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Costa Rica On A Package Deal (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Steve G
- Start date
Steve G
RAINBIRDER
John,
We only did Santa Rosa as a short afternoon trip (it was a freebie from Carlos when returning from Rincon de La Vieja) -it had a few good birds & would have more at first light. Being close to the hotels it is quite feasible to get there early.
Heliconias is a place that few birders visit -it has some very good stuff including a few species that are absent from almost all other areas in Costa Rica (eg Tody Motmot -which we didn't see).
If you are not going on the Grand Tour or travelling separately to Arenal or Monteverde then Heliconias is a must. -I'll write up our trip in the next day or two but I would suggest you go. Check out this report also: http://hawfinches.co.uk/Costa_Rica/Heliconias_lodge.htm
Cheers,
Steve
We only did Santa Rosa as a short afternoon trip (it was a freebie from Carlos when returning from Rincon de La Vieja) -it had a few good birds & would have more at first light. Being close to the hotels it is quite feasible to get there early.
Heliconias is a place that few birders visit -it has some very good stuff including a few species that are absent from almost all other areas in Costa Rica (eg Tody Motmot -which we didn't see).
If you are not going on the Grand Tour or travelling separately to Arenal or Monteverde then Heliconias is a must. -I'll write up our trip in the next day or two but I would suggest you go. Check out this report also: http://hawfinches.co.uk/Costa_Rica/Heliconias_lodge.htm
Cheers,
Steve
Dave Williams
Well-known member
I was so impressed by the report I bought the package !!!
Thanks Steve, for taking the time for all to share and, like me, benefit.
P.S Whilst wandering around the hotel area ( and I don't mean their grounds) what the chance of finding a snake ? More important, what the chance of them finding me !
Thanks Steve, for taking the time for all to share and, like me, benefit.
P.S Whilst wandering around the hotel area ( and I don't mean their grounds) what the chance of finding a snake ? More important, what the chance of them finding me !
Last edited:
kittykat23uk
Well-known member
Hope you have a wonderful time! If I weren't already going to Botswana and India I might have been tempted myself. Still, I'll be keeping an eye out for any cheap package deals to the area over the coming years!!
Dave Williams
Well-known member
Thank you ! As a novice birder I'm daunted by the number of birds to try and identify and just hoping there will be enough variety to see locally around the hotel as our budget is very tight too ! Still we thought grab the opportunity before it disappears as who knows when it might appear on a package again but we must do some trips having gone all that way.
Anyone got any recommendations for a good bird book to buy ?
As I'm a keen bird photographer (and my o/h is a keen sunbather) I am a little apprehensive about it being the wet season as I don't want to ruin expensive equipment getting it wet. Any indications to how often and how long and hard it rains would be welcome, plus any tips on what to take for protection.
Thanks Dave
Steve G
RAINBIRDER
PART 7
HELICONIAS LODGE trip
My wife & I were collected at the hotel security gate by Carlos at 0500 & after briefly hanging back to watch the Pauraques we headed off towards the Pan-American Highway seeing the usual suspects on the way (but especially good numbers of Crested Caracara). We nipped into Liberia for a quick coffee & pastry fix before heading north up the P.A Highway (which in the UK would struggle to achieve A- road status). As the light improved we were passing through wooded pastureland with the occasional wooded pond –all holding roosting Cattle Egrets. As the land changed to open pasture we began to see small numbers of Double-striped Thick-Knee, some close enough to invite photographs. There was also the occasional perched raptor –all of which proved to be Crested Caracara or Grey Hawk apart from one rather distant Roadside Hawk that didn’t live up to its name! We also came across some obliging Crested Bobwhite –our first of the trip, one of which insisted that we photograph it!.
Continuing further we eventually took the road to Bijagua which traversed noticeably more wooded country . A photographic stop produced White-fronted Parrots, Orange-chinned Parakeets, Red-billed Pigeon & Masked Tityra but before long we were on our way & soon approaching Bijagua. The road to Bijagua is actually the road to Upala (highway 6). It provides access to the Cordillera de Guanacaste which is comprised of a line of volcanoes essentially running north-south. Gaps & passes between the volcanoes allow access to the Caribbean whilst a number of essentially Caribbean slope species can be found here (all within 90 mins drive of the coastal hotels).
