12 March - 24 April 2001

by Blake Maybank

This is an account of the birding portion of an atypical Costa Rica birding trip, one centered upon a six-week immersion course of Spanish language instruction. The immersion component involved living with Costa Rican families, and attending daily language classes. The birding component will be described in more detail below.

LOGISTICS

The entire trip was framed around a six-week course of Spanish language instruction.

I undertook my initial search of the possibilities on the Internet, focusing first on school "wholesalers" such as Spanish Abroad (http://www.spanishabroad.com/), which markets a number of different local schools in various Latin American countries (and Spain, of course). Once I decided upon Costa Rica as my country of choice (with Ecuador a close second), I then had to select a particular school.

There are numerous schools in Costa Rica from which to choose, and I eventually selected Centro Panamericano de Idiomas (hereafter CPI, web site http://cpi-edu.com/), a decision based in large part on its having three campuses, each in a different part of the country; Heredia (near San Jose), Monteverde, and Playa Flamingo (Guanacaste Province). CPI makes it easy to structure a program to incorporate all three destinations, and the adjacent birding opportunities seemed enticing.

Because I was interested in birding opportunities, I elected to pay a surcharge in order to have private language instruction in the afternoons. Most students choose the slightly less expensive option of group instruction (maximum four students to one teacher), but as group classes begin at 0800h, this prevents the option of morning birding.

Weekends are free, and the school, sometimes through local operators, organises trips to nearby sites of interest, many of which have birding possibilities. There are also numerous such trips through the week, but usually in the afternoon, when I had scheduled my own instruction period. But check prices carefully, as sometimes it is less expensive to organise your own excursion. Another disadvantage to the school-organised trips is that most require a minimum number of participants, and if that number is not reached, the trip is cancelled.

An advantage of attending the school is that one's student card provides for numerous local discounts at restaurants, stores, etc. These vary with the CPI location -- contact each campus for more information.

OVERALL ITINERARY
 

10 March	Depart Halifax, Nova Scotia
11 March	Arrive San Jose.
12 - 30 March	Heredia (CPI language school)
31 March	Travel from Heredia to Monteverde
01 - 08 April	Monteverde (CPI language school)
09 April	Travel from Monteverde to San Jose
10 April	Costa Rica Big Day (Bird Race)
11 April	Travel from San Jose to Osa Peninsula (excursion organised by CPI)
12-13 April	Marenco Nature Reserve & Corcovado National Park
14 April	Travel from Osa Peninsula to Heredia
15 April	Travel from Heredia to Playa Flamingo (Bahía Potrero, Guanacaste)
16 - 21 April	Playa Flamingo (CPI language school)
22 April	Travel from Playa Flamingo to Heredia
23 April	Depart Costa Rica, arrive Toronto, Canada
24 April	Toronto to Halifax

INTERNAL TRAVEL

My journeys between cities and towns was organised through CPI, and there were generally two options, the extensive nation-wide system of buses (said to be inexpensive, slow, and frequently uncomfortable), and InterBus, a private company that links areas popular with Gringoes, using minivans. These vans are faster, air-conditioned, and more comfortable, and although considerably more expensive than the buses, are still reasonable in price, generally between $20 to $30 U.S.. I invariably chose the InterBus.

For contracted birding excursions, transportation was organised by the guides.

In Monteverde I used the local bus that runs between Santa Elena and the Monteverde Reserve, as well as taxis.

In Playa Flamingo I used the minivan service run by CPI.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Trips to Costa Rica do not require mandatory innoculations, and I experienced no difficulty with food or water anywhere during my trip. Despite being a cold-weather Canadian, I remembered to properly hydrate where the heat was extreme, particularly the Osa Peninsula, and Playa Flamingo.

PESTS

Mosquitos were only slightly annoying in Heredia, generally at dusk, and inside the bedroom at night. Mind you, it was the end of the dry season ("summer"), and I'm sure activity would pick up once the rains commenced.

LOCAL GUIDES (alphabetical order)

Richard Garrigues
    http://www.angelfire.com/bc/gonebirding/index.html

Sergio Vega Marín
    (serjungle@racsa.co.cr)

Monteverde Reserve Guides
    http://monteverdeweb.com/id82.htm

Winnie Orcutt (contact the Birding Club of Costa Rica)
    [web sites is no longer in operation}

Dennis Rogers
    http://www.cinclustours.com/

REFERENCES

1) "A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica," by Stiles, Skutch, & Gardner. Indispensable. Carried by the American Birding Association, among others.

2) "The Ecotravellers' Wildlife Guide - Costa Rica," by Les Beletsky. Useful for charismatic fauna other than birds. Carried by the A.B.A..

3) "Site Guides - Costa Rica & Panama," by Dennis Rogers. Much better, and more current, than Keith Taylor's now unavailable guide. Amazon carries the book, though ABA inexplicably does not. You can also order directly from the author through his home page:
    http://www.cinclustours.com/

4)  "Costa Rica Handbook" by Christopher P. Baker. Published by Moon Travel Handbooks.  I looked at many country handbooks, and this is the BEST. Go to: http://www.travelguidebooks.com

BIRDING ITINERARY
 

DATE	HOURS	LOCALE	Guides or Companions
11 March	1200-1600	Sarapiqui, Horquetas, Caribbean slope	none
12 March	0900-1200	San Joaquin de Flores, Heredia	none
13 March	0600-1000	San Joaquin de Flores, Heredia	none
14 March	0630-0930	San Joaquin de Flores, Heredia	none
15 March	0600-1100	Vara Blanca, above Alajuela	Winnie Orcutt
	1130-1200	Virgin del Socorro - Mirador feeders	Winnie Orcutt
17 March	0630-1300	Virgin del Socorro Forest Reserve	Dennis Rogers
18 March	0730-1345	Cerro de la Muerte	Dennis Rogers
19 March	0630-1100	Parque Nacional Volcán Poás	Winnie Orcutt
22 March	0730-1100	Braulio Carrillo National Park	Richard Garrigues
	1200-1430	Horquetas (en route to La Selva)	Richard Garrigues
	1430-1730	road to La Selva	Richard Garrigues
25 March	0730-1230	Virgin del Socorro Forest Reserve	Richard Garrigues
	1300-1400	Virgin del Socorro - Mirador feeders	Richard Garrigues
	1400-1600	Restaurant Lodge el Churrasco, near Fraijanes	Richard Garrigues
27 March	0630-0945	Reserva Forestal el Rodeo, in the Cerros de Escazu, above Santa Ana	Dennis Rogers
01 April	0700-1200	Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve	Toby (staff guide)
03 April	0700-0900	Finca Ecológica, Monteverde	none
04 April	0630-1200	Finca Ecológica, Monteverde	none
05 April	1530-1730	Finca Ecológica, Monteverde	none
06 April	0600-0900	road to San Luis, Monteverde	none
	1300-1700	Monteverde Sky Walk	Sergio Vega Marín
07 April	1230-1500	Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve	Dorothy MacKinnon
08 April	0800-1200	Santa Elena Forest Preserve	Dorothy MacKinnon
10 April	0500-0800	Carara Biological Reserve	Dennis Rogers, Jim Zook
	0900-1000	Rio Tárcoles Estuary	Dennis Rogers, Jim Zook
	1200-1400	Virgin del Socorro Forest Reserve	Dennis Rogers, Jim Zook
	1600-1800	La Selva	Dennis Rogers, Jim Zook
12 April	0830-1430	Osa Peninsula - Corcovado National Park	none
13 April	0530-1800	Osa Peninsula - Marenco Nature Reserve	none
16 April	0900-1200	Guanacaste - Bahía Potrero	none
18 April	0530-0930	Guanacaste - Bahía Potrero	none
19 April	0530-1100	Guanacaste - Bahía Potrero	none
21 April	0600-0900	Guanacaste - Bahía Potrero	none

SITE NAVIGATION -- SITE DETAILS AND BIRD LISTS
 
 

