Central America – San on the Lam

Caribbean Coast

August 17, 2022 Sandra DennisLeave a comment

Sunday 22 June 2008. Belize.

‘Oh, we do like to be beside the seaside’! Well, we do, which is why we now live there-on the coast of Nova Scotia, that is, not Belize. It’s beautiful but the Atlantic doesn’t quite have the intense turquoise colour of the Caribbean. Anyhow, a sight of the sea is always welcome and we had hopes of a bit of accessible mangrove, for those specialist species. We just had to get there.

On paper (i.e. the map) it didn’t look that far, but that was without factoring in Belizean roads. We set off immediately after breakfast (the decidedly birder-unfriendly ‘crack of 7.30 am’), aiming for Sarteneja. It seemed to take a long time to get there. Roads full of sharp bits of recently-harvested sugar cane made for slow going (and some worry about the state of the tyres) so it was lunchtime before we reached the sea.

That certainly lived up to the Caribbean ideal. Such an intense blue.

It was, however, surprisingly quiet birdwise. It’s always nice to see Magnificent Frigatebirds, of course; they are a bird that always spells ‘tropical’ for me, but it wasn’t adding much to our trip list. As for the mangroves, they weren’t really accessible here at all. It didn’t help that the tide was high. Hmm, what to do, now?

We turned our backs on the turquoise Caribbean and headed back towards a reserve we’d noticed on our way out here.

Shipstern Conservation and Management Area was a bit of a puzzle. We seemed to be the only visitors and to have surprised the wardens when we poled up. Still, we had to be guided and one of them duly took us for a walk round. He was a botanist, it seems, and took us on a newly-created botanical trail-intriguing, but not our primary interest. It had been quite a rudimentary clearing of the bamboo, with big machetes, I suppose, so there were sharp bits. It was inevitable, I suppose, that one of us would impale themselves on a spike, and that that one would be Mark-notorious for being too busy looking up in the trees to see where he is going. I was a bit concerned about a deep puncture wound to a foot in a jungle setting, but at least he was up to date on his tetanus jabs. He survived, his foot did get better, without going green and dropping off, but it was quite a wound.

We weren’t seeing too many birds. Admittedly, it was the hot part of the day (when tropical species tend to nod off for a while), and we were fairly racing round the trail. The guide mentioned that they had a nesting Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl on the grounds near the ranger station, but nobody knew where the nest hole was. ‘Oh’, said Mark. ‘You mean that one?’ And he pointed to a tree with a definite hole, an owlet peeking out and an adult bird nearby with a beak full of prey. Well, that was nice. We watched for some time, standing well back, as the adult delivered the prey to the excited owlet.

Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls, at the nest hole

So we have confused memories of Shipstern. I looked it up on the internet to remind myself of the park and was astonished at what I found. It’s quite large, based around the largest inland lagoon in Belize (we didn’t see it!) and has a mixed habitat of medium-sized semi-deciduous Yucatan forest and rare dry coastal tropical forest. It is home to many mammals, including the rare Baird’s Tapir and all five big cats (Jaguar, Puma, Ocelot, Jaguarundi, Marguay). It has over 300 bird species, including many Yucatan Endemics (the Yucatan Jay is the symbol of the park) and is the only known mainland habitat for the Black Catbird (so we were very lucky to come across one, normally you have to go out to the islands). We had no idea!

Black Catbird (drawing by Sandra Dennis)

It seems that the park has developed somewhat since we were there. There is a proper visitor centre, a restaurant and even a ‘Birder’s Lodge’, with en-suite rooms. It offers a variety of guided trips for wildlife, and culture. It looks like a great place to explore-I don’t think we saw its best side in our visit. We could have really added to our bird list here.

Back to Crooked Tree, after a very warm drive back. Time for a final wander around the island. In a field behind one of the houses we came across a carcass. It looked pretty large, it might have been the remains left after a butchering job. Anyway, nature’s clean-up squad were hard at work on the corpse.

I don’t think they would leave much behind. Vultures sometimes get a bad press, but I like them. There would be a whole lot more nasty messes around, if it wasn’t for them.

Our last dinner at the lodge, and time for me to pack. It would be an easy trip back to Belize City in the morning for our flight home and, just maybe, another species, or two, on the way.

Cameras:

Sandra-Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18
Mark-Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi, with 100-400 mm lens and Nikon Coolpix S210

Lamanai

August 11, 2022 Sandra DennisLeave a comment

Saturday 21 June 2008. Belize.

Another ‘ruin’ day, but hopefully not a ruined day-we were going to Lamanai!

Having decided to drive to the site, instead of taking a boat ride from Orange Walk (the usual route for tourists), we were rather relieved, when we reached Orange Walk, to find a very large road sign indicating the turn off the Northern Highway. Road signs are not at all common in Belize (or at least, they weren’t then) so this was most welcome. We turned off, into the farming hinterland of Northern Belize, where the Mennonite community holds sway. The route would take us down the other side of the New River, the waterway that borders one side of Crooked Tree Island.

It was odd to see the Victorian-dressed Mennonites, all dark suits, big hats, long dresses and bonnets, working in the fields with modern farming machinery. There did not seem to be any absence of tractors, combine harvesters and the like. We, however, did seem to be causing some interest; it seems that there are not many cars passing this way so the unsmiling stares got to be a bit oppressive after a while. More worrying, though, was the total absence of any more road signs. It was not a straight road, there were twists and turns, but there was no indication that we were going in the right direction. We gritted our teeth and kept on.

More by luck and dead reckoning, it seems, we were actually on the right road, as indicated by a road sign, finally, pointing to Lamanai. The fact that this was situated on a dead-straight road, about 3 km from the site (which actually could not have been missed at that stage) just raised eyebrows and hollow laughter. Shortly after, we pulled into a car park, empty except for a couple of horse-drawn buggies, with the horses still attached and industriously grazing in the hedgerow. It seemed that some of the Mennonite community were keen on a little archaeology, too. We found our way onto the site, negotiated a couple of tickets from the very surprised ticket office staff (who were not used to tourists arriving from that direction), and headed on in. It was birdy, very birdy, although I admit that (for once) the birds were not my primary focus.

Lamanai, (meaning ‘Submerged Crocodile’ in Yucatan Maya), is the only Maya site in Belize that still carries its original Maya name. Most of the site is unrestored, so the structures that have been excavated loom out of the rainforest, quite impressively. It all looks very green and isolated, once you get away from the main tourist complex. The site was first settled in the Early Preclassic period (1000-800 BCE) and was not abandoned until the late 1600’s CE, having one of the longest periods of occupation of any Maya city. It was a trading centre for obsidian, jade and cinnabar from Guatemala, and salt, cacao and honey from the coast. There was also copper from West Mexico, a rare metal in the Maya world.