On reaching Bijagua ( Blue & White Swallows overhead) a very rough stoney track runs uphill for almost 3km to Heliconias lodge. The lodge comprises of a restaurant (producing some great food) , cabins with a fantastic view & a great patch of rain forest with four hanging observation bridges. Our birding began at a large fruiting bush/small tree by the restaurant with a group of Red-legged Honeycreepers & a pair of Green Honeycreepers. We headed off into the rain forest & quickly came upon some displaying white-ruffed Manakins. These are bizarre wee birds that can always be guaranteed to put on a show (sadly the low light levels made getting good images very difficult). We then moved on following up on a song/call which led us to a nice male Blue-black Grosbeak lurking in the dense understorey. Continuing along the trail there was no shortage of bird calls but actually seeing the birds responsible was a different matter. Eventually we reached the first suspension bridge & the open views revealed an overhead Swallow-tailed Kite among the ubiquitous Turkey Vultures. We then came across two Spotted Antbirds which eventually afforded reasonable views as did a Wedge-billed Woodcreeper. We reached another suspension bridge which was split in two halves by a large emergent tree with an encircling platform from here was saw a Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer perched on a shady branch but with the diagnostic red feet standing out. Towards the end of the bridge we hit upon a group of Song Wrens –cracking wee birds which appeared half-wren half-antbird. They produce a bizarre song comprised of sweet melodious notes with strange discordant clucking throughout. The Wrens didn’t settle out of cover long enough for photographs (other than brown blurs) though we did get decent views of the chestnut throat & the bare bluish orbital skin patch –for me this was one of the birds of the trip. A number of species could be seen working the canopy overhead however identifying them was a problem as most were in silhouette against the bright sky; clear views were however obtained of Olive Tanager, Scarlet-thighed Dacnis & Olive-backed Euphonia whilst in the understorey we came across a perched female Violet-crowned Woodnymph. Shortly after another perched hummingbird was found by the trail –a cracking wee male Coppery-headed Emerald –this wee hummer is a range-restricted Costa Rican endemic confined to the mid-higher elevation forests of the northern continental divide (where it is not uncommon) . Our bird, a male, was in deep shade so initially the coppery colours were not apparent however a quick switch of perch revealed the copper crown & rump with a flash from the white retrices clinching the ID.
We finally reached the end of the forest trail & decided to walk along an access road with forest either side. This proved productive with good views of Collared Aracari, Northern barred Woodcreeper & Grayish Saltator. An overhead Violaceous Trogon was found by Marian who also reported seeing a small black bird with irridescent blue fly past. Seconds later a call was heard which Carlos identified as Long-tailed Manakin –presumably the bird Marian had seen . We followed Carlos back into the forest where he quickly found our target –a cracking male Long-tailed Manakin which looked stunning with its pale blue wing coverts & red cap glowing in the forest gloom. These birds operate communal leks where a wide repertoire of calls can be heard –one of which sounds like the bird is chanting “TO-LE-DO” (makes a change from BAR-CEL-ONA!!). Having gotten our fill of the Manakins a family party of Crested Guans then appeared overhead giving reasonable views as they stuffed their faces with Cecropia catkins..........which reminded us it was lunchtime!
We had an excellent lunch in the lodge’s small restaurant whilst the nearby fruiting tree continued to draw in honeycreepers . Marian & I took a quick walk around the lodge cabins passing the kitchens to the rear of the restaurant where a Collared Peccary was feeding on a bowl of rice placed out for it. The cabins were small attractive looking wooden structures with sloping roofs which commanded the most amazing views across the valley with an amazing vista which includes the giant Lake Nicaragua complete with its volcanic islands and looking more like an inland sea than a lake. We also checked out the Verbena growing below the restaurant which apparently had a feeding male Black-crested Coquette earlier in the day (they’re regular here) but all we found was an aggressive Rufous-tailed Hummer. A pair of Hepatic Tanagers perched above the car park were our last new birds at Heliconias lodge as we made our way back down the rough track to the road . On our drive back to the Pan-American highway we had a nice perched Laughing Falcon whilst a roadside Olive-crowned Yellowthroat was a new bird for the triplist.
Once back on the P.A highway Carlos took a detour up a rocky dirt road which apparently runs all the way to Arenal. This road is passable with care & on the small section we covered yielded a few good birds including Northern Barred & Wedge-billed Woodcreepers & White-throated Magpie-Jays . As this road climbed upward the land to the right of the track became open hilly grassland with scattered large volcanic rocks –perched on one of these was a singing Grasshopper Sparrow –a species which is scarce & very range-restricted in Costa Rica. Across a wide field paralell to the track was a line of woodland on the edge of which were two white birds perched on a dead tree. Initially it was hard to make out detail however it soon became apparent that they were Black-crowned Tityra (rather than the commoner Masked Tityra) –these being the only ones seen by us during our stay in Costa Rica.
Carlos turned his vehicle & we re-traced our steps to join the PA. Highway. By this point it started to rain heavily. Carlos had one final venue for us –a large fishfarm adjacent to but hidden from the highway by trees. It is possible to cross a barbwire fence & gain access to the ponds though I gather that official access is not allowed. This site held a Ringed Kingfisher, many Great White Egrets & about 100 Wood Storks –most of which were roosting in the nearby trees. The rain was very heavy so we could not linger & though we caught glimpses of other species such as Black-crowned Night-Heron we failed to see any Snail Kites which are the principal target bird for this venue. We then headed back to the hotel arriving in a thunder storm just as the light was fading.
