Puerto Limon, Costa Rica III

After four and a half hours we finally cracked the 35Km and reached

First on show was a fine adult VIOLACEOUS TROGON

with this juvenile close by.

 
 
Next up MASKED TITYRA*,

 
female Large-tailed Grackle

while in the canopy PROTHONOTARY WARBLER's were vocal, active but difficult to capture.

Parasitic Wasp Nest

'Bird of the day' was undoubtedly this fine

WHITE-COLLARED MANAKIN*, not because it was a 'lifer'
but just look at it!!

ONly fleeting glimpses but enough to score another new bird
CLAY-COLOURED THRUSH*

 
before taking a look at a small troop of Howler Monkeys.

Flower of the Forest

BLUE MORPHO BUTTERFLY but you only get short flashes of radiant blue.

FUNGI

and a much more obliging Prothonatory Warbler.
The name is said to originate from the colour of the raiment worn by the Pope's closest advisers.

Some distance away a STRAIGHT-BILLED WOODCREEPER*

and another Violaceous Trogon

Equally distant, but nearing all the time

the first BROAD-WINGED HAWK* of the trip.

Butterfly

Rupert, our taxi driver, was responsible for finding 70% of the Birds  and Mammals today, we had really struck lucky to find him, but however he spotted this group of 12 or more PLAIN CHACHALACA will remain a mystery to me forever - I couldn't even see the tree he was pointing out!

Another Black-cheeked Woodpecker before we headed back to the docks

where, from a distance, we could see the tiny form of M/V VOYAGER secured close to 2 Monsters of the Sea. I maintain 'small is best' at sea and very much the case here. To watch the passengers disembark from our neighbours was like watching the Battle Scene from Lord of the Rings!

KEEP IT BIJOU!

Puerto Limon, Costa Rica II

Continuing the Costa Rica experience, we had hired a taxi to take us to the local Nature Reserve, just 35Km from the ship, but thus far we had been on the road for 3 hours but still nowhere near it. Every stop was full of interest.

adult COMMON BLACK HAWK* with prey

and close by a juvenile

making hell of a noise as young Raptors often do.

 

Help needs to be at hand for this one as we have no idea what it is.

FUNGI

STREAK-HEADED WOODCREEPER*

 

Mangrove Swallow

BLACK-CHEEKED WOODPECKER* before reaching a short stretch of beach

with a fair share of Waders, including

WILLET*

SANDERLING*

COLLARED PLOVER

and Spotted Sandpiper among others.

SQUIRREL CUCKOO* added to the Trip List.

A metallic looking BUSH CRICKET.

American Anhinga

DARK PEWEE*

copulating Butterflies.

Great Egret

HUDSONIAN WHIMBREL*

GREY PLOVER*

and THREE-TOED SLOTH

a closer look at Common Black Hawk

along with Northern Jacana

and Leaf-cuttter Ants
STILL WE HADN'T REACHED THE NATURE RESERVE.