A WALK IN THE HOTEL GROUNDS - ALL DAY VISIT TO ARENAL OBSERVATORY LODGE - LATE AFTERNOON VISIT TO PENINSULA ROAD
WEATHER: dry all day, quite warm in the afternoon and humid
Our 6am meet in the hotel grounds produced a few more species for the list, the area was alive with activity, mainly with flycatchers. We found our first Tropical Pewee which is also a flycatcher. A pair of Swallowtail Kites drifted over, they brought out a few superlatives from the group. We found a couple of Pale-vented Pigeons and watched House Wrens singing from the roof-tops. Northern Waterthrushes bobbed about on the grass verges with Variable Seedeaters and Yellow-faced Grassquits.
After our breakfast we boarded the bus for the short drive around Arenal Lake to the Obsrvatory Hotel were we spent most of the day. Along the way we stopped to watch a White Hawk perched close to the road, what a magnificent creature!
The White Hawk - a ghost of a bird - taken by Kevin Jones
In the car park at Arenal Observatory a fruiting avocado tree was full of birds, there must have been 10-15 species in there. We found a couple of new Tanagers, Rufous-winged was a beauty as was Bay-headed, Summer, Silver-throated and Golden-hooded Tanagers. A star bird appeared in the shape of a Golden-browed Chlorophonia, that went down well with the group.
Golden-browed Chlorophonia
At the feeding station near the main terrace of the grounds we watched dozens of species, the beautiful Emerald Tanager put in an appearance there and later the Hepatic Tanager was seen by some of the group. A huge range of species fed on the 'free' offerings at the feeders, ranging in size from the huge Great Curassow to the tiny Yellow-throated Euphonia. It was so busy out there and quite mid-boggling for most of the group!
Emerald Tanager with a couple of Red-legged Honeycreepers, picture by Kevin Jones
Jason had to drag us away for our first walk along the trails, we passed through the well kept gardens where a few hummers were feeding on the plentiful flowering plants. We added Scaly-breasted and Purple-crowned Hummingbirds to the list but the most-wanted Black-crested Cocquet did not put in an appearance.
Scaly-breasted Hummingbird
We watched a Golden-olive Woodpecker at the start of the 'waterfall' trail, but the trail itself did not produced that many sightings. We heard quite a few species but seeing them was a different matter. We had good views of a Wedge-billed Woodcreeper, Scale-crested Tyrannulet and lots of common species.
Wedge-billed Woodcreeper one of the smallest woodcreepers
Towards the end of the walk we worked hard to get views of a Striped Wren, what a beauty that one was, we also found Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher and Buff-rumped Warbler. Jason then spotted a Tamandua, a small anteater.
walking the trails at Arenal Observatory
We had lunch in the main restaurant and had to dash out to see an Ornate Hawk-Eagle that everyone on the terrace was shouting about, it was very high up. Our second walk produced a few more species, we found Slaty-tailed Trogon and a Pit Viper near the suspension bridge. Carmiol's Tanager was new and those that stayed at the feeders saw the hepatic Tanager. Generally the walk was unproductive, mid-afternoon is always quiet and it is difficult to find birds. Jason did pull a King Vulture out of the bag, this was also quite high up.
Hepatic Tanager with the Costa Rican national bird the Clay-colored Thrush - taken by Kevin Jones
The last couple of hours was spent walking the track around the Peninsula of the Arenal Lake. we searched for the Keel-billed Motmot but found only the Broad-billed. We did bump into quite a lot of species and we heard even more without seeing them.
Broad-billed Motmot
Slaty-tailed Trogon
a bit of a scuffle between two Yellow-throated Euphonias - captured by Kevin Jones
Red-throated Ant-Tanager was seen well, Fasciated Antshrike showed to a couple of us, as did Bare-crowned Antbird. We saw the Keel-billed Toucan and Collared Aracari, Thicket Antpitta was heard only and a Whte-shouldered Tanager showed to a couple of the group.
Red-throated Ant-Tanager
the Eye-lashed Pit Viper
It soon got dark and we set off back to our hotel, we saw several Common Pauraque (nightjars) along the approach track to the hotel.