Costa Rica- Roads near La Selva and Catarata del Toro (Day Two)

Our first full day in Costa Rica began with howler monkeys.


As we were getting ready to head to the roads near La Selva Biological Station Caroline spotted the local Black-and-White Owl perched in bamboo.


It hung out in this same spot every day we were there.

Eventually we made it to our birding destination, only 2.4 km from the hotel.  Birds were abundant and new and exciting. 

 Green Ibis

First we walked the road to Puerto Viejo River.

 Blue Dacnis

 Short-billed Pigeons

 First two-toed sloth of the trip! 


Purple-crowned Fairy

The end of the road is a muddy trail down to the river.


Green Kingfisher

By the river we found another sloth, flyover Keel-billed Toucans and Great Green Macaws, howler monkeys, and a Spotted Sandpiper.  Also, the rain started which dumped off and on the rest of our time on this road. 

Sloth #2:  closer yet harder to see

 Pink bananas, possibly an invasive ornamental plant in the tropics (native to India)

 Soggy Broad-billed Motmot

Cinnamon Woodpecker waiting for a downpour to end


White-ringed Flycatcher (pretty sure)

 Streak-headed Woodcreeper

 Yellow-throated Toucans

 Social Flycatcher/Great Kiskadee combo

 Red-lored Parrots


Slaty-tailed Trogons

 Keel-billed Toucan 




We did pretty well despite all the rain!  Next we drove the very short distance to the road that leads to the entrance of La Selva.  The sun came out and we walked the road finding more cool birds.  And this spider:

Trichonephila clavipes?  

 Olive-backed Euphonia

 Cinnamon Becard

 Cinnamon Becard chuckling


Long-tailed Tyrants

Tiny wasp nest

 Ruddy Ground Dove

 Northern Barred-Woodcreeper

Red-throated Ant-Tanager

 Black-throated Trogon, with and without snack


Plain Xenops


Fasciated Antshrike dismantling that fluffy caterpillar


Semiplumbeous Hawk

Complete checklist for this road here.  We went back to the hotel for lunch and checked out some bats that were roosting on the back wall of some of the rooms.

Long-nosed I think (Rhynchonycteris naso)

From the hotel we drove out to Catarata del Toro, a coffee/waterfall/garden spot with hummingbird feeders.   Along the way we of course found some birds. 

Red-breasted Meadowlark

 Groove-billed Ani

 Gray Hawk

 Black-striped Sparrow

At the waterfall we checked out some of the trails while some dude in the seating area put a hummingbird feeder on a chair and took flash photos of birds that came to it.  Kinda weird. 



I was excited to see this Sooty-faced Finch but it was SO dark...


The trails had some nice birds but with how dark it was I didn't photograph much.  Our complete checklist is here, and some people taking cell phone photos of the waterfall are here:


For dinner we stopped at another lodge and I had my first Costa Rican IPA.  Not terrible!

How does the U.S. still not have to put ingredients on beer labels??  

It was another amazing day in Costa Rica which ended with my 100th lifer for the trip.  Not bad for only two days of birding.  Good times!!!

Comments

  1. Wow another amazing day of birding and other good stuff the sloth so cool...I love those Long Tailed Tyrant just so cute. Really Super!

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    Replies
    1. Yes, the tyrants were awesome! We were able to watch them flying out for insects with those fancy tails blowing around.

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  2. Wow! Such a variety of brightly colored birds!
    The Black-throated Trogon is definitely my favorite.
    Costa Rica is definitely on my bucket list!

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    Replies
    1. I was psyched on the abundance and variety of trogons down there. We had five species plus the Resplendent Quetzal, which I think is technically a trogon also. Hope you're able to bird there one day!

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    2. Wow! 5 species is pretty cool. I've still only got one trogon: Narina Trogon (Kenya). Red-headed Trogons can be seen here in BD, but it's not easy.

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