Costa Rica: Day 6 - La Selva to Arenal

Another fine day of mostly cruising in the car. There were many stops along the way, each in the name of birding.

First we stopped at a Nature Center, although it's in it's early growth stages. The gentleman who runs the place was very nice, very talkative, and very enthusiastic. The most exciting part of that visit was this guy: 

Or maybe this guy:  

Blue-gray Tanager

After that, we stopped at a hotel for lunch. It was fancy as well as delicious. It didn't hurt that the grounds around the open-air restaurant were riddled with iguanas of all sizes. According to Noel, our guide, a group of iguanas is called a "lounge".  Go figure. Noel also hung some bananas out for the local birds, and Dad got a great pic of the following: 

Blue Dacnis

We also were lucky to see the Emerald Basalisk. 

After lunch, it was up (and around) the hill through Paraiso to the Arenal Volcano. Beautiful country. We looked for some birds, did a bit of work to get the Thicket Antpitta, and then headed to the Volcano Observatory Lodge. I can't speak for Dad, but I dunno how they let a schlub like me in to this place. No photos now, as I'm planning on a Places We Stayed post at the end of the trip. 

Upon settling in, I was on the back porch working on this post and I spotted this guy:

White-nosed Coati

While at first I was amazed as it went loping past the back of the porch, I later figured out it was not fate or divine intervention at all. 

Yup.... That is our "neighbor" feeding it Cheetos. 

Awwwwwwwwwesome. 

Anyway, here are a bunch of other things that we did not feed Cheetos to toda:

Long-tailed Tyrant

White-necked Jacobin

Orange-billed Sparrow

Fasciated Antshrike

Plain Brown Woodcreeper

White-throated Magpie-Jay

Costa Rica: Day 5 - La Selva

Another fine day on the Carribean side. Hot, muggy, but not as bad as yesterday. We did plenty of birding, and saw many a thing. I even went into town (Puerto Viejo) with Noel, our guide, to pick up some beer and snacks.   Saw some really cool birds, got a great video of some ants (too big to post here now - Internet may be too slow), and we waited for an owl, but had no luck. But as you'll see below, that didn't stop Dad and Noel from looking for a Common Pauraque later (which they found).

Fun Facts: 

~ Dad has reconfirmed he's not a big fan of cilantro. 

~ Most things Dad decides to eat have cilantro in them. 

~ There are fireflies here. 

Anyway....... Today's pics:

Hidden Things

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Female Passerini's Tanager needs a napkin

Not a crocodile

Looking for doves in all the wrong places

(High contrast Howler Monkey, to keep it PG.  Dude kept flashing his junk)

Pale-billed Woodpecker

Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant

Just cause I like this picture!

White-collared Manakin

Rufous-winged Woodpecker

Costa Rica: Day 4, Afternoon - La Selva

After the siesta, we headed down the road from our cabins and saw a few new motmots (the keel-billed and the broad-billed). The motmots are the early contender for my favorite bird type of the trip.

Broad-billed Motmot

We also saw some woodpeckers, wrens, amongst others. 

Afterwards, we went back to the Biological Station and saw more wrens near the entrance. We saw plenty of Toucans, Araçari, and Parakeets. 

There was again a bit of a rain delay, but we were able to wait the storm out and get some photography in afterwards, before it got dark. 

The best story of the day happened on our way back from the Station after dinner. It's a short drive from the gate to the cabins, and it was quite dark out. As we turned a corner in the road, both Noel and I spotted something in the road. It was biggish, had a long curly tail, stripes, and tall ears. I honestly thought it was a lemur....I was expecting big golden eyes and a long nose...Noel thought the same. Turns out, it was a constipated cat taking a dump in the middle of the road. 

Awesome. 

Anyway, here are some pics from the afternoon, except the first, which Dad is insisting I put in even though it's from this morning. 

This is how you photograph bats

Freaky bug

Got lucky with this one

Photo bombed

Blue Dacnis

Costa Rica: Day 3 - Poas to La Selva

Quick one tonight. It's been a long day and tomorrow will be longer and I'm tired. 

Left the Poas Volcano Lodge this morning after a good breakfast and a little birding. Hit the road for La Selva Biological Station. We stopped several times along the way to catch a view of this bird or that. 

Dad looking at something from the edge of the road

We got to La Selva in the early afternoon and immediately saw several birds, some kind of pig, more birds, and several researchers.   By the way, one of the birds was the rail I saw the first day, so I no longer have anything to taunt Dad about. 

The Stone Bridge in La Selva.....not made of stone

We made it to the midpoint of the bridge twice, but never fully crossed.  I guess that's for tomorrow. 

Anyway, sorry no extra-great stories. Must sleep.  Hopefully some pics from today will suffice. 

Also, per Gary's comment, I'll look and see if there's some way I can geotag these posts. Would be way easier than creating a map each time. 

Good night!

P.S. - Before I forget, today we also saw iguanas, geckos, two types of poison tree frogs, leaf-cutter ants, a Common Basalisk, and a Two-toed Sloth. 

Yellow-thighed Finch

Great Potoo

Spectacled Owl

Chestnut-colored Woodpecker

Another Emerald Toucanet

When Good Focus Goes Bad (Groove-Billed Ani)

Cleared for Landing (Grey-Breasted Martin)

Poison Dart Tree Frog (do not lick)

Quiet Time (some hummingbird)