Last Update: 08-OCT-2023
Schedule continues with a morning departure for the Central Pacific region with stop at Bogarin Trails for an easy walk around this private reserve, which includes feeders, forest trails and a pond where Boat-tbilled Herons and Uniform Crake can be seen, also look for White-collared Manakin and Yellow-throated Euphonia. Lunch at a local restaurant and continue birding around the grounds in the afternoon.
Today is the second longest drive day. We left Arenal and stopped for a quick hike in La Fortuna at Bogarin Trail. The total distance for the day was 106 miles and 4hrs of driving.
I think that they installed this shelf upside down. I could not stop looking at it.
Rothschildia erycina, or Rothschild's silk moth, is a moth of the family Saturniidae, found from Mexico to Brazil and Paraguay. The habitat is tropical rainforest and wet savannah. (Bad photo taken in the Arenal restaurant)
Bogarin Trail Along CR142 in La Fortuna. We went here for a quick wet walk. Trail maps and some of the information signs.
White-collared Manakin is a chunky little bird of humid forest edge and second-growth thickets (especially with Heliconia plants) in tropical lowlands.
The White-throated Crake is a small marsh bird, very difficult to see as it creeps through dense marsh grasses. Far more easily heard. The only rail we saw.
Scarlet-rumped tanager - We saw many species of tanagers.
Cool small pollinator bee house
Scarlet Macaw. We saw them often.
Flat here at Bogarin Trail. Very wet and another frog.
We were amazed at how bad the visibility was along CR702. These were clouds not fog. We stopped for lunch at Mi Rancho Restaurant. As usual we had a typical Costa Rican lunch. We both had chicken of some sort.
The elevation here was 3066 feet
Silver-throated tanager
Green honeycreeper female
A pair of Silver-throated Tanagers; the bright yellow head and the greenish wings with black lines catches the eye long before the silver throat.
4 different tanager species were seen here.
The palm tanager is a large gray plain tanager, with hints of olive-green. A habitat generalist often found around palm trees, shrubby areas and forest edges.
Black-cheeked Woodpecker
The scarlet-rumped male tanager is mainly black except for a scarlet rump, silvery bill and dark red iris. The female has a grey head, olive upperparts becoming brighter and paler on the rump, brownish wings and tail and ochre underparts.
Silver-throated Tanager
Speckled Tanager is a small tanager generally lime green above and whitish below with dense black spotting all over. Rather stout bill.
Common chlorospingus
Emerald tanager
Tawny-capped Euphonia
Green honeycreeper
Crimson-collared tanagers average 7.5 - 8 in long. The adult plumage is black with a red collar covering the nape, neck, and breast. All tail coverts are also red. The bill is striking pale blue and the legs are blue-gray.
Crimson-collared tanager & and Palm tanagers
Palm Tanager on left. Crimson-collared Tanager on right.
Bay-headed Tanager is one of 23 species we saw. Bay-headed tanager has reddish brown head in following photos.
Scarlet-rumped Tanager female on left
Buff-throated Saltator
A gathering of tanagers
It was hard not to get excellent photos here. They had platforms that they kept loaded with fruit. These were eye level from the covered deck areas so you would just shoot away.
We arrived at Hotel Villa Lapas Jungle Village late afternoon. We are now close to the Pacific Ocean at an elevation of 200 feet and its hot.
Included drinks here so most all of us were taking advantage of that.
Ken ready for anything with his camera and a drink. I think it was a Pina colada.
This is our first of three rooms. More on that tomorrow.
After early breakfast we will head out to Carara National Park located only a few minutes away. Carara is one of Costa Rica's most special national parks because of its location. The park sits right in the convergence zone between the dry North Pacific and the very wet South Pacific regions; rendering the park a unique feature: hosts species from both areas of influence. Baird's Trogon, Streak-chested Antpitta, Rufus Piha, Turquoise-browed Motmot, and of course the second largest population of Scarlet Macaw in the country. Morning and afternoon visits to the national park.
Looking at our GPS track for the day we did not go very far today.
