Manakins and more

One of the birds I was looking forward to seeing in the dry forest was the Long-tailed manakin!  These were amazing little birds.  Lek visits early morning proved my best views of this species, as males gathered to display over a nearby female.  Upto six males was my highest count together.

female

These birds proved hard to photograph as were many other species in the forest.  Here is a selection of some more.

streaked flycatcher

rose-breasted grosbeak

Cinnamon hummingbird

Tennessee warbler

Red-eyed vireo

Yellow-throated vireo

Black-headed trogon 

Costa Rican Raptors

As previously mentioned both Black & Turkey vultures were in constant sight over the hotel. Walking along the beach the black vultures was their to mop up any rubbish that anyone had left behind.

A pair of Crested Caracara's seen daily were also muscling on in the act.

I got lucky one morning when I found a pair of Plumbeous kites moving north high over the hotel.

Common black-hawk were fairly regular, and I was treated to a flyover juv Great black-hawk.

Had two King Vultures late one evening.  Apparently a scarce bird to see over the lowlands.

Osprey was seen on two days along the beach.

This Roadside Hawk showed well just metres away, and was unfazed by my presence.

Gray Hawk were seen fairly regularly too.

Collard Forest-Falcon - Glimpsed this bird distantly through the forest on week one and bizarrely one appeared over my shoulder and landed just metres away whilst I was pishing out some vireo's!

Birding in the dry forest

The valley that the hotel was situated in was amongst some classic Costa Rican dry forest, and soon become my birding patch for the next fortnight.

Many new species were added just birding the same transit, even adding new birds on the final days of my stay.

Got lucky one morning when a group of White-throated magpie jays disturbed a pair of Spectacled Owls........

Swainson's Thrushes were fairly numerous, often in small flocks too.  These were one of my favourites birds to see.  Probably because I have been lucky enough to see several in the UK now, but never this close.

Inca Doves blended in well amongst the foliage.

Birding Around Riu Palace, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

So just back from a family holiday to Costa Rica, Staying at the Riu Palace in the Guanacaste province, situated in the north west of the country on the pacific coast.

Couldn't fault the hotel, fantastic food, great service and very clean and the best part for me - very birdy........

Will start my first post with the common birds seen around the hotel grounds before venturing in the nearby dry forest.

Our room had a garden view opposed to a sea view, this resulted in me getting the best out of the birding and quickly got my eye in to pick out the different species amongst the more regulars.

Great-tailed grackles are the obvious and common birds making plenty of noise around the gardens, followed by Melodious blackbirds, both Great Kiskadee and Tropical Kingbirds which are both busy flycatching as the morning warms up.  Similar colour to the Kiskadee but a fair size smaller are the Social flycatchers which as there name suggests can be in small flocks of 3 or 4.

White-winged doves are very common as well as the smart Inca dove.  Hummingbirds are constantly buzzing around but after the first few days ID ing them becomes easier!!

Hurrundines were abundant especially in my second week where there was a big push of birds heading north, mostly Barn Swallows but the eagle eyed will pick out Cliff, Mangrove, Tree swallow, gray-breasted and Purple martin + Bank swallow.

Yellow and Tennessee warblers were common, Hoffman's woodpecker, Black-headed Trogon and Turquoise-browed Motmots are regular on the south west side of the complex.

Rufous-napped wrens can be seen in small groups as are both Baltimore and Streak-backed orioles.

Black and Turkey Vultures are a constant sight above the hotel as are Magnificent Frigatebirds.

Tropical kingbird

Social flycatcher

Hoffmanns woodpecker

Great-tailed grackle

Black-headed trogon 

Turquoise-browed motmot

Yellow Warbler

Great Kiskadee

Streak-backed oriole

Gray-breasted Martin

Rufous-napped wren