We returned to Costa Rica to get better views of several birds. Although we had seen an Agami Heron before, it was only a juvenile and was not nearly as colorful as an adult. Our previous sighting of a King Vulture had been little more than a white dot high in the sky.
We planned this trip to coincide with the Agami Heron's nesting season. We were taken into a rookery where more than 700 birds were nesting. We also visited a location where King Vultures roost close to the ground and are fed pig heads, allowing us exceptional views of these impressive birds.
Of course, there were other birds there. The Rufous-winged Tanager was a surprise for us because we had never heard of it, and a surprise for our guide because the species is uncommon. We watched it for about ten minutes before it finally came out onto a clear branch.
We also spotted quite a few hummingbirds, with the tiny Snowcap being a particular treat.
Then it was off to Guatemala, our first time there. We especially wanted to see the Pink-headed Warbler.
Unfortunately, we spotted it only high in the trees and in terrible light, so we did not really get to appreciate the bird or take a good photograph. Perhaps we will have to return and try again.
Then we were off to Lake Atitlán. We did not have any particular birds in mind; we simply wanted to sample some of Guatemala's birdlife.
We also learned a little about Guatemala while talking with our guide. One amusing tangent was that the McDonald's Happy Meal originated in Guatemala. The first McDonald's franchise there created a children's meal that included a toy, like those found in a piñata, along with a small hamburger, fries, and a drink. McDonald's initially tried to prevent the franchise from creating a new menu item, but later adopted the idea after seeing how popular it was.
We had lunch at a restaurant with a beautiful garden and did some birding there. We found this hummingbird, which Chris especially liked.
We then birded in the foothills of the volcano and encountered a Blue-throated Motmot, one of the few motmots without racket-shaped tips on its tail.
The next day, we went to the other side of the volcano to look for more birds, as well as some deer.
Guatemala was a little more frustrating than Costa Rica because many of the birds remained high in the trees or hidden in dense foliage.
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