 DSC_6067b.jpgWe gathered at the dining area for our morning walk and this female Blue-black Grosbeak was eating from the heliconias just off the deck. |
 DSC_6075b.jpgFemale Blue-black Grosbeak on heliconia near the dining area at Esquinas Rainforest Lodge, Golfito, Costa Rica |
 DSC_6079b.jpgFemale Blue-black Grosbeak |
 DSC_6081b.jpgFemale Blue-black Grosbeak |
 DSC_6085b.jpgThis Charming Hummingbird was also drinking from the heliconia. |
 DSC_6086b.jpgCharming Hummingbird |
 DSC_6098b.jpgSome fog came rolling, but as we started our walk, Chito spotted this Turquoise Cotinga in a distant tree. |
 DSC_6102b.jpgGreat Kiskadee |
 DSC_6105b.jpgMoving down the road, we found a Crested Guan. |
 DSC_6107b.jpgCrested Guan |
 IMG_8043b.jpgRainforest at Esquinas Rainforest Lodge |
 IMG_8046b.jpgWe took some more photos of the white-flowered, ginger-related plant. |
 IMG_8047b.jpgWhite-flowered ginger plant |
 DSC_6108b.jpgWhite-flowered ginger plant |
 DSC_6109b.jpgWhite-flowered ginger plant |
 DSC_6111b.jpgWhite-flowered ginger plant |
 IMG_8049b.jpgHeliconia |
 IMG_8050b.jpgHeliconia |
 DSC_6113b.jpgPale-vented Pigeons |
 DSC_6116b.jpgPale-vented Pigeons |
 DSC_6119b.jpgGuanacaste Colorado tree, favorite feeding spot for the White-crested Coquette, but not today |
 DSC_6126b.jpgBlue-gray Tanager |
 DSC_6136b.jpgMale Baltimore Oriole |
 DSC_6138b.jpgPalm Tanager |
 DSC_6140b.jpgPalm Tanager |
 DSC_6149b.jpgStreaked Flycatcher |
 DSC_6150b.jpgPalm Tanager |
 DSC_6156b.jpgStreaked Flycatcher |
 DSC_6160b.jpgBuff-throated Saltator |
 DSC_6166b.jpgFemale Green Honeycreeper |
 DSC_6168b.jpgFemale Scarlet-rumped Tanager |
 DSC_6173b.jpgShort-billed Pigeon |
 DSC_6176b.jpgShort-billed Pigeon |
 DSC_6186b.jpgWhite-tipped Dove or Gray-chested Dove |
 DSC_6187b.jpgWhite-tipped Dove or Gray-chested Dove |
 DSC_6188b.jpgWhite-tipped Dove or Gray-chested Dove |
 DSC_6190b.jpgMerlin identifies this photo as a Gray-chested Dove, which is consistent with the brown on the back of the head, but the preceding photos of the same bird it identifies as White-tipped Dove, Merlin's second choice for this bird's ID. |
 DSC_6191b.jpgWhite-tipped Dove or Gray-chested Dove |
 DSC_6192b.jpgWhite-tipped Dove or Gray-chested Dove |
 DSC_6195b.jpgSocial Flycatcher |
 DSC_6200b.jpgGall midge eggs |
 DSC_6202b.jpgGall midge eggs |
 DSC_6204b.jpgGall midge eggs |
 DSC_6209b.jpgFemale Scarlet-rumped Tanager |
 DSC_6222b.jpgOn our way back toward the dining area for breakfast, Mealy Parrots landed above us on the trail. |
 DSC_6227b.jpgMealy Parrot |
 DSC_6238b.jpgMealy Parrot |
 IMG_8057b.jpgMary wonders whether this is hypoestes; it was planted intentionally. |
 IMG_8059b.jpgChito identified this as Bamboo Orchid. |
 IMG_8060b.jpgBamboo Orchid |
 IMG_8061b.jpgBamboo Orchid |
 DSC_6243b.jpgBamboo Orchid |
 DSC_6250b.jpgRufous-tailed Hummingbird |
 DSC_6254b.jpgRed ginger flower with black bees on it |
 DSC_6256b.jpgWe had breakfast and left the lodge on the bus. Along the road, Chito saw a Crested Oropendola fly by, then Monica and Deb noticed there was a tree in the field with at least a couple of oropendola nests in it. |
 DSC_6270b.jpgWe also paused along the road to get good looks at a White-crowned Parrot. |
 IMG_20200217_095823b.jpgOur ultimate destination for the day was the Las Cruces Biological Station; we stopped in Neily at a mercado for supplies. |
 IMG_20200217_095937b.jpgOutside the Neily mercado, Chito showed the group what he had purchased; Derek, Tom, Fran, Deb, Monica, Jody (behind), Chito, Ann, Mary and Carolyn |
 DSC_6280b.jpgThis vendor was pedaling by in the traffic outside the mercado. |
 DSC_6273b.jpgLooking across the street, we started noticing birds, like this Tropical Mockingbird. |
