Costa Rica - Day 7

Tuesday, January 17, 2023 

We started our day with birding around the gardens before breakfast. There is an extensive trail system and Johan knew the best areas to take us. 

Variable Seedeaters were common, and as with many birds, the males look very different than the females. 

Variable Seedeater - female

Variable Seedeater - male

The Las Cruces Biological Station and Wilson Botanical Gardens have been around for quite a long time, and much has been learned about the plants and animals of Costa Rica here. As we explored we came across a number of reminders of the importance of the area. 

After breakfast we headed out to the canopy tower. Canopy towers are designed to allow observation of the forest from above the canopy itself. Many birds and animals feed high in the trees and are difficult to observe from the ground. Being on a tower gives a different perspective. We have visited many towers in North, Central and South America. Some are massive and sturdy, others much lighter and sometimes a bit sketchy.  But all require that you climb many flights of steps to access the top!

The Canopy Tower from below

Johan and Teri at the top

We saw a variety of birds from the tower, ranging from large and obvious to small and well camouflaged. 

Blue-headed Parrot

Crested Guan

White-crowned Parrot

Common Chlorospingus

Dusky-capped Flycatcher

At one point a King Vulture flew past the tower. This is a large white and black vulture that we always enjoy seeing.

King Vulture

We saw some of the same species from the tower that we'd seen the previous evening at the restaurant deck feeders. The Speckled Tanager is a favorite and we enjoyed seeing it from every angle. 

Fiery-billed Aracari

Speckled Tanager

We got very close looks at a Yellow-throated Vireo, a species that will return to North America (including our home area) to breed in late March. 

Yellow-throated Vireo

After a couple of hours on the tower we descended back to ground level and did some birding along the trails. We spotted a male White-winged Tanager far up in a tree.  I got a photo, but was wishing that this bird had visited us on the tower!

White-winged Tanager - male

Along with the birds we enjoyed seeing the many plants in the garden, and some of the other animals that live here like these wasps. The nest is about 18 inches tall, but the wasps are quite small, less than 1/2 inch long. We see various types of wasp nests throughout the tropics, but have never been bothered by them. 

Wasp Nest

Closeup of Entrance

We finished up our morning with lunch in the cafeteria, and then off to visit a couple of nearby sites!

Next - An airport, some interesting rock carvings, and a night walk.