A highlight of my tour of Costa Rica was an afternoon boat trip near the mouth of the Tárcoles River. We took a small flat-bottomed boat with an outboard motor up and down a river that looked like a Garden of Eden for birds — and for birders. While we had seen many crocodiles in this river earlier, they were miles upstream from here.

Together by the Tárcoles River: Two American White Ibises (Eudocimus albus), Two Northern Jacanas (Jacana spinosa), and 14 Black-necked Stilts (Haematopus palliates)

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Close up of a Northern Jacana (Jacana spinosa)

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I know that I included a photograph of the bird below in my previous photo essay, but this one is better. For one thing, it shows its distinctive tail in its entirety.

A Turquoise-browed Motmot (Eumomota superciliosa) including its Entire Tail

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The bird below came to Costa Rica only about 15 years before I did. The Birds of Costa Rica says that it is “very uncommon” there, and I am so glad that it arrived before I did. I remember seeing one of them two years ago in Panama, but I didn’t get a photo of one then and was so pleased to see this one in Costa Rica.

This Colorful Bird, a Southern Lapwing (Vanellus chilensis), is a Newcomer to Costa Rica

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This pair of birds at the water’s edge gave me a kick. As our boat drifted past them, they just stared at each other, paying not the slightest attention to us. And when Glenn told us the name of these birds, we thought that he was putting us on.

Double-striped Thick-Knees (Burhinus bistriatus) Actually Do Have Large Knee Joints

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A Pair of Juvenile Yellow-headed Caracaras (Milvago chimachima) Look for Dinner

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A Crested Caracara (Caracara cheriway) Is Another Raptor Waiting for its Dinner

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Where the Tárcoles River Meets the Pacific Ocean

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Thus ended our fourth day in Costa Rica, during three of which we had explored the area near the Pacific coast of the country. Now we went on to see a totally different part of Costa Rica.