We survived our first night at Hotel Villa Lapas Jungle Village. So, its very hot here and when we got to our room the A/C was probablty set at 65 so it felt good being 45 degrees below the outside feel temp. But, our room did not have any hot water. I walk up to the front desk which is probably 1,000 feet away and complain. Well, maintenance went home at 4pm. So, I asked to be moved to another room. Well, they said you can move next door. But the desks person did not know how to move us and we have a language barrier. So, she gave us some keys (which in the end I said give me the maid keys so I had the master key to the place.) They did not work. So, after appx. 6 walks (Two miles of walking) back and forth we finally got into a room that had semi-hot water but the A/C was struggling to cool the room down. It worked out in the end...
This is a high end hotel and it was a Sunday night so we figured it would be quiet but soccer games were on TV and like most of Central & South America the fans were quite loud. So between the noise and no hot water we were happy to end up in a different room.
The rooms had a propane on demand water heater. This was the problem at the first room. I became a expert at these systems as the 2 NEW rooms they were not turned on. One of the propane tanks running the heater had a date code of OCT-1956 which is not good in this wet environment.
I think I can see why our heater did not work.
So, we went a few miles north to Parque Nacional Carara - National park for a hike.
We had been here before as it's a safe place to park and walk.
Scarlet Macaws in flight
Horse Balls Tree, native to Central America
Slaty-tailed Trogon
Green Kingfisher
Using a 100mm lens for macro work.
Male Black-throated Trogon
Female Black-throated trogon
While Common basilisks are most known for their ability to run on water, they are also excellent climbers and swimmers and can stay underwater for up to half an hour. They are called Jesus Christ lizards for this ability to run on water.
Males also have high crests on the head and tail. This one might be a female?
The Collared Forest Falcon has a varied diet. It feeds on large lizards, snakes, rodents, birds (up to the size of guans and ibises), and large insects.
It hunts by ambush from a concealed perch, by flying from perch to perch, by running along large branches, or even running on the ground with amazing speed and agility. It hunts at dawn and dusk. It also may follow army ant swarms to capture invertebrates flushed by the ants.
It nests in cavities, as shown here.
Carara National Park is the northernmost Pacific coastal rain forest remaining intact in Costa Rica is one of such biodiversity with the flora and fauna of both the country’s tropical rain forest converging with tropical dry rain forest, creating a transition zone of rich beauty. There are at least 480 species of plants growing throughout.
We all were watching something.
White-whiskered Puffbird - Plump brown bird of shady understories in humid evergreen forest of tropical lowlands. Found singly or in pairs, perched quietly at low to middle levels. Often sits still for long periods and is easily overlooked.
Bare-throated tiger heron is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae, found from Mexico to northwestern Colombia
Nice cool day. Only 103.6 heat index. A day ago, I was wearing a jacket and cold.
Fiery-billed aracari. Like other toucans, the fiery-billed aracari is brightly marked and has a large bill. The adult's bill has a vertical ivory line at its base. Its mandible is black.
So, we drove up to an area that we have hiked in a few times. It was a dangerous area with almost certain car break-ins unless you paid for protection. Also, high chance of being robbed along the trail.
This trail is located on the east side of the road just south of the Tarcoles.
Hardly any room to park let alone a bus. Also, its blocked off so you cant park.
Very steep down to the river level. This area floods during the rainy season
You see this sign most everywhere in this area. Not sure how far inland they come. The elevation here is generally sea level.
Ruddy Quail-Dove is found in woodland and scrub forest. It also has adapted to coffee plantations. It is somewhat sensitive to forest fragmentation. These birds forage on the ground, mainly eating seeds. It will also take small invertebrates in its diet.
Orange-collared manakin as well as White-collared manakin was seen on this trip.
Like other manakins, this species has a fascinating breeding display at a communal lek. Each male clears a small patch of forest floor up to 47 inches across to bare earth, and leaps to and fro between thin upright bare sticks, giving a loud wing snap. When a female is present males jump together, crossing each other above the bare display court. The throat feathers are also erected to form a beard.
