Day 9: The morning dawned as wet and windy as ever and as we travelled up to the reserve for breakfast. Upon leaving the hotel the Great-tailed Grackles could be heard as usual and several Brown Jay’s came out of their roost. We headed up to the reserve for breakfast and I have to admit that moral wasn't the highest it had been. We didn’t see an awful lot while we were out bar a few Slate-breasted Redstart and several Grey-breasted Wood-wrens. We then reached the hanging bridge where a few Crimson-Fronted Parakeets were about as usual and also a large mixed flock of birds was to be seen however the combination of the birds moving and the bridge also constantly shaking meant that I couldn’t keep my binoculars still enough to identify them. That was except for the Emerald Toucanet that was sat perched un-phased by the flock of birds surrounding it. Moving further along into the woodland we came across another mixed flock which included a Golden-browed Chlorophylia, a Collared Redstart, and a Ruddy Treerunner which was an incredible bird. Moving further on and several State-backed Nightgale-Thrush were seen flicking across the path. While a surprise was in the common Chlorospingus flock with 2 Blue-black Grosbeak. Above: Emerald Toucanet With the weather closing in on us we didn’t see anything else on our track back for lunch which was a little disappointing. After this we headed out to do some trail clearing before heading to the Hummingbird garden. This has got to have been one of the highlights of my trip seeing them so close and tame and watching the battles that take place. It’s also interesting to see the Hummingbird hierarchy as the Violet Sebrewing take charge and herd all the others off the feeder. Today the species included Bananaquit, Green-Crowned Brilliant, Magnificent Hummingbird, Stripe-tailed Hummingbird, Coppery-headed Emerald, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Brown Violetear, Green Violetear, Purple-throated Mountain-gem, and plenty of Violet Sebrewing. Above: Leaf Bug sp Below: The Hummingbird feeding station at Monteverde. The second video has some slow mo footage half way through. After this we had a mini bus collect us and take us to our next destination. What happened next I have to admit was a huge step for me, especially since I am scared of heights. Yep that’s right we spent the afternoon zip lining. It was incredible to be up above the canopy of the cloud forests if a little scary at times but I managed to add both Collared Trogon and Coppers Hawk to the trip/life list. A Capuchin was also seen as was a Coati, but I have to admit that it was just incredible sailing through the trees and getting a birds eye view of the place. Above: Just a little proof to show that I did it. As you can tell I thoroughly enjoyed it.... Honestly though it was an incredible experience and one that I will never forget. I also need to thank those around me that were really supportive and gave me the confidence that I needed to do it. Lets just say I will definitely never be doing again. After this we headed back to the hotel for dinner and a pub quiz which my team won (partially due to the bird questions) and so the sun set on another incredible day. With only one more day to go I honestly feel like this trip has been an incredible experience. Not just the wildlife but also the opportunity to meet new people and make new friends and I can say that I honestly feel sad to leave this place. Walking through the cloud forest has fulfilled a childhood dream of mine to go exploring through this sort of habitat. Seeing species such as Sloths, Snakes, Tarantulas and of course the birds makes this country extremely hard to leave, but for now let’s focus on the target species from tomorrows activity and see if that can get my list above the pre set target of 150-200 species. Fingers crossed....! Day 10: A slightly better morning for birding saw me head out into the garden of the hotel after breakfast. This brought about some more new species. Rufous-crowned Sparrows were feeding in the grass along with a mixed flock of white-eared Ground-sparrows and Great-tailed Grackles. We then headed down into the woodland and found a small flock of Philadelphia Vireos. We moved deeper into the woods and found a rather tame Agoti which is a rodent similar to a Capybara. It was awsome to watch it feeding at such close range. Then I noticed a Warbler flock crossing the path in front of us and to my surprise a brightly coloured Wilson’s Warbler was starring back at me. It was joined by a Rufous-capped Warbler and a Dusky-capped Flycatcher. Above: Philadelphia Vireo Below: Agoti We then headed down to the pond where the Green Heron was still present as usual. With the weather starting to close in on us we decided to ride out the storm in the relatively dry woodland. We soon stumbled across another warbler flock which contained my second Black-and-white Warbler of the trip as well as a Collared Redstart and more Rufous-capped Warblers. A Ruddy Treerunner was also present here as were a few Slate-backed Nightingale-Thrush. We then decided to call time and headed back to the room to finish off our packing. Just before we headed into our room I noticed a flock of sparrow like birds perched on the roof of the building opposite ours. I was surprised to see 4 Yellow-faced Grassquits staring back at me. They are incredible little things and I wish I had more time on offer to watch them. Another Dusky-capped Flycatcher was seen along with a Tropical Kingbird before it was time to head to the coach for our gradual decent towards the airport. Above: Dusky-capped Flycatcher Below: Great-tailed Grackle Above: Yellow-faced Grassquit The view on the way down was incredible and something that I wasn’t able to see on the way up. Vultures of both the common kinds were very numerous soaring above the valleys. The journey was long and windy and again a mix of steep acents, descents and some very rocky poor roads. It makes papillos job of driving the coach around something of an incredible skill, and I have full respect for the guy. Along the way down we passed some large braided river channels which had tonnes of life including a Fasciated Tiger-Heron and also a large flock of Vaux's Swifts. Huge flocks of mainly American Black Vultures were encountered as per usual including a flock that was sat in the middle of the road at one point. We briefly stopped at a service station for the toilets on the way and so I got out of the bus to stretch my legs as well. It was quite surprising to see a lone Howler Monkey sat in the tree at such a busy location. We then carried on and headed for the shopping centre. Above: Howler Monkey When we arrived at the shopping centre we all headed inside to buy our souvenirs. Once we were done we headed out into the car park where I was called over by a local guide who had spotted 2 Scarlet Macaws sitting in the tree. It was incredible to see. I have to admit they look somewhat prehistoric and are the size of a Herring gull if not bigger. The two of them were sat in the tree eating what I am told where wild Almonds until one dropped one on the car below setting off the car alarm. The car alarm also flushed a migrant race Yellow Warbler out of the tree. In the sky above a large swirling cloud of White-collared Swifts flew through in and amongst the Pelicans and Vultures. Above: Scarlet Macaws Below: The rump of a Yellow Warbler. If you listen in the video above you can hear the chip chip chip of the Yellow Warbler. Above: White-collared Swifts with a lone American Black Vulture We then headed back out onto the road in order to find a place to have lunch before our crocodile tour. We passed a bridge where the cars in front had slowed down and on the left hand side of the bus we could all see tonnes of Crocodiles lazing