22nd February 2020: Carara National Park
Today we visited the rainforest at Carara National Park. It was dark, hot and humid and a marked contrast to the locations visited yesterday, resulting in completely different birds and wildlife.
One of the first birds we saw was this classic “Woody woodpecker’ - actually a Pale-billed Woodpecker, but surely the model for Woody in the childhood cartoon.
It was quite hard work birding in the thick vegetation, but our guide was helpful in identifying species and we all played out part in finding the birds. Some such as Chestnut-sided Warbler and Black-throated Trogon were neck-craningly high in the treetops and others, such as Rufous-backed Wrens skulked in vegetation on the ground. This beautiful Lesson’s Motmot was found perched in a tree lit up by a raft of sunlight penetrating into the forest. You can just make out the shuttlecock type tail feathers which are a distinctive feature of the Motmot family.
Finally, as we headed back to the car park, where a slice of delicious chilled water melon was waiting for us, we encountered these characterful White-faced Capuchin chattering away to each other in the treetops:
It was quite hard work birding in the thick vegetation, but our guide was helpful in identifying species and we all played out part in finding the birds. Some such as Chestnut-sided Warbler and Black-throated Trogon were neck-craningly high in the treetops and others, such as Rufous-backed Wrens skulked in vegetation on the ground. This beautiful Lesson’s Motmot was found perched in a tree lit up by a raft of sunlight penetrating into the forest. You can just make out the shuttlecock type tail feathers which are a distinctive feature of the Motmot family.
We found a variety of birds from the Trogon family during our visit. This colourful bird is a Black-throated Trogon, identified by its blue orbital ring, yellow bill and barring on the underside of the tail.
However, the highlight of the morning, which required great patience to see on its lekking site was this lovely Orange-collared Manakin:
Finally, as we headed back to the car park, where a slice of delicious chilled water melon was waiting for us, we encountered these characterful White-faced Capuchin chattering away to each other in the treetops:
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