All-in-all the Heliconias lodge trip was an excellent & productive venture. The area around Bijagua holds a number of interesting Caribbean species & no two visits will yield the same birds. Heliconias is a particularly worthwhile trip for those birders based solely in Guanacaste as it gives a taste of the birding on the Caribbean slopes. It is probably also worth a one or two night stay as the accommodation looked to be fine (from the outside at least) with cracking panoramic views whilst the restaurant produced good food. Overnight stay at Heliconias would allow acccess to the rain forest at first light which would be expected to yield the greatest range of species . Birds of particular interest in this area include Keel-billed & Tody Motmots as well as an assortment of less common submontane/montane Hummingbirds.
HELICONIAS LODGE trip
My wife & I were collected at the hotel security gate by Carlos at 0500 & after briefly hanging back to watch the Pauraques we headed off towards the Pan-American Highway seeing the usual suspects on the way (but especially good numbers of Crested Caracara). We nipped into Liberia for a quick coffee & pastry fix before heading north up the P.A Highway (which in the UK would struggle to achieve A- road status). As the light improved we were passing through wooded pastureland with the occasional wooded pond –all holding roosting Cattle Egrets. As the land changed to open pasture we began to see small numbers of Double-striped Thick-Knee, some close enough to invite photographs. There was also the occasional perched raptor –all of which proved to be Crested Caracara or Grey Hawk apart from one rather distant Roadside Hawk that didn’t live up to its name! We also came across some obliging Crested Bobwhite –our first of the trip, one of which insisted that we photograph it!.
Continuing further we eventually took the road to Bijagua which traversed noticeably more wooded country . A photographic stop produced White-fronted Parrots, Orange-chinned Parakeets, Red-billed Pigeon & Masked Tityra but before long we were on our way & soon approaching Bijagua. The road to Bijagua is actually the road to Upala (highway 6). It provides access to the Cordillera de Guanacaste which is comprised of a line of volcanoes essentially running north-south. Gaps & passes between the volcanoes allow access to the Caribbean whilst a number of essentially Caribbean slope species can be found here (all within 90 mins drive of the coastal hotels).
On reaching Bijagua ( Blue & White Swallows overhead) a very rough stoney track runs uphill for almost 3km to Heliconias lodge. The lodge comprises of a restaurant (producing some great food) , cabins with a fantastic view & a great patch of rain forest with four hanging observation bridges. Our birding began at a large fruiting bush/small tree by the restaurant with a group of Red-legged Honeycreepers & a pair of Green Honeycreepers. We headed off into the rain forest & quickly came upon some displaying white-ruffed Manakins. These are bizarre wee birds that can always be guaranteed to put on a show (sadly the low light levels made getting good images very difficult). We then moved on following up on a song/call which led us to a nice male Blue-black Grosbeak lurking in the dense understorey. Continuing along the trail there was no shortage of bird calls but actually seeing the birds responsible was a different matter. Eventually we reached the first suspension bridge & the open views revealed an overhead Swallow-tailed Kite among the ubiquitous Turkey Vultures. We then came across two Spotted Antbirds which eventually afforded reasonable views as did a Wedge-billed Woodcreeper. We reached another suspension bridge which was split in two halves by a large emergent tree with an encircling platform from here was saw a Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer perched on a shady branch but with the diagnostic red feet standing out. Towards the end of the bridge we hit upon a group of Song Wrens –cracking wee birds which appeared half-wren half-antbird. They produce a bizarre song comprised of sweet melodious notes with strange discordant clucking throughout. The Wrens didn’t settle out of cover long enough for photographs (other than brown blurs) though we did get decent views of the chestnut throat & the bare bluish orbital skin patch –for me this was one of the birds of the trip. A number of species could be seen working the canopy overhead however identifying them was a problem as most were in silhouette against the bright sky; clear views were however obtained of Olive Tanager, Scarlet-thighed Dacnis & Olive-backed Euphonia whilst in the understorey we came across a perched female Violet-crowned Woodnymph. Shortly after another perched hummingbird was found by the trail –a cracking wee male Coppery-headed Emerald –this wee hummer is a range-restricted Costa Rican endemic confined to the mid-higher elevation forests of the northern continental divide (where it is not uncommon) . Our bird, a male, was in deep shade so initially the coppery colours were not apparent however a quick switch of perch revealed the copper crown & rump with a flash from the white retrices clinching the ID.
We finally reached the end of the forest trail & decided to walk along an access road with forest either side. This proved productive with good views of Collared Aracari, Northern barred Woodcreeper & Grayish Saltator. An overhead Violaceous Trogon was found by Marian who also reported seeing a small black bird with irridescent blue fly past. Seconds later a call was heard which Carlos identified as Long-tailed Manakin –presumably the bird Marian had seen . We followed Carlos back into the forest where he quickly found our target –a cracking male Long-tailed Manakin which looked stunning with its pale blue wing coverts & red cap glowing in the forest gloom. These birds operate communal leks where a wide repertoire of calls can be heard –one of which sounds like the bird is chanting “TO-LE-DO” (makes a change from BAR-CEL-ONA!!). Having gotten our fill of the Manakins a family party of Crested Guans then appeared overhead giving reasonable views as they stuffed their faces with Cecropia catkins..........which reminded us it was lunchtime!
