I know everyone back in Tennessee is enjoying the height of spring migration. Surprisingly, migration is not quite over here in Costa Rica. Three of the latest species to leave here can occasionally still be found. This past week, I watched about a dozen Swainson Thrushes sharing the berries of a lengua raspa tree (Hasseltia floribunda) with White-throated Robins and an Orange-billed Nightingale thrush. This tree fruits year-round and is known to be popular with at least 20 species of birds. Even today (May 2) I was still hearing the occasional Swainson?s singing. The week before I had great looks at male Blackburnian Warblers in full breeding plumage two days in a row. They feed in the upper canopy, but fortunately I was standing on a hill at the same level as the nearby canopy top for some great looks at a spectacular bird (and KTOS? symbol bird!). Also a week ago I was still seeing the occasional Wilson?s Warbler here. Interestingly, these three species are among the latest to leave Costa Rica and among the latest migrants to arrive in Tennessee. So, I am sending these late stragglers on to you and hope that you will be seeing them soon. (I suppose a few members of these species are arriving about right now!) For those interested in native Costa Rican birds: Many species are nesting. In our yard, we have had successful fledging of Social Flycatchers, Rufous-collared Sparrows, and Slate-throated Redstarts. We have had nest failures of Yellow-throated Euphonias and Blue-gray Tanagers. (We suspect a long-tailed weasel and hostile Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers as being the culprits.) We also lots of apparent mating pairs and singing males, not the least of which are Three-wattled Bellbirds, Chestnut-headed Oropendolas, Keel-billed Toucans, Buff-throated Saltators, White-throated Robins, Orange-bellied Trogons, and Rufous-browed Peppershrikes. The common hummers about are Violet Sabrewings, Green Hermits, Green Violetears, Steely-vented HBs, and Fork-tailed Emeralds. Your Costa Rica Correspondent, Dev Joslin Monteverde, CR =================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER===================== The TN-Bird Net requires you to sign your messages with first and last name, city (town) and state abbreviation. ----------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------- To post to this mailing list, simply send email to: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx ----------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send email to: tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s) endorse the views or opinions expressed by the members of this discussion group. Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society web site at http://www.tnbirds.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ========================================================