#	SITE
A)	Sarapiqui, Horquetas, Caribbean slope
B)	San Joaquin de Flores, Heredia
C)	Vara Blanca, above Alajuela
D1)	Virgin del Socorro Forest Reserve
D2)	Virgin del Socorro - Mirador feeders
D3)	Virgin del Socorro - Restaurant Lodge el Churrasco, near Fraijanes
E)	Cerro de la Muerte
F)	Parque Nacional Volcán Poás
G)	Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo
H)	Horquetas (en route to La Selva)
I)	Access road to La Selva
J)	Reserva Forestal el Rodeo, in the Cerros de Escazu, above Santa Ana
K)	Monteverde
K1)	Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve
K2)	Finca Ecológica, Monteverde
K3)	road to San Luis, Monteverde
K4)	Monteverde Sky Walk
K5)	Santa Elena Forest Preserve
K6)	Cerro Plano
L)	Carara Biological Reserve
M)	Rio Tárcoles Estuary
N)	La Selva
O)	Osa Peninsula - Corcovado National Park & Marenco Nature Reserve
P)	Guanacaste - Bahía Potrero
&	Complete Costa Rica Trip List

A) - SARAPIQUI, HORQUETAS, CARIBBEAN SLOPE -- 11 March 2001

I arrived at the San Jose airport at 0200 a.m., and, as I had no checked luggage, I was the first one through customs, and I found my driver from CPI (the Language School) without difficulty. The home of the family (Yvette and William Viquez) where I was to be billeted for the next three weeks was only four kilometres distant.

Later that morning, my host family communicated to me that there was to be a family excursion that day, and I was invited. We drove over the mountains, through beautiful Braulio Carrillo National Park, and then down the other side to the hot, humid, Caribbean lowlands, where William has one of his farms. The habitat was somewhat mixed, and there were some good patches of mature forest. Despite it being early afternoon, in the heat of the day, there were some birds about, and between courses of the BBQ I managed to identify a few of them -- it was slow going, but fun. Here is my list for that part of the Caribbean lowlands:

Sarapiqui, Horquetas, Caribbean Slope ~ 11 March 2001 ~ 17 species
 

COMMON NAME	SCIENTIFIC NAME
Cattle Egret	Bubulcus ibis
Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura
Blue Ground-Dove	Claravis pretiosa
Groove-billed Ani	Crotophaga sulcirostris
Black-striped Woodcreeper	Xiphorhynchus lachrymosus
Tropical Pewee	Contopus cinereus
Great Kiskadee	Pitangus sulphuratus
White-ringed Flycatcher	Conopias albovittata
Black-crowned Tityra	Tityra inquisitor
Mourning Warbler	Oporornis philadelphia
Passerini's Tanager	Ramphocelus passerinii
Golden-hooded Tanager	Tangara larvata
Blue Dacnis	Dacnis cayana
Blue-black Grassquit	Volatinia jacarina
Variable Seedeater	Sporophila corvina
Black-striped Sparrow	Arremonops conirostris
Black-faced Grosbeak	Caryothraustes poliogaster

Most of the species were new for me, of course, and one of them put me over 1600 on my life list, but I'm not sure which one it was, as I didn't keep track of the order in which I saw them.

B) - SAN JOAQUIN DE FLORES, HEREDIA -- 12-30 March 2001

As might be imagined, the birding opportunities in a heavily developed urban and suburban environment are not too great. Some of the gardens were good, but access was difficult, as every house, garden, and field was heavily and securely fenced against the world. But I had some small successes.

Along the main road from San Joaquin into Heredia, a scruffy looking creek crossed the road, the Rio Heredia, with water an indescribable colour, like old toothpaste. But the creek was lined with trees and shrubs, and there were a few birds present therein, including a singing Yellow-green Vireo.

One morning I did a nice walk of 10 km or so, venturing into the coffee fields to the north of the town. I saw a few new birds for the trip, and some interesting countryside. There was a flight of swifts overhead, including a couple of White-collareds, easy to identify, while the rest were apparently Vaux's Swifts. A Boat-billed Flycatcher was a nice study next to a Great Kiskadee, and a Squirrel Cuckoo was a surprise. Another morning I went out for a walk after breakfast, following an old railway track to the east, and found some nice habitat near the Rio Heredia, but found no new species. I again heard a bird I'd encountered three different times, each time without being able to see the singer. I eventually discovered the bird to be a Blue-gray Tanager, which was singing from its nest. The railway track runs north-south, and lies a hundred meters or so west of CPI school. Walking the track north also looked promising, but I didn't make the time to explore that direction.

I found a parrot roost in a couple of big palm trees, roughly one km south of the CPI school, and on the same unnamed road. After a couple of days I was finally able to see one well enough for identification; it was a Scarlet-fronted Parakeet. The garden hummingbirds were equally difficult to ID, as they never seemed to stop for a look. I finally put a name to one in my host's garden, and as the field guide predicted, it was a Rufous-tailed Emerald, the common hummer of city gardens.

I also took a guided tour of the Café Britt coffee export company. The grounds around the facility were quite birdy (a singing Melodious Blackbird was unexpected), and the coffee was excellent, as was the professional interpretive guided tour, equal to the best I've seen elsewhere. I recommend it, and the coffee. They have a great sales outlet with affordable shipping home, and my box of coffee arrived back in Canada before I did. (www.cafebritt.com)

San Joaquin de Flores, Heredia ~ 12 - 30 March 2001 ~ 35 species
 

COMMON NAME	SCIENTIFIC NAME
Black Vulture	Coragyps atratus
Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura
Rock Dove	Columba livia
Red-billed Pigeon	Columba flavirostris
Inca Dove	Columbina inca
Crimson-fronted Parakeet	Aratinga finschi
Squirrel Cuckoo	Piaya cayana
Groove-billed Ani	Crotophaga sulcirostris
Black Swift	Cypseloides niger
White-collared Swift	Streptoprocne zonaris
Vaux's Swift	Chaetura vauxi
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird	Amazilia tzacatl
Hoffmann's Woodpecker	Melanerpes hoffmannii
Dusky-capped Flycatcher	Myiarchus tuberculifer
Great Kiskadee	Pitangus sulphuratus
Boat-billed Flycatcher	Megarynchus pitangua
Tropical Kingbird	Tyrannus melancholicus
Blue-and-white Swallow	Pygochelidon cyanoleuca
Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica
Rufous-naped Wren	Campylorhynchus rufinucha
House Wren	Troglodytes aedon
Clay-colored Robin	Turdus grayi
Brown Jay	Cyanocorax morio
Yellow-green Vireo	Vireo flavoviridis
Tennessee Warbler	Vermivora peregrina
Yellow Warbler	Dendroica petechia
Blue-gray Tanager	Thraupis episcopus
Rufous-collared Sparrow	Zonotrichia capensis
Grayish Saltator	Saltator coerulescens
Eastern Meadowlark	Sturnella magna
Melodious Blackbird	Dives dives
Great-tailed Grackle	Quiscalus mexicanus
Baltimore Oriole	Icterus galbula
Orchard Oriole	Icterus spurius
House Sparrow	Passer domesticus

C) - VARA BLANCA, ABOVE ALAJUELA -- 15 March

This was the first formal birding outing, arranged through William's sister, Nelia, who is a beginning birder. She put me in touch with the past president of the Costa Rica Birding Club, Winnie Orcutt, and she agreed to take me for a morning's birding, for a fee of roughly $25 Cdn, or 5000 colones, the local currency. We were to meet at a hotel near the airport, as it is very difficult to give directions to specific houses, as streets are not named, and houses not numbered.

I arose before 0400, and my taxi showed up on time at 0430, but not before I had caused some consternation in the household, occasioned by my difficulty in getting out of the fortified and locked house. It seems that due to my incompetant Spanish, they thought I was heading out at 0430 in the afternoon, not the morning. Regardless, I made my rendezvous at the Hampton Inn near the airport at 0500, and Winnie and I headed out for a morning's birding. We went to Vara Blanca, a patch of remnant rain forest above Alajuela. Winnie was a fine companion, and knew her birds well, but her hearing is going. Since my eyesight is not acute, and colour-challenged as well, we made a good team. We (or rather, I) heard a Quetzal, but we didn't see it. Still, there were many fine birds, most new for me. The Collared Redstart was especially showy. We birded the area until just before 10, and then headed back to town.

