Bird watching in Costa Rica - December 2024

OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.

Jiffy (also jiff)

noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.

ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.

So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.

So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!

Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas

Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!

Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!

Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra

Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!

คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้

Вы говорите по-русски? Просто нажмите синюю кнопку "Next" с левой стороны и Вы моментально переместитесь на следующую страницу!

E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.

Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.

December 2024

Day 11

Tuesday 31 ^st of December 2024 and my alarm goes off at 4 o'clock. Tea and cheese before going to the reception at 6 o'clock to see if there is any driver for me.

I spot a couple of bird in the garden while waiting for the driver and I get a picture of the Clay-coloured Thrush. They arrived a couple of minutes after 6 o'clock and we were soon on our way.

Clay-coloured Thrush

We will start at the eBird hotspot: Atenas--Universidad Tecnica Nacional and it is a 30 minutes drive from Hotel Robledal.

My driver tell me that he had seen a red-and-green macaw and toucan for several day and we decide to go have a look in the area before we go to eBird hotspot: Atenas--Universidad Tecnica Nacional to look for birds.

We are passing a small town and we drive past a Supermarket. I tell the Driver to stop at the next Supermarket so we can get some refreshments. Well, not long after the Supermarket and we are surrounded by wilderness.

Neither my Driver nor me have been here before and the road is soon turning in to a real Indiana Jones adventure.

We are leaving the hotel behind

Surrounded by wilderness

Surrounded by wilderness

Rufous-collared Sparrow

Gartered Trogon

Gartered Trogon

Inca Dove

The area is new for my driver and he is excited to discover a new area. He is soon busy helping me to look for birds. We stop to take a picture of an Rufous-collared Sparrow foraging in the vegetation.

Continuing and I am soon asking my Driver to stop. I get out of the car, one bird sitting on the wire over the gravel road. I have no idea what bird it is, but it is a new LIFER for me. I will ID the bird when I am back at my hotel.

We continue and we stop in a dark part of the road, my Driver had spotted one raptor sitting in one of the trees in the rain forest. I get out to look for the bird, but I do not see the bird until it takes off.

I have no idea what bird it was and I walked back to the car. We continue and we are soon stopping to take pictures of two Inca Doves next to the road. I get pictures and we continue.

Tennessee Warbler

Grey Hawk

My driver is soon stopping again, he spotted some small birds in a tree and I went out to have a look. I tried to take pictures and I got a picture of the Tennessee Warbler.

Driving down the mountain following the gravel road and I am soon asking my Driver to stop. There is a bird sitting in one of the trees far away. Too far for any good pictures. It is a raptor and I need a picture for ID purpose.

Moving down the road and I manage to get a little bit closer and I make my home-made call trying to get the bird to look at me. I get a picture and I ID the bird as a Grey Hawk when I am back in my hotel later.

We continue and we are really out in the wilderness and we drive down a steep mountain and we reach an hairpin turn, narrow road and coming down the steep mountain. Turning sharp right coming back in the opposite direction.

A hairpin turn

(also hairpin bend or hairpin corner) is a bend in a road with a very acute inner angle, making it necessary for an oncoming vehicle to turn about 180° to continue on the road. It is named for its resemblance to a bent metal hairpin. Such turns in ramps and trails may be called switchbacks in American English, by analogy with switchback railways.

50 meter and it is a 90 ° bend to the left and we are on a narrow bridge across Rio Virilla.

Approaching the bridge

Crossing the bridge

Crossing high above Rio Virilla

We make it across the river and we turn around 15 minutes or so later and drive back again. We are aiming for the eBird hotspot: Atenas--Universidad Tecnica Nacional but we never know, we might find something interesting on the way.

We cross Rio Virilla again and we get stuck in the hairpin turn going up the mountain. I get out to give direction to the Driver when we are backing up on the gravel next to the road.

When he is in position, he floors the paddle and he get up past the critical area.

There was a truck waiting for us down at the bridge. I walk up to the van and we are soon on our way along the road up the mountain again.

We see one White-winged Dove and one Clay-coloured Thrush on the way back. I get pictures and I turn off my eBird app.

White-winged Dove

Clay-coloured Thrush

eBird Report

Ruta Nacional Secundaria 136, Alajuela, CR
Dec 31, 2024 06:53 - 07:39
Protocol: Traveling
2.91 kilometer(s)
10 species

Inca Dove 2 Thanks to njlarsen at www.birdforum.net for help with the ID
White-winged Dove 1
American Black Vulture 1
Grey Hawk 1 Please, see attached picture. Sitting in a tree far away and I do my best to get a picture. Poor quality and kept for ID purpose only.

