December 2011: BEST BIRDS included regular visits to our feeders by the spectacular White-tailed Hillstar; continuing Hoary Pufflegs at the feeders; Common Potoo on day roost along Oso Verde Trail; regular sightings of Beautiful Jay, also Olivaceous Piha,Scaled Fruiteater and a trio of Yellow-vented Woodpecker; family of Sickle-winged Guans regular at the banana feeders;
Club-winged Manakin
by Dusan Brinkhuizen
July 2011: BEST BIRDS included Black-and-chestnut Eagle flying low over the upper site;Wattled Guan vocal along Canyons Trail and Santa Rosa River Trail; Dusky Pigeon calling at lower site;large flocks of Red-pilled Parrots;Crested Quetzal vocal in various parts of the reserve;group of 3 Yellow-vented Woodpecker near banana feeders;Tyrannine Woodcreeper very vocal;Giant and Yellow-breasted Antpitta seen regularly;1 Ochre-breasted Antpitta seen on lower trail;large and very active Club-winged Manakin lek from 1800m-2300m; Beautiful Jay seen regularly along Canyons and Sisters Loop Trails and near guest houses.
Purple-throated Woodstar Nestlings
June 2011: BEST BIRDS included Wattled Guan regularly heard and occasionally observed near Puma Trail; Dark-backed Wood-Quail vocal and seen near guest house;Spot-fronted Swifts observed regularly from guest house; 13 spp of hummingbirds at the feeders & active nests of Tawny-bellied Hermit, Brown Inca, Velvet-purple Coronet, and Purple-throated Woodstar; Crested Quetzals very vocal and observed along Peccary Trail;White-faced Nunbird heard from Puma Trail; Yellow-vented Woodpecker observed drumming on tree near banana feeders; Streaked Tuftedcheek with nestling in nest near kitchen; Tyrannine Woodcreeper very vocal everywhere; Giant, Moustached and Yellow-breasted Antpittas vocal;nest of Green-and-black Fruiteater;lek of Club-winged Manakin along Parrot Hill Loop;Beautiful Jay regular near guest house; and 3 Pale-eyed Thrush seen near Entry Trail.
2 March - Just-fledged Velvet-purple Coronet appears on one of our feeders. And 4 days later...
April 2011: BEST BIRDS included Wattled Guan (the rare western version) was heard regularly throughout the month, observed along Guan Gulch and near Puma Trail and was calling even at night; Common Potoo and its chick were observed regularly at the nest during the first half of the month; Spot-fronted Swifts heard and seen weekly at the guest houses;returning Crested Quetzal first heard on 26 April at Guan Gulch;Golden-headed Quetzals very vocal and active behind the guest houses;White-faced Nunbird vocal along Mr. Weasel´s Trail during the first week of April; Streaked Tuftedcheek nesting behind kitchen; nest of Flammulated Treehunter on Ballux Trail; Tryannine Woodcreeper very vocal everywhere;Giant Antpitta, Moustached Antpitta, Yellow-breasted Antpitta and Ochre-breasted Antpitta observed near Lucy´s Creek and on Parrot Hill Trail; Orange-breasted Fruiteater observed along Puma Trail; Beautiful Jays seen regularly at guest houses; last sighting of northern migrant Blackburnian Warbler (male) on 24 April; 16 species of hummingbirds at and near the feeders.
March 2011: BEST BIRDS included Black Solitaire seen along the road by birder and former guide Brian Cassie; 3 Giant Antpittas observed by ornithologists Anne and Jon King in the lower section of the reserve along with Ochre-breasted Antpitta;2 Giant Antpittas seen along with Moustached Antpitta by intern Tim Kell; Yellow-breasted Antpitta seen along the road at the guest house; Crested Guan seen in the lower section; Wattled Guan recorded and observed behind the guest house; Flammulated Treehunter nest in the upper section;Beautiful Jays regular at guest house; 17 hummer species at the feeders;Sickle-winged Guans and 8 species of tanagers at the fruit feeders.
