Costa Rica for Bird's Wildlife & Nature - Day 6 - 9th November 2024

With much higher water levels we were able to board our boat from the hotel gardens and headed out into the lagoon and then up river a ways. It was a far different experience to my previous visits with no visible river banks at all and I suspect six or seven feet of extra water that took the river up to and through the trees.

As such the birding was also different with far fewer heronry type birds but a wealth of small species foraging in the trees, often at low level.

There were plenty of singing Wrens with Black-throated, House, Bay, Spot-breasted and Black-throated and a superb selection of New World Warblers with Chestnut-sided and Yellow Warblers mingling with Golden-winged and Bay-breasted and ridiculously bright Prothonotaries which look like a steely blue bird has been clasped by the tail and dipped in a tin of the richest cadmium yellow paint. Unlike many such coloured birds there is not even any demarcation of ear coverts or crown feathers – it is simply solid yellow and they never cease to amaze me.

Golden-winged Warbler 

Prothonotary Warbler

Northern Waterthrush dashed across the fast flowing river calling loudly and a Grey-crowned Yellowthroat showed very well in some reedy vegetation while in the trees behind two male Hooded Warblers played chase.  This was one of my most wanted North American warblers.  A Yellow-throated Vireo was watched despatching a large hairy caterpillar.

Yellow-throated Vireo

The dry start did not last too long and persistent rain soon began to fall but it did not really bother the birds too much. There were quite a few Flycatchers with Great Crested and Dusky-capped, Northern Tropical Pewee, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Yellow, Mistletoe and Yellow-bellied Tyrannulets (another new one for me).

Great Crested Flycatcher

Northern Jacana

Anhinga

Anhinga

Green Ibis

Green Heron

Neotropic Cormorant

Little Blue Heron

Great White Egret - the big birds were easier to photograph

It looked idyllic but that all changed

Green Kingfisher - Neil Colgate

Black-crowned Tityras were in the tree tops and White-browed Gnatcatchers and Cinnamon Becards gave us some close views unlike Dusky and Bare-crowned Antbirds which remained stubbornly hidden from us. We search for Yellow-tailed Orioles with no joy but did see several parties of Baltimores as they moved through with a host of the regular Tanagers.  Green, Amazon and Ringed Kingfishers were all seen but seldom stayed still for long but the river was too fast flowing of American Pygmy.  A male Slaty-tailed Trogon stared down at us.

Green Kingfisher

Amazon Kingfisher

Ringed Kingfisher

Baltimore Oriole

Both Caracaras were overhead but the light was too poor to pick out any Lesser Yellow-headed Vultures although we did see a damp Roadside Hawk and our first Osprey.  Red-lored Amazons and Olive-throated Parakeets were in the treetops with Pale-vented Pigeons and some monster Green Iguanas which were ignored by the Mantled Howlers and White-faced Capuchin troops that we found.

Pale-vented Pigeon

Red-lored Amazon

Slaty-tailed Trogon

Green Iguana

Green Iguana

Emerald Basilisk

White-faced Capuchin

White-faced Capuchin

Mantled Howler

Breakfast saw us return to shore feeling like we had just scratched the surface of this amazing wetland. A male Black-headed Trogon greeted us upon our return and its behaviour mirrored that of the Slaty-tailed and it came in closer to give us a hard look! They are funny birds.

Black-headed Trogon

Black-headed Trogon

Black-headed Trogon

There was time after breakfast for a final walk around the gardens and we got most of the crew onto Spot-breasted Wren and Grey-headed Dove while a Bronzy Hermit did not linger.  A Yellow-olive Flatbill showed well with Mistletoe Tyrannulet and Common Tody Flycatcher for company and Dusky-capped Flycatchers, Streak-headed Woodcreepers and Yellow-throated Euphonias were all feeding on one small bush near the chalets.

Bronzy Hermit - Neil Colgate

Yellow-throated Euphonia

Black Vulture

Cocoa flowers

Streak-headed Woodcreeper - Neil Colgate

There was one more treat in store and Jose found an American Pygmy Kingfisher sat up under the lagoon edge bushes where it fed unconcerned by our presence. With such high water levels this was a great bird to get back – smiles all round.

American Pygmy Kingfisher

American Pygmy Kingfisher

American Pygmy Kingfisher - Bruce Rolls

It was soon time to hit the road again and we retraced our steps of yesterday up to Medio Queso stopping along the way once again to watch Ringed Kingfishers, some close roadside Double Striped Thick-knees and at least one Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture.  It was hot and sunny at this point but once again the rain descended as we reached the wetlands. How frustrating.  We stopped on the approach road and scanned the marshes while trying to avoid getting too wet.  White-throated Crakes were giggling on either side and we even got to see one this time while a male Nicaraguan Seedfinch was using the big pink bill to delicately nibble at tiny rice seeds. 

Double Striped Thick-knee & Southern Lapwing

Ringed Kingfisher

Red-winged Blackbird- Neil Colgate

Red-winged Blackbird- Neil Colgate

We got lucky with the other Nicaraguan speciality – the Grackle – and I found a female going for a ride on the back of a cow that was almost completely invisible in the tall grasses. Blue-winged Teals were seen in flight and a Pinnated Bittern popped up for a look-see before retracting its serpentine neck.  The rain was increasing and we abandoned our birding attempts and started to make our way south. Lunch was taken at the Iguana café where as usual the mighty reptiles were the stars (although the Dragonfruit drink was rather fab too) but the rain continued to fall steadily.  

We arrived at La Quinta in Sarapiqui not long before dusk and bags were quickly dropped so that we could have a look around but a huge thunderstorm broke overhead and the skies darkened and the flashing back end of a Buff-rumped Warbler was the only bird we saw before retreating.

All the walkways are covered between the rooms and dining area at La Quinta which at least meant we could get out after dinner to look for frogs!

Red-eyed Treefrog

Hourglass Treefrog

Hourglass Treefrog