around waiting for their prey. Moving on we found a field full of Cattle which contained at least 17 Cattle Egret. We then arrived at the place and had lunch with Iguanas and an Inca Dove for company as well as a rather tubby dog. We then headed down to the boat where Mangrove Swallows were sat perched as they apparently nest in the roof of the tour boats. Above: Green Iguana We then headed out onto the river and within seconds we had seen tonnes of Crocodiles some absolute monsters and some tiny ones. Tonnes of birds were seen on all sides of the boat from Wood Storks to White Ibis. Cattle Egret, Snowy Egret and Great Egret were exceptionally common and showed well on the banks along with Little Blue, Tricoloured, Green, and Great Blue Herons. Some Yellow-crowned night-herons were also about and plenty of Common Sandpipers littered the shore. Another thing that unfortunately littered the shore was plastic and not just a small amount the river banks were literally clogged with it. It was a shame to see as so many of the landscapes we had visited were pristine. In fact it was actually shocking to see just how much plastic there was. Above: Juv Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Below: Tricoloured Heron Above: An absolute beast of an Alpha Male American Crocodile. Below: Great Blue Heron with an American White Ibis in the background. Above: American White Ibis, but can you spot the Willet? Below: Yellow-crowned Night-Herons Moving further along we added more species to the trip list including several flocks of Black-necked Stilt. A few Neotropic Cormorants were seen as well as 6 Double-striped Thick-knee. A Yellow-crested Caracara was perched in the tree on the left hand side of the boat while a Green Kingfisher was on the other. A wading bird which I believe to be a Lesser Yellowlegs was in with one of the stilt flocks, but I have to admit the Crocodiles stole the show here. It was incredible to watch as a group of at least 10 sat lazily on the bank of the river at times rather close for comfort. What a beast this species is. What an incredible creature. Above: Double-striped Thick-knee and a Cattle Egret Below: Little Blue Heron Above: Cattle Egret, Snowy Egret, Neotropic Cormorant and a Spotted Sandpiper Below: Neotropic Cormorant and Cattle Egret Above: Black-necked Stilts, Willet and a Common Sandpiper Below: American Crocodile Above: Tricoloured Heron Below: American Crocodile Above: Great Blue Heron Below: American Crocodile Above: Black-necked Stilts and a Lesser Yellowlegs Below: American Crocodile We then headed towards the mouth of the river to see the mangroves in some utterly attrocious conditions. When we arrived the rain had thankfully subsided. There were Willets and Hudsonian Whimbrels everywhere along with more Wood Storks and tonnes of Neotropic Cormorants. Brown Pelicans were also present in crazy numbers while Royal Terns hunted for fish in the estuary. Above: Little Blue Heron in the driving rain Below: Brown Pelican which despite having a wonky bill appeared to be in tip top condition. Above: Neotropic Cormorant Below: Green Iguana Above: Brown Pelican We then continued down a narrow channel where the driver turned the engine off in order for us to be able to take in our surroundings. A Common Black Hawk moved through the trees beside us as at least 5 Boat-billed Herons sat resting in the trees. In fact the Boat-billed Heron is one that I have always wanted to see and it was interesting to learn the at night they hold their beaks open in the water in order to catch the fish that are drawn in by the current. An incredible species and to be honest they are quite cute. Several Green Kingfisher were also around however I noticed an unusually small Kingfisher fly into the trees next to the boat and start fishing. I was surprised to find that it was in fact an American Pygmy Kingfisher which the guide seemed shocked to see and also shocked to see so close up the views were incredible of the worlds second smallest species of Kingfisher. What a privilege it was to have seen it. Above: Common Black Hawk Above: Not convinced that this is a Juv Bare-throated Tiger Heron anymore, it could be a Fasciated. Below: Boat-billed Heron Above: I didn't manage to get a photo of the American Pygmy Kingfisher. The only person who did was Gaz. So I would like to thank Gary Ritson for allowing me to use his photo. After it had flown off we turned the boat around and headed back while added Yellow-napped Parrots, another Common Black Hawk, and also 2 Ospreys fishing in the estuary. Several Bare-throated Tiger-Heron were also seen and I was surprised to find out that they are the number one predictor of the young Crocodiles. A Magnificent Frigatebird was also seen before it was time to head to the coach for one last trip with Andres and Papillo to the airport. Above: Osprey distantly fishing with Willet and Royal Tern in the foreground. Below: Great Blue Heron, Tricoloured Heron, willet and the Osprey flying through in the background. Above: Osprey hunting over the esturay Below: Hudsonian Whimbrel Above: Osprey Below: Juv Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Above: Common Black Hawk Below: Yellow-napped Parrots Above: Mangrove Swallows Just before we got on the coach one last species was added to the list which was a Crested Guan, which is effectively a massive cross between a Turkey and a Chicken and to be honest it was a little odd to see it perched on the roof of the gift shop. Above: Crested Guan And so now I am sitting on the coach heading towards the airport and reflecting on what has been an incredible trip with outstanding wildlife. In fact this place is amazing. It has everything a wildlife enthusiast could ask for. The experience I have gained out here has been incredible and something I wont forget for a long time. I have gained new friends, experienced a new culture, learnt several new words such as Pura Vida, and also attempted to conquer one of my biggest fears by ziplining through the canopy of the cloud forest. Conservation in this country is I have to admit miles better than the English system however unfortunately as with anything there are still flaws. This was highlighted greatly during the night tour with the use of ridiculously strong lights putting pressure on the animals that we saw. That’s not the only thing as the boat ride showed us just how much plastic waste we produce and how much of it ends up in our rivers and unfortunately as a consequence in the sea. Leatherback sea turtles are virtually extinct and this is partially to do with the shear amount of plastic bags ending up in the sea and the turtles mistaking them for Jelly fish. That’s not the only reason and something I didn’t mention is that at dawn during one of our night watches a turtle egg collector/ poacher was spotted walking along the beach with a bucket and a large stick. Thankfully that night we had already collected the eggs of the turtle that came up to lay and moved them into the hatchery in order to stop people like this poacher from stealing and eating the eggs. So although there are some bad things that occur in this country it was an incredible experience that wont be forgotten in a long time. The species highlights have to be the Resplendent Quetzal, Green Kingfisher, American Pygmy Kingfisher and also the pterodactyl like Scarlet Macaws. What an incredible place. At times it honestly felt like fulfilling my childhood dreams traveling through the cloud forests. It felt like being an explorer and not knowing what was about to appear round the corner. Whether it was the humbug Black-and-white Warbler or a Coati every experience has been amazing. And so now we are just about to reach the airport and head for home via Paris yet again bringing to a close my first Costa Rican Experience. Pura Vida...
