Mike Melton

@mikemelton

All photos are my own and not AI. I am a filmmaker and photographer based in Olympia, WA, and Bijagua, Costa Rica @casabentbill.bsky.social but I spend as much time as I can in hot, humid, tropical forests. Because that's where the birds are! he/him

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Mike Melton@mikemelton· 1h

Today's #birdoftheday is #nobranchwood and this Great Gray Owl is very opinionated about it. #owls #birds #nature

A large gray owl with intricate mottled plumage and striking yellow eyes perches upright on a wooden post against a softly blurred forest background.

Mike Melton@mikemelton· 3d

Here's some #DownyFeathers on this young Bare-throated Tiger Heron for #birdoftheday #birds #nature #costarica

A close-up of a young brown bird with large pale eyes and wispy white down feathers sticking out from its head and body.

Mike Melton@mikemelton· 4d

Fiery-throated Hummingbird at Paraiso Quetzal Lodge #CostaRica #birds #hummingbirds #nature

A close-up of a hummingbird perched on a branch, its iridescent green, blue, gold, and copper feathers shimmering against a soft green background.

Mike Melton@mikemelton· 6d

My #longlegs contribution for #birdoftheday is the glorious Secretarybird from #SouthAfrica. These birds walk through the grasses hunting for snakes which they pummel with their long, strong legs. #birds #nature

A tall gray bird with long black legs and a red-orange face stands on a grassy hillside beneath a vivid blue sky.

Mike Melton@mikemelton· 7d

A bit macabre for #redordead #birdoftheday. Or maybe it's #redanddead? This young Caracara was trying to figure out what to do with this rooster head that the adults had delivered for breakfast. #CostaRica #birds #nature

A large brown-and-cream raptor stands among grasses, holding a red rooster head in its bill.

Mike Melton@mikemelton· 8d

Keel-billed Toucans at @tapirvalleycr #CostaRica #birds #nature

A Keel-billed Toucan perches on a lichen-covered branch with its colourful green, yellow, orange, blue, and red bill facing right.

A keel-billed toucan perches on a branch with its large, colorful beak open against a soft green background.

Mike Melton@mikemelton· 8d

Of course.

A pink-and-white wading bird with a broad spoon-shaped bill stands in a marsh, with a vivid red long-billed bird behind it near the water.

Mike Melton@mikemelton· 8d

To muddy the issue even further, the Eastern Yellow Robin near Brisbane, Australia #birds #nature #robins #birdoftheday

A small bird with a gray head and bright yellow chest perches on a mossy branch in a green forest.

Mike Melton@mikemelton· 8d

What about robin-chats? Are those robins? Am I breaking all the rules of #robins for #birdoftheday? Cape Robin-Chat, South Africa #birds #nature

A small gray-and-rust bird with a bold white eyebrow perches on a rounded surface, holding an insect in its beak.

Mike Melton@mikemelton· 8d

Do Australasian Robins count for #birdoftheday #robins? Hooded Robin, NSW #australia

A small black-and-white bird perches on a diagonal branch against a softly blurred cream-colored background.

Mike Melton@mikemelton· 8d

@atlanticbirding.bsky.social has designated today's #birdoftheday as #firsts and I think that my spark bird is appropriate. My birding journey was started in 2007 with this photo of a Coppery-tailed Trogon at Madera Canyon, Arizona. I think my skills have improved some over the last 19 years.

A gray bird with a vivid red belly perches among thin vines and tangled branches in a shadowy forest.

Mike Melton@mikemelton· 10d

An Andean Cock-of-the-Rock looking skyward for #overtherainbow #birdoftheday #Colombia #birds #nature

Bright red bird with a large rounded crest against a soft green background.

Mike Melton@mikemelton· 10d

Least Bittern at Medio Queso #CostaRica I love these elusive little birds. #herons #birds #nature

A long-necked brown bird peering through dense green wetland vegetation.

Mike Melton@mikemelton· 11d

A completely invisible Pinnated Bittern at Medio Queso Wetlands #CostaRica for #overtherainbow #birdoftheday #birds #herons #bitterns

A long-necked brown bird standing upright among wetland grasses with its bill pointed toward the sky.