Despite the rather sedate birding pace at Vara Blanca, we saw many birds, most new. Here is the list:

Vara Blanca ~ 15 March ~ 35 species
 

COMMON NAME	SCIENTIFIC NAME
Cattle Egret	Bubulcus ibis
Broad-winged Hawk	Buteo platypterus
Barred Forest-Falcon	Micrastur ruficollis
Purple-throated Mountain-gem	Lampornis calolaema
Scintillant Hummingbird	Selasphorus scintilla
Resplendent Quetzal	Pharomachrus mocinno
Prong-billed Barbet	Semnornis frantzii
Red-faced Spinetail	Cranioleuca erythrops
Spotted Barbtail	Premnoplex brunnescens
Mountain Elaenia	Elaenia frantzii
White-throated Spadebill	Platyrinchus mystaceus
Tufted Flycatcher	Mitrephanes phaeocercus
Yellowish Flycatcher	Empidonax flavescens
Bright-rumped Attila	Attila spadiceus
Blue-and-white Swallow	Pygochelidon cyanoleuca
Bank Swallow	Riparia riparia
Gray-breasted Wood-Wren	Henicorhina leucophrys
Black-faced Solitaire	Myadestes melanops
Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush	Catharus frantzii
Mountain Robin	Turdus plebejus
Yellow-winged Vireo	Vireo carmioli
Black-throated Green Warbler	Dendroica virens
Northern Waterthrush	Seiurus noveboracensis
Wilson's Warbler	Wilsonia pusilla
Slate-throated Redstart	Myioborus miniatus
Collared Redstart	Myioborus torquatus
Three-striped Warbler	Basileuterus tristriatus
Common Bush-Tanager	Chlorospingus ophthalmicus
Golden-browed Chlorophonia	Chlorophonia callophrys
Silver-throated Tanager	Tangara icterocephala
Spangle-cheeked Tanager	Tangara dowii
Yellow-faced Grassquit	Tiaris olivacea
Slaty Flowerpiercer	Diglossa plumbea
Yellow-thighed Finch	Pselliophorus tibialis
Rufous-collared Sparrow	Zonotrichia capensis

D1) - VIRGIN DEL SOCORRO FOREST RESERVE - 17 March, 25 March, & 10 April

17 March

On this, my first Saturday in-country, I had made arrangements to go afield with Dennis Rogers, the author of "Site Guides - Costa Rica & Panama." It's a good 180 page book, much better than Keith Taylor's guide, but inexplicably is not carried by the ABA. As with my earlier outing with Winnie, I arranged to meet Dennis at the Hampton Inn. But, a panic. Somehow, I slept through my alarm, and woke up at 4:58, with my taxi due at five. Perhaps the earplugs weren't such a good idea, although they seemed a brilliant move when the mosquito was buzzing about my ears. Fortunately, I had prepared everything for departure the evening before, so I threw on my clothes, grabbed my gear (but forgot my hat), and was out the door in two minutes, but not before the taxi driver had honked once to remind me that he was waiting. So much for a quiet, gracious departure.

As I waited outside the hotel with a coffee, I could hear the cacophony of bird sounds from the nearby grove of pine trees, which I had heard the first time I rendezvoused here. But unlike the earlier morning, this time I could see the birds leaving their roost, as it was 30 minutes later. They were Great-tailed Grackles, and there were thousands of them, quite a sight, as they left in every direction. Then Dennis arrived, and we were off birding. He took me to an area called Virgin del Socorro, at around 7000 ft in elevation, and we saw and heard many new birds for my life list. He really knows his birds.

This outing produced my biggest day-list to date, with many life birds (some heard-only, of course, which happens a lot in the thick tropical forests).

25 March

I was picked up at 0610 by Richard Garriguez in his van, and the entire family was along for the outing, and they needed their 12 passenger van, as there was Richard, his wife, and their five children, aged from 17 through 8.  And every one of them enjoyed birding, all having binoculars, and keeping track of their sightings and life lists. Young eyes are sharp eyes, and upon arrival at Virgin del Socorro, the family quickly strung out along the road, finding birds everywhere. It was impossible to keep up, and I inevitably missed some sightings, but it was good fun. We birded the road down and up the valley, and I had a few new sightings, including a Greet Toucanet, and a Fasciated Tiger-Heron, the latter a great find, apparently. Richard found an American Dipper nest on an old bridge support structure, and it was interesting to watch the adults sneak in to feed their young. The dippers here, while considered the same species as those in western Canada, look quite different, with light gray bodies, and dark wings and tail. The Western Wood-Pewee we encountered had the good grace to call, although the "Traill's" Flycatcher didn't. Richard and his eldest son insisted it was a Willow, but I was not about to make that determination. It was "willowish," perhaps, but without my Sibley guide, and likely not even then, I would not venture a definitive ID.

It was interesting to me how different my list was from my previous trip to the same trail. On my first trip I had 62 species, the second 55, and the combined trip lists was 88 species. And I missed some that others saw, with the Gray-crowned Yellowthroat the most annoying. There was an impressive movement of White-collared Swifts, and 5 or 6 Swallow-tailed Kites sailed up and down the valley, a very beautiful show. And I saw (and held) my first snake of the trip, a small Blunt-headed Snake, a non-venemous species.

Just as we were back on the road driving to our next stop, we had great views of a troop of White-faced Monkeys, the first I'd seen.

10 April

Virgin del Socorro was one of several sites visited by the Big Day team of Dennis Rogers and Jim Zook. It was a hasty visit, and I made note of only those species I saw that I hadn't seen on earlier trips.

