Scarlet Macaw spotting

We went to sleep to the sound of a deafening frog chorus and woke up with a feathered dawn chorus. Fortunately it was much cooler during the night than the sweltering humidity of the day.

We were booked into a guided birding tour at 6.30am but this turned into the whole morning and lunch with a lovely Canadian ecologist called Lisa and a thorough education into Costa Rican nature.

This area has over 300 different species of birds, most famously the scarlet macaws which you can hear squawking before you see them. Sadly I didn’t manage to get a photo, but we had a great view of them from the lunch table.

I had no idea there were so many different types of hummingbird and that they are pathologically antisocial and aggressive (I still think they are gorgeous!)

There is also a bullet ant who’s bite feels like you have been shot - another creature to add to my list of creatures to avoid!

I’ve just been for a very sweaty walk and taken photos where you have to play spot the birdie...