Leader: Mike Boatwright
This
tour stayed at Hotel Bougainvillea, Rancho Naturalista, Savegre Mountain Lodge,
La Quinta Country Inn. Other locations
visited included Lankester Gardens, C.A.T.I.E., Rio Tuis, Cerro-de-la-Muerte,
Providencia, La Georgina, La Paz Waterfall Gardens, Cinchona, Selva Verde
Lodge, La Selva Biological Station, Rio Sarapiqui Boat Ride, Braulio Carrillo
National Park.
Total
bird species encountered = 319
Composite Bird List follows this trip report.
Day 1:
Four
of us departed Reagan International Airport in Washington, DC very early and
flew to Atlanta, Georgia where we met 3 more members of our party arriving from
Newark, New Jersey. The seven of us
continued on to Juan Santamaria International Airport in San Jose Costa Rica
where we met up with the eighth member of the party coming from Newark via
Miami, Florida. After clearing immigration and customs, we met our driver
outside the airport and loaded into our van for a 20 minute ride to Hotel
Bougainvillea in Heredia north of the airport. Along the way we saw a Black-shouldered
Kite hovering above a roadside field and spotted a Masked Tityra along with
the ubiquitous Great-tailed Grackle.
After
checking in and dumping our stuff in our rooms, we headed to the lush tropical
gardens behind the hotel. Here amid the
myriad tropical plants we got our first taste of tropical birding. One of the first birds encountered was the
beautiful Blue-crowned Motmot! Birds which followed included Rufous-tailed
Hummingbird, Clay-colored Thrush (the national
bird of Costa Rica), Blue-gray Tanager, Hoffman’s
Woodpecker, Inca Dove, Great Kiskadee, Tropical Kingbird, Brown
Jay, Melodious Blackbird, and Grayish Saltator. We also had killer looks at the rare and
local Cabina’s (Prevost’s) Ground-sparrow feeding on the open grass
lawn with several Rufous-collared Sparrows.
We heard but could not get a look at Ferruginous Pygmy-owl. Blue and White Swallow and Crimson-fronted
Parakeet flocks flew over our heads as we walked the paths through the
gardens. Thoroughly satiated bird wise, we headed in for a delightfully
prepared dinner and a good night’s rest.
Day 2:
We
arose well before dawn tingling with anticipation of the great birding, which
lay ahead of us. From the balcony of
our rooms, we once again heard Ferruginous Pygmy-owls calling and
briefly heard Spot-bellied Bobwhite calling deep within the wooded area
surrounding the hotel gardens.
Pre-breakfast birding around the grounds of the Bougainvillea once again
produced some very good views of Blue-crowned Motmot, and Cabina’s
(Prevost’s) Ground-sparrow along with its more common cousin White-eared
Ground-Sparrow. We also had glimpses of Plain Wren, Orange-billed
Nightingale-thrush, Bronzed Cowbird, White-tipped Dove, and saw most of
the birds encountered the previous afternoon. The most surprising bird of the
morning was a Gray-necked Wood-rail calling deep within the thick coffee
plantation adjacent to the gardens.
After
breakfast we set off for Rancho Naturalista in the Caribbean foothills. Along
the way, we made a brief stop at Lankester Gardens near Paraiso. Here we picked up Northern Jacana, American
Coot, Common Moorhen,and Gray-crowned Yellowthroat.
One
more quick stop at C.A.T.I.E. agricultural research station yielded great looks
at Boat-billed
Heron, Purple Gallinule, Band-backed Wren, Boat-billed Flycatcher,
Northern
Jacana, and Cocoa Woodcreeper.
We
arrived at Rancho Naturalista shortly before lunch and checked-in. Soon we were birding from the famous balcony
where we had incredibly close views of numerous hummingbirds including White-necked
Jacobin, Green-breasted Mango, Green-crowned Brilliant, and Violet-crowned
Woodnymph.
After
a wonderfully prepared lunch, we headed into the forest and soon encountered a
whole new variety of birds. At the hummingbird feeder station in the forest, we
had nice looks at the huge Green Hermit, the dainty Green
Thorntail, Red-footed Plumleteer, Brown Violetear, and the signature
bird of Rancho Naturalista the tiny Snowcap. White-necked Jacobin,
Rufous-tailed
Hummingbird, and Violet-crowned Woodnymph were also
in abundance. Near the lodge, we found Golden-hooded
Tanager, Bananaquit, Black-crested Coquette, Common
Tody-Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Social
Flycatcher, and the ever present Clay-colored Thrush.
