Kalamazoo Ken
Well-known member
Hi there, folks!
I just got back home from two weeks in Nicaragua. I was up in the north of the country, in and around the town of Esteli for most of the time. The purpose of the trip was not birding, or even vacationing at all, so I didn't get to spend a lot of time out looking for birds. Still, I enjoyed what I saw. Here are some of my personal "highlights" from the trip:
Social Flycatcher; Hoffmann's Woodpecker; Grey-breasted Martin; Blue-grey Tanager; Rufous-naped Wren; White-throated Magpie Jay; Clay-colored Robin; White-eared Hummingbird; Tropical Parula; Grey-headed Tanager; Black-headed Saltator; Yellow-throated Brushfinch; Masked Yellowthroat; Stripe-headed Sparrow; Rusty Sparrow; Streak-backed Oriole; Masked Tityra; Black-vented Oriole; Squirrel Cuckoo
None of these are rarities, but all were lifers for me. The Masked Tityra was perhaps the most striking of all. But the most magical moment of the trip was wlking down the road from a volcano crater near Managua, and coming upon a small grove of trees where there was a flock of at least a hundren Green Parakeets. They chattered in the treetops, flew overhead and around me in wave after wave of brilliant green. What a delight!
I saw a number of birds I couldn't identify (of course), including a hummingbird with an orange gorget which I can't find in any of my field guides. If anyone out there has some expertise they'd like to share with me, I'd be happy to give a more detailed description.
I just got back home from two weeks in Nicaragua. I was up in the north of the country, in and around the town of Esteli for most of the time. The purpose of the trip was not birding, or even vacationing at all, so I didn't get to spend a lot of time out looking for birds. Still, I enjoyed what I saw. Here are some of my personal "highlights" from the trip:
Social Flycatcher; Hoffmann's Woodpecker; Grey-breasted Martin; Blue-grey Tanager; Rufous-naped Wren; White-throated Magpie Jay; Clay-colored Robin; White-eared Hummingbird; Tropical Parula; Grey-headed Tanager; Black-headed Saltator; Yellow-throated Brushfinch; Masked Yellowthroat; Stripe-headed Sparrow; Rusty Sparrow; Streak-backed Oriole; Masked Tityra; Black-vented Oriole; Squirrel Cuckoo
None of these are rarities, but all were lifers for me. The Masked Tityra was perhaps the most striking of all. But the most magical moment of the trip was wlking down the road from a volcano crater near Managua, and coming upon a small grove of trees where there was a flock of at least a hundren Green Parakeets. They chattered in the treetops, flew overhead and around me in wave after wave of brilliant green. What a delight!
I saw a number of birds I couldn't identify (of course), including a hummingbird with an orange gorget which I can't find in any of my field guides. If anyone out there has some expertise they'd like to share with me, I'd be happy to give a more detailed description.