Tarantula

When Erika and I returned to the Ensenada Lodge on the afternoon of 8 July, the hotel folks were all pleased to have captured this tarantula. I suspect it is a Costa Rican Red-legged Tarantula. They are relatively non-aggressive and grow to a leg-length of five inches. iNaturalist shows their range to be restricted to Costa Rica.  While looking for Internet information on this species, Megaphobema mesomelas, I was surprised at the robust pet-industry interest in tarantulas.

Six-Dog-Eating Crocodile

As I was taking photos of the Thornbush Dasher, Erika warned, “whoa—there’s the crocodile!” The reptile swam low in the water, away from us, towards the center of the pond. You may recall that the ranch foreman had given us permission to walk to the pond on condition that we be alert for the crocodile that had consumed six farmyard dogs. Crocodiles, you also may recall from an earlier post, have “catholic” diets. Not interested in testing this crocodile’s religious, or species preference, we heeded the warning sign and hurried back to the Ensenada Lodge. 

Thornbush Dasher

Erika and I were just leaving the Six-Dog-eating Crocodile Pond at the Ensenada Lodge (Puntarenas, Costa Rica) on 8 July, when we spied a different dragonfly. The ode flew among the tree branches and bushes at the edge of the water. It was relatively large and sported numerous yellow spots along the upper-side of its abdomen. The green eyes are also obvious. This dasher held its wings downward as it perched on the shoreline vegetation.

Dennis identified it for us as a Thornbush Dasher. The species is found north to eastern Texas and south to Panama and through the Greater Antilles. Just a week earlier, I tried to identify a Blue Dasher as this species. Just for the record, here is a photo of the Blue Dasher taken on 30 June 2017 in Flower Mound, Texas. The abdomen spots and the eyes are clearly different than those of the Thornbush Dasher.

Green Heron

Perhaps a baby only a mother could love—a fledgling Green Heron. This heron nested near the anis in a shrubby island at the Six-Dog-Eating Crocodile Pond at the Ensenada Lodge, on 8 July 2017. Tropical Green Heron nesting is often tied to the rainy season, which was the season in Costa Rica. High water levels make a mote, which protect the nesting areas. They usually nest within small colonies or among other herons. Young are usually capable of flight after about three weeks in the nest (Davis and Kushian 1994).

Groove-billed Ani

In Costa Rica, at the Six-Dog-Eating Crocodile Pond at the Ensenada Lodge on 8 July 2017, Erika and I found a Groove-billed Ani on a nest. At the time, we were well-aware that anis are strange cuckoos. As such, we should have expected strange breeding behavior. Anis live in groups of one to five pairs that defend a territory. All the females lay eggs in a single nest. All of the group incubate the eggs and care for the young. Other anis show similar behavior. The Groove-billed Ani is unique, however, in that females will sometimes remove eggs from the communal nest before laying their own (Bowen 2002).

The second photo is of a young Groove-billed Ani at the Ensenada Lodge. The final photo is of an adult seen near the Laguna Lagarto Lodge later during our travels. Anis range from southern Texas to northern South America.

Turquoise-browed Motmot

On the afternoon of 8 July 2017, Erika and I abandoned our tour group. The morning’s hike had been too strenuous. We were about dragonflied-out. While the others went off in search of dragonflies and a shorebird-laden salt factory, Erika and I asked if we could stroll down to a small cattle-watering pond near the Ensenada Lodge. The manager said, “No problem. Just keep your eye out for the crocodile that lives in the pond. So far it has eaten six of our dogs.” Erika and I enjoyed a lovely walk, saw about a half-dozen dragonflies (including a new one for our list), and several interesting birds. And we kept our eyes out for dog-eating crocodiles.

One of the first birds we saw was a Turquoise-browned Motmot. I have already posted on this species. You may recall that motmots have oddly shaped tails, kind of like grand-father-like clock pendula. The birds even swings their tails back and forth. Motmots are relatively closely related to kingfishers. Fossil evidence suggests that motmots originated in the Old World, although now the family is restricted to the New World tropics (Snow 2018).

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

I assume this swallow is a Northern Rough-winged, since Southern Rough-winged Swallows have tawny throats. We found it near the Ensenada Lodge in lowland Costa Rica on 8 July 2017. Both species are found in Costa Rica. Ensenada seems a bit low for breeding Northern Rough-wings, which are found at all elevations when they are joined by northern migrants. 

Pin-tailed Pondhawk

During our 8 July 2017 hike in Costa Rica, we found several male Pin-tailed Pondhawks. At the time, I thought they were Black Pondhawks, but the Pin-tailed has a much slimmer abdomen. Later I will share with you a photograph of a female Black Pondhawk. Pin-tailed Pondhawks range from eastern Texas and southern Arizona and much of Florida south through Central America and the West Indies to Argentina. The species usually perches low to the ground and is fond of ponds, open marshes, and other waterways.

Roseate Spoonbill

We found a Roseate Spoonbill perched in a tree overlooking the Ensenada swamp on 8 July 2017. We have other spoonbill photos from the America Gulf Coast. They are found south through coastal and swampy areas of South America. Ornithologists are in general agreement that spoonbills are closely related to ibis and they classify them in the same bird family. Several spoonbill species are found around the world. The Roseate Spoonbill's closest relative appears to be Australia's Yellow-billed Spoonbill rather than other Eurasian species (Dumas 2000.)

Rose-throated Becard

Rose-throated Becards nested in the trees at the edge of the Ensenada Lake during our 8 July 2017 hike. Becards are New World, tropical birds, descended from flycatchers and closely related to another neotropical family, the cotingas.

Costa Rican Rose-throated Becards look different from those that sometimes wander into southern Texas or Arizona, where they very rarely breed. The species ranges south through Panama. Males, like those in the first two photos, lack rose throats. The males are darker than more northern individuals. Males sport white shoulders, which they display during courtship. Intermediately plumaged birds are found in central parts of the range. In all populations, the females are cinnamon-colored and have gray crowns—see the last photo.