Black-faced Solitaire (Myadestes melanops)
27 January 2009, Savegre Mountain Hotel, San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica
This species is endemic to the mountains of Costa Rica and western Panama.
Solitaires are members of the thrush family and are famous for their
beautiful songs. This species lurks in the deep understory of wet mountain
forests, where it is more often heard than seen.
I came very close to getting a decent photo of this magical species when I
was distracted by a hurtling toucanette. After that the Solitaire
disappeared and I never got the photo I wanted. I had to settle for this
record shot marred by branches and blown whites.
Panasonic DMC-LZ5 / Nikon FieldScope 3 / 30X WA hand-held (no adapter)