The lush foliage on the grounds at Hotel Villa Lapas outside our room, Tarcoles, Costa Rica--I had gotten out a little early to see if owls might still be around, but saw none.

One of the rows of rooms where we stayed at Hotel Villa Lapas, CR

Gray-capped Flycatcher

I found this Basilisk lizard lounging by the pool in the early morning.

Great Kiskadee

The creek that runs through the property at Hotel Villa Lapas
When Erick and the others gathered, we started walking the grounds.

One of Mary's treetop canopy photos at Hotel Villa Lapas

Common Tody-Flycatcher

Common Tody-Flycatcher

Nest of the Common Tody-Flycatcher; the bird is clinging to the nest.

Female White-whiskered Puffbird

Female White-whiskered Puffbird

Gray-capped Flycatcher

Male White-whiskered Puffbird

Male White-whiskered Puffbird

Male White-whiskered Puffbird

Yellow-olive Flycatcher

Yellow-throated Toucan

Streak-headed Woodcreeper

Streak-headed Woodcreeper

Buff-rumped Warbler on a rock in the stream

Rufous and White Wren

Rufous and White Wren

Bare-throated Tiger-Heron

Bare-throated Tiger-Heron

Bare-throated Tiger-Heron

Bare-throated Tiger-Heron
Same bird, back view

On our early morning walk, we went across a bridge over the creek to another area of the hotel grounds: Andy, Catherine, Erick, Steve, Carolyn, Jerry and Barbara

Looking back the direction from which we had just come, with the creek on the right

Erick tried to entice someone to taste the fruit of the cashew tree, but got no takers (apparently it makes you pucker like an unripe persimmon does).

Cashew nuts below the fruit

Two Philadelphia Vireos in the trees across the bridge

Another Philadelphia Vireo

Philadelphia Vireo

Hornet nest in the tree above us

Rufous-naped Wren

Possible Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird?

Philadelphia Vireo

Lizard

Female Cheerie's Tanager

House Wren

After breakfast, we went to the Carara National Park.

Steve, Andy, Jerry, Erick Terri, Carolyn and Keith on the trail at Carara National Park

A wood carving of parrots along the trail

Steve, Jerry, Erick, Terri and Vickie

Male Gartered Trogon

Male Gartered Trogon

Only photo I got of the female Rose-throated Becard, with an insect or something in her bill

Male Rose-throated Becard

Rose-throated Becard nest

Female Gartered Trogon

Female Gartered Trogon

Female Gartered Trogon

Turquoise-browed Motmot

Turquoise-browed Motmot

Male Barred Antshrike--most of the front side

Barred Antshrike--underside view

Barred Antshrike--head view

Male Barred Antshrike

Female Royal Flycatcher with butterfly

Female Royal Flycatcher

Female Royal Flycatcher

Female Royal Flycatcher

Female Royal Flycatcher

Female Royal Flycatcher

Male Black-hooded Antshrike

Male Black-hooded Antshrike

Male Black-hooded Antshrike

Male Baird's Trogon

Rufous Piha

Male Dot-winged Antwren

Spotted Woodcreeper

Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner

Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner

Spotted Woodcreeper

Band-tailed Barbthroat

Marbled Wood-Quail

Marbled Wood-Quail

Great Tinamou

Great Tinamou

Marbled Wood-Quail

Marbled Wood-Quail

Marbled Wood-Quail

Marbled Wood-Quail

Marbled Wood-Quail

Marbled Wood-Quail
digiscoped photo

Marbled Wood-Quail
digiscoped photo

Roseate Spoonbills and Black-bellied Whistling Ducks at a pond between Carara National Park and Hotel Villa Lapas

Roseate Spoonbills and Black-bellied Whistling Ducks at a pond between Carara National Park and Hotel Villa Lapas

King Vulture overhead between Carara National Park and Hotel Villa Lapas

King Vulture overhead between Carara National Park and Hotel Villa Lapas

King Vulture and Black Vulture overhead between Carara National Park and Hotel Villa Lapas

King Vulture and Black Vulture overhead between Carara National Park and Hotel Villa Lapas

King Vulture and Black Vulture overhead between Carara National Park and Hotel Villa Lapas

Rufous-collared Wren

Terri, Catherine and Steve looking for an owl

Ferruginous Pygmy Owl on a side road between Carara National Park and Hotel Villa Lapas

Ferruginous Pygmy Owl on a side road between Carara National Park and Hotel Villa Lapas

Ferruginous Pygmy Owl on a side road between Carara National Park and Hotel Villa Lapas

Ferruginous Pygmy Owl
digiscoped image

Ferruginous Pygmy Owl
digiscoped image
After seeing the owl, we returned to the hotel for lunch and an afternoon birding walk on the grounds.

