[TN-Bird] Migrant Arrivals in Costa Rica

From: John Devereux Joslin <jdjoslin@xxxxxxxxx>
To: TN-Bird <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 18 Sep 2003 16:04:58 -0400
Those neotropical migrants--Where are they now?

    I thought folks might be interested in a very limited report on my
and Harriet's observations about recent arrivals of neotropical migrants
in Costa Rica, since we just spent Aug. 28-Sept 13 there.  Most of this
short report is from our time spent in mixed habitats (pasture/ mature
forest/ open forest) near Monteverde/Santa Elena in the northern
mountains of CR at about 5,000 feet elevation on the Pacific slope.  I
will just list the migrant species that breed in NA that we observed and
give the dates we first saw each species.
    Obviously, this is anything but definitive as to when they actually
arrived in southern Central America, but might give some sense of where
some species are on the move (or have arrived) and, if nothing else,
provide some entertainment:

August 28-31:  These 3 species had probably already been in the area
before we arrived:

Black-and-white Warblers-very numerous and common in this location at
this time and all winter
Lousiana Waterthrush--one down by our rushing stream
Western Wood-Pewee--numerous (some may have been EasternW-P, but Western
more common
        at this elevation)

Wilson's Warbler--first seen Sept. 7 (the most common neotropical
warbler here all fall and winter)
Black-throated Green Warbler--first seen on Sept 9 (these are numerous
all winter here)
Blackburnian Warbler--Sept. 11 (moderately common here in winter)
Eastern Kingbird--Sept. 11
Mississippi Kite--Sept. 12 (flying with Amer. Swallow-tailed Kites, who
were about to leave for
        South America)

Two days spent on the Pacific Coast of the Nicoya Peninsula (Playa
Tamarindo, Playa Langosta)
yielded many coastal species, some of which are both migrants and
year-round residents.  I only list the species that are strictly
migrants that breed only in the northern hemisphere (or almost surely
so):
September 5 and 6:
Short-billed Dowitchers
Whimbrel
Willet
Ruddy Turnstones--many
Surfbirds (lots picking through the rocky tide pools for mollusks--just
in from Alaska)
American Oystercatchers
Spotted Sandpipers--picking through rocky tide pools
Black-bellied Plovers--picking through rocky tide pools
Sanderlings--very common running back and forth in surf on sandy beaches

Western Sandpiper (one lone bird)

Dev Joslin
Oak Ridge, TN


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[TN-Bird] Migrant Arrivals in Costa Rica

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