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| BIRD OF THE DAY - SCARLET MACAW! |
Today we had our one and only huge driving day. We had been
forewarned.
We bought our luggage to the bus at 4-45 am and we were on
our way by 5am. WE arrived at Cerro Lodge at 5-15pm. So this was a long day by
most folks’ standards. And, of course, congratulations are due to our driver,
Johnny!!
Perhaps it was not as bad as it sounds though as we did fit
in plenty of time for birding and through that time we did find many new
species. And we did have time to sit down at lunch and have a seviche entre
plus whole cooked snapper for lunch. And we did stop and get excellent views of
Scarlet Macaw or, as Diego would say it, ‘Scarlet Mac-Cow’.
Our first birding stop was an agricultural area in the
lowlands [our lodge at Los Cruces was at about 1200 metres above sea level]. It
was early in the morning but the sun still had a sting. The light was good though and the birding great!
Highlights included many seed eating things…. Muias, seed
eaters, thickbills, Grassquits, And Striped Cuckoo, Red chested Meadowlark, our
first Roseate Spoonbill, Northern Lapwing, Yellow headed Caracara. And our
first, and probably only Coyote.
Next stop was a small wetland plus a few stops enroute for
Pinneated Woodpecker and Parrakeets along the river plus Bare throated Tiger
Heron. The wetlands had White Ibis, Northern Jacana, Great, Snowy and Cattle
Egrets, Little Blue Herons plus waders. Waders included Great and Lesser
Yellowlegs, plus Least, Spotted and Solitary Sandpipers. A juvy BT Tiger Heron
was seen here also.
Driving. Driving. Driving.
Lunch at a packed little tourist sea side suburb was ok
although noisy with the TV blaring showing Soccer aka Futball – Costa Rica
versus Tunisia. Tunisia scored one goal after we had lost interest causing
Johnny to weep a little.
Driving. Driving.
A birding stop in a small island of scrub in the lowland sea
that is Palm oil planations yielded Indigo Buntings plus a few other seen
species; Linneated and Hoffman's Woodpecker, Green Heron, Southern Beardless
Tyranelet, Yellow Warbler.
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Driving. Driving. Driving.
A stop by the water – the Great Pacific Ocean no less –
yielded decent coastal scenery; rocky headlands with waves rushing in etc. More
importantly it housed two waders; Spotted Sandpiper and, a new bird for the
trip, Wandering Tattler. Oh and there was a couple of Scarlet Macaws there as
well.
And now I’m here at the Lodge, sweating in the heat but with
a beer in my hand and the knowledge that hopefully my room is being cooled by
the air-con as I type!!
Birding & beer! As good as it gets! :)
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