Trip
Information
Date: July
26 – August 7, 2010 (13 days)
Leader: Richard
Knapton
Cost: $3,675
USD, $3,975 CDN, Single supplement $375 USD, $395 CDN
Highlights:
• Lots of high quality, exciting birding in relatively easy conditions
• Amazingly high diversity in such a small area, in comfortable surroundings
and protected areas
Featured birds:
• Black-chested Jay
• Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager
• Resplendent Quetzal
• Scarlet Macaw
• Coppery-headed Emerald
• Three-wattled Bellbird
• Snowy Cotinga
• White-tipped Sicklebill
• White-crested Coquette
• Black-crested Coquette
• Lovely Cotinga
• Black-hooded Antshrike
Trip Summary:
• Diverse birding habitats
• Easy to moderate walking, some hill climbing
• Tropical and temperate climates
• Good to very good accommodation
• Two in-country air flights included
• Many endemic and range-restricted species
• 4 to 8 participants with one leader, 9 to 12 with two leaders
• Air-conditioned bus with driver
Tour starts and ends in San Jose, Costa Rica
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 Small
in size yet with 800 species of birds, Costa Rica is a modern, politically
stable country where short distances take us
into different habitats, and hence an impressive tally of species. Our
Summer Costa Rica tour takes in very special localities – world-famous
Monteverde and Arenal, the
incredibly bird-rich foothills of Braulio Carillo, the seldom visited
Cahuita National Park, and marvelous Osa
Peninsula. We first visit the stunning cloud-forest and lush pastures
at Monteverde, for superb Resplendent Quetzal and Three-wattled Bellbird,
then on to the slopes of Volcán Arenal for exceptional birding
in the foothill forests and from the Arenal Hanging Bridge. We next
pass through the Caribbean Lowlands to the coastal park of Cahuita where
Black-chested Jay, Purple-throated Fruitcrow and Snowy and Lovely Cotingas
occur. Braulio Carrillo offers exciting birding at any time. Finally
the exceptionally bird-rich lowland forests await us along the Osa Peninsula,
home to the endemic Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager, Scarlet Macaw and a rich
assemblage of exciting wildlife.
See detailed itinerary
below
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Photos by
Cam Gillies |
Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrival
The tour begins in the evening after dinner with an orientation at our
hotel, possibly finding Prevost’s Ground-sparrow in the hotel
grounds. Canivet’s Emerald, Steely-vented Hummingbird, Blue-crowned
Motmot, Rufous-capped Warbler and Grayish Saltator also occur here,
and we have a chance of finding the resident pair of Tropical Screech-Owls.
Night at Hotel Bouganvillea.
Day 2 - Drive to Monteverde
After a pre-breakfast look around the hotel grounds, we head out of
the Central Valley toward the famous Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve,
where we spend two nights. Our drive passes through the open pasture
and tropical dry forest of the Guanacaste lowlands where we look for
Swallow-tailed Kite, White-fronted Parrot, Orange-fronted Parakeet,
Cinnamon Hummingbird, Plain-capped Starthroat, Turquoise-browed Motmot,
White-throated Magpie-Jay, Rufous-naped and Banded Wrens, White-lored
Gnatcatcher, Scrub Euphonia and Stripe-headed Sparrow as we make our
way towards the mountains of the Cordillera de Tilaran. The rough unimproved
road leading from the main highway up to the town of Monteverde can
be quite challenging! We expect to arrive at our hotel by mid- to late
afternoon. Time permitting, we visit the Monteverde Ecological Sanctuary,
drier than the cloud forest above, where we look for several species
that are difficult to find at higher elevations – Black-breasted
Wood-Quail, Long-tailed Manakin, Rufous-and-white Wren, Golden-crowned
Warbler, Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush and White-eared Ground-Sparrow.
Three-wattled Bellbirds may be calling in the area, and mammals include
White-nosed Coati, Central American Agouti, and Howler and White-throated
Capuchin monkeys. Night at Monteverde.
