Troy skillfully drove our rental 4WD up the Caribbean Slope in the Cordillera Talamanca, up the very long, steep driveway to Rancho Naturalista. A beautiful open lodge and a few casitas (cabins) surrounded by beautiful tropical trees and flowers. We found the hummingbird area and relaxed until supper watching a myriad of hummingbirds.
 |
| Troy, Ty & Ida |
 |
| White-necked Jacobin |
 |
| Green-breasted Mango male |
 |
| Rufous-tailed Hummingbird |
 |
| Green-breasted Mango - juvenile |
 |
| Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer |
 |
| White-necked Jacobin |
 |
| Green Hermit |
The dining area where wonderful meals were served and we could visit with other visitors and naturalist guides.
This is the "Bug Light" and where we met each night and morning to see hundreds of varieties of bugs and moths. An amazing array!!
 |
| Looks like a little caped Viking |
This huge moth was a least a foot wide. By morning, it became quite tattered flopping around the light.
 |
| Rufous Motmot |
 |
| Red-throated Ant-Tanager |
Early morning brought many birds to eat the moths attracted by the light on the sheet.
 |
| Mottled Owl |
 |
| Bananas, chief Costa Rican crop |
 |
| Hooded Mantid |
 |
| Hooded Mantid |
 |
| Blue-crowned (Lesson's) Motmot |
 |
| Passerini's Tanager |
 |
| Bay-headed Tanager |
 |
| Collared Aracari |
 |
| Brown Jay |
Our three day stay was amazing. We had a great guide, Luis. Each morning we had a new adventure. First day we explored the trails at Rancho Naturalista, Into the rain forest, up along the field and orchard area, finding 91 species in 4 hours.
The next day we drove a few minutes to a mountain stream where we sought out Tanager flocks and found the Roadside Hawk.
 |
| Silver-throated Tanager |
Then we drove downstream on the other side of a village and our first treasure was this Fasciated Tiger-Heron. Then a little farther to what we were really seeking. A nesting pair of Sunbittern.
 |
| Sunburst wing pattern on the Sunbittern |
In the afternoons, we sometimes went to the pools deep in the forest where the hummingbirds and warblers would come to bathe. This is where we saw the rare Snow Cap but because of lighting and distance were unable to capture this small, delightful bird.
The next morning we went to find the Southern Lapwing, a bit easier to find. This large, killdeer-like bird was in the middle of a pasture.
 |
| Gartered Trogon |
 |
| Hoffman's Woodpecker |
 |
| Snail Kite |
 |
| Northern Jacana with four chicks - can you find them? |
 |
| Bananaquit |
Still three days left to go. What an amazing trip so far.
Love & Prayers,
Ty & Ida Baumann
No comments:
Post a Comment