Mike Melton@mikemelton· 11d

For my #EgretsandHerons #birdoftheday, the Agami Heron at Agami Island #costarica #birds #herons #nature

An Agami Heron with deep blue and chestnut plumage perched on a branch amid lush green foliage.

Mike Melton@mikemelton· 12d

A little showy for my taste, but still an OK bird. Male Resplendent Quetzal #CostaRica #birds #nature

A vibrant green and blue quetzal with long flowing tail feathers perched on a moss-covered branch in the forest.

Mike Melton@mikemelton· 13d

So angry. Fiery-throated Hummingbird at Paraiso Quetzal Lodge #CostaRica #hummingbirds #birds #nature

Green hummingbird perched on a branch with its bill open

Mike Melton@mikemelton· 13d

I guess I have a few #multicoloured #birdoftheday species to share. I think this male Red-headed Barbet qualifies for entry. #birds #colombia

Colorful bird with a bright red head, orange chest, green wings, and yellow bill perched on a branch.

Mike Melton@mikemelton· 13d

I'm feeling literal today, so my #multicoloured #birdoftheday contribution is the Multicolored Tanager at La Minga Ecolodge #Colombia #tanagers #birds

Colorful bird with a yellow head, green wings, and turquoise-blue chest perched on a branch.

Mike Melton@mikemelton· 15d

A bonus #grey or #gray #birdoftheday, the Gray Hawk at @tapirvalley.bsky.social #CostaRica

A gray hawk perched on a mossy tree branch, looking toward the camera.

Mike Melton@mikemelton· 15d

The #birdoftheday is #grey (or #gray or #gris) and the Gray Wren has this one covered (except for its orange eye, which we shall forgive). #birds #nature #brazil #amazonas

A small gray bird perched on a branch among dense green leaves.

Mike Melton@mikemelton· 16d

And then I leave the house, the monkeys take over. At @casabentbill.bsky.social #costarica #monkeys

Mike Melton@mikemelton· 21d

I've been worried about Bananas for the last few weeks. He's been fighting a lot with another male tapir and has dozens of nasty cuts. Screwworm is a huge problem here now in Costa Rica, so I've been working with my friend Jorge to spray anti-larval medicine. How many people get to graffiti a tapir?

A tapir walking through some vegetation. It has dozens of cuts on its back with silver paint sprayed on. The paint is an anti-microbial spray for treating infection and screwworm.

Mike Melton@mikemelton· Jul 10

A little Agami Heron romance last evening at Agami Island. #herons #birds #nature #costarica

Mike Melton@mikemelton· Jun 24

Building a nest takes a lot of sticks and patience, making sure that each little twig is in the perfect spot. One of the adults (probably the male) goes and finds sticks and then the other carefully arranges them into a tight flat nest. Soon, we'll have eggs. Agami Heron #birds #costarica #herons

Mike Melton@mikemelton· Jun 21

I'm still trying to figure out how this Agami Heron is tucking its head in to go to sleep. It's a lot of work with all those ridiculous feathers! At Agami Island #costarica #birds #nature

Mike Melton@mikemelton· Jun 20

The Agami Herons are back at Agami Island. They are a little later than last year because of the drier weather, but nesting season is very busy right now with herons flying everywhere around us. #CostaRica #herons #birds

A colorful heron perched on a leafy branch against a blurred green forest background.

Mike Melton@mikemelton· Jun 19

I think the mama tapir is going to give birth soon. She's been spending a lot of time with me the last few days, and this afternoon she had some ficus cuttings (I didn't have bananas) and then she went and laid down on the edge of the garden. She moved into the forest after this...

A large mammal lying down in the forest.

Mike Melton@mikemelton· Jun 18

A lifer for me the other morning at @tapirvalley.bsky.social, this very wet Slaty-backed Forest-Falcon. It was scanning the forest for any hapless critter that was unaware of its presence. It zipped into the forest a few seconds later, but I didn't see if it found lunch. #birds #costarica #raptors

Mike Melton@mikemelton· Jun 17

The mama tapir came by tonight for a visit and a free banana. She's such a lovely neighbor! ❤️ At @casabentbill.bsky.social #CostaRica #tapiroftheday #tapirs #nature