Day 3 - Monteverde
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve straddles the continental divide,
at about 1500 m, covering about 10,000 ha of cloud and upper tropical
forest, and is home to several superb birds, including the well-named
Resplendent Quetzal. We walk the well-maintained trails of the reserve
into splendid forest, home to such goodies as Black Guan, Orange-bellied
Trogon, Ruddy Treerunner, Red-faced Spinetail, Spotted Barbtail, Prong-billed
Barbet, Azure-hooded Jay, Golden-browed Chlorophonia, Yellowish and
Golden-bellied Flycatchers, Ochraceous Wren, Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush,
Black-faced Solitaire, Collared and Slate-throated Redstarts and Three-striped
Warbler. We take in the famous Hummingbird Gallery just outside the
reserve, where feeders attract a marvelous selection of hummingbirds
- the endemic Coppery-headed Emerald, Green Violet-ear, White-necked
Jacobin, Violet Sabrewing, Magenta-throated Woodstar, Purple-throated
Mountain-gem, Rufous-tailed and Stripe-tailed Hummingbirds and Green-crowned
Brilliant. If the weather co-operates, we plan to venture out this evening
to look and listen for Bare-shanked Screech-Owl and Mottled Owl, and
with luck we could encounter a nocturnal mammal such as Kinkajou. Night
at Monteverde.
Day 4 - Drive to Arenal
Our morning will be spent around Santa Elena where we concentrate on
species not located up to now, perhaps Squirrel Cuckoo, Golden-olive
Woodpecker, Streak-breasted Treehunter, Lineated Foliage-gleaner, Silvery-fronted
Tapaculo, White-throated Spadebill, Spangle-cheeked Tanager, Chestnut-capped
Brush-finch and Elegant Euphonia. We then leave the Monteverde area
and head for our next destination, Arenal and its spectacular and active
volcano. Rainforest at the base of the volcano supports a rich assortment
of mid-elevation birds; possibilities include White Hawk, Ornate Hawk-eagle,
Pale-vented Pigeon, Broad-billed and Rufous Motmots, Brown-hooded, Red-lored
and White-crowned Parrots, Slaty-tailed and Violaceous Trogons, Rufous-tailed
Jacamar, Collared Aracari, Keel-billed Toucan, Black-cheeked and Smoky-brown
Woodpeckers, several woodcreepers including Spot-crowned, Buff-rumped
Warbler, both Black-headed and Buff-throated Saltators, Black-cowled
Oriole, Stripe-breasted and Black-throated Wrens, Masked Tityra and
Yellow-billed Cacique. Mammals include Three-toed Sloth and Spider Monkey.
If it is clear, the view of the volcano at night is breathtaking! Night
near Arenal.
Day 5 - Arenal
We spend all day exploring the trails and along roads through forest
and second-growth woodlands of this area, looking for Caribbean-slope
specialties. We may be fortunate to find several antbirds – possibly
Spotted, Bare-crowned, Bicoloured, Dusky and Dull-mantled; antshrikes
- Great, Fasciated and Russet; Streak-crowned Antvireo and Slaty Antwren.
Other goodies include White-necked Puffbird, Song and Nightingale Wrens,
Long-billed Gnatwren, White-collared and White-ruffed Manakins, Buff-throated
Foliage-gleaner, Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tyrant, Blue
and Scarlet-thighed Dacnis, several tanagers including the very smart
Black-and-yellow and the very scarce Rufous-winged, and Orange-billed
Sparrow. Birding from the Arenal Hanging Bridges into the rainforest
canopy could net us White-fronted Nunbird, Rufous Mourner, Black-headed
Tody-Flycatcher and the rare Keel-billed Motmot. Weather permitting,
we make an effort in the evening to locate Great Potoo and Common Pauraque.
Night near Arenal.
Day 6 - Transfer from Arenal to Cahuita
Today is a travel day as we travel from Arenal down the Caribbean slope,
across the lowlands and on to Cahuita National Park, making frequent
stops along the way. As we travel, we keep a sharp lookout for Green
Ibis, Bat Falcon, Chestnut-mandibled Toucan, puffbirds, Snowy Cotinga
and White-ringed Flycatcher. Night near Cahuita.
