Birds at the Shore of the Pacific Ocean

[Ely Teehankee]

These are the last of the pictures that I will be posting of the birds at the edge of the Pacific Ocean as the Tarcoles River empties into it. Next week will be at a new place and another part of Costa Rica. It was a fantastic morning for Ariel and me photographing all these beautiful birds. Most of them I am seeing for the first time in my life. Never thought or imagined I would be enjoying seeing and photographing birds until I started to do so.




Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, Canon EF 300mm
f/2.8L IS USM with Canon Extender 2X II.
Gitzo GT3530LS tripod, Wimberley WH200 head. Manual exposure in available light.



Nicaraguan Grackle (Quiscalus nicaraguesis) Female 10 inches (25 cm) Having a common border with Nicaragua the birds move back & forth from one country to the other. This might be one of the few instance that the female is more colorful than the male.
1/1600 sec., f/5.6, ISO 400




Nicaraguan Grackle Male
1/1600 sec., f/5.6, ISO 400



This male Nicaraguan Grackle takes a bath in the sea creating a fine spray of sea water.
1/1600 sec., f/5.6, ISO 400




Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) 40 inches (102 cm) Here he poses with one leg raised and a big open mouth




Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) 32 inches (81 cm) The only bird in Costa Rica that is pink, the favorite color of Paris Hilton.
1/5000 sec., f/5.6, ISO 400
1/2500 sec., f/5.6, ISO 400




Two different birds with two different kind of bills but have a common habbit of preening their feathers.
1/3200 sec., f/5.6, ISO 400




The good looking Roseate Spoonbill surrounded and admired by 4 Wood Storks.
1/3200 sec., f/5.6, ISO 400




Green Kingfisher (Chloroceryle americana) Male 7 inches (18 cm) The most common Kingfisher in Costa Rica.
1/2000 sec., f/5.6, ISO 400




Green Kingfisher looking for an opportunity to dive for a fish.
1/2000 sec., f/5.6, ISO 400

[Edwin Matias]

Sir Ely,

Great Captures, love those spoonbill and stork

Regards,
Edwin

[Ely Teehankee]

Nov 22, 2012 0:52:56 GMT Edwin Matias said:

Sir Ely,

Great Captures, love those spoonbill and stork

Regards,
Edwin

That was a lucky place for Ariel and me. According to the American who was living there it is the first time that he had seen the Roseate Spoonbill being there and he has been there for 6 months.