Virgin Del Socorro Forest Reserve ~ 17 March, 25 March, & 10 April ~ 94 species
 

COMMON NAME	SCIENTIFIC NAME	17/03	25/03
Tricolored Heron	Egretta tricolor	en route (17th)
Cattle Egret	Bubulcus ibis	en route
Fasciated Tiger-Heron	Tigrisoma fasciatum	-	X
Black Vulture	Coragyps atratus	X	X
Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura	X	X
Swallow-tailed Kite	Elanoides forficatus	X	X
White Hawk	Leucopternis albicollis	-	X
Broad-winged Hawk	Buteo platypterus	-	X
Short-tailed Hawk	Buteo brachyurus	-	X
Swainson's Hawk	Buteo swainsoni	-	X
Red-billed Pigeon	Columba flavirostris	X	-
White-crowned Parrot	Pionus senilis	X	-
Squirrel Cuckoo	Piaya cayana	X	X
White-collared Swift	Streptoprocne zonaris	-	X
Green Hermit	Phaethornis guy	X	-
Violet Sabrewing	Campylopterus hemileucurus	X	-
Violet-headed Hummingbird	Klais guimeti	X	-
Violet-crowned Woodnymph	Thalurania colombica	X	X
Purple-throated Mountain-gem	Lampornis calolaema	X	-
Green-crowned Brilliant	Heliodoxa jacula	X	-
Purple-crowned Fairy	Heliothryx barroti	X	X
Collared Trogon	Trogon collaris	10th April
Emerald Toucanet	Aulacorhynchus prasinus	-	X
Keel-billed Toucan	Ramphastos sulfuratus	X	X
Hairy Woodpecker	Picoides villosus	X	-
Smoky-brown Woodpecker	Veniliornis fumigatus	X	X
Golden-olive Woodpecker	Piculus rubiginosus	X	X
Olivaceous Woodcreeper	Sittasomus griseicapillus	-	X
Spotted Woodcreeper	Xiphorhynchus erythropygius	-	X
Streak-headed Woodcreeper	Lepidocolaptes souleyetii	X	-
Brown-billed Scythebill	Campylorhamphus pusillus	-	X
Russet Antshrike	Thamnistes anabatinus	-	X
Slaty Antwren	Myrmotherula schisticolor	X	-
White-ruffed Manakin	Corapipo altera	X	X
Torrent Tyrannulet	Serpophaga cinerea	10th April
Olive-striped Flycatcher	Mionectes olivaceus	X	-
Paltry Tyrannulet	Zimmerius vilissimus	X	X
Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant	Lophotriccus pileatus	X	-
Black-headed Tody-Flycatcher	Todirostrum nigriceps	X	-
Yellow-olive Flycatcher	Tolmomyias sulphurescens	-	X
Yellow-margined Flycatcher	Tolmomyias assimilis	X	-
Tufted Flycatcher	Mitrephanes phaeocercus	10th April
Olive-sided Flycatcher	Contopus cooperi	-	X
Dark Pewee	Contopus lugubris	X	-
Western Wood-Pewee	Contopus sordidulus	-	X
"Traill's" Flycatcher	Empidonax sp.	-	X
Black Phoebe	Sayornis nigricans	X	X
Bright-rumped Attila	Attila spadiceus	X	-
Rufous Mourner	Rhytipterna holerythra	X	-
Dusky-capped Flycatcher	Myiarchus tuberculifer	X	-
Tropical Kingbird	Tyrannus melancholicus	X	-
Blue-and-white Swallow	Pygochelidon cyanoleuca	X	-
American Dipper	Cinclus mexicanus	X	-
Bay Wren	Thryothorus nigricapillus	-	X
Stripe-breasted Wren	Thryothorus thoracicus	X	-
House Wren	Troglodytes aedon	-	X
Ochraceous Wren	Troglodytes ochraceus	-	X
Gray-breasted Wood-Wren	Henicorhina leucophrys	X	X
Nightingale Wren	Microcerculus philomela	X	-
Black-faced Solitaire	Myadestes melanops	X	-
Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush	Catharus fuscater	X	-
Pale-vented Thrush	Turdus obsoletus	-	X
Brown Jay	Cyanocorax morio	X	-
Azure-hooded Jay	Cyanolyca cucullata	X	-
Philadelphia Vireo	Vireo philadelphicus	X	X
Lesser Greenlet	Hylophilus decurtatus	X	X
Golden-winged Warbler	Vermivora chrysoptera	X	X
Tropical Parula	Parula pitiayumi	X	X
Chestnut-sided Warbler	Dendroica pensylvanica	X	X
Blackburnian Warbler	Dendroica fusca	-	X
Black-and-white Warbler	Mniotilta varia	X	-
Louisiana Waterthrush	Seiurus motacilla	-	X
Mourning Warbler	Oporornis philadelphia	-	X
Wilson's Warbler	Wilsonia pusilla	X	X
Slate-throated Redstart	Myioborus miniatus	X	X
Golden-crowned Warbler	Basileuterus culicivorus	X	X
Bananaquit	Coereba flaveola	X	X
Common Bush-Tanager	Chlorospingus ophthalmicus	-	X
Summer Tanager	Piranga rubra	X	X
Flame-colored Tanager	Piranga bidentata	en route (25th)
Crimson-collared Tanager	Ramphocelus sanguinolentus	X	-
Tawny-capped Euphonia	Euphonia anneae	-	X
Emerald Tanager	Tangara florida	X	-
Silver-throated Tanager	Tangara icterocephala	X	-
Speckled Tanager	Tangara guttata	X	X
Bay-headed Tanager	Tangara gyrola	X	X
Scarlet-thighed Dacnis	Dacnis venusta	-	X
Green Honeycreeper	Chlorophanes spiza	X	X
Sooty-faced Finch	Lysurus crassirostris	X	X
Yellow-thighed Finch	Pselliophorus tibialis	10th April
Rufous-collared Sparrow	Zonotrichia capensis	X	X
Eastern Meadowlark	Sturnella magna	en route
Great-tailed Grackle	Quiscalus mexicanus	en route
Bronzed Cowbird	Molothrus aeneus	X	X

D2) - VIRGIN DEL SOCORRO - MIRADOR FEEDERS - 15 March & 25 March

My first visit to the remarkable Mirador feeders near the Virgin del Socorro Forest Preserve was with Winnie Orcutt on March 15. Time was pressing, and the blizzard of hummers coming to the feeders was overwhelming. I learned to ID five species before we had to leave, but when I returned to the feeders on March 25 with Richard Garrigues and his family, we spent more time here, seeing the same species I noted March 15, plus many more. The view is also impressive here, at least when the clouds and mist clear. A spectacular waterfall is visible far below and across the valley. We also stopped here briefly during the Big Day on April 10^th, and the only new "site bird" for me was a Hepatic Tanager.
 

Virgin del Socorro Mirador feeders - 15 & 25 March ~ 21 species
 

COMMON NAME	SCIENTIFIC NAME
Green Hermit	Phaethornis guy
Violet Sabrewing	Campylopterus hemileucurus
Brown Violet-ear	Colibri delphinae
Green Violet-ear	Colibri thalassinus
Green Thorntail	Discosura conversii
Coppery-headed Emerald	Elvira cupreiceps
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird	Amazilia tzacatl
White-bellied Mountain-gem	Lampornis hemileucus
Green-crowned Brilliant	Heliodoxa jacula
Prong-billed Barbet	Semnornis frantzii
Yellow-bellied Elaenia	Elaenia flavogaster
Clay-colored Robin	Turdus grayi
Black-and-white Warbler	Mniotilta varia
Hepatic Tanager	Piranga flava
Summer Tanager	Piranga rubra
Palm Tanager	Thraupis palmarum
Silver-throated Tanager	Tangara icterocephala
Spangle-cheeked Tanager	Tangara dowii
Thick-billed Seed-Finch	Oryzoborus funereus
Rufous-collared Sparrow	Zonotrichia capensis
Baltimore Oriole	Icterus galbula
Black-cowled Oriole	Icterus dominicensis

D3 - RESTAURANT LODGE EL CHURRASCO, NEAR FRAIJANES - 25 March

On both trips to the Virgin del Socorro Mirador feeders, we also stopped at a Steak House renowned by many, and very crowded on the Sunday, the 25^th, although it was quieter on the 15^th. The coffee and steaks are excellent. There were hummingbird feeders at this restaurant as well, and we saw different species from the previous stop, as we were at a higher elevation. On the 25^th, by the time we were heading downhill into the Central Valley wherein lies Heredia and San Jose, I had seen 15 different species of hummingbird for the day.

Restaurant Lodge el Churrasco, near Fraijanes ~ 6 species (others not noted, but seen)
 

COMMON NAME	SCIENTIFIC NAME
Red-billed Pigeon	Columba flavirostris
Green Violet-ear	Colibri thalassinus
Purple-throated Mountain-gem	Lampornis calolaema
Magnificent Hummingbird	Eugenes fulgens
Volcano Hummingbird	Selasphorus flammula
Blue-gray Tanager	Thraupis episcopus

E) - CERRO DE LA MUERTE - 18 March

Dennis picked me up at 0600 in front of the house, as he now knew where I lived. We headed into the mountains again, this time up Cerro de la Meurte, the Mountain of the Dead. The mountain's name seemed to influence Dennis's truck, as the engine kept mis-firing, a worrying sound at 10,000 feet. But there was some fine birding, with many new species, some hard to find elsewhere in the country. Dennis spent some time scraping a spark plug connection, and that seemed to help matters, and we headed down the mountain with more confidence than we had had going up, birding as we went. We had a shorter list than in the Virgin del Socorro, but still saw some fine new birds, my favourite being the Black Guans. For the second time I heard Quetzals without seeing them -- I hoped for better luck in Monteverde.

[On April 11, while on a rest-break en route to the Osa Peninsula, I saw two species in the Cerro de la Muerte that I'd not see March 18 - Swallow-tailed Kite and Streaked Xenops, the latter a lifer.]