The structures visible range from the Early Classic (200-600 CE) to the Post Classic (900-1200 CE), and are ranged in three structural groups, set around individual plazas. There is one monumental temple in each plaza. The northernmost plaza temple is called the Temple of the Masks (N9-56).

The Temple of the Masks

The reason for the name is obvious, the façade is flanked by two well-preserved stucco masks, each 4 m high and crowned with crocodile headdresses. The features are thought to be those of a ruler of Lamanai, of about 400 CE.

The structure contained two tombs, one male and one female, dating to about 500 CE, and a whole lot of broken ceramics scattered around and on the pyramid. I would find out more about these, later.

The Great, or High, Temple (N10-43) is in the central plaza and is the highest pyramidal structure on the site, measuring some 108 ft/33 m tall. The first phase of this temple dated to 100 BCE-100 CE. This one could be climbed, as evidenced by the rope hanging down the upper stairway.

I tried a few of the lower steps and they were pretty steep, the middle section was a whole lot steeper than that. It seemed to me to be a dubious pleasure, toiling up there in steamy jungle heat, and an even less appealing way down, clinging to the rope. I stuck with terra firma on this one.

Nearby was a small ballcourt, for the Mesoamerican ballgame, quite late in date (10^th century CE). Ballcourts tend to be generally similar in structure, having two parallel sides, often of sloping benches, with a central area, with marker stones. They do vary a lot in size, ranging from tiddly little things like this one to the truly immense space at Chichen Itza, in Mexico (see ‘At the Mouth of the Well of the Itza’). Clearly the game must have varied a bit, from place to place. I was always a little worried by the ballcourt markers placed on the ground in the centre of the court, too. Surely it would be a trip hazard for the players during the game?

These were particularly significant markers, and somewhat out of proportion with the size of the court, I thought. Apparently a dedicatory offering was found below one of the markers, comprising ceramics, jade, shell and cinnabar, all floating in a dish of mercury. This latter metal was a very rare discovery for a Maya site.

Across the plaza, the Temple of the Stela was named for a particularly fine stela of the ruler Smoking Shell, with a date of 10 March 825 CE. Another of those astonishingly accurate dates that mark the Maya civilization.

The temple of the southern plaza is called the Temple of the Jaguar (N10-9), due to two jaguar masks that flank the lower stairway.

This was a pyramid of 7 levels, rising to 96 ft/29 m. With it, in the plaza, was a large residential or civic complex (the Palace Group), originally topped with additional adobe walls and timbered roofs to make the living accommodation.

It had been very enjoyable, wandering between the plazas through quite thick forest, and also enjoying good sightings of birds; motmots, jacamars, flycatchers and the like. It could not be denied that it was hot, though. We headed back to the picnic area at the centre of the site, and a small museum that I hoped to take a look at.

This is as far as I got, up the Great Temple

I don’t get many looks at museums, generally. There is too much to do, outside, but this was a small affair and Mark was amenable to birding the picnic site while I took a turn (he’s not a museum person). It was, at least, cool in there.

Most of the exhibits were ceramics, found smashed on the site and reconstructed. I was astonished at the shapes, especially a particular form of incense censer shaped like a human torso.

There were a lot of different forms of these censers, which I learned were called ‘Chen Mul’ figurines. This one was found smashed at the base of the Mask temple.

The Chen Mul censers were originally made at Mayapán, in the Yucatan, in the Postclassic period, but their use then spread across the Maya world. The features of the figurines are thought to be of various gods and goddesses, and the incense burned in them would invoke the particular deity featured. Dense black clouds of smoke were believed to carry the rain and wind needed to grow crops.

Some of the faces were amusingly surreal. There was a fondness for heads poking out from between crocodile or snake jaws. One vessel had a mask, resembling those that featured on the front of the temples. Somehow, I felt I had learned a little more about the real Maya from looking at these ceramics.

This form of incense censer, from slightly earlier than the Chen Mul type, was distinctive to Lamanai. I’d put one on my sideboard-it looks like it would make a very fine fruitbowl.

And why were the ceramics all broken? It was not an accident, or due to their age. No, these were all deliberately smashed, as a ritual connected with closure of a temple area or burial site. Lamanai remained occupied right up until the Spanish invaded, in fact there is some suggestion that it filled the void left in the Maya world by the decline of Chichen Itza in the Postclassic period. The Spanish actually built a couple of churches in the city after they arrived in 1554 CE, although one was burned down in a subsequent Maya revolt.

It was an interesting site to explore, and I was pleased we’d found it. I rejoined Mark in the picnic area, and he pointed out a troop of Yucatan Black Howler Monkeys, peacefully foraging in the trees above the tables.

Well, that was a nice find, and a nice sighting on which to leave Lamanai. Now we had to make our way back to Orange Walk; would we be able to remember the way? Maybe we should have tied markers to the bushes at each turn!

As it was, we managed quite well, enjoying the large numbers of Cattle Egrets in the fields on the way. It had been fun, feeling quite adventurous as we set out into the unknown and were successful. I’d managed to scratch another ‘ruin’ itch, too. We birded around Crooked Tree for the rest of the day, but we’d have to find somewhere else to go for our last full day. How about a trip to the seaside?

Sandra-Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18
Mark-Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi, with 100-400 mm lens and Nikon Coolpix S210

Boating the Lake

August 6, 2022 Sandra DennisLeave a comment

Friday 20 June 2008. Belize.

We have always enjoyed a boat trip, when we could get one. Often it provides a good way to see birds that you just wouldn’t see otherwise, especially water birds like kingfishers, and Boat-billed Herons that like to roost in bankside vegetation. The question was, would we get to do one? Bird’s Eye View Lodge did offer boat trips, in season, but this wasn’t the season and we were the only birders staying at the lodge. We were being told that one ‘would happen’ but it wasn’t clear when, so we were pretty pleased when we were told that it would be the next morning, i.e. today. It would be an early morning (6 am) start and our breakfasts would be delayed until our return.

I guess the reason why we got to go out today was that we were not the only people on the trip. An American family, ‘Mom’, ‘Dad’ and two teenaged kids, were joining us. Well, that was fine with us, the more the merrier, or so we thought. We boarded; Mark and I full of anticipation, ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’ a bit unimpressed, the kids’ attitudes positively screaming ‘bored now’. We were a bit nonplussed as we cast off and headed out to explore the lagoon, and its creeks and crevices.