Day 7 - Cahuita National Park
Cahuita National Park is an area of coastal lowland forest hosting species
not easily found elsewhere. We look particularly for Lovely and Snowy
Cotingas, Purple-throated Fruitcrow, Blue-headed Parrot, Black-capped
Pygmy-Tyrant, White-vented Euphonia and Thick-billed Seed-Finch. South
of the park towards the town of Bribri is forest habitat that supports
the range-restricted Black-chested Jay, along with Crested Guan, Bronze-tailed
Plumeleteer, and many woodpeckers and woodcreepers including Northern
Barred. Night near Cahuita.
Day 8 - Braulio Carrillo and San Jose
We depart early and drive to Braulio Carrillo National Park, where a
walk along main trails could produce Lattice-tailed and Black-throated
Trogons, Yellow-eared Toucanet, Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush, White-throated
Shrike-Tanager and Blue-and-gold, Emerald, Speckled, Olive and Tawny-crested
Tanagers. Roadside flowers attract Violet-headed Hummingbird and Black-crested
Coquette. We arrive back at our hotel in San José to once again
bird the hotel grounds. Night in San José.
Days 9 to 11 - Osa Peninsula
We take the morning flight to Puerto Jiminez from where we transfer
to our lodge for a three night stay. Here we concentrate on specialties
of the Osa Peninsula, including the endemic and fairly common Black-cheeked
Ant-Tanager and the near-endemic Black-hooded Antshrike and Spot-crowned
Euphonia. Trails through forests may produce Marbled Wood-Quail, Little
Tinamou and Scaly-throated Leaftosser, King Vultures and Costa Rican
Swifts soar overhead, Scarlet Macaws announce their presence with loud,
raucous squawks, Tiny Hawk hunt forest edges, and flowering plants attract
White-crested Coquette, the scarce White-tipped Sicklebill and Beryl-crowned
(Charming) Hummingbird. There will be lots to see: Red-rumped and Rufous-winged
Woodpeckers, Black-striped Woodcreeper, Turquoise and Yellow-billed
Cotingas, Golden-crowned Spadebill, Black-tailed Flycatcher, Blue-crowned
Manakin, Riverside Wren, Yellow-crowned Euphonia, Slate-coloured and
Blue-black Grosbeaks, and much more. This area also supports Central
American Squirrel Monkeys. Deforestation has created open country that
has allowed Brown-throated Parakeets, Pale-breasted Spinetails and Red-breasted
Blackbirds to invade the area.
Day 12 - Return to San Jose
We spend the morning birding around our lodge before transferring to
Puerto Jiminez and our flight to San Jose. Depending upon time of arrival,
we will plan activities for the remainder of the day. Overnight in San
Jose.
Day 13 - Departure
Our tour ends after breakfast and we transfer to the international airport
for our flights home.
What
to Expect
Our daily travel
schedule will vary to account for weather, bird species and habitat.
Expect some early morning, before-breakfast walks, as well
as late evening viewing. Almost without exception it is best to begin
birding at daybreak in the tropics, when bird activity and song are
at their peak. In forest regions, we concentrate on “edge” birding
until the light is sufficient to enter forest trails. Often bird activity
slackens off by noon, when we may return to our hotel for lunch and
a short siesta. On occasion, picnic lunches will be prepared for us,
maximizing our time in the field and allowing us a more flexible schedule.
We bird again in the coolness of the late afternoon, occasionally staying
out after dusk to search for nightbirds. Weather conditions on the trip
will range from hot to cool; mostly, it will be warm to hot with a mixture
of sun and cloud. Monteverde can be cool, windy and wet, and the Osa
Peninsula is likely to be hot and humid. Walking conditions range from
easy to moderate; if there has been rain, then trails could be muddy.
Strong, waterproof footwear is advised and a light rain-jacket and waterproof
hat are often essential. There will be opportunities for photography,
as many birds and other wildlife allow close approach. Bring mosquito
repellant - mosquitoes are not usually a problem but can be active after
rain. In the evening we eat at a favored restaurant or at the hotel
or lodge where we are staying. At this time we discuss the day’s
activities, review the list of birds and other wildlife that we have
seen and heard, and prepare for the next day.
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