Black-hooded antshrike. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, and heavily degraded former forest.
The Mantled Howler Monkeys are recognized for their fascinating vocalizations (which can be heard almost 2.5 miles away) and incredible response communication patterns. Visitors can often hear their shrill calls around sunrise and sundown.
The boisterous species also seem to respond to any other loud noises such as airplanes, thunder, heavy rain, and people. Biologists tracking their howling pattern have come to a consensus that it is used as a mechanism for communication between individual howler monkeys and within their troop. It is also related to territory protection and mate guarding. These sounds are created owing to their enlarged basihyal or hyoid bone, which helps them make loud vocalizations.
Some type of insects along the trail. Not ants but acting like ants.
Cocoa trees start bearing fruit when they are about five years old. They are prolific flower producers, growing anywhere between 5,000 and 15,000 blossoms every year. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of these blossoms develop into mature cacao pods.
We made it. Almost back to the road
We returned to Hotel Villa Lapas Jungle Village to a very good buffet and open bar. I could have stayed here for more days. Good food, booze, cell service so it covered all the needs. Plus we had hot water.
Our final room 123
The lush gardens right outside our room
The kitty remembered me so I made sure she was well fed.
Frog in the pond area near the front desk.
Morning boat tour of the Tarcoles River. This river is one of the most important resting areas for many migratory species, particularly shore birds, and of great importance for resident ones like Southern Lapwing, Mangrove Vireo and Roseate Spoonbill. Then we will continue our drive towards the Savegre river valley. The hotel is at located at 7500 ft. above sea level and it is surrounded by impressive Montane oak forests and lush gardens.
Looking at our GPS track for the day we had over 5 hrs. of driving and covered appx. 150 miles. Today is our longest driving day.
Breakfast at Hotel Villa Lapas Jungle Village and my kitty showed up. This was a smart cat as it quickly remembered me from dinner the night before.
Because of the density of the companies that do the Tarcoles River. tours, I am not sure what company we went out with. It was at the end of the road on the right so I am assuming it was Jungle Crocodile Safari. This really had changed in the 9 years since we were last here. Now its nature oriented where before it was feeding chicken parts to rather large crocodiles. The elevation here was sea level.
Pineapple growing around the tour buildings
Getting on the ship for our three-hour tour
Small crocodile near the pier
Amazon Kingfisher female
Great Egret
Horses along the river
Yellow-crowned Night-Herons slowly stalk prey in or near shallow water, usually alone, with a hunched, forward-leaning posture. They perch quietly on stumps and tree branches, often over water. Most of their prey is crustaceans, especially crabs and crayfish.
Bare-throated tiger heron
Ruddy Turnstone
Brown Pelican
Magnificent Frigatebirds flying above us
These Magnificent Frigatebirds are Ken's favorite because when we see them, we know we are in tropical or subtropical waters.
Males are all-black with a scarlet throat pouch that is inflated like a balloon in the breeding season. Although the feathers are black, the scapular feathers produce a purple iridescence when they reflect sunlight. It is a kleptoparasite, pecking at other seabirds to force them to disgorge their meals. After forcing the other seabird to regurgitate its meal, the magnificent frigatebird will dive and catch the prey before it hits the surface of the water.
Common Black Hawks are creative hunters. In shallow water, they may wade in and flutter their wings to startle fish and other prey. Then they use the wings to "herd" prey into shallower water, where it is easier to capture.
Saw a few crocodiles on the beach and in the water.
Back in 2013 we were amazed and how many crocodiles we saw although they fed them at that time.
Little Blue Herons forage by wading up to their bellies in freshwater, brackish, or saltwater wetlands, with their necks extended stiffly forward and bills tilted down, occasionally swaying the head and neck as they size up their prey.
Passing along the canals in the mangroves
We found a Green Kingfisher in this mangrove forest.
American Pygmy Kingfisher - We saw 5 kingfisher species, mostly on our Tarcoles River boat tour. I think his is the American Pygmy Kingfisher. Note the food in his mouth?
Mary was maybe 3 feet away from him as our boat moved slowly along the tidal creek.
