A year ago (November 2018), Kathy and I took a Road Scholar birding trip to Costa Rica: “Birding in Southern Costa Rica: Motmots and Quetzals”. It was fabulous! So, we decided that, this fall, we should do the other Costa Rica birding trip: “Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans” (Nov. 2-12, 2019). It, too, was fabulous. Our group consisted of 11 personable older people – all enthusiastic birders and/or photographers, along with our initial guide Gilbert Molina (aka Chito) and the apprentice guide Cali. Both individuals were master birders. As to the photography that follows – the camera I used is a Nikon Coolpix P900, a superzoom that zooms to 83X. The photographs range from sharply focused to considerably less so, but all serve the larger purpose of documenting as fully as possible the birds we saw, which totaled 300 species. Also, in that regard, I have happily added to the posts a number of photos taken by our tour companion, Tom Petersen. A tireless and talented photographer (who, BTW, also used a Coolpix P900), he got many birds that my coverage lacks. This is being done with his permission. Thanks Tom!

This presentation is broken into four parts, since we visited four different areas, staying for two nights each in four hotels or lodges. Our first stay was at Selva Verde, alongside the Rio Sarapiqui. The “selva” (forest) in question was Caribbean lowland rainforest. The lodge had a fruit feeding station, but no hummingbird feeders. Costa Rica has outlawed hummingbird feeders, since it is believed by some that feeders may do harm to the birds. But this prohibition is not being enforced, resulting in some birding venues that provide hummingbird feeders and others that don’t – and none of the lodges we stayed at had hummingbird feeders. Kathy and I provide hummingbird (and other) feeders at our home in New Mexico, and it is undeniably a fact that the best way to see and photograph birds is to offer them food.

This was borne out by our first birding stop of the trip – the La Paz Waterfalls Gardens, which is located along the route from San Jose to the Sarapiqui area. This route climbs from the capitol city of San Jose onto the slopes of Poas Volcano, before descending into the Caribbean lowlands. Thus, the Gardens are located in relatively high-elevation cloud forest, which supports a great number and diversity of bird species – and the Gardens provide many hummingbird feeders. 

DAY 1

La Paz Waterfall Gardens

Black-bellied hummingbird

same as above

Coppery-headed emerald hummingbird

Coppery-headed emerald hummingbird

Green-crowned brilliant hummingbird

Green-crowned brilliant (female) and green violetear hummingbirds

Green thorntail hummingbird

“Colibries”

Purple-throated mountain gem hummingbird

same as above, female

“Full frontal” view of Purple-throated mountain gem, by Tom Petersen

Violet sabrewing hummingbird

same as above

same as above

Brown violetear hummingbird, by Tom Petersen

Green hermit hummingbird, by Tom Petersen

L. to R. Violet sabrewing, coppery-headed emerald, purple-throated mountain-gem and coppery-headed emerald hummingbirds

Tawny-capped euphonia, by Tom Petersen

Orchid

Unfurling leaf

Flowering tree

Palm seeds

After lunch, we left the bird feeding stations and other exhibits to descend a series of steel stairways, which paralleled a number of waterfalls.

Our next stop was made a short distance down the road from the above, at Mirador Cinchona. A mirador is a view spot. Besides a great view of a tall waterfall, we saw our first Emerald toucanet.

Mirador Cinchona

Waterfall, seen from Mirador Cinchona

Dead tree with bromeliads

Northern emerald toucanet

same as above

same as above

Dusky-capped flycatcher (?)

Olive-backed euphonia

Tennessee warbler (?)

Silver-throated tanager

Blue-gray tanager

Clay-colored thrush, by Tom Petersen

We ended our birding at the Mirador with a cup of coffee, and descended to the Rio Sarapiqui, and Selva Verde.

Selva Verde

Rio Sarapiqui, at Selva Verde

Day 2

La Selva Field Station

Our destination for the morning was the La Selva Field Station, which is part of the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS). The Las Cruces Field Station, that we had visited the year before, is also part of OTS.

Gartered trogon

George (OTS guide)

Great kiskadee

Rufous-tailed jacamar

same as above

Turkey vultures

Tufted flycatcher

same as above

Basilisk lizard

Black-cheeked woodpecker

Slaty-tailed trogon

Pale-billed woodpecker

Hoffman’s woodpecker

Crested guan

Sloth, by Tom Petersen

Squirrel cuckoo, by Tom Petersen

Red-lored parrot

Red-lored parrots

In the afternoon, we visited the home, art studio and feeding stations of a friend of Gilbert – Copé. It was a beautiful setting, with a small creek flowing just a few feet beyond the feeders.

Copé’s Feeding Station

Band-tailed barbthroat hummingbird.

Bronze-tailed plumeteer hummingbird

same as above

Chestnut-headed oropendola

Great kiskadee

Green heron

Green honeycreeper

same as above

same as above

Melodious blackbird

Red-legged honeycreeper

Scarlet-rumped tanager

Palm tanager

Gray-necked wood-rail, by Tom Petersen

Violet-headed hummingbird

White-necked jacobin hummingbirds

same as above

Crowned woodnymph hummingbird (female)

Collared aracari

same as above

Selva Verde

One could look down at the fruit feeding table at Selva Verde from the balcony of the dining room, and could, thus, view birds while enjoying a meal or a beverage. My kind of birding!

Black-cowled oriole

same as above

Buff-throated saltator

same as above

Gray-headed chachalaca

Olive-backed euphonia

same as above

Summer tanager

Pale-billed woodpecker

Variable squirrel, with banana

Rufous motmot, by Tom Petersen

White-collared manakin, by Tom Petersen

Yellow-chested toucan

same as above

same as above

This toucan badly wanted a banana, but never worked up the courage to fly to and land on the fruit table while I was watching.

Our destination for the next day was Caño Negro, but we would be accompanied by a new guide (Roger), who was hurriedly recruited from Sarapiqui when Gilbert fell ill that evening.

Rich’s photo of the group, at La Paz Waterfall Gardens. Thanks Rich!

Here is the link to Part 2: https://believesteve.org/2019/12/05/birding-in-northern-costa-rica-part-2/