 DSC_6279b.jpgThere were two Tropical Mockingbirds and they were flying into a small tree below the power pole as if they might have a nest there. |
 DSC_6281b.jpgThere was also a Social Flycatcher with a nest. |
 DSC_6283b.jpgA Swallowtail Kite flew by overhead. |
 DSC_6285bb.jpgAfter chasing vultures away from it, a Peregrine Falcon landed on the microwave tower across the highway. |
 DSC_6285b.jpgPeregrine Falcon, on a microwave tower in Neily, Costa Rica |
 DSC_6289b.jpgBlue-gray Tanager, in a tree in the mercado parking lot |
 DSC_6294b.jpgTropical Kingbird, at the edge of the parking lot |
 DSC_6301b.jpgWe took a side road out of Neily to look for the Savanna Hawk; one of the first birds we saw was a Turkey Vulture. |
 DSC_6310b.jpgOn a barbed wire fence along the road, we saw a Fork-tailed Flycatcher. |
 IMG_20200217_105640_1b.jpgChito stopped and talked to another birding guide with one or two birders in his SUV; the guide pointed out the Savanna Hawk on a nest in a far away tree on the back edge of the field. Even with the spotting scope, it was difficult to see the bird.
This photo digiscoped by Chito Motina using his Leica spotting scope and my Pixel phone camera |
 DSC_6325b.jpgSavanna Hawk on a nest (with its head partially obscured by a leaf) |
 DSC_6345b.jpgBefore we left to return to the highway, a Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture circled us several times. |
 IMG_8063b.jpgWhen we arrived at the Organization for Tropical Studies' Wilson Botanical Gardens/Las Cruces Biological Station, we went straight to lunch in their dining room, then out to the patio adjacent to the dining room to take a look at the area: Tom, Derek, Leigh, Monica (seated), Steve, Jody, Fran (seated in front), Deb |
 IMG_8065b.jpgThe view from the patio, looking back to a bird feeder on the left, bottle brush tree in the middle and the dining area behind. |
 IMG_8066b.jpgThe patio was up a couple of flights of stairs, so we could look down across part of the botanical gardens below. |
 IMG_8067b.jpgPart of the view below the patio |
 IMG_8068b.jpgThe patio at Wilson Botanical Gardens/Las Cruces Biological Station, Costa Rica |
 DSC_6367b.jpgA portion of the supplies Chito purchased were bananas and when he placed them on the feeder, birds immediately began arriving, like this Speckled Tanager. |
 DSC_6368b.jpgThose black spots are between the bill and eyes of the Speckled Tanager. |
 DSC_6371b.jpgSilver-throated Tanager |
 DSC_6375b.jpgMale Green Honeycreeper |
 DSC_6379b.jpgBlue-gray Tanager |
 DSC_6388b.jpgFemale Green Honeycreeper |
 DSC_6390b.jpgClay-colored Sparrow |
 DSC_6392b.jpgSpeckled Tanager |
 DSC_6398b.jpgFemale Thick-billed Euphonia |
 DSC_6399b.jpgBack view of the female Thick-billed Euphonia |
 DSC_6401b.jpgGolden-hooded Tanager |
 DSC_6405b.jpgBack view of the Golden-hooded Tanager |
 DSC_6406b.jpgWhen this guy showed up, Chito started hollering "Banana thief!" |
 DSC_6410b.jpgMale Green Honeycreeper |
 DSC_6415b.jpgChestnut-sided Warbler |
 DSC_6426b.jpgChestnut-sided Warbler |
 DSC_6432b.jpgChestnut-sided Warbler |
 DSC_6433b.jpgRufous-tailed Hummingbird |
 DSC_6439b.jpgMale Green Honeycreeper |
 DSC_6441b.jpgSilver-throated Tanager |
 IMG_8070b.jpgAfter we left the patio, we got our room assignments and checked out our rooms. Each had a deck in the back that looked out on the rainforest. |
 IMG_8071b.jpgThe view out our back door, leading onto our deck. |
 IMG_8072b.jpgThe view from our deck |
 DSC_6453b.jpgPassionflower, growing on the wall along the stairs leading from our rooms to the dining area |
 DSC_6455b.jpgPassionflower, growing out of the wall |
 DSC_6457b.jpgPassionflower |
 DSC_6445b.jpgFollowing our settling into our rooms after lunch, we went back to the patio where this Buff-throated Saltator was eyeing the feeder. |
