Questions Regarding Lands In Love (1 Viewer)

Barry Sheinfeld · Feb 9, 2016

Hi,

I am planning in March, 2017 on staying at one lodge/hotel in Costa Rica for 11 nights as I want to bird in one area where I have a high interest in many species/families and has good photo opportunities. Probably that will be Laguna del Lagarto. However, before I commit to that, I would like, if possible more information about Lands In Love as I understand it has excellent Caribbean slope foothill birding opportunities.

I believe there is a property bird list by Jim Zook. Does anyone know how that can be accessed?

What are the photo opportunities there in terms of feeders or around the hotel trees/shrubs/flowers itself? What species typically occur?

Their website says that "bird watching from canopy platforms located in the middle of the primary forest and from canopy towers with commanding views of the entire valley." Is that the case?

I plan to do most or all of the birding on my own on their trails and road accesses but may want to use a guide for an introduction to the property. The website says "guided bird watching tours upon request." So, how are the guides and what is the cost?

Also, their website does not include the room rates. Does anyone know the approximate cost for a single?

Thanks

Birdingcraft · Feb 9, 2016

Barry Sheinfeld said:
Hi,

I am planning in March, 2017 on staying at one lodge/hotel in Costa Rica for 11 nights as I want to bird in one area where I have a high interest in many species/families and has good photo opportunities. Probably that will be Laguna del Lagarto. However, before I commit to that, I would like, if possible more information about Lands In Love as I understand it has excellent Caribbean slope foothill birding opportunities.

I believe there is a property bird list by Jim Zook. Does anyone know how that can be accessed?

What are the photo opportunities there in terms of feeders or around the hotel trees/shrubs/flowers itself? What species typically occur?

Their website says that "bird watching from canopy platforms located in the middle of the primary forest and from canopy towers with commanding views of the entire valley." Is that the case?

I plan to do most or all of the birding on my own on their trails and road accesses but may want to use a guide for an introduction to the property. The website says "guided bird watching tours upon request." So, how are the guides and what is the cost?

Also, their website does not include the room rates. Does anyone know the approximate cost for a single?

Thanks

I see that they have changed their website- used to have a checklist.
I have been there several times so should be able to answer your questions. Actually headed down there tomorrow for a short visit.

Lands in Love has some foothill birds but the avifauna seems more like lowland species overall. Good forest and pretty good birding for most lowland and some foothill birds, some stand outs that have been recorded being:

Slaty-backed Forest Falcon
Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo
Yellow-eared Toucanet
various antbirds
Thicket Antpitta
Lanceolated Monklet
Keel-billed Motmot
Bare-necked Umbrellabird on occasion
various chances at owls and raptors
Tawny-chested Flycatcher

BUT, as with several sites in Costa Rica, consistent dry weather seems to have had an impact on bird populations- there seem to be fewer birds and it's much more difficult to come across various species in the forest. Keep in mind that this is happening at most sites (and probably most areas of Central America).

No feeders but vegetation right around the buildings and rooms can host various tanagers and edge species as well as Crested Guan, Great Curassow, and various other birds including possible Snowcap, Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer, and Black-crested Coquette.

Canopy towers- unless things have changed, I am guessing that this mostly refers to the towers used for ziplining. Perhaps their local tours bring people up there? I don't know how good their guides are for birds.

I would email them for rates as perhaps this has changed.
Food costs can be expensive but the vegan fare is fantastic (at least I love it, doesn't seem vegan).

For photography, Laguna is better but Lands has some different species, is much closer to the airport (about an hour and 45 minutes), and is a good base to visit Cocora Hummingbird garden, San Luis Canopy (two great sites 20 minutes uphill) and Arenal Observatory Lodge (an hour and 20 minute drive).

Hope that helps!

Search my blog and you should find more info about Lands and sites mentioned.

Barry Sheinfeld · Feb 9, 2016

Thanks Patrick, that information certainly does help!

I believe I have read all of the numerous quite positive articles you have written about Lands In Love and that is why I became interested in it and also intrigued.

For some reason they don't give the rates through email so a marketing representative will be calling me today to do so and I will be asking him many birding related questions (bird list,guides, canopy towers, and if they have recently added feeders).

I won't be driving thus is the hummingbird garden and the San Luis Canopy 20 minutes away walking uphill (which would be fine) or driving?