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The day dawned incredibly wet and windy and even before I left my room I knew it was going to be a struggle to get the whole group out birdwatching. To be honest the weather up here is more unpredictable than a British summer. Thankfully by the time we had breakfast the rain had subsided and I enjoyed the best 2 hours of birding the trip had to offer. This included two mixed Warbler flocks which contained some American Vagrants that I have always wanted to see in the states. The first of which I found and when I picked it up my face light up. The humbug like Black-and-white Warbler was gleaming insects of a distant tree while a Wedge-billed Woodcreeper gleaned insects from the mossy trunk. There were several Woodcreepers in this area, however it was nice to finally put a face to a song when the Black-faced Solitaire showed itself. There are actually rather pretty with a dark black-face and almost navy blue back. Incredibly well camouflaged for a low light environment. Crimson-Fronted Parakeets were everywhere including a flock of several hundred circling the rope bridge. A Golden-browed Chlorophylia was also present in the flocks as were sliver-throated Tanager, Spangle-throated Tanager, an out of place Tropical Gnatcatcher, a Blackburnian Warbler, a Yellow-crowned Warbler, Three-striped Warbler (also now known as Costa Rican Warbler by the locals), however my favourite find was almost certainly the smart Collared Redstart. What an incredible bird that is with its yellow underside and dark back. The flocks also loosely contained several Slate-throated Redstart as well as Grey-breasted Wood-wren and Ochrasious Wren. However the most common species in all of this flock was Common Chlorospingus. Above: Slate-throated Redstart Below: Common Chlorospingus Above: Wedge-billed Woodcreeper Below: Collared Redstart Above: Spot the Common Chlorospingus. I have to admit I took me ages and I thought there was nothing in this photo. Just shows how well camouflaged they are. Below: Again spot the Common Chlorospingus. Above: Interestingly I forgot that I had taken a photo of these. These are Prong-billed Barbet. A nice addition to the list. We then headed up to the continental divide however with our heads in the cloud the view wasn't the most spectacular. Occasionally you would get glimpses of what was beyond. Several White-collared Swifts were present here and a few things flick silently in the bushes but with the shear amount of cloud cover finding them was difficult. We then headed back to the centre via army ants completely destroying a Millipede in the centre of the path. Then all of a sudden a Collared Forest-Falcon appeared from the left hand side of the path diving across and just narrowly missing a rather annoyed Grey-breasted Wood-wren. We couldn’t relocate it, however I am informed that the other group rather annoyingly did. Above: Glass Butterfly sp Below: These photos show quite well how the cloud forest has species making the most of the opportunities provided by other species. With Orchids growing up in the canopy. Above: Millipede being swarmed by Army Ants Below: Crimson Fronted Parakeets Above: Black Faced Solitaire After lunch we headed to check our mammal traps. Here we found several rodent tracks most likely from Agouti and also the probably the best one yet. Several Puma tracks. After this I headed out to the Hummingbird garden to see what was about, however a group of 25 to 30 Coati's was pretty cool. The Hummingbird feeders itself contained different species to the other day including a Magenta-throated Woodstar, other species included; Green-crowned Brilliant, Stripe-tailed Hummingbird, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Green Violetear, and plenty of Violet Sebrewing and also over 20 Bananquit. Above: Assorted Hummingbirds and Bananaquit Below: Coati's Above: Puma Tracks Below: Beetle sp, I seem to remember being told that they like to bite, but I can't remember the species... We then spent the rest of the afternoon picking orchids up off the tracks and bumping into the common species such as Three-striped Warblers and Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush. Just before we left to head back to the hotel a young Meadow Tree Frog was found on the little pond in front of the visitor centre. Above: Meadow Tree Frog After this we then headed back to the hotel where some more new species were added to the day list including several hundred Great-tailed Grackles, and 20 Blue-and-white Swallow. Brown Jay’s were also around as was a Tropical Kingbird and a Social Flycatcher. I noticed 2 slightly smaller black birds in the flock of Grackles and these turned out to be 2 Bronzed Cowbirds. We were just about to headed back into the two bright yellow coloured Orioles flew out of the bushes on the left hand side. These were Orchard Orioles and it was great to see this species again after seeing one in on the Merrimack River in Concord New Hampshire last summer. It’s a shame they didn’t stay for long as they are quite stunning. Above: Bronzed Cowbird Below: Social Flycatcher Above: Tropical Kingbird and Social Flycatcher With the weather now closing in and some more work on the assignment needed we decided to call it a night and headed back to our rooms.
The morning started with a 545am wake up call, but that was now the new normal and after a 10 hour sleep this was easy. Turkey Vultures and American Black Vultures were circling outside the bedroom window and several Brown Jay’s flew out of their roost, as the rain started to fall and the wind started to pick up. Unfortunately for us the whole time we were in the cloud forest the rain didn’t stop once which made for very poor conditions for our survey work. Our pieces of paper saw more rain than pen strokes. We arrived at the reserve at just gone 730 and started our surveys. Even despite the poor weather there were still new species to see. Just as we were about to start our survey 30 Crimson-Fronted Parakeets flew over. We headed a short way along the trail where we stumbled across a Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush. At the same location a Lesser Violetear Hummingbird was sat in the tree calling and a Grey-breasted Wood-wren was heard. Moving further along the track a Green-crowned Brilliant almost took our heads off and we presume that it may have mistaken our brightly coloured rain coats as a flower. 2 Black-faced Solitaires were heard singing their rather melodious song and an Ochraceous Wren erupted from cover. We then visited a stunning waterfall however our Hope’s had been dashed of seeing our most wanted bird. A Green Hermit was seen right next to the path with its extraordinarily long tail and curved bill. The all of a sudden a message over the radio saw us running down the track several 100 metres to a collection of wild Avocado trees. There it was perched up waiting for us. The stunning Resplendent Quetzal what a stunning bird that is although it was sat quite some distance away in poor light meaning that we couldn’t get the full experience of its dazzling colours. Soon people arrived from all over the reserve to see the bird as it sat sheltering from the storm not phased by our presence. Then one of my course mates pointed out a bird in the tree above where the Quetzal was sitting. When I got my binoculars on it I was surprised to find an Emerald Toucanet staring back. A crazy few moments whilst I tried to get as many of the park rangers that had arrived as possible onto it. What a crazy pair to see in the tree together. Eventually the Quetzal got up and flew off only to be chased back across by a second bird. Above: If this is the lizard I think it is then I didn't quite realise how incredibly lucky we were to see it. This should be a Blue-eyed Anole which is an Endangered Species of Lizard which can now only be found in a handful of locations in Costa Rica