We had an excellent lunch in the lodge’s small restaurant whilst the nearby fruiting tree continued to draw in honeycreepers . Marian & I took a quick walk around the lodge cabins passing the kitchens to the rear of the restaurant where a Collared Peccary was feeding on a bowl of rice placed out for it. The cabins were small attractive looking wooden structures with sloping roofs which commanded the most amazing views across the valley with an amazing vista which includes the giant Lake Nicaragua complete with its volcanic islands and looking more like an inland sea than a lake. We also checked out the Verbena growing below the restaurant which apparently had a feeding male Black-crested Coquette earlier in the day (they’re regular here) but all we found was an aggressive Rufous-tailed Hummer. A pair of Hepatic Tanagers perched above the car park were our last new birds at Heliconias lodge as we made our way back down the rough track to the road . On our drive back to the Pan-American highway we had a nice perched Laughing Falcon whilst a roadside Olive-crowned Yellowthroat was a new bird for the triplist.
Once back on the P.A highway Carlos took a detour up a rocky dirt road which apparently runs all the way to Arenal. This road is passable with care & on the small section we covered yielded a few good birds including Northern Barred & Wedge-billed Woodcreepers & White-throated Magpie-Jays . As this road climbed upward the land to the right of the track became open hilly grassland with scattered large volcanic rocks –perched on one of these was a singing Grasshopper Sparrow –a species which is scarce & very range-restricted in Costa Rica. Across a wide field paralell to the track was a line of woodland on the edge of which were two white birds perched on a dead tree. Initially it was hard to make out detail however it soon became apparent that they were Black-crowned Tityra (rather than the commoner Masked Tityra) –these being the only ones seen by us during our stay in Costa Rica.
Carlos turned his vehicle & we re-traced our steps to join the PA. Highway. By this point it started to rain heavily. Carlos had one final venue for us –a large fishfarm adjacent to but hidden from the highway by trees. It is possible to cross a barbwire fence & gain access to the ponds though I gather that official access is not allowed. This site held a Ringed Kingfisher, many Great White Egrets & about 100 Wood Storks –most of which were roosting in the nearby trees. The rain was very heavy so we could not linger & though we caught glimpses of other species such as Black-crowned Night-Heron we failed to see any Snail Kites which are the principal target bird for this venue. We then headed back to the hotel arriving in a thunder storm just as the light was fading.
All-in-all the Heliconias lodge trip was an excellent & productive venture. The area around Bijagua holds a number of interesting Caribbean species & no two visits will yield the same birds. Heliconias is a particularly worthwhile trip for those birders based solely in Guanacaste as it gives a taste of the birding on the Caribbean slopes. It is probably also worth a one or two night stay as the accommodation looked to be fine (from the outside at least) with cracking panoramic views whilst the restaurant produced good food. Overnight stay at Heliconias would allow acccess to the rain forest at first light which would be expected to yield the greatest range of species . Birds of particular interest in this area include Keel-billed & Tody Motmots as well as an assortment of less common submontane/montane Hummingbirds.
Attachments
Steve G
RAINBIRDER
Steve G
RAINBIRDER
Birds of Costa Rica by Richard Garrigues is the book to go for (compact, lightweight & £19.99 rrp).
At the Allegro expect SOME rain every 2nd day on average (perhaps even more frequently) -usually short-lived but heavy downpours in the late afternoons (rarely in the mornings). Over a 2 week period there will be a couple of days where the rain is heavier & much more persisitent -perhaps even claiming most/all of the day. Don't let this fool you however as the sun when out is very strong & it's easy to get sunburnt even through the clouds (the swimming pool is refreshing in the rain & it is warm rain!).
A cheap rain poncho is a good investment -especially if planning a day trip to the cloud forest.
Re camera gear -mine is permanently wet! If using an SLR/long lens combo then this is useful protection: http://www.wildlifewatchingsupplies.co.uk/acatalog/info_374.html (click the back tab at bottom of page to navigate) pick the reversible c80R -the exact price depends on the size of your kit!
Cheers,
Steve
kittykat23uk
Well-known member
Anyone who may be tempted by this trip- I received an email yesterday from Co-op mega holiday deals, advertising late deals to the occidental allegro Papagayo for 14 nights from Gatwick all inclusive for £649 departing on 22nd Aug/ and £679 deaprting on 29th Aug & 5th Sep. PM me for the phone number if interested. :t:
halftwo
Wird Batcher
There's also a late deal for flight & one night's accom. for £414 - can't get a cheaper flight than that! If I wasn't going to Oz in Nov. I'd get on that plane.
Dave Williams
Well-known member
Cheaper still if you go on the First Choice web site. We actually booked at the First Choice travel agency who matched the price.