Mark tried to engage ‘Dad’ in conversation, but it was like getting blood out of a stone. ‘Mom’ and kids stared out, stonily. There wasn’t a camera or pair of binoculars amongst them.

Our boatman did his best to engage people and we were very pleased when almost the first bird we saw was a singing Mangrove Vireo. Mark tried to explain to the family how special a sighting that was, just to be totally ignored, so he gave up on them. They could sit there and be miserable; we, and the boatman, would find and appreciate the birds.

And find them we did.

(From top:)Bat Falcon, Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks, Black-collared Hawk, Boat-billed Heron, Yucatan Woodpecker

We were out on the lagoon for some three hours, the last hour of which I was sitting with my legs firmly crossed. Lack of facilities is always something of an issue on little boats. In fact, it was getting so bad that I wasn’t at all sure I’d be able to get off the boat without losing my dignity. Still, I would not have missed the trip, bladders would just have to cope.

In three hours I think we heard 3 words, total, from our companions, and no smiles at all. We couldn’t help but wonder why they’d decided on the boat trip, and what exactly they thought they’d be seeing on a lagoon in Belize. Maybe it was our presence that upset them? Well, we got a deal more out of the boating experience than they did, so we were not the losers there.

Getting off the boat was a trial for me, as predicted, but at least we were right back at base and I could repair any damage immediately (thank goodness for quick-drying materials, that’s all I’ll say). The ‘Grim Family’ disappeared without a sound and we never saw them again (no big loss there). We headed in for our late breakfast and decided what to do next.

Well, we really hadn’t spent all that long birding the island, so far. It is a wildlife sanctuary after all, so we thought we’d tour the village and see what we could find. The trouble was that we found the mess and garbage around the village quite distressing. I know that the people are poor, but so were those in other areas we visited and we never saw so much rubbish piled up in gardens as we did around Crooked Tree. It made it difficult to warm to the place. Still, I took a few photos, which do rather illustrate the poverty of some parts of the village.

We found a few birds but also found the experience a bit dispiriting. Perhaps we were just tired and hot, so we decided to head back to the lodge to wait out the noonday heat.

It was a good idea. Sitting with a drink (well, of sorts-the tea wasn’t great), we did chance on a Russet-naped Wood Rail that deigned to allow a few photos. It didn’t actually pose, that would be too much to ask, but it did allow Mark to snatch a short series of photos as it legged it, off behind a hedge and out of sight. A brilliant-looking bird, with a call that is very memorable indeed.

Russet-naped Wood-Rail

I admit to being only human, unlike Mark who, when birding, doesn’t know the meaning of ‘taking a rest’. Sometimes, when on holiday (although not that often really), I like to take some time out, read a book, smell the roses (or local equivalent). It is quite rare because I can’t bear to miss out, either. Still, today was the day when I needed a break, so I settled down with a book and Mark settled down to do a “Big Sit’. He enjoyed it, so did I, and he didn’t see anything new so I didn’t miss out.

(From top:) Tropical Kingbird, Olive-throated Parakeet, Plain Chachalaca, Northern Jacana

As the heat abated, we headed back out onto the trails, such as we could find, for a little more ‘light birding’. I’m never that fond of birding around people’s houses, it seems a bit intrusive to be skulking around with binoculars and cameras, so maybe this was the main issue with Crooked Tree. A lot of the ‘trails’ seemed to go into yards and along the streets. We probably needed to get away from the village again, so tomorrow we would visit my second ‘officially-sanctioned’ Maya site, Lamanai.

If we could find it, that is!

Cameras:

Sandra-Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18
Mark-Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi, with 100-400 mm lens

Altun Ha

July 31, 2022 Sandra DennisLeave a comment

Thursday 19 June 2008. Belize.

The heavy overnight rains meant that we awoke to a fresh new day, albeit there was a bit of a delay before we could head out birding. Well, not just birding-today was going to be one of my officially-sanctioned ancient Maya ruins days. Now, I admit to not knowing a great deal about the Maya, or Mesoamerican civilizations in general. They were never on the school agenda when I was a girl; a school in the UK being much more invested in Rome, Greece or even Egypt, or (more distressingly) in the Industrial Revolution. I remember doing essays on Davy Lamps and Spinning Jennies for my ‘O’-level (like an OWL but less fun). Maya didn’t really get a look-in.

To be honest, they are a difficult civilization to get a handle on for those with a casual interest. The general lack of written information, other than that recorded by the Conquistadors, makes it difficult to reconstruct daily life for the Mayan ‘Man in the Plaza’, especially since remaining buildings are almost always temples and tombs, and not where the aforesaid ‘Man in the Plaza’ would have lived. Having said all that, the few inscriptions that are extant always seem to include dates of astonishing accuracy.

So we were heading to my second ever Maya site, this one somewhat excavated, Altun Ha. The name sounds pretty Maya, doesn’t it? In fact, it’s a modern translation of the name of a local village, Rockstone Pond, into Yucatan Maya. No one knows what the site was called in antiquity. Still, I go all of a flutter at the offer of a stepped pyramid so I was pretty excited.

Unlike Chan Chich, quite a lot of the site is excavated, at least at the front of the buildings. The rear of the pyramids were generally left with a shroud of earth and grass, and it was possible to clamber up the rear of some of them. It made an impressive sight when looking down into one of the plazas.

Altun Ha Plaza A *Above centre is structure A-1, with A-6 still unexcavated on the far right.*

Altun Ha was originally inhabited way back in the so-called Preclassic period of Maya civilization, namely 1000 BCE-200 CE, although most of the structures seen are from the Early Classic (200-600 CE). The city may have had a connection with the Mexican city of Teotihuacan, based on comparison of ceramic finds.

The early ceremonial core of the site was Plaza A, with structure A-1 being the most important building. A royal tomb was actually found under the floor of this building, containing jade objects and a rare codex (or book) dated from 550 CE.

*The author, in front of Structure A-1.*

*Rounded corners on the edge of Structure A-2*

Plaza B gained importance in the Late Classic and was found to have many elite burials with vast amounts of jade objects.

*Altun Ha Plaza B. The building in the centre is structure B-4*

The most important structure of Plaza B was structure B-4, also known as the Temple of the Masonry Altars, because of the row of altars that can be seen along the top of the first flight of stairs.

Several royal tombs were found inside, including one dated to 650 CE that contained the largest jade object yet found in the Maya world. This was a carved jade head, weighing 5 kg, and thought to depict the Sun God, Kinich Ahau, However, as with much of Maya archaeology, there are other ideas and it has more recently been suggested that this is, in fact, the Jester God, an early symbol of Maya kingship, which would fit in well with this important burial.

