Tuesday, 28 April 2020

The Osa Peninsula - Part 1


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The Osa Peninsula is the best example of lowland Pacific rainforest in Costa Rica. Jutting out into the ocean just north of the Costa Rica / Panama border, the Osa Peninsula maintains much of its original forest cover, especially in several protected areas: Corcovado National Park and the Golfo Dulce Forest Reserve. More than half of Costa Rica's species can be found in these productive lowland forests, including populations of Jaguar and Baird's Tapir.

Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

The Osa Peninsula had long been a destination that drew my attention, and as a fledgling birder it was a place that I knew I had to visit some day.  I had romanticized the idea of the Osa Peninsula as a remote wilderness with untold varieties of snakes, frogs, birds, and other creatures finding habitat within the steamy jungles and picturesque sandy beaches, away from any sign of humans.

It turns out the Osa Peninsula is very easy to access and visit, being a short 4 hour drive from Los Quetzales National Park, and thus a 5.5 hour drive from the airport in San José. I have come to realize that true wilderness is hard to come by in Central America, though I am sure that parts of Corcovado National Park come close. At any rate, driving down the coastal highway and then turning west and following the road into the Osa Peninsula felt almost too easy considering how I had sentimentalized the place in my head all those years ago. But by late afternoon on March 2nd, we found ourselves navigating this route and making our way to the small town of Dos Brazos. Dos Brazos is situated beside the border to Corcovado National Park and is a jumping off point for visiting the primary forests in the interior of the Osa Peninsula.

Scarlet Macaws - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

We only stopped a few times along the drive, including once for a pair of Fiery-billed Aracaris. We also made a quick birding stop at the Río Rincón bridge. This popular spot amongst birdwatchers is oft-cited as a location to see Yellow-billed Cotinga, Mangrove Hummingbird, and if you are really lucky, Turquoise Cotinga. We only had 15 minute to spare here but scored a flyover Yellow-billed Cotinga, some Costa Rican Swifts and a pair of Scarlet Macaws (we would quickly appreciate how common Scarlet Macaws are in the Osa!).

Yellow-billed Cotinga - Puente Río Rincon, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Laura and I had booked a room at the Bolita Hostel, a place quickly becoming famous among naturalists. Bolita is especially popular among vagabond backpacker types who wish to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. The demographics skewed to the early-20s and Laura and I were some of the oldest ones staying there. Bolita is sustainably run, being garbage-free for several years now. Solar panels create electricity which is used for the cell-phone charging station and the LED lights in each of the rooms, and the water is piped in from a nearby spring. Propane tanks fuel the stove and, like everything else at Bolita, need to be carried in on someone's shoulders while they navigate the 40 minute entrance trail uphill through mature tropical forest. The hostel does not provide meals, therefore guests need to carry in all of their own food.

Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Bolita appealed to us for a few reasons. One, its location at the edge of the primary forest, with many kilometres of well-marked trails snaking into the surrounding landscape. And two, its price. Laura and I "splurged" on one of the cabinas for 15$ a night per person (dorm rooms are 12$ per person). A friend of mine, Mark Dorriesfield, had visited Bolita on several occasions and raved about it, so we were sold.

Common Basilisk (Basiliscus basiliscus) - Uvita area, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

It was nearly sunset when Laura and I pulled into the parking lot for Bolita Hostel, at the edge of the town of Dos Brazos. We loaded up our packs with our gear and food and hit the trail. I have to admit it was a struggle due to the high temperatures and humidity levels, combined with the weight of our packs. The steep uphill sections did not help either! At least there were a few birds to keep us company and I added some of the bird specialties for the area - Black-hooded Antshrike and Riverside Wren, along with a Marbled Wood-Quail - all heard-only. Eventually we made it to the hostel, met the owner and a few of the other guests, and checked in. A small nearby pond was alive with frogs calling, including this Rosenberg's Gladiator Frog (Boana rosenbergi). A Spectacled Owl was also heard from somewhere in the distance.

Rosenberg's Gladiator Frog (Boana rosenbergi) - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

We were pretty exhausted and so after making dinner, we took it easy and called it a night early. We had three nights in total at Bolita and were looking forward to spending the second and third nights in the forest, looking for herps.

Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

I woke before dawn, excited for the possibilities that lay ahead! Prior to visiting the Osa Peninsula, I had made a list of target "lifers" that I could find here. These included 13 species that are only found on the Pacific slope of Costa Rica and western Panama: Fiery-billed Aracari, White-crested Coquette, Charming Hummingbird, Costa Rica Swift, Golden-naped Woodpecker, Baird's Trogon, Black-hooded Antshrike, Chiriqui Foliage-gleaner, Yellow-billed and Turquoise Cotingas, Orange-collared Manakin, Riverside Wren and Spot-crowned Euphonia. Additionally, two Costa Rican endemics can be found on the Osa Peninsula - Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager and Mangrove Hummingbird. And finally, I had a list of seven more widespread species that would be potential lifers. These included White-tipped Sicklebill, Bronzy Hermit, Rufous-winged Woodpecker, Long-tailed Woodcreeper, Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet, Scarlet-rumped Tanager and Shining Honeycreeper. 

White-nosed Coati - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Our first morning of exploration was a good one. We walked up the Big Banana Trail to Valle Frijol, stopping frequently along the way. Early highlights included Shining Honeycreeper, some singing Black-hooded Antshrikes and Riverside Wrens, and the above White-nosed Coati. Our main target here was the Turquoise Cotinga, a range-restricted species that can be a bit tricky to find. The panoramic vista of the valley alongside the Big Banana Trail made the searching much easier and Laura spotted the first Turquoise Cotinga, perched distantly at the top branches of a super-canopy tree. We counted 5(!) Turquoise Cotingas in total along the trail. All were electric blue males, their plumage much easier to spot at a distance when compared to the drab, brownish females.

Turquoise Cotinga - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

We continued along the trail through a stand of trees when familiar crackling and popping sounds reached our ears. Manakins! Around a half-dozen male Orange-collared Manakins were displaying to hidden females. We watched the show with smiles on our faces, since manakins are some of our favourite birds. The Orange-collared Manakins ended up being the most common manakin at Bolita, followed by Red-capped and then Blue-crowned.

Orange-collared Manakin - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

The regional specialties kept appearing. Next up were two different Chiriqui Foliage-gleaners, a Bronzy Hermit, several heard-only Baird's Trogons, and a few Black-cheeked Ant-Tanagers! Black-hooded Antshrikes finally moved off the heard-only list and throughout the day we had a good five or six close encounters with them.

Chiriqui Foliage-gleaner - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Black-hooded Antshrike - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Black-hooded Antshrike - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

The trail around the Valle Frijol passes through secondary forest and scrubby areas, though with an excellent view of the valley. In addition to the above species we also observed White-whiskered Puffbird, Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher and Chestnut-backed Antbird, all pictured below.

White-whiskered Puffbird - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Chestnut-backed Antbird - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

A vocal pair of Scarlet Macaws soared over us and landed on a nearby tree. Like many other macaws, Scarlet Macaws form monogamous pairs that will mate for life. Fortunately, Scarlet Macaws are doing quite well in the Osa Peninsula and the population is considered stable.

Scarlet Macaws - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

The early morning bird activity was strong but it began to wane slightly as the sun crept higher in the sky. The resulting thermals encouraged different raptors and vultures to take to the air including King Vulture, Gray-headed Kite, White Hawk and Common Black-Hawk. A pretty nice selection.
  
King Vulture - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Reptile activity also markedly increased. We started noticing Middle American Ameivas by the dozen as they skittered off the path.

Middle American Ameiva (Holcosus festivus) - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Middle American Ameiva (Holcosus festivus) - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

A serpentine shape grabbed my attention as well, but it shot off the trail impossibly quickly. Luckily, it did not go far and we enjoyed the Salmon-bellied Racer (Mastigodryas melanolomus) through our binoculars. It was certainly not catchable given its location partway down the steep slope! And besides, Mastigodryas are not exactly the most docile snakes; I was happy to keep all of my blood inside of me.

Salmon-bellied Racer (Mastigodryas melanolomus) - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

We reentered good quality forest as the Valle Frijol Trail gave way to the Fila Quemada. We welcomed the shade once again, as well as more bird and herp activity.

