15th February - Kura - Day One, Uvita, Costa Rica

We left El Ramanso after breakfast and once again we were being taken to Puerto Jimenez by 4 x 4.  Once again we were slowing down at the areas of water to look for Caiman, at the first one a Spotted Sandpiper flew across the road in front of us, 199 now for the trip.

There was a couple that had stopped their motorbikes and were looking into a stream, we pulled over and at the last attempt found the elusive Caiman.

Caimans are much smaller than their crocodile cousins. They typically grow to about 6 feet in length and weigh about 80 pounds.  Crocodiles can grow to up to 23 feet long and weigh up to 2,000 pounds!

This is a Spectacled Caiman, a native of the tropics from southern Mexico to Brazil, takes its name from a bony ridge between the eyes that resembles the nosepiece of a pair of eyeglasses. It is abundant along quiet mud-bottomed waters. 

We reached the pick up place at the airport and set off on the journey to Uvita, a trip trhat would take three and a half hours.  As we approached the highway 35, we saw a Belted Kingfisher on the wires, number 200 for the trip!

Like El Ramanso, to get to Kura requires the services of a 4 x 4 again, it is a steep climb up the side of the mountain.  This is the third visit to Kura, a wonderful location that looks out across farmland and out over the Parque Nacional Marino Ballena and the Whale's Tail, a feature that is similar to the peninsula at Manuel Antonio, but lower and with rock and beach.

Out on the edge of the incredible infinity pool was the bronze statue of Perry the parrot.  The story is that this little Mealy Parrot became very tame when the owners were constructing Kura and wold come all the time.  Sadly he passed away and the statue was made to remember and celebrate it.

We checked in to our room and then came back to the pool.  Later in the afternoon the birds started to arrive in the nearby trees.  A male Scarlet-rumped Tanager.

And the stunning Golden-hooded Tanager.

The commonest North American Warbler we have seen on the trip is the Tennessee Warbler, and there was one here showing quite well.

As the sun was starting to drop the Yellow-throated Toucans would start to call from prominent positions in the trees.

I had missed out on photographing a Yellow Warbler on our last day at El Ramanso, so it was nice to get the chance here, not the best photograph, but it clearly shows the Yellow Warbler.

I decided to hang around for the sunset as the clouds were opening up out on the ocean, unfortunately the skies above us looked a little threatening.

As can happen here the clouds built up over the hotel and and it started to rain, and it became quite heavy.

It was raining on us, but out on the ocean the sun was still out and setting up a lovely end to the day.

Looking to the east and along the side of the mountain you can see the hazy conditions created by the rain and the setting sunlight.

The sunset, maybe not as I thought it would be, but a good start.

Tomorrow we were on a whale watching trip in the morning, so something different to what we have seen before.