Costa Rica – Part 3

Day 5 (22nd Jan) . . . continued . . . Carara National Park

Transit On the way back to the hotel we stopped at a known roost site and found three lovely Black-and-white Owls; a pair with a juvenile (photo by Erick Castro).

Carara National Park (Miandrica ‘Ox-bow Lake’ Trail) – We saw loads of lovely butterflies during the trip, but I didn’t manage to photo many. These orange ones were fairly widespread.

Had 2+ of these Grey-headed Tanager, and I think this is a Northern Barred-Woodcreeper.

A better view of a Yellow-throated Toucan and an Acadian (type) Flycatcher. We also saw Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher.

This juvenile Red-capped Manakin sat nicely in the open (unlike the adults !) and we saw Orange-collared Mankins again. This Black-hooded Antshrike was a beauty, and we saw another, but they didn’t hang-about! Also had brief views of Barred Antshrike.

Streaked Flycatcher and Gartered Trogon. Other birds of note were White-whiskered Puffbird and Chestnut-sided Warbler.

Day 6 (23rd Jan) Travel to Ensenada

Hotel Pumilio grounds (early am) – We found a Chestnut-sided Warbler (fem/juv), a couple of Spot-crowned Euphonia and these Red-lored Parrot and Orange-chinned Parakeet (sadly, silhouette, but quite distinctive still).

Both species flew over in numbers each morning (below are Red-lored Parrots). And the Gartered Trogon again, showing off undertail pattern.

We also saw Crested Guan, Melodious Blackbird, and Summer, Palm & Blue-grey Tanagers out the front of the hotel. Then hit the road for our next hotel. The coach was spacious and comfortable.

Stop 1 – 3 Whimbrel, 1 Willet, c30 Laughing Gull, 6 Brown Pelican and, importantly, my first House Sparrow !

Stop2 - The guide stopped the coach for our first troop of 11 Mantled Howler Monkeys, lazing around in a tree next to the road. (Female with 2 young, and a male.) It came as a surprise to me that they were not in the forest, but in quite open country (with tall trees). They eat mainly leaves, so sit around most of the day digesting them.

We went for a walk along the road and found Squirrel Cuckoo, White-lored Gnatcatcher, Blue-vented Hummingbird and Yellow Warbler. We also saw Cinnamon Hummingbird.

Today we learnt a bit about Costa Rica’s trees. The Guanacaste tree is the National tree, and also it is known as the ‘tree with ears’ due to the large round seeds that look very much like human ears. The ‘Rain Tree’ (Samanea saman) is a very large tree and named because of the steady drizzle of discharge from insects feeding on the leaves!

Below is an example of a ‘living fence’, which are seen all over Costa Rica. Rather than putting in fence posts, which will rot, you plant a section of branch from certain local trees, and attach the fence wire to those. The trees grow and give a much sturdier fence, plus a bonus hedge ! Ingenious. These posts are from the ‘Tourist tree’ ; so called because the bark peels away, like a tourist’s skin in the sun !

Stop 3, approach road to Ensenade Lodge – we stopped in the coach to look at a couple of Double-striped Thick-knees, but then found 6 Southern Lapwing and a Green-breasted Mango hummingbird which had a nest at the top of a tree ! Also, 2 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, with incredibly long tails, Red-billed Pigeon, White-tipped Dove and a Brown-crested Flycatcher. A bit further along were 2 juvenile White Ibis.

Ensenade Lodge – Staying in wooden lodges, in this fantastic location of a ranch on the coast, was idyllic.

Although we did have to share the accommodation with the Ants. It was great to be able to walk out into the countryside to go birding. But the first birds were right next to the lodges – two roosting Pacific Screech Owls.

Five White-throated Magpie-Jays were seen around the lodges and a White Ibis on the shore.

A couple of Common Ground-Dove landed on a post.

The Howler is hanging from its tail to eat flowers. And a Streaked Flycatcher.

A lovely Cinnamon Hummingbird.

A black morph Hook-billed Kite circled.

We walked to a lake, which looked lovely, but that dark smudge in the water is one of the many Crocodiles present ! A pair of Scrub Euphonia showed well.

30+ Red-winged Blackbirds were in the reeds at the back and a Purple Gallinule peaked out.

Another Squirrel Cuckoo.

We then went to the salt pans, where we were treated to an excellent spectacle of waders – put up by a Zone-tailed Hawk.

This is the best shot showing the striking wing pattern (under and upper) on some of the c50 Willets. Also present were 50+ Hudsonian Whimbrel, 20+ Short-billed Dowitchers and 5+ Black-necked Stilts (plus 15 Grey Plover and 30 Turnstone).