Orange-chinned Parakeet - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Two more of my target bird species quickly fell. First was a Charming Hummingbird that did not stick around long enough for photos, and second was a Golden-naped Woodpecker tapping on a dead trunk. Woodpeckers are awesome and I was thrilled to see another new species.

Golden-naped Woodpecker - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

The good birds just kept on coming! Next up was a Scaly-throated Leaftosser - a totally rad bird with a neat behaviour of habitually tossing aside leaves on the forest floor to reveal morsels underneath. 

Scaly-throated Leaftosser - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

A female Red-capped Manakin posed nicely in the understory, as did a pair of Rufous Pihas. Rufous Piha is a species of cotinga that is usually higher in the forest; seeing a pair at eye-level was a real treat.

Red-capped Manakin - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Rufous Piha - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Rufous Piha - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Our luck with Baird's Trogon finally turned at this point. We had heard several individuals already, but every single one had remained hidden. This finally changed and we soaked in the views from only 30 feet away.

Baird's Trogon - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Baird's Trogon is a handsome species; the males show a striking red belly, white underside to the tail, heavy bill and blue eye ring; the females are a little more subtle with a grayish upper body, orange belly and a barred tail, but still exhibiting the large eye-ring.

Baird's Trogon - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Often when Laura and I explore a forest we are focused on different species and we utilize different strategies. I often scan the canopy and subcanopy, or look for movement deep in the understorey with birds on my mind. Laura's gaze often gravitates to the ground and lower branches as she searches diligently for herps and insects. Her technique paid off once again as Laura found two Helmeted Iguanas within a span of 15 minutes!

Helmeted Iguana (Corytophanes cristatus) - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

While Helmeted Iguanas can be relatively common in some forests, they are rarely spotted due to their practice of freezing in place when a threat is spotted. Interestingly, unlike most reptiles, Helmeted Iguanas are non-heliothermic. This means that they do not utilize the sun's rays to directly increase its body temperature; instead, they stay in the shadows and maintains a body temperature of around 26 degrees C.

Helmeted Iguana (Corytophanes cristatus) - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

The second individual was quite small, with a much-reduced head casque.

Helmeted Iguana (Corytophanes cristatus) - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Helmeted Iguana (Corytophanes cristatus) - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Helmeted Iguana (Corytophanes cristatus) - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Below is a selection of a few other herps that we crossed paths with during our hike.

Brown Forest Skink (Scincella cherriei) - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Craugastor sp. - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Osa Anole (Anolis osa) - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Green-and-black Dart Frog (Dendrobates auratus) - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Osa Anole (Anolis osa) - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

This huge moth grabbed our attention when it flushed from a trailside shrub, but fortunately landing a few meters up the trail from us. It is Castniomera atymnius, also known as the Giant Butterfly-Moth. Indeed it does appear rather butterfly like, especially with antennae that appear almost clubbed.

Castniomera atymnius - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

At this point we were firmly into late-morning and bird activity was decreasing quickly. Nonetheless we enjoyed a few nice sightings along both the Fila Quemada and a small footpath leading to a viewpoint.

Slaty-tailed Trogon - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Yellow-throated Toucan - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

We returned to the Bolita Hostel tired and thirsty but satisfied with a very productive walk! That afternoon we enjoyed a well-earned siesta. 

Jumping spider sp. - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

By mid-afternoon we were ready to hit the trails again. This time we chose the Cacique Trail, as my friend Mark Dorriesfield had had success there in the past with White-crested Coquette, one of my few remaining target birds (and the most "important" one).

Our walk was quite enjoyable and our day list climbed past 100 species. Blue-throated Goldentails, a type of hummingbird, were common along this trail and several males had established territories.

Blue-throated Goldentail - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

A few Short-billed Pigeons finally posed for my camera as well. It can be a struggle to see and / or photograph pigeon types in the tropics at times.

Short-billed Pigeons - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

A Rufous Mourner provided great views, followed by more Black-cheeked Ant-Tanagers. Once again, they managed to escape having their photo taken! One more lifer was in store - a pair of Spot-crowned Euphonias high up in the canopy.

Natural swing - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

We returned to the hostel just before sunset and spent the rest of the daylight sitting at the upper terrace at the hostel, watching the tanagers and flycatchers around the clearing. A pair of Shining Honeycreepers flit about while the Gray-capped Flycatchers were building a nest.