Back
on the balcony, Hoffmann’s and Black-cheeked Woodpecker, Montezuma
Oropendola,
Scarlet-rumped
Cacique, Passerini’s , Blue-gray, and White-lined Tanagers
entertained us in the rain while we caught a glimpse or two of Volcanoes
Turrialba and Irazu in the distance.
After
dinner, a brief break in the rain gave us the opportunity to take a short walk
where we successfully found our target a Common Paraque sitting in middle of
the entrance road. Later that night a Mottled
Owl called briefly from the woods behind the cabins.
Day
3:
We
arose before dawn and made our way to the balcony where the feeders were filled
with bananas and other fruits and hot coffee was brewing. Over the next hour,
we witnessed the marvelous morning routine of numerous species coming in to
feed just feet from us. Highlights off the balcony included Brown
Jay, Blue-crowned Motmot, Violaceous Trogon, dozens of Grey-headed
Chachalaca, Montezuma and Chestnut-headed Oropendola, Collared
Aracari, Tropical Parula, Black-throated Wren, Black-stripped Sparrow, and Palm
Tanager along with most of the birds seen the previous afternoon. A Little Tinamou was heard
deep in the forest below while flocks of Crimson-fronted Parakeets flew
overhead.
Once
we had consumed a wonderful breakfast, we followed our guide Vincent de Boer
and my good Tico friend Bernardo Navarro on a morning walk in the forest. Birds in the forest this morning included White-ruffed
and White-collared
Manakins, Plain Xenops, Keel-billed Toucan, Yellow-crowned,
Olive-backed,
and Tawny-capped
Euphonia, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant, Plain Brown,
Olivaceous, Wedge-billed, and Spotted Woodcreeper, Green
Honeycreeper, and Golden-crowned
Warblers. Chasing an army ant
swarm, we managed to hook up with Russet Antshrike, Dusky
and Immaculate
Antbirds and the highlight of the morning a very cooperative Spotted
Antbird! We also heard Stripe-breasted
Wren, Long-billed Gnatwren, and several of the many songs of White-breasted
Wood-Wren.
After
lunch, we returned to the forest trails in search of more tantalizing birds. We
were not disappointed with good looks at some great birds including Brown-hooded
Parrot, Southern Rough-winged Swallow, Groove-billed Ani, White-crowned
Parrots, Squirrel Cuckoo, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Variable Seedeater,
Yellow-faced Grassquit, and Black-headed Saltator. In the late afternoon, we worked our way to
the famous hummingbird pools in the forest where we were delighted to find a
female Purple-crowned Fairy bathing. We also saw Slate-throated Redstart
in the trees above the stream here.
Before dinner, both Great and Little Tinamou were heard
calling near the trailhead behind the upper most cabins.
Day 4:
We
woke very early this morning and enjoyed a specially prepared early breakfast
before loading into the van and a Landrover for a birding excursion to the Rio
Tuis Valley. Along the way, we stopped
briefly at the river and marshes near Platanillo. Here we had good looks at Black Phoebes catching insects over
the river as Torrent Tyranulets played in the road of all places. Buff-rumped Warbler, Louisiana
Waterthrush, Roadside Hawk, Golden-olive Woodpecker,
and calling White-throated Crake and Black
Hawk-eagle made the side trip very worthwhile.
Once
we arrived at the Rio Tuis valley, we climbed out of the vehicles and began
hiking along the river. Here we
encountered several new species including Olive-stripped, Black-capped and Yellow-olive
Flycatcher, Paltry Tyranulet, and Crimson-collared Tanager. Birds seen overhead included Keel-billed
Toucan, Blue and White Swallow, Brown Jay, White-collard Swift, Montezuma
Oropendola, Broad-winged Hawk, Black
and Turkey
Vulture. A beautiful male Collared
Trogon posed long enough for all to get great scope views. Alas, we did
not spot the much sought after Lanceolated Monklet and only our
guide had a fleeting glimpse of a Sunbittern that flushed from a
roadside puddle.
Lunch
provided much need nourishment after our long morning hike. Having restored our energy reserves, we
birded near the lodge and finally nailed down the magnificent Violet
Saberwing working the feeders behind the lower cabins. Other birds of note within easy walking
distance of the lodge included Stripe-throated Hermit, Cinnamon Becard,
Olive and Bay-headed Tanager.
