Costa Rica for Bird's Wildlife & Nature - Day 9 - 12th November 2024

Umbrellas were required to get to the breakfast area at the Tarcoles Lodge.  It was already teeming and the jungle below was likewise steaming. As the last of the Lesser Nighthawks headed off after a hard night's hawking while the mighty Pacific Scarlet Macaws rowed overhead on their way to their feeding areas.

Pacific Scarlet Macaws

Pacific Scarlet Macaws

Pacific Scarlet Macaws - Neil Colgate

The rain let up somewhat and the Hummingbirds soon arrived to feed on the Verbena hedge below. There were Blue-throated Goldentails, Blue-vented, Rufous-tailed, Cinnamon and Ruby-throated HB and a Long-billed Hermit went through but did not stop. The three Amazons proclaimed the morning readiness and just above us were Chestnut-collared, White-collared and Costa Rican Swifts.  A female Indigo Bunting was grovelling around below the Hummers - another new CR bird for me.

On the lawns behind us there were feeding Ruddy and Common Ground-Doves, Inca Doves, Rufous-backed Wren and Great Kiskadees and a Roadside Hawk was actively hunting from low perches and allowed Bruce and Neil to approach.

Ruddy Ground and Inca Doves

Ruddy Ground Dove - Neil Colgate

Rufous-backed Wren - Neil Colgate

Roadside Hawk - Neil Colgate

Roadside Hawk - Neil Colgate

Inca Dove - Neil Colgate

Northern Mealy Amazon - Neil Colgate

 Yellow-naped Amazons

As the air cleared we could see the shimmering Pacific and the view south down the rocky coast and across the Gulf of Nicoya to the peninsular beyond.  Even from here you could see wheeling flocks of prehistoric Magnificent Frigatebirds and plunge diving Brown Pelicans.

The news from down below was not good with the Tarcoles river still being too high to allow any tourist boats out onto it and Carara NP absolutely a no go area.  With Jose at the helm we did not need to worry and headed up the coast toward Mata de Limon where we skirted the docks and fishing port (adding Franklin’s Gull from the van!) and then explored the local Mangroves.  

It was raining once again but it was quite light and the birds are actually more active so our amble was incredibly productive with the most magnificent views of Mangrove Hummingbird – a species I have only seen from the Tarcoles boats at some range both across and up so being just a couple of metres away at eye level was very special. There were plenty of other feeding birds in the Mangroves and surrounding herbage and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and TK’s sat on the wires and we found both Streak-backed and Baltimore Orioles, Olive Sparrow and a variety of Flycatchers with Great and Brown-crested, Northern Tropical Pewee and the rather local Northern Scrub Flycatchers, a pair of which we watched at close range.  There were Prothonotary, Yellow and Tennessee Warblers, American Redstart and calling Northern Waterthrushes.

Mangrove Hummingbird

Mangrove Hummingbird

Northern Scrub Flycatcher

Northern Scrub Flycatcher - Neil Colgate

Northern Tropical Pewee - Neil Colgate

Northern Tropical Pewee

 Tropical Kingbird

Tropical Kingbird - Neil Colgate

Hoffmann's Woodpecker - Neil Colgate

Prothonotary Warbler - Neil Colgate

Rose-breasted Grosbeak - Neil Colgate

 Streak-backed Oriole - Neil Colgate

Streak-backed Oriole - Neil Colgate

Mangrove Hummingbird in the rain

Black and Turkey Vultures drifted over and Broad-winged Hawks and both Caracaras were noted but we were pleased to find a Mangrove Black-Hawk sitting around and waiting for the rain to let up.

Mangrove Black-Hawk - Neil Colgate

Mangrove Black-Hawk

Mangrove Black-Hawk

A quick look from a new foot bridge on the way out gave us perched Roseate Spoonbill and White Ibis and a couple of Mangrove Swallows were on the boats while Magnificent Frigatebirds cruised just over our heads while another couple of Franklin’s Gulls could be seen in the direction of the beach.

Magnificent Frigatebird

That sandy beach forced a roadside stop shortly afterwards as a flock of waders could be seen trying to roost down there. Within a couple of minutes we had a flock of Semi-palmated Plovers in the scope and although that was a new CR species for me, I was trying to find something bigger and there it was, a heavy headed, big billed Wilson’s Plover.  Sanderlings scuttled along the tideline along with a couple of Hudsonian Whimbrels and Willets.  The beach had runners, walkers, dogs and fisherman but the waders were unphased and just worked around their beach buddies.

Semi-palmated Plovers and a Wilson's Plover

Hudsonian Whimbrel - Neil Colgate

Willets - Neil Colgate

The big vessels moored offshore where decked out with strings of Frigates and the little fishing boats had dozing Brown Pelicans around the gunnels.

