By the end of the day we had done four trails today - two short trails on the lodge property which were interesting trails along a creek and they went far back on the property. Two other trails were the Riverside Trail and the Headquarter's Trail at Carara National Park. Each of there took about 2 1/2 hours of walking. It was stinking hot today and so it is a good idea to take a break after lunch during the hottest part of the day. We went for a swim in the hotel pool and then a lovely session in the hot tub. We found out that we could bird from the hot tub as there were several smaller trees along one side of the pool and there were interesting birds coming to these trees. We had not brought our binoculars though. We should try to have an outing here.
While in the hot tub I saw an Iguana climb a tree and then onto a tree branch. Sometimes we see iguanas and lizards sleeping up in the trees, so it is not unusual. What is unusual is that to get down the Iguana just fell from the tree, got up and walked away. It was at least a 30 feet drop to the ground, so that was a surprise.
We had an 5:45 am start to our short trail walk. This is still a long walk and the light was not great until the sun was up. First thing we heard and then saw were the pairs of Scarlet Macaws that were flying past early in the morning. We then saw a very small elegant bird called the Yellow-headed Euphonia. We saw the Pale-billed Woodpecker which is roughly the size of our own Pileated Woodpecker. There was the Dusty Antbird and the Ruby-throated Humming bird. We stopped for breakfast and then left for the nearby Carara National Park. The trail was well shaded and the temperature was warm for most of the morning but then it heated up in the last hour. We still had great birds such as the Riverside Wren, the Emerald Elenia, Coco Woodpecker and the Lesser Greenlet. We had water with us but something useful would also be a wet facecloth. We also got one of the birds I was hoping to see and we not only had one but two Squirrel Cuckoos!!! These were large warm brown birds with long long tails and the tails had a lovely pattern on them. I was really happy to see these birds. I had missed one last week and this was another opportunity which came through.
We returned in the heat to lunchtime at the lodge and then Emily and I and another friend went for a swim/soak in the pool and hot tub outside. It was the perfect way to spend the hottest part of the day. We met up again to go birding at 2:45 and we were gone until 6 pm. The afternoon trail was very hot and there was little wind. We went in quite a ways and there was a magical little creek at the end of the trail where several very nice birds came to take a bath or take a drink. We had the Baird's Trogon at the start of the trail. At the creek we had a stunning Red-capped Manaken, Blue-crowned Manakin, Stripe-throated Hummingbird, Northern Schiffornis, the Ruddy Quail Dove, the Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher, the Long-tailed Woodcreeper and the Great Tinamou - Pacific subspecies. Our guide Steve said that the best bird of the day was the Long-tailed Woodcreeper. It is a very hard bird to see.
We came back for a short hour before supper. I took a shower as every thread I was wearing was soaked. On our way to supper we spotted a Common Pauraque on the cobbled lane to the main building of the lodge.
So a great day and a day with lots of walking, mostly on level ground. We had happy hour before supper. Emily had something bite her during the night and she has reacted to the bites with swollen welts. She has taken some Benadryl just now. I did not get any bites though. The bugs are not bad here.
Lynne has a rash just around her ankles. Steve says this looks like heat rash. Lynne says that it is not itchy but it does look like a bad rash. Hopefully both Lynne and Emily will be better tomorrow.
So another super day in Costa Rica.
Here are some photos of the day.
Barb, Emily, Sami & Lynne
While in the hot tub I saw an Iguana climb a tree and then onto a tree branch. Sometimes we see iguanas and lizards sleeping up in the trees, so it is not unusual. What is unusual is that to get down the Iguana just fell from the tree, got up and walked away. It was at least a 30 feet drop to the ground, so that was a surprise.
We had an 5:45 am start to our short trail walk. This is still a long walk and the light was not great until the sun was up. First thing we heard and then saw were the pairs of Scarlet Macaws that were flying past early in the morning. We then saw a very small elegant bird called the Yellow-headed Euphonia. We saw the Pale-billed Woodpecker which is roughly the size of our own Pileated Woodpecker. There was the Dusty Antbird and the Ruby-throated Humming bird. We stopped for breakfast and then left for the nearby Carara National Park. The trail was well shaded and the temperature was warm for most of the morning but then it heated up in the last hour. We still had great birds such as the Riverside Wren, the Emerald Elenia, Coco Woodpecker and the Lesser Greenlet. We had water with us but something useful would also be a wet facecloth. We also got one of the birds I was hoping to see and we not only had one but two Squirrel Cuckoos!!! These were large warm brown birds with long long tails and the tails had a lovely pattern on them. I was really happy to see these birds. I had missed one last week and this was another opportunity which came through.
We returned in the heat to lunchtime at the lodge and then Emily and I and another friend went for a swim/soak in the pool and hot tub outside. It was the perfect way to spend the hottest part of the day. We met up again to go birding at 2:45 and we were gone until 6 pm. The afternoon trail was very hot and there was little wind. We went in quite a ways and there was a magical little creek at the end of the trail where several very nice birds came to take a bath or take a drink. We had the Baird's Trogon at the start of the trail. At the creek we had a stunning Red-capped Manaken, Blue-crowned Manakin, Stripe-throated Hummingbird, Northern Schiffornis, the Ruddy Quail Dove, the Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher, the Long-tailed Woodcreeper and the Great Tinamou - Pacific subspecies. Our guide Steve said that the best bird of the day was the Long-tailed Woodcreeper. It is a very hard bird to see.
We came back for a short hour before supper. I took a shower as every thread I was wearing was soaked. On our way to supper we spotted a Common Pauraque on the cobbled lane to the main building of the lodge.
So a great day and a day with lots of walking, mostly on level ground. We had happy hour before supper. Emily had something bite her during the night and she has reacted to the bites with swollen welts. She has taken some Benadryl just now. I did not get any bites though. The bugs are not bad here.
Lynne has a rash just around her ankles. Steve says this looks like heat rash. Lynne says that it is not itchy but it does look like a bad rash. Hopefully both Lynne and Emily will be better tomorrow.
So another super day in Costa Rica.
Here are some photos of the day.
Barb, Emily, Sami & Lynne
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