Altun Ha was abandoned by the Maya in the Post Classic period (i.e. 900-1200 CE), no one knows why. It did undergo a limited reoccupation between early 1200 to 1400 CE before being abandoned once again, During this period it seemed to have some connection with Lamanai, due to the discovery of distinctive Lamanai ritual vessels at the site. I’d be finding out more about Lamanai later in the week, which I was looking forwards to.

Well, that had been enjoyable. I’d climbed up a couple of Mesoamerican pyramids, which had been fun, if hot. In fact, it was getting very hot up there. Mark was getting a bit fractious about the inappropriate reggae music coming from a nearby cafe, which was disturbing his birdwatching, so we decided to beat the retreat, heading back to Crooked Tree for lunch and a cool off. Later on a visit to ‘The Pines’, part of the wildlife sanctuary, would work some magic, we hoped.

And it did. Great views of Acorn Woodpecker, always enjoyable, and a good antswarm attended by Melodious Blackbirds. Laughing Falcons and Yucatan Woodpeckers. All good stuff.

Cameras:

Sandra-Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18

Mark-Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT, with 100-300 mm lens

Nikon Coolpix S210 (used with telescope)

From Jabirus to Bird’s Eye Views

July 28, 2022 Sandra DennisLeave a comment

Thursday 18 June 2008. Belize.

We had been in Belize, staying at the excellent Chan Chich lodge (see Chan Chich) for four nights, but now it was time to head off. We had booked the rest of our stay at Bird’s Eye View lodge at Crooked Tree, a rather different habitat and, to be honest, level of accommodation, but we were looking forwards to the new birding challenge. I’d been promised some more Maya sites, too. Still, it would be hard to say goodbye to Chan Chich; the level of luxury and sheer thrill of living in a palm-thatched palace in the middle of an unexcavated Maya plaza, in the depths of a private rainforest estate, is something we would not forget. The birding had been superb, too.

We had a final couple of hours around the site, picking up a few more birds for the trip, such as Buff-throated Foliage-Gleaner, Wedge-tailed Sabrewing and a handsome Grey Hawk.

When we finally left, around 10 am and loaded down with packs of the Gallon Jug estate’s fine coffee beans and a logo-ed towelling bathrobe (just like the ones supplied in the cabins, but I paid for it, honest!), we saw a nice Grey Fox along the road to our first stop, Laguna Seca, just a few miles away and still on the Gallon Jug estate. This lake was well-vegetated, being covered with beautiful Dotleaf Waterlily.

Northern Jacana made good use of all those water lily pads. Here we saw our first Jabiru for the trip, along with Anhinga and Purple Gallinule. A nice stop but we couldn’t linger too long. We were basically retracing our steps of five days earlier, and that had taken 5 hours -plus to drive. If we were to get to the new lodge before midnight, we’d have to get a wiggle on.

‘As the crow flies’, it isn’t that far from Chan Chich to Crooked Tree, but crows don’t have to follow roads, which are few and far between there. Basically, we’d have to drive a long way north, almost to the Mexican border, before turning again to find the Northern Highway (but travelling south, of course). The roads were not well-maintained, generally, although anyone who has experienced Nova Scotia highways should have few complaints. We’d stop on the way, for birds and for a welcome cooling ice cream at Linda Vista shopping centre, but it was important to keep moving.

After Blue Creek, we crested a ridge to find a wide flat pastureland spread out below us. It was pretty spectacular, especially when we noticed a shallow lake, possibly just a temporary flash, which seemed to be full of Jabirus.

It needed a closer look-see, obviously; you can’t just drive past a whole load of Jabirus, after all. After a bit of ‘try it and see’ driving, along dirt tracks (don’t tell the car hire people), and a bit of dead-reckoning, we did get rather closer. Not very close, but at least we could count the 72 Jabirus that seemed to be on the flash and in adjacent ditches, along with White Ibis, Black-necked Stilts, Great Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets and a few Wood Storks.

Well, that was nice. Add in a few Lesser Yellow-headed Vultures in the grasslands and it was a very refreshing stop on the long road south.

Really, at this stage, we just had to push on, so, barring any really interesting roadside birds, we were just going to hammer on south. It worked, we passed a few vultures, nothing unusual, and were crossing the causeway to Crooked Tree around 5 pm.

Crooked Tree is an inland island, completely surrounded by lagoons and rivers. The village of Crooked Tree was established in 1750 as one of the earliest creole villages in Belize, and now has some 1400 inhabitants. The southern part of the island is mainly wildlife sanctuary, although we were to find this difficult to navigate. The island boasts a bird list of 300 species, so it is clearly a good place to bird. Bird’s Eye View Lodge, right on the edge of the lagoon, south of the causeway, was, and remains, the place to stop.

We had booked a downstairs room, which was a bit cheaper and, we thought, would be less disturbing of other guests when we made our early morning birding sorties. Well, it was perfectly clean but a bit cell-like-very dark, with no easily-available terrace. We couldn’t see ourselves enjoying staying there-we had 5 nights to go, after all. Mark had a word with the management, and we were able to upgrade to one of the upstairs rooms, which was much better. Accessed by an external stairway (so not noisy for other guests), the upstairs rooms clustered around a flat rooftop patio, overlooking the lagoon-I could see us enjoying the view from up here.

Room 19 was a winner, then. We soon unpacked and made it our own.

We were to eat in the lodge, well breakfast and dinner, anyway, although they were not really ‘birder-friendly’ meal times. I seem to remember that we had to be back in time for set meal times, which we thought was odd in a lodge that catered for birders. Oh well, we’d survive-well, I would. I wasn’t sure about Mark when he received the first in a procession of vegetable- and fruit-heavy repasts! He’s still here, so the sudden Vitamin C overdose didn’t do him any harm.

The ‘Bird’s Eye View’, over the lagoon at Crooked Tree.

After dinner, we took a couple of patio chairs to the edge of the deck and watched the moon rise over the lagoon, quite magical.

It was peaceful, there would be birds, what more could we want?

Cameras:

Sandra-Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18

Mark-Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT, with 100-300 mm lens

Nikon Coolpix S210 (used with telescope)

Back to Winter

April 7, 2022March 29, 2022 Sandra Dennis2 Comments

Saturday 04 December 2010. Costa Rica.