 Frigates

Brown Pelicans

We veered inland and headed for lunch where Great-tailed Grackles entertained before venturing down the Guacimo Road.  It was so green that I did not recognise any it.  The weather was once again dampening proceedings but we did get some excellent views of Stripe-headed Sparrows, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Scarlet Tanager, Squirrel Cuckoo and Cinnamon-bellied Saltators.

Great-tailed Grackle

There were lots of specialities missing but our chances were somewhat reduced so we cut our losses and headed back to the coast with a brief stop at the road bridge over the Tarcoles.  The water had obviously dropped considerably but was still over the banks in places and there were only two Central American Crocodiles on the one exposed area.  A fairly large one was at the south end of the bridge and was technically in the field alongside…  There were very few birds although a distant Tri-coloured Heron was added to the tally.

Central American Crocodile

Down at the village of Playa Azul it became obvious that the settlement had been inundated with the flood waters with every garden still underwater and with associated waterbirds which included our only Yellow-crowned Night-Heron and a Bare-throated Tiger-Heron.  There were piles of rubbish near each property where they had had to clear out their ruined belongings.   There was water between us and the beach and we decided not to wade through given the fact that the Crocs were no longer in the river.

Bare-throated Tiger-Heron - Neil Colgate

Bare-throated Tiger-Heron - Neil Colgate

 Black-bellied Whistling Duck- Neil Colgate

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron - Neil Colgate

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron - Neil Colgate

Snowy Egret - Neil Colgate

A short walk and two visits to the beach gave us a good selection of species with the same wader selection with the addition of Turnstone and Grey Plover.  The Willets were particularly good value. Laughing and Franklin’s Gulls were noted along with patrolling American Royal Terns amongst the Brown Pelicans.  Neotropic Cormorants were on the tidal pools with a single Wood Stork and an Osprey was fishing offshore. A glowing pink Roseate Spoonbill gave us a superb fly by.

Hudsonian Whimbrel

Hudsonian Whimbrel

Hudsonian Whimbrel

Sanderling

Willet and Sanderlings

Willet 

Willet 

Osprey

Roseate Spoonbill - Neil Colgate

Roseate Spoonbill 

Magnificent Frigatebird

 Turnstone - Neil Colgate

Wood Stork - Neil Colgate

Wood Stork

There were small birds in the grass and scrub with Brown-crested Flycatchers, Morelet’s Seedeaters and female Bronzed Cowbirds and a juvenile Mangrove Black-Hawk flew through at head height. We had one more raptor bonus when a barred raptor crashed into the garden along side us and grabbed a small bird. We managed to stop the group behind us long enough to raise bins and realise that it was a juvenile Collared Forest-Falcon! It flew immediately and landed in a tree for just long enough to get the crew on to it.  After hearing several on the trip it was great to see this elusive species.

juvenile Mangrove Black-Hawk - Neil Colgate

Tropical Mockingbird - Neil Colgate

Turkey Vulture - Neil Colgate

White-winged Dove - Neil Colgate

American Black Vulture

American Black Vulture

American Black Vulture

Western Cattle Egret - Neil Colgate

The first Lesser Nighthawks were already in the wing over the Mangroves and the pool to the south provided exactly what was required of it and we found Northern Waterthrush, Yellow Warbler and a stunning male Mangrove Warbler.  Spotted Sandpipers and a Great White Egret were around the edges and some vibrant Baltimore Orioles moved through the smaller Mangroves along the back edge.

Mangrove Warbler - Neil Colgate

migrant Yellow Warbler and  resident Mangrove Warbler - Neil Colgate

We trudged back and headed inland and up past Via Lapas (where I have stayed before) to have a listen for forest birds from the road.  The tarmac has severely degraded since my last visit and was barely present in parts and there were frequent new land slips, some of which had been cleared off the road. We pulled over at the big viewpoint and looked back to Playa Azul below us.  You could hear the river thundering below us and I have to admit that I would not have wanted to be staying down there at Via Lapas given the proximity of the chalets to the river!

We saw very little but heard both Cabanis’s and Riverside Wren and a Little Tinamou started singing as the light fell.  From our vantage point we could see a huge new build property up on the hillside above the road – in fact above one of the landslips and I suspect that work on that may be delayed somewhat as they access whether all that concrete is going to end up in the bottom of the valley before they even get a roof on it.

Teetering

Dinner was taken at the same amazing roadside diner but we only ordered three dishes between six of us and still ended up feeding the man the rope gate once again! 

I tried the moth trap as I had cover outside the door of my chalet