Are such lowland birds as parrots/parakeets (which species?-any macaws?), woodpeckers, toucans, aracaris, oropendolas, caciques, trogons and motmots fairly common? I thought you had mentioned viewing King vultures?

Thanks again!

Birdingcraft · Feb 11, 2016

Barry Sheinfeld said:
Thanks Patrick, that information certainly does help!

I believe I have read all of the numerous quite positive articles you have written about Lands In Love and that is why I became interested in it and also intrigued.

For some reason they don't give the rates through email so a marketing representative will be calling me today to do so and I will be asking him many birding related questions (bird list,guides, canopy towers, and if they have recently added feeders).

I won't be driving thus is the hummingbird garden and the San Luis Canopy 20 minutes away walking uphill (which would be fine) or driving?

Are such lowland birds as parrots/parakeets (which species?-any macaws?), woodpeckers, toucans, aracaris, oropendolas, caciques, trogons and motmots fairly common? I thought you had mentioned viewing King vultures?

Thanks again!

The hummingbird garden and San Luis are too far to walk to (around 30 minutes by car) but buses can pick up and drop off at those sites. Was at San Luis today- they now have an amazing little fruit feeder near the restaurant that had several tanagers including Emerald and Speckled feeding at less than 10 meters and on the ground- best photo opps I have ever seen for these and Bay-headed, Tawny-capped Euphonia. Just ridiculous, I mean the tanagers were nearly feeding on the ground at my feet, will be posting about that! I asked about umbrellabird and they had seen it a week ago, also said they see it regularly on their trail year round- this is a hanging bridges trail in good forest, costs $35.

At Lands, the birding really varies. No macaws around there but Mealy, White-crowned, and Brown-hooded are fairly common (although tough to photo there). The other birds you mention are present, some fairly common, but several could be a challenge to photo. Easier overall for most at Laguna. Lands would be better for motmots. King Vulture can be seen but is also much more reliable at Laguna. That said, Lands is still a good base to visit Cocora hummingbird garden and San Luis, if even by bus.

Barry Sheinfeld · Feb 11, 2016

Thanks Patrick for the answers to my questions plus the additional information about Canopy San Luis and the hummingbird gardens. The feeder at San Luis sounds fantastic! Does the hanging bridges trail there require advanced registration?

I spoke with one of the owners of Lands in Love last night about the birding related issues I had. He said that a long time ago they had feeders but for a variety of reasons had been discontinued. As you had thought, the platforms and canopy towers are related to the zip lines so are not practical for birding purposes. A local guide (of unknown quality) can be hired for $35 for around two and a half hours. They could provide RT transportation to the hummingbird gardens for $25 (I neglected to ask about San Luis) but what you wrote about the buses to both places would definitely work for me.

He will be trying to locate Jim Zooks' property bird list to send to me-that could be a make or break issue for me as I'd need that document, even if not totally updated, to assist me.

Plus since I'd be staying for 11 nights, he's working on a negotiated rate.

Regarding photos, I realize that Laguna del Lagarto provides world class opportunities due to its feeders and their placement and Lands' best opportunities, though not in the same league as Lagarto, due to the vegetation around the registration area and by the rooms are pretty good for some to me highly desirable species. I only use a good bridge camera with a super zoom and a good viewfinder which handheld can reasonably be utilized for decent long photos of up to or sometimes even exceeding 200 meters and relatively speaking can be used in lieu of a scope for ID purposes. From what I surmise from what you wrote,overall, out on the trails and access roads are the sightlines better at Lagarto than Lands for many of those conspicuous species I had asked about?-both for viewing (which really is my priority) and, less importantly, photos?

Patrick I saw the ebird list of birds for the three days you were at Lagarto at the end of January,2016 and from my perspective they were most impressive both in terms of quantity and, more importantly, quality! Like 7-9 species of parrots/macaws in one day along with 16 or so of the three commonly occurring toucans along with high numbers of both oropendolas (which are fascinating to me behaviorally). Plus those chestnut-colored woodpeckers, rufous-winged woodpecker, scarlet-rumped caciques, six king vultures, pied puff birds, white-throated nunbirds, multiple species of trogons and kingfishers, crested guans and curassows, loads of ant things, and so many more...

