Costa Rica - the tour begins.

White eared Ground Sparrow

Our first full day with Diego Quesada - our Costa Rican bird guide and our driver - Pablo Jimenez.

This morning we left our hotel at 6am for a nearby coffee plantation. The main target was a Costa Rican endemic the Cabani’s Ground Sparrow. The sparrow is a threatened species as much of its original habitat has been cleared as San Jose has spread throughout the Central Valley. Coffee plantations have become a habitat surrogate and here the birds remain.

Short story was we had little luck with this species. There was an annoyingly strong wind blowing which made hearing the birds and their calls difficult. Like wise the birds may have had some difficulty hearing our attempts to call them. 

We did get pretty good views of the White eared Ground Sparrow, Chestnut crowned Warbler, Ovenbird, Tennessee and Yellow Warblers plus Hoffman’s Woodpecker, GT Grackles, White tailed Kites and Crimson fronted Parakeets – to name a few.

Breakfast followed before heading to a second chance site for our endemic target. Luck failed again. However we did get three wrens; Cabanis’s, Rufous naped, [Southern] House.

Zone tailed Hawk enroute plus its look alike species Turkey Vultures, and many Black Vultures as well. Broad winged Hawks were also seen.

Stopped at a sadly closed café and took in a few birds in their grounds; Scintillant Hummingbird plus a Purple throated Mountain Gem – a female. Tropical Mockingbirds, Yellow bellied Elaenia, Yellow fronted Grassquits, and the ubiquitous Rufous collared Sparrows. Vaux’s Swift did a fly over.

Southern Lapwings were seen on a nearby footy pitch.

The waterfall produced nice views of a ….waterfall. Plus, more impressively an American Dipper. 

 The hummingbird feeders and fruit tables at Colibrí Café Cinchona (along the road between Poás Volcano National Park and La Paz Waterfall Gardens) are famous among birders. At about 1,300 m elevation they attract a mix of mid-elevation Caribbean-slope species, especially hummingbirds and colorful tanagers. They also cater.

We saw Violet Sabrewing and the common, Green-crowned Brilliant. Some got a brief view of a Green Hermit. 

The fruit feeders draw some of the most colorful birds in Costa Rica and today was no exception. Silver-throated, Palm, Blue and Grey Tanagers, as well as a few Scarlet-rumped Tanagers were seen well. Golden hooded visited the area briefly.

Northern Emerald-Toucanet, Red-headed Barbet, Baltimore Oriole [a wintering migrant], Clay coloured Thrush, Buff throated Saltator, Red legged Honeysucker and Bananaquit were all seen well. 

In attendance and most definitely mammal of the day was White-nosed Coati. Variegated Squirrel was also there. 

Further down the road there was a pack of Coati.

And an ant encounter; Fire Ants plus Leaf Cutters.

Final attempt at the original Ground Sparrow site saw some of us seeing the bird but most were disappointed. 

Good views of a Ferruginous Pygmy Owl.