Gray Hawk (Mexican goshawk is no option in eBird)

Thanks to njlarsen and THE_FERN at www.birdforum.net for confirming my ID. Topic: https://www.birdforum.net/threads/birds-from-costa-rica-san-jose-area-earlier-today.465123/#post-4736069
Gartered Trogon 1
Social Flycatcher 1
Clay-coloured Thrush 1
Rufous-collared Sparrow 2
Great-tailed Grackle 4
Tennessee Warbler 1 Thanks to njlarsen at www.birdforum.net for confirming my ID

Topic: https://www.birdforum.net/threads/birds-from-costa-rica-san-jose-area-earlier-today.465123/#post-4736069

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S207312668

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

Today's track in Alajuela, Costa Rica

We pass another eBird hotspot to the Universidad Tecnica Nacional and I ask the driver to continue straight in the intersection. Then we turn left and we are at the lake. We spot one Purple Gallinule and I turn on my eBird app.

Disappointing, the lake is a dam owned by Costa Rican electricity company. The have closed the area and it is not accessible. My Guide told me that they used to come here for fishing. But someone had died swimming and they closed the area.

So, we had to look for birds from outside the fence. Three Northern Jacana and one Green Heron was spotted.

There was a group of five Blue-winged Teals and I discover one American Coot when I take pictures. The last picture I tried to take was of one Tropical Kingbird sitting on a wire, but it took off when I took the picture.

Green Heron

Blue-winged Teals with an American Coot

Tropical Kingbird

Next stop, the eBird hotspot: Atenas--Universidad Tecnica Nacional , well, a quick stop at the Supermarket for some refreshments. We make the stop and I buy mango juice and fresh bread. I have not have had bread for a very long time.

So I bought a baguette and I split it in half and shared it with the Driver when I was back in the van. We continued towards Atenas and the Universidad Tecnica Nacional

We drive through La Garita and we can hear a lot of parrots. I ask the driver to make a U-turn and we go back. There is a loud noise from all the Crimson-fronted Parakeet. I count to at least 50 birds flying around in groups.

They are feeding on fruits in the top of the trees, sadly, too far away for any pictures. But I got a recording of the birds.

Listen to the Crimson-fronted Parakeet

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my mobile phone using my JBL microphone with the Merlin app. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity.

50++ birds flying around in huge groups and foraging in the trees. Along a busy road and I have tried to cut out the sound from the passing cars.

Crimson-fronted Parakeet

Crimson-fronted Parakeet

Now I have seen two different parakeets in Costa Rica, but no pictures. But now I have a sound recording and we went back in to the van to continue.

We pass a very sharp curve going down the mountain and we see a lot of American Black Vulture on the road side, I count to 11 and there are vegetables along the road.

There are remains of a truck next to the road so most likely a truck loaded with vegetables that have had an mishap.

We continue and after 100 meters or so there is another 15 to 20 American Black Vulture along the road. We stop so I can get out to get some pictures.

I discover that there are more vultures in a tree next to the river and there are more of them sitting on rocks in the river.

American Black Vulture

American Black Vulture

American Black Vulture

American Black Vulture

American Black Vulture

American Black Vulture

The gate to Universidad Tecnica Nacional

Back in to the van and next stop is the university in Atenas. And we manage to reach the universitywithout any more stops. We drive up to the Security Guard and we explain that we are here to look for birds.

We were not allowed inside as it is holiday and the university is closed. We are welcome back when the Teachers and students are back after the holiday.

Disappointed, but it will later on turn out to be good luck for us. Now we go to a beautiful area around yet another dam to a hydro power plant. It is a few minutes from the university to the next eBird hotspot: Represa Chucás

We drive down the mountain on a narrow road and we can see the dam below us. We take a curve and suddenly, one Grey Hawk is landing in a tree in front of us. We manage to stop without flushing the Grey Hawk.

Costa Rica, like Thailand, it is very popular with pushbikes and the roads are full of them. Every weekend and holiday and the roads are full of people on bikes. And there is one big differencebetween Thailand and Costa Rica, the mountains.

The mountains here is like getting up a wall, very steep. Anyway, we had stopped and I managed to get out of the van without flushing the bird.

Now, 3 guys on pushbikes are coming up the mountain and they stop andstarting to take pictures with their phones. The bird really don't care about us taking pictures.

The Grey Hawk gives us a few minutes before it says “DUCK OFF” and takes off leving us behind.

