Costa Rica Part2

Day 3, Saturday 16th

We were at the dining area to watch the feeders at dawn for an hour before breakfast. It wasn’t particularly pleasant in the constant drizzle but there was a lot of activity. Montezuma Oropendola was the commonest bird but the star was Great Curassow, another bird that I didn’t see on my previous visit but which is now regularly seen at a few places like this. Other large ‘chickens’ coming in for the free fruit were Dusky Guan and Grey-headed Chachalaca while a large pod of Coatis waited underneath for dropped scraps.

Montezuma Oropendola

Great Curassow

Crested Guan

Grey-headed Chachalaca

White-nosed Coati

Tanagers were constantly coming and going while we added two new warblers for the trip: Kentucky and Tennessee. Large-billed birds such as Yellow-throated Toucan and Collared Aracari made short work of the fruit. Soon it was time for us to eat and we gratefully headed indoors for breakfast.

Yellow-throated Toucan

Kevin decided it was too wet to walk the trails so we drove downhill a bit and birded the area. It rained on and off all day but we did have a few dry spells. There were plenty of birds, including raptors sitting around waiting for the rain to stop. First up was an Ornate Hawk-Eagle which proved to be our only one of the trip, along with a young Great Black-Hawk and several Broad-winged Hawks that were trying to dry off before continuing their northward migration.

Broad-winged Hawk

Great Black-Hawk

Ornate Hawk-Eagle

The first of three Motmot species was seen: Keel-billed, followed later in the day by Broad-billed and Rufous. A Golden-winged Warbler put in a brief appearance, showing that they don’t always turn up in a Tesco’s car park. Chestnut-sided Warbler and Swainson’s Thrush were also seen.

Broad-billed Motmot

Keel-billed Motmot

We returned for lunch, during which it actually stopped raining so we could take better photos at the feeding station. 

Bay-headed Tanager

Black-striped Sparrow

Brown Jay

Collared Aracari

Emerald Tanager

The volcano occasionally appeared out of the clouds

However, it soon started again so we headed back down hill for our afternoon’s birding. Two Sulphur Flycatchers were seen in quick succession along with Red-throated Ant-Tanager, Summer Tanager and various brief views of birds that didn’t wish to cooperate such as Bay Wren, Black-throated Wren and Great Antshrike.

Black-cowled Oriole

Golden-olive Woodpecker

We returned to our rooms early so I sat outside on the covered balcony with a coffee seeing what was around in the garden before dinner. 

Balcony view

Angel Strumpet (as I liked to call it)

After dinner we went looking for Black-and-White Owl but there was no sign of it.

Day 4, Sunday 17th

Another wet start as we met up at 6am. As it was our last opportunity we walked around the trails before and after breakfast but it was slow going. A few new birds were seen like Plain Xenops, Cinnamon Becard and Dull-mantled Antbird which is a lot smarter than it sounds.

We packed up and drove down the hill where the Black-Hawk was still hanging out. 

Squirrel Cuckoo

Great Black-Hawk

Black-headed Tody-Flycatcher

Long-tailed Tyrant

After a couple of stops we then headed on to the hot and humid Caribbean coast, making a stop for coffee and pastries along the way. 

Barred Antshrike (female)

Black-headed Trogon

Olivaceous Piculet

Ruddy Ground-dove

Yellow Tyrannulet

Laughing Falcon

It was a long drive to the marshes where we boarded a boat for a leisurely two and half hour trip. It was really productive as the marshes were full of herons and other birds. The highlights were prolonged views of two Pinnated Bitterns and Yellow-breasted Crake, Grey-crowned and Olive-crowned Yellowthroats and two Nicaraguan birds: Grackle and Seedfinch.

Bare-throated Tiger-heron

Great Egret

Green Heron

Spotted Sandpiper

White Ibis

Amazon Kingfisher

Black-necked Stilt

Northern Jacana

Southern Lapwing

Yellow-breasted Crake

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck

Muscovy Duck & juvenile Jacana

Nicaraguan Grackle

Purple Gallinule

Anhinga

Boat-billed Heron

Great Blue Heron

Pinnated Bittern

Spectacled Caiman

It was a fabulous boat trip and many memory cards were filled up. We tried for owls again after dinner but they were keeping quiet as there was a lot of traffic with people driving home after a local festival.