Week day round-up

Most of the birding interest was had at the top end of the reserve this week in the old-growth forest. Seven of the ten new species added this week were seen in this habitat. These included Black-and-white Becard (an immaculate male singing along the Chirripo path), Slaty-headed Flycatcher, Buff-fronted Foliage-gleaner, Streak-breasted Treehunter, Scaly-throated Foliage-gleaner, White-throated Spadebill (a small charismatic white-eyeringed species with a very wide beak), and a Brown-billed Scythebill. The Scythebill is an incredible looking woodcreeper with a long curlew-like beak, however my autofocus wasn't fast enough in the dim light to photograph it, a big problem in the dense undergrowth!

I finally heard some Common Pauraques calling on a dawn walk down the track to the village. This species seems to show best at around 5:15am where they fly around landing on the ground, sometimes within a couple of metres.

The two remaining new birds were Melodious Blackbird (a pair, including a singing male in a garden in the village), and a Plain Wren in the Chispa Valley.

Ruddy Treerunner - one of a pair creeping around branches at the top of the reserve. This one luckily crept onto a sunlit part of the branch.

Scaly-throated Foliage-gleaner - a striking species with that combined buff coloured eyering and supercilium.

Blackburnian Warbler - a species that has suddenly become more common; perhaps an elevational shift caused by the start of the dry season?

White-throated Mountain-gem

Capuchin Monkey - this one wasn't too impressed with the sour oranges by the centre. Believe me, they taste like lemons.

A glimpse between the trees of Mount Uran from the Chirripo path.