The day had come. We were leaving Rancho Naturalista and heading back to Montreal, likely drier but definitely a lot colder. We weren’t looking forwards to that at all. We were leaving Rancho around 9.30 am, for the 2-3 hour drive back to San Jose and our flight to Toronto. So, time for a little pre- and post-breakfast birding, then.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, this was probably our best morning, weatherwise, and this was reflected in the numbers of birds frequenting the feeders and the grounds. We saw some of our best views of the regulars, and a couple of newbies, at least for the photography list. For example, Scarlet-rumped Caciques had been common in the grounds but neither of us had managed a photo before today.

*Scarlet-rumped Cacique, refusing to show his ‘best’ feature, Good eyes, though!* (MCD)

A Common Tody-Flycatcher provided a whole series of images whilst it caught a juicy caterpillar.

Mountain Elaenia showed well:

A female Green Hermit frequented our hummer feeder:

From our verandah we could see a very colourful Baltimore Oriole in the tree at the back of the garden We were admiring him when another bird suddenly popped its head out of the foliage. Golden-hooded Tanager, common but not easy to photograph.

A walk on the access road found an unusually obliging Variable Seedeater…

and White-collared Manakins appeared, as if to say goodbye. They really are the most charming birds.

Really, there wasn’t enough time left to capture everything that was going on before we had to lug our luggage down to the entrance, say goodbye to our hostess, Lisa Erb, and clamber into our taxi. It was just a little hint about just how birdy Rancho Naturalista can be in the dry season. We’d taken a risk, coming at the very end of the wet (green) season, that the weather wouldn’t be that bad. We’d reaped the benefits, costs-wise, but maybe missed out a bit, bird-wise. Still, we managed 249 species, which is not bad for a rainy (very rainy!) week in one location. We’d seen some fabulous birds, too. I think my favourite is still the tiny little Volcano Hummingbird, but its a close-run thing!

Our taxi ride to San Jose took us through Cartago, where I snapped a couple of pictures through the window, including a quite-imposing red church. it seemed an unusual colour to paint a church.

I did the same thing on the outskirts of San Jose, as the car wended its way through the suburbs on the way to the airport. This had been quite relaxed, no worrying about finding the car hire place and getting back in time-just sit back and let it all happen.

All too soon we had been deposited at the airport and we were waiting in the departure lounge for our flight back to Toronto.

I think both Mark and I prefer being under our own steam. The one location, no transport, option had been good, and Rancho Naturalista is a great place to be, but I think we’d prefer to get there ourselves, next time. And maybe the dry season, too.

Photos designated MCD are by Mark.

Cameras:

Sandra-Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35

Mark: Canon EOS 50D with 100-400 IS lens

Green Ibis

April 2, 2022April 2, 2022 Sandra DennisLeave a comment

Thursday 02 December 2010. Costa Rica.

The rain continued heavy. I think it would be the defining memory of this holiday, which is a shame because there were lots of excellent things about it, not least the birds. Today we were after a couple of specialities. The Green Ibis, of course-we had to have another go at them and would therefore be heading towards C.A.T.I.E. First, though, Sunbittern were known to be frequenting a stretch of the River Tuis, not far from the lodge. Obviously, they were of interest.

We were going in the lodge’s minivan, along with a couple of other birders that were now staying at the lodge. The river was in spate, due to the almost unremitting rain, so it was most unlikely that we would come across the Sunbitterns standing in the water-they’d be likely to be washed clean away if they’d tried it! Actually, we found them foraging in a field next to the river and had good, if a little distant views. I think we’d been spoiled by the birds we’d found at Selva Verde back in 2005, which were astonishingly confiding. These views would likely be considered good for Sunbittern normally.

So, on to C.A.T.I.E. to look for the Green Ibis in their usual haunt, the trees surrounding the small lake. This time they were there. Three birds were roosting, high in the branches. It had to be said that the views were not exactly splendid, mostly silhouette really, but at least ibis have pretty unmistakable silhouettes.

Well, now we could breathe a sigh of relief. Despite the weather we’d managed to find our lifer, and a good one at that.

Cali decided to try the grounds of a hotel nearby, Hotel Casa Turire. This was a new construction that hadn’t actually opened yet and the lodge had permission to bird the grounds. It included a lake that could be good for wildfowl, something that we hadn’t seen that much of, so far, and it would add a little padding to the list. It turned out to be a good choice.

We got a nice list of birds from here, including a variety of ducks, Least Grebe, Snail Kite and a rather surprising (maybe also surprised) Gull-billed Tern over the small lake. There weren’t any lifers here, but there were some excellent trip ticks.

The lake was very picturesque, but a bit clogged with Common Water Hyacinth. This plant, native to the Amazon basin, has spread, or been introduced, into many Central American countries and can be an invasive nuisance. It is, however, extremely pretty and the rafts of plants can look very attractive when in full flower. Today, there were only a few plants flowering, the flowers heavy with raindrops.

The best birds here, though, were a couple of Green Ibis! Yes, now we’d seen them they were popping up in other places. A couple of birds were foraging in the puddles of a flooded field on the Casa Turire property, providing much better views and photo opportunities than the C.A.T.I.E. birds.

Now there was a problem. Mark had finally got fed up of trying to keep his camera dry and had left it back at the lodge for this trip, not expecting any reasonable photo ops. He was definitely regretting that decision now, and the only photos we have are mine. I’m sure he’d have got something far more professional.

Back at the lodge, we had the afternoon to ourselves. Tomorrow we were going for our biggest day out yet, a very early start for a trip to Volcan Irazu with the hopes of Volcano Hummingbird and Volcano Junco, amongst other things (see Volcan Irazu). Our holiday was drawing to a close, but we still had things to see. Anyway, Mark had been reunited with his camera so all was well with the world.

This overhanging cecropia tree always seemed to have something sitting in it. Sometimes a Keel-billed Toucan, a Montezuma’s Oropendola or even Grey-headed Chachalaca. Today it was the turn of Collared Aracari. I wonder if the birds needed to book in advance?

They really are striking, almost comical-looking birds.

We started out our afternoon watching sitting on our own verandah. Mark helped out by re-hanging a newly-filled hummer feeder. The birds could hardly wait for him to finish before they were darting back in for a drink.

Eager hummers-‘come on, get on with it, you just can’t get the staff…’

Later we decided to take a stroll down the access track of the lodge. This passed through some very birdy habitat and, although pretty steep, it had the advantage of being gravelled and therefore easier to walk on than the trails, which could be a mud bath in this weather.

Lots to go at in that foliage. We would spend a little more time in this area during the remainder of our stay at Rancho.

