Small Land Birds at Tortuguero

In case you thought there are only water birds at Tortuguero (Wetlands) National Park, remember the three species of toucans I’ve already posted and here are 5 species of small land birds I managed to catch, mostly at the lodge, and tomorrow I will share 4 more larger land birds including the endangered Green Macaw to finish out the 33 species of birds I photographed at Tortuguero, a really good birding spot! And there are several birds I photographed on other trips there that I did not get this time, plus much other wildlife like the River Otter on two other trips but not this time. Next to Corcovado NP, Tortuguero may have the highest concentration of wildlife of any other national park in Costa Rica (except maybe that inaccessible park that straddles the Panama border) with no public roads into it. You just have to work at getting photos of mostly elusive wildlife! A few lucky people have even seen a Jaguar there!   🙂

Common Tody-Flycatcher, Tortuguero NP, Costa Rica

Continue reading “Small Land Birds at Tortuguero”

Social Flycatcher

This pretty little bird does not get a lot of attention and is often mistaken for an immature or small Kiskadee or Boat-billed Flycatcher. This particular Social Flycatcher (eBird link) landed on this rusty old ornamental fencing around a lake platform and made an interesting image to me. 🙂 And of course I have a Social Flycatcher Gallery with photos from all over Costa Rica.

Social Flycatcher, Chachagua Rainforest Hotel, Costa Rica.

¡Pura Vida!

TRIP GALLERY: May 2022, Chachagua Rainforest Hotel

Cañon Negro Birds, Part 1

Squirrel Cuckoo 
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica

Anhinga female 
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica

Yellow-throated Toucan 
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica
Green Heron 
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica
Amazon Kingfisher female 
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica
Boat-billed Heron 
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica

Laughing Falcon 
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica

Red-winged Blackbird 
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica

Social Flycatcher building a nest 
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica

And 9 more tomorrow night, then we start on Tenorio and more from the lodge. Tomorrow (Wed.) I ride the buses back to Atenas.

And my Birds photo gallery

The Last Birds from Rancho Naturalista (Maybe)

Green Thorntail Hummingbird
Rancho Naturalista, Tuis, Costa Rica
Yellow-bellied Elaenia
Rancho Naturalista, Tuis, Costa Rica
Black-cheeked Woodpecker
Rancho Naturalista, Tuis, Costa Rica
3rd species of woodpeckers at this one place.
Lots of bugs to eat!  🙂

Brown Jay
Rancho Naturalista, Tuis, Costa Rica
Yellow-crowned Euphonia Female or Yellow Warbler Female
Rancho Naturalista, Tuis, Costa Rica
Gray-headed Chachalaca
Better shot than one posted the first day.

Green Thorntail Hummingbird
Rancho Naturalista, Tuis, Costa Rica
Different day, different bird and look than top of this post

Black-headed Saltator
Rancho Naturalista, Tuis, Costa Rica
Black-headed Saltator
Rancho Naturalista, Tuis, Costa Rica
A totally different look than the photo before this, but same bird!

Social Flycatcher
Rancho Naturalista, Tuis, Costa Rica
Bumble Bee (I think – no ID source)
Rancho Naturalista, Tuis, Costa Rica
I’m still going through my photos and may find some more good ones, but this is the last official post from Rancho Naturalista. It is amazing how just 3 nights at a lodge almost anywhere in Costa Rica can give me such joy and so many photos! And so many new species each time. This is my main reason for moving to Costa Rica and why you can expect me to stay here!  🙂

If interested, I reviewed both Rancho Naturalista and CATIE on TripAdvisor with a few of the photos, though they are “pending” as I write this, possibly for screening of some kind.

I heard the sweet voice of a robin,      High up in the maple tree,      Joyously, singing his happy song      To his feathered mate, in glee!… 

If we could be like this tiny bird,      Just living from day to day,      Holding no bitterness in our hearts      For those we meet on our way… 

~Gertrude Tooley Buckingham, “Heaven on Earth” (1940s)

Oops!

This flycatcher appears to have fallen off the balcony railing,
but was actually spoofed when I pointed the camera at him. 

Kevin and Motmot Arrive in Atenas!

Kevin Hunter arrived today for his visit and brought good luck to my birding at the apartments. We went down to the river to see waterfall and howler monkeys and found a Blue-crowned Motmot, my first at the apartments! Thanks Kevin!

Blue-crowned Motmot
Hacienda La Jacaranda, Atenas, Costa Rica

Blue-crowned Motmot
Hacienda La Jacaranda, Atenas, Costa Rica

Kevin works on an email under the watchful eye of
My Apartment Nude

Kevin had a safe and uneventful trip to Costa Rica with his flight arriving 30 minutes early, but I checked online and knew and was there early to welcome him. We had a Tico lunch at La Carreta, walked around the central park and beautiful catholic church and he went with me for some business at ICE concerning my cell phone. Then to the apartments, settling in, going down to river to see the Mantled Howler Monkeys and the Blue-crowned Motmot. Then back up the hill to watch two Social Flycatchers chase a cat away from the tree they nest in. Then I served a tropical fruit plate for a lighter dinner with Robbie’s oatmeal cookies and some banana bread I got from an Atenas bakery. Then we both hit the computers.

The Social Flycatcher that chased the house cat in our front yard
Hacienda La Jacaranda, Atenas, Costa Rica

First Four Back Porch Birds

Couldn’t wait until tomorrow! Posting just before I go to bed Friday night. All were photographed from my smaller balcony on the back side of the apartment. It is likely to be one of my main bird-watching spots. I have seen parrots and toucans flying over, but not close enough to photograph. All four of these are common in this part of the world and I have photographed before. Click image to see a larger version. I just checked my Birds of Costa Rica Checklist and two of these are new sightings for me and three are first-time photos. Progress! I will be adding my checklist to a webpage soon. I have now seen more than 100 birds in Costa Rica and photographed more than 70! And in my photo gallery Central/South America Birds I have more than 100 photos. I will create a separate Costa Rica Birds and Other Animals gallery one of these days.

Gray-capped Flycatcher
Red-billed Pigeon

Scarlet Tanager

Social Flycatcher