Birding AdventuresPaddy Cunningham
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Costa Rica
Outstanding Adventures • Everglades Fest • South Florida • Costa Rica • Panama • Virginia
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Costa Rica |
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COSTA RICA ADVENTURE April 8-15, 2006 - 336 SPECIES Destinations - TASKITA JUNGLE LODGE-GOLFITO, WILSON'S BOTANICAL GARDEN-LAS CRUCES BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH STATION (OTS), SAVEGRAE MOUNTAIN LODGE, SELVE VERDE LODGE, LA SELVA BIOLOGICAL STATION (OTS), BRAULIO CARRILLORAREST BIRDS SEEN - Pinnated Bittern, Pied Puffbird, Turquoise Cotinga, Volcano Junco, Masked DuckWith high hopes and readied binoculars we had no true idea of the "overwhelming"-John Curlew and "intoxicating"-Paddy Cunningham, 336 species that awaited us as we headed off to one of the top birding spots in the world, the amazing and incredible Costa Rica. We had been birding together for years and this trip was a long sought after dream. Each day brought at least 80 species and for most on the trip they were all life birds. We had a high day of 127 species at La Selva Biological Station. To put this in perspective and understand the incredible diversity of Costa Rica, my highest count for a weekend trip in Florida was 129 at Ft. De Soto a top migration funnel and 114 for Merrit Island National Wildlife Refuge which has one of the highest species counts in the U.S. The trip was lead by Paddy Cunningham owner of Bird Adventure and attended by April Middleman, Betty Cash, Marie Monsen, Connie Calloway, Christine Engle, John and Mary Curlew. Our superb local guide was Cesar Sanchez who was assisted in the development of the A.O.C.R. bird list of Costa Rica (Aves of Costa Rica). He had an amazing ability to mimic birdcalls by whistling them in, along with knowing all birds by sight and call. He has a wealth of knowledge on recent ornithological literature and how tropical birds are related to birds in North America. He handled all trip issues with ease, targeting various birders level and making sure everyone saw the bird. I carefully chose birding destination that included a variety of habitats and elevations in order to maximize our chances of observing the highest number of bird species within the shortest time. TASKITA JUNGLE LODGE-GOLFITO - 117 speciesUNCOMMON - King Vulture, White Hawk, Scarlet-thighed Dacnis, Pale-breasted Spinetail, Dot-winged Antwren, Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher, (N.A.-Whimbrel)Waiting outside of the San Jose airport was an air-conditioned bus (YAH!!!) ready to whisk us away to a small plane that would fly us to the Taskita Jungle Lodge. Within 2 hours of landing in Costa Rica we were birding. The flight was terrifying for some and exhilarating for most as flew along the spectacular Pacific Coastline. We could see the cleared grass airstrip carved out of the rainforest, not knowing that is where we were about to land. Greeting us from the metal overhang known as Gate A were Tropical Gnatcatchers, Red-crowned Woodpecker, Buff-throated Saltator, Blue-throated Goldentail hummingbird and Yellow-bellied Elaenia. The lodge is very close to the Panama border, at sea level and warm in temperature. The rooms were far from rustic with separate showers, ceiling fans, and porches with beautiful view of the Pacific that brought in a nice evening breeze. Looking out from your open-aired bathroom you can spot Long-billed Hermit and Stripe-throated hummingbirds as you brush your teeth. The food is standard Tico with lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, rice and beans. Make sure you try and buy the sour Cherry Jelly. Elisabeth and her family who own the lodge have planted numerous flowering and fruiting trees attracting many birds. She is very gracious hostess and invites you to share her jungle home. She even made a special effort to have a huge pink-flowered birthday cake for April who was celebrating her 70th birthday. The surrounding gardens were full of flowers and fruits and the birds that were attracted to them. There were huge flocks of Swainson's Thrush and Philadelphia Vireos both are rare for us, but common here. Early birding before breakfast