Today we were set to go on an early morning birding tour. It was raining when we woke up which was a bit disappointing. I was hoping it would clear up as we started. Our guide picked us up at 5:30am and I immediately asked if we could go to the arenal observatory. We went there on our last trip and I really liked the area. There were many species of birds and a great rain forest. The guide complied and we headed straight there. Along the way, we did spot a couple Buff-rumpled Warblers birds to photograph.
Buff-rumped Warbler
We arrived and it was drizzling a little bit. I headed over to the deck which is a viewing point for a large feeding station.
There were many Montezuma Orependales flying back and forth between the feeding station and nearby trees. There were also crested Guans, Blue Tanagers, and some hummingbirds.
I even spotted a Collared Aracari, which showed up for a short time.
Unfortunately this is where the trip went downhill a bit. The rain intensified and it became unenjoyable. I have no problem photographing in bad weather, but I came here to improve my pictures from the previous trip and enjoy the location. It just wasn’t possible this time. I called it quits and our guide took us back to Nayara for breakfast. Before I left and the rain got too bad, I grabbed these shots of a Yellow-throated Toucan.
The rest of the day was overcast and rainy, so I decided to visit the Spa. My back and legs were already suffering from carrying around all of the camera gear through the hilly property. This was a nice break.
It rained on and off for the rest of the day. My wife and I relaxed and I occasionally explored the property when the rain let up.