Note: After a computer failure while away from the US, I am now back in Colorado and resuming posts that will cover my remaining time in Costa Rica, as well as Colombia.
2 February 2018
For the past three months, Steve Dougill and I have primarily been stationed at Madre Selva where we band birds for Costa Rica Bird Observatories (CRBO). While I have posted three other blogs for our time banding in Costa Rica (Back to the Tropics: Banding in Costa Rica, The Land of Turtles, and Ringing in the New Year), I present you with a final post for the Costa Rica Highlands.
In this cloud forest landscape rich with regional endemics, Steve and I unfurl nets at first light and work well into the afternoon on a near daily basis. On the rare day off, we go birding and sometimes venture off on short excursions. One morning, we make it to the páramo, 25 kilometers up the highway. Here, we see our first Volcano Juncos and Timberline Wrens, both species only found in this unique sub-alpine habitat of Costa Rica and western Panama.


From our house and headquarters at Madre Selva, I often explore the surrounding forests. While the process of banding birds naturally allows for the up-close and detailed study of individual birds, observing them in their natural habitat is incredibly rewarding and valuable in itself.






Below are a few last images of banding at Madre Selva . . .





Nice, can’t wait to read more.
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I love how I can even see the feathers in your photos. These are stunning birds–and gorgeous pictures of them.
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