Even if we were not going out early to bird, I am sure we would have been up, the sunrise was quite special. The colours building from about 5.15 am onwards the clouds adding to the scene.
We made our way to the main restaurant area to wait for the guide to take us out. From the deck there the clouds were becoming brighter and the ocean was turning blue
We were being taken down to the more open area we had passed through on the way from Puerto Jimenez yesterday afternoon. We crossed the first river but slowed down as we approached the second. The water wasn't as high as it was yesterday and on the edge a Spotted Sandpiper was feeding in the typical sandpiper style.
After crossing the ford we pulled over and walked along the road. The sun was now rising, and the surround hills were being lit up. As a result the birds were appearing.
A Ruddy Ground Dove on a roadside post.
A Melodious Blackbird singing in a tree close to the road.
Where the stream wound alongside the road a White Ibis flew in and probed the waters edge.
While on the other side of the road a Bare-throated Tiger Heron. We have seen thee previously, but always in poor light. This one stood out in the sunlight, the stripes that give it the name standing out clearly.
Looking across the field, in the trees in the distance there were eight Swallow-tailed Kites at the top of a tree, and White Ibis could be seen flying across the open field. A distant Yellow-headed Caracara was also perched in a tree, while all the time their was the constant calls of the Red-lored Parrots.
A pair Black-bellied Whistling Ducks flew past, I managed to get just one.
Walking a little further on we found the The Red-lored Parrots. As is almost always the way with parrots they were in pairs, and constantly calling and chatting with each other
They even preen and flap their wings together!
Here a portrait to illustrate why they are called what they are called.
We were able to walk into a field which allowed us the opportunity to get close to the trees where there was quite a bit of activity. A Yellow-crowned Euphonia
A White-collared Seedeater, once a popular cage bird in Costa Rica for it song.
More parrots, this time Crimson-fronted Parakeets. They liked the leaves of the palm trees and would use them to hang upside down for some reason
We walked back to the road, and headed out into more open grassland. A few days ago we had seen Blue-black Grassquit, but distantly, today there was an obliging male by the side of the road in the grass.
On the right hand side of the road there were dead trees and palms at the back, a Common Black Hawk flew from one tree, the white tail bar showing clearly as it spread its wings to land in the dead tree.
We could also hear the begging calls of a juvenile and found it close by.
The adult remained sitting close by, ignoring the repetitive calls of the young bird.
Coming out of the trees once again there was a dead palm tree trunk, and at the top were a pair of Scarlet Macaws. They like to next in the dead trees, hollowing out a nest in the dead tree. The light was appalling, but gave the chance to pick out a silhouette of the familiar profile
Walking on and looking back to light was a little better.
A chance to appreciate the beautiful colours once again.
We now had open fields on both sides of us, and birds on the fences. Known as a red-breasted Blackbird, but more accurately Red-breasted Meadowlark.
A pair of Southern Lapwings had flown past us earlier calling. Once again a new bird for me so I was pleased to find them in the field close to the road
Similar in behaviour to the European Lapwing, but more long legged and with a definite black breast.
As we walked along the road there was a Crested Caracara walking along the road. As we approached, it disappeared into the verge, but a little closer and it appeared again and this time flew up into the tree by the side of the road.
Although looking like a hawk the Craracars are a member of the Falcon family, sometimes included with the forest falcons and sometimes in their own family, unlike the falcons though they are not fast aerial flyers, but are quite slow and can be seen scavenging food rather than hunting. It didn't seem phased by us, and I was able to get closer to get a nice portrait.
The fences and wires between them were providing a good place to find the birds. Here a Tropical Kingbird
While on the post a Ruddy Seedeater, a new bird again.
In the field was another Crested Caracara searching through the grass for an easy meal like an insect or maybe small lizard.
In the branches of a dead tree above us about thirty Gay-breasted Martins.
It as now around 8.30, and it was getting warm. The birds were once again starting to quieten down. We made our way back towards the car, with Red-breasted Blackbirds and Grassquits on the wire fences. Back at the stream the Bare-throated Tiger Heron was perched in a tree above the water, but there was no sign of the Ibis.
The birds may have disappeared, but the butterflies were about. Once again identifying them was and is a major challenge, here a White.
This is very similar to a Chequered Skipper, I am confident on a skipper, but that is where it ends.
But this one I do know, the Banded Peacock.
We were back at Lapa in time for breakfast, and afterwards we took a slow wander back to the bungalow. More butterflies were about, this one the same as we had seen in Quepos, but still no clearer on its identification.
In a sunny spot a small lizard sat warming up in the sunshine.
Back at the bungalow we settled down on the deck. Around us there were plenty of butterflies on the flowers. I found it hard to settle. This one I can identify, a common butterfly in the tropics, but lovely to see, a Postman.
They will sit with the wings held high, but do flap them which allows you the chance to see and get the shot with the wings open.
The verbena was a big attraction.
This looks like a fritillary although which I am still working on.
This one stayed at a distance so I was never able to get close enough. It is a Malacite
This one is again another skipper, similar to the chequered type we saw earlier.
And this one a type of Swallowtail, that again stayed at a distance.
We spent the rest of the day by the pool, becoming quite hot around midday. The clouds built up mid afternoon, and we headed back to our deck, where we sat looking out to the gulf. As the cloud moved around us, there were squally showers over the ocean and to our right, but fortunately it never rained on us. The showers though provided a lovely rainbow off shore.
Just like last night as we moved towards sunset the birds were moving once again. Brown Pelicans cruised past over the water, and we had a close fly past by a Magnificent Frigatebird.
Both Turkey and Black Vultures are a regular sight soaring around the bungalows, and off shore. Vultures are not always everybody's favourite birds, but they are impressive flyers, and of the two I find the Black Vulture the most impressive.
The Scarlet Macaws were once again flying back and forth past us.
The Yellow-throated Toucan arrived again in the Cercropia tree out side the deck.
While the three-toed Sloth that we had seen yesterday was still there, and at about the same time as yesterday it was on the move.
It seemed to be moving to another part of the tree, but still underneath the large lobed leaves.
But then seemed to change its mind and came down to finally settle lower down.
The clouds gathered, and this evening sunset was not as spectacular as yesterdays with a lot of cloud muting any colour in the sky.
Tomorrow morning we are off out into the Gulf, hopefully to get close to the Humpbacks we had seen yesterday. Our start time is not too early so we will have chance to get breakfast before we leave. All we can wish for is a nice calm, sunny morning.
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