including Monteverde. Below: Resplendent Quetzal Above: Emerald Toucanet We decided to move on and continue our journey. Purple-throated Mountain-gem was added to the day list and several Chestnut-capped Brush Finch were seen and heard. Just before we got back to the centre we stopped in our tracks to the song of a Golden-browed Chlorophoria. It’s a shame that we didn’t get to see it, but its song is incredible in itself. We then had a quick break and a chance to dry off. After the break we headed out onto a different trail which was unfortunately almost completely devoid of life. 2 Slate-throated Redstart were nice to see as was the flock of Three-striped Warblers. The flock also contained at least one Yellowish Flycatcher. That was it for birds as the weather became even worse and what sounded like a gunshot appeared to be the sound of a large tree collapsing under the weight of the saturated Moss. We then headed back for lunch which was extremely tasty and thankfully again not rice and beans. After lunch we headed out to lay some footprint traps in order to try and track the species of mammals that use the reserve. Whilst here we found some interesting beetles and grasshoppers as well as an Olive-sided Flycatcher. We then called it a day and headed back to the hotel to start on our assignments. Above: Central American Montane Tiger Beetle Below: Stick Insect sp After sorting out our assignments it was time for dinner before we all piled back onto the coach to head to the evenings night walk. This was an interesting experience not just because of how the walk worked but also the animals we saw. We were all handed a torch which I presumed would have been a red light one, but instead everyone was given an extremely strong white light. The only issue I have with this is the fact that it seemed to disturb some of the animals we saw however I can see the reasons why they do this and it is most likely due to tourist pressure as the guides seemed to know the consequences of shining their white lights up into the trees. (Its interesting to take a step back now a month later and realise that without the income of running these night tours the land which is being protected to run the tours would almost certainly be turned into Cattle Pastures and so although there are downsides it is worth remembering that the other alternative is worse. Although constantly shining White-light up into the trees can't be a good thing. It also felt as though the company that runs the tour tried to keep these nocturnal animals in rather than leaving it to chance as there was a barbed wire fence running around the site. The reason we were sent on the night walk was to try and evaluate whether it benefits the conservation in the area. And honestly I am not sure while it adds to the area covered by forest, the constant trampling and addition of light almost defeats the object of running the conservation project. Its certainly a difficult one to justify. No clue if any of what I just wrote makes sense.) Below are the animals that we saw most of which are either threatened or endangered; Olingo, Two-toed Sloth, Eyelash Viper, Orange-knee Tarantula, Rhinoceros Spear Bearer, Red-eyed stream-Frog, Leaf Cutter, Army Ants, Howler Monkey, Violet Sabrewing, Side-striped Palm Pitviper, Emerald Toucanet, Brilliant Forest Frog. After this we headed back to the hotel to get a good nights sleep. Above: Rhinoceros Spear Bearer Below: Side-striped Palm Pit Viper and Crab Spider? Above: Two-toed Sloth Below: Eyelash Viper Above: Orange-knee Tarantula Below: Below: Crab Spider Above: Brilliant Forest Frog Below: Moth sp This morning the 220 alarm meant that we only had two hours sleep. It was painful but hopefully going to be worth it. It was hard to sleep on the coach which meant that I spent a lot of the journey looking out the window. This time the only bird I saw was a Common Pauraque that was sat on the dirt track in front of us as we drove through the night and as it flushed up it showed off its white wing stripe. A few mammals were seen crossing the road but none were seen well enough to get a positive Id which is a shame. At around 520 we finally made it to the ferry where we all boarded and were just in time for an incredible sunrise. As the sun started to rise birds started to appear from their roosts with streams of Great-tailed Grackles flying low over the water and perching in the trees by the ferry terminal. Several Hudsonian Whimbrel were about along with at least one Willet while Pelicans and Magnificent Frigatebirds could be seen circling in the distance. Above: Magnificent Frigatebird The ferry ride itself was awesome yet again. With plenty of Royal Terns fishing close into the boat. A shoal of String Ray’s passed by along with plenty of fish. Laughing Gulls were more numerous than the first crossing and a few Least Terns added themselves to the list. American Black Terns were literally everywhere to be seen. Above: Ray sp Below: Hudsonian Whimbrels Above: all those dots on the Island are Pelicans its crazy... There are also a few Frigatebirds circling the island in this photo as well. Below: American Black Terns Above: Royal Terns Below: Magnificent Frigatebird Above: Caspian Tern As we got closer to the our destination Neotropic Cormorants added themselves to the say list as did Blue-and-white Swallows. A Great Egret was also seen before we continued our journey towards our breakfast stop. Breakfast was had at Café Macadamia. I have to admit that it was some of the best food we have had on the trip, as much as I hate to say it, partially due to the fact that it wasn’t rice and beans. After breakfast we were given a tour of the Orchid farm that the restaurant owns. There were literally hundreds of different orchids of varying shades of blues, reds, greens and much more. In the farm itself a new species for the trip was found in the form of Plain-breasted Ground-Doves and Great-tailed Grackles were also present. Just before we got back on the coach a heft mixed flock of Vultures moved through along with an equally as large flock of White-collared Swifts. We then hit the road in the aim of heading to the Monteverde and arriving by 1030. Above: Plain-breasted Ground-Doves Above and Below: American Black Vultures with the flock of White-collared Swifts, not convinced that there aren't some migrant Chimney Swifts in this photo. Would be interesting if there were some. The roads on the way up were twisting and winding with Narrow river passes and extremely steep climbs. Full credit to our driver Papillo as I would personally have hated to drive a coach on these roads. As we got higher into the mountain the road went from tarmac to gravel track which made for an interesting accent. All the way up the mountain the view was stunning looking all the way to the Pacific coast and even just about giving a view of Nicaragua. Two Grove-billed Ani were added to the trip list as they perched up on a fence line while Vultures continued to soar in huge numbers. When we arrived at the hotel I had about an hour to chill and explore the hotel ground which contains their own nature reserve. Just before heading down the circular trail a large black bird with a huge blue bill called a Black Guam was seen sitting well hidden in the bushes. I continued down the path into the woodland and was immediately transformed into a different world. Swainson's Thrushes were everywhere along the floor of the woodland looking for insects amongst the leaf litter while Olive-striped, Dusky Capped Flycatchers and a Tropical Pewee were fly catching from the tops of the trees. Moving further along I noticed a tail sticking out of a Bush in front and eventually a Coati appeared in the middle of the path. It appeared to take little notice of us at first but then it turned our way, before slowly retreating into the vegetation. Eventually I moved on and came across 5 Bushy tails sticking up over a