BOUGAINVILLEA GARDENS – FREEDDO FRESA HUMMINGBIRD GARDEN – CINCHONA HUMMINGBIRD VIEWING PLATFORM AND RESTAURANT – LA VIRGEN VALLEY AND RIVER – TRANSFER TO LA SELVA
WEATHER: sunshine all day, cloudy later, a nice breeze.
It was another action packed full-on birding day, we birded from 6am until 5pm and saw over 80 species including some endemics and plenty of hummers.
Our 6am garden walk at the hotel Bougainvillea was well worth the effort, we spent two hour sauntering around the exquisite collection of trees, shrubs and flowers enjoying many great sightings. We added afew new species to the list but mostly we saw same species as yesterday.
Bougainvillea Gardens
The Rose-breasted Grosbeak went down well with the group, we saw two males. That sighting was quickly followed by a Yellow-headed Carcara, this bird was attacking its own reflection in a shiny chimney, very comical to watch.
We had much better views of Cabinis’s Wren and we searched in vain for White-faced Ground Sparrow. The Rufous-capped Warbler was a little more obliging and most of us saw it whilst the large, colourful Lineated Woodpecker (2 of them) showed extremely well. A new hummer, the Blue-vented Hummingbird posed well for us in the morning light.
the Mottled Owl showed much better today!
We left the hotel at 9:30am and headed into the mountains near the Poas Vulcona (which had erupted a couple of weeks ago!!). It was quiet today, we headed for Poasito to view a hummingbird garden but our plans we thwarted somewhat when we were diverted due to a road-closure. It took nearly two hours to make the usual 1 hour journey. We noted Red-tailed and Short-tailed Hawks, Cattle Egrets and Vultures along the way.
Vulcano Hummingbird - taken by Chris Perry
At the hummingbird garden we added 5 new hummers to the list, our main target was the Green-crowned Brilliant, we saw that within minutes. Also Vulcano Hummingbird, Violet Sabrewing, Purple-throated Mountain-Gem and Talamanca Hummingbird.
A Violet Sabrewing - by Chris Perry
Several other species gave themselves up to us when we walked down a track into a wooded ravine, we saw about 20 species down there including Black-and-White Warbler, Golden-winged Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Spot-crowned Woodcreeper, Slatey-backed Redstart, Slaty Flowerpiercer and several others.
Lineated Woodpecker taken in the garden this morning by Chris Perry
We took lunch at the famous Cinchona Viewing Platform, it was crowed with people and packed with birds around the feeders. We added loads of species to the list, two endemic hummers were important to see, we got them both: Coppery-headed Emerald and Black-bellied Hummingbird.
at the Cinchone Restaurant viewing platform
A host of tanagers visited the feeders with Baltimore Orioles, Northern Emerald Toucanets, Red-headed Barbets, Montezuma Oropendolas and dozens of other birds.
Red-headed Barbet - by Chris Perry
Northern Emerald Toucanet - by Chris Perry
Our last birding was done in the valley below us, La Virgen Valley. We walked about a mile in late-afternoon cloudy conditions down to the river. We saw few new species but generally it was quiet, the light was beginning to fade.
Silver-throated Tanager - by Chris Perry
Varibale Seedeaters fed in the grass verges, Tropical Perulas moved around in the canopy, we added Black-throated Green Warbler, Collared Trogan and down at the river we saw Black Phebe, Torrent Tarranulet and American Dipper.
Bat Falcon - seen on the drive down to the Virgen Valley from Cinchona
Coati seen at the Bat Falcon site
It was 6pm when we arrived at La Selva, it was dark. We went straight into dinner and then completed our checklist. As we drove to our accommodation cabins we noted several Common Pauraque on the track, our last sighting of the day. I was in bed at 9:30pm, shattered!!