Jerry, Steve, Vickie, Erick and Terri on our late afternoon walk at Hotel Villa Lapas

Erick forded the creek to look for a bird.

A sprouting Cashew tree

Tawny-winged Woodcreeper

Squirrel Cuckoo

Bare-throated Tiger-Heron an a tree near the creek

Bare-throated Tiger-Heron

Bare-throated Tiger-Heron

Female Red-legged Honeycreeper

Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher

Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher

Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher

Ochre-bellied Flycatcher

Male White-whiskered Puffbird

Male Red-legged Honeycreeper

Female Variable Seedeater

Female Green Kingfisher on a rock in the stream

Social Flycatcher nest with a bird in the nest
digiscoped image

Social Flycatcher nest with two birds showing in the nest, either two young, one more developed than the other, or one chick and one adult.

Social Flycatcher nest with two birds showing in the nest, one begging with mouth open

Social Flycatcher nest with two birds in the nest and an adult on the outside

Social Flycatcher nest with two birds in the nest and an adult on the outside

Social Flycatcher nest with two birds in the nest and an adult on the outside

Social Flycatcher nest with two birds in the nest after an adult left

Adult Social Flycatcher on a rock in the stream after leaving the nest

Streaked Flycatcher

Streaked Flycatcher

Yellow-olive Flycatcher nest

Hornet nest

Flowers on a bush at the end of our row of rooms at Hotel Villa Lapas

Flowers at Hotel Villa Lapas

Purple flower

Orange-billed Sparrow outside our room at Hotel Villa Lapas after the afternoon walk

After our afternoon walk, I was sitting on the deck of the restaurant at Hotel Villa Lapas, using the wifi to look at phone messages, when Terri came from the bridge and pointed out to me that there was a drama in progress below the deck--an adult Bare-throated Tiger-Heron and a young one were in some sort of tug-of-war--the adult had grabbed the upper mandible of the young bird and was not letting go. Everyone on the deck was watching and taking photos, including me after I saw what was happening.

Adult and immature Bare-throated Tiger-Herons

Adult and immature Bare-throated Tiger-Herons

The juvenile flared its feathers as if trying to intimidate the adult...

...but the adult did not let go.

Adult and juvenile Bare-throated Tiger-Herons in a tug-of-war near the stream below the deck at Hotel Villa Lapas, Tarcoles, Costa Rica

The adult flared its neck feathers in response to the juvenile.

I wondered whether the adult was showing it was tired of the juvenile begging for food or if some other lesson was being imparted.

This went on for several minutes without the adult ever letting go of the juvenile's upper mandible.

Adult and juvenile Bare-throated Tiger-Herons

Adult and juvenile Bare-throated Tiger-Herons

Adult and juvenile Bare-throated Tiger-Herons

Adult and juvenile Bare-throated Tiger-Herons in some sort of struggle

Adult and juvenile Bare-throated Tiger-Herons

Finally, the adult let go and raised itself to its full height over the juvenile.

The adult did a little wing-spreading too.

Then, with neck feathers flared and its eye on the juvenile, the adult walked away.

The adult turned and seemed to make a threatening gesture toward the juvenile that seemed to be keeping itself low to the ground in a subservient gesture.

Adult and juvenile Bare-throated Tiger-Herons

Adult and juvenile Bare-throated Tiger-Herons

Adult Bare-throated Tiger-Heron leaving the arena of battle as the juvenile looks after it.

The juvenile followed the adult at a distance.

The adult walked farther away, still with neck feathers flared.

The adult seems to calm itself after getting away from the juvenile.

The juvenile continues to follow the adult.

Juvenile Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, apparently none the worse for wear, after being held in the grip of the adult for several minutes.

Juvenile Bare-throated Tiger-Heron

Then I noticed a second juvenile on the roof of the dining area above the deck. Had this one been watching a sibling being disciplined by their parent?

Second juvenile Bare-throated Tiger-Heron

Second juvenile Bare-throated Tiger-Heron

Second juvenile Bare-throated Tiger-Heron

The first juvenile Bare-throated Tiger-Heron has a little forehead crest of feathers that is raised.

The first juvenile Bare-throated Tiger-Heron flew to a nearby branch.

Juvenile Bare-throated Tiger-Heron

The adult Bare-throated Tiger-Heron had flown to a branch and seemed to watching the juveniles. So ended the drama--and my day of birding.