fallen log, but unfortunately the sound of me coming may have scared them off. I wonder if they could have been Skunk or even Honey Badgers...!? We then came out at a pond where a Green Heron sat as well as plenty of Damselflies and dragonflies. Lunch then beckoned so I headed back to the room to get ready. Above: Black Guam Below: Spot the Dusky-capped Flycatcher Above: Swainson's Thrush Below: Turns out my suspicions were correct below is an Ovenbird in and amongst the leaf litter Above: Butterfly sp Below: Coati Above: Butterfly sp Below: Damselfly sp Above: Fish sp Below: Damselfly sp Above: Turkey Vulture with an American Black in the background Below: American Black Vultures On the way to lunch a Blue-crowed Motmot was seen, however a treat was in store for us as we were given 10 minutes in the Hummingbird Garden. Honestly I dont think I have seen a group of students so happy and to be fair i was glad that I wasn’t the only one happy to have stopped here. The Hummingbirds showed incredibly well with them showing why they are so loveable. They each had varying shades of Greens, Browns, Oranges, Blues and Purples. All in all it was an incredible experience and I’ll definitely be going back in the next few days. The Hummingbird list was as follows; Violet Sebrewing, Green Hermit, Steely-vented Hummingbird, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Brown Violetear, Green Violetear, Purple-throated mountain-gem, Green-crowned Brilliant, Fiery-throated Hummingbird, Long-billed Hermit and possibly more to follow once I contact someone how knows more about the hummers than me. Above: Blue-crowned Motmot Below: Assorted Hummingbirds along with a few Bananaquits After this we headed to the reserve in order to have lunch which was ye again rice and beans. We were then give an introduction and briefing about the reserve before going out and clearing some of the trail of leaf litter in the afternoon. The only new bird that I found on the trip out was a Black-faced Solitaire, however we did see at least 2 species of millipede. After this we headed back to the hotel for some down time which gave me another chance to head round the garden nature reserve. This time there was less activity as everything was getting ready to roost. A Grey-breasted Wood-Wren was found in the middle of the woodland as was the rather dull Clay-coloured Thrush. We then headed down to the pond where the Green Heron was still fishing. We turned a corner and saw a Coati turn and run for cover. Frogs could be heard but unfortunately not seen which was the same for the Howler Monkeys in the distance. Above: Leaf Cutters Below: The only time we saw a Blue Morpho sit still for long enough for a photo. These butterflies are incredible. Just as we were heading inside to round off the day a Great Blue Heron came in to land on the lake and a Hoffman’s Woodpecker flew into a nearby tree. We continued up to the hotel to the sound of the Grackle Roost. An interesting noise from some nearby bushes produced a couple of Zeledon's Antbirds sulking around, before we decide to call it a day and head for dinner. This was perfect timing as when we got back to our room the heavens opened and the start of the cloud forest cool off had begun. Above: Great Blue Heron. Apparently this record is more significant than I first thought and is one of less than 10 records for the Monteverde area. Most have been in recent years as the species can now be found at increasingly high altitudes due to the rising temperatures.
An early rise saw us heading to the watch point. A Racoon ran across the track in front of us along the way but otherwise it was back to sitting and waiting whilst seeing the clear starry night sky and the distant flashes of lightning and hearing stories of Turtles coming up onto the beach during the night on other shifts. Let’s see what happens... At just after 4am the faint glow of the sun light started to appear over the horizon and this transitioned into an awesome sunrise which is the perks of being on the ‘late’ shift. The dawn chorus consisted of the thundering noise of Howler Monkeys and a nearby tree held 4 preening White-napped Wrens. Yellow-crowned Night-herons flew back towards their roost as streams of Brown Pelicans left theirs. A Peregrine was hunting over the sea as was another unidentifiable sea bird. Above: One of the Yellow-crowned Night Herons heading into roost Above: Rufous-napped Wrens I decided that since I was up and it wasn’t unbearably hot I would go for a walk along the beach in order to explore. The first row of trees I came to had not one but at least 5 Howler Monkeys sat in it preening each other before they all headed off as a pack deeper into the forest. That was awesome to final put what is a harrowing call to such a small monkey. A White-throated Dove sat on the wire here and a Bare-throated Tiger-Heron was also stalking through the vegetation. Moving on and further along the coast I encountered 2 more Tropical Kingbirds along with 2 Orange-fronted Parakeets sat up in the tops of the trees. Above: 2 of the 5 Howler Monkeys Below: White-winged Dove Above: Bare-throated Tiger-heron A Royal Tern out at sea was new for the day list as was an incredibly tame Spotted Sandpiper. The first proper parrot of the trip was seen with 2 White-fronted Parrots. I then headed into a nature reserve and found the mouth to a river. 2 Spotted Sandpipers were feeding here but it was way too tempting to ignore. Above: White-fronted Parrots Below: Spotted Sandpiper Above: White-fronted Parrot Below: Variegated Squirrel Above: an incredibly Camouflaged Butterfly. Above: Spotted Sandpiper I decided to head a little way up the channel and thankfully I was in luck as a Green Kingfisher appeared on one of the branches in front of me. This was soon joined by a second. It was an incredible sight and something that I had hoped would happen on this trip. I have to admit that when I first saw it I nearly lost my balance and ended up in the water as I jumped for joy. Above: if you look carefully on the right hand side of this photo you can actually see the American Green Kingfisher sat watching the water, it hadn't spotted me and I hadn't spotted it (yet!) Below: Perhaps one of the best birds of the trip.... The American Green Kingfisher Above: yep if you look closely that is a Crab in the tree.... Not sure of the species but still really cool. After spending several minutes watching the Kingfisher i decided to wander a little further on. A Rufous-napped Wren appeared on a branch in front of me holding some food and watched as it visited the nest that over hung the path. Further along 2 Hummingbirds flew past me and so I stopped as I watched them sparring over the path. They were soon joined by at least 5 others before two of them tangled with each other and flung themselves to the ground where this intense battle continued. I had never seen anything like this before and watched as this battle continued on the ground just centimetres from my feet. After a while booths birds flew up and into a nearby Bush revealing their perfectly coloured blue chests. This also thankfully revealed the species to me which was blue-throated Goldentails. The third hummer of the trip. Above: Rufous-napped Wren Above: Blue-throated Goldentail After this I then headed back for breakfast via the White-fronted Parrots showing incredibly well. Just before I got to the sanctuary, I noticed a pile of fruit had been dumped on the side of the road. This had attacked a lot of opportunistic birds into feed including the incredibly tame American Black Vulture and also a Bare-throated Tiger-Heron. A surprise find was a juvenile Yellow-headed Caracara. When I arrived at the turtle sanctuary a Spotted Sandpiper was at the mouth of the river as were at least 2 juvenile Yellow-crowned night-herons. Some Great-tailed Grackles were sparing on the road outside so I decided to record the square up. Above: