1st March
Alfresco Breakfast
Today we birded all day at Los Tarrales to make the most of this prime site. Having got up at 5:15 and had a coffee, we set off at 6 a.m. taking picnic breakfasts with us. We transferred into 4x4s and headed off higher into the reserve forest to an area for another local regional endemic. We soon arrived at a small open clearing where there were some large tall Cecropia trees, which are favoured by the target bird. After a short wait 2-3 birds arrived - Azure-rumped Tanagers which are also known as Cabani's Tanager. They fed for a short while high up in the Cecropias, sadly too far up for any photos, indeed I didn't even try as it was more important to see the birds well enough, plus it was at dawn so the light was pretty low for photography. According to IOC this is an endangered species with range limited to suitable habitat in southern Mexico and Guatemala. Other good species seen here were Collared Trogon, Painted Bunting, Red-legged Honeycreeper, Long-billed Startthroat, Ivory-billed Woodcreeper and White-winged Tanager. After the session here we ventured even higher into the reserve where the resident families grow what is known as shade-grown coffee - I can vouch for the excellence of brews made from this variety - just what is needed for early morning starts! We birded here for a while and picked up some more good species, including fabulous Long-tailed Manakins, a couple of Black Hawk-eagles harassed by a Short-tailed Hawk and then a White Hawk was spotted sitting in a tree downhill from us, which enabled scope views. Also on the raptor front, we saw a group of 8 or so migrating Mississippee Kites fly over, and noted a couple of Grey Hawks. Eyes to the skies also revealed Vaux's, White-collared and White-throated Swifts. The trees and bushes gave up Gartered Trogon, Blue-tailed Hummingbird, a stunning male Green Shrike-vireo, Ferruginous Pygmy-owl, White-throated Thrush and many others. At an area with flowering trees and shrubs we managed to find the very small Emerald-chinned Hummingbird which is only found from SE Mexico south to Honduras. Some time during this birdy extravaganza we ate our breakfasts! Last bird of the morning was a roosting Mottled Owl which Maynor found in a dense area of very tall bamboo [these stands of bamboo are known as Tarrales]. To be more accurate we saw parts of a roosting Mottled Owl! :-) We finally descended back down to the reserve centre and partook of an excellent lunch.
The garden behind the main building had some seats and a couple of feeders, so after a short siesta [for me and a longer one for Anne - others opted out] I joined the non-siesta group there, and watched Altimara, Spot-breasted and Baltimore Orioles coming to feed, as well as Velasquez's Woodpecker, Rufous-backed Wren, Yellow-winged Tanagers and some Agoutis. After that we went for a gentle walk around the lower parts of the reserve, where there was a small lake. The lake had a pair of Least Grebe, and a Green Kingfisher was nearby. The circular walk produced some great birds including Gartered Trogon, a huge Lineated Woodpecker, Lesson's Motmot, Collared Aracari, Black-headed and Greyish Saltators, Violet Sabrewing, Ovenbird, Orange-fronted Parakeet, the latter of which I had missed the day before, and many others.
I also have records for that day of many other species which were seen at some stage which I can't attribute to any particular part of the day. These include Red-billed Pigeon, Squirrel Cuckoo, Cinnamon and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Northern Crested Caracara, Barred Antshrike [always a treat, especially its call], Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Common Tody-flycatcher, Yellow-bellied, Social and Boat-billed Flycatchers, Great Kiskadee, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Plumbeous and Warbling Vireos, and a stack of American warblers of which Black-and-White, Magnolia, Black-throated Green and American Yellow were new for the list [I think!].
All in all an amazing day's birding with 82 species seen on my list but nearly 100 for the group. Needless to say that after a hearty dinner we slept well.
I also have records for that day of many other species which were seen at some stage which I can't attribute to any particular part of the day. These include Red-billed Pigeon, Squirrel Cuckoo, Cinnamon and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Northern Crested Caracara, Barred Antshrike [always a treat, especially its call], Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Common Tody-flycatcher, Yellow-bellied, Social and Boat-billed Flycatchers, Great Kiskadee, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Plumbeous and Warbling Vireos, and a stack of American warblers of which Black-and-White, Magnolia, Black-throated Green and American Yellow were new for the list [I think!].
All in all an amazing day's birding with 82 species seen on my list but nearly 100 for the group. Needless to say that after a hearty dinner we slept well.