Cerro de la Muerte ~ 18 March ~ 41 species
 

COMMON NAME	SCIENTIFIC NAME
Swallow-tailed Kite (11 April)	Elanoides forficatus
Black Guan	Chamaepetes unicolor
Band-tailed Pigeon	Columba fasciata
Ruddy Pigeon	Columba subvinacea
White-tipped Dove	Leptotila verreauxi
White-collared Swift	Streptoprocne zonaris
Vaux's Swift	Chaetura vauxi
Green Violet-ear	Colibri thalassinus
Fiery-throated Hummingbird	Panterpe insignis
Magnificent Hummingbird	Eugenes fulgens
Volcano Hummingbird	Selasphorus flammula
Resplendent Quetzal	Pharomachrus mocinno
Hairy Woodpecker	Picoides villosus
Ruddy Treerunner	Margarornis rubiginosus
Streaked Xenops (11 April)	Xenops rutilans
Silvery-fronted Tapaculo	Scytalopus argentifrons
Mountain Elaenia	Elaenia frantzii
Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher	Terenotriccus erythrurus
Black-capped Flycatcher	Empidonax atriceps
Blue-and-white Swallow	Pygochelidon cyanoleuca
Black-and-yellow Silky-flycatcher	Phainoptila melanoxantha
Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher	Ptilogonys caudatus
Ochraceous Wren	Troglodytes ochraceus
Timberline Wren	Thryorchilus browni
Gray-breasted Wood-Wren	Henicorhina leucophrys
Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush	Catharus gracilirostris
Swainson's Thrush	Catharus ustulatus
Sooty Robin	Turdus nigrescens
Mountain Robin	Turdus plebejus
Yellow-winged Vireo	Vireo carmioli
Flame-throated Warbler	Parula gutturalis
Wilson's Warbler	Wilsonia pusilla
Collared Redstart	Myioborus torquatus
Black-cheeked Warbler	Basileuterus melanogenys
Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager	Chlorospingus pileatus
Golden-browed Chlorophonia	Chlorophonia callophrys
Slaty Flowerpiercer	Diglossa plumbea
Yellow-thighed Finch	Pselliophorus tibialis
Large-footed Finch	Pezopetes capitalis
Rufous-collared Sparrow	Zonotrichia capensis
Great-tailed Grackle	Quiscalus mexicanus

F) - PARQUE NACIONAL VOLCÁN POÁS - 19 March

I was again up on time, and was picked up outside the house at 0530 by Winnie Orcutt, who was somewhat nonplussed to learn that the area she had chosen for our morning's birding was the same spot to where Dennis had taken me on Saturday. So, as the weather was especially clear, I suggested that perhaps the Volcán Poás might be a good alternative, and that was where we went. The gate to the park didn't open until 0800, and we were on site by 0630, so we did some birding in the chilly air of the high altitude. I had forgotten my sweater, so was rather cold until the sun warmed things up a bit. It was quite windy, and that kept the birds under cover, and hard to see. In fact, I added no new ones to my list, although I did get better looks at a few of them.

We went into the park at 0800, and walked to the volcano crater. It was gorgeous, and still clear, the latter condition quite rare, I was assured by Winnie. We then walked a trail to a laguna, a old crater filled with water. There were not many birds in evidence, although I did see 80+ Broad-winged Hawks in migration over the volcano, and watched a Fiery-throated Hummingbird build its nest, a fascinating process.

Parque Nacional Volcán Poás ~ 19 March ~ 27 species
 

COMMON NAME	SCIENTIFIC NAME
Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura
Broad-winged Hawk	Buteo platypterus
Band-tailed Pigeon	Columba fasciata
Ruddy Pigeon	Columba subvinacea
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl	Glaucidium brasilianum
Black Swift	Cypseloides niger
White-collared Swift	Streptoprocne zonaris
Vaux's Swift	Chaetura vauxi
Green Violet-ear	Colibri thalassinus
Fiery-throated Hummingbird	Panterpe insignis
Purple-throated Mountain-gem	Lampornis calolaema
Volcano Hummingbird	Selasphorus flammula
Hairy Woodpecker	Picoides villosus
Mountain Elaenia	Elaenia frantzii
Black-capped Flycatcher	Empidonax atriceps
Tropical Kingbird	Tyrannus melancholicus
Black-and-yellow Silky-flycatcher	Phainoptila melanoxantha
Gray-breasted Wood-Wren	Henicorhina leucophrys
Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush	Catharus gracilirostris
Sooty Robin	Turdus nigrescens
Mountain Robin	Turdus plebejus
Clay-colored Robin	Turdus grayi
Black-throated Green Warbler	Dendroica virens
Wilson's Warbler	Wilsonia pusilla
Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager	Chlorospingus pileatus
Yellow-thighed Finch	Pselliophorus tibialis
Rufous-collared Sparrow	Zonotrichia capensis

G) - PARQUE NACIONAL BRAULIO CARRILLO - 22 March

Given the rich possibilities of today's outing, I took it upon myself to cancel my classes for the day. As I am the only student in my class, this was easily arranged. I was going afield with Richard Garriguez, an American long living in Costa Rica. He has birded here nearly 20 years, and makes his living from planning or leading tours. I was to join him with one of his clients for a visit to some special places.

I arose on time, and then waited for Richard's arrival, at the Texaco station across the street. He arrived on time, and we headed off to pick up his client, a fellow from Minnesota, a newly fanatic birder in Costa Rica for a week, paying Richard to guide him the whole time.

We went first to Braulio Carrillo National Park, a park easy on the eyes but difficult of access, as there had been many tourist hold-ups by thieves in the past. Consequently, the only trail people feel secure using is the one behind the park offices on the Caribbean slope, and that is where we went, to hike a 2-km trail through thick rain forest. The forest was lovely, even though (or because) the clouds were low overhead, with occasional drizzle. The thick vegetation made viewing difficult. The Howler Monkeys also went unviewed, but it is impossible to not be aware of them, as they are well named. We did see Rufous-tailed Squirrels, however.

This was the toughest birding I've experienced in the Americas, and it was most frustrating. At least half the species were heard-only, and many of the rest were only briefly glimpsed. However, this trail is a "must-do," if only because many of the species here cannot be found elsewhere. For those that live in-country, multiple visits are required. For the one-time visitor, you take what fortune provides, and move on.

After finishing the trail, we birded around the parking lot at the park offices, and actually saw some birds this time, as well as a Golden Orb Spider, a huge beast several inches across, most impressive. Just down the road was a failed Butterfly/Hummingbird Garden enterprise, which still possessed a security guard, and plenty of plants to attract hummers, so we stopped there for awhile, and saw some new birds, including a female Blue-throated Goldentail, a nice-looking hummer.

Parque Nacional Braulio Carillo ~ 22 March ~ 33 species
 

COMMON NAME	SCIENTIFIC NAME
Short-billed Pigeon	Columba nigrirostris
White-crowned Parrot	Pionus senilis
Squirrel Cuckoo	Piaya cayana
Violet-headed Hummingbird	Klais guimeti
Violet-crowned Woodnymph	Thalurania colombica
Blue-throated Goldentail	Hylocharis eliciae
Broad-billed Motmot	Electron platyrhynchum
Yellow-eared Toucanet	Selenidera spectabilis
Chestnut-mandibled Toucan	Ramphastos swainsonii
Black-cheeked Woodpecker	Melanerpes pucherani
Cinnamon Woodpecker	Celeus loricatus
Wedge-billed Woodcreeper	Glyphorynchus spirurus
Russet Antshrike	Thamnistes anabatinus
Chestnut-backed Antbird	Myrmeciza exsul
White-ruffed Manakin	Corapipo altera
Eastern Wood-Pewee	Contopus virens
Bright-rumped Attila	Attila spadiceus
Stripe-breasted Wren	Thryothorus thoracicus
House Wren	Troglodytes aedon
White-breasted Wood-Wren	Henicorhina leucosticta
Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush	Catharus mexicanus
Lesser Greenlet	Hylophilus decurtatus
Green Shrike-Vireo	Vireolanius pulchellus
Buff-rumped Warbler	Basileuterus fulvicauda
Olive Tanager	Chlorothraupis carmioli
Tawny-crested Tanager	Tachyphonus delatrii
Palm Tanager	Thraupis palmarum
Tawny-capped Euphonia	Euphonia anneae
Green Honeycreeper	Chlorophanes spiza
Variable Seedeater	Sporophila corvina
Orange-billed Sparrow	Arremon aurantiirostris
Black-faced Grosbeak	Caryothraustes poliogaster
Scarlet-rumped Cacique	Cacicus uropygialis

H) - HORQUETAS (en route to La Selva) - 22 March

After lunch we continued on to the access road to La Selva, a famous preserve and research facility. En route we stopped a couple of times when enticing birds appeared. I particularly enjoyed the Laughing Falcon, and the Gray-breasted Martin. Here is our "enroute" list.