Shining Honeycreeper - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Gray-capped Flycatcher - Bolita Rainforest Hostel, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

It had been a highly productive day! That evening we headed out on our first night-hike, finding a few snakes among other highlights. I will detail that, as well as the next day's activities, in my next blog post.

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Monday, 20 April 2020

Costa Rica - Parque Nacional Los Quetzales


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The Cordillera de Talamanca ranges from central Costa Rica to western Panama, and these mountains hold an abundance of life. When we decided to visit Costa Rica I was perhaps most excited to spend some time in these highlands. During a previous trip to Panama in 2014 I only made it as far west as El Copé, meaning that the vast majority of the species endemic to the Cordillera de Talamanca would be new for me. And there were some pretty interesting bird species - from Fiery-throated Hummingbird to Flame-throated Warbler, from Yellow-thighed Brushfinch to Golden-browed Chlorophonia, from Black Guan to Dusky Nightjar.

Black-and-yellow Silky-Flycatcher - Retiro El Sanctuario, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

In total, Laura and I had budgeted six weeks in Costa Rica together. We would rent a car for the first twelve days and then travel with my parents for ten days after that. Following that, we would have six days on our own again, then a week traveling with Laura's mom, aunt and a family friend, and finally, a week on our own. Of course, the ongoing pandemic affected these plans by cancelling out the latter three weeks. But, our twelve days at the beginning with the rental car were unaffected.

Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush - Retiro El Sanctuario, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

It felt great to have the freedom of a rental car again! We dealt with the usual BS at the Budget office as they tried to push unnecessary insurances on us but soon we were on the road. It was a windy day in San José and this did not really abate as we climbed higher into the mountains. Sporadic fog patches, moderate rain and heavy cloud cover added to the gloom and unfavourable birding conditions. I did not care anyways since even the common bird species here were potential "lifers" for me. We made a few stops to buy groceries and other supplies and by the mid-afternoon we had turned down the road towards the famous Paraiso Quetzal Lodge. Of course, we would not be staying here - it was out of our budget - but instead we had accommodations booked at the nearby Retiro El Sanctuario. Our room here was basic but there was hot water, warm blankets and beautiful surroundings including a few of their own trails.

Sooty-capped Chlorospingus - Retiro El Sanctuario, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

Sooty-capped Chlorospingus - Retiro El Sanctuario, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

The last few hundred meters before El Retiro is not really passable in a non-4WD vehicle and so we parked here at a little pull-off. Upon exiting the car, we were surrounded by a small mixed flock, and lifers began to appear (some of which are pictured above). Our first birds were common ones in the Cordillera de Talamanca, but no less exciting. Sooty-capped Chlorospingus, Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush, Collared Redstart, Ruddy Treerunner and Slaty Flowerpiercer were ticked within the first two minutes!

Slaty Flowerpiercer - Retiro El Sanctuario, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

We were already in the double-digits of lifers by the time we arrived at our accommodations. We quickly settled in and went right back out to find more birds.

Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush - Retiro El Sanctuario, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

Our first Fiery-throated Hummingbird, a female, quietly perched on a utility wire beside a flowering bush that she defended against any intruders. While she lacked the characteristic colourful throat that males exhibit, she was exquisite in her own right.

Fiery-throated Hummingbird - Retiro El Sanctuario, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

Fiery-throated Hummingbird - Retiro El Sanctuario, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

Our first Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher was cause for celebration as this is certainly one of the more distinctive of the Talamanca species, and one that I was really looking forward to! Fortunately they proved to be quite common in the general area, especially once one trained their ears to listen for the distinctive flight calls.

Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher - Retiro El Sanctuario, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher - Retiro El Sanctuario, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

Tanager diversity in Central America is far lower than in South America, especially among the family Thraupidae which includes the "typical" tanagers. But the family Cardinalidae which includes our familiar Scarlet Tanager and Northern Cardinal is well-represented in Central America. We commonly noted Flame-coloured Tanagers throughout Parque Nacional Los Quetzales as well as at Retiro El Sanctuario.

