August 3rd

The continuous growl of thunder and a fresh breeze brought light rain down the valley just after first light, as Brown Jays flopped about in the trees below and the ringing calls of bellbirds gained in confidence, backed by the wistful fluting of solitaires.
Melvin seemed on good form as we entered the Cloud Forest Preserve at 07.30 and walked on to the broad main trail, where we passed his initial test designed to see how good we were, correctly identifying an Olive-striped Flycatcher. We had not walked far when two things happened. It began to rain, though by no means heavily, and we encountered a mixed flock of birds by the trail that gave us two hours of the best birding many of us have ever had, let alone on this trip. A Slate-throated Redstart got the action going, followed soon after by a Lineated Foliage-gleaner and a few noisy (and nosy) Grey-breasted Wood-Wrens that appeared at much the same time as a beautiful Spotted Barbtail, several Three-striped Warblers and at least one White-throated Spadebill, several of these very close to us. Some birds flicked among the leaves, which were also moving in response to pattering raindrops, while others picked around on vines encrusted with lichens and thick branches laden with bromeliads and epiphytic plants. Sometimes we might latch on to another Three-striped Warbler, or another Common Bush-Tanager, then the barbtail back again, then something else, but what? A Red-faced Spinetail, in the tree above, close to a barbet, a Prong-billed Barbet! Next, a flash of red/orange above us and a trogon appeared, its back to us, as usual, but looking very interesting. Very interesting indeed, an Orange-bellied Trogon, no less, yet another species new for us, but followed almost immediately by our first views of a Black-faced Solitaire, in truth the rather dowdy owner of a quite beautiful voice. A Spotted Woodcreeper, Ochraceous Wren and, as the rain began to intensify, our first Emerald Toucanet, picking tiny avocados from the dense foliage above, then more rain and, ponchos on, we straggled back to the HQ, to stay as dry as possible and to catch our breath.

Yellowish Flycatcher, Silver-throated Tanager, Paltry Tyrannulet, Eye-ringed Flatbill and a group of Black-breasted Wood-Quail competed for our attention around the HQ and one of the local guides very kindly came to tell us he had found a snake, which turned out to be a quite beautiful Side-striped Palm Pit-viper, bright green with smart yellow stripe along its side. An attempt to walk along one of the lower trails after a break for lunch was thwarted by another half an hour of heavy rain, though we still managed to see Olivaceous Woodcreeper and Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush after untickable views (for me, anyway) of Azure-hooded Jay, Golden-crowned Warbler and a male Resplendent Quetzal. A Black Guan was cavorting, as only guans can, in a tree by the car park, but with light rain falling again from 16.00 we returned to the hotel where it was dry, although rain was very close and the day ended as it had begun, with thunder and lightning and falling rain.
Back rather early, some of us decided to walk down to the small lake below the hotel grounds, the surrounds of which were almost certainly riddled with chiggers, judging by the state of my ankles the next day. Lightning flashed away enthusiastically over the Pacific below us throughout our evening meal, coinciding with Brian and Linda’s 30th Wedding Anniversary. Mmmm, cake.

Highlights:

Black Guan, Black-breasted Wood-Quail, Orange-bellied Trogon, Prong-billed Barbet, Emerald Toucanet, Keel-billed Toucan, Red-faced Spinetail, Spotted Barbtail, Lineated Foliage-gleaner; Olivaceous and Spotted Woodcreepers, Olive-striped Flycatcher, Eye-ringed Flatbill, White-throated Spadebill, Yellowish Flycatcher, Grey-breasted Wood-Wren, Black-faced Solitaire, Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush, Azure-hooded Jay, Slate-throated Redstart; Golden-crowned and Three-striped Warblers, Common Bush-Tanager, Tawny-capped Euphonia, Silver-throated Tanager.