 DSC_6447b.jpgBuff-throated Saltator at Las Cruces Biological Station, Costa Rica |
 DSC_6449b.jpgBuff-throated Saltator |
 DSC_6459b.jpgCommon Tody Flycatcher |
 DSC_6483b.jpgLesser Goldfinch |
 DSC_6485b.jpgLesser Goldfinch |
 IMG_8078b.jpgAfter gathering below the patio, we took off for an afternoon hike to the observation tower and passed this stand of giant bamboo along the trail. |
 IMG_20200217_153127b.jpgFran, Jody, Leigh, Ann, Derek, Tom, Deb, Monica, Mary, admiring the bamboo |
 IMG_20200217_153214b.jpgCloser look at the stand of bamboo |
 IMG_20200217_153401b.jpgBamboo along the trail at Las Cruces Biological Station |
 DSC_6489b.jpgCloser look at the patterns in the bamboo |
 DSC_6490b.jpgMore bamboo |
 DSC_6491b.jpgAnd more |
 DSC_6492b.jpgAnd more |
 IMG_8079b.jpgChito, with his spotting scope, a little farther down the trail, trying to call in a bird |
 DSC_6493b.jpgA Crested Oropendola flew into the trees near us. |
 DSC_6495b.jpgCrested Oropendola, Las Cruces Biological Station, CR |
 DSC_6501b.jpgCrested Oropendola |
 DSC_6503b.jpgCrested Oropendola |
 IMG_20200217_153855b.jpgThis palm showed us three stages of flowering/fruiting; at first I thought this spike was dead because of the color, but on closer inspection, insects looked to me to be pollinating little white flowers. |
 IMG_20200217_153903b.jpgOn the opposite side of the trunk, this spike seemed to be immature. |
 IMG_20200217_153908b.jpgAnd below them on the trunk was this spent 'bloom.' |
 IMG_20200217_153923b.jpgAll three on the same trunk |
 IMG_8086b.jpgWe made it to the observation tower and were rewarded with a 360-degree view of the canopy and sky above; Leigh, Derek (behind), Tom and Fran take first looks. |
 IMG_8087b.jpgTom, Fran and Deb, atop the Las Cruces Biological Station observation tower |
 IMG_20200217_162701b.jpgWe heard in our orientation later in the afternoon that the row of palm trees on the horizon are iconic for the station and one that has died has become home to multiple cavity-dwelling birds. |
 DSC_6540b.jpgWe had seen this Double-toothed Kite at the far edge of the clearing, but then it flew into a Cecropia tree just below the tower, where we got excellent views of it. |
 DSC_6559b.jpgThe Double-toothed Kite was clearly looking around for a meal while we watched. |
 DSC_6573b.jpgOverhead, a couple of large flocks of Crimson-fronted Parakeets flew past us. |
 DSC_6574b.jpgCrimson-fronted Parakeets |
 DSC_6577b.jpgSwallow-tailed Kite |
 DSC_6601b.jpgThe Double-toothed Kite flew farther into trees, looking around, even closer to the tower. |
 DSC_6609b.jpgI went down a flight of stairs and got eye-level with the kite. |
 DSC_6615b.jpgDouble-toothed Kite |
 DSC_6622b.jpgAfter we came down from the tower and started back along the trail, we saw this Golden-olive Woodpecker. |
 DSC_6625b.jpgSide view of the body of the Golden-olive Woodpecker |
 DSC_6628b.jpgFarther along the trail, this Agouti was eating a tender morsel. |
 DSC_6629b.jpgAgouti, with a plant stem |
 IMG_20200217_170250b.jpgBack at the main building of the biological station, one of the staff, Rudolfo, gave us a historical and geographical orientation to the station and botanical garden. |
 IMG_20200217_171456b.jpgA couple, Robert and Catherine Wilson, started the botanical gardens later named after them. Their original aim was to grow and sell tropical plants. |
 IMG_20200217_171725b.jpgIn 1973, the property was transferred to the Organization for Tropical Studies to use as a research station for a consortium of universities. |
 IMG_20200217_171851b.jpgRudolfo showed us the layout of the property. |
 IMG_20200217_174002b.jpgVegetation map of the property |
 IMG_20200217_175136b.jpgCosta Ricans, as well as students from around the world, come to study and learn at the station. |