First full day at Rancho

Harry, one of the two resident guides, met us on the balcony at 6am and then we headed on to the trail that heads out from the property.  We walked a short way before breakfast and saw a few birds, then headed out again after breakfast.

On these walks among many others we saw Black-headed Trogon:

Plain-brown Woodcreeper:

Chestnut-headed Oropendola:

Mottled Owl:

White-crowned Manakin:

We headed out of the forest and up into some pasture where some fruiting trees were drawing in a lot of birds.  Here we added Black-crested Coquette:

More Golden-hooded Tanagers:

A female Green Honeycreeper:

and then a male:

Green Thorntail:

and a Yellow-green Vireo:

On the walk back to Rancho (we couldn't risk missing lunch!) we added Olive Tanager:

Scale-crested Pygmy-tyrant:

Tawny-capped Euphonia:

And the principle target bird for most birding groups visiting Rancho, the Tawny-chested Flycatcher, here building and then sitting on a nest:

And here in the open:

Unbelievably one of these birding groups were being shown their 'target bird' and the guide shone his spotting laser right on the bird in the nest.  First, it can all too easily blind the bird, second, it puts them off from the location.  I couldn't believe how selfish he was nor indeed unprofessional.  He shouldn't be allowed to guide people or groups if in doing so he can harm rare birds in this way.

Anyway the walks were very productive.  We spent the afternoon relaxing as the property started to fill up with other guests.

Back at the feeders the, a Green Hermit:

Green-breasted Mango, female

Montezuma Oropendola:

A female White-lined Tanager:

White-necked Jacobin:

And a Grey-headed Chachalaca: