Costa Rica 2024 - Day 6 continued

Tuesday, January 23, 2024 (continued)

We met Johan at 2:30 for a walk around the lodge grounds which included a short forest trail. Right at the beginning we saw a group of spider monkeys working through the canopy. They move so easily with their long arms and prehensile tail. Two of them were mothers with babies. They got quite close and the last one hung very low and watched us watching him. 

Spider Monkey

Spider Monkey with baby

Who is watching who?

We also saw a pair of Pied Puffbirds, this time a bit lower than this morning. 

Pied Puffbird

We hadn't been out long when Johan got a call from our boat captain telling us that he wouldn’t be able to take us out the following afternoon as planned. But he could take us out now if we wanted. So we jumped in the car and headed down to the dock. 

This trip was upriver into several shallow lagoons. The Cano Negro area is a seasonally flooded wetland, where the entire area floods during the rainy season, but drains down during the dry season, leaving the main channels and a lot of shallow lagoons. 

These lagoons are teaming with shorebirds, waders, kingfishers, hawks, and many other species. So full of life!

Bare-throated Tiger-Heron

Glossy Ibis

Great Blue Heron eating introduced Armored Catfish

Amazon Kingfisher female

Amazon Kingfisher male with fish

Ringed Kingfisher with nesting burrow in background

There are also a huge number of Caiman. They are not considered dangerous to humans, but they certainly look capable of doing some damage!

Spectacled Caiman

We birded until dark seeing some new birds like Sungrebe, Black-collared Hawk, Black-crowned Night-Heron, and Jabiru.  Jabiru are huge, prehistoric-looking storks, much larger than any other waders in the area. It was a great way to spend the afternoon. 

    

Black-collared Hawk

Jabiru with Wood Storks

Sungrebe male with youngster

We returned to the lodge about 6:00, where we learned a large group had checked in and would be dining at 7:00. So we decided to get our dinner immediately and beat the rush. 

After dinner we drove several miles down the entrance road, looking for night birds. We found a Great Potoo sitting on a pole and got some pictures. These birds sit on poles or stumps and do a great job of blending in. At night you can see their eyes shine. 

Great Potoo

We hadn't gone much farther when Johan heard a Pacific Screech Owl calling. We got out and played it’s song back a few times and it flew in. We got great looks and pictures, and were on our way. 

Pacific Screech-Owl

We found a second Great Potoo, and finally a Black-and-white Owl on a powerline as we neared our lodge. 

Great Potoo

Black-and-white Owl

It was a great way to end another wonderful day in Costa Rica.