2019 Costa Rica Journal - Day 2 - Esquinas Rainforest Lodge

Our day started early again.  It starts getting daylight a little after 5 a.m.  We walked around the grounds a bit before breakfast.

Outside our room.

Bamboo Orchid

Walking around the grounds.

After breakfast we left for our Rio Coto Mangrove Tour.  We had a 25 minute drive to the boat ramp in the nearby town of Golfito.  This was a 6 hour boat trip.  We were on an Esquinas boat with Melvin as our captain and Andrey as our guide.  There were only 2 other people on the tour with us.

This map shows several boat trips offered by Esquinas Lodge. The Rio Coto Mangrove tour is shown by the heavy lavender line. It explores the mangroves in the estuary where the Rio Coto empties in the gulf. 

The beautiful Golfo Dulce

Just after leaving the dock several pairs of Scarlet Macaws flew over. These huge red parrots are found in only a few areas along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. 

Scarlet Macaws

We passed by a small lighthouse at the entrance of Golfito Bay that was being used as a roost by some unusual birds. 

Magnificent Frigatebird

This Magnificent Frigatebird male was stretched out enjoying the sun. The large red pouch on their throats is inflated as a breeding display. 

Brown Booby Adult and Juveniles

The striking brown and white adult bird is on the right side of the picture. Several juveniles seemed to be looking for attention!

After a short trip south in the bay, we entered the Rio Coto estuary. 

Our boat was very comfortable and great for wildlife viewing.

We saw four different species of Mangroves in this area. They grow in slightly different habitats but all have the ability to tolerate saltwater and the tides.

White Mangrove

There were a lot of birds to be seen from the boat. Many of the shorebird and wading birds are the same species that we see on the Texas Gulf Coast, but there were plenty of tropical birds as well. 

Common Black Hawk

Common Black Hawk in flight

Boat-billed Heron is one of our favorite tropical species. They are similar to the Night Herons that we have in the states, but they have an enormous, oversized bill. They are a nocturnal species that roost quietly during the day in trees that overhang water.

Boat-billed Heron

Boat-billed Heron

Even though we'd seen this species several time on past trips, we had never noticed the groove down the center of the bill before. 

Another tropical species is the Bare-throated Tiger-Heron. These fierce looking wading birds eat all sorts of fish and reptiles, including baby Spectacled Caiman.  Caiman are alligator-like reptiles that live in Central and South America. The adult Caiman will occasionally eat Tiger-Herons!  Payback, and all that...

Bare-throated Tiger-Heron

We also saw a group of Crab-eating Raccoons along the muddy shoreline. This is a different species than the more common Northern Raccoon. They are slightly smaller, darker, and (you guessed it!!) eat crabs, among other things.

Crab-eating Raccoons

Our "Target Bird" for this trip was the Mangrove Cuckoo. We did spot a couple of individuals way up in trees along the edge of the forest. This picture was taken from a couple of hundred feet away and isn't the greatest, but shows the black mask and tan belly of the species.

Mangrove Cuckoo

We stopped on a stretch of beach for a picnic lunch.

Our lunch spot.

Melvin and Andrey bringing the food and drinks.

After lunch we had about 45 minutes to relax on the beach.

Our guide Andrey and Mark. 

We got back to Esquinas mid-afternoon and were ready to relax with a cold Diet Coke

The lodge made sure we had plenty of Diet Coke.

We walked around a little before it started raining.  We thought this was a cute name for a pond (we had no idea how accurate it was):

It’s very warm and humid in this area.  We were glad the afternoon shower cooled the air a little.

Next time:  A guided hike and a night walk.