Today started even earlier than yesterday: in the car and on
the road at 5 to get to Rio Silanche. I tried to sleep by largely failed. Why
don’t back seats recline? I mean, they can go forward to lay flat, so why don’t
they angle in the opposite direction?
We birded a long section of road. The birding was high
quality. The road, however, was not. The combination of rain and traffic left
it a soupy red clay. Ironically, this road led to a clay quarry that I can only
presume provided the raw material to make other roads. Needless to say, I was
glad I decided to come with a full pair of boots.
We quickly added Little Cuckoo and Lesser
Greenlet along with Lemon-rumped Tanager, Scrub Blackbird, Shiny Cowbird (photographed
later) and Variable Seedeater. A reclusive, but noisy Brown Wood-rail was our
next big find. In a far tree, we located Red-rumped Woodpecker, but the area where we were standing
also provided Slaty-capped Shrike-Vireo, Sooty-headed Tyrannulet, Dull-colored
Grassquit, Violet-bellied Hummingbird, and Yellow-tailed Oriole.
Only a little farther on, a Crimson-backed Woodpecker hammered
away, while Bay-headed Tanager and Yellow-tufted Dacnis also arrived.
Our final big find along the road was a Western Woodhaunter, who allowed
excellent views as he actively sang.
We continued to the preserve by car, but passed a farm field
that had Masked Water-tyrant, Shiny Cowbird and Pacific Hornero. I also
noticed a bird with long, thin wings that Jose identified as a White-collared
Swift (photographed later). I could not believe that a swift could be
that large.
At the reserve, the big attraction is a canopy watchtower
where you can enjoy passing flocks at eye-level. Just sitting there produced White-vented
Euphonia, Orange-bellied Euphonia, Bay-headed Tanager, Yellow-thighed Dacnis, Scarlet-browed
Tanager, Scarlet-thighed Dacnis, Purple Honeycreeper, Ruddy Dove,
Dusky Pigeon, Masked Tityra, Purple-throated Fruitcrow, Chestnut-mandibled
Toucan, Choco Toucan and Pale-billed Aracari.
It is worth mentioning two things. First, there were again
several tanagers I missed, including Grey-and-gold and Tawny-capped. Second, a
Choco Trogon arrived to relieve me from relying on cell phone pictures.
Crimson-rumped Toucanet provided a similar service.
We moved to the trails, picking up a Purple-chested Hummingbird
at the start. I missed getting a photo of the Sicklebill and a mixed group of
antbirds (Pacific Antwren, Checker-throated Antwren and Western Slaty
Antshrike) refused to descend into visibility. In general, the day was dead
from here out, though we did find Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant, Sulphur-rumped
Flycatcher, Plain Xenops and Slaty-capped Flycatcher along the road.
After lunch, we climbed the tower again. While the number of
birds was limited, we did get good views of Purple-throated Fruitcrow, Masked Tityra, and Western White-tailed Trogon.
Another go at the trails with just myself and Jose was again frustratingly
bare.
23 Lifers