If you book outside of the last two weeks you don't pay a surcharge for picking up your tickets at the airport either plus you get 20kg luggage.
I doubt if the price will go much lower within the last few days.
Steve will be due commission on all the holidays he might be generating !!
kittykat23uk
Well-known member
indeed, there are some good late deals to Kenya in september as well- of course it could be pushing it to get a visa in time- not a problem with CR though!
Steve G
RAINBIRDER
I believe you can purchase a visa on arrival in Kenya. (???)
kittykat23uk
Well-known member
Oh, well that's good news! I think we were advised to and so got ours in advance when we went. I think it is the same case with Zambia. We are going to Livingstone as part of the Botswana trip, Visas should be available at ports of entry, but I've been advised to get one in advance of the trip to avoid delays crossing the border. I really hope everyone else gets theirs organised in advance because I would hate to go to the extra hassle/expense only to find that others are leaving it until we get there!
Steve G
RAINBIRDER
Aye, that's what happened to us. Went to the trouble & expense of getting the visas in advance through a special 'visa fixer' > cost twice as much as the visa itself > then got held up by members of our travel group who bought their visas on entry!!!! :C
kittykat23uk
Well-known member
It is somewhat annoying isn't it? And its not cheap getting visas in advance once you add on the cost of postage and postal orders, hopefully I'll be in London for a few meetings through work and will be able to apply in person so it wont be such a major issue this time around. :t:
jimibird
Well-known member
Im doing the First Chioce thing on the 29th of Aug for 2 weeks to the same hotel, was going to the grand for one week but FC changed to to the cheaper sister hotel for two weeks for the same price, seemed more sensible. Looking forward to it!
PM me if any other Costa Rica Package Birders will be there then!
PM me if any other Costa Rica Package Birders will be there then!
Steve G
RAINBIRDER
With First Choice now pulling out of Costa Rica in 2009 this report has became a bit pointless but as I have gotten this far & as some independent birders may end up in Guanacaste it makes sense to complete the thread.
PART 8
Rincon de La Vieja
Rincon de La Vieja is a national park centred around a slumbering volcano in the Guanacaste Cordilleras. The name apparently means the “corner of the old female person” (???) perhaps better translating in my tongue to “the nook o’ the auld Witch”. The name is based on a rather sad Amerindian tale of forbidden love between a young couple from different tribes. The romance is ended through the execution of the young man by the woman’s father (he is horsed into the volcano!). She is understandably deeply disturbed and becomes a hermit on the slopes of the volcano where she dwells to this day cursing those foolhardy enough to enter (whilst also healing the sick!). It is perhaps this fearsome reputation that has protected the primary Rain forest on the volcano’s slopes! Either way these forested slopes hold a good range of species including some birds favouring humid forests but otherwise restricted to Costa Rica’s north-west; it also holds a number of essentially Caribbean slope birds such as Keel-billed Toucan & Collared Aracari (if you are based in the coastal beach resorts of Guanacaste & wish to see Toucans then this is your closest reliable site).
Another early departure at 05:00 saw us back on the road to Liberia following the obligatory short Pauraque fix at the hotel security gate. Once again we stopped off in Liberia for early morning coffee & pastries before heading north on the Pan-American Highway. The road to Rincon de La Vieja is a right-hand turn-off not far along the north highway from Liberia –independent birders please note, this turning is easily missed! The road to the National park is essentially a rough stony track which in July of 2008 was full of lorries & other heavy plant (the Costa Rican state-owned energy utility is building a new geothermal power station on the edge of the volcano at Rincon). The road extends for about 14km(??) but takes a while to traverse due to its rough stony, pot-hole ridden surface (in July it could be accessed with a standard 2-wheel drive car with care). This track passes through the extensive lands owned by the owners of the Hacienda Guachepelin (where we stayed on our first night in C.R) & part way along is a gate which blocks the road & a small toll booth –it costs $2 US to complete the journey (I gather there is another toll-free tortuous & complicated route that can be taken but is not worth the hassle).
Birding begins on accessing the track from the PA highway with Seedeaters & other grassland/farmland species being seen. The track quickly moves on & up past areas of dry deciduous forest (which were anything but dry on our visit!). A number of streams, torrents & fast-flowing rivers are crossed by the track & if time permits it is worth checking these out as Sunbittern is sometimes seen here (but not by us!).
Having paid our toll we passed onward & upward as the rain began to fall heavily. This dampened spirits (& hair) & was not conducive to casual birding from the vehicle. Our first target bird was a Trogon –Elegant Trogon which in Costa Rica is essentially a Guanacaste speciality & often difficult to find. We stopped by a roadside patch of forest with a good number of mature trees & there it was -a calling male Elegant Trogon. The conditions were not great for good images but at least we got good views of the bird which is similar to Collared Trogon (no overlap of range) but has a red-orange eye ring & an obvious yellow bill. We moved on up the track passing a couple of powerline perched Turquoise-browed Motmots before coming upon a large fruiting tree which held an assortment of birds including Streaked Flycatcher, Great Kiskadee, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Masked Tityra & a cracking pair of Keel-billed Toucans. Once on the road again we passed more fruiting trees, this time holding Red-billed Pigeon whilst nearby scrub held Grey-crowned Yellowthroat. A little further up the track the rain stopped & blue cracks appeared in the cloud cover. It was at this point that we noted the most outlandish of birds – a large rail with a yellow-green bill, bright red legs & a blue-grey head/neck stalking along the track. Carlos cut the engine & amazingly this bizarre bird walked up towards the vehicle allowing me to take a few images from the vehicle window.