Horquetas, enroute to La Selva from Braulio Carillo ~ 22 March ~ 9 species
 

COMMON NAME	SCIENTIFIC NAME
Black Vulture	Coragyps atratus
Laughing Falcon	Herpetotheres cachinnans
Keel-billed Toucan	Ramphastos sulfuratus
Common Tody-Flycatcher	Todirostrum cinereum
Tropical Kingbird	Tyrannus melancholicus
Gray-breasted Martin	Progne chalybea
Palm Tanager	Thraupis palmarum
Variable Seedeater	Sporophila corvina
Bronzed Cowbird	Molothrus aeneus

I) - ACCESS ROAD TO LA SELVA - 22 March

And then, La Selva. Well, not quite. The entrance costs are very high, so we contented ourselves with birding along the 500 meters of road that leads to La Selva's entrance gate, and we had more than sixty species, including some "wow" birds, such as Chestnut-mandibled and Keel-billed Toucans, Red-lored and Mealy Parrots, Montezuma's Oropendolas, and many more. My life-list grew by the minute, and I did not for one minute regret canceling classes for the day. There was intermittent drizzle and rain, though it was a warm rain, and despite the overcast conditions, Turkey Vultures had decided it was a good day to migrate, and we saw kettles of more than 2000 birds moving north, with smaller hawks mixed in, such as Swainson's and Broad-winged. An impressive sight. There were other north-bound migrants as well, including Barn Swallows, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, and Eastern Kingbirds. It's a long way to Canada.

There was a Birdquest tour group there (from England), and as Richard had planned their itinerary and booked their accommodations, we joined them for a spell, and benefitted from their leader's tape recorder, when he brought the scarce Nicaraguan (Large-billed) Seed-Finch into view. As a point of interest, this was the only species on my entire trip list that I added due to a tape being played (and pishing was so useless as to be not worth the bother). I prefer it that way. A level playing field, as it were.

Nearly all the birds encountered here were seen, but among those that remained heard-only were the White-breasted Crake and the Yellow-tailed Oriole, the latter species now very rare due to capture for the bird-trade.

We drove back over the mountains through fog, mist, and rain, a very Nova Scotia feeling, until we crossed the continental divide, and descended into the drier Pacific slope. The streets of San Jose were dry. It takes a while to get used to the weather here. Here is our list for the La Selva road; it was an amazing 3.5 hours of birding.

Access road to La Selva entrance gate ~ 22 March ~ 67 species
 

COMMON NAME	SCIENTIFIC NAME
Little Tinamou	Crypturellus soui
Cattle Egret	Bubulcus ibis
Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura
Osprey	Pandion haliaetus
Mississippi Kite	Ictinia mississippiensis
Broad-winged Hawk	Buteo platypterus
Swainson's Hawk	Buteo swainsoni
Gray-headed Chachalaca	Ortalis cinereiceps
White-throated Crake	Laterallus albigularis
Pale-vented Pigeon	Columba cayennensis
Olive-throated Parakeet	Aratinga nana
Orange-chinned Parakeet	Brotogeris jugularis
Brown-hooded Parrot	Pionopsitta haematotis
White-crowned Parrot	Pionus senilis
Red-lored Parrot	Amazona autumnalis
Mealy Parrot	Amazona farinosa
Squirrel Cuckoo	Piaya cayana
Chestnut-collared Swift	Streptoprocne rutila
Vaux's Swift	Chaetura vauxi
Green-breasted Mango	Anthracothorax prevostii
Black-crested Coquette	Lophornis helenae
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird	Amazilia tzacatl
Chestnut-mandibled Toucan	Ramphastos swainsonii
Lineated Woodpecker	Dryocopus lineatus
Slaty Spinetail	Synallaxis brachyura
Cocoa Woodcreeper	Xiphorhynchus susurrans
Barred Antshrike	Thamnophilus doliatus
Snowy Cotinga	Carpodectes nitidus
Yellow Tyrannulet	Capsiempis flaveola
Paltry Tyrannulet	Zimmerius vilissimus
Bright-rumped Attila	Attila spadiceus
Boat-billed Flycatcher	Megarynchus pitangua
Social Flycatcher	Myiozetetes similis
Gray-capped Flycatcher	Myiozetetes granadensis
Piratic Flycatcher	Legatus leucophaius
Eastern Kingbird	Tyrannus tyrannus
White-winged Becard	Pachyramphus polychopterus
Masked Tityra	Tityra semifasciata
Gray-breasted Martin	Progne chalybea
Southern Rough-winged Swallow	Stelgidopteryx ruficollis
Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica
Clay-colored Robin	Turdus grayi
Brown Jay	Cyanocorax morio
Yellow Warbler	Dendroica petechia
Chestnut-sided Warbler	Dendroica pensylvanica
Bananaquit	Coereba flaveola
White-lined Tanager	Tachyphonus rufus
Summer Tanager	Piranga rubra
Crimson-collared Tanager	Ramphocelus sanguinolentus
Blue-gray Tanager	Thraupis episcopus
Palm Tanager	Thraupis palmarum
Yellow-crowned Euphonia	Euphonia luteicapilla
Olive-backed Euphonia	Euphonia gouldi
Plain-colored Tanager	Tangara inornata
Golden-hooded Tanager	Tangara larvata
Red-legged Honeycreeper	Cyanerpes cyaneus
Nicaraguan Seed-Finch	Oryzoborus nuttingi
Black-striped Sparrow	Arremonops conirostris
Buff-throated Saltator	Saltator maximus
Black-headed Saltator	Saltator atriceps
Rose-breasted Grosbeak	Pheucticus ludovicianus
Blue-black Grosbeak	Cyanocompsa cyanoides
Yellow-tailed Oriole	Icterus mesomelas
Baltimore Oriole	Icterus galbula
Black-cowled Oriole	Icterus dominicensis
Yellow-billed Cacique	Amblycercus holosericeus
Montezuma Oropendola	Gymnostinops montezuma

J) - RESERVA FORESTAL EL RODEO, in the Cerros De Escazu, above Santa Ana

27 March

I was picked up at 0530 by a very tired Dennis Rogers, who had had a poor night's sleep, but was still game to do a bit of morning birding. We went to the Le Rodeo Forest Reserve, a mountain south of San José, past the town of Santa Ana. It was a drier forest, more like the forests of the NW in Guanacaste Province. We spent nearly three hours in the area, and there were wonderful vistas, and some birds of note, including Blue-crowned Motmot and Melodious Blackbird, the latter species only recently colonising Costa Rica. The mountain has spiritual significance, and is the site of the University of Peace. We met the German-born "chancellor" of the University as he was walking the roadsides near his home, dressed in his blue pajamas, and wearing wooden slippers. He was carrying a smelly bucket of cow manure soup, and a ladle, and was fertilizing numerous planted bushes and shrubs along the road. He stopped and explained the spiritual importance of the mountain, how the University came to be established, and many other details which I thought interesting, but which were putting Dennis to sleep, not a difficult feat, as he had had only 4 hours of sleep in the previous two days.

The birding was a bit slow, but I enjoyed repeated looks at Rufous-capped Warbler, and a nice Black-headed Trogon. Unfortunately, the Long-tailed Manakins did not show themselves, remaining heard-only. The Canivet's Emerald is a recent split (formerly Fork-tailed Emerald), and wasn't much to look at in either case, but the Yellow-throated Euphonia was attractive. The Plain Wren and Rufous-and-white Wren went unseen, but I'd have a chance for them again in Playa Flamingo. There were two calling Swainson's Thrushes, and we saw them as well, and I encouraged them to hurry up and head northeast to Nova Scotia.

