Our featured file photo above comes from the Turrialba Volcano slope, but fairly low down, at Calle Vargas (1750 m). This week, however, John and Milena Beer found an Olive-striped Flycatcher (Mionectes olivaceus) at around 2100 m on the volcano road above the village of La Pastora. This flycatcher is not found north of Costa Rica.

Identification can be a problem if you don’t get a good, clear view of the bird, but there are two good field marks for this species, mentioned in the captions to John’s photos below:

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The sighting would seem to be normal for a species found between 800 and 2200 m, yet this is also the highest sighting we have had in our area in these many years. There is no recorded e-Bird sighting ever at that elevation on the Turrialba Volcano. The field guides indicate that this small flycatcher does range a little higher on the Pacific side of the country, but Turrialba is the gateway to the Caribbean.

The photos above are of the individual that John and Milena found on this occasion. Here now are some earlier photos, also from our area, but taken at lower locations:

Here’s one in full sunlight, taken at Tausito:

Here in Turrialba we are admirably located, right in the middle of Costa Rica, and between lowland and highland terrain. You never know what will turn up. This is early August. See my next post for an out-of-season Spotted Sandpiper