provided excellent views of Banaquits, Golden-hooded & Bay-headed Tanagers, Red-legged and Green Honeycreepers, Blue and Scarlet-thighed Dacnis. Scarlet Macaws, which have been reintroduced in the area, could be seen very close from the poolside. Don't miss the Rufous Piha on the top of the hill and the beautiful notes of the Riverside and Whistling Wren along the hillsides. The pond by the road had a lot of flycatcher activity including Great Kiskadee, Boat-billed and Streaked. Off shore view from the beautiful palm tree-lined beach were Brown Boobies and Whimbrels. A highlight of the trip was the beautiful Blue-crowned Manakin and moon dancing antics of the Red-capped Manakin. Just before dusk make your way down to the pond along the creek were we waited quietly in the darkening forest to see Violet-crowned Woodnymph and Ochre-bellied Flycatchers come to take a cooling bath after a busy day in the rainforest. Even for Florida people we found it was very hot and humid. The trails were the most strenuous of the trip. Remember to drink a lot of water and beer when required. WILSON"S BOTANTICAL GARDEN-LAS CRUCES RESEARCH STATION (0TS) - 120 SPECIESUNCOMMON - Grey-necked Wood Rail, Snowy bellied Hummingbird, Green violet-eared Hummingbird, Smoky-brown Woodcreeper, Brown-billed Scythebill, Red-faced Spinetail, Yellow-margined Flycatcher, Thick-billed Euphonia, (N.A. Blackburian Warbler)This was a place that I didn't know much about, but I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of birds and the great accommodations. The Wilson's Botanical Gardens is famous for its deskside bird feeders. Bananas are placed on flat boards near seating areas by the dining hall, where we observed a least 50 species including Turquoise Cotinga and Snowy-bellied Hummingbird. You may be able to see up to 4 species of Tanagers at one time including Speckled and Silver-throated. A Tennessee Warbler was frequenting the Bottlebrush along with many hummingbirds. Dinner was very good and served family style where you can mingle with the center's scientist and graduate students to catch up the latest Tropical rainforest research. Sit on the scenic porch for the breeze and an amazing view of the valley where we spotted a Brown-hooded Parrot and Olivaceous Woodcreeper. Each room has its own veranda for quiet reading or early morning spotting such as Blue-crowned Motmots. The garden trails are very easy walking and some eventually lead to the Las Cruces Biological Station property. The open garden canopy allows for easy viewing of birds such as Squirrel Cuckoo and Masked Tityra. Starting out on the trails very close to the station we found a nest of a Piratic Flycatcher. Hiding in the planted shrubs was a ground walking Orange-billed Nightingale Thrush and White-throated Robins. Walking on nearby trails brought us great views of Crested Guan, Fiery-billed Aracari, Tropical Parula and Double-toothed Kite. A highlight for me as a birder who birds by ear was the spiraling, cascading whistle of the Brown-billed Scythebill. Violaceous and Collared Trogans were found easily. Far away deep into the forest came the rhythmic, jumpy call of the Grey-necked Wood Rail. It is very loud and can fool you into thinking they are close by, no, no. With a lot of laughing over the call and patience two ran across down the trail for all to see. At a seating are overlooking the wide valley we saw Crimson-fronted Parakeets, Mealy and White-crowned Parrots. Time was too short with only one night stay at Wilson's Botanical Garden. It has a great gift shop; with lots of book, posters and nature t-shirts that help support the gardens. Make sure you check the centers' information board in order to catch top scientist lectures and presentations on the latest research, history and restoration projects going on in the Las Cruces Biological Station. SAVEGRAE MOUNTAIN LODGE - 83 speciesUNCOMMON - Costa Rican Pygmy Owl, Ornate-Hawk Eagle, Buff-fronted Quail Dove, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Emerald Toucanet (NA-Baltimore Oriole, Acorn Woodpecker) It is a long winding road down to the Savegrae, but it opens up into a beautiful valley, high in the mountains. On your trip you must include a visit to an area of high elevation in your itinerary, because