Final post in a 4-part series about the Delaware Nature Society trip to Costa Rica in November, 2011.
We finally made it to the west coast of Costa Rica. After a long day in the bus, we were rewarded with a gorgeous beach, new wildlife and looked forward to a few more days in this green and wonderful country. With the Pacific Ocean in view, we stayed at Punta Leona, a quiet beach resort which is smack in the middle of the best place in the country for a very rare bird…Scarlet Macaw. The simultaneous sounds of waves crashing and macaws screeching as they winged by will not be forgotten soon.
Manuel Antonio National Park was a day-trip while we stayed here. Picture a mountainous tropical forest flanked by sand and rock beaches with clear blue water. On the beach, White-faced Capuchin monkeys walk right by, looking for a forgotten sandwiches left behind. These monkeys have no fear of humans here, as you will see in the video below. We stood within 5 feet of some of them, resulting of some pretty scary face to face monkey photographs.
Finally, check out the end of the video which features the highlights of our crocodile boat tour where we saw many birds, and a crocodile breakfast. I am not a big fan of feeding wildlife for show, but I must say, my tip for the boat tour operator went up drastically after watching his dangerous skill. I still have wonderful dreams and memories of our trip to Costa Rica with Collette Vacations. Come join the Delaware Nature Society on a trip someday…you won’t regret it. Enjoy the video, and check out the complete list of wildlife seen on the trip below.
Birds seen on the trip:
Black-bellied Whistling Duck
Blue-wiged Teal
Gray-headed Chachalaca
Crested Guan
Black Guan
Great Curassow
Wood Stork
Magnificent Frigatebird
Neotropic Cormorant
Anhinga
Brown Pelican
Bare-throated Tiger Heron
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Boat-billed Heron
White Ibis
Green Ibis
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
King Vulture
Osprey
Gray-headed Kite
Double-toothed Kite
Crane Hawk
Common Black-hawk
Roadside Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Gray Hawk
Short-tailed Hawk
Swainson’s Hawk
Crested Caracara
Laughing Falcon
American Kestrel
Bat Falcon
Peregrine Falcon
Black-bellied Plover
American Oystercatcher
Black-necked Stilt
Northern Jacana
Spotted Sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper
Willet
Whimbrel
Sanderling
Least Sandpiper
Royal Tern
Rock Pigeon
Pale-vented Pigeon
Red-billed Pigeon
Short-billed Pigeon
White-winged Dove
Inca Dove
Ruddy Ground-dove
Crimson-fronted Parakeet
Scarlet Macaw
Orange-chinned Parakeet
White-crowned Parrot
Red-lored Parrot
Mealy Parrot
Squirrel Cuckoo
Mangrove Cuckoo
Groove-billed Ani
Short-tailed Nighthawk
Common Pauraque
White-collared Swift
Chimney Swift
Costa Rican Swift
Gray-rumped Swift
Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift
White-necked Jacobin
Bronzy Hermit
Long-billed Hermit
Stripe-throated Hermit
Purple-crowned Fairy
Green-breasted Mango
Black-crested Coquette
Green-crowned Brilliant
Long-billed Starthroat
Purple-throated Mountain Gem
Magenta-throated Woodstar
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Violet-headed Hummingbird
Violet Sabrewing
Violet-crowned Woodnymph
Stripe-tailed Hummingbird
Coppery-headed Emerald
Steely-vented Hummingbird
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Blue-throated Goldentail
Green Violetear
Slaty-tailed Trogon
Gartered Trogon
Orange-bellied Trogon
Blue-crowned Motmot
Keel-billed Motmot
Broad-billed Motmot
Turquois-browed Motmot
Ringed Kingfisher
Belted Kingfisher
Amazon Kingfisher
Green Kingfisher
Green-and-rufous Kingfisher
American Pygmy Kingfisher
Collared Aracari
Fiery-billed Aracari
Black-mandibled Toucan
Keel-billed Toucan
Black-cheeked Woodpecker
Hoffman’s Woodpecker
Pale-billed Woodpecker
Spotted Barbtail
Streak-headed Woodcreeper
Northern-barred Woodcreeper
Barred Antshrike
Black-hooded Antshrike
Chestnut-backed Antbird
Yellow Tyrannulet
Yellow-bellied Elaenia
Paltry Tyrannulet
Common Tody-flycatcher
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Western Wood-pewee
Eastern Wood-pewee
Tropical Pewee
Least Flycatcher
Black Phoebe
Long-tailed Tyrant
Bright-rumped Attila
Great Crested Flycatcher
Great Kiskadee
Boat-billed Flycatcher
Social Flycatcher
Gray-capped Flycatcher
Streaked Flycatcher
Tropical Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Purple-throated Fruitcrow
White-collared Manakin
Masked Tityra
Cinnamon Becard
Rose-throated Becard
Yellow-throated Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Lesser Greenlet
White-throated Magpie-jay
Brown Jay
Blue-and-white Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Southern Rough-winged Swallow
Gray-breasted Martin
Mangrove Swallow
Barn Swallow
Rufous-naped Wren
Black-throated Wren
Stripe-breasted Wren
Bay Wren
House Wren
Gray-breasted Wood-wren
Tropical Gnatcatcher
Black-faced Solitaire
Swainson’s Thrush
Wood Thrush
Clay-colored Thrush
Gray Catbird
Louisiana Waterthrush
Northern Waterthrush
Blue-winged Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Prothonotary Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Gray-crowned Yellowthroat
Masked Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Tropical Parula
Bay-breasted Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Three-striped Warbler
Buff-rumped Warbler
Wilson’s Warbler
Slate-throated Redstart
Bananaquit
Passerini’s Tanager
Cherrie’s Tanager
Blue-gray Tanager
Palm Tanager
Silver-throated Tanager
Bay-headed Tanager
Golden-hooded Tanager
Spangle-cheeked Tanager
Green Honeycreeper
Shining Honeycreeper
Red-legged Honeycreeper
Buff-throated Saltator
Blue-black Grassquit
Variable Seedeater
Yellow-faced Grassquit
Orange-billed Sparrow
Black-striped Sparrow
Rufous-collared Sparrow
Common Bush-tanager
Summer Tanager
Scarlet Tanager
Red-throated Ant-tanager
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Red-winged Blackbird
Melodious Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Bronzed Cowbird
Black-cowled Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Montezuma Oropendola
Yellow-crowned Euphonia
Olive-backed Euphonia
House Sparrow
Mammals:
Common Opossum
Hoffman’s Two-toed Sloth
Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth
Red-backed Squirrel Monkey
White-faced Capuchin
Mantled Howler Monkey
Central American Spider Monkey
Variegated Squirrel
Central American Agouti
Greater White-lined Bat
Neotropical River Otter
White-nosed Coati
Northern Raccoon
Kinkajou
White-tailed Deer
Reptiles and Amphibians:
Spectacled Caiman
American Crocodile
Black River Turtle
Yellow-headed Gecko
Green Basilisk
Striped Basilisk
Spiny-tailed Iguana
Green Iguana
Northern Cat-eyed Snake
Hognosed Viper
Giant Toad
Smooth-skinned Toad
Tink Frog
Green-and-black Poison Dart Frog
Strawberry Poison Dart Frog
I am sure I am forgetting to include some, but you get the point…we saw lots!
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