January 17th 2022
Great day out on the patch! Many highlights including this stonking male Painted Bunting
Claudio, the owner of the reserve, that I’ve now been birding for the last four days, showed me around his land. Although I had covered the 6 hectares many times over, just in one morning, I was so pleased that we had a stroll together . Unfortunately, the language barrier played a big part in communications. Claudo carried a big stick with him and he started poking around in the leaf litter and within a few minutes, he picked up a blue and red Strawberry Poisoned Arrow Frog. This was followed by a larger Green and Black Poisoned Frog with crazy patterns all over its body. We came to a group of palms and there roosting in the shelter under the large leaves were Bats that I had walked past probably five or six times in a single day since day one. After an hour, Claudio return to his house, where he discovered another roost of bats that is at the entrance of the reserve and I continued to bird the area. It didn’t take long until I started adding on new species that I had never seen before. As I approached the weedy field, the flock of grassquits and seedeaters got up and with them 3 Indigo Bunting and 6 Dickcissel.
Strawberry Poisoned Arrow Frog
Green and Black Poisoned Frog
Claudio also showed me two roost of bats sheltering under the large over-hanging Palm leaves
Up to 6 Dickcessel were hanging out in the large weedy field including this male
A surprise was the tiny Olivaceous Piculat. Surprise because looking at the range of this species in the guide shows it to be only in the SW and NE of Costa Rica and this individual appeared to be carrying food. Both a Mourning Warbler and Ovenbird were feeding on the deck. The latter species I’ve seen back home on Scilly and many times in CR. But a stunning male Painted Bunting is a species I spent a lot of time, unsuccessfully, trying to see while in the US a few year back. The bunting flew up from grovelling on the ground into the open where I got very good views. Also Rufous-winged Woodpecker, Plain Xenops, and male Red-thighed Dacnis. It was good day for flycatchers with Yellow-bellied, Least, Grey-headed, Yellow-olive Flycatcher and Tropical Pewee. All new species and a Rufous Mourner was also added. Darkness was approaching and the moseys were out in force. A small group of Smooth-billed Ani came in but it was while returning from the NE end of the reserve that I got a brief but cracking views of a Russet-napped Wood Rail! It was in a ditch below me and I had no idea it was there until I was almost on top of the rail. It grunted as it climbed up the bank at some pace into deep cover and following it were two young!! I guess this is a good record to come across breeding Russet-napped Wood Rail in Costa Rica. After kicking a Common Pauraque in front of me off the main path, I ran out as fast as I could to escape the blood suckers.
At last I’ve connected with a cracking male Painted Bunting after missing out when in the states
Rufous-winged Woodpecker
Rufous Mourner
Tropical Peewee
Yellow-olive Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Grey-headed Flycatcher
Male Red-thighed Dacnis
Smooth-billed Ani
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