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Wildlife Tours COSTA RICA Through the Lense Trip Report 2010

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Wildlife Tours COSTA RICA Through the Lense Trip Report 2010 Costa Rica Through the Lens A Greentours Tour Report 1st – 14th September 2010 Led by Chris Gardner Day 1 UK to Costa Rica We all met up at the departure gate flew across the pond, breezed through customs and then continued onto San Jose, arriving a touch early. Drew, our driver, negotiated the somewhat confusing route to Bosque de Paz. Day 2 Bosque de Paz Hummers galore followed by an orchid feast summed up the morning. The feeders and many shrubs of the verbena Stachytarpheta frantzii were thronging with hummingbirds at first light and all morning with dozens of birds featuring seven species in total. The largest, the Purple Sabrewings, were perhaps the most numerous, harrying the other species and bossing the feeders as Green-crowned Brilliants, Magnificent Hummingbirds and Purple-throated Mountain-gems vied for a share of the sugar. A Black-bellied Hummingbird was busy among the nearby Stachytarpheta as was the odd Scintillant Hummingbird and in a larger stand of the same shrub were a few Green Violetears. Bigger movements in the bushes revealed the presence of Black Guans and these became bolder as feeding time approached, venturing out into the open for great views with up to twelve at once. Chestnut-capped Brush-finches busied themselves on the ground below. Obviously much time was spent photographing these wonderful subjects, Barbara even lured several hummingbirds in extra close by holding out a red flower encouraging a Green-crowned Brilliant to come and investigate each of us in turn, perching either on us or our camera equipment! Post breakfast we carried on in the same vein but after a hour of so we ventured in to the orchid garden which contained a collection of three hundred species from the surrounding forests including sweetly scented Trichopelia suavis, long 1 © Greentours Limited. Visit www.greentours.co.uk for further details. Telephone 01298 83563 sprays of Oncidium bracteatum, dense pendant masses of mustard-yellow Pleurothallis johnsonii nestled among the moss as well as many delicate dwarf species such as Pleurothallis spp, Restrepia trichoglossa, Lepanthes guardian, Sigfmatostalix picta, sinister Dracula erythrochaeta and the lovely deepest maroon Masdevallia rolfeana. A male Coati appeared just before lunch and was seen having an afternoon snooze on a rooftop. Our own afternoon was spent in the forest were we found a selection of interesting things from huge lichens to caterpillars and broad millipedes to the purple flowered acanthaceae shrub Poikilacanthus macranthus, glimpses of glasswings and electric blue-striped Mesomesia grandis, or a young White-throated Spadebill being fed by a parent and a mixed flock of birds that included Hairy Woodpecker, Flame-throated Warbler, Tropical Parula, Three-striped Warbler and Spotted Woodcreeper as Grey-breasted Woodwrens sung melodiously from the tangled vegetation. Arriving back at the lodge a family of at least six White-nosed Coatis were feeding at the forest edge. Our after dinner wander turned up many fine moths, katydids, large green beetles (three species), a Rain Frog (Eleutherodactylus sp) and three Glass Frogs (Centrolenella prosoblepon). Day 3 Bosque de Paz and to Laguna Lagartos A familiar gang of hummers and skulking Black Guans were around the feeders at first light as we walked around the grounds and onwards along the main road. Brown-capped Vireos were common and there was a Spotted Woodcreeper and Tufted Flycatcher. Further along the road was a noisy and busy group of Ochraceous Wrens and as we returned for breakfast there was Smoky-brown Woodpecker and a pretty Heliconius clysonymus butterfly. The rest of the morning was spent photographing orchids we’d missed yesterday such as Acineta densa then looking for more butterflies among the verbena Stachytarpheta frantzii where the resident Purple-throated Mountain Gem, Black-bellied Hummingbird and Green Violetear spent the day. We found the handsome blue-washed skipper Urbanus pronus, a large cream-spotted grasshopper and Slaty Flowerpiecer whilst Steve returned from a trip into the forest with a photograph of a Green-fronted Lancebill he’d seen perched on a river boulder. Fred, Jill and I decided to try and find the same bird and walked to the location but had no luck although we did see the delicate glasswing Greta anette. We had an afternoon’s drive ahead of us and left Bosque de Paz by one o’clock driving the convoluted roads down to the lowlands as Black and Turkey Vultures swooped over the hills. Our final stretch along the bumpy road to Laguna del Lagartos was punctuated by stops for a pair of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks perched in a tree with a beautifully marked Bare- throated Tiger