Pat... Weather Patterns? (1 Viewer)

Pat... and other CR residents.

I'll be leaving in about 10 days to do some birding around Arenal and Heliconias Lodge.

What has the dry season weather been like this year? Have any weather patterns created any habitat changes or travel issues this season?

Have any vagrants shown up as rarities?

Just trying to get a status report before I leave. Generally I'm just going for some selected Caribbean slope birds (Spotted Antbird, Ocelated Antbird, Streak-crowned Antvireo, Song Wren, Nightingale Wren, etc,) and will only be there for a few days.

The dry season has been pretty normal- dry in the central valley and NW pacific slope, average precipitation elsewhere. I don't think there have been any habitat changes or travel issues - at least I haven't heard of any.

The only vagrants or good birds that have shown up that I have heard of are:
Greater Ani in Tortuguero
and Harpy Eagle in Tortuguero- seen and photographed by a few people.

You will have a good chance for all of your targets at Heliconias and in forest around the Arenal area. Song Wren and Spotted Antbird seem especially common at Heliconias compared to other sites and the Ground-Cuckoo has shown up there at antswarms more regularly than any other place in the country.

Of course Las Heliconias is also famous for bad weather but you are more likely to get good weather at this time of year.

Good luck and let us know how things go!

Gracias...

I still need Yellow-eared Toucanet as well, but I'm not betting on that one or the ground-cuckoo. I've also heard reports of umbrellabird around "Hanging Bridges" but I'm sure that's as unpredictable as ever.

Yeah, those are all tough- just have to get lucky. At least you will be in some good places for those birds though. The Umbrellabird can show up at the bridges, Arenal area in general, and should be at Las Heliconias. The Toucanet also occurs at all of those sites.
No, can't really bet the on the ground-cuckoo but you will be in a good place for them.