birding never sleeps: COSTA RICA 2022: the southern bits (28 April-03 May)

This is the third of five blogs covering a trip to Costa Rica with Nick Preston and Paul Noakes. Paul was the instigator and to all intents and purposes Nick and I went long for the ride. A very good ride it was too, far exceeding expectations. Photos are mine and Paul's (credited, although being bigger and better are easy to spot).

Thursday 28 April. The heavy rain continued for much of the night but it was dry before dawn. We had an excellent early morning around the garden with White-crested Coquette and particularly Scintillant Hummingbird the highlights. We’d been lucky to stay at Bosque del Tolomuco with the elderly owners selling up and moving to the coast. After a quick breakfast we left at 06:50 and arrived at El Peje, an area of Del Monte pineapple crops just off Highway 2. Here while parked on some open ground 0.5km south of town and wondering where to go a local birder stopped and asked us what we were looking for. He told us he’d seen a couple of Turquoise Cotingas that morning and directed us to a muddy dirt track he had emerged from. Rosy Thrush-Tanagers were in most patches of woodland and again he indicated somewhere a couple of km away. We tried his cotinga site but saw nothing in an hour. It was getting hot and we feared we might be too late in the day. Most of the area was fairly flat and had been cleared for pineapples with thin strips of forest separating them which, from a distance, looked more substantial blocks than they were. We decided to try a junction off Highway 2 just over a km SE of El Peje where there were some recent ebird sightings. It was an inspired decision as we arrived to find a local ebirder (I thought he was called Leandro but looking at ebird lists I can’t find him) watching a male Turquoise Cotinga in a fruiting tree. Amazing, but he then proceeded to show us photos on his phone of nearby Rosy Thrush-Tanager and Green Shrike-Vireo and offered to show us them. It seemed too good to be true but we had little to loose. We followed him on his motorbike along a track into the pineapple plantation and after a 100m walk and a bit of tape playing a superb Green Shrike-Vireo appeared. We then returned to the rough ground we’d first stopped at and in the nearest woodland, less than 100m from where we had been wondering where to go, taped in a superb Rosy Thrush-Tanager. We paid him $40 although Nick was only prepared to contribute $10. Our guide seemed very pleased with the money so perhaps Nick was right that we’d been too generous. We drove to Buenas Aires keen to replace our damaged tyre. We found a garage on the edge of town but they were unable to repair it and directed us into town to buy a new one. Nowhere was obvious but we flagged down two motorcycle policemen who lead us through a couple of back streets to a building we would never have found ourselves. We bought a replacement, the last they appeared to have, and returned to the garage for the tyre to be fitted. We were back on the road by 12:00 and arrived at Las Cruces and the Wilson Botanical Gardens soon after 15:00, but not before the rain. It looked a very impressive place, Nick and me in one room and Paul another. Paul had arranged for local guide Jiesson to guide us the following morning and spoke to him to confirm it.

Bosque del Tolomuco

White-crested Coquette at Bosque del Tolomuco

White-crested Coquette at Bosque del Tolomuco (photos: Paul Noakes)

White-tailed Emerald at Bosque del Tolomuco (photos: Paul Noakes)

Violet Sabrewing at Bosque del Tolomuco (photo: Paul Noakes)

Grey-tailed Mountaingem at Bosque del Tolomuco (photo: Paul Noakes)

Scintillant Hummingbird at Bosque del Tolomuco

Scintillant Hummingbird at Bosque del Tolomuco (photo: Paul Noakes)

Panamanian White-faced Capuchins at Bosque del Tolomuco

Panamanian White-faced Capuchin at Bosque del Tolomuco (photo: Paul Noakes)

male Turquoise Cotinga near El Peje

male Turquoise Cotinga near El Peje (photo: Paul Noakes)

partially obscured Green Shrike-Vireo at El Peje

what the Green Shrike-Vireo really looked like - rather brilliant (photos: Paul Noakes)

Rosy Thrush-Tanager at El Peje

Rosy Thrush-Tanager at El Peje (photos: Paul Noakes)