it has the most endemics species of any area in Costa Rica. The lodge is famous for its Resplendent Quetzal and we saw them 3 times right over the hotel rooms eating fruit. It also has wonderful feeders and while you have your tea look for Violet Sabrewing, Magnificent, Volcano, Scintillant and Gray-tailed Mountain-gem hummingbirds which we had. The gardens that surround the hotel are extremely beautiful along a roaring creek. You can get two hours of birding in before breakfast by searching the grounds where you might find Slaty Flowerpiecer, Yellow-winged Vireo (endemic), Elegant euphonia, Long-tailed Silky Flycatcher (beautiful), Yellow-thighed Finch, and many other species. The lodge had the best food of all the places we stayed with an elaborate buffet with lots of choices, salad and fruit bar. There were also many decadent deserts to tempt you to do more hiking. QUICK STORY-The lodge is run by a lovely family who do everything at the lodge and the service is excellent. Pablo the famed gardener drove us all to the top of the mountain in a grinding 1972 Toyota Landcruiser truck that works on the farm everyday. He successfully grows peaches, plums, and apples in the cool mountain air and strong tropical sun. After a lovely dinner, I look up at my smiling face bus boy; it's Pablo asking how the rest of our birding day went. You feel like an honored guest in their cool mountain home. As it happens quite often when birding, while we were looking at a brilliant Emerald Toucanet, our guide Cesar hidden deep into a pine tree a rare Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl. Our early morning hikes started at 5:30 am where you can get 2 hours of great birding before breakfast. Not only are you so excited to see new things each day, but you can't see sleep in the morning with the early light and all the birds calling in the morning. You just have to get up. There is a new day awaiting and 50 species to find. Along the rushing creek we saw a Torrent Tyrannulet and it's round nest. Looking in the low brush and shrubs we found Yellow-faced Grassquits and saw and heard the beautiful song of the Black-faced Solitaire. Streaking by the creek side was the neon yellow, turquoise and green of the Blue-crowned Chlophonia. To see many of the endemics you must travel to the higher elevations. Up on the mountain top Collared Redstart, Flame-throated Warbler, Flame-colored and Spangled-cheeked Tanagers brought color to dense foliage. A rare Ornate-Hawk Eagle soared overhead flying high above the evergreen treetops. Looking deep into a dense tree canopy a beautiful Buff-fronted Quail Dove was hidden from view during a brief rainstorm. The elegant fine eye lines on this bird reminded me of a Chinese painting. Savegrae was the place to look for flycatchers and during our 3 day/2 night visit we saw 14 species including Golden-bellied, Black-capped, Yellowish, Tufted (so cute), Mountain Elaenia and Black Phoebe. Spot-crowned Woodcreepers and Ruddy Treerunners were easily found be searching the tree trunks. We had to look quick to find the Rufous-browed Peppershrike in the canop tops. Sulphur-winged Parakeets were everywhere as we searched the skies for migrating hawks. SELVE VERDE/ LA SELVA BIOLOGICAL STATION (OTS)-136 SPECIES, HIGHEST DAY TOTAL - 127UNCOMMON - Great Curassow, Sunbittern, Pied Puffbird, Barred Antshrike, Cinnamon Woodpecker, (N.A. Short-tailed Hawk, Golden-winged Warbler)Selve Verde Lodge is a buzz of activity of people seeking the best of nature related activities in Costa Rica. The bungalows are built on catwalks, making it easy to view birds at their level in the trees. The food is plentiful served Tico style with lots of fresh fruits such as papaya, pineapple and amazing fruit juices. I especially liked the Soursop. A special feature of the lodge is that the dining room looks over the roaring Saripippi River where we saw Ringed, Amazon, and Green Kingfishers. The kingfishers perch on the metal crossing bridge that leads to the forest preserve on the other side of the river. A Sunbittern (yes) feeds along the mud inlets closely viewed from the creek side veranda. It is surrounded by forest; so early morning walks netted Buff-rumped Warblers, Blue-crowned Motmots, Bay and White-breasted