Long-nosed bat

(98 views)
by Terry Costales

On a tour of the Canal of Palms, this was the first animal spotted by our guide. There were three of these tiny bats on the underside of a dead branch. How the guide even saw them was a mystery because they were perfectly camouflaged. The guide identified them as long-nosed bats.

White-bellied Bustard (Eupodotis senegalensis)

(95 views)
by Terry Costales

I was quite taken with this two foot tall, chicken-turkey-like bird. It's a ground dwelling native of eastern Africa.

Semiplumbeous Hawk (Leucopternis semiplumbeus)

(93 views)
by Terry Costales

On my way breakfast I happened upon a hawk hunting near our room at the lodge. He had taken some small prey, yet he looked at me with little concern. A few seconds later he flew off. The word plumbeous means leaden, dull. The hawk is half grey thereby clearly earning its name.

Black Crowned Night Heron

(92 views)
by Terry Costales

It's breeding season again for the Night Herons and Snowy Egrets. Here is a Heron settling a property dispute with his Egret neighbor.

Black-Crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)

(92 views)
by Terry Costales

A large fledgling appears mesmerized by the camera.

Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)

(92 views)
by Terry Costales

There were many male and female Goldeneyes out on the lake that day. This is a very handsome male. Goldeneyes are closely related to Buffleheads and are also found in Scotland and Great Britain.

Lesser Scaup

(92 views)
by Terry Costales

The male lesser scaup is almost identical to the male greater scaup. The head of the lesser gleams purple whereas the greater gleams green. Supposedly the lesser is also smaller than the greater, but I haven't found that to be so.

American White Pelican

(92 views)
by Terry Costales

There was this one lone white pelican at the nature center that day. It was probably an injured bird being nursed back to health, or it just knew a good hand-out when it saw one.

Cormorant

(92 views)
by Terry Costales

This bird is resting on an urn placed next to a reflecting pool inside the Stuttgart Zoo. It isn't caged and flew in on its own. I witnessed many herons, storks and cormorants fly into various enclosures to take advantage of the plentiful food supply.

Flamingos

(92 views)
by Terry Costales

Maybe I should have posted this on Valentines Day. It's either affection or defense of territory.

Northern "Bullock's" Oriole (Icterus bullockii)

(92 views)
by Terry Costales

I observed this female oriole as it fed and then flew into its nearby nest. It would remain in its nest a few minutes, then fly out again. The nest would have been invisible if not for the white egret feathers the orioles had used in its construction.

Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea)

(91 views)
by Terry Costales

I have seen many black-crowned night herons but this was the first yellow-crowned I'd ever seen. They reside in Costa Rica year round.

Heermann's Gull

(91 views)
by Terry Costales

This juvenile Heermann's gull exhibits its main identifying marks clearly: black feet, red bill and dusky body. As an adult, its head will become pure white.

Middle Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos medius)

(90 views)
by Terry Costales

My first day in the woods I heard woodpeckers but only glimpsed them from a distance. My second day was more successful and I saw several. Not close-up but close enough for a photo.

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

(90 views)
by Denver Welte

Bald Eagles are very numerous in Dutch Harbor, where they live year round. They are used to people and you see them perched on dumpsters and piers, looking for an easy meal. Bald comes from the Old English "pie-bald", which means partially white.

Rufescent Tiger Heron (Tigrisoma lineatum)

(89 views)
by Terry Costales

I knew at the time this was a Tiger Heron, but a kind I hadn't seen before. Later I identified it as Rufescent Tiger Heron, where rufescent simply means red.

Roseate Spoonbill

(89 views)
by Terry Costales

I was focusing my attention on the spoonbill but good lord! Look at the length of the neck on that egret!

Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata)

(89 views)
by Terry Costales

Mandarin ducks are very striking in appearance. At least the male, he looks like he's wearing a costume.

Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga)

(89 views)
by Terry Costales

Anhingas look a lot like cormorants. They differ in that they have straight not hooked bills, longer tails and necks, and have silver-white markings on their wings. This was a female. A male would have had a black neck.

Keel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus)

(89 views)
by Terry Costales

This was the first Toucan I saw in Costa Rica. A keel-billed or Fruit Loops Toucan.

Mourning Dove

(89 views)
by Terry Costales

The shy Mourning Dove reveals some lovely colors.

Crow

(89 views)
by Terry Costales

This is not my typical bird photo. I usually prefer a close-up that reveals identifying marks of the species. But sometimes, you just get a cool shot.

Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja, sometimes Ajaia ajaja)

(89 views)
by Terry Costales

On our boat trip to Turtle Beach Lodge we saw many Roseate Spoonbills feeding near the banks. When they feed, they move their heads rapidly back and forth in the shallow water, making them look very industrious and a bit silly.

Boat-billed Heron (Cochlearius cochlearius)

(89 views)
by Terry Costales

You only need to glimpse the bill of this bird to know exactly why it is called boat-billed.

Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata)

(89 views)
by Terry Costales

Here is a shot of the male from yesterday's posting which shows the unusual feather formation over his back.