El Rodeo Forest Preserve, near Santa Ana ~ March 27 ~ 43 species
 

COMMON NAME	SCIENTIFIC NAME
Black Vulture	Coragyps atratus
Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura
Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura
Inca Dove	Columbina inca
White-tipped Dove	Leptotila verreauxi
Squirrel Cuckoo	Piaya cayana
Groove-billed Ani	Crotophaga sulcirostris
Striped Cuckoo	Tapera naevia
Canivet's Emerald	Chlorostilbon canivetii
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird	Amazilia tzacatl
Black-headed Trogon	Trogon melanocephalus
Blue-crowned Motmot	Momotus momota
Keel-billed Toucan	Ramphastos sulfuratus
Olivaceous Woodcreeper	Sittasomus griseicapillus
Streak-headed Woodcreeper	Lepidocolaptes souleyetii
Barred Antshrike	Thamnophilus doliatus
Long-tailed Manakin	Chiroxiphia linearis
Ochre-bellied Flycatcher	Mionectes oleagineus
Yellow-olive Flycatcher	Tolmomyias sulphurescens
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher	Empidonax flaviventris
Boat-billed Flycatcher	Megarynchus pitangua
Social Flycatcher	Myiozetetes similis
Piratic Flycatcher	Legatus leucophaius
Tropical Kingbird	Tyrannus melancholicus
Masked Tityra	Tityra semifasciata
Rufous-naped Wren	Campylorhynchus rufinucha
Rufous-and-white Wren	Thryothorus rufalbus
Plain Wren	Thryothorus modestus
House Wren	Troglodytes aedon
Swainson's Thrush	Catharus ustulatus
Clay-colored Robin	Turdus grayi
Brown Jay	Cyanocorax morio
Yellow-green Vireo	Vireo flavoviridis
Lesser Greenlet	Hylophilus decurtatus
Yellow Warbler	Dendroica petechia
Wilson's Warbler	Wilsonia pusilla
Rufous-capped Warbler	Basileuterus rufifrons
Summer Tanager	Piranga rubra
Western Tanager	Piranga ludoviciana
Blue-gray Tanager	Thraupis episcopus
Yellow-throated Euphonia	Euphonia hirundinacea
Melodious Blackbird	Dives dives
Montezuma Oropendola	Gymnostinops montezuma

K) - MONTEVERDE - 1-8 April 2001

The road to Monteverde is said to be memorably bad; unpaved, dusty or muddy, winding, pot-holed. And it did turn out to be mildly entertaining, but to one used to the frost-heaved pavements of Nova Scotia, it was not a challenge.

Monteverde is roughly at 5000 feet, with the famous Monteverde Preserve somewhat higher, and the Santa Elena reserve higher still. The roads are unpaved and dusty, and run up or down, rarely on the level. The entire population lives off dairy products or eco-tourism.

One final Monteverde introductory note -- in my readings from earlier trip reports I did not recall the observers bemoaning the weather. However, weather, particularly the frequent strong winds, must be taken into account, as birding is negatively affected. Only my first day was relatively calm, and for the remainder of my time in Monteverde, the wind blew at 60 to 100 kph, with some gusts higher. The higher elevations were usually cloaked in cloud, and rain began on the final two days.

K1) - Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve
K2) - Finca Ecológica, Monteverde
K3) - road to San Luis, Monteverde
K4) - Monteverde Sky Walk
K5) - Santa Elena Forest Preserve
K6) - Cerro Plano

K1) - Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve

April Fools Day, starting with a longer than expected wait for the bus to the Monteverde Preserve. At the preserve I took a morning hike as part of a group. Indeed, one of many groups. This is a popular preserve, with tourists as far as the eye could see, in the area around the entrance parking lot, at any rate. Our group of 12 was led by Toby, one of three permanent staff guides at the preserve -- the rest are all free-lance. Given the wide range of interests, ages, and abilities our the members of our group, Toby did a remarkable job, introducing us to the complexities of primary cloud forest. With the thick vegetation the birds were predictably hard to see, but we did see three different pairs of Resplendent Quetzals, and these birds are alone worth the price of admission. Resplendent indeed, and hanging on here only through the intervention of nesting boxes. One bird that unfortunately went unseen that day was the Three-wattled Bellbird, with an amazing territorial call, best described as an astonishingly loud "bonk!"

After the tour, I spent some time at the Hummingbird Gallery just outside the preserve entrance, watching the antics of various species, including the Magenta-throated Woodstar, and the Stripe-tailed Hummingbird, both new for me. It's difficult to tire of watching the hummers at the feeders, but I elected to take the bus back to town, and it left the preserve at 1200.

During the rest of my week in Monteverde, the wind never stopped, blowing from 60 to 100 kph the entire time. This made birding very difficult. I visited the Monteverde Reserve two more times, once on a night hike, and once in the afternoon, without a guide.

The night hike went from 1930 to 2130, and it was quite beautiful, as the moon, two-thirds full, filtered through the various layers of the forest's canopy. And the thick vegetation sheltered us from the wind, which was still blowing a gale. Unfortunately, the bright moon caused some of the hoped-for mammals to hide for the night, and the wind's noise muffled any owl hoots we might have heard. But there were Rain-Frogs and Cloud-forest Anoles, Tarantulas and Wolf Spiders, crickets and fireflies, grasshoppers and cockroaches. Great fun, at least for those not squeamish (as the forest rang out with the lilting cry "Oh, gross.")

One aspect of this night hike was discouraging. Our guide informed us that since 1985, fully half of the reserve's forty species of frogs and toads have disappeared, including one that was endemic to the reserve, the Golden Toad. Of the twenty that remain, all but one are Rain-Frogs, which lay eggs from which hatch fully formed little froglets, instead of tadpoles. Those species that disappeared, both toads and frogs, had eggs that hatched into tadpoles, which require water for that stage of their life. The reasons for the disappearances are still unknown, although global warming, pollution, and increased UV radiation are all suspected.

K2) - Finca Ecológica, Monteverde

I visited the nearby Ecological Farm both in the morning and the evening. This is an area of lower elevation forest growing back from earlier pastures. There were many fewer people than in the Monteverde Preserve, as it is not as well-known. As it is lower in elevation, it holds a different array of plants and animals. The "farm" has an excellent system of trails, and they were easy to navigate. I hiked a total of 8 km, but avoided the steepest trail, that led down to a series of waterfalls. In no small part because of the wind, birding was rather difficult, and as ever it was easier to hear the birds than see them. But when I did manage a sighting, and, better yet, an identification, I felt a nice sense of ownership.

There were a couple of highlights, my favourite being watching a group of Long-tailed Manakins perform their mating displays at a communal lek. Several males would gather, and undertake a series of hops and short fluttering flights, interspersed with singing an alluring whistled song, always in a duet. Females will only respond to a full song, and it must be a duet, with one male singing the first half, and the other the second. A single male at a lek has no chance of romance.

At another spot a tiny spring bubbled its way across the trail, and the water encouraged a thick growth of an aquatic plant. From beneath this undergrowth I could hear some "peeping," which certainly sounded bird-like. With patience, and occasional glances between the thick green leaves, I eventually spotted several very small Black-breasted Wood-Quail, which soon vanished up slope in the remnants of a banana plantation.

I wasted quite a bit of time attempting to photograph the stunning Morpho Butterfly, whose upperwings flash with an incredible neon blue colour while in flight. It's flight is so unpredictable that a photo was impossible, but when it alighted somewhere, it immediately closed its wings, leaving only its underwings in view, which are not colourful at all, resembling instead a dead leaf. This makes sense for the butterfly's self-preservation, but it is not very helpful to photographers. Every few minutes or so the butterfly would briefly open its wings, as if stretching, but I was never ready with my camera when this happened. After several missed opportunities, I wandered on.

I eventually returned to the entrance, and chatted some more with the son's owner. I donated my hummingbird feeder to the reserve, as they were in sore need of more feeders, which are difficult to obtain in Costa Rica. He suggested I should return some late afternoon, as the birding can again be quite good. It was quite good even then, as he had thrown out some cooked rice, which had attracted two Gray-breasted Wood-Rails, very interesting birds, like large Sora Rails, and they had a good feast, until chased away by a couple of aggressive Agoutis.

K3) - Road to San Luis, Monteverde

One morning I rose early to catch a ride with Emiliano to the Cheese Factory, where he works, as I wished to bird the nearby road to San Luis in the early morning.

