Costa Rica - Day 8 & 9

Yesterday's record late starting time of 6:30AM was beaten today since we didn't get out until 6:40AM.  The main road was once again our target.  We had a few good encounters on this trip including more looks at the Wood Rail near Casa Miramar which appeared to be building a nest.

The best sighting of the hike was of a Collared Peccary crossing the road.  We waited to see if more would follow since they tend to travel together, but either we already missed them or this one was solitary.

After our G and G breakfast we headed to the Titi trail.   We intended on maximizing our chances of seeing a puma and this trail is the way to do that.  Once again, there was no puma but we were serenaded by a pair of bird calls that we didn't recognize.

Later on, Carlos identified the calls as that of the Laughing Falcon.  We didn't get good views of the birds themselves but it was neat to hear them calling to each other.  The rest of the hike yielded a few good pictures:

Juvenile Mantled Howler Monkey

Basilisk

One of the things we love about the Titi Trail is the great flora including these aptly named Walking Palm Trees

After lunch as we were relaxing on our deck, a large green iguana climbed up a bush below us.  But, as soon as I moved to try to get a picture it flew off the bush onto the ground and was gone.  Since I was up anyway, it seemed like a good time to hit the trails again. Once again today we decided to do a teak plantation road to Puerto Jimenez road loop with a reverse Titi at the end.  It was a really good hike so I will give it a 9.0 since it wasn't quite perfect.

Mother and baby Capuchin Monkeys

Along the Teak Plantation road we encountered a troop of White-nosed Coatis.

Once they got sight of us, they all scattered and one of the big males ran up a nearby tree to keep an eye on us

Orange-billed Sparrow

The best part of the hike was at the end on the Titi trail when we were able to creep up on a pair of Collared Peccaries foraging off the trail.  We got our best ever looks at these wild pigs including some good video.

 On the way back, we had our best look at a Roadside Hawk as well.

Unfortunately, it started raining as soon as the sun went down again today, so no night walk.  We definitely got cheated on our night walks this trip.  That plus no pumas meant that we would have to come back again sometime.

We had to leave at 8AM so there was only time for a brief walk before breakfast.  But this walk definitely proves that you don't have to go far to see great things at BdC.  I saw multiple agouti, a Coati, and some White-faced Capuchin monkeys close up.  Capuchin video from the whole week including shots of them running on the ground.

White-nosed Coati

 

With that, another trip to Bosque del Cabo was over.  Even though we spent 8 nights we sure weren't ready to go home.  The wildlife that you can see here is amazing and we just can't get enough of it.  Since we still have not seen the puma, we will be back.

Here are some totals for the trip:

9 new bird species:

Hoffmann's Woodpecker

Inca Dove

Brown Jay

Dusky-capped Flycatcher

Long-tailed Woodcreeper

Gray-necked Woodrail

Spectacled Owl

Orange-billed Sparrow

Variable Seedeater

14 Mammal Species but only 2 new ones:

Tayra

Spinner Dolphin

15 herp species with 4 new ones:

Gulfo Dulce Anole

Orange-banded Snail Eater

Pug-nosed Anole

Slender Anole