COSTA RICA - DEC 12TH 2011

At last, a full day-out birding once again! I was joined today by Phil (an American non-birder staying at the same hotel as us), Manuel and Roy both Costa Rican bird guides based at Quepos and Manuel Antonio respectively.

A POOR PICTURE OF SCARLET MACAW HIGH UP IN THE CANOPY

It was an early start, we set off at 5:30am for the 90 km drive north to Carara National park in the dark.

WHITE WHISKERED PUFFBIRD

We then spent all day walking the tracks and trails of this lovely tropical forest reserve. It has a great number of recorded species including those that overlap the north/south Pacific regional divide.

We started in the car park with a pair of Rufous-naped Wrens, they were building a huge nest high up in a tree. We then saw a group of 5 noisy Scarlet Macaws flying over, what a great start. After buying our entrance tickets we drove the short distance to the park entrance.

ORANGE-COLLARED MANAKIN


We then spent 3 hours walking a nice wide glade ad although is was very muddy we managed Ok.The birds came thick and fast: Long-billed Gnatwren, Blue-black Grosbeak, White-collared Puffback, Rufous-breasted Wren, Riverside Wren, Black-hooded Antshrike and Chestnut-backed Antbird. But the star of the show for me was the superb Barred Antshrike - what a stunner, we saw both the male and the superb female.

An open area to our left held a large pool of water and above it, in the overhanging trees a colony of Boat-billed Herons roosted, what an odd looking creature that one is! We also found Green Kingfisher and Roy saw an American Pygmy Kingfisher. Our excitement was increased as we found Tricolour heron, Green-backed heron, Northern Jacana, Northern Rough-winged Swallows and Dusky Flycatcher.

GREEN KINGFISHER (MALE)

On the return trip back to the car park we found: Streaked Flycatcher, Dot-winged Antwren, Slate-headed Tody Flycatcher and yellow-crowned Euphonia.

After a delicious lunch which was taken across the Rio Tarcoles, where we saw several very large Crocdiles from the bridge, we spent the aftern noon on a second trail.

BLUE-THROATED GOLDENTAIL


The afternoon culminated when we tracked down a calling Streaked-chested Antpitta, what agreat little bird this was, it looked like a thrush with a big eye and no tail!! We also had much better views of the Scarlet Macaws and added Turquoise-browed Motmot and White-whiskered Puffbird.
TURQUOISE-BROWED MOTMOT


Rain came in about 4pm and we drove all the way back through torrential down-pours.