The wind gods then revealed they were not through having fun, for the power was out. This didn't affect breakfast, however, as the stove was propane. We left at 0540, and I was birding in the gale-force winds by 0600. I spent the better part of 90 minutes in a sheltered stretch of road, trying in vain to see all the species I was hearing, although I did manage a few sightings, including very close looks at the massive, and impressive, Keel-billed Toucan.

K4) - Monteverde Sky Walk

On a different afternoon I had arranged to go out with Sergio Vega Marín, the President of the Monteverde Guides Association. We decided to go on the Sky Walk, a trail in a part of the greater Monteverde Cloud Forest that contained seven aerial walkways, some more than 300 meters long, and suspended as high as 54 meters above the ground. Sergio was most knowledgeable with all aspects of the area's natural history, and he is very widely travelled in the Americas, as both his parents were research biologists. I unhesitatingly recommend him as guide in Monteverde.

For those of with acrophobia, the Sky Walk was well-designed, and I negotiated all the walkways without difficulty, my heart beating at only twice its normal rate. I once or twice even looked down, but that novelty quickly faded, as are my memories of this terrifying event.

K5) - Santa Elena Forest Preserve

On my final full day in Monteverde, the wind slackened off just a tad, but the clouds rolled in more than usual downslope. Earlier in the week my friend Dorothy had gone to the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Preserve, and had had a great day, including views of the Arenal Volcano as it erupted, just 14 km distant. She suggested we go and repeat the experience. As we rose up towards Santa Elena, the highest land in the area, the sun disappeared, the clouds grew thicker, and a heavy mist descended. We walked the trail that circles the preserve, and we would have enjoyed wonderful vistas had the clouds not obscured everything. The mist collected on the leaves, and dripped incessantly, and true rain descended at times as well. As we hiked, the trail grew muddier and muddier. Few birds were seen, although more were heard. It was particularly frustrating to twice encounter feeding flocks, but fail to identify many of the birds because of the mist and poor visibility.

K6) - Cerro Plano

My home stay family lived in Cerro Plano, just a 10 minute walk from the CPI campus. It was a birdy enough place in its own right, with some species that I did not see elsewhere in the Monteverde area.

Monteverde ~ 01-08 April 2001 ~ 104 Species

My list from Monteverde is very modest indeed. If a person spent a week here birding with a guide, and with better weather, twice as many species might be expected.

K1) - Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve
K2) - Finca Ecológica, Monteverde
K3) - Road to San Luis, Monteverde
K4) - Monteverde Sky Walk
K5) - Santa Elena Forest Preserve
K6) - Cerro Plano
 

COMMON NAME	SCIENTIFIC NAME	K1	K2	K3	K4	K5	K6
Black Vulture	Coragyps atratus	X	X	-	-	-	X
Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura	-	X	X	-	-	X
Swallow-tailed Kite	Elanoides forficatus	-	X	-	X	-	X
Broad-winged Hawk	Buteo platypterus	-	-	-	-	-	X
Collared Forest-Falcon	Micrastur semitorquatus	X	-	-	-	-	-
Black Guan	Chamaepetes unicolor	X	-	-	X	X	-
Black-breasted Wood-Quail	Odontophorus leucolaemus	-	X	-	-	-	-
Gray-necked Wood-Rail	Aramides cajanea	-	X	-	-	-	-
Band-tailed Pigeon	Columba fasciata	-	-	-	X	-	-
Red-billed Pigeon	Columba flavirostris	-	-	X	-	-	X
Ruddy Pigeon	Columba subvinacea	X	-	-	X	-	-
White-tipped Dove	Leptotila verreauxi	-	X	-	-	-	-
Chiriqui Quail-Dove	Geotrygon chiriquensis	-	X	-	-	-	-
Brown-hooded Parrot	Pionopsitta haematotis	-	X	-	-	-	-
Squirrel Cuckoo	Piaya cayana	-	-	X	-	-	-
White-collared Swift	Streptoprocne zonaris	-	-	-	-	-	X
Vaux's Swift	Chaetura vauxi	-	-	-	-	-	X
Green Hermit	Phaethornis guy	X	-	-	X	X	-
Green-fronted Lancebill	Doryfera ludovicae	-	-	-	X	-	-
Violet Sabrewing	Campylopterus hemileucurus	X	-	-	X	X	-
Green Violet-ear	Colibri thalassinus	X	-	-	-	-	-
Coppery-headed Emerald	Elvira cupreiceps	X	-	-	-	X	-
Stripe-tailed Hummingbird	Eupherusa eximia	X	-	-	X	-	-
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird	Amazilia tzacatl	X	-	-	-	-	-
Steely-vented Hummingbird	Saucerottia saucerrottei	-	X	-	-	-	-
Purple-throated Mountain-gem	Lampornis calolaema	X	-	-	X	X	-
Green-crowned Brilliant	Heliodoxa jacula	X	-	-	X	X	-
Magenta-throated Woodstar	Calliphlox bryantae	X	-	-	-	-	-
Orange-bellied Trogon	Trogon aurantiiventris	X	-	-	X	X	-
Resplendent Quetzal	Pharomachrus mocinno	X	-	-	X	X	-
Blue-crowned Motmot	Momotus momota	X	-	-	-	-	X
Prong-billed Barbet	Semnornis frantzii	X	-	-	-	-	-
Emerald Toucanet	Aulacorhynchus prasinus	-	X	X	-	-	X
Keel-billed Toucan	Ramphastos sulfuratus	-	X	X	-	-	-
Hoffmann's Woodpecker	Melanerpes hoffmannii	-	X	X	-	-	X
Golden-olive Woodpecker	Piculus rubiginosus	-	-	X	-	-	-
Spotted Barbtail	Premnoplex brunnescens	-	-	-	-	X	-
Ruddy Treerunner	Margarornis rubiginosus	-	-	-	X	-	-
Lineated Foliage-gleaner	Syndactyla subalaris	X	-	-	-	-	-
Spotted Woodcreeper	Xiphorhynchus erythropygius	-	-	-	X	X	-
Streak-headed Woodcreeper	Lepidocolaptes souleyetii	-	X	-	-	-	-
Brown-billed Scythebill	Campylorhamphus pusillus	X	-	-	-	-	-
Silvery-fronted Tapaculo	Scytalopus argentifrons	-	-	-	X	-	-
Three-wattled Bellbird	Procnias tricarunculata	X	X	-	X	X	-
Long-tailed Manakin	Chiroxiphia linearis	-	X	-	-	-	-
Mountain Elaenia	Elaenia frantzii	X	-	-	-	-	-
Olive-striped Flycatcher	Mionectes olivaceus	X	-	-	X	-	-
Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant	Lophotriccus pileatus	X	-	-	-	-	-
Yellow-olive Flycatcher	Tolmomyias sulphurescens	X	-	-	-	-	-
Olive-sided Flycatcher	Contopus cooperi	-	-	-	-	-	X
Yellowish Flycatcher	Empidonax flavescens	-	-	-	-	X	-
Bright-rumped Attila	Attila spadiceus	-	-	-	X	-	-
Dusky-capped Flycatcher	Myiarchus tuberculifer	-	-	-	-	-	X
Great Kiskadee	Pitangus sulphuratus	-	-	X	-	-	X
Social Flycatcher	Myiozetetes similis	-	-	X	-	-	X
Golden-bellied Flycatcher	Myiodynastes hemichrysus	-	-	-	X	-	-
Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher	Myiodynastes luteiventris	-	X	-	-	-	-
Tropical Kingbird	Tyrannus melancholicus	-	-	X	-	-	-
Barred Becard	Pachyramphus versicolor	-	-	-	X	-	-
Masked Tityra	Tityra semifasciata	-	X	X	-	-	-
Blue-and-white Swallow	Pygochelidon cyanoleuca	-	-	X	-	-	X
Rufous-breasted Wren	Thryothorus rutilus	-	X	-	-	-	-
Rufous-and-white Wren	Thryothorus rufalbus	-	X	X	-	-	X
Plain Wren	Thryothorus modestus	-	-	X	-	-	-
House Wren	Troglodytes aedon	-	-	X	-	-	X