Wood Wrens. We were awaken by the eerie calls of the Montezuma Oropendulas, who swing back and forth upside down of their pendulums. Trogons, Chestnut Mandible and Kiel-billed Toucans are very common and seen throughout the day. A fig tree right next to the lodge attracts mixed flocks for very close viewing with Green Honeycreepers, Blue Dacnis, Lesser Greenlet, Yellow-crowned and Olive-backed Euphonia, Plain, Palm and Passerini's Tanagers. A Semiplumbeous Hawk was perched hunting seen right from the lodge as we waited for breakfast, after early birding. Get up early before dark if you want to see the Short-tailed Nighthawk who's dive-bombing above the canopy can be seen for only a few minutes in the dark grey dawn. You better get up early anyway, you can't sleep with all the noise and there is so much to see at this top eco-lodge. At La Selva Biological Station run by the Organization of Tropical Studies, you can sign up for full or half day visits. Take my word for it you'll need the full day. This is one of the top birding places in Costa Rica and we had our highest day count at 127 when visiting this awesome facility. A Christmas count is held each year on the entrance road where we birded early before the center opened, each year more than 100 species are found in about 1 mile. We found 40 in less than an hour including Rufous-tailed Jacamar, the forever singing Chestnut-backed Antbird, Wedge-billed and Cocoa Woodcreeper and later a rare Pied Puffbird showed for all to see on a snag. All the trails we went on were either paved or in excellent condition. They assign a station guide to go along on all visits, even with your own private guide. Local knowledge of a site is always a great way to find birds. Make sure you have a little extra money for a tip. They also have an excellent gift shop with great t-shirts, field guides and local crafts. You can stay on the property in the small cottages and the dining room has good food and lively discussion between students and top tropical Biologists. All are welcome to listen in on lectures. We finally had a woodpecker day with Black-cheeked, Rufous-winged, the rare Cinnamon, a large Pale-billed (the one with the double knock) and the beautiful Chestnut-colored with its' large crest. At last finally a good look at the Short-billed Pigeon, which we had been hearing all week. This was a great placed for Trogons and we saw Black-headed, Violaceous, Black-throated, and close views of the Slaty-tailed. Right at the metal bridge that crosses over to the sleeping quarters and other trails, a Great Curassow male flew in with his crest and tail raised. This amazingly beautiful bird with its shiny jet-black feathers and yellow highlights literally stunned me speechless. All I could do was point and eventually spit out "Curassow". This was a species I had particular wanted to see, before you know it tears of joy began to flow, as I was overwhelmed with the amazing beauty and wonder of Costa Rica. I looked over at a companion and she was crying too. Our young La Selve guide was perplexed wondering what he had done wrong. Nothing was wrong. It was oh so right. Of course our guide says, male or female? A Golden-winged warbler was also spotted here. One of the highlights of any birding trip to the tropics is the elaborate relationship between ants and the birds that are attracted to them, some of which are extremely rare. These huge colonies of ants move their queen each night and birds follow them. These birds along with birders must follow the trails. Unfortunately we only heard the Ocellated Antbird, but with patience we saw the shy Black-capped Pygmy Tryant nearby. Along this trail deep into the forest in canopy openings we observed a kettle of 100 plus Swainson and Broadwing Hawks heading north during spring migration. Mid-day things slow down so we headed to the station for lunch and to watch nearby flowers for hummingbirds. The last bird White-crowned Manakin snapped into our view quickly. We all try to get it back for a better view by slapping 2 fingers on the palm of our hands and darn if it didn't show up. These are just of the few highlights, so you can imagine how much there is to see there. ROADSIDEUNCOMMON - Pinnated Bittern, Green Ibis, Masked Duck, Bat Falcon, White-necked Puffbird, Volcano Junco (N.A.