Day trips from San Jose, Costa Rica (1 Viewer)

Hi Guys

I've booked myself on a scuba diving trip to Cocos Island (very exciting) at the beginning of December and have got a couple of free days in San Jose at the start of the holiday. Can anyone reccommend any good birding and/or wildlife photography day trips (guided or DIY) to do from San Jose? As this is my first and possibly last time in the country and as it is a flying visit I'd be more interested in getting a decent overview of birds and wildlife (in as much as that is possible in just two days) rather than chasing after possible rarities.

Also, if conditions allow we will be landing on Cocos for a couple of hours. It is a 'wet' landing and I'm wondering whether it is worth investing in a waterproof case to put my lenses in but I can't find any mention of what wildlife, if any, we might see on the Island? Anyone got any idea?

Many thanks.

Sean

My recommendation is to get hold of one of the birding site guides by either Aaron Sekarak or Denis Rodgers (if they are still available in print). They have loads of sites in them, with lists of available species. Costa Rica is so small that you could pretty much visit anywhere if you had a few spare days, so there are lots of options. Good luck with the trip.

Tom

Sean:
Last January I enrolled in a total imersion language class in Turialba (about 3 hrs by bus from San Jose), on two of the weekends I went to Rancho Naturalista which is a five dollar, half hour, cab ride from Turialba. Subject Rancho is owned by an American couple specializing in birding.
A second floor deck overlooks a large park like area with grass, bushes, trees etc. At first light they put out dozens of bananas, oranges, and cooked rice on platforms, in the bushes and around the water ponds. I could walk out my glass door to the deck, under roof, and wonder if I had died and gone to heaven. Pour a cup of Costa Rican coffee, and have 10 to 15 species in sight at one time, always changing as the day progress. As I recall, their site list is over 300 on the property.
When I was there they had 3 resident naturalists, to conduct walks to a nearby river, or a site especially set up for hummingbirds. I got 7 species there in half an our.
Now you're going in December, The wet season, Makes little difference if you're scubaing, but can be somewhat of a discomfort to be out in the rain for 4 hours on a bird walk. Be sure and take your Tilley. I sat on the deck for three hours one rainy day watching 10 to 12 Montezumas Oropendulas making a comunal tube nest not more than 25 feet from my chair. The alpha male was flying all over the place, screaming his head off, making sure the workers got it right. We are all different, but that session gave me more pleasure than 50 ticks.
If you want booking info etc. send a pm and I'll try to help.

Craig

Another option to try is Richard Garrigues excellent website on Costa Rican Birds http://www.angelfire.com/bc/gonebirding/index.html

Tom

craig whitmore said:

Now you're going in December, The wet season, Craig

Click to expand...

December in Costa Rica is supposed to be the dry season, or so I thought. Or do they have a 'Wet season' and a 'Not quite so wet season'?

Steve

Thanks everyone for the really useful replies.

Craig, Rancho Naturalista sounds absolutely fabulous but, as I've only two free days, possibly a little further than I'd want to travel.

Tom, I've not been able to track down either of the books you mentioned but I checked out Richard Garrigues' magnificent web-site and have emailed him to see if he would be interested in guiding me. Thanks for putting me onto him.

Steve, I thought December was dry season too although I've seen contradictory information. It is actually quite important as far as the diving is concerned as the best time for schooling hammerheads is apparently in the wet season so I'd actually rather we were wrong and Craig was right.

Anyway, thanks again!

Sean