Crab-eating Raccoon
Looking south at a developed area. Looks like they had a slide issue.
We were out to the surf area. You can see across to the Nicoya Peninsula
Many seeds were on the beaches here
Anhinga
Roseate Spoonbill
Great Egret
Hard Work - This is Mary's favorite way to bird by boat.
Lots of mud and small crocodile by the post
So we left the Tarcoles River and went a few miles to Tarcoles Beach - Costa Rica is located in the canton of Garabito in Puntarenas, is a beautiful and quiet beach of gray sands and blue waters near the Tarcoles River boat tour we just did. The beach is surrounded by lush natural beauty that includes forests, mangroves and lagoons that serve as nesting area for many birds, including the spectacular Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) and the unique Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja), among many others. However, due to its proximity to the mouth of the Tarcoles River, bathing in the area is dangerous, since crocodiles go from the river to the sea in this area.
First photo is 6 photos stitched into one. The second photo is a 48 meg 360-degree photo.
Scarlet macaw eating tropical almond tree fruit
So we traveled south along CR34 and near Quepos we went inland a few miles. At first, I was wondering why we were going this way but it was worth the detour. The elevation here was less than 1000 feet.
Common Potoo - The Common Potoo is a nocturnal bird of Central and South America, known for its camouflage plumage and upright perching. Here is adult with young standing on post. This bird can remain completely still for long periods and is so beautifully camouflaged by its cryptic plumage that it becomes almost completely invisible.
This is one of Mary & Ken's favorite sightings.
So, the people that have been here before know where to look. We park the bus along a road and Jose tells us to find the bird. We could not find it.
It was strange as the fence was different here. We learned later that the fence was added to protect the Potoo.
Once you find it, this must be one of the easiest birds to photograph. It does not move and occasionally opens its eyes to look at any activity. I took over 100 photos and only saved four.
The most open eyes we saw on them while we were here
Well, back to sleep. Cool birds that before today, I did not know that it existed.
While we were looking at the Potoo we saw a King Vulture. The King Vulture is uncommon, large, and spectacular bird of lowland tropical forest, mainly in wilder areas and not around human habitation. Most often seen soaring overhead in mid-late morning, often high up with kettles of Black Vultures; rarely seen perched.
It was very far away and really pushed the limits of the Canon R5 at 500 mm.
So, we stopped at Restaurante Los Pilones in Los Angeles, Provincia de Puntarenas, Parrita. The food was very good.
Many places in Costa Rica they will remove the bottle lid but then wrap a napkin around the top of the bottle.
Mary and Ken lunch. Ken's pesto pasta was very good
In the parking lot at Restaurante Los Pilones we saw a Great Wall Wingle 7 designed and made in China. It's generally a copy of a F150. Rated at ZERO stars. These cars have a terrible reputation of reliability over the longer term. Plenty of things seem to go wrong with them (almost certainly thanks to them being built down to a price) and parts supply seems a bit sketchy at times, too.
The fit and finish really did not look bad. This was the first time I had ever seen one of these as they are not available in the US.
For the most part except for Monteverde we have been at all the areas that we have visited on this trip. So, now the next three days it will be all new for us.
We have been on CR34 which runs along the central west coast of Costa Rica. Now we are heading into the mountains from tropical and warm Dominical, CR which is at sea-level and in the next few hours we will be over 10,000 feet.
On CR243 now. Its 33Km till we start climbing into the mountains.
Typical Costa Rican cemetery. Many of the graves are above ground.
We stopped along a street in southern San Luis and really did not see anything unique. We were by the police station. Elevation here was 3066 feet.
We stopped for a bathroom & food break at Supermarket Coopeagri in San Luis
This place had everything... Many types of Fud and Zar
This could possibly be the unhealthiest food on the planet. Chocolate covered donut ice-cream on a stick. Looking back, now I wish I had tried one.
We are now at 10,170 feet. We have come up over 8000 feet in the 24 miles since San Luis the bus started to overheat. We pulled into La Georgina - Restaurant right as it was closing. The owner was very nice and let us all use the restrooms and most of us bought snacks and sodas. It took 45 minutes or so for the bus to cool down to a safe temp.