August 4th

A flock of Montezuma Oropendolas in the forest opposite preceded breakfast and a drive up to Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, where we decamped right away to the shelter of the shop/reception area as rain fell steadily. Although it ceased fairly quickly, as we watched Green Hermits visiting the feeders, it alternated between showers and sunshine all morning, and birding was very slow. We managed to see very little in a walk through the forest, until finding a Black Guan with two guanlets at the edge of the broad track back to the car park. We were enormously intrigued by the promise from Melvin of a Barbie Car, which sounded very pink, but never did get to see it, a disappointment compounded when we discovered that it was, in fact, Barred Becard. However, we did see Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush by the reserve entrance and a few bits and pieces on a walk down the hill below, before reaching a scrubby field, at the edge of a partially cleared area of forest, which produced the best birding of the morning. A Piratic Flycatcher perched on a bare branch, with some tanagers buzzing about the main tree, and a flash of blue and black that turned out to be an Azure-hooded Jay, missed yesterday, that flew across the treetops toward us. The scrubby field turned up Yellow-throated Brush-Finch and Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush, but we were whipped back into the bus and back for lunch.
After a frustrating morning we were keen to get out again, so we embarked upon the evocatively named Pig Farm Trail, not far up the road from our hotel, soon after 14.00. We quickly caught up with a large flock of Keel-billed Toucans and several Emerald Toucanets, Yellow-throated Brush-Finches for those who had been unlucky with them thus far, and a party of White-eared Ground-Sparrows. Val discovered a close Three-wattled Bellbird for us all to get tremendous views of in the ‘scope, a couple of large flocks of Golden-browed Chlorophonias passed through the tree tops and an open area provided the opportunity to deliberate extensively on the subtleties of Western and Eastern Wood-Pewee (we eventually decided on the former), while the rest of us caught up at last with Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush, after a great deal of frustration for all of us except Paul in trying to see an elusive Long-tailed Manakin at the forest edge. Rain began to fall at 17.15 and we trundled back to the Hotel Montaña at the end of a rather difficult day, feeling a bit sorry for Melvin who did his best with birds simply being elusive.

Highlights:

Green Hermit, Long-tailed Manakin, Mountain Elaenia, Western Wood-Pewee, Piratic Flycatcher; Orange-billed and Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrushes,

Yellow-throated Brush-Finch, White-eared Ground-Sparrow, Montezuma Oropendola.

August 5th

It was cool and a fresh wind hurried frequent showers down the hillside towards the gulf below, hidden below a layer of cloud that hugged the coast. We set off at 07.30, following the Cordillera de Tilarán down from Monteverde then up again across a landscape of open hills and forested valleys that recalled the Welsh uplands, a comparison made more apt by the mist and rain that dogged us all the way. Santiago stopped a couple of times, for a flock of White-fronted Parrots at a fruiting tree and for two beautiful Blue-crowned Motmots close to the road.

The rain cascaded through the streets of Tilarán and poured down as we gingerly skirted Laguna de Arenal, picking our way between impressive potholes that littered the road, passing figures standing disconsolately in doorways. Let’s face it, nobody likes rain. It was not until midday that we reached the eastern end of Laguna de Arenal, having seen Amazon Kingfisher, a party of Grey-headed Chachalacas, Black-cowled Oriole and Southern Rough-winged Swallow by the lake. Santiago pulled off the main road and continued along a road that would take us to a view, weather permitting, of the active cone of Volcan Arenal. It still rained as we got out of the bus in a forested section of the road to stretch our legs and discovered some birds! Red-lored and White-crowned Parrots posed for us, a Crested Guan stood in a tree, our first Passerini’s Tanagers whisked across the road and a small flock of Tropical Parulas fizzed about in a palm.

Moving on, we stopped at a junction in the road with the conical grey outline of Volcan Arenal protruding from the landscape above us, though its top half was shrouded in cloud and we were distracted by a large flock of White-throated Magpie-Jays in a copse near a grove of trees that held several Scarlet-thighed Dacnis, Pale-vented Pigeon and Red-legged Honeycreepers, while Grey-capped Flycatchers perched on roadside wires. A couple of Short-tailed Hawks drifted across the face of the volcano, which by now had only a veil of cloud across its summit, and the day brightened suddenly to reveal the sinister cone in all its glory – I spent three days here in 1995 and rarely saw it so clearly. The volcano is still a force to be reckoned with, having killed more than 80 people in a major eruption in July 1968 and it erupted twice while we took lunch, the distant rumble preceded about ten seconds earlier by a dense cloud of grey-black smoke that belched from the cone.
Skirting the imposing volcano, we headed eastward, through Aguas Zarcas and Venecia, with the flatter escarpment of Volcan Poás to our right for much of the last hour or so, then north through San Miguel and down on to the Caribbean lowlands and the Sarapiqui river, on which Selva Verde stands. Our first taste of this rich region brought a few flocks of Red-winged Blackbirds and Bronzed Cowbirds and a superb adult Fasciated Tiger-Heron in the rocky Rio Guayabo, just beyond Venecia, plus Crested Caracara and Black-cheeked Woodpeckers by the roadside.
We made our acquaintance with Erick, our new guide, with the river rushing by the lodge in full spate, and made arrangements for the first of what promised to be a memorable few days.