-White-tailed Kite, Painted Bunting, Solitary Sandpiper (This is a mixture of things we saw while traveling from one site to next and does not include a species count in that it covers many days.)On a day trip from Selve Verde Lodge along the main road, we visit wetlands within a cow pasture. We were blessed with a sighting of Pinnated Bittern, the most sought after heron in Costa Rica. It is a large bird, but struck a silent pose. Our excellent guide Cesar had only seen it 4 times before and it was the rarest bird of our trip. In this field we saw Green Ibis, Solitary Sandpiper and heard a White-throated Crake. In trees in an open field near the Selve Verde Lodge were Grey-headed Chachalaca, Red-lored and Mealy Parrots. On a lake near the airport on the way to Wilson's Botanical Garden we saw the very elusive Masked Duck, which blended perfectly into the cattails. We also saw Northern Jacana and Yellow-throated Vireo and Ruddy-breasted Seedeaters in nearby trees on this private pond. On the road leaving the Wilson's Botanical Garden, we saw a Yellow-headed Caracara, a Bat Falcon on a dead snag and Painted Buntings in open fields. Also a White-tailed Kite hovered hunting to our surprise in on open cattle field. Along the Pan-American Highway, we made two stops in the cool Talamanca Mountains at 8,000 feet. At this wonderful wayside store that offered hot coffee and tea con liche along with wonderful cookies and cakes, we were treated with close views of numerous hummingbird feeding right outside the windows. Eye to eye to Fiery-throated, Volcano and Magnificent Hummingbirds, who's was the bully of the feeder. We were all convinced that we had found a new species of hummingbird, a White-capped Hummingbird, but it wasn't in the book. Calling over our guide Cesar who was laughing as one of the Volcano Hummingbird's head was covered in pollen and was not a White-capped. It was really cute. At 10,000 feet along a rough to a radio tower, look for Volcano Junco, Black-billed Nightingale Thrush and possible Timberline Wren. BRAULIO CARRILLOUNCOMMON - Buff-throated Foliage Gleaner, Olive Tanager, Black-crested CoquetteOur last day out on the way to the airport, we stopped at the beautiful Braulio Carrilo National Forest. This was a new habitat for us and we added many new species on this short trail. In the parking lot area we searched long and hard for a Dull-mantled Antbird by the creek. This dark bird, like all Antbirds are easy to hear but hard to find as they continuous walk in and out of the deep shadows of the rainforest floor. We kept on it until the entire group had spotted it as Black-faced Grosbeaks bright and yellow flew across the trail. In a deep ravine, with rickety overlook we saw Tawny-capped Euphonias that moved in a small flock. We were warned that as I say it could be either feast or famine if you do not luck into the area's mixed flock. But we did get luck out as an amazing flock flew us into a frenzy of more than 20 life birds at one time. Twenty life birds!!!! Birds were flying everywhere such as Olive, Tawny-crested, Black and Yellow, Blue and Gold, and White-throated Shrike Tanagers. It was a flurry of bright yellows and blues and the uncommon Buff-throated Foliage Gleaner was a wonderful surprise. It literally took me more than 15 minutes to calm down and catch my breath from this intense birding experience. It took me one hour more to go through the book to truly digest what I had seen. Do you believe in Fairies? I observed a strange behavior from a hummingbird that would hover high in the air and then quickly drop straight down like a rag doll. It did this over and over. I then noticed it feeding the tiniest baby hummingbird that was resting on a vine. We discovered this as the flight of the Purple-crowned Fairy. After seeing this Fairy, I can truly say I believe in fairies for I had been blessed and overwhelmed with the magic of Pura Vida, Costa Rica. On the way out of the trail, knowing that this was the last place that we would be birding, I asked our guide to we have time more anymore. He shook his head, but replied, "Do you want more?" Oh Yes I want more, oh so much more of Costa Rica.
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