Manuel Antonio National Park
April 21st, 2014
On Saturday Michael and I decided on a visit to Manuel Antonio, for some hiking, birding and maybe swimming. I've already shared the star of that trip, the Blue-Crowned Motmot that flew to within ten feet of us. Another happy sighting was a glittering Red-Legged Honeycreeper. On the Esquipulas trip, Mike and Johan had seen one of these while I was separated from them (at the very time when I was getting my lifer Chestnut-Backed Antbird, in fact.) It was gone by the time I got back. So it was nice to see one at last.
I actually mistook that for a wintering Indigo Bunting at first, despite, y'know, the blazing red legs and long curved bill and pretty much everything other than the fact that it was blue. Not my proudest moment as a birder!
A family group of raccoon-like animals caught our attention, as they travelled along in a dried up stream bed below us. I initially thought they were coatis due to their elongated snouts, but some research cleared things up. Turns out they're Crab-Eating Raccoons--aptly named close cousins of the raccoons we all know and love. They were hard to photograph in the shadows and brush, but this one briefly came out in the open.
The odd-looking guy below is a Common Basilisk, although the locals would call him a Jesus Christ Lizard. Here's why.
Our final sighting of the day came late and unexpectedly. Our taxi driver was taking us back to the resort when he pulled over suddenly, exclaimed that there was a toucan in a tree and let us out to see it. Thus did I get my lifer Chestnut-Mandibled Toucan! (Handsome tip: earned.) It was distant and half-obscured by foliage, but still pretty exciting considering. As Mike said afterwards, "everyone in Costa Rica is a tour guide!"
April 21st, 2014
On Saturday Michael and I decided on a visit to Manuel Antonio, for some hiking, birding and maybe swimming. I've already shared the star of that trip, the Blue-Crowned Motmot that flew to within ten feet of us. Another happy sighting was a glittering Red-Legged Honeycreeper. On the Esquipulas trip, Mike and Johan had seen one of these while I was separated from them (at the very time when I was getting my lifer Chestnut-Backed Antbird, in fact.) It was gone by the time I got back. So it was nice to see one at last.
I actually mistook that for a wintering Indigo Bunting at first, despite, y'know, the blazing red legs and long curved bill and pretty much everything other than the fact that it was blue. Not my proudest moment as a birder!
A family group of raccoon-like animals caught our attention, as they travelled along in a dried up stream bed below us. I initially thought they were coatis due to their elongated snouts, but some research cleared things up. Turns out they're Crab-Eating Raccoons--aptly named close cousins of the raccoons we all know and love. They were hard to photograph in the shadows and brush, but this one briefly came out in the open.
The odd-looking guy below is a Common Basilisk, although the locals would call him a Jesus Christ Lizard. Here's why.
Our final sighting of the day came late and unexpectedly. Our taxi driver was taking us back to the resort when he pulled over suddenly, exclaimed that there was a toucan in a tree and let us out to see it. Thus did I get my lifer Chestnut-Mandibled Toucan! (Handsome tip: earned.) It was distant and half-obscured by foliage, but still pretty exciting considering. As Mike said afterwards, "everyone in Costa Rica is a tour guide!"
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Mike
April 22nd, 2014 at 7:25 am
Good catches... glad you got a chance to see a honeycreeper too! It's one of my favorite birds of the trip.
dagibbs
April 23rd, 2014 at 10:09 am
Little raccoon guy is cute!
Also, awesome that the taxi-driver noticed and stopped for that! Definitely tip-earning.