Travel & Bird with the Bruders: Costa Rica 2017, Birding with Friends

Birding Costa Rica 9 - 20 March 2017

Part Two. Savegre Mountain Hotel to Hotel Villa Lapas and Carara National Park

14 March: After we enjoyed the comfortable climate of Savegre Mountain Hotel and nice looks at the Quetzals and other birds it was time to head out of the valley and drive the Pan American highway up to the highest point in the country. We stopped at 10,800 feet to look for the Timberline Wren, Volcano Hummingbird, and Volcano Junko. While the skies were clear overhead, the clouds over both coasts made it hard to see the water, but the Pacific Ocean was partly visible from our vantage point. Unfortunately, during our visit to the top of Costa Rica the Timberline Wren refused to show itself upon request.

Volcano Junko

Towers at 10,800 feet

Looking at the Pacific Ocean

American Kestrel

From the top of the world we made our way down the highway to a little restaurant stop in hopes of seeing some hummingbirds. Restaurante La Georgina has a long wall of windows overlooking a large yard that was full of hummingbirds and we were fortunate to get close looks at several species.

La Georgina

Violet-eared Hummingbird

Magnificent Hummingbird

Violet-eared Hummingbird

From La Georgina we took a very scenic trip down the mountain to the town of San Isidro where we went to the area around some ministry offices to look for the beautiful Turquoise Cotinga. After Richard dropped off some signed field guide we were allowed onto the property to see the Cotinga high overhead. We also checked out the local "Spa" to see what might be hanging around.

Golden-hooded Tanager

Turquoise Cotinga

Northern Jacana

Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks

From the San Isidro Spa, we hit the road to the coast and once we were down on the coast road we made a few stops to see what birds might be hanging about. First we stopped at the Rio Baru river mouth and next at a small pond where we picked up several new birds. As we drove north along the coast road we saw additional species as we made our way to the Hotel Villa Lapas near the town of Tarcoles. There are birds everywhere you look as you drive along the roads and everyone was spotting them and calling out different things.

Gray-breasted Martin

Thick-billed Euphonia

Gray Hawk

By mid afternoon we had arrived at the Hotel Villa Lapas and began seeing birds as soon as we pulled off the main road and drove up the short side road to the hotel parking area. We were able to unload and check out our rooms and then meet up in the area outside of our rooms for some afternoon birding on the grounds before dinner. The vegetation was much thicker than I remembered from two years ago and there seemed to be different bird species in the area and far fewer lizards (dinosaurs, as we called them but actually Black Ctenosaurs) laying all over the area. So on to the birds in the park-like setting that is Hotel Villa Lapas.

Fiery-billed Aracari in a nest hole

Orange-billed Sparrow

Turquoise-browed Motmot

Dusky Antbird (female)

Common Tody-Flycatcher

15 March: On this fine morning we were all up early to look for the local nesting Spectacled Owls, get some coffee, and walk the grounds before breakfast. The owl did not stand us up. After eating, we all loaded up the bus to head for a full day of birding Carara National Park, which is one of "The" spots to bird on the Pacific side of Costa Rica.

Spectacled Owl

Yellow-throated Tucan

Scarlet Macaw crawling into the nest hole

Slaty Antwren (male)

Scaly-throated Leaftosser (My 1000th bird deserves a better photo)

Slaty-tailed Trogon (male)

Green and Black Poison Dart Frog

Ruddy Quail-Dove

Carara National Park (back entrance)

Birding the trails at Carara N.P.

Northern Barred Woodcreeper

Orange-collared Manakin (male deep in the forest and camera shy)

Spider Monkey

Great Tinamou

Black-faced Antthrush

After birding all morning it was back to the hotel for lunch and a break before heading back to Carara N.P. to get some afternoon birds and early evening bathing birds.

The Villa Lapas dining area and bar

Peggy, Carol & Tom having a meal

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Blue-crowned Manakin (male)

Red-capped Manakin (male)

Blue-crowned Manakin (female)

Gray-headed Tanager

Chestnut-backed Antbird (male)

Pale-billed Woodpecker

Crocodiles on the Tarcoles River

White-winged Dove on nest

16 March: We birded the Hotel Villa Lapas grounds and trails in the morning and then set out to bird Guacimo Road and the new Guacalillo Bird Observatory in the Mangroves of the Tarcoles River. This trip gave us a chance to bird a portion of the Pacific dry forest, tidal pools, and then the mangroves and surrounding forests. We made several stops along Guacimo Road to see several of the birds that are found in the dry forest and then spent some time in the mangroves.

White-throated Magpie-Jay (Big Band's Sheldon Bird)

Streak-backed Oriole

Gray Hawk

Mangrove Vireo

Mangrove Hummingbird

Magnificent Frigatebird

Streaked Flycatcher

Mangrove Hummingbird

Black-headed Trogon (male)

No, we didn't see this one. But it's a nice decoy.

Drying off in the breeze like an Anhinga

After some great birding in the Mangroves and along the coast it was time to head on down the highway towards our next destination. On the way we stopped for lunch along the coast and the waiters brought out the days specials from the catch of the morning. They were all so tempting but I went for the shrimp and rice plate. It was soooo good, but soooooooo filling.