We continued our journey over 11,400 feet thru Tapanti National Park but it was so cloudy we could not see anything and we would be back here to explore in two days.
We arrived at Hotel Suenos del Bosque Lodge - Hotel - San Jose, San Gerardo de Dota which is 7500 feet in a west facing valley. The drive down from 11,000 feet was very interesting. I am sure landslides in the wet season isolate this area for many days at a time.
I was surprised to see that they had excellent cell service here.
This is what I carry to keep our cell phones and camera charged. The Canon R5 can charge from a USB type C cable plugged into a large power cell. I have them labeled as I do not want airport security to say they are too big. Also, I picked up a 3-outlet extension box with 3 USB ports so that increases my capabilities. I take that outlet extension on cruises as they are usually limited with plugs.
Unpacking at Hotel Suenos del Bosque Lodge. No complaints. at 7,500 feet up no need for AC here
Dinner choices at Hotel Suenos del Bosque Lodge. Like most of the places we stayed we have a very good selection.
Not sure what we each had. But it was good.
We'll start the day with an early expedition to find the Resplendent Quetzal, regularly seen in the valley feeding on the wild avocados and nesting in dead trees along the Savegre river. Throughout this day we will have the chance to find many Highland birds on the various trails and gardens. This breath-taking setting is surrounded by Highland oak forests and farmland. The crystal-clear Savegre River runs right through the property. Some of the highland specialties: Slaty Flowerpiercer, Scintillant Hummingbird, Ochraceous Wren, Dark Pewee and Yellow-bellied Siskin. All our meals will be at the hotel's amazing restaurant with tasty and varied options.
Looking at our GPS track for the day we had a very easy day. We traveled appx. 6 miles but close to _____ feet in elevation. The 11,000+ area we will visit tomorrow is lower right of the GPS track.
Like I said, no AC needed here. Ken warming up with the small room heater.
Our room view of the small pond next to the hotel.
Pair of baby Silver Throated Tanagers at our hotel in Savegre Vally at elevation 7500 feet. Bernie ID's these for us.
We are all looking at the Silver Throated Tanagers nest
So the lodge has a number of trails and one swinging bridge. We did a loop up around trail 7.
The resplendent quetzal is an aptly named bird that many consider among the world's most beautiful. These vibrantly colored animals live in the mountainous, tropical forests of Central America where they eat fruit, insects, lizards, and other small creatures.
During mating season, male quetzals grow twin tail feathers that form an amazing train up to three feet (one meter) long. Females do not have long trains, but they do share the brilliant blue, green, and red coloring of their mates. Adult male at nest.
We saw one of these males flying and that was incredible.
Not much of a hole but they are working on it.
Female Resplendent quetzel
Collared Redstart
Yellowish flycatcher
Some type of wren
Streaked Xenops is a small brown bird with large distribution from Costa Rica to Argentina. Rufous-brown overall with whitish eyebrow and a white stripe on the side of the face with extensive streaking on crown and underparts.
Off on another hike
Another of the very few insects we saw on this trip
succulents. Hen and chicks
Centropogon granulosus is a species of herb in the family bellflowers.
Old jeep pickup
Out for our morning hike. Very wet & very lush
Tree fuchsia
Up at the top of trail #7
Coffee
"The golden fruit of the Andes," naranjilla plants are herbaceous shrubs with a spreading habit that are commonly found throughout Central and South America.
Inside the naranjilla fruit, the green to yellow juicy sections are separated by membranous walls. The fruit tastes like a delicious combination of pineapple and lemon and is peppered with edible seeds.
The only swinging bridge at Hotel Suenos del Bosque Lodge. Not as long as the ones at Arenal but cool.
Rufous-collared Sparrow on the steps of our cabin
The hotel had daily fruit drinks. To me some were good and somewhere not. But they all would have been good with rum in them.
Two trout restricted to a small stream next to the restaurant. This may not be a good thing for them.
