The Hallowed Honeymoon Hummingbird Hunt - Costa Rica - Part 12 - Ciudad Nelly

After the success we had had the previous evening at Ciudad Nelly, we set out early to start there again. It was absolutely brilliant, with lifers popping up everywhere.

Little pools here and there in the rice fields were frequented by a variety of waders, including Greater Yellowlegs, Solitary Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper and Collared Plover.


 Greater Yellowlegs



A stunning Roseate Spoonbill came gliding over the pool, another species we had hoped for but thought we would not get away from the wetlands of Cano negro.


 Roseate Spoonbill

 Greater Yellowlegs

 Solitary Sandpiper

 Spotted Sandpiper

We had no shortage of Parrots and Parakeets flying around, including lifers such as Brown Throated Parakeet (local specialty) and Blue Headed Parrot

 Brown Throated Parakeets - A very local speciality, sometimes considered a distinct species here, Veragua's Parakeet

 Roadside Hawk
 The rice pattys were interspersed with date plantations and irrigation channels, and these produced water birds such as herons, Kingfishers and a surprise pair of stunning, roadside White Throated Crakes.



 The most ridiculous, freshly fledged Green Heron you will ever see


 Amazon Kingfisher



 White Throated Crake - Brilliant birds we were not expecting to see

 Black Bellied Whistling Duck - Common breeder in every palm tree

One of the main attractions of the area we had been tipped off about, was the presence of Lesser Yellow Headed Vultures. Normally only found in the Cano Negro Area, it was one we had written off as a no hoper. These gave themselves up and were one of the birds of the trip for me.

 Lesser Yellow Headed Vulture


 Red Crowned Woodpecker

 Crested Caracara


 This juvenile Grey Lined Hawk, a split from Grey Hawk, and only found along the very south of the country, was another welcome species.

Coming out of the date plantation we entered an area we had been told was good for other local specialities, including Veraguan Mango and Sapphire Throated Hummingbird. These we were not so lucky with, but chanced upon a huge expanse of wet rice fields. These were wall to wall with birds, like nothing I had ever seen. You could have spent days searching and counting through the wetland species here and still not seen everything. As far as the eye could see where Great White Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Cattle egrets, Glossy ibis (which shouldn't be here per the maps), Jacanas, American Gallinules, American Coots, Bare Throated Tiger Herons, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Least Sandpipers, Semi-palmated Sandpipers, Solitary Sandpipers and Black Necked Stilts.



Bare Throated Tiger Heron - Adult

Bare Throated Tiger Herons - Adult and Juvenile

Black Necked Stilts


A brief pan over just a small part of the rice fields


Driving back through the plantation toward Ciudad, we saw yet more raptors including this superb Laughing Falcon, Savannah Hawk and Pearl Kite.



 Laughing Falcon


Pearl Kite - This was one of my most wanted species from the trip. Cracking little raptors.



 Lesser Yellow Headed Vulture - "I am vengence. I am the night."

 Turkey Vulture


 Turkey Vulture - Juvenile
 
Savannah Hawk - A very localized species. Another one we were very lucky to get.

With it being time to push on, we made our way up the coast, nabbing Great Black Hawk on the way, and stopping at a beach side restaurant for lunch and a chance to say goodbye to the mighty pacific.



Comments

  1. swopticsphotoOctober 9, 2017 at 12:55 PM

    Great blog post. One of the busier posts with lots of pics. Makes me want to revisit C Rica again.
    Steve.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OwenOctober 9, 2017 at 1:06 PM

      Cheers Steve. Phonescoping with the Swaro worked well in that habitat.

      Delete

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