Grey Hawk

Grey Hawk

Grey Hawk

Great Blue Heron

Great White Egret on the other side of the lake

I had already seen one Great White Egret from the top of the mountain and we could see the bird on the other side of the dam when we came down to the dam. There is one Great Blue Heron standing in the dam, too far away for any good pictures.

We drive along the dam and I ask the Driver to stop and go back for 10 meters. I had seen one Great Blue Heron sitting in a tree next to the road. I got out walking back the last meters and I was surprised, the bird did not take off.

Herons are usually very scared but this bird did not care about me and I could get a few pictures before getting back to the van.

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Crossing the dam

Crossing the dam

Crossng the dam on the bridge, not allowed to stop on the bride. It is a very narrow bridge and the first bird we see after having crossed the bridge is an American Black Vulture.

Well, we could acytually see the bird perching on top of a pool already from the bridge.

There are many swallows, but impossible for me to ID as they were flying around all the time. My Driver stopped as he had spotted one Tropical Kingbird. He asks what kind of bird it is and I tell him that I do not have a clue.

I need a picture and my book to ID the bird. All these flycatchers with yellow breast, they all look the same at a quick glance.
• Tropical Kingbird
• Boat-billed Flycatcher
• Great Kiskadee
• Rusty-margined Flycatcher
• Social Flycatchers
• Gray-capped Flycatcher

Of course, you can see the difference when you are a professional. But I need a picture to be sure. My Guide in Panama told me that they call them all “pecho amarillo” that is yellow breasted in English and everyone know what you are talking about.

Tropical Kingbird

Danger is lurking everywhere

We continue along the road and we can see the dam through the vegetation and there are warning signs everywhere. Snakes and crocodiles are lurking behind every tree and rock.

We spotted one parked car, most likely someone gone fishing and we hope he make it back home again surviving any snakes and crocodiles.

We passed some houses so there are people living in the area. My Driver tells me that there are a couple of people getting killed by crocodiles every year. The crocodiles are also on the beaches scaring the tourists.

Snakes many snake attacks and most of them snakes coming in to the houses and it is the houses close to the water and mountains during the rainy season when the snakes look for a dry place.

I told the Guide that this must mean every house in Costa Rica as everything is close to the mountain or water.

My Driver is soon stopping again, he see one black and yellow bird in the bushes. I get out of the van and it take some time before I spot the bird in the bushes. The pictures went to the garbage, I only kept one that I sent to the birdforum for help with the ID.

There were a few Rufous-backed Wrens in the bushed but they took off and I could never get any pictures. But I spotted one in a bushes after a few hundred meters. And this time the bird was on my side of the car.

Poor pictures, but good enough for the members on www.birdforum.net could ID the bird for me.

Poor pictures, kept for ID purpose only

Yellow-throated Euphonia

Thanks to njlarsen at www.birdforum.net for help with the ID

Rufous-backed Wren

Thanks to njlarsen and THE_FERN at www.birdforum.net for help with the ID

Rufous-backed Wren

Thanks to njlarsen and THE_FERN at www.birdforum.net for help with the ID

Spotted Sandpiper

Thanks to njlarsen at www.birdforum.net for help with the ID

Black Phoebe

Thanks to njlarsen at www.birdforum.net for help with the ID

We reach the eastern end of the dam and I ask the Driver to stop. There is one Osprey in one of the dead trees in the dam. I get out of the car but I never get any good pictures before the Osprey takes off.

There is one Spotted Sandpiper on a rock too far away. The bird disappears when I try to come closer and I discover a black bird hunting from the remains from a dead tree.

My Guide point out a huge lizard in one of the trees across the dam. I have never seen such a big lizard before. Crocodiles, snakes and now this, for sure a dangerous area.

Green iguana in the tree

Green iguana in the tree

The green iguana

(Iguana iguana), also known as the American iguana or the common green iguana, is a large, arboreal, mostly herbivorous species of lizard of the genus Iguana. Usually, this animal is simply called the iguana. The green iguana ranges over a large geographic area; it is native from southern Brazil and Paraguay as far north as Mexico.

A herbivore, it has adapted significantly with regard to locomotion and osmoregulation as a result of its diet. It grows to 1.7 m in length from head to tail, although a few specimens have grown more than 2 m with bodyweights upward of 9.1 kg.

Commonly found in captivity as a pet due to its calm disposition and bright colours, it can be very demanding to care for properly. Space requirements and the need for special lighting and heat can prove challenging to the hobbyist.