Another
late afternoon trip to the hummingbird pools yielded a Scaly-breasted (Southern
Nightingale) Wren singing it’s traditional long, drawn-out song. A Short-tailed Nighthawk fly over the
valley and Chestnut-collared Swifts were seen overhead.
Day 5:
Today,
we left Rancho for our next location, Savegre Hotel de Montana high in the
talamanca highlands. First though, we had one last cup of coffee while we
enjoyed birds from the balcony. In
addition to birds seen here over the last few days, this morning we managed to
pick up a few new species including Rufous-winged Woodpecker, Masked
and Black-crowned
Tityra, Yellow-billed Cacique, and Buff-throated Saltator. At the edge of the forest, we finally got
good looks at Tawny-chested Flycatcher and heard Rufous Motmot. Bidding Hasta Luego to our hosts and
guides, we set off for Savegre. Our route today took us by Rio Birris and Cachi
Dam near Orosi. We missed the usually
reliable Bat Falcon here but had nice looks at several White-tailed
Kites along the way.
We
left the dam and made our way west and south towards Rio Savegre. Our travel
route took us through the Central Valley cities of Paraiso and the colonial
capital Cartago. Heading south on the
Pan-Am Highway, we climbed in altitude to approximately 12,000ft at Cerro de la
Muerte (literally Mountain of Death).
Brief stops along the highway revealed to us not only a drastic drop in
the temperature but also the thinness of the air at this altitude. These stops
also produced some interesting birds such as Black-billed Nightingale-thrush,
Sooty
and Mountain
Robin, and the Chiriqui highlands endemic Spot-crowned Woodcreeper.
We
decided to skip lunch at Savegre Mountain Lodge and instead headed south to the
roadside restaurant La Georgina. Here
we enjoyed a great buffet lunch while watching Fiery-throated, Magnificent,
Green
Violetear, Scintillant, and Volcano Hummingbirds feeding mere
inches from us.
Upon
reaching Hotel
Savegre de Montana, also known as Cabinas Chacón, located in San Gerardo de
Dota ,we checked-in to our heated rustic rooms. After checking-in, webirded the grounds near our rooms. Almost
immediately, we began to see some of the highland specialties including Sooty-capped
Bush-Tanager, Flame-coloured Tanager, Tufted
Flycatcher, Slaty Flowerpiercer, Yellow-bellied Siskin, Acorn
Woodpecker, and Yellowish Flycatcher. Outside the
restaurant area we came across our first true Costa Rican endemic of the trip, Grey-tailed
Mountain-gem accompanied by Green Violetear, Magnificent,
Volcano,
and Scintillant
Hummingbirds.
Day
6:
Before
breakfast we hiked one of the trails high on the mountain. As we ascended the mountain, we again began
to run into mixed feeding flocks containing specialty birds. We found the
bizarre Yellow-thighed Finch (we nicknamed them pom-pom finches), an
all dark bird with bright yellow thigh tufts, and Flame-throated Warbler, a
drab little bird, until it turns to face you with its flaming red throat! We also encountered Ruddy Treerunner, Silver-throated
Tanager, Black-cheeked Warbler, and Gray-breasted Wood-wren. At the top of the trail, we found a
strikingly beautiful Black-faced Solitaire perched on top
of a trail marker!
After
hiking back down to the lodge, we enjoyed a splendid breakfast with plenty of
café con leche to knock off the morning chill.
Warmed and full, we met our local guide Marino Chacon and piled into the
back of his pickup truck for a full morning of birding in these fabulous
highlands. We didn’t have to travel far
before Marino began locating great birds.
Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher, Black Guan, Emerald
Toucanet, Ochraceous Wren, Black-capped Flycatcher, Common
Bush-tanager, Mountain Elaenia, Large-footed
Finch, and Rufous-browed Peppershrike came easy with the highly skilled
Marino. We also found a Townsend’s Warbler, a bird not
commonly seen here.