Photographs designated ‘MCD’ taken by Mark

Cameras:

Sandra-Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35

Mark-Canon EOS 50D with 100-400 IS lens

Rain, Rain and Tapanti

March 29, 2022March 29, 2022 Sandra DennisLeave a comment

Tuesday 30 November-Wednesday 01 December 2010. Costa Rica.

Part of the reason for the single-location vacation was the relative relaxation of being able to just spend a day at the lodge, doing our own thing and really getting to know the bird life. So today we were staying home. All we needed was a little dry weather so we could get out and about-oh, that might be the problem.

Morning on the verandah-look, the valley has disappeared.

Oh well, we’d just have to see what we could find from the verandah, in the trees and on the feeders in the garden. At least they were there, if a bit wet. Well, a lot wet, really.

Later in the morning, there was a break in the clouds. The valley reappeared. Maybe we could get out for a wander in the grounds now. Well, we’d give it a go.

A look around the trees at the top of the entrance track found us some noisy Band-backed Wrens. Well, we could hear them but it was difficult to see them. They were well-hidden in the top of the trees and my photo is less than impressive.

At least we could rely on the hummingbirds, however wet they might be, to put in an appearance. Additionally, a White-collared Manakin was a real delight to see. We’ve always loved seeing these little birds, especially when doing their energetic wing-popping display.

Not that they were displaying today, I think the dampness had put them off rather. I couldn’t blame them for that.

After lunch, and as the rain was still holding off, just, Mark had decided to hire Cali for a walk on the upper trails of the lodge. I can’t say that I fancied it much-the trails were a bit rain-slick, and I was certain that it would rain again soon. The boys set off and I decided to take my camera for a walk around the garden.

The weak sunshine finally poking through the clouds had persuaded the butterflies to come out again. I finally understood what was so flashy about the Two-barred Flasher when I caught it with its wings open.

Yes, that definitely deserves its name-that iridescence is amazing. I wasn’t as clear though about the Iphedamas Cattleheart that was also flitting about. ‘Cattleheart’ is definitely an odd moniker for what is a very attractive insect.

Call me Nostradamus but my prediction came true. The heavens opened again. The boys were still up on the higher slopes, presumably getting very, very wet. I retreated to the verandah of our room where, under cover, I could watch the coming and going of hummingbirds in a large shrub right next to the house. I had considerable fun trying to get some photos of the birds who were conveniently perching in there.

It was very relaxed way to spend a rainy early afternoon.

The lads returned mid-afternoon, having been rained off the trails. I didn’t think I missed too much, although Mark said that the trails were excellent birding, just a bit slick and unpleasant in the wet. Looking back at his list, there were quality birds up there, like Thrush-like Schiffornis, Brown-billed Scythebill, Scaly-breasted Wren, Ruddy Pigeon, Black-headed Nightingale-thrush and Checker-throated Antwren. The situation was obviously not good for photos, though, as he didn’t bring any back. I also missed the large Fer-de-Lance pit-viper that they disturbed on the path. This is one of the most dangerous of the pit-vipers because it is generally very defensive, meaning that it will strike when disturbed. Luckily, this one decided to just slither off, but not before it got itself onto Mark’s snake list-he does like snakes so this encounter was memorable.

We hit another dry period, in the late afternoon, allowing a now dried-off Mark and I to head out once more into the grounds just at the top of the entrance road.

Here we found one of the species we’d expected to see earlier, A Rufous-capped Warbler. It was skulking in the undergrowth, close to the ground and difficult to see through the tangle even though it was actually very active, so maybe that’s why they are not obvious, even though they are very striking birds.

Once we ‘broke our duck’ on this one we were to see them several times more, down in the main garden right in the bushes next to the fruit feeders and the bird bath.

So, as the light faded, we went off for dinner, quite happy with a quiet day at Rancho. Tomorrow we were off site again, with Cali, visiting Tapanti National Park.

The next morning we were up, bright and early, for a early breakfast before being collected by Cali for the drive to the park. Tapanti-Cerro de la Muerte Massif National Park is on the edge of the Talamanca mountain range, near Cartago, and was about 2 hours drive from Rancho. Its 583 sq. km (225 sq. miles) encompasses areas of pre-montaine and lower montaine rain forest, which provides habitat for 45 mammal species, 28 reptiles and amphibians, and (most importantly for us) 400 species of bird. We were pretty keen to see it. An early start got us to the park around 8.30 am, ready to bird. It was, mercifully, not raining as we set out, although it had to be said that it was still rather damp, underfoot. The park had a very good metalled road wending its way upward from the car park by the entrance station, so at least we wouldn’t have to walk on mud.

On the edge of the track, and just visible in the view above, was this White-nosed Coati. It didn’t seem that bothered about us!

Right at the entrance there was a busy, noisy group of Black-breasted Wood-Quail, which we were obviously keen to see. They, unfortunately, were not keen to be seen so we had to make do with heard only. The park was very birdy indeed, and there is a long list of species that we saw only there on this trip. We had a slow climb up the path, heading for a picnic area with restroom facilities (very welcome) and we were enjoying the walk, when the heavens opened yet again. That put a damper on things.

Mark and Cali-birding Tapanti in the rain

Birding in the rain in the tropics is always a bit of an issue. You can get dressed up in raincoats, etc., but that usually just makes you too hot, not to mention wet on the inside due to perspiration that can’t get away-not pleasant- so many birders rely on umbrellas. These are mostly just to keep the optics dry since clothes, and bodies, will dry out, eventually, but water in your binoculars can ruin your day/vacation/life (delete as appropriate). Of course, it is always something of a juggling act when trying to use binoculars whilst still holding the brolly, but it’s better than the alternative. Over the years I have lost count of the number of pocket- or bag-sized umbrellas we have purchased when getting ready for a tropical holiday. Somewhere there is a big hole that they have all disappeared into-we have never used the same ones twice.

Despite coming across several nice mixed flocks of birds, the rain stopped photography (largely) so I have not much to show for it. Tapanti was the only place on this trip that we saw (or heard) Squirrel Cuckoo, Stripe-tailed and Black-bellied Hummingbird, White-bellied Mountain-gem, Red-headed and Prog-billed Barbet, Emerald Toucanet, Red-faced Spinebill, Streak-headed Woodcreeper, Silvery-fronted Tapaculo (heard only, the little blighters would NOT come out for us), White-fronted Spadebill, Sharpbill (great views of one perched in a low tree), Rufous Mourner, Golden-bellied Flycatcher, Barred and Black-and-white Becard, Grey-breasted Wood-wren, Black-faced Solitaire, Black-and-yellow Silky-Flycatcher, and Common and Sooty-capped Bush-tanager. What a list for a morning in very poor weather. What would the place be like when it is dry?