We then walked downstream from the hotel on a short hike and then the bus picked us up to ride us up to Miriam's Quetzals
Looking up the road & entrance to the lodge
Not sure what we are looking at.
Various views along our walk
At the end of our walk, we found a fish farm along the Rio Savegre.
Piper kadsura plants
Generally, when I park, I like all 4 tires on the ground
The Green Spiny Lizard is diurnal, and arboreal. In the early morning they forage for insects, and then spend much of the day basking in the sun. They will retreat to a burrow, or under a rock or log if the temperature becomes too high or to sleep.
Amazing to think it was 1954 when people got up into this area.
The sign says: "This site represents the ideals and efforts of the pioneers"
"Who on Sunday, March 14, 1954, started the first open in this beautiful place, now converted into San Gerado, for the creators of dreams. of realities and hopes, the imperishable recognition of their descendants"
We drove up to Miriam's Quetzals - Restaurant which is at the 8,800-foot level in the valley.
The yellowish flycatcher (Empidonax flavescens) is a small passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family. It breeds in highlands from southeastern Mexico south to western Panama. Note the strong white eye-ring.
When it comes to hoarding food, few birds compare to the acorn woodpecker. Unlike woodpeckers that tap their way into tree trunks to mow down insects, these western birds bore small, tidy holes into wood where they store acorns (and sometimes other nuts) by the thousands. In fact, just one acorn woodpecker family unit may create a winter stockpile of up to 50,000 acorns in a single tree, called a granary.
These were easy to take great photos of them. Close, they stay still and the sun was behind me.
Antennas on the second highest ridge in Costa Rica which is over 11,000 feet. Will be in this area tomorrow.
Darlene trying to get a hummingbird to land on her finger.
Me trying to see how close I could get with my cellphone. I gave up at 6 inches. The photo is out of focus but you can get very close.
They were handing these out on the deck and they were good
Funny. I like how they do sheetrock here. Put it up. Tape and paint. Easy.
Swallow-tailed Kite is our most beautiful bird of prey, striking in its shape, its pattern, and its extraordinarily graceful flight. Hanging motionless in the air, swooping and gliding, rolling upside down and then zooming high in the air with scarcely a motion of its wings, the Swallow-tailed Kite is a joy to watch.
These were very far away and I had to do some processing on them so we could ID them
Large-footed Finch
More squirrels
Talamanca or fiery-throated hummingbird???
Flame-colored tanager male
Flame-colored Tanager female
Costa Rican hairy woodpecker we think after considerable research.
Maybe a Fiery-throated Hummingbird???
Sooty-capped chlorospingus
Slaty Flowerpiercer - Flowerpiercers have a unique upturned bill with a sharp hook at the tip; they use it to pierce the bases of flowers to extract nectar. Also note male's uniform blue-gray plumage.
Driving back to the hotel we saw another Resplendent Quetzal. Had to process these as they were very dark due to time of day.
This morning we will be on our way back to the Central Valley, we stopped at Paramo section of Los Quetzales Nation Park at 11.400ft., look for habitat specialist Volcano Junco and other such as Fiery-throated Hummingbird, Timberline Wren and Large-footed Finch. Arrival to the hotel will be in the afternoon and then we'll enjoy our farewell dinner at the hotel restaurant.
Looking at our GPS track I am amazed we only traveled 87 miles Took us over 4 hours. Ended up at Hotel Robledal near the airport.
75 hawks in one photo. At Cerro de la Muerte, our highest elevation (11,400 feet) we saw kettles of broad-wings and Swainson's hawks.
I counted over 230+ hawks in this shot
Zoomed in near the center
On a clear day which is not common here, you can see the Pacific Ocean. I took a bunch of shots and this one was the best. You can see a cruise ship off Quepos and the hilly area that forms Manuel Antonio National Park. This is close to 30 miles away. Just for reference we are appx. 54 miles away from the Caribbean Sea just north of Limon. Our view east was blocked by hills.