Highlights:

Fasciated Tiger-Heron, Grey-headed Chachalaca, Crested Guan, Pale-vented Pigeon; White-crowned, White-fronted and Red-lored Parrots, Amazon Kingfisher, Blue-crowned Motmot, Tropical Pewee; White-ringed and Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers, Southern Rough-winged Swallow, White-throated Magpie-Jay, Tropical Parula, Passerini’s Tanager, Scarlet-thighed Dacnis, Bronzed Cowbird.

August 6th

Erick arrived bright and early, though some of us managed only the early bit, while others had found Red-throated Ant-Tanagers in the grounds. We sauntered out of the lodge for some pre-breakfast birding, realising fairly quickly that this was going to be a good relationship. Erick found some good birds, notably a Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant, but we joined in while he explained the differences between Montezuma and Chestnut-headed Oropendolas, enthused over several Collared Araçaris, found some Snowy Cotingas in a bare tree across the road from the lodge entrance and gasped in surprise as a party of four Great Green Macaws flew overhead on steady, deliberate wings.

After breakfast and Grey-rumped Swifts and Grey-chested Dove from the lodge, we spent some time at one of the lodge parking areas, a fairly open area that was very busy with birds. We found several Bright-rumped Attilas, Cinnamon Becard, Rufous Mourner, White-ringed and Dusky-capped Flycatchers, Black-crowned Tityra, Yellow-crowned and Olive-backed Euphonias, White-breasted Wood-Wren, White-collared Manakin (a female, unfortunately), Bay Wren, Pale-billed Woodpecker and a group of Scarlet-rumped Caciques, while another party of three Great Green Macaws flew over. We then walked across the road to a separate part of the lodge complex, where Violet-headed Hummingbird was seen briefly at some violet flowers and Bronze-tailed (Red-footed) Plumeleteer was seen at a favoured clearing, where great spiders hung on their webs in the still, humid air. At some point in the proceedings, Erick asked if anyone was interested in seeing an anteater – and there, just above our heads, was a beautiful Northern Tamandua, an orange and brown tree-dwelling anteater with prehensile tail, a little smaller than its South American counterpart, from all accounts. A Broad-billed Motmot and Blue-chested Hummingbird by some far-flung cabins and the morning had somehow evaporated in a flood of new birds, though it did not finish there, Jim appearing at some point around lunchtime to say that he had just been watching a Semiplumbeous Hawk devouring a lizard from his lodgings.
Down the road again after lunch, we turned off towards the river, past more Snowy Cotingas, a White-winged Becard and a Black-faced Grosbeak, then a group of Plain-coloured Tanagers, another Fasciated Tiger-Heron and a Sunbittern in the river.

A Long-billed Starthroat atop a bush and we were out into the open, with diminutive Olive-throated Parakeets overhead and Band-backed Wren and Smoky-brown Woodpecker where a band of trees was bisected by the road. Thick-billed Seed-Finch, Yellow Tyrannulet, Black-cowled Oriole and Variable Seedeaters, very different from the Pacific version, were seen in the fields, bushes and trees of the rather park-like setting, and we trundled back to the lodge at the end of a long day, thoroughly tired but comfortable with the knowledge that this had been a really wonderful day, during which we had seen 105 species between us. As a bonus, although it had been very warm, still and sultry, it had remained dry all day, only deciding to rain after dark, which it did vigorously, ensuring some difficulty in sleeping, for me at least, even with substantial quantities of a liquid amber anaesthetic having been consumed with our evening meal.

