Pre-dawn once again saw us gathered and listening to the
Spectacled Owls (one of my favourite sounds) and Black and White Owls and the
feeders were soon swaying around with the combined weight of the Big Three.
Unusually the Tenorio Volcano was visible above the cloud to
the north west along with the one beyond that although I can’t remember the
name.
 |
| Tenorio Volcano |
Bright-rumped Attila and Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrants were in
song and both Yellow-throated and Tawny-capped Euphonias were seen well. A
quick check of the little fig tree once again gave us good views of Wilson’s,
Tennessee and Chestnut-sided Warblers and a male Tooth-billed (né Hepatic)
Tanager was on the wires in the early light along with a Least Flycatcher.
 |
| Tooth-billed (né Hepatic) Tanager - Neil Colgate |
From here we descended the steps below the veranda and waved
at the Curassows finishing off their breakfast. We had not gone too far when a
biggish black bird bounded past us. Jose and I both called Woodpecker before
realising that it was actually a male Bare-necked Umbrellabird. There were quiet shouts to get everyone onto
it as it perched for a minute in full view before dashing off once again. Always hoped for and never expected!
 |
| Crested Guans |
 |
| Great Curassow |
 |
| Bare-necked Umbrellabird |
 |
| Bare-necked Umbrellabird |
We slowly worked our way down and into the dark jungle
properly. It was hard work with much
singing just out of view or staying in the canopy and we heard Dull-mantled and
Spotted Antbirds, Black-headed Nightingale-Thrushes, both Toucans,
Stripe-breasted and White-breasted Wood-Wrens, White-throated Ant-Tanagers and
double tapping Pale-billed Woodpeckers.
We did actually see some birds though with Plain Antvireos,
Fawn-throated Foliage Gleaners, Spotted and Wedge-tailed Woodcreepers and a
Northern Schiffornis stopped briefly near where we had heard one.
 |
| Spotted Woodcreeper |
A good mixed flock was found as we neared the top of the
steps containing various Tanagers, Slaty-capped Flycatchers, Russet Antshrikes
and a variety of Warblers with Black and White, Golden-winged, Golden-crowned
and Chestnut-sided.
Back at the veranda the Black and Yellow Tanagers were
putting on a show and the Hummers were vying for blooms with the Bananquits and Butterflies. I had
only just commented that the white rump band on a Black-crested Coquette
resembled some of the European Hummingbird Hawkmoths when an immature male Green Thorntail
arrived to show off the same feature shortly followed by a similar sized moth
with that pattern just to confuse us! The joys of evolution. I am not sure what
the white patch does but it actually makes both bird and moth more visible to
my eye.
 |
| Red-lored Amazons - Neil Colgate |
 |
| Rufous-tailed Jacamar - it would have been one of my best images this trip |
 |
| but moments later I took this Passerini's Tanager and missing bill tips were forgotten |
 |
| Fucraea - how wondrous |
 |
| Grey-headed Chachalacas |
 |
| Black and Yellow Tanager |
 |
| Black and Yellow Tanager |
 |
| Green Thorntail |
 |
| Green Thorntail |
 |
| Green Thorntail |
Breakfast was taken with the gang of Collared Aracaris and a
pair of Hook-billed Kites that drifted over.
All too soon it was time to pack up and leave.
 |
| Collared Aracari |
 |
| Collared Aracari |
As usual we stopped a couple of times on the road out but
Fasciated Tiger Herons eluded us once again but there was still plenty to see
with Spotted Sandpipers and Black Phoebes on the rocks and Southern
Rough-winged Swallows were zipping around.
Short-tailed and Broad-winged Hawks circled with the Vultures and our
first Grey-rumped Swifts cruised low enough to see the salient features. The most bizarre sighting was of a Uniform
Crake that scuttle-flew across the road in front of the bus.
We veered off onto the Peninsular Road which I am sure is a
now a lot rougher than it was! It had warmed up and we moved from shady avenues
of forest trees to more open roadside banks.
As ever it was full of birds although we could not find Keel-billed
Motmot this time – only Broad-billed. The Icterid family was well represented
with Melodious Blackbirds and Great-tailed Grackles, Montezuma and
Chestnut-headed Oropendolas and a small group of Red-rumped Caciques. Yellow-billed Caciques were heard and
eventually seen but they are certainly a more elusive species than their
cousins. The various Tanagers included our first White-shouldered and Crimson
Collared and Band-backed Wren was heard along with Bay Wrens.
 |
| Broad-winged Hawk |
 |
| Broad-winged Hawk |
 |
| Chestnut-headed Oropendola |
White-faced Nunbirds were exactly where I saw them nearly
two years ago with at least six peering down at us between hunting for
insects. For a laugh I decided to look
at the solitary Cecropia to see if the Long-tailed Tyrants were ‘still there’ –
yep. Almost to the branch but when Ramon and I looked for the Great Potoo it
was not there – three out of three would have been just too freaky!
 |
| White-faced Nunbird |
 |
| White-faced Nunbirds |
 |
| White-faced Nunbird |
 |
| Long-tailed Tyrant |
 |
| Long-tailed Tyrant |
White-faced Nunbird - Jose Pablo Castillo
A pair of Barred Antshrikes started up and actually showed
very well along some Variable Seedeaters and two Black-cowled Orioles in the
same tangles. Jose picked up a Bare-crowned Antbird singing and a couple of us
got lucky with brief views of the gleaming blue top of the head and white wing
bars.
 |
| An 88 that felt the need to add a digit |
Out brief stop had taken two hours – no surprise really and
so we moved off and re-joined the main road on our route to next base – the
Celeste Mountain Lodge on the Tenorio foothills. As we worked our way around Arenal we made
several stops along the way picking up a couple of Red-breasted Meadowlarks
displaying from fence post while Blue-winged Teal, Great Blue and Green Herons
were noted in the fields along with our first Black-bellied Whistling Ducks.
One stop for some perched White-crowned Parrots proved quite productive with a
pair of Green Ibis, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Grey Hawks. Northern Tropical
Pewee, Masked and Black-crowned Tityras, Common Tody-Flycatchers and nesting
Olive-throated Parakeets. Large-billed Seedfinches, Morelet's and Variable Seedeaters were seen at the roadsides.
 |
| Black-crowned Tityra |
 |
| White-crowned Parrot |
 |
| Green Ibis |
 |
| Olive-throated Parakeet |
Olive-throated Parakeet - Jose Pablo Castillo
 |
| Common Tody-Flycatcher - Neil Colgate |
 |
| Common Tody-Flycatcher - Neil Colgate |
 |
| Large-billed Seedfinch - Neil Colgate |
Other parrots-things were seen too with Finsch’s and
Orange-chinned Parakeet and Red-lored and our first Northern Mealy Amazons.
Predictably Ramon found our first Laughing Falcon and we were even able to stop
for once and get the scopes on it. Such
big eyes.
 |
| Laughing Falcon - good eyes Ramon! |
Every bridge is always checked and although there never
seems to be a Sunbittern we did find both Amazon and Ringed Kingfishers in the
same view for some double tick action for the crew. We reached the lodge with a warm welcome from
Joel with the sun dipping below the hills while Pauraque called from the
gardens and Great Tinamous and Black-eared Wood-Quails could be heard from the
dark volcanic slope forests.
Well done Howard
ReplyDelete