February 2011: BEST BIRDS includedFasciated Tiger-Heron in Lucy´s Creek; Sickle-winged Guans regular at both fruit feeding stations; Barred Parakeets flying over fairly low;Common Potoo with chick;Spot-fronted Swifts; 18 species of hummers at the feeders; Toucan Barbets and Plate-billed Mountain-Toucans daily; Giant, Moustached and Yellow-breasted Antpittas heard regularly and the latter two seen along Sister´s Loop and Señor Tim´s Trails; Giant Antpitta photographed in the lower part of the reserve; Chestnut-crowned Antpitta vocal and abundant on the upper part of the reserve;Ocellated Tapaculo heard occasionally; Scaled Fruiteater and Olivaceous Piha seen near the guest houses; Beautiful Jays seen every few days near the guest houses.
This rare, endangered species Spectacled Bear made an appearance at the Las Gralarias guest houses on 26 October 2010.
Photo by Jane A. Lyons
December 2010: BEST BIRDS included Hoary Puffleg continues to be a regular at our feeders,White-tailed Hillstar also at the feeders but not regularly;Total hummingbirds seen at the feeders = up to 19 species!Plate-billed Mountain-Toucans regularly seen and photographed from the guest house patio;Moustached and Yellow-breasted Antpitta very vocal throughout the reserve;Bronze-olive Pygmy-Tyrant, Rufous-headed Pygmy-Tyrant and Rufous-crowned Tody-Flycatcherabundant along trails; as many as 4 Beautiful Jays seen near guest house.
15 -31 October 2010: BEST BIRDS included Wattled Guan (Sr. Tim´s Trail),Dark-backed Wood-Quail (Sister´s Loop Trail), Barred Parakeet (overhead) , Rufescent Screech-Owl (pair at guest house),Cloud-ForestPygmy-Owl (heard along road), Mottled Owl (vocal at guest house), White-tailed Hillstar (at feeders), Hoary Puffleg (at feeders), Crested Quetzal (along Guan Gulch), Yellow-vented Woodpecker (pair around guest houses), Yellow-breasted Antpitta (observed along Sr.Tim´s Trail), Moustached Antpitta (observed on Sister´s Loop Trail), Club-winged Manakin (heard along Parrot Hill Loop), Golden-winged Manakin (vocal along Entry Trail), Scaled Fruiteater (singing at fruit feeders), Plushcap (in flock behind the guest house), Yellow-bellied Siskin (vocal around guest houses), plus 16 additional hummingbird species at the feeders.
27 September 2010:Ocellated Tapaculo (vocal and recorded on Guan Gulch).
5- 20 September 2010:BEST BIRDS included Sickle-winged Guans regularly at the feeders, White-throated Quail-Dove (observed),male Swallow-tailed Nightjar (calling and flying at the guest house), Crested Quetzal (calling above and below the guest houses), numerous Toucan Barbet, numerous Plate-billed Mountain Toucan, Powerful Woodpecker (2 pairs observed),Uniform Treehunter (observed near Puma Trail), Tyrannine Woodcreeper (observed Sisters Loop Trail), Uniform Antshrike (observed lower trails),Giant Antpitta (1 observed on Sr. Tim´s Trail and 1 observed on Canyon´s Trail), FOS northern migrant Western Wood-Pewee (19 Sept at guest house),lek of males, female and juvenile Club-winged Manakin observed along Sisters´ Loop Trail, Scaled Fruiteater (2 nests), Beautiful Jay (2 observed Sisters´ Loop Trail),10 species of tanager at the fruit feeders, 17 species of hummingbird at the feeders.
Lucky photo snapped by feeder camera!
7-22 August 2010:BEST BIRDS included Black-and-chestnut Eagle (adult, flying low overhead at the Field Station),Collared Forest-Falcon (2 Mindo Sector), Sickle-winged Guans (at banana feeders),Spot-fronted Swift, 15 species of hummingbird, Crested Quetzal (pair at guest house),Powerful Woodpecker (pair), Moustached Antpitta and Yellow-breasted Antpitta(observed along Guarumos and Oso Verde Trails), Chestnut-crowned Antpitta (h field station),Beautiful Jay (1 at Puma Trail), Club-winged Manakin (juv male at Guest House), Tyrannine Woodcreeper (banded 11 August 2006).Best Mammals:Numerous Kinkajous seen along Santa Rosa River Trail.
