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My Trip to Costa Rica Part 2

Before leaving Olguita’s on the second day in Costa Rica, I spotted this migrant male Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) pictured above, but I also enjoyed a resident Black-cowled Oriole (Icterus prosthemelas), both lifers!

Black-cowled Oriole

Since the weather was not favorable for snorkeling I decided to kayak up the local Quebrada Ernesto Inlet. Climbing into the kayak I noticed a Three-toed Sloth hanging in an overhanging tree. The sloths are a big draw in Costa Rica. Whenever we saw large groups of folks looking up into the trees, they were usually watching sloths.

Three-toed Sloth

Heading up the inlet…

Quebrada Ernesto Inlet

were several Black River Turtles.

Black River Turtle

But the coolest thing seen was a Common Black-Hawk (Buteogallus anthracinus) feeding on its prey.

Common Black Hawk

Back at the hotel the ever present Scarlet-rumped Tanagers (Ramphocelus passerinii) were frolicking. The female trying to hide in the foliage…

and the male found at a feeding station.

Scarlet-rumped Tanager Male

Streak-headed Woodcreeper (Lepidocolaptes souleyetti) was spotted occupied in its normal behavior of climbing a tree in the yard.

Streak-headed Woodcreeper

 Both a Tropical Kingbird (Tyannus melancholicus)…

Tropical Kingbird

and a Pale-vented Pigeon (Patagioenas cayennensis) were in plain view.

Pale-vented Pigeon

That last night at one of the beach-side restaurants in Punta Uva we were treated to several beautiful Blue Land Crabs.

Blue Land Crab

As we were leaving Olguita’s for our next destination in Sarapiqui we got great looks at probably the most common hawk seen in Costa Rica, the Roadside Hawk (Rupornis magnirostris)…

Roadside Hawk

the cool thing was, we also got great looks at a juvenile Common Blackhawk!