Cost-wise Lagarto (despite its much higher transportation rate due to the time and distance involved) and Lands (due to its much higher room rate as a result I suppose that it's mostly a general tourist hotel that provides such amenities as a in-room telephone, a mini-refrigerator/bar, and flat screen tv) are pretty much the same, mas o menos.

Thus, if Lands can come up with their bird list, my decision (really a no lose proposition either way as you have described them as being two of the best hotspots in their regions, if not the entire country) will be based on which lodge/hotel will provide me with the best opportunity to experience the birds I am most interested in potentially viewing (many over and over and over again...)-factoring in also the other two fine sites easily accessible to Lands. Umbrellabird huh?

Por ejemplo, Agami Heron (Lagarto) vs. Sunbittern (Lands)? Tough decision!

Hamhed · Feb 12, 2016

Barry -

For a bird list, bar charts and such, have you tried eBird? Only 391 species listed!

http://ebird.org/ebird/hotspot/L440156?yr=all&m=&rank=mrec

Steve

Barry Sheinfeld · Feb 12, 2016

Hi Steve,

Numerous times with a sense of birding wonder lust I have viewed ebird's bird list of Laguna del Lagarto. Pretty impressive! Also, on their website is a seemingly comprehensive bird list which I find most helpful.

It's for Lands in Love that other than for Patrick's blog reports that highlight or summarize the key birds seen or heard that I can't locate any bird list. The one they had on their website has been removed and hopefully the hotel's owner can relocate it. I've gone on ebird to see if I could find any bird lists there from members but alas have been unable to do so. It definitely does not appear there as a hotspot in Alajuela Province. I don't know how to locate any on ebird if they do exist other than through hotspots.

njlarsen · Feb 12, 2016

If you have a good idea about where it is situated, then the tool described in this thread should be able to help: http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=300813&highlight=polygon

Niels

Birdingcraft · Feb 12, 2016

Barry Sheinfeld said:
Thanks Patrick for the answers to my questions plus the additional information about Canopy San Luis and the hummingbird gardens. The feeder at San Luis sounds fantastic! Does the hanging bridges trail there require advanced registration?

I spoke with one of the owners of Lands in Love last night about the birding related issues I had. He said that a long time ago they had feeders but for a variety of reasons had been discontinued. As you had thought, the platforms and canopy towers are related to the zip lines so are not practical for birding purposes. A local guide (of unknown quality) can be hired for $35 for around two and a half hours. They could provide RT transportation to the hummingbird gardens for $25 (I neglected to ask about San Luis) but what you wrote about the buses to both places would definitely work for me.

He will be trying to locate Jim Zooks' property bird list to send to me-that could be a make or break issue for me as I'd need that document, even if not totally updated, to assist me.

Plus since I'd be staying for 11 nights, he's working on a negotiated rate.

Regarding photos, I realize that Laguna del Lagarto provides world class opportunities due to its feeders and their placement and Lands' best opportunities, though not in the same league as Lagarto, due to the vegetation around the registration area and by the rooms are pretty good for some to me highly desirable species. I only use a good bridge camera with a super zoom and a good viewfinder which handheld can reasonably be utilized for decent long photos of up to or sometimes even exceeding 200 meters and relatively speaking can be used in lieu of a scope for ID purposes. From what I surmise from what you wrote,overall, out on the trails and access roads are the sightlines better at Lagarto than Lands for many of those conspicuous species I had asked about?-both for viewing (which really is my priority) and, less importantly, photos?

Patrick I saw the ebird list of birds for the three days you were at Lagarto at the end of January,2016 and from my perspective they were most impressive both in terms of quantity and, more importantly, quality! Like 7-9 species of parrots/macaws in one day along with 16 or so of the three commonly occurring toucans along with high numbers of both oropendolas (which are fascinating to me behaviorally). Plus those chestnut-colored woodpeckers, rufous-winged woodpecker, scarlet-rumped caciques, six king vultures, pied puff birds, white-throated nunbirds, multiple species of trogons and kingfishers, crested guans and curassows, loads of ant things, and so many more...

Cost-wise Lagarto (despite its much higher transportation rate due to the time and distance involved) and Lands (due to its much higher room rate as a result I suppose that it's mostly a general tourist hotel that provides such amenities as a in-room telephone, a mini-refrigerator/bar, and flat screen tv) are pretty much the same, mas o menos.