Interesting to see how the light changes the colouring of the American Green Woodpecker. Below: Lizard Sp Above: White-fronted Parrot Below: Variegated Squirrel Above: Great-tailed Grackles Below: Yellow-headed Caracara Above: Bare-throated Tiger Heron Below: American Black Vulture Above: Turkey Vulture Below: American Black Vulture After breakfast it was back to work with moving sand from the beach into the turtle sanctuary to prepare it for more nests. After this I headed back to the room adding both Broad-winged Hawk and Grey-breasted Martin’s to the day list. After this I decided to head out for another walk adding White-throated Magpie-Jay to the day list as they showed incredibly well. A Magnificent Frigatebird soared high over my head, while two tiny Inca Doves feed in and amongst someone’s Chickens. I then headed back to the centre for lunch to see a bird with an extremely long tail fly over me and land in the canopy of the tree beside along with a second. After staying hidden for several minutes they eventually revealed themselves to be a pair of Squirrel Cuckoos. Above: Assorted Butterfly's Below: Cinnamon Hummingbird Above: Squirrel Cuckoo Below: White-throated Magpie-Jay Above: Variegated Squirrel Below: Black-Spiny Tailed Iguana Above: Bare-throated Tiger-Heron Below: White-throated Magpie-Jay Above: Inca Dove Below: Black Spiny-tailed Iguana Above; Dragonfly sp Below: Magnificent Frigatebird After lunch a siesta was in order before this afternoons adventure but this didn’t stop a Coati adding itself onto the trips species list as it wandered through the hotel garden. Above: My first views of a Coati Below: Black Spiny-tailed Iguana After this a group of us headed back out to the nature reserve I found this morning and went to explore the channel and head further up stream. The Kingfisher were unfortunately no where to be seen. Until a very brief view of one perched on a rock however out Tree Crab was still present. However the best find was a Blue-tailed, Steely-vented Hummingbird that was busily feeding on the flowers at the waters edge. Just as we were about to head down I noticed what I thought was a Tortoise under a nearby rock however it turned out that it was actually a Fresh Water Turtle which is pretty awesome. Above: White-faced Capuchin Below: Fresh Water Turtle We then headed back along the beach after this bit of exploration and found a massive dragonfly stranded in the waves. Which I picked up and placed on a nearby rock for it to dry itself off. We then decided to call it a night and headed back to have dinner before having a final shift on the Turtle Sanctuary, before our ridiculously early departure in the morning. Another night shift done with only a tarantula and some geckos for company and so we decided to call it a night. Above: Tarantula sp
Below: House Gecko Today was a day for exploring. However species wise it was very similar to yesterday. On the walk to Breakfast a new species was added to the trip list in the form of a female Summer Tanager. (Pictured Below) After Breakfast we headed back to the room before helping to move logs on the beach in order to protect the turtle sanctuary after it was damaged in a recent storm. After releasing some Turtles it was good to have some free time before lunch. Bare-throated Tiger-Heron and Yellow-Crowned Night-heron were added to the day list along with a Bobbing Spotted Sandpiper. A Walk into town saw plenty of Tricoloured Squirrels showing incredibly well. Alongside another Hummingbird of which the identity will have to wait until I get back as it was merely a silhouette in the trees. (At this stage you can start to tell that the combination of the night shifts and the travelling had already knocked the life out of me. This comes across in my writing as I can't lie I was already extremely tired.) Above: Lizard sp Below: Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (I think) Above: The local race of Variegated Squirrel Below: Bare-throated Tiger-heron Above: Juv Yellow-crowned Night Heron Below: Adult Yellow-crowned Night Heron Above: Black Spiny-tailed Iguana Below: I believe this to now be a Cinnamon Hummingbird Above: Black Sea Turtle. We found this one in the rubble that was piled up at the back of the beach, it was still alive so we moved it down the beach in order to give it the best shot at survival. It had potentially been in that rubble for several days before we found it. A short pre lunch walk saw Great Kiskadee and Tropical Kingbird added to the list. Magnificent Frigatebirds, Pelicans and both species of Vultures soared above us as a Rufous-tailed Hummingbird added itself to the list. Some 50 odd species of Butterfly were around as well, but without an ID guide i am struggling to identify them all. Grey-breasted Martin’s were high flying along with my first White-collared Swifts of the trip which made for a good addition to the day. Above: Male Great-tailed Grackle Below: Female Great-tailed Grackle Above: Variegated Squirrel Below: Black Spiny-tailed Iguana Above: I have to admit that I am now slightly leaning toward Boat-billed Flycatcher for this one rather than a Great Kiskadee. Above: Tropical Kingbird After lunch the butterfly fest continued and 2 Hoffman’s Woodpeckers. The pair of Rufous-naped Wrens were in the same place as yesterday and a young Cinnamon Hummingbird was sat in the trees near us and was briefly joined by its parent In the tree. A Broad-winged Hawk was new for the list as we all prepared for the afternoons hike. Above: Rufous-napped Wren Below: Hoffman's Woodpecker Above: Jesus Christ Lizard/ Common Basilisk Below: Rufous-napped Wren Above: Prey Mantis Nymph Below: Hoffman's Woodpecker Above: Rufous-napped Wren Below: Cinnamon Hummingbird Above: When we got back to the hotel we were in for a surprise as there were Black Spiny-tailed Iguanas everywhere including one laid right across the front door. We headed up to the trail route which was a lot harder than I expected. A Green Heron was the only species I saw but a slip and a fall nearly resulted in a smashed camera. That battered my ankle and aggravated the injury I had obtained last week in football. We finally made it to the waterfall after seeing another one of those massive blue butterflies. Whilst at the waterfall flocks of Vultures passed over along with a few Broad-winged Hawk. Above: Turkey Vulture Below: Broad-winged Hawk Along the way back we saw very little again. However it was awsome to see a young Bare-throated Tiger Heron sat in the trees above the main road. Iguanas were everywhere and another White-faced Capuchin was seen. Above: young Bare-throated Tiger-heron in the nest Below: Green Iguana Above: I don't know why but I just love this... Why not park your horse next to a coach...! (Oh and yes that's the coach we used for the whole trip) The rest of the afternoon I decided to spend walking up the road towards the turtle Sanctuary slowly trying to take in as much as possible. A Male Summer Tanager sat in one of the trees near the turtle sanctuary centre which was awesome to see and a little further up the road a Northern-Beardless Tyrannulet was sat on the power lines. Little else was seen, but my guess is that its partially to do with the searing heat and kind of sums up the trip so far. It seems that very few birds can cope with the intensity of the heat and humidity. On the way back 12 Orange-fronted Parakeets were sat in the trees near the turtle sanctuary. But best of all was the prehistoric looking Jesus Christ Lizard. Yep that’s its name. Apparently they can walk on water but this one didn’t and was just sat on the bank of the river. Above: Orange-fronted Parakeets Below: Tropical Kingbird Above: Male Summer Tanager Below: Juv Yellow-crowned Night Heron Above: Northern Beardless Tyrannulet Below: Lizard sp Dinner was had and then an early night was decided as the late shift was the one that my group had tonight from 2am till 6am.