Shortly after encountering our roadside rail we arrived at the Rincon de La Vieja NP car park in bright sunshine to be greeted by a lone male Coatimundi who decided we had nothing to offer & quickly moved on.
Carlos paid our entry fee for the National Park & then we made our way into the forest. The forest track was dim, muddy & festooned with large stones & tree roots. The going was slow & the birding difficult as though many birds were calling actually seeing anything proved to be a challenge. Our first bird seen was a Rufous & White Wren (I think –see the image) which caused me some difficulties –firstly in actually seeing the damn thing & then in reconciling it with the plate in my Field Guide (it turns out that our bird was probably a juvenile which has a dingy spotted ventral surface as opposed to the adult’s predominantly white underside). We then came across a large Agouti which tolerated a reasonably close approach (unfortunately the low light levels & handheld camera murdered the shots taken!!!).
We continued on along the trail & shortly after heard a short rippling call which Carlos instantly identified as a Stub-tailed Spadebill –an uncommon, tiny & highly desirable Tyrant Flycatcher. After a struggle we managed to locate two individuals & though light levels were very poor I managed to get a couple of images.............a thoroughly satisfying wee bird to see! Within minutes we were on to our next good bird –a cracking Ivory-billed Woodcreeper. This large & impressive-looking woodcreeper is another north-west Costa Rican speciality. Our bird was initially feeding high up on a tall tree but fortunately dropped down to an adjacent trunk at eye level allowing some images to be taken. We followed the Woodcreeper along the trail to an area of more open canopy with underlying scrub & an adjacent forest pond. New birds here included a Green Kingfisher, a reclusive pair of Red-crowned Ant-Tanagers & a cracking male Elegant Trogon.
As the trail continued we reached an area containing a number of boiling water/mud pools & vents –the air was thick with the smell of sulphur & though the surrounding vegetation was luxurious there was little surrounding bird activity. Further along the path we began to hit on birds again with a close calling Great Tinamou which teased us for ten minutes but failed to show itself. Keel-billed Toucans were calling overhead whilst a Long-billed Gnatwren hurled abuse at us from a thicket -but sadly also refused to show. Long-tailed Manakins were however much more obliging with a couple of birds showing very well in the subcanopy –stunning wee birds with attitude.
We pressed on reaching a small river bridged by a fallen tree beyond which the forest opened up. The only new bird seen in this area was a male Canivet’s Emerald which was feeding on small blue flowers by the track –an attractive wee Hummer which didn’t hang around for photographs! Returning to the vehicle we made our way back to Liberia for some lunch following which we expected to return to our hotel however Carlos took us on an unscheduled freebie trip to Santa Rosa NP.
Santa Rosa N.P
Santa Rosa NP is a large protected area comprising of dry deciduous forest, evergreen forest, mangrove-clad coast, open grassy areas & a historical heritage-site (the site commemorates the victory of a ragamuffin band of Costa Rican peasants over a particularly obnoxious American & his invading army of Filibusters). Santa Rosa is easily accessed from the Pan-American Highway by a sign-posted left turn not far north of Liberia. The main access road is paved & runs west for about 15km to the Visitor’s Centre/Historic Site. The road passes through areas of dry forest, gallery forest & open scrub. Our first birds were a group of noisy Orange-fronted Parakeets with a nearby group of Brown-hooded Parrots –Carlos got quite excited about the Parrots as their presence in Santa Rosa is well to the west of their normal range.
