Last week in Tortuguero

We're back to the land of interwebs and kiskadees. And thank god, finally leaving behind the atrocious birds of the Costa Rican mountains.

Mt. Time

We're on Mt. Time now with the time change. And we're off to the mountains tomorrow morning. Getting psyched up for 12+ hours on buses and whatnot. I leave you with a common bird and a possibly not so common bird here in Tortuguero. Back on the 21st!

Magnificent Frigatebird. Cool birds, I know of at least one tat out there.


Brown Noddy, my first.

Rain Delay

Good eatin' I'd think


Blue-and-white Swallow


Female Western Slaty Antshrike


One of the birds we only saw once we were in search of the quetzal. Golden-browed Chlorophonia.


Another like the Chlorophonia. Sooty Robin, a Costa Rica/Panama endemic.

Peccary

At Madre Selva I came upon 15-20 of these grubbing around some of our nets. While extracting a bird, armpit exposed, I first I thought I was overly smelly that day, but then I began to hear rustling in the leaves all around me. After creeping around a bit I got a glimpse of a couple, then they got a glimpse of me and startled as a herd and each ran about 10 meters away from me, with a few aggressive snorts, scaring me into a run up the hill. I later found them again with my camera, and though I did not get any great shots, if it weren't for their great stench I would never have found them again.

Spangle-cheeked Tanager

Our first obvious male Rufous-tailed Hummingbird. Very shiny throat and back, and a red upper mandible, with some white mites at the tip.


Slate-throated Redstart. We saw these a lot at Monte Verde, but only once up at Madre Selva and this was our first caught.


I'd been hoping to see a Spangle-cheeked Tanager since we got here, and finally did, but only for five seconds.

Great Kiskadee

They're everywhere and they're loud as all hell. This was out first and probably only of the season. It was still very loud.

Extensive yellow in the crown that is often very concealed.

It's gon' rain

Long-tailed Silky Flycatcher. Not actually a flycatcher, closer to a waxwing or thrush, apparently.


Collared Aracari




Groove-billed Ani


Montezuma Oropendola Nests