Lucky again, we spot one beautiful Lineated Woodpecker, and on my side of the car and I have a chance to get pictures. We discover that there are two of them in the same tree.

Lineated Woodpecker

Lineated Woodpecker

Lineated Woodpecker

Lineated Woodpecker

Lineated Woodpecker

We reach a small bridge over a small stream at the east end of the dam. There is a lot of Lesser Scaups, Blue-winged Teal and 3 Least Grebes. I look down the stream and I see one Green Kingfisher sitting on a branch, almost covered by leaves.

The bird dive and catch a fish that it enjoys sitting on a rock. When it had finished the fish, it started to make sounds and I made a recording.

Suddenly, one Neotropic Cormorant takes of from the stream and fly under the bridge and land on the other side of the bridge and I take a picture.

We leave the bridge going up the mountain, a very steep and narrow road.

Blue-winged Teal

Least Grebe

Green Kingfisher

Green Kingfisher

Listen to the Green Kingfisher

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my mobile phone using my JBL microphone with the Merlin app. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity.

Sitting next to the bridge and dove for a fish. Eating the fish on a rock and then the bird started to make sound.

Neotropic Cormorant

We do not see any birds and the clock have past 10 o'clock and it is time to start thinking about returning to Hotel Robledal. I have a bird watching tour at 2 o'clock in the afternoon and a lunch before that will do me good.

We find a place where we can make a U-turn on the narrow road. We start to go down the mountain and it is almost fee fall, that's how steep the road is. Road, well, more like a path through the rain forest.

We are back at the “Kingfisher” bridge, but no sign of the Green Kingfisher or any other kingfishers. But there is one Great Blue Heron foraging in the water.

Going down the mountain

We can see the dam below us

We can see the dam below us

We are back at the “Kingfisher” bridge

We are back at the “Kingfisher” bridge

We are looking at the Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Continuing towards Hotel Robledal and my Driver is very happy. This is the first time he makes a tour like this. He is usually taking tourist to and from the beach, Pacific or Atlantic side of Costa Rica and San Jose / airport.

He had really enjoyed the morning and I suggested that he should start with bird watching tours instead. Just driving around enjoying the nature looking for birds.

We were approaching the bridge across the dam and we spotted one more Tropical Kingbird and there were three Groove-billed Ani next to the road just before reaching the bridge across the dam. And i got the last picture of the bird. My last picture before stopping my eBird app.

Tropical Kingbird

Groove-billed Ani

Back at the bridge across the dam

Many Lesser Scaups on the dam next to the bridge

eBird Report

Represa Chucás, Alajuela, CR
Dec 31, 2024 09:33 - 10:45
Protocol: Traveling
7.5 kilometer(s)
19 species (+1 other taxa)

Blue-winged Teal 13
Lesser Scaup 90 The lake was full of them. Click on attached picture for bigger size.
Groove-billed Ani 3
Spotted Sandpiper 1 Thanks to njlarsen at www.birdforum.net for help with the ID from my very poor pictures.

Topic: https://www.birdforum.net/threads/birds-from-costa-rica-san-jose-area-earlier-today.465123/#post-4736069
Least Grebe 3
Neotropic Cormorant 1
Great White Egret 2
Great Blue Heron 3
American Black Vulture 1
Turkey Vulture 2
Osprey 1
Grey Hawk 1 Thanks to njlarsen at www.birdforum.net for help with the ID from my very poor picture.

Topic: https://www.birdforum.net/threads/birds-from-costa-rica-san-jose-area-earlier-today.465123/#post-4736069
Green Kingfisher 1
Lineated Woodpecker 2
Black Phoebe 1 Thanks to njlarsen at www.birdforum.net for help with the ID from my very poor pictures.

Topic: https://www.birdforum.net/threads/birds-from-costa-rica-san-jose-area-earlier-today.465123/#post-4736069
Tropical Kingbird 3
swallow sp. 7 Not possible for me to ID as they were flying around all the time. But it was not the Blue and white swallow
Rufous-backed Wren 4 Thanks to njlarsen and THE_FERN at www.birdforum.net for help with the ID from my very poor pictures.

Topic: https://www.birdforum.net/threads/birds-from-costa-rica-san-jose-area-earlier-today.465123/#post-4736069
Clay-coloured Thrush 1
Yellow-throated Euphonia 1 Thanks to njlarsen at www.birdforum.net for help with the ID from my very poor picture.