Heron and then Red-lored Parrots arriving in at the lodge in time to watch five Scarlet Macaws fly to roost in a distant tree. Various moths, beetles and geckos joined us for dinner. Day 4 Laguna del Lagartos 2 © Greentours Limited. Visit www.greentours.co.uk for further details. Telephone 01298 83563 A superb morning began with raucous macaws flying over (if we were up in time to see them) and then a techicolour display of birdlife followed, feeding on and around the bananas hanging from a tree all viewed with ease from the large balcony with Chestnut-mandibled and Keel- billed Toucans, Collared Aracaris, Black-cheeked Woodpeckers (yes woodpeckers eat bananas!), Montezuma’s Oropendulas, lovely Brown-hooded Parrots and Passerini’s, Palm and Blue-grey Tanagers. Two Red-lored Parrots also landed very close to feed on large round fruits in a small tree. As we ate breakfast a male Coati appeared and climbed up onto a second banana feeder to eat before running off with a large banana and there were a few Central American Spider Monkeys crashing through the trees on a the far side of the lagoon. At eight-thirty we ventured into the tract of primary forest adjoining the lodge, although a recent tornado had wreaked some havoc in places bringing down many large trees. Despite this much remained undamaged and produced a superb array of mini-beasts beginning with the dazzling red and blue Strawberry Poison Frog which we were to see dozens of this morning. There followed various orb-web spiders, anole lizards, wasps, leafcutter ants on a vast nest, dragonflies including a gigantic Gomphid which buzzed around a clearing (but sadly never settled), a remarkable bristly caterpillar and then a huge Morpho peleides, orange yellow Phoebis argante and the dazzling blue and red Rhetus periander. Critter of the day though was probably the neatly coiled Hog-nosed Pit-viper we found sat on the trail. More followed with a stunning iridescent green wasp, a juvenile Green-and-black Poison Frog and the butterfly Pierella with lovely pink-red hind-wings when it flew. Our late afternoon stroll took us first along the road where we found butterflies such as Adelpha cytherea, Heliconius doris and a fine skipper, fine flowering plants of ‘hotlips’ Psychotria sp and what looked like a Costa Rican poinsettia Warszewiczia coccinea as well as a pair of Pale-billed Woodpeckers. Walking around the large lagoon a superb Green Basilisk was found among a large clump of Heliconia stricta and a couple of juveniles sprinted across the water further along before we returned to the lodge balcony to watch for roosting Scarlet Macaws (15) and emerging Short-tailed Nighthawks. Post-dinner we went on the ‘Caiman tour’ seeing two large Spectacled Caimans come ashore for their chicken supper. Day 5 Laguna Lagartos A loud yowling call woke me at four forty-five and crawling out of bed I shone a torch in the direction of the noise and found a Black-and-white Owl. A fine way to start the day and birds featured strongly this morning with a visit to a local garden. The small flower-filled garden with its banana feeders was a magnet for birds and we managed to photograph a technicolour mix including Shining, Red-legged and Green Honeycreepers, Golden-hooded Tanagers, Orange-chinned Parakeets, Olive-backed Euphonias, Black-cowled Oriole, etc (seventeen species in total). Various butterflies were feeding on the flowers too with Banded Peacock, at least three heliconids and a Variable Cracker. Back at the lodge a big gang of coatis came and raided bananas. We went back into the forest in the afternoon finding the rare Morpho granadensis along with Antirrhea miltiades and Pierella helvina. There was also a stunning adult Green-and-black Poison Frog and among the fallen branches of a tree the green orchid Trigonidium egertonianum. After 3 © Greentours Limited. Visit www.greentours.co.uk for further details. Telephone 01298 83563 this we waited for Scarlet Macaws to fly to roost near the bird hide where dozens of dragonflies were hawking overhead and a Lineated Woodpecker perched high in a tree. A post-dinner nightwalk was very productive for spiders finding hairy tarantula, golden-orb-web and a species that throws its web onto victims. Day 6 To Savegre via Braullio Carillio A misty dawn greeted us, the vapours soon dissipating as we set about looking for Great Curassows in the pristine habitat that was the lodge compost bin – these normally shy forest giants had taken to picking through our leftovers! There was only a Grey-necked Wood-Rail at our first attempt, although a handsome bird in its own right. We searched around elsewhere but no luck only to return to the bins where Barbara had just seen two birds arrive and disappear again. We left it another ten minutes and then at our third attempt we all got to see the beautifully patterned female and a juvenile bird at very close range.
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