Milpe Road

This relaxing morning after watching the hummingbirds over breakfast we walked  down Via al Cinto Saloya. It quickly turned from a wet to sunny day and the birds were all about. The roads were muddy but as we tracked through the mud down the roads we saw a few nice birds. But our short morning walk could not compare to our afternoon!

Squirrel Cuckoo

White-necked Jacobin

In the early afternoon we met up with a local bird guide (Irman Arias). He was absolutely amazing. He took the time to get you a good look at the birds and was great at finding them. Even on our way to the Milpe Road he spotted this well camouflaged bird from the car. This was a spectacular way to stay our tour and a new lifer bird for me!

Long-tailed Potoo

Irman Arias led us around the gorgeous trails around the MCF property to the Mindo gardens. Here we saw Trogons and manakins. No big deal (sarcastic) just that seeing any species of manakin do their amazing breeding display dance was on my list of things I really needed to do before I die. It wasn't quite as cool as the moon-walking display of the Red-headed manakin but the Club-winged manakin was still spectacular. These birds are much more graceful than I can every hope to be.

A trail well named...

Club-winged Manakin

Thanks to you tube someone has posted videos much better than I could get myself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMetl4ekRIQ

Broad-billed Motmot

 Sometimes while traveling you get moments where you are really just in the right place at the right time. At the end of our walk down the road we heard something fall from a branch and birds went crazy. Alarm calls rang through the trees and before we could figure out what it was that fell there were more species of birds than we could count trying to attack the snake. The snake dropped out of sight and a few birds lingered but most disappeared as quickly as they appeared. I have never seen such a display of co-operation between multiple species trying to defend an area or nest. The highlight of this falling snake was the Glistening Green Tanager that showed up to help scare it away.

Chestnut-mandibled Toucans

Green-crowned Woodnymph

The evening brought rain and we went to dinner at a lodge to look at the hummingbird feeders and the ponds. The ponds were fantastic with aquatic floating vegetation providing shelter for many of the calling frogs. The most common were small bright yellow males with females appearing to be light brown. A small waterfall pond had the most interesting find. A medium sized dark frog with warty skin and thin toes. It wasn't calling but the photos make me think that it is a Spring Rainfrog (Pristimantis crenunguis).

Spring Rainfrog (Pristimantis crenunguis)

It was pouring rain by 8:30 at night and a walk around I couldn't find anything other than cane toads and pastures frogs.

The probably incomplete list for the day:
Squirrel Cuckoo
Great Egret
Black Phoebe
Lineated Woodpecker
Blue and White Swallow
Masked-water Tyrant
Blue-necked Tanager
Olive-crowned Yellowthroat
Golden-faced Tyranulet
Western Wood Pewee
Tropical Parula
Green-crowned Wood Nymph
Long-tailed Potoo
Watled Guan
Club-winged Manakin
Broad-billed Motmot
Rufous Motmot
Slaty-throated Foliage Gleaner
Red-faced Spinytail
Slate-throated Redstart
Buff-throated Foliage Gleaner
Slayty-capped Flycatcher
Ornate Flycatcher
Spotted Woodcreeper
Pale-billed Aracari
Maroon-tailed Parakeet
Golden-olive Woodpecker
Yellow-throated Bush Tanager
Beige-headed Tanager
Slate-coloured Grosbeak
Bay Wren
Red-headed Barbet
White-whiskered Hermit
Glistening Green Tanager
Chestnut Mandibled Toucan
Masked Trogon
Bronze-winged Parakeet
Dusky-capped Flycatcher
Golden-faced Tyranulet
White-lined Tanager

White-necked Jacobin
Rufous-tailed hummingbird
Green Thorntail

Female Green Thorntail