As
beautiful and entertaining as these birds were, they were nearly forgotten when
Marino called out “Quetzal”! Arguably
the most beautiful bird in the world, the Resplendent Quetzal is at home
year-round in the extensive oak forests of Savegre. We soon had fantastic scope views of a young male and a female of
these marvelous creatures. It took a little longer to nail down the real prize
an adult male bird. But boy was it ever worth the search. We found the magnificent male feeding on
avocados within 12 feet of us! The bird
stayed close for quite some time providing extrodinary photo opportunities for
all. Words alone can never begin to
describe just how beautiful this bird is, it will leave you breathless and
really need to be seen to be believed!
We
made a concerted effort to located one of the really difficult to see species
in this area Buffy-crowned Wood-partridge.
Although we heard at least two coveys calling loudly close-by, rain sent
the birds under cover and apparently out of sight for us.
We drove back to the lodge for lunch then headed out again with Marino. The afternoon birding was nearly as spectacular as the morning had been. With Marino’s help, we soon located Brown-capped Vireo, Dark Pewee, Black-billed Nightingale-thrush, Collard Redstart (Amigo de Hombre or Friend of Man), and Sulfur-winged Parakeet.
Day 7:
We
arose very, very early this morning, dressed warmly, and headed out for a
rendezvous with sunrise at 11,400 feet on the summit of Cerro de la
Muerte. As we traveled up out of the
valley in shear darkness, we made several strategic stops along the way in
hopes of connecting with the uncommon and local Dusky Nightjar. We were not to be denied this morning as
Marino heard a calling bird then put it in the spotlight for all to see. When we reached the Pan-am Highway, we
transferred from our warm bus to the cold damp bed of Marino’s pickup truck for
the 5-minute bumpy ride to the summit of Cerro de la Muerte. Although the cloud cover obscured the
sunrise and only allowed brief views of the highest point in Costa Rica, Cerro
Chirripo, it was well worth the ride as we had killer looks at our target
species Volcano Junco, Timberline Wren, and Peg-billed
Finch in this paramo habitat.
We
descended to the Pan-Am Highway and made our way to the area know as
Providencia. Here Marino once again
worked his magic helping us find a pair of Black and Yellow Silky-flycatchers, Barred
Becard, Ocharceous Pewee, Buffy Tuftedcheek, and gave us great
looks at both Zeldonia (Wrenthrush) and Silvery-fronted Tapaculo! These last two species are much sought after
but are more often heard than seen. We
also found Olive-sided Flycatcher.
From
Providencia, we headed north back towards San Jose driving up between Volcanoes
Barva and Poas with La Paz Waterfall Gardens being our lunchtime destination.
Upon arrival at La Paz, we headed for the restaurant where we satiated our
hunger while we watch humming birds and other birds do the same. We had ludicrously
close views of our second endemic of the trip, Coppery-headed Emerald.
Other hummingbirds present at this location included Violet Sabrewing, Brown
Violet-ear, Black-bellied Hummingbird, Purple-throated Mountain-gem, and a Magenta-throated Woodstar. We
also had incredibly close views of Silver-throated Tanager, Prong-billed
Barbet, and Emerald Toucanet all eating fruit at the bird tables!
After
leaving the waterfall gardens we continued our journey to La Quinta Country
Inn. A few roadside stops near Cinchona produced some nice birds such as White-bellied
Mountain-gem, Red-headed Barbet, and Bat
Falcon (spotted by our driver Pablo, awesome!).
We
arrived at La Quinta Country Inn shortly after dark and settled into our
rooms. After getting settled in, we
gathered near the restaurant for libations and fellowship. We inquired of the
local security guard about locations for the resident owls. A few minutes later, the guard approached
our group and, with spotlight in hand, urged us to “follow him”. Within minutes, we were enjoying great views
of a Spectacled
Owl along a trail behind the restaurant! Thoroughly satisfied with the owl, we enjoyed a terrific buffet
dinner. It just doesn’t get much
better!!
Day 8:
Pre-breakfast
birding on the grounds of La Quinta yielded some very nice birds. Black-cowled Oriole, Plain-colored Tanager,
Red-throated Ant-tanager, Red-legged Honeycreeper, White-winged Becard,
Tropical Pewee, Gray-necked Woodrail, Bronzy Hermit, Ruddy Ground-dove,
Gray-rumped Swift, Streak-headed Woodcreeper, Ochre-bellied Flycatcher, Bay
Wren, American Redstart, and Green Heron, all showed well.
Following an early breakfast prepared especially for us, we loaded into our van for the short ride to La Selva OTS. The morning was spent birding the La Selva Biological Station grounds. A day spent here is a truly remarkable experience; it is not only the birds that form highlights but also the plants and other animals.