We even found an animal, a tiny little squirrel that, back then, rejoiced in the name of Alfaro’s Pygmy Squirrel.

It has apparently been renamed the Central American Dwarf Squirrel, which is undoubtedly very descriptive but I think it lacks a little poetry.

The rain finally beat us back to the car and back to the lodge, via a spot that was supposed to be good for Cabani’s (Prevost’s) Ground-sparrow. Despite extensive searching, especially by Cali (who seemed to take their absence personally!) we didn’t see any.

Oh well, we have to have something to go back for.

Finally, we headed back to the lodge to dry out and to bird the gardens in the afternoon. We were very glad to have visited Tapanti-it would be worth a much longer visit, in good weather but that wouldn’t be on this holiday. We had only a couple of full days left and had plans for the remainder. We still had to catch up with those pesky Green Ibis, for a start.

Photographs by Mark are denoted (MCD).

Cameras:

Sandra-Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX35

Mark-Canon EOS 50D with 100-400 IS lens

C.A.T.I.E.

March 27, 2022 Sandra DennisLeave a comment

Monday 29 November 2010. Costa Rica.

Today we were going off-site for the first time, which was exciting, but first there was our early morning birding of the garden. Fortunately the weather was being quite co-operative this morning, with just a little mist hanging atmospherically over the valley.

The garden feeders were quite active and we were pleased to renew acquaintance with Blue-Grey Tanagers and Grey-headed Chachalacas.

Amongst the hummers starting to get active was a handsome male Violet-crowned Woodnymph and the rather drabber female.

However, the best was yet to come. Sitting quietly in a short flowery hedge to one side of the garden was Rancho’s speciality bird, the Snowcap. We’d seen a female yesterday, feeding in this very hedge, but this was the male, in his resplendent pnky-purple plumage and with the white crest that gives the species its name. What a great start to the day! Poor light and distance meant that we took what we could get with regard to pictures. Mark did really well getting a series of photos, although the bird didn’t move much, probably because it was still pretty early in the day, so they are all of the same aspect. Still, it’s a Snowcap, so not complaining.

Well, that was exciting!

As I said, we were off on a trip this morning, and that would be to C.A.T.I.E., the Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza. This international institute is for research and graduate education in agriculture and the management, conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. It was situated just a few miles away from Rancho and would provide some different habitats. It can be visited by paying a small fee and going on a guided tour, but we were with the lodge’s local bird guide, Cali (Juancarlos), so we wouldn’t need the C.A.T.I.E. guide. Cali would generally walk up to the lodge from the village at the foot of the slope around breakfast time (that was a walk that would keep him fit). He would be on the public verandah first thing to help the guests with any birds present, and then would take out any trips. He was also available to hire at other times. Cali spoke very good English and was an excellent birder and a fun companion.

There were lots of interesting birds at C.A.T.I.E. but I suppose the big target was Green Ibis. Cali said that he would find these there on 9 out of 10 visits, so we were pretty hopeful. The rain was holding off as we made the 20 minute drive, being chauffeured by John Erb, the octogenarian owner of Rancho. It clearly is a healthy spot to live as he was very sprightly and keen to come round with us.

C.A.T.I.E. has some 2,500 acres, including a lake, lawns, an arboretum with a collection of plants from all over the world and over 200 species of birds in the grounds. I can’t say it was hopping with birds when we went, though, but we did come across a few interesting species-Cali clearly had some staked out (not literally, that would be cruel!).

The open lowland aspect certainly meant that the birding was quite different from Rancho, and the little lake was an obvious focal point. It was awash with very pretty waterlilies (I don’t know if they were native, though) and a Northern Jacana found them very much to it’s liking.

I just love those huge feet.

On the lake, but near the edge, was a sort of heavily-wooded island. We circled this until we could get a view into the trees at the side of the island that faced the lake. It was difficult to see what we were looking for until, suddenly, we could! Boat-billed Herons, in a known roosting spot, were well hidden amongst the trees. You really could only see them from this one spot on the bank and we definitely would never have seen them except for Cali.

We were lucky whilst we were at C.A.T.I.E that the rain kept off, because there would be little shelter in the big open spaces. We checked through the woodland areas for the Green Ibis, finding a couple of Crimson-fronted Parakeets, unfortunately rather silhouetted against the grey sky. Apparently the Ibis do frequent these trees, when they are present, but not today.

Not great photography, I do admit!

A beautiful Polymnia Tigerwing was a little more obliging-and rather lower down, which was a blessing.

Unfortunately, the Green Ibis were nowhere to be seen today. It was Cali’s 10th visit, obviously! Still, we were just at the start of the holiday and there might be another chance of seeing them-we were not downhearted. Instead we wended our way back to Rancho for lunch and to spend the afternoon on the grounds. So far, no rain, too.

The feeders were pretty active, with the usual Black-cheeked Woodpeckers, Scarlet-rumped Tanagers and Grey-headed Chachalacas. The Scarlet-rumped Tanagers were, when we were there, known as ‘Passarini’s Tanager’, before they were lumped back with Cherrie’s Tanager, the Pacific lowlands form, to become Scarlet-rumped Tanager again. It certainly makes checking your trip lists interesting but at least the current name is very descriptive!

It was great to see Montezuma’s Oropendolas up fairly close-they really are the most comical-looking of birds, especially when they suddenly start their gurgling call whilst swinging forwards on the perch and back again. You can’t help but feel they are having fun.

The garden was quite active with butterflies, too. It was really nice to see butterflies, it had been a few weeks since we’d seen any at home, although the garden species seemed to be mainly ‘little brown jobs’, it seemed. Still, they had a subtle beauty, and I guess it helped to hide them from the birds.

We headed up the trail a way to revisit the forest hummingbird station.

The female Green Thorntail that we’d found yesterday was still frequenting these feeders, She certainly didn’t seem to like the feeders nearer the house, in fact I don’t remember ever seeing her there. Still, why travel when the local cuisine is to your liking.

Up in the more forested area, I came across a rather splendid Red-washed Satyr, trying to hide in the bushes.

Back near the house, we checked out the Snowcap’s favourite hedge. No Snowcap this time but we were rather pleased with an actively-feeding Striped Hermit. It wasn’t easy to photograph, though!

Other hummers around included Violet-crowned Woodnymph, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird and White-necked Jacobin. The number of hummingbirds was to be a constant delight during this holiday-we never got tired of watching them, or trying to take photos.