Our next stop was by an open scrubby area where Carlos heard a calling Lesser Ground-Cuckoo. Despite 30 mins searching & frequent calls by the bird we saw nothing more than the rustling of bushes & shadowy movement! Moving further along the road we stopped at a Mirador (viewpoint) which gave an extensive view over surrounding low-lying forest. Returning to the vehicle we got good but short-lived views of a Thicket Tinamou but sadly I wasn’t fast enough on the draw to get a decent image! We moved on stopping briefly for White-lored Gnatcatchers & a Rufous-capped Warbler before moving on downhill to an area of damp gallery forest. Birds here included Long-tailed Manakins, Ivory-billed, Northern Barred & Streak-headed Woodcreepers & White-tipped Dove whilst Ruddy Woodcreepers were heard (& seen by Carlos & my wife –but not by me). Overhead a large group of Spider Monkeys appeared which included 4 females with youngsters. These primates are uncommon in Costa Rica & are not typically found in the forests of Santa Rosa however judging by the number of youngsters seen this group was obviously doing well. As we watched the Spider Monkey acrobatics overhead a strange noise was heard –initially it sounded like a jet engine but as it got closer it sounded more like a supermarket trolley & suddenly down the hill came a lad on a skate-board! It was all a bit surreal & the Spider Monkeys all stopped in their tracks to peer down at this bizarre site. With the maniac skateboarder heading into the distance we discovered a Royal Flycatcher perched in deep shade by the roadside –an altogether cracking wee bird which only briefly raised its amazing head-crest but which was, nonetheless a very welcome sight. By this point it was late in the afternoon & we boarded the vehicle driving on to the visitor’s centre where we turned & re-traced our steps. We saw a White-tailed Deer on the return trip but no new birds (though we did pass the skateboarder who had hitched a sneaky ride by hanging onto the tailgate of a pick-up truck!). It was dark by the time we arrived back at the hotel.
PART 8
Rincon de La Vieja
Rincon de La Vieja is a national park centred around a slumbering volcano in the Guanacaste Cordilleras. The name apparently means the “corner of the old female person” (???) perhaps better translating in my tongue to “the nook o’ the auld Witch”. The name is based on a rather sad Amerindian tale of forbidden love between a young couple from different tribes. The romance is ended through the execution of the young man by the woman’s father (he is horsed into the volcano!). She is understandably deeply disturbed and becomes a hermit on the slopes of the volcano where she dwells to this day cursing those foolhardy enough to enter (whilst also healing the sick!). It is perhaps this fearsome reputation that has protected the primary Rain forest on the volcano’s slopes! Either way these forested slopes hold a good range of species including some birds favouring humid forests but otherwise restricted to Costa Rica’s north-west; it also holds a number of essentially Caribbean slope birds such as Keel-billed Toucan & Collared Aracari (if you are based in the coastal beach resorts of Guanacaste & wish to see Toucans then this is your closest reliable site).
Another early departure at 05:00 saw us back on the road to Liberia following the obligatory short Pauraque fix at the hotel security gate. Once again we stopped off in Liberia for early morning coffee & pastries before heading north on the Pan-American Highway. The road to Rincon de La Vieja is a right-hand turn-off not far along the north highway from Liberia –independent birders please note, this turning is easily missed! The road to the National park is essentially a rough stony track which in July of 2008 was full of lorries & other heavy plant (the Costa Rican state-owned energy utility is building a new geothermal power station on the edge of the volcano at Rincon). The road extends for about 14km(??) but takes a while to traverse due to its rough stony, pot-hole ridden surface (in July it could be accessed with a standard 2-wheel drive car with care). This track passes through the extensive lands owned by the owners of the Hacienda Guachepelin (where we stayed on our first night in C.R) & part way along is a gate which blocks the road & a small toll booth –it costs $2 US to complete the journey (I gather there is another toll-free tortuous & complicated route that can be taken but is not worth the hassle).
Birding begins on accessing the track from the PA highway with Seedeaters & other grassland/farmland species being seen. The track quickly moves on & up past areas of dry deciduous forest (which were anything but dry on our visit!). A number of streams, torrents & fast-flowing rivers are crossed by the track & if time permits it is worth checking these out as Sunbittern is sometimes seen here (but not by us!).
Having paid our toll we passed onward & upward as the rain began to fall heavily. This dampened spirits (& hair) & was not conducive to casual birding from the vehicle. Our first target bird was a Trogon –Elegant Trogon which in Costa Rica is essentially a Guanacaste speciality & often difficult to find. We stopped by a roadside patch of forest with a good number of mature trees & there it was -a calling male Elegant Trogon. The conditions were not great for good images but at least we got good views of the bird which is similar to Collared Trogon (no overlap of range) but has a red-orange eye ring & an obvious yellow bill. We moved on up the track passing a couple of powerline perched Turquoise-browed Motmots before coming upon a large fruiting tree which held an assortment of birds including Streaked Flycatcher, Great Kiskadee, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Masked Tityra & a cracking pair of Keel-billed Toucans. Once on the road again we passed more fruiting trees, this time holding Red-billed Pigeon whilst nearby scrub held Grey-crowned Yellowthroat. A little further up the track the rain stopped & blue cracks appeared in the cloud cover. It was at this point that we noted the most outlandish of birds – a large rail with a yellow-green bill, bright red legs & a blue-grey head/neck stalking along the track. Carlos cut the engine & amazingly this bizarre bird walked up towards the vehicle allowing me to take a few images from the vehicle window.
Shortly after encountering our roadside rail we arrived at the Rincon de La Vieja NP car park in bright sunshine to be greeted by a lone male Coatimundi who decided we had nothing to offer & quickly moved on.
