Costa Rica Birding Trip Report
July 2-12, 2016
Day 4: Tuesday, July 5
Before returning to La Selva this morning, we birded around the bridge at the lodge entrance. A distant Fasciated Tiger-Heron was discovered among the boulders that made up the riverbed; a Purple-crowned Fairy was found much closer to the bridge. New birds spotted on the drive to the reserve included Ringed Kingfisher and Keel-billed Toucan. After breakfast at the station cafeteria, we returned to the trail where we enjoyed so much success yesterday afternoon. Though it was sunny and hot this morning, noticeably decreasing bird activity, we still managed to find a few new birds along the trail, among them Black-striped and Streak-headed Woodcreeper, Yellow-margined Flycatcher, Tropical Gnatcatcher, Plain-colored Tanager, Blue Dacnis, Grayish Saltator, Giant Cowbird and Black-cowled Oriole. A Snowy Cotinga flew overhead but was only seen by Andrew; Great Tinamou was heard-only. By mid-morning, bird activity had dropped down to near zero, so we decided to head back to the station to relax until lunch. Minutes after we arrived, thunder rumbled and the skies opened; heavy rain continued intermittently for the rest of the morning. Some in the group who ventured out between rain showers found a female Passerini's Tanager on its nest in a bromiliad near the cafeteria.
Passerini's Tanager, photo courtesy of David Schaffter
After a final lunch at the cafeteria, we began the long journey from the Caribbean lowlands to the Savegre Valley, on the Pacific slope of the Talamanca Mountains in the southwestern part of the country. The drive took us back through San Jose and then up into the mountains via the Pan-American Highway. A winding dirt road led down into the valley and the beautiful Hotel Savegre. We stopped on the way down at a spot where bird activity was conspicuous; highlights from this elevation included Band-tailed Pigeon, Volcano Hummingbird, Ruddy Treerunner, Black-capped Flycatcher, Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush, Sooty Thrush, Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher, Flame-throated Warbler, Slaty Flowerpiercer, Sooty-capped Chlorospingus and Elegant Euphonia. Our first Rufous-collared Sparrow was also here; it would certainly not be the last.
Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher, photo courtesy of Ted Center
Farther down the road, Luis spotted two Black Guans through a hole in the roadside vegetation; our sharp-eyed driver obligingly backed up the bus to allow everyone to obtain satisfactory views. Dusk was quickly approaching when we finally reached the hotel, but enough light was still available to identify hummingbirds visiting feeders outside the hotel’s restaurant, including Lesser Violetear (formerly Green Violetear), Magnificent Hummingbird, White-throated Mountain-gem and Scintillant Hummingbird. Both Acorn Woodpecker and Flame-colored Tanager made appearances at a tray feeder in the hotel’s magnificent gardens and a Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush was hopping about outside our rooms. Our day ended with the first of several delicious meals we would enjoy at the hotel.
Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush, photo courtesy of Ted Center