Highlights:

Semiplumbeous Hawk, Sunbittern, Grey-chested Dove, Great Green Macaw, Olive-throated Parakeet, Grey-rumped Swift; Violet-headed and Blue-chested Hummingbirds, Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer, Long-billed Starthroat, Broad-billed Motmot, Collared Araçari, Smoky-brown Woodpecker, Snowy Cotinga, White-collared Manakin, Yellow Tyrannulet, Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant, Rufous Mourner, Cinnamon Becard; Bay and Band-backed Wrens, White-breasted Wood-Wren, Red-throated Ant-Tanager; Yellow-crowned and Olive-backed Euphonias, Plain-coloured Tanager, Black-faced Grosbeak, Scarlet-rumped Cacique, Chestnut-headed Oropendola.

August 7th

For the second successive day, overnight rain ceased before our breakfast stroll, which allowed most of us to catch up with Red-throated Ant-Tanager, singing in the gloom of the understorey of the lodge grounds, and a lovely male White-collared Manakin.
The rain began again with renewed enthusiasm as we drove to La Selva, but by the time we reached the Research Station it had ceased and the rest of the day was hot, still, sultry and dry. By this time we had more or less recovered from the details of John B’s dream in which he was reminiscing about someone he once knew from SBBO, who had been killed and eaten by a sloth. John’s reaction was simple. That’s a shame. Let’s just hope that random drug testing of bird tour participants is a long way off.
Beginning on the road leading to the Research Station, we soon found Crimson-collared Tanager, Chestnut-collared Woodpecker and had superb views, courtesy of Don in a rare non-photographic moment, of a Great Antshrike, often reticent but on this occasion right out in the open. A Rufous-tailed Jacamar was found as we searched for Blue-black Grosbeak in low roadside scrub and Blue-Ground-Dove and Green Ibis were added before we reached the main gates. The open area prior to the bridge across the Rio Puerto Viejo held Cinnamon Becard, Violet-headed Hummingbird, Yellow-margined Flycatcher and Rufous-winged Woodpecker, Violaceous Trogon was seen from the bridge itself and Slaty-tailed Trogon, Black-crested Coquette and Blue-chested Hummingbird just before we entered the forest. At this point, birding became very quiet, and we added only a superb male Western Slaty-Antshrike, Pale-billed Woodpecker and, for some, brief glimpses of Purple-throated Fruitcrow as a flock of fruitcrows and oropendolas moved through the forest ahead of us, remaining stubbornly elusive. However, as we neared habitation again we hit a purple patch that began with a fabulously showy female Great Curassow by the trail, continued with two or three Grey-necked Wood-Rails low down in the forest and ended with a lovely Olive-backed Quail-Dove on an open patch of the forest floor.
Back in the forest again after lunch after spending ages searching for a treetop-dwelling Black-headed Tody-Flycatcher, we found only a Nine-banded Armadillo, a perched Great Green Macaw and more Scarlet-rumped Caciques. Out in the open again, a Common or Lesser Nighthawk drifted over the bridge and dusk fell to end another long but highly productive day that again yielded 105 species between us.

Highlights:

Green Ibis, Great Curassow, Grey-necked Wood-Rail, Blue Ground-Dove, Olive-backed Quail-Dove, Black-crested Coquette, Rufous-tailed Jacamar; Rufous-winged and Chestnut-coloured Woodpeckers, Great Antshrike, Western Slaty-Antshrike, Purple-throated Fruitcrow, Black-headed Tody-Flycatcher, Yellow-margined Flycatcher, Crimson-collared Tanager.

