A WALK AROUND THE HOTEL AREA AND A LOCAL PRIVATE HOUSING ESTATE NEAR GARITA
WEATHER: hot and sunny, humid. 27C
I Arrived in San José, Costa Rica, late evening on the 21st with no time for birding, just an evening of relaxation with time to settle into my accommodation.
After an early morning breakfast at a local restaurant I went for a birding walk. The amount of birds in the area was amazing, bird calls came from all directions. I took my time to walk back to the hotel and found quite a few species without trying too hard. Great-tailed Grackles were everywhere with Clay Colored Thrushes just as abundant.
Red-lored Parrots flew over, a beautiful adult male Yellow Warbler fed in a tree with two male Rose-throated Becards. I didn’t have my scope with me so no pics yet. Both Southern Rough-winged and Blue-and-white Swallows flew over as did Black Vulture, Vaux’s Swift, Yellow-headed Caracara, Inca Dove, White-winged Dove and White-tipped Dove.
Back in my room I assembled my scope and set off for a walk around the private housing estate next to the hotel, it was brimming with common species, Rufous-naped Wren, Great Kiskadee, Tropical Kingbird, Tropical Mockingbird and all the doves.
the very common Rufous-naped Wren
Tropical Kingbird
Groove-billed Ani
Inca Dove with a female Yellow Warbler
White-tipped Dove
I found my first two hummers, a Long-billed Starthroat and a Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, the former posed well for a picky, but was flushed by two walkers, I also found Blue-and-gray Tanagers, Cinamon-bellied Saltator , I saw a black and yellow Oriole but could not get enough on it for an ID.
Tropical Mockingbird showing off its undertail feathers
a Brown Basilisk Lizard
Down by a stream I found Green Kingfisher and some Variable Seedeaters, I also spotted a couple of juvenile Brown Basilisk Lizards, a Variegated Squirrel, lots of butterflies and a couple of dragonflies.
Tomorrow we all meet up for breakfast and the tour starts at 9am, watch this space.