A nice early start to get the ferry led to little birding time before getting on the coach, however Tropical Kingbird, White-winged Dove, Great-tailed Grackle, and Great Kiskadee were all seen. The coach journey out east took us through the central valley along the 24 and took us through some stunning scenery with mountain slopes visible on each side. Much nicer than being in the city. Birds were frequently encountered but hard to ID. Swallows, Swifts and Martin’s were numerous along with plenty of other unidentifiable silhouettes. There were however plenty of low flying Vultures that were easy to ID with both American Black and Turkey encountered. About half way through the journey we were briefly driving side by side with a Black-mandibled Toucan which was incredible and hopefully a sign of things to come. One thing I will say though is that they are massive. I have to admit though the most frustrating thing about the coach journey was the amount of unidentifiable things from Flycatchers to a probable Macaw. Although I have to admit if I was driving myself we would be constantly stopping and not getting anywhere. This place is like a birdwatchers paradise. The thing I am learning from this journey is the bigger the bird the easier it is to identify as at one of the toll booths a Crested Caracara was sat perched on a Lamppost. Its is also obviously an American Black Vulture day today as in places the sky was full of them with. Many more unidentified telephone wire sitting Kingbirds and Flycatchers later we arrived at the Pacific coast. Immediately I could see Magnificent Frigatebirds Everywhere and they were massive. Not quite what I had expected when I saw them in the book, Incredible! Vultures were everywhere here as well many perched in palm trees or on Lampposts making for quite a surreal scene. Hummingbirds and Woodpeckers got in on the unidentifiable act just as 2 of the Frigatebirds got up to soar with the flock of incoming Vultures. They were almost the same size as the vultures if not bigger which was crazy and felt like something out of Jurassic park. A bit of traffic helped to ID some birds including a Lineated Woodpecker on a telephone pole. Frigatebirds continued to entertain as we sat in the traffic to get onto the ferry. The telephone wires were scattered with Frigatebirds and Brown Pelicans and looking out to see there were tonnes of prehistoric looking brown birds flying and diving over the open ocean. If I wasn’t looking forward to the crossing before i sure am now. Above and Below: Magnificent Frigatebirds Above: Brown Pelican Below: I think if I am correct they should be 2 Blue-and-white Swallow and 4 Grey-breasted Martins. The ferry crossing was immense. With 1000s of migrating Raptors at either end of the ride many were American Black Vultures, however unfortunately the rest were way too high to identify which is a shame. 2 Neotropic Cormorants were a new species as was an Elegant Tern, a Caspain Tern and many Royal Terns. The main species of the crossing were the Brown Pelicans there were literally thousands moving across the water including an island that held several hundred of them. 4 White Ibis were seen flying across the water as were several thousand migrating American Black Terns as they flew past low over the water. A Laughing Gull was the only Gull species seen on the trip. At either end the terminals held several species of Martin and Swallow including Bank Swallow, Purple Martin, Blue-and-white Swallow, and Grey-breasted Martin’s. Above: American Black Tern Below: Unfortunately no country is perfect and I didn't really take enough photographs showing the shear amount of plastic that was on the beaches and in the water. This is most likely from a toilet, if you get what I mean by that. Above: Royal Tern Below: Magnificent Frigatebird Above: Pelican Island Below: Brown Pelicans Above: Laughing Gull Above: Brown Pelican Below: Frigatebird up with the American Black Vultures Above: Grey-breasted Martins After this we all piled back onto the coach for the last leg of our journey to Montezuma. Along the way the sky was again full of vultures however there aren’t as many unidentifiable species on power lines this time. We were now driving through the Caribbean Lowlands and so managed to add some easily identifiable species such as Little Blue Heron and Cattle Egret to the list. One of the flocks of migrating Vultures held some obviously out of place Wood Storks with two soaring with them. I have to admit that it is frustrating that I can’t sit still and try to identify all the Raptors, but hopefully over the coming days this will change. We then arrived at Montezuma where we will be staying for the next 3 nights helping out on the Turtle project here. Upon arrival at the hotel we were greeted by 2 White-throated Magpie-Jay. I then looked up into the tree above me and then laid eyes on the most humongous Black-Spinned Iguana. What an incredible thing it was and eventually it was joined by two much smaller females. The male decided that it wanted some grub so came down to join us and started to eat the fallen leaves. Above: Black-spinned Iguana Below: White-throated Magpie-Jay We then headed down to the turtle conservation centre for lunch passing a tiny Inca Dove along the way. Rice and Beans my new favourite meal was had and then we headed out into the back garden to do the washing up. This brought about some new species in the form of 2 Muscovy Ducks, a stunning Bare-throated Tiger-Heron and a juvenile Yellow-crowned Night-heron roosting in the canopy. Alongside a feeding Hoffman’s Woodpecker. After lunch i decided to have a wonder along the beach to see what we could see. Brown Pelicans and Frigatebirds were everywhere as were the American Black Vultures. Several Crested Caracaras flew past and a Toucan sp as well. In fact the main interest from the beach was in fact the Crabs which littered the beach. They were incredible coming out of their little burrows to feed before retreating to safety. Above: Bare-throated Tiger-Heron Below: butterfly sp Above: Great Kiskadee Below: Cinnamon Hummingbird Above: A Squadron of Brown Pelicans Below: Crested Caracara Above: American Black Vulture Below: Shore Crab sp We then headed back along the beach as it was nearly time for our induction but not before seeing a Peregrine flying quickly along the coast and a pair of Orange-fronted Parakeets flying past. An Adult Yellow-crowned Night-heron was found asleep in the canopy and a Rufous-naped Wren posed for us as did a Cinnamon Hummingbird. We then headed up towards the centre and as we did 4 Capuchins descended from the tree tops. Above: Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Below: Cinnamon Hummingbird Above: White-faced Capuchin Whilst we were given the induction talk we could hear the sound of Thunder as well as Howler Monkeys. And incredible background noise. With no rain where we were we headed to the hatchery in order to help excavate some nests and help the remaining turtles get to the sea. Whilst we were doing this Brown Pelicans loafed offshore and a Tricoloured Squirrel sat watching in the tree above us. Once the Turtles had successfully made it to the sea we headed back to the centre for some dinner while 8 Yellow-crowned Night-heron left their roost and headed down the coast. More Rice and Beans were on offer tonight and while we were eating we could see the glow of fireflys lighting up the nights sky. We then headed back to our rooms for a rest as we have the middle shift tonight from 10 till 2. Above: Northern Beardless Tyrannulet Below: Green Sea Turtle release (Known locally as the Black Sea Turtle as the race that breeds on the beaches here is completely Black. They used to be considered separate species, however recent genetic research has proven that the Black Sea Turtle is more likely to be a sub-species than a full species.) The 10 till 2 shift was actually rather interesting with a Tamandua (ant eater) feeding under one of the Lamposts near the watch point. The shift itself didn’t have too much in the way of Turtle action, however there was plenty of other thing to keep us entertained including fireflys, a lightning storm off in the distance. A Racoon was seen coming off the beach at one point as well as plenty of Bats under the street lights. The beach itself was covered in the days second species of Crab with tonnes of hermits scattered across the sand. The nights sky was incredible as we sat and waited and the shear amount of stars on display was mind blowing. I don’t think I have ever been in a place with less light pollution than this. What an incredible way to spend an evening.... I wonder what awaits us in the morning...?