August 8th

Life’s like that, isn’t it? Having spent a back and neck-breaking age trying to see the elusive, altitudinal and unnecessarily wordy Black-headed Tody-Flycatcher yesterday, we saw one perfectly easily near the old butterfly house across the road at Selva Verde before breakfast.
After a welcome delay for a Laughing Falcon below the road, we reached Virgen del Socorro just after 08.30. A beautiful region of valleys through which the Rio Sarapiqui flows, crashing over forested cliffs in spectacular waterfalls, we descended into the first of these from just over 850m. Birding was initially quite slow, but a tree full of Scarlet-thighed Dacnis and beautiful Green Honeycreepers kept us amused for a while until a flock of tanagers by the roadside attracted our attention. The ubiquitous Common Bush-Tanager dominated, as usual, with Slate-throated Redstarts in attendance, but Silver-throated, Crimson-collared, Bay-headed, Speckled and Emerald Tanagers, a Red-headed Barbet and a female White-ruffed Manakin brought a flavour of the Andes, where mixed flocks like this are ever-present. As Barred and Short-tailed Hawks drifted about over the steep sides of the valley, with our first Double-toothed Kite since leaving Tiskita several moons ago, we found three Sooty-faced Finches coming to feed on rice scraps at a quarry-workers’ shelter, American Dipper in the adjacent river and a hefty Blue-and-Gold Tanager amid a collection that included Tufted Flycatcher, Tawny-crowned Euphonia and Grey-breasted Wood-Wren. We said goodbye to a very friendly little dog that attached itself to us for our visit and drove on, up to Vera’s Place, a café with hummingbird feeders overlooking the picturesque San Fernando waterfall. A series of new hummingbirds included Brown Violet-ear, White-bellied Mountain-gem, the fantastically lovely Green Thorntail and Black-bellied Hummingbird, with seven more familiar species making up the supporting cast. A couple of Emerald Toucanets visited the feeders and as we were beginning to wonder about the scale of the view in front of us, a White Hawk drifted across the forest far below, tiny against the great green wall from which the waterfall plummeted relentlessly.
An encounter with a tarantula brought the revelation for most of us that they don’t feel soft or furry, tiny points at the ends of their feet providing the surprising sensation that they wear stiletto heels. Moving on, we drove to La Paz waterfall, walking up the road with traffic passing us politely, just like drivers at home don’t, finding Yellowish and Golden-bellied Flycatchers in roadside trees, Dark Pewee and, where the road bridge crosses the narrow, rocky river, a superb and aptly-named Green-fronted Lancebill, our 33rd hummingbird species of the trip, one more than on my trip to Peru in July 2002. Moving on again and back towards Selva Verde, we stopped at a lake near San Miguel, where a Southern River Otter was cavorting in the dark, still water and we found Collared Seedeater on the dry, grassy hillside above the road.

While some of us supped beer at the lodge, Erick, Jim, John W and Keith, keen to the last, gained just reward for their perseverance with Great Tinamou, Great Potoo and Stripe-breasted Wren in the forest beyond the river bridge. It is, perhaps, appropriate to note at this point that prior to beginning our first full day with Erick in the Sarapiqui region, our trip list had not quite reached 300, but at the end of another really good day it was now beyond 360.

Highlights:

Great Tinamou, Laughing Falcon, Great Potoo, Green-fronted Lancebill, Brown Violet-ear, Green Thorntail, Black-bellied Hummingbird, White-bellied Mountain-gem, Red-headed Barbet, White-ruffed Manakin, Dark Pewee, Golden-bellied Flycatcher, American Dipper, Stripe-breasted Wren; Blue-and-Gold and Emerald Tanagers, White-collared Seedeater, Sooty-faced Finch.

August 9th

The day that we all hate had come at last, though a late flight home meant that we had most of the morning to find more birds. Erick chose to drive past the entrance to La Selva, to some flooded rank grassland, then along a track past more of the same into some forest edge. Short-billed Pigeon and Semiplumbeous Hawk had earlier been seen near the lodge, and the rest of the morning produced Orchard Oriole, Nicaraguan (Pink-billed) Seed-Finch and a flock of about 110 Swallow-tailed Kites, moving steadily southward on their journey into South America after breeding here in Central America.
So that was it. Bidding a fond goodbye to Erick ‘Half a Bee’ Castro, probably the best guide it has been my pleasure to bird with, we drove back to the lodge for lunch, during which the sunny morning turned into a spectacularly torrential downpour that lasted for well over half an hour. According to Simon Ellis, one group experienced rain on 10 of 14 days in March, though how lucky we had been with the weather is difficult to say. At any rate, we were travelling all day on the wettest day and were rained upon heavily only at Tiskita and Monteverde, while the day at Santa Elena was troublesome, no worse. While rain fell on most days, it was otherwise mainly confined to the hours of darkness.

Highlights:

Olive-crowned Yellowthroat, Nicaraguan Seed-Finch, Orchard Oriole.

Systematic List

Back to Part 1

Back to 'Central America'

Ian Hodgson. August 2004