Day 2 (May 13) - Settling in

---

Birds seen today: boat-billed flycatcher, scarlet macaws, pelican, turquoise-browed motmot

After a sleep-in, I unpacked into my new home. Saw my first bird of the day out my bedroom window, a boat-billed flycatcher (followed by some local chickens!). After a little stroll through the village, I decided to take a drive and started out at Punta Islita’s beach, where I waded in the Pacific. The heat is much more bearable when you have the water and the wind coming off the waves! The coast here is very dramatic - more mountainous and less beachy. As I walked along the beach, I heard the familiar parrot screech and looked up to see 3 scarlet macaws in the treetops. Loud rumbling thunder brought in some heavy rains, so I continued my drive back over the roads from the night before to see the sights I missed in the dark. I stumbled upon Playa Carrillo, a huge stretch of beach with gigantic crashing waves, that I will need to come back to! I continued in the pouring rain to Samara, where I found another market to grab a few more things. Headed back while it was still light, spotted a motmot on the way, and spent an easy evening in my place. Ready to get started tomorrow at Ara Project, touring the site and seeing what’s happening there!

---

Photos

2-1
Boat billed flycatcher

2-2
The beach at Punta Islita

2-3
The beach at Punta Islita

2-4
Scarlet macaws at the beach