Topic: https://www.birdforum.net/threads/birds-from-costa-rica-san-jose-area-earlier-today.465123/#post-4736069

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S207335641

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

Today's track at Represa Chucás

Turning of my eBird app at 10:45 and we are back at Hotel Robledal 11 thirty and I go to the restaurant and order steak and avocado. I have one bread that I bought at the Supermarket and I enjoyed the bread with olive oil and tea.

I go to my room and sort out some pictures, there are some birds that I had not managed to ID and I will ask my Guide in the afternoon.

Knock on my door, there is no birding Guide for me.
- Where did you book the Guide?
- At the reception
I was about to say “where the duck do you think I booked my hotel Guide”

I was really angry, it is like it is retarded people running the hotel. 1oo$ for the car and the Driver asked for 150$ when we came back from the volcano. I asked the girl this morning about this.
- You said 100$
- 100... 150$
- What the duck?

She had confirmed my Guide booking and now nothing. What theshall I do here at Hotel Robledal? Three days with no Guide, I would be better off back in the mountains.
- You can walk in our garden, they suggested.
I could not believe my ears. 12 hours’ time difference from home, that means that I have travelled exactly half way around the world. for what? To walk around in a garden. I went for a quick walk in the garden but there were not many birds.

Getting a recording of a Boat-billed Flycatcher and I got pictures of the Rufous-backed Wren, the very bird I got poor pictures of this morning, so this was good.

Listen to the Boat-billed Flycatcher

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my mobile phone using my JBL microphone with the Merlin app. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity.

In the hotel garden next to the road with heavy traffic.

Rufous-backed Wren

Rufous-backed Wren

I turned off my eBird app and this was the last bird watching for me in Costa Rica for this time. Last day of birding and I can put 6 new LIFERS to my list:
• Yellow-throated Euphonia
• Rufous-backed Wren
• Lineated Woodpecker
• Crimson-fronted Parakeet
• Gartered Trogon
• Grey Hawk

I have a total of 80 LIFERS in Costa Rica so I was super satisfied and I have had a gorgeous time in Central America, a don Bahamas. I can complete my eBird Trip Report for Costa Rica - December 2024 and there is a link below to eBird or to an PDF file if that is preferable.

eBird Trip Report

Since April 2023 eBird offer a new feature, to create Trip Reports. At least this is when I first heard of this feature and I have decided to make the eBird Trip Reports instead of my list of OBSERVED birds.

And of course, this also means that I will HAVE TO go back and do the same for my old birding adventures, WHEN I HAVE THE TIME!

Today's Trip Report: Costa Rica - December 2024 | Click HERE

Download | PDF

Lifers
Icons for lifers used in the eBird trip reports

Species lifer:First time that someone observes a species in their life

Photo lifer:First time that someone photographs a species in their life

Audio lifer:First time that someone audio records a species in their life

Exotic species
Exotic species flags differentiate locally introduced species from native species.

Naturalized:Exotic population is self-sustaining, breeding in the wild, persisting for many years, and not maintained through ongoing releases (including vagrants from Naturalized populations). These count in official eBird totals and, where applicable, have been accepted by regional bird records committee(s).

Provisional:Either: 1)member of exotic population that is breeding in the wild, self-propagating, and has persisted for multiple years, but not yet Naturalized; 2)rarity of uncertain provenance, with natural vagrancy or captive provenance both considered plausible.

When applicable, eBird generally defers to bird records committees for records formally considered to be of "uncertain provenance". Provisional species count in official eBird totals.

Escapee:Exotic species known or suspected to be escaped or released, including those that have
bred but don't yet fulfil the criteria for Provisional. Escapee exotics do not count in official eBird totals.

The lunch had been very good, but they served me the last avocado, I asked for 4 and they told me that they only had one remaining. I was surprised to get two. They delivered vegetables to therestaurant during my lunch.

Going back to my room after the bird watching and I asked if they had got any avocados.
- Do you have 4 avocados for my dinner tonight?
- Yes
- They were running out of avocados at lunch. Did they deliver?
- I think so
- So, you do not know if you have avocados?

Never the mind, I had tea and cheese in my room. I really did not feel like experience more of the “maybe“ and “I think so” and I stayed in my room. what is wrong with a simple YES or NO?

My car is booked for 6 o'clock tomorrow morning and my alarm is set for 4 o'clock. Time for tea and some cheese before leaving for the airport. My flight is at 9 o'clock and this willhopefully give me plenty time at the airport.

I was about to miss my flight on Bahamas and this is not a drama I want to experience again.

You just need to click HERE to find out if I make it back home agin

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