Hudsonian Whimbrel, Short-billed Dowitchers and singles of Willet and Grey Plover. There were also 500+ Western Sandpiper, 500+ Semi-palmated Sandpiper, 5+ Least Sandpiper, c200 Semi-palmated Plover, 35 Wilson’s Plover, 10+ Spotted Sandpiper, 3 Lesser Yellowlegs, 1 Greater Yellowlegs

This is an attempt to show the difference between Semi-palmated Sandpiper and Western Sandpiper (i.e. bill length and straightness), although I never did really get to grips with it !

Two Surfbirds among the Turnstones.

On the way out of the Saltpans, some more waders were on a single pool, and to our surprise there were 7 Stilt Sandpiper, with a Lesser Yellowlegs (I think), and 4 Blue-winged Teal.

We also had a couple of Parrots: Yellow-naped and White-fronted.

Day 7 (24th Jan) Ensenada Lodge (5:45am start) – Spot-breasted Oriole and Orange-fronted Parakeet. Other Orioles this morning were: Streak-backed (2+) and Baltimore (2+). Also had a Hook-billed Kite go over.

Matt found this Green-breasted Mango hummingbird nest, with 2 chicks in it. And a terrible photo, but it was the first Ruby-throated Hummingbird we saw. We also had Cinnamon and Blue-vented Hummingbirds.

Hoffman’s Woodpecker and Streak-headed Sparrow. And also saw White-lored Gnatcatcher and 2 Streaked Flycatcher.

Black-crowned Tityra and White-fronted Parrot (see the red on the wing). Plus 2 Grove-billed Ani.

Brown-crested Flycatcher and lovely Two-eyed 88 butterfly.

This large Wasp was getting water from a trough. And the Two-striped Thick-knees were still about. And a couple of Yellow-headed Caracara.

It was very open countryside around the lodge, with lots of scrubby areas.

This pair of Scrub Euphonia were nest-building (and another 3 seen). Female Summer Tanager.

Common Ground-Dove.

At high tide about 70 Royal and 5 Sandwich Terns, subspecies Cabot’s Tern, (2nd photo – front bird) roosted on the lodge’s jetty, along with c10 Laughing Gull. On the beach were: a Tricoloured Heron, 2 White Ibis, c100 mixed Western and Semi-palmated Sandpipers, and a few Collared and Semi-palmated Plovers. A Magnificent Frigatebird flew past and Matt & I think we had a couple of Forster’s Tern resting on the water.

Ensenada Lodge (afternoon walk) – I was first to spot this White-necked Puffbird. The Turquoise-browed Motmot posed nicely in the sun.

An interesting shaped Wasp nest and a Variegated Squirrel showed off its variable colours.

A female Rose-throated Becard and we were surprised to see this Racoon calmly climb down from the trees and go into scrub!

A Banded Wren was a good spot. And Philadelphia Vireo is fairly common, but great to see well. We also had Yellow-throated Vireo.

Not a rare bird, but I was very happy to see this American Redstart.

We thought this 5cm wide hole looked like a rodent’s, but it is a Crab’s ! And a White-tipped Dove by the restaurant.

A lovely pair of Ferruginous Pygmy Owls gave a nice show - Owl and crowd. The second photo below is the BACK of the Owl’s head, showing the false eye markings, which would deter a predator attacking from behind.

Evening trip to another Salt Pan

A bit of a surprise to find this female Mangrove Hummingbird. And I think this poor photo of a flycatcher is the Northen Beardless-Tyrannulet that we had, but we also had Northern Scrub-Flycatcher (which I think is below).

This Long-billed Curlew had Matt rubbing his thighs in delight ! There were also 70 Hudsonian Whimbrel, 50 Marbled Godwit (below), 30+ Willet, 30 Black-necked Stilts, 100+ Semipalmated Sandpiper, 10+ Least Sandpiper, 7+ Grey Plover, 6+ Short-billed Dowitcher, 1 Turnstone, 2 Great Egret, a Little Blue Heron, a Greater Yellowlegs and also Western Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper and Semi-palmated Plover.

Another Black-crowned Tityra and Cinnamon Hummingbird.

Our guide, Erick, expertly imitated the call of a Ferruginous Pygmy Owl to bring all the local small birds in to have a look – hear it here, along with 5 Baltimore Orioles. There were also: 4 Yellow Warbler (inc. the male in breeding plumage below), a pair of Morelet’s Seedeater (male below), 2 Orchard Oriole and a Painted Bunting (the rather drabber female below). And a very handsome Rooster !

A Banded Peacock back at the lodge, and not a bad view at sunset.

We had some uninvited guests for evening meal; a Common House Gecko and a Milky Tree Frog heating itself in a light shade.