It’s that time of year again; I have a number of different tropical research projects associated with the Roger Tory Peterson Institute coming up in the next few months, and I will be posting content to the blog. First up is my personal research project with my partner Tyler Christensen. Tyler and I will spend two months on the Nicoya Peninsula studying Neotropical migrant and resident bird species. We focus our efforts on studying the habitat and how migrants utilize it during their time here in the winter. With resident species we focus primarily on the understanding of their molt patterns.
Steely-vented Hummingbird (Amazilia saucerottei)
This is the second year I will be posting content and photos to the RTPI website from our two months down here in Costa Rica. Yesterday was our travel day, which entailed flying from the States to the capitol of Costa Rica, driving quickly from the airport to Puntarenas, taking a ferry across the Gulf of Nicoya, and finally ending up at our home base, which we call Finca Pura Vida.
Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) in Puntarenas port
Once here we never can contain our excitement, and got right to investigating and finding everything and anything that was moving. We brought a Mercury Vapor lamp down with us for the purpose of attracting insects, and set it up last night so it was shining against a white cotton bed sheet. Within minutes our heads were swiveling about trying to keep up with the incredible number of species flying in. After taking some photos and enjoying being back in the Neotropical weather we called it a night.
To be determined Geiometride-looking moth
Today we woke up to the sound of over a hundred hummingbirds gorging themselves on the feeders. We have a feeder array on the roof overhang of a gazebo at the Finca. We fill 15 feeders with over three gallons of sugar water each day to bring in hummingbirds for us to capture and band, all to collect data and measurements for our research on their molting strategies; We meandered around the property for most of the day enjoying the likes of a Hoffman’s Woodpecker excavating a new nest hole, a Collared Aracari investigating some ripe fruit, a myriad of leps and odes along the trails, and our local troops of White-faced Capuchins and Mantled Howler Monkeys making their way through the property.
Collared Araçari (Pteroglossus torquatus)
To be determined dragonfly species
King Swallowtail (Papilio thoas)
Weevil sp. (Cactophagus sp.)
Over the next few days we will continue to explore while trying to get numerous tasks done before our interns get here next week. Then the primary research objectives shall commence.
Sean Graesser
RTPI Affiliate