First
stop on this morning’s route was the La Selva entrance road, a very interesting
walk that produced many good birds. The highlights being Pied Puffbird, Long-tailed
Tyrant, Gray-chested Dove, Double-toothed Kite, and Black-faced
Grosbeak.
Although
we only had one morning to spend here, we were not disappointed. At the OTS we walked the trails with our
expert local guides and found many good birds. We had Chestnut-mandibled Toucan,
Pale-billed
and Chestnut-colored Woodpecker, Olive-backed, Tawny-capped, and
Yellow-crowned Euphonia, Shining Honeycreeper, Broad-billed
Motmot, Western Slaty Antshrike, White-ruffed Mankin, Cinnamon
Becard, Bright-rumped Attila, Rufous Mourner, Collared Aracari, Osprey,
and Wood
Stork. The best birds by far
were several perched Great Green Macaws. We all had excellent scope views of
these majestic and endangered birds as they actively feed on almonds. We also managed eye-level views of the
miniscule Black-capped Pygmy-tyrant, the world’s smallest passerine.
These tiny birds generally spend most of their time high in the forest
canopy. Today however, at least one of
these little beauties was gracious enough to descend to our level! Non-avian
highlights included Green Iguana, Strawberry Poison-Dart Frog, Central American
Agouti, Golden Orb Spider and Collared Peccary.
We regretfully returned to our lodge for lunch before piling back into the van for a short ride to the boat dock on the Rio Sarapiqui. Here we boarded a covered boat for a two-hour ride. Before boarding, we noted many Mangrove Swallows skimming the water. Once onboard, we headed down river and soon encountered many new birds including Green and Amazon Kingfisher, Spotted Sandpiper, Northern Waterthrush, Orange-chinned Parakeet, Green Ibis, Anhinga, and Gray-capped Flycatcher. Heading back up river, we went in search of some of the mammals of the area all the while keeping our eyes glued to the banks in hopes of spotting the rare and local Sungrebe. Mammals encountered included a small troop of Mantled Howler Monkeys, sleeping Long-nosed Bats, and Neotropical Otter. As we headed back towards the dock, the boat driver suddenly slowed and then performed a rather rapid 180-degree turn. He’s got the bird we thought. Sure enough he soon slowed the boat and we`enjoyed very close looks at our target bird Sungrebe! Exhilarated, we returned to the dock and disembarked while getting nice looks at a Gray-breasted Martin sitting on the wires above us.
Back
on shore, as a late afternoon storm approached, we decided to try our luck at
Selva Verde Lodge and the ‘Sunbittern River’.
Here fantastic looks at a Fasciated Tiger-Heron were a great
consolation for the lack of Sunbittern. We also had good looks at Neotropical
Cormorant, Ringed Kingfisher, and Amazon Kingfisher.
As
dusk approached, we had brief but good looks at the bat-like Short-tailed
Nighthawk hunting above the suspension bridge.
Day 9:
Before
breakfast, we again birded around the grounds at La Quinta seeing most of the
birds observed the previous morning and adding Barred Antshrike to the
list. An early start this morning took us to the Braulio Carrillo National Park
and the Quebrada Gonzalez trail system. En-route we stopped off at a flooded
field which produced some nice birding for a half-hour with highlights
including Purple Gallinule, Short-billed Pigeon, and the star
of the show, a female Red-breasted Blackbird.
Once
at Braulio it wasn’t long before we started to connect with mixed feeding
flocks. Highlights here included Black-faced Grosbeak, Emerald, Blue and
Gold, Black and Yellow, and Bay-headed Tanager, Purple-crowned Fairy, Green
Shrike-Vireo, White-breasted Wood-Wren, Stripe-breasted Wren, Rufous-winged
Woodpecker, Squirrel Cuckoo, White-ruffed and White-collard Manakin. We heard the resident pair of Ornate
Hawk-eagles but despite diligent effort we could not get a look at the
birds calling from the canopy just above or heads.
Afternoon
flight schedules beckoned us to depart Braulio around eleven A.M. so we
regretfully climbed into our van and headed for the Juan Santamaria
International Airport. Our group was
unusually quite on the ride to the airport as individuals reflected on the
fantastic experiences of the past eight days and fought the internal urges to
stay a little longer in the marvelous tropical paradise!