Flame-coloured Tanager - Retiro El Sanctuario, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

The Large-footed Finch may not look too fancy but they have a ton of character. These birds are indeed well-named. They utilize their namesake body parts to scratch around in the undergrowth, towhee-like. Large-footed Finches had a propensity to hop across a path in about two giant leaps which was pretty impressive to witness!

Large-footed Finch - Retiro El Sanctuario, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

Large-footed Finch - Retiro El Sanctuario, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

That evening we met the other guests at Retiro El Sanctuario - a French family - as well as the owners, and we enjoyed a delicious home-cooked meal. I was feeling a little lazy after dinner and so neglected to go out owling. We still had a second night to spend here anyways.

Dawn at Retiro El Sanctuario, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

In the morning Laura and I headed over the the Kilometre 76 Road leading to Providencia which we had read about on Josh and Kathy's excellent blog, Birds of Passage.

But we were distracted a few times on the short drive over to the road - first, by this dapper Black-capped Flycatcher. They would prove to be a common inhabitant at this elevation, but the first few are always exciting!

Black-capped Flycatcher - Retiro El Sanctuario, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

We also stopped before we passed the Paraiso Quetzal Lodge since there were some tourists with a guide standing in the middle of the road, looking at a pair of Resplendant Quetzals. We enjoyed the quetzals and also happened to noticed two more individuals in the neighbouring tree. This spectacular species was previously on my "heard-only" list. While I am fine with having some tapaculos and ant-things as "heard-only" on my life list, Resplendant Quetzal just simply did not rest comfortably there and I was happy to rectify the situation!

Km 76 Road, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

The Km 76 Road to Providencia should be on every birder's itinerary to these mountains. This quiet dirt road passes through high quality forest in the national park, starting at over 3000 m in elevation and continuing down below 2000 m. The potential species along this road are endless - just about every Talamancan specialty can be found here.

I will start with a photo of a Resplendent Quetzal. A pair of these impressive birds were at the roadside, only a few kilometres from the start of the road.

Resplendent Quetzal - Km 76 Road, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

One species that is sometimes seen along this road is the scarce Rough-legged Tyrannulet, and we were lucky to connect with a single individual which obliged us by singing. We had no luck with a few of our other target birds though, including American Dipper, Ochraceous Pewee, Silvery-throated Jay and Streak-breasted Treehunter.

But despite missing a few species, we had an extremely enjoyable morning with many highlights. A pair of Spotted Wood-Quails were along the roadside, though they slipped into the forest before we could obtain good looks. We heard our first Buff-fronted Quail-Dove, Golden-browed Chlorophonia and Silvery-fronted Tapaculo. And we picked through a few nice mixed flock which contained several more novel species for us - Yellow-winged Vireo an Flame-throated Warbler included.

Flame-throated Warbler - Km 76 Road, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

Yellow-winged Vireo - Km 76 Road, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

Talamanca Hummingbird - Km 76 Road, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

By the late morning we found ourselves below 2000 m in elevation not far from the town of Providencia. We poked around here for a bit, finding a few Emerald Swifts (Sceloporus malachiticus), a type of Fence Lizard found in the highlands of Central America.

Emerald Swift (Sceloporus malachiticus) - Km 76 Road, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

A nice flock of birds here included our first Dark Pewees and some White-throated Mountain-Gems. We spotted a pair of Slaty Finches (always a scarce species, it seems!) and struck out again on American Dippers. We turned around after lunch, making the short drive back up the mountain in good time with 56 bird species on our checklist.

That afternoon we returned to Retiro El Sanctuario. We walked the road a few times, explored one of the trails and relaxed by the fireplace inside the main building. Bird-wise, we observed our first Golden-browed Chlorophonias and Black-thighed Grosbeaks. Chlorophonias are spectacularly plumaged goldfinch-like birds native to the mountains of Central and South America and this species ranks favourably among the prettiest.

Golden-browed Chlorophonia - Retiro El Sanctuario, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

At Retiro El Sanctuario the hummingbird diversity is not particularly high. Fiery-throated and Talamanca Hummingbirds are relatively common, along with good numbers of Volcano Humminbirds and occasional White-throated Mountain-Gems and Scintillant Hummingbirds. Below is a Volcano Hummingbird. Care must be taken to separate this species from the very similar Scintillant Hummingbird, especially the young males and the females.

