We got up early to explore the hotel grounds before taking breakfast at 6am! Our first birds were soon in the bag: Clay-coloured Thrush(the national bird of CostaRica), White-winged Dove and a Kisskadee. A few Martins flew over distantly, too far to identify. A Great-tailed Grackle flew over and a Varigated Squirrel ran passed our bedroom window.
Our guide for the week turned up on time at 6:30am after we had taken our breakfast. We were soon on the road to the cloud forest but first we had to negociate San jose. It was a nightmare, the traffic was horrendous and it took 2 hour sto pass through the city.
SPOTTED ANTBIRD
BALTIMORE ORIOLEOnce back on open roads we settled down and noted some birds, Grackles, Black Vultures and more Kisskadees. Our stop was just passed the entrance to Braulio Carillo Nature Reserve, it is a private site with forest walks. Our first ever Hummingbird was found, the Rufous –tailed variety. Next on the trail we found an ant swarm with some interestingbirds in attendance. We saw Barred Woddcreeper, Spotted Antbird and Ocellated Antbird, lovely birds.
SPECTACLED OWLThen a small mixed-flock of tanagers flew by. Over the next couple of hours this type of birding was repeated several times and one particular mixed flock had close on 50 birds in it. Some species that stand out in my mind were: Passerine Tanager, Red-legged Honey Creeper, White Shouldered Tanager, Tawny Crested Tanager, Tawny Capped Euphonia, Yellow-crowned Euphonia, White-collared Manakin, Cinnamon Becard, Green Hermit…..oh the list goes on, you get the picture. The dense undergrowth held several species which we could not see and we walked over many lines of Leaf-Cutter Ants.
AMAZON KINGFISHERAfter th great excitement of the morning we drove to a roadside restaurant for a lovely lunch of chicken, rice and beans. During lunch we sat on a terrace and logged Laughing Falcon, Bat Falcon, Orange-chinned Parakeet, Chestnut Headed Oropendola, Cattle Egret, House Sparrow, Long-tailed grackle.
Our last stop for the day was our next hotel which is located near Sarapiqui and is called Helconoia Island. It is literally an island hotel, surrounded by a triangle of two rivers and a stream. It has a fantastic 5 acres of stunning garden and a bird list to die for.
PASSERINI TANAGER (FORMERLY SCARLET RUMPED TANAGER)What a time we had, we must have logged 30-40 species where we stood, it was fantastic. The garden was equally as good, there were many flowering plants which attracted all kinds of species and severalmammalstoo! We saw Monitor Lizards, Otters in the river, both the Tow and Three Toed Sloths, Howler Monkeys and several nice butterflies. Some bright birds spring to mind, Chestnut Mandibled Toucan, Red-lored Parrot, Collared Aracari, Amazon Kingfisher, Mangrove Swallow, Boat-billed, Social, Grey-capped and White-ringed Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tyrant, Bananaquit and many others. The star bird for me was the Spectacled Owl-what a beauty and what a garden.
TROPICAL KINGBIRD
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