I was looking at the GPS to see the highest elevation we got to which was 11,455 feet. Our decimal location was 9.553611N 83.756667W
Impressed with the towers up here. Repeaters, Tv stations, FM stations. I guess this is the place although metro San Jose is over 25 miles away. We saw these from Miriam's Quetzals - Restaurant yesterday
Green Spiny Lizard
The roads up here were much better than I would have figured.
Would have been fun to spend more time exploring. Looks like a desert environment.
Various plants
We stopped for lunch at Paraiso Quetzal Lodge - Lodge KM 70, Ruta 2 Sur San Jose, San Gerardo de Dota
Views around the gardens
Black-thighed Grosbeak amongst the bromeliads
We do not usually have this problem at home.
Fiery-throated Hummingbird
Lesser Violetear - Medium-sized hummingbird, all sparkly green with obvious blue or purple cheek patch. Bill is slightly decurved.
The long-tailed silky-flycatcher (Ptiliogonys caudatus) is a passerine bird which occurs only in the mountains of Costa Rica and western Panama.
Not sure what they were doing. The bees were attracted to the bottle and drowning. Perhaps Africanized type?
Male Talamanca Hummingbird showing its colors
Volcano Hummingbird female & male
Golden-browed chlorophonia (Not sure if these are male & female)
Blue-crowned Chlorophonia
Slaty Finch was on our checklist but not identified by Jose.
Sooty Thrush is a large thrush endemic to the highlands of Costa Rica and western Panama.
Black-billed Nightingale Thrush
Slaty Flowerpincher
Quetzels Paradise Lodge where we had our last lunch and walked the beautiful grounds. Various views.
Arranged as a crocodile
Ken taking photos
Our Group Photo taken at Quetzels Paradise Lodge
Our last lunch. Ken Chicken & Mary Fish. This was at Quetzels Paradise Lodge
We made it to our Hotel Robledal near the airport. Nice room with A/C and a good shower. But we liked Bougainvillea Hotel better.
Windmills on the mountains south of San Jose
Nesting boxes for the Lineated Woodpecker. We watched them coming and going
I am amazed at the shapes of the hornet nests here.
Tish & Mike
Rufous-naped Wren (Rufous-backed)
Interesting exotic wildlife here.
Cinnamon-bellied saltator
Spot-breasted Oriole. Unlike most North American orioles where the males are bright and the females are dull, both sexes of the Spot-breasted Oriole are bright and look alike. This pattern of sexes looking alike and colorful is common in tropical orioles. (Bad photo as they were in the sunset area)
Hoffmann's woodpecker (Melanerpes hoffmannii ) is a resident breeding bird from southern Honduras south to Costa Rica. It is a common species on the Pacific slopes, locally as high as 7,050 ft. It is expanding on the Caribbean slope, aided by deforestation.
But, I want to see the bugs and snakes
Dove sitting on the nest in a attic vent at the hotel
Our last sunset in Costa Rica
Looks good but was not that good of a cut. They do not know how to do steaks down here.
Transfer to International Airport for returning flights and end of services.
We left Hotel Robledal before 6am and had a quick ride to the airport.
Unlike our easy non-stop BWI to San Jose ride down our ride home was a bit longer. We had our first plane change in Houston Texas and a very short layover. Then we had a stop in Louisville, TN where we remained on the plane.
Departing Sann Jose we went north west across Nicaragua. This allowed those who were sitting on the west side of the plane to see the volcanos. The first one we could see was Reserva Natural Complejo Volcanico Momotombo. Momotombo is a active stratovolcano in Nicaragua, located near the city of Leon. It stands on the shores of Lake Managua. The elevation is 4,255 feet.
The volcano is appx. 60 miles west of our flight path. I had to enhance this photo and you can see the lake shoreline in front of the volcano.
Crossing the northern coast of Honduras just east of the town of Tornabe. Punta Sal National Park is the point upper right.
Approaching the coast of Belize
Flying into Houston, TX as you can see it was very overcast. I could see several antennas above the clouds. All these antennas are over 2,000 feet. They are located south west of McIntyre Acres, TX.
Departing Louisville Kentucky. Looking down on the Ford Truck Plant where my F350 was built.