Volcano Hummingbird - Retiro El Sanctuario, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

Yellow-bellied Siskins were commonly noted in these mountains, though most sightings were of birds high in the treetops. This one decided to forage on the ground, providing excellent views.

Yellow-bellied Siskin - Retiro El Sanctuario, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

The thrush diversity along the entrance road to Retiro El Sanctuario was impressive. Sooty Thrush, Clay-coloured Thrush and Mountain Thrush could all be found with ease, while three species of nightingale-thrushes also were present. Below is the Sooty Thrush, a species restricted to the highest elevations in the Cordillera de Talamanca. It was somewhat reminiscent of the Great Thrush from South America.

Sooty Thrush - Retiro El Sanctuario, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

Sooty Thrush - Retiro El Sanctuario, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

Acorn Woodpeckers and Hairy Woodpeckers were the two common representatives of this family. Unfortunately I was never able to obtain a good photo of a brown-bellied Hairy Woodpecker, but the Acorn Woodpeckers were fairly accommodating. The forests here contain a high percentage of Oak (Quercus sp.), a preferred food source for this species.

Acorn Woodpecker - Retiro El Sanctuario, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

That evening we enjoyed an excellent home cooked pizza along with some good wine that Laura and I had brought along.

Feeling up for a walk, I headed out with my flashlight after dusk to search for owls and nightjars, mainly. I had no luck with owls but several Dusky Nightjars sang somewhere off in the distance. As I headed up the road, a strange sound caught my attention from the nearby foliage. It sounded vaguely guan-like but did not match the calls of the Black Guan. With some persistence I was able to find the culprit. It was a Cacomistle (Bassariscus sumichrasti), also sometimes known as the Southern Ringtail Cat. This was very exciting, and a new species for me. Despite looking somewhat feline, the Cacomistle is in the raccoon family which also includes coatis and kinkajous.

Cacomistle (Bassariscus sumichrasti) - Retiro El Sanctuario, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

Before I called it a night I had some success with Dusky Nightjar as well. One individual was calling from eye-level beside the road and tolerated my approach. A great way to cap off an awesome day!

Dusky Nightjar - Retiro El Sanctuario, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

Unfortunately, we only could budget two nights here before it was time to move on, but we had seen many great species including most of my targets. And we would have more chances at the ones we missed.

We left Retiro El Sanctuario in the morning and began the long drive towards the Osa Peninsula. Before we left these mountains, we had one more stop to make.

The highest accessible part of the Cordillera de Talamanca is an area near some radio towers called Cerro de la Muerte. Here, a gravel road ascends towards páramo-like habitat, home to a few rare bird species such as the Timberline Wren, Volcano Junco and Peg-billed Finch. Laura and I rolled into the area at 8 AM. The calm, sunny morning gave us hope!

 Cerro de la Muerte, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

As you can see in the photo below, it did not take us long to find our first Volcano Junco (rather, it found us!). They proved to be quite common on the mountain, perhaps even the most common passerine species.

Volcano Junco - Cerro de la Muerte, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

Here is a closeup of a spiffy individual. Volcano Juncos have piercing yellow eyes that are forward-facing, like a hawk. They really are a comical little species to watch!

Volcano Junco - Cerro de la Muerte, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

We explored a side-trail oft-mentioned in trip reports. This trail is located about 1/3 of the way to the communication towers and wanders off through scrubby vegetation. We tried this area specifically to search for the Peg-billed Finch, but had no luck. At least the Timberline Wrens here were common and I eventually managed a "record photo" of one singing.

Timberline Wren - Cerro de la Muerte, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

After walking along this side-trail, we drove up the communication towers, looking and listening for the Peg-billed Finch along the way. Despite our best efforts we were unable to find any over the next hour and a half and we eventually had to concede defeat. At least there were some stunning Emerald Swifts to feat our eyes on.

Emerald Swift (Sceloporus malachiticus) - Cerro de la Muerte, PN Los Quetzales, San José, Costa Rica

We left the Cordillera de Talamanca behind, happy with our forty-eight hours well-spent here. The Osa Peninsula waited, with a completely new suite of species to search for in these steamy lowlands. That will be the topic of my next two posts.

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