Thus, if Lands can come up with their bird list, my decision (really a no lose proposition either way as you have described them as being two of the best hotspots in their regions, if not the entire country) will be based on which lodge/hotel will provide me with the best opportunity to experience the birds I am most interested in potentially viewing (many over and over and over again...)-factoring in also the other two fine sites easily accessible to Lands. Umbrellabird huh?

Por ejemplo, Agami Heron (Lagarto) vs. Sunbittern (Lands)? Tough decision!

San Luis trail- nope, no advanced registration, but does cost $35. That said, umbrellabird is regular just about year round. Not common and can be missed but sounds like a fair chance, also great looks into canopy of good forest, close looks at tanagers, many middle elevation species.

Yes, the birds you mention are rather easier to see at Laguna.

Yeah, hard to say which would be better. If you want to focus on lowland stuff, I would go with Laguna. If you wanted some lowland birds and a chance at various foothill species (including various uncommon ones), and visiting nearby sites for some middle elevation birds, go with Lands.

Keep in mind that birding can be slow at Lands, and many birds on the list are pretty uncommon or rare.

With 11 days, you could also split the trip and visit both sites.

Barry Sheinfeld · Feb 12, 2016

Thanks again Patrick!

Since I really do want to focus on the lowland stuff and the viewing/sightlines you say are better at Laguna del Logarto for the birds I want to concentrate on, then Logarto it shall be for sure. Also, a while back I had been in communication with Logarto and found them to be a pleasure to deal with and I appreciate their no deposit policy as I don't typically deal with credit cards and don't like doing international bank transfers.

The main reason I want to stay at one place or area for around a week and a half, even though this will be my first visit to Costa Rica, is that I want to attempt to know many of the lowland species (some of which I had too briefly experienced previously in Chiapas, Mexico) as well as possible. For my own quirky reasons even though some birders may consider them "trash" that especially includes oropendolas and caciques. I have a tendency to stay on birds I'm interested in for long periods of time to observe their behaviors. For example, recently when I was in Sayulita, Nayarit, Mexico for over a half hour I watched a couple dozen or so orange-fronted parakeets raucously cavort in "paper" trees just overhead-and I had seen them dozens of times before, albeit not so well as that time.

Moreover, I really enjoy covering the same trails/roads/gardens/ponds day after day to see the similarities and differences each day brings in terms of species/families and numbers of individuals or the lack thereof. Plus I think my birding skills can improve by doing so and I might even be able to learn some of the calls by that type pf repetition. Having said all that, even if at Logarto I only get a solitary mini glance at an ocellated antbird I will be thrilled! In Mexico at the unique Rancho Primavera in El Tuito, Jalisco I did pretty much the same thing with an extended stay and it worked out fabulously. Just could not get enough of those black-throated magpie jays, San Blas Jays, blue mockingbirds, yellow-winged caciques, elegant trogons, squirrel cuckoos, golden-cheeked woodpeckers...even those greyish saltators...`

Your idea of splitting the time between the two sites is a great idea so I could additionally experience some foothill and middle elevation species including maybe some rare ones but would not work for me due to the above explanation plus it would be much more costly to do so as I want to keep my expenses including airfare and Mexican transportation costs to around $2000-$2300. Even with the RT transfer fee to/from Logarto being $400 (staying overnight in San Jose and taking a couple of taxis to catch a bus to Pital/Boca Tapada would not be worth the extra time and marginal savings-plus pretty much the same thing on the return), I can easily keep within that budget. Adding another site and a more expensive one at that, would definitely bust that budget.

Thus, in a little more than a year I'll be on my way to Lagarto.

Barry Sheinfeld · Feb 13, 2016

Laughing at myself, the mystery is solved as to why I could not find any of Patrick's or anybody's submissions on ebird for Lands In Love. It is definitely a hot spot with over the years 299 species recorded. However, I was too literal in attempting to locate it. If only the first time I had thought to look for it under its Spanish name!-Hotel Tierras Enamoradas

However, comparing the sightings there, albeit they are impressive including such conspicuous birds I think (?) that either are not seen or rarely/occasionally so at Lagarto as grey-headed chacalaca, rufous-tailed jacamar, blue-crowned and keel-billed motmots, silver-throated tanager, and brown jay (a personal favorite-not too many jays in CR?), and at Laguna del Lagarto, I think I will be pleased with my decision of going to Lagarto with its overall greater abundance of lowland species.

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