WALKING THE TRAILS OF HACIENDA BARU ALL MORNING - AFTERNOON WALK IN THE MARSHES AT PASO
WEATHER: bright sunshine until mid-afternoon then cloudy and evening rain. Top temp 28C
We started the day well with a huge tick for our list in shape of a Common Potoo! We were told where to look for it and Jason found it easily once we were looking in the correct tree. We only saw a juvenile, there was no sign of the adult birds.
A Common Potoo, this is a juvenile bird we couldn't find the adults
From the restaurant area we saw many species already logged by us, but the Red-headed Woodpecker was new and Jason pulled out a Crowned Woodnymph Hummingbird. White-fronted Parrots showed well as did Orange-chinned Parakeets, a Scarlet Macaw flew over twice.
Piratic Flycatcers were seen at the lodge and were quite common throughout the day
After breakfast we took one of the forest trails around the hotel, we spent 4 hours walking it. Rachel, who took a tumble early this morning found it hard going but she completed the walk. We saw plenty of species but not many new ones for the list.
Olivaceous Piculet is a tiny woodpecker, it was seen on two separate occasions and is one of my favourite birds of Costa Rica. We had views of Riverside Wren, The Blue-throated Goldentail Hummingbird was special and the Orange-collared Manakin lifted the group into a state of high excitement, what a beautiful bird!
Orange Collared Manakin was a show stopper today
An Olive-crowned Yellowthroat gave us the run-aroud for a while but we all got to see it and the beautiful Prothonotary Warbler showed well too. We bumped into some antbirds, antshrikes, flycatchers and tanagers adding to our excitement on this wonderful forest trail. The Black-hooded Antshrike was calling constantly and we had good views of a female.
Protonotary Warbler taken by Brian Fairbrother
We found a Crane Hawk sitting nicely and we spent a lot time trying to get a glimpse of a Streak-chested Antpitta, it was calling very close to the track. Eventually it broke cover and dashed across the track but only two people saw it.
Crane
Crane Hawk
A Yellow-naped Woodpecker was new for the list and the Lineated Woodpecker was seen a couple of times. We finished off with a Slaty-tailed Trogon which sat just above us on the trail and did not budge as we walked beneath it.
White-lined Bat seen in the hole of a tree
An Agouti scoffing some fallen fruit
For the afternoon session we drove a few kilometers along the road to Quepos and turned onto a track with open fileds and small pools of water. We stood on the track for a couple of hours without walking too far, we had plenty of birds all around us to keep us busy.
A female Black-hooded Antshrike
The star bird should have been the Mangrove hummingbird which is an endemic species, but a pair of very showy Pygmy Kingfsihers stole the show. They were amazing and seemingly very tame, they came very close to us. We saw Grey-cowled Wood-Rail for the first time and a Green Heron put in an appearance.
American Pygmy Kingfiser is tiny
Jason try to call out a Pale-breasted Spinetail, it flitted in the tall grass but did not show to the group. Ruby-throated and Green-breasted Mango hummers flitted about the flowering trees and plenty of flycatchers were zooming around. At least three Scissor-tailed Flycatchers flew over during the time we were there.
The endemic Mangrove Hummingbird
A large flock of White Ibis fed in the fields and took to the air a couple of time, ideal for the photographers. We found a Peregrine on a comm's tower and a Common Black Hawk flew over. A pair of Lineated woodpecker showed well but distant and Red-headed Woodpeckers seemed to be everywhere.
Blue-chested Goldentail taken earlier today by Brian Fairborther
Jason attracted a few warblers by playing the call of the Pygmy Owl, we saw Yellow, Tennessee, Chestnut-sided and Prothonotary Warblers well as Common Tody Flycatcher and the hummers mentioned above.
Red-headed Woodpecker
Before it got dark we drove into Dominical and headed to a popular beach where the the River Baru flows into the sea. We didn't see a lot, there was far too much human activity. A Ringed Kingfisher had caought a fish and was beating its brains out on a log, two or three Spotted Sandpipers fed along the shingle banks and dozen of Great-tailed Grackles were gathering on the river bank, a pre-roost get together.
sunset on the beach at Dominical
Little Blue Herons, Yellow-headed Carcaras, a couple of Royal Terns and distant Magnificent Frigatebirds were the last of our sigtings for the day.