Grey-cowled Wood-Rail at El Peje

Friday 29 April. We met Jiesson at 05:30 and birded around the Wilson Botanical Gardens seeing Snowy-bellied Hummingbird, Fiery-billed Aracari, Spot-crowned Euphonia and Costa Rican Brushfinch before returning for breakfast at 06:20. At 07:00 we left and drove a short distance along a dirt track into the hills to look for Ruddy Foliage-Gleaner. In a couple of hours we failed to elicit any response in isolated forest patches, first by the track then on a hillside through a farm. It was very slow going until we saw a Baird’s Trogon on our return. Back at Las Cruces Jiesson took us along the main trail for a couple of hours where we saw a superb male Orange-collared Manakin and tantalizingly heard Ruddy Foliage-Gleaner several times but it never called consistently or showed itself at all. After Jiesson left we drove to a nearby site for Chiriqui Yellowthroat, seeing a pair in a damp overgrown field without too much difficulty. By now it was drizzling steadily and we returned to Las Cruces where we walked to the Observation Tower. I climbed it but the cloud had come down and it was impossible to see very far. As the rain increased we returned to our rooms, me to work on my response to VISA which preoccupied me and I didn’t notice the rain lessening before dusk. Paul did and ventured out onto the ‘football pitch’ trail seeing 3 Marbled Wood-Quail which was rather gripping.

Yellow-throated Toucan in Wilson's Botanical Gardens, Las Cruces

Snowy-bellied Hummingbird in Wilson's Botanical Gardens, Las Cruces (photos: Paul Noakes)

Elegant Euphonia in Wilson's Botanical Gardens, Las Cruces

Elegant Euphonia in Wilson's Botanical Gardens, Las Cruces (photos: Paul Noakes)

Fiery-billed Aracari in Wilson's Botanical Gardens, Las Cruces

Fiery-billed Aracari in Wilson's Botanical Gardens, Las Cruces (photo: Paul Noakes)

Chestnut-sided Warbler at Las Cruces (photo: Paul Noakes)

Golden-hooded Tanager at Las Cruces (photo: Paul Noakes)

Yellow Warbler at Las Cruces

White-ruffed Manakin at Las Cruces (photo: Paul Noakes)

Baird's Trogon at Las Cruces

Baird's Trogon at Las Cruces (photos: Paul Noakes)

Chiriqui Yellowthroat near Las Cruces

Saturday 30 April. We tried for the Marbled wood-Quai at first light but only heard one rather distantly before returning for breakfast at 06:00. We tried the main trail again drawing another blank with Ruddy Foliage-Gleaner, not even hearing one, but a male Blue-crowned Manakin was some compensation. After a last look around the Wilson Botanical Gardens and final views of Snowy-bellied Hummingbird and Fiery-billed Aracari we drove to Coto 47 outside Cuidad Nielly. Despite extensive searching in unpleasantly hot conditions we failed to find any Veraguan Mangos in the limited hummingbird habitat between paddyfields. Five Bare-necked Tiger-Herons were the pick of the limited wetland species seen, which included a few waders to keep Nick happy. Dark clouds approached when we were out on a track through some paddyfields but we just made it back to the car before the heavens opened. It was a two hour drive on to Danta Corcovado Lodge on the Osa Peninsular, arriving just before dusk. Our accommodation and surroundings exceeded expectations and was amongst the best we had on the trip.

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher at Las Cruces (photos: Paul Noakes)

Lesson's Motmot at Las Cruces (photo: Paul Noakes)

Green Heron at Coto 47

Bare-throated Tiger-Heron at Coto 47

Sunday 01 May. We left Danta Corcovado Lodge about 05:50 and drove to Rincon Bridge where we arrived soon after 06:00. After a few minutes scanning a distant male Yellow-billed Cotinga was spotted. We stayed to 08:50 seeing at least 6 and probably 8 or 9 cotingas but most were distant and those seen closer quickly moved on. As impressive were the Scarlet Macaws flying over, heading NW in pairs. We returned to the lodge for an excellent breakfast then walked its trails until 15:00 seeing most of the desired species including Golden-naped Woodpecker, Black-hooded Antshrike, Tawny-winged Woodcreeper, Riverside Wren and Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager. Rain while we were on the Canopy Tower at 10:00 was early but we were able to shelter on the lower level until it passed over. Late afternoon we drove to Playa Sandalo and walked along the beach looking for Mangrove Hummingbird which Nick found feeding in a flowering tree on the edge of the mangroves. We were back in La Palma where we had a meal in a local bar. Arroz con pollo again for me, after skipping an evening meal yesterday. Rain started in earnest as soon as we were back in our cabin.

