Hummingbirds in Flight
Sean is taking his photography to another unbelievable level here with hummingbirds in flight. This is a Green-breasted Mango (Anthracothorax prevostii), Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl), and Steely-vented Hummingbird (Amazilia saucerottei), all species common to the dry forests of Nicoya in Costa Rica. This photo represents the hectic behavior you get to witness daily there with multiple species vying for a place at their feeders. Photographed by RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser for the Meet Your Neighbours global biodiversity project in Costa Rica while on assignment for the Roger...
Read MoreTale of Two April Climates
The first half of April 2015 was a Tale of Two Climates: when compared to long-term averages, New England was cool to cold and dry, sometimes exceptionally so, while the Mid-Atlantic was warm and wet, sometimes ridiculously so. Fortunately since then it has balanced out to some degree (pun intended) and conditions have moderated in both regards. In my opinion we seem to be at a relatively average place in terms of “green out”, with buds and leaves near where they “should” be for our returning birds and emerging insects. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach...
Read MoreRincon de La Vieja National Park
To contrast some of the winter scenery I have posted recently, not to mention the very wet and rainy tropical rainforests our RTPI research crew and friends have been working in during their time in Costa Rica, here is some vastly different habitat in Rincon de La Vieja National Park as photographed by RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser. You can see noticeably dry forest set against a blue sky and almost feel the flow of these hot springs in front of a tree that looks to be taken directly from fantasy. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreFour Costa Rican Hummingbirds
Four species of resident Costa Rican hummingbirds: the Cinnamon Hummingbird (Amazilia rutila), Blue-throated Sapphire (Hylocharis eliciae), Steely-vented Hummingbird (Amazilia saucerottei) and Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl). These are species RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser catches often in his banding work. Sean says they species that commonly occur in degraded former forest or the dry secondary forest that occurs on the Nicoya Peninsula. They can add a glimmer of beautiful color to the dry and sometimes very uniform habitat. It’s bird week at Meet Your Neighbours –...
Read MoreLittle Brown Jumper
A most amazing encounter in a small, drab package… I am a fortunate man…I’ve traveled to all sorts of exotic locales and am lucky enough to have encountered some pretty spectacular wildlife in the process. Photographs of some of these wonderful frogs, birds, snakes and other treasures have graced these posts in the past. This time around I would like to share with you something tiny and drab instead, but something that made me profoundly happy to encounter! During a recent trip to Costa Rica I had a brief opportunity to detour from my already scheduled destinations in hopes of...
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