeds on carrion.