Carlos paid our entry fee for the National Park & then we made our way into the forest. The forest track was dim, muddy & festooned with large stones & tree roots. The going was slow & the birding difficult as though many birds were calling actually seeing anything proved to be a challenge. Our first bird seen was a Rufous & White Wren (I think –see the image) which caused me some difficulties –firstly in actually seeing the damn thing & then in reconciling it with the plate in my Field Guide (it turns out that our bird was probably a juvenile which has a dingy spotted ventral surface as opposed to the adult’s predominantly white underside). We then came across a large Agouti which tolerated a reasonably close approach (unfortunately the low light levels & handheld camera murdered the shots taken!!!).
We continued on along the trail & shortly after heard a short rippling call which Carlos instantly identified as a Stub-tailed Spadebill –an uncommon, tiny & highly desirable Tyrant Flycatcher. After a struggle we managed to locate two individuals & though light levels were very poor I managed to get a couple of images.............a thoroughly satisfying wee bird to see! Within minutes we were on to our next good bird –a cracking Ivory-billed Woodcreeper. This large & impressive-looking woodcreeper is another north-west Costa Rican speciality. Our bird was initially feeding high up on a tall tree but fortunately dropped down to an adjacent trunk at eye level allowing some images to be taken. We followed the Woodcreeper along the trail to an area of more open canopy with underlying scrub & an adjacent forest pond. New birds here included a Green Kingfisher, a reclusive pair of Red-crowned Ant-Tanagers & a cracking male Elegant Trogon.
As the trail continued we reached an area containing a number of boiling water/mud pools & vents –the air was thick with the smell of sulphur & though the surrounding vegetation was luxurious there was little surrounding bird activity. Further along the path we began to hit on birds again with a close calling Great Tinamou which teased us for ten minutes but failed to show itself. Keel-billed Toucans were calling overhead whilst a Long-billed Gnatwren hurled abuse at us from a thicket -but sadly also refused to show. Long-tailed Manakins were however much more obliging with a couple of birds showing very well in the subcanopy –stunning wee birds with attitude.
We pressed on reaching a small river bridged by a fallen tree beyond which the forest opened up. The only new bird seen in this area was a male Canivet’s Emerald which was feeding on small blue flowers by the track –an attractive wee Hummer which didn’t hang around for photographs! Returning to the vehicle we made our way back to Liberia for some lunch following which we expected to return to our hotel however Carlos took us on an unscheduled freebie trip to Santa Rosa NP.
Santa Rosa N.P
Santa Rosa NP is a large protected area comprising of dry deciduous forest, evergreen forest, mangrove-clad coast, open grassy areas & a historical heritage-site (the site commemorates the victory of a ragamuffin band of Costa Rican peasants over a particularly obnoxious American & his invading army of Filibusters). Santa Rosa is easily accessed from the Pan-American Highway by a sign-posted left turn not far north of Liberia. The main access road is paved & runs west for about 15km to the Visitor’s Centre/Historic Site. The road passes through areas of dry forest, gallery forest & open scrub. Our first birds were a group of noisy Orange-fronted Parakeets with a nearby group of Brown-hooded Parrots –Carlos got quite excited about the Parrots as their presence in Santa Rosa is well to the west of their normal range.
Our next stop was by an open scrubby area where Carlos heard a calling Lesser Ground-Cuckoo. Despite 30 mins searching & frequent calls by the bird we saw nothing more than the rustling of bushes & shadowy movement! Moving further along the road we stopped at a Mirador (viewpoint) which gave an extensive view over surrounding low-lying forest. Returning to the vehicle we got good but short-lived views of a Thicket Tinamou but sadly I wasn’t fast enough on the draw to get a decent image! We moved on stopping briefly for White-lored Gnatcatchers & a Rufous-capped Warbler before moving on downhill to an area of damp gallery forest. Birds here included Long-tailed Manakins, Ivory-billed, Northern Barred & Streak-headed Woodcreepers & White-tipped Dove whilst Ruddy Woodcreepers were heard (& seen by Carlos & my wife –but not by me). Overhead a large group of Spider Monkeys appeared which included 4 females with youngsters. These primates are uncommon in Costa Rica & are not typically found in the forests of Santa Rosa however judging by the number of youngsters seen this group was obviously doing well. As we watched the Spider Monkey acrobatics overhead a strange noise was heard –initially it sounded like a jet engine but as it got closer it sounded more like a supermarket trolley & suddenly down the hill came a lad on a skate-board! It was all a bit surreal & the Spider Monkeys all stopped in their tracks to peer down at this bizarre site. With the maniac skateboarder heading into the distance we discovered a Royal Flycatcher perched in deep shade by the roadside –an altogether cracking wee bird which only briefly raised its amazing head-crest but which was, nonetheless a very welcome sight. By this point it was late in the afternoon & we boarded the vehicle driving on to the visitor’s centre where we turned & re-traced our steps. We saw a White-tailed Deer on the return trip but no new birds (though we did pass the skateboarder who had hitched a sneaky ride by hanging onto the tailgate of a pick-up truck!). It was dark by the time we arrived back at the hotel.
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