And so another day was over. We had enjoyed the day, the relaxed pace was a bit different to our normal birding holidays but we’d never got bored. The rain had largely held off-well, ok, there were some showers but it wasn’t a deluge. We’d seen the male Snowcap, and what a bird he was! We went to bed to the sound of the Mottled Owl calling, but it refused to show itself again-still, there was time, yet.

Photographs by Mark are denoted (MCD).

Cameras:

Sandra-Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35

Mark-Canon EOS 50D with 100-400 IS lens

Rancho Naturalista

March 20, 2022 Sandra DennisLeave a comment

Saturday 27 November-Sunday 28 November 2010. Costa Rica.

We had visited Costa Rica in 2005, when we were very much central American newbies, not really knowing what we were seeing. Since then we’d managed trips to Panama, Belize and Mexico, not to mention Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela and Cuba, so we were beginning to get more of a handle on the region and its avifauna. It felt like time to have another crack at Costa Rica.

In Central America there are a number of birding lodges that are ‘must visits’, Rancho Naturalista is one of them. Set on the Caribbean slope of the Talamanca Cordillara at around 3,300 feet, Rancho is comfortable but not cheap birding accommodation. It has excellent grounds and trails, great food and quality rooms. Guiding is available and the prospect of just being able to sit on a balcony, sip local coffee and enjoy the avian scenery was very appealing. Unusually for us, it would be just a single location holiday. We wouldn’t even have to hire a car, we would be picked up from the airport, driven to the lodge and any trips out would be arranged with the lodge. Very lazy, but we were ready for a more laid-back holiday, this time.

It was the usual palaver to get from Montreal, where we then lived, to San Jose-there is never a direct flight. However, minor de-icing at Montreal and Toronto did not delay us unduly and we arrived in Costa Rica by 3 pm, ready for the drive to the lodge. We’d chosen to go in the green season, risking the weather but saving a considerable amount in costs-Rancho is not cheap. We were full board (frankly, without transport, you have no other choice) but, without exception, the food was great. The downside of green season is the weather-it rained, a lot! It was possibly not the best for birds and there were fewer other birders to swap gen. Indeed, for several nights, we were the only guests at the lodge.

The drive to the lodge took a couple of hours or so, through interesting countryside but, unfortunately, with few opportunities to stop for interesting bird sightings. The lodge drive is a very steep, twisty one-lane track, winding up a hillside and definitely needing 4-wheel drive and a strong stomach, especially in the gathering gloom of the tropical evening. We arrived just in time for a brief unpack before being summoned to dinner at 6 pm. A proper explore would have to wait until tomorrow.

We were in Room 1 (they may be named, now), to the side of the main house and with its own private balcony overlooking the gardens and the valley beyond. The other rooms opened out onto the public balcony, where the birders (when there were any) gathered for coffee and to swap gen. We spent quite a bit of time watching the active hummingbird feeders and the fruit feeders in the garden from the public balcony, where hot coffee was always to be found and we were protected from the deluge. I don’t mean to complain, it is a rain forest, after all!

We were up, bright and early, and the weather started out as very pleasant. We had decided to just spend the day exploring around the lodge-after all, there was plenty to see here. It was a known home of the Snowcap hummingbird, a real want-to-see species. The garden was composed of a grassy area, ringed with trees and with copious fruit feeders for tanagers, aricaris, woodpeckers, oropendulas and toucans, and they were all pretty active in the early morning. It was going to take some looking at.

Behind the trees was a heavily-wooded slope and a beautiful view over the valley-not that we could always see it. When the rain started, it could be just a sea of mist. Either way, the trees overhanging the edge of the slope were popular with toucans and oropendolas, and provided some excellent photo opportunities against a neutral backdrop.

We were apparently the only guests this morning, so we had a table set for breakfast right at the edge of the garden-the birding never stopped.

The lodge has trails, one leading to its famous hummingbird pools. Here, at dusk, hummingbirds are observed to come to bathe. We thought we would go and find them, so we knew where to go later. I was glad we did, the trail is rocky and a bit slippy, and would be interesting, to say the least, to negotiate when coming back in the dark. the pools themselves were tiny, no larger than puddles and basically a series of shallow steps in a small stream. But, then again, the bathers are hardly huge so I don’t know why I expected anything else. There were no hummers there this morning, but then, its a twilight activity. We’d be back, later.

The trails headed uphill and the forest was thick. We didn’t have our rainforest eyes in, yet, so the birding was pretty hard going. Part-way up was a clearing, with a set of hummingbird feeders and a bench and shelter against the rain. This was the place to see some of the hummers that prefer not to come too close to the house. Not the Snowcap, that was known to frequent the bushes in the garden, but we did see the diminutive Green Thorntail.

Back to the lodge for lunch, and the weather was beginning to turn. As is common in these areas, the rain started to arrive in the afternoon. Our after lunch ramblings would be limited to the garden and surrounding areas, where we could take refuge when the heavens opened.

Still, we could admire and photograph the large numbers of hummingbirds that frequented the garden and feeders. White-necked Jacobin, Green-breasted Mango, Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer, Brown Violetear, Violet-capped Woodnymph-they were all worth studying.

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (photo by Mark)

We even found a Snowcap, albeit a female. We’d have to keep a close eye out for the amazingly-plumaged male, but at least we now knew where to look.

That flower would prove to be the favourite one for the Snowcaps, we never saw them come to a feeder.

Poinsettia apparently comes from here, who knew? For some reason I’d always thought they were Australian!

It had been a good start to the holiday, despite the rain. We had begun to get our eyes in again with the rainforest birds. Late afternoon we made our way back down to the hummingbird pools and settled down, leaning against a rickety rail, to wait for the show. It took a while, as light ebbed away, but suddenly the tiny birds started to appear, in ones or twos only, to bathe, which they did by dipping repeatedly but briefly into the pool, like a choreographed dance. It was mesmerizing. The light was poor for photos, but I managed some video, of Purple-crowned Fairy in particular, bobbing up and down. It was an unforgettable sight. We only had to negotiate the way back up the twisty path, in the gloom of night, to be back in time for the dinner bell.

The hill beyond the lodge was home to Mottled Owl, and each evening, when there was no rain, one called repeatedly, causing us to rush out into the grounds to try and locate it. We never did. It remained ‘heard only’, very frustrating. Oh well, you can’t see them all. We retired to bed to the constant calling, and tried not to feel too frustrated. Tomorrow we would do our first trip off the lodge grounds, to a site called C.A.T.I.E. I wonder what that would bring?

Cameras:

Sandra -Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35

Mark-Canon EOS 50D with 100-400 IS lens