Yellow-billed Cotinga from the Rincon Bridge (photos: Paul Noakes)

decent scope views but they never sat up close

Mangrove Swallow at the Rincon Bridge

Mangrove Swallow at the Rincon Bridge (photo: Paul Noakes)

Grey-capped Flycatcher from the Rincon Bridge

Slaty-tailed Trogon near the Rincon Bridge

our 'chalet' at Danta Corcovado

Blue Dacnis at Danta Corcovado (photo: Paul Noakes)

one of the taller trees at Danta Corcovado

Short-billed Pigeon at Danta Corcovado (photo: Paul Noakes)

Black-hooded Antshrike from the trail at Danta Corcovado

it deserved a better/more appropriate name

White Hawk from the observation tower at Danta Corcovado (photo: Paul Noakes)

Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager at Danta Corcovado

Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager at Danta Corcovado (photo: Paul Noakes)

Green Kingfisher at Danta Corcovado

Mangrove Hummingbird at Playa Sandalo (photo: Paul Noakes)

Spotted Sandpiper at Playa Sandalo

Spotted Sandpiper at Playa Sandalo (photos: Paul Noakes)

Monday 02 May. We were up at dawn and soon after walked the trails up to the Lookout Tower where we spent a couple of hours before returning for breakfast. Paul found a Charming Hummingbird on the Verbena near the car park which Nick and I successfully twitched. After a brief return to our cabin we revisited the Lookout Tower where I had a tantalizing view of what looked like a Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet but didn’t respond to tape. We spent more time on the trails where Paul taped in a Chiriqui Foliage-Gleaner but otherwise we saw similar species to yesterday. It was very hot and humid but remained dry. We drove 2km past the lodge and walked along the road without seeing much. Returning I walked up to the Lookout Tower to watch the sunset.

Yellow-edged Giant Owl at Danta Corcovado

Red-lored Amazon at Danta Corcovado (photo: Paul Noakes)

Pale-billed Woodpecker at Danta Corcovado

Rufous Jacamar at Danta Corcovado

White-necked Puffbird at Dante Corcovado (photo: Paul Noakes)

Central American Squirrel Monkey at Dante Corcovado (photo: Paul Noakes)

Nick and leafcutter ants, Danta Corcovado

Charming Hummingbird by the lodge at Danta Corcovado

Charming Hummingbird at Danta Corcovado (photos: Paul Noakes)

male Dot-winged Antwren at Danta Corcovado (photo: Paul Noakes)

female Dot-winged Antwren at Danta Corcovado (photo: Paul Noakes)

Spot-crowned Euphonia at Danta Corcovado (photo: Paul Noakes)

Brown Basilisk Lizard at Danta Corcovado

Yellow-throated Toucan at Danta Corcovado

Tawny-winged Woodcreeper at Danta Corcovado (photo: Paul Noakes)

Northern Mealy Amazon at Danta Corcovado (photo: Paul Noakes)

Tuesday 03 May. Our final morning at Danta Corcovado looked to be a dry one and we were up soon after 04:00 for an hour’s owling which produced no responses. We returned to Rincon Bridge from 05:30-07:15 but the Yellow-billed Cotingas were even less obliging than previously with all 6 I saw being in flight. Again I failed to take any photos. Back at the lodge we had an hour on the trails before breakfast and half an hour after, packed and left just after 10:00. More epic driving by Paul got us to Cerro Lodge near Carara in 4 hours. We were disappointed to learn that their Observation Tower was out of operation so we decided to try and find some mangroves near the entrance of the Rio Tarcoles. The lodge was on the north side of the river and the dirt road we’d come in on headed south so we continued down it but it petered out, meeting the river in open grassland. We returned to the main road and drove down to Carara to find out about access for the following morning. The heavens opened as we arrived and we were dismayed to discover that Carara didn’t open until 08:00 although one could often go in with a guide before then, there usually being guides around from 07:30 or earlier. We continued to Playa Azul near the mouth of the Rio Tarcoles to suss out any likely mangroves. We soon found some, the rain stopped and Paul taped in a Mangrove Vireo before the rain started again. We were back at Cerro Lodge at 16:15 by which time the rain was torrential again.