Day 1: Well I have to admit that at the best of times I don’t like flying and I especially don’t like having to do it more than once in a day. But when I left home at just gone midnight on the 31st I knew that there was going to be a reward at the end of the journey. A rather sleepless coach journey to Heathrow, followed by an equally sleepless flight from Heathrow to Paris. It was good to be able to catch up with some sleep in the airport whilst we waited to board the final leg of the journey an 11 hour flight to San Jose. Some window birding took place in the French capital but unfortunately only a Magpie, a few Carrion Crows and tonnes of Feral Pigeons were about. I did however have my Costa Rican bird book to hand so I decided to fumble through the pages talking to my friends about the aimless possibilities of the birds that we (I) might see. Not long to go now before we take off and the excitement is ever building. Here’s to a good 10 days of new birds, stunning landscapes, and Conservation projects. We arrived an hour ahead of schedule into San Jose but by the time we had gotten our bags it was now near 7 and it was dark. Another Shortish drive to the hotel gave us a sense of Costa Rican life which feels something like a cross breed between North America and Asia. With large roads and tonnes of little vehicles zipping in and out of the traffic. We are now checked in for the night in the centre of the city and I don't actually have too much hope of any birding tomorrow, but we shall see. Perhaps a day of recovering might be the most sensible thing to do... Day 2: Well, well, well. What a day. Now if every day of the trip is going to be like this its going to be an amazing 9 more days. It started off with waking up with the sunrise at 5am and attempting to head back to sleep several times with varying degrees of success and so at just after 7, I got up and headed outside to the garden. As I arrived the gardener was just putting breakfast out for the local birds and no sooner had he done that the first new bird of the trip to ID had descended. It was a White-winged Dove which isn’t actually that different from our Collared Dove. It sat eating the fresh fruit and was soon joined by plenty of Costa Rica’s national bird the Clay-coloured Thrush. On the other table a Red-billed Pigeon was eating and a few Great-tailed Grackles were sitting around in large groups waiting to descend on the third table. Above: White-winged Dove Below: White-winged Dove with a Clay-coloured Thrush Soon I started to notice more species coming to the feeders. Blue-gray Tanagers started to appear and they are absolutely stunning birds with bright blue wings and a pale underside. Another bird now appeared called a Greyish Saltator which had a white eye stripe and white chin. I then noticed a bird fly catching from the top of one of the trees and it then proceed to sit on the par sole above the seat I was sitting in and then onto the building revealing a Tropical Kingbird. This is an absolutely stunning bird with a yellow under side and greyish crown and as i watching it a flock of 20 or so Barn Swallows flew over with an odd one out which unfortunately isn’t identifiable from my photos. Above: Blue-Grey Tanager Below: Tropical Kingbird Above: North American Race of Barn Swallow Below: Red-billed Pigeon Above: Clay-coloured Thrush with a Greyish Saltator Below: Tropical Kingbird I then noticed something small dart into the bushes beside me and so I headed over to have a look at it. What I found was a Rufous-coloured Sparrow feeding its spotty little youngster. Then off to my left I noticed something with a large tail land in the tree and to my delight what I found staring back at me was a Blue-crowned Motmot. What an absolutely incredible thing and how evolution ever made something with a tail like that is beyond me. After watching it for a while I noticed a new bird on the bird table. A small Black and white striped Woodpecker with a yellowy Brown Head, a Hoffman’s Woodpecker. A Variegated Squirrel was also briefly seen feeding in one of the palm trees that over looked the garden. After this I decided to head inside and go and grab some breakfast. Which was as our meals had been so far a traditional Costa Rican buffet. (Rice and Beans) Above: Hoffman's Woodpecker Below: Clay-coloured Thrush Above: White-winged Dove Below: Variegated Squirrel Above: Great-tailed Grackle and Hoffman's Woodpecker Below: Greyish Saltator and Clay-coloured Thrush Above: Rufous-coloured Sparrow Below: Blue-crowned Motmot Above: Hoffman's Woodpecker and Blue-Grey Tanager After breakfast I headed back into the garden to see what else was about and to my surprise one of the lecturers had found a Hummingbird. They hadn’t seen it for a while but eventually it came back and showed extremely well for over half an hour. It was a Rufous-tailed Hummingbird and amazingly tame. As it sat preening itself right in front of us. I was surprised to see it take off and start to fly catch before heading back to drinking nectar from the large flowers at the top of the plant. What an incredible bird and it drew quite a crowd as well. Above: Rufous-tailed Hummingbird That wasn't the only new species for the day while we were out here until just as we were heading inside to our lecture I noticed something fly into the tree above me. A Great Kiskadee. Another incredible flycatcher with yellow underside merging into its brown wings. Incredible! Above: Great Kiskadee Below: The first Dragonfly of the trip. I am still working on the ID for most of the Butterflies and Dragonflies that we saw... There are just so many to sift through. After this we had a lecture on the issues surrounding conservation in Costa Rica which was both interesting and thought provoking and included case studies on the Blue-sided Frog and the Scarlet Macaw which both nearly went extinct in Costa Rica. After this we then headed into the city centre in order to grab some lunch at an authentic Costa Rican Restaurant. The town centre reminded me of the sort of things you see on programs about Asian countries with the hustle and bustle of life. Feral pigeons were all over the place as were Great-tailed Grackles. In fact it was interesting to learn that this species only colonised the country due to the deforestation of their favoured mangrove forests. After lunch we were given some time to explore the city. My group decided to go through the local parks looking for more wildlife. We eventually stumbled upon a roost of close to 500 Crimson Fronted Parakeets near to the Cathedral along with several hundred White-winged Doves. A few Blue-grey Tanagers were seen as we a few fly catching Tropical Kingbirds. A low lying Warbler was unfortunately unidentifiable as was a distant Vulture circling over the city. However we did encounter a few clocks of Blue-and-white Swallows which were thankfully identifiable. Above: Crimson-fronted Parakeets After this we headed back to the hotel and so I headed out into the garden just in time to witness not one but five Common Pauraques flying around hawking insects along side the bats. Also in the garden the creaking of Frogs could be heard, however seeing them was impossible and so we decided to call it a night as we have an early start in the morning in order to catch the ferry.
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AuthorI have been a birder since I was 8 however only really started to be able to go out to places by myself in Summer 2016 (Blame the parents) My blogs will be from all over the place, but mainly from RSPB Rainham Marshes and Totteridge Valley! Photography done by Samuel Levy aged 19. ArchivesCategories |