Collared Forest-Falcon (black morph)
by Tuomas Seimola
15-31 July 2010:BEST BIRDS includedWhite-throated Hawk at the banana feeders, black morph Collared Forest-Falcon (at the guest house), Sickle-winged Guan (at the banana feeders), Blue-fronted Parrotlet,Rufescent Screech-Owl (at the guest house), Spot-fronted Swift,Crested Quetzal (at the guest house), Rusty-winged Barbtail, Tawny-throated Leaftosser, Rufous-breasted Antthrush,Giant Antpitta (observed on Sisters Loop Trail), Moustached Antpitta (observed and photographed on Guarumos Trail), Yellow-breasted Antpitta (observed on Sisters Loop Trail), Chestnut-crowned Antpitta (heard along Ridge Trail), Rufous-crowned Tody-Flycatcher (at the banana feeders), Scaled Fruiteater (at the guest house), Beautiful Jay (at the guest house),Western Hemispingus (near the banana feeders), Plushcap (along the road) plus 16 species of hummingbird at the feeders.
Nestling Hoary Puffleg
by Jane A. Lyons
24 June 2010: Nest with nestling of Hoary Puffleg found on Canyon´s Trail.
Week of 14-20 March 2010: BEST MAMMAL: Spectacled Bear observed on Guan Gulch Trail at Lucy´s Creek behind the guest house on 15 March at 10.15am!! Best birds included Rufescent Screech-Owl (heard), Moustached Antpitta adult feeding nestlings in the nest plus a second adult observed in a different territory (observed), Yellow-breasted and Chestnut-crowned Antpitta (heard), Tyrannine Woodcreeper (heard), White-faced Nunbird (heard), Scaled Fruiteater (observed), Beautiful Jay (observed), Black-chinned Mountain-Tanager (observed).
Plumbeous Hawk
by Larry Wright
Week of 14-20 February 2010: Best birds observed and reported include Plumbeous Hawk along road, Rufescent Screech-Owl behind Guest House, Spot-fronted Swifts, White-faced Nunbird photographed along Nunbird Ridge Trail, Yellow-breasted Antpitta along Sr. Tim´s Trail, Moustached Antpitta photographed nest, two eggs and adult on nest, Giant Antpitta calling, Tyrannine Woodcreeper, Beautiful Jay (3 observed), Toucan Barbet daily, Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan daily, Powerful Woodpecker daily.
Moustached Antpitta on nest, Feb 2010
By Rebecca Abuza
Week of 24-30 January 2010: Best birds observed and reported include Hoary Puffleg at Guest House feeders; Common Potoo photographed along Brothers Trail; Rufescent (Colombian) Screech-Owl behind Guest House; Cloud-forest Pygmy-Owl seen on the trail; Hook-billed Kites adult pair plus juvenile seen daily near Guest House; Powerful Woodpecker; Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan - family of 3 seen daily at Guest House; Yellow-breasted and Moustached Antpitta seen on the trails; Western Hemispingus, Scaled Fruiteater, Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch eating bananas at banana feeders.
By Luke Seitz By Bob Martinka
Week of 8-15 January 2010: 2 Hoary Pufflegs at Guest House feeders, Green-fronted Lancebill near banana feeders, Spot-fronted Swifts seen daily, Rufescent (Colombian) Screech-Owl seen and photographed on two separate nights, Olivaceous Piha, 5 Beautiful Jays, Yellow-breasted Antpitta, 2 Moustached Antpitta observed on Canyons Trail and Sr. Tim´s Trail, plus many fledgling birds.
Spot-fronted Swifts
By Dusan Brinkhuizen
14 October 2009: 15 January 2010: Hoary Pufflegs feeding at Guest House feeders
30 September 2009: Moustached Antpitta observed feeding on Sr Tim`s Trail near Guest House
15 September 2009: 2 Upland Sandpipers seen walking along the road at Las Gralarias and numerous heard flying over at night.
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