12th February - El Ramanso, Osa Peninsula Costa Rica

We left Quepos and headed south on highway 35, passing through the town of Uvita where we would end our trip and all the way down to the bridge over the River Terraba, last time we were here the bridge was closed by a protest and we ended up having a nine hour journey to get back to Uvita.  Today there were no problems and we made it to Puerto Jimenez to change cars.  The road to El Ramanso Resort is undulating with water fords and steep climbs, four wheel drive is therefore essential.

Our driver was constantly on the look out and there was obviously some well known places to show guests.  One of these was a tree with a hole.  A quick tap and the residents came out to show themselves, the Scarlet Macaws.

Every stream was checked for Cayman, but again without any luck.  I mentioned to the driver that the last time we had come along here when we stayed at Lapa Rios we had seen a Common Potoo.  He took this as challenge and we stopped by a bamboo plantation and he got out, then came back to me and pointed out a Common Potoo at the top of a dead tree, adopting the characteristic pose that helps it blend into the tree stump.

This is a nocturnal bird like a mix between an owl and a nightjar. Large head and huge yellow eyes. Overall grayish-brown with splotchy patterning. Black moustache stripe helps distinguish from Great Potoo, along with smaller size. Spends the daytime perched on the end of a snag, where it blends in perfectly and becomes very difficult to spot. 

At night, hunts mainly for flying insects from an exposed perch. Found in open forested habitats with scattered trees, such as forest edges, along rivers or roadsides, or even in disturbed patchy woodland.

Like the nightjars, the Common Potoo has a small, hooked bill with a wide gape, ideal for sweeping up large flying insects such as beetles and moths (although it lacks the rictal bristles around the mouth characteristic of true nightjars). Its upper mandible (beak) does have a tooth-like projection that may serve a similar function as the bird forages.

The upper eyelids of Potoos have several small folds which create slits that serve as “peek-holes” during the day. This adaptation allows the Potoo to keep an eye on potential threats while remaining still and keeping its enormous eyes closed.

We arrived the lodge just in time for some lunch, after which we were shown to our room.  There was an area close to the pool with banana plants and other palms and there was a shower which attracted the small passerine birds to both bathe and drink.

This is a male Green Honeycreeper.

A male Red-legged Honeycreeper.

The red legs stand out quite brightly.

A Chestnut-sided Warbler, immature or female.

Another Hummingbird species, the Charming Hummingbird.

A Yellow-throated Toucan appeared at the top of the trees, never coming donw to the water though.

That beautiful bill, that can be quite threatening, the Toucan being omnivorous and quite partial to other birds.

My initial thought with this hummingbird was another Black-crested Coquette, but it wasn't, it is in fact a White-crested Coquette, despite the crests looking dark, the orange brown breast being diagnostic.

The Charming Hummingbird once again.

Then the cherry on the cake right at the end a Riverside Wren.

Trip list moves to 163 and the lifers up to 58.