An obvious advantage of birding with a group is that more eyes spot more birds (with diminishing returns certainly). The advantage of birding by yourself is the birds have a harder time spotting you. When I'm birding by myself I tend to move fairly slowly (which used to drive Ginger nuts when she would walk trails with me), but it paid off at lunchtime in Savegre when I found a feeding flock, worked my way in front of it, and let the birds come to me.
As per usual, Sooty-capped Bush-tanagers dominated the flock
Their cousin the (at least in the highlands somewhat less-) Common Bush-tanager joined them
As did two of the showier highland birds, Silver-throated and Spangle-cheeked Tanager
No mixed flock at this elevation would lack a Collared Redstart
A Flame-throated Warbler tried to slip by at a higher level ...
and a Mountain Elaenia somewhat lower, though I'm not totally sure it was part of the group.
This Ruddy-capped Nightengale-thrush was on the way back to the cabins, appearing at my feet
2 comments:
Interesting. The only place I saw Silver-throated Tanager was in the lowlands of La Selva (not my idea of high-elevation!). I've been enjoying these posts; makes me want to return quite badly.
I agree, I think of it as more of a mid-elevation bird. Last year we only saw one (pretending it was a cardinal and attacking its reflection at the Savegre café). This year they were much more common there.
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