10-14 January 1997
by Mark Lockwood
El Gavilan Lodge is located about 1 km from Puerto Viejo, Heredia, Costa Rica. The lodge consists of a main building with a few guest rooms and three cabins with two guest rooms per cabin. The grounds immediately surrounding the main buildings are manicured with some second growth forest around the edges of the lawn. There is a bird feeder in the center of the yard where fruit is placed twice each day. There is a stand of Giant Bamboo, orchards and various other plantings within the managed portion of the property. The lodge and yard are on the upper terrace above the Rio Sarapiqui. This terrace was about 40 feet above the level of the river during our visit. The remainder of the 25 acres where the lodge is located consists of gallery forest on a lower terrace along the river.
We stayed in one of the cabins and found the room comfortable. The main room had one double and one twin bed, a small bedside table, a few shelves and a cold water sink. The windows were screened with no glass. The walls were wood paneled. The floor was concrete. The bathroom had a shower and toilet. Water for the shower was heated in the shower head. The floor was tiled. The roof of the cabins was made from corrugated steel over a ceiling if 1x4 lumber. This caused the only problem we had with the accommodations. Bats roosted between the corrugated steal and ceiling. The bats would come and go frequently during the night or there were young bats in the ceiling. The bats squeaked every night and as a result we didn't get a good nights sleep during our visit. I think this problem can be avoided by requesting a room in the main building.
The staff was very friendly and many of them spoke english. William, the lodge manager, was fluent in english and very friendly and accommodating. Both he and Alfonso are familiar with the birds of the area. Alfonso is much more familiar with the birdlife, but his english is not as good. The meals were excellent. The lodge has set times for meals (breakfast - 7:30; lunch - 12:30; dinner 6:30). We did not find the time breakfast was being served to be too inconvenient, however if El Gavilan were being used as a base to bird the surrounding area arrangement for breakfast to be provided earlier would have to be arranged.
The gallery forest along the river
consisted
of a mixed forest with a canopy height of about 100 feet. For
most
of the property this forest floods very regularly and therefore the
understory
consists almost entirely of Heleconia. There is a small rise
toward
the south end of the property. This small rise surrounds the lagoon and
has a more developed understory. As a result this area provided
the
best birding (see map). There are numerous trails through this
25-acre
tract. During our short visit the birding ranged from good to
excellent.
The forest extends along the river in both directions from the El
Gavilan
property. Our first mourning we found a very large flock of bird
moving down the river (over 50 species). At other times we would
regularly find
about 30 to 40 species while birding the
area.
El Gavilan also has a 250 acres primary growth rainforest preserve. The preserve is about 2 km from the lodge. The lodge charges $20.00 per person for a guided four hour hiking trip through this preserve. However, we went there on our own for no charge. The preserve has excellent forest, but the trails are also used for horseback rides and were very muddy and soft because of the damage done by the horses.
We spent on morning at La Selva Biological Research Station. Le Selva has strict entrance requirements now. Visitors are not allowed on the trails without a guide. The guides are $20 per person for the morning or $30 per person for the entire day. The guide we had was not particularly interested in birds and there were two non-birders along with us. This was not a problem, but it would have been nice to have a little more freedom.
We stopped at the Virgen del Socorro on our return trip to San Jose. This is one of the most fantastic places I have ever visited. The forest is wonderful and the birding is equally fantastic. After leaving the Virgen del Socorro we stopped at a restaurant in the small village of Colonia that has hummingbird feeders in the back. We were there only about an hour and has six species of hummingbirds, including Violet Saberwing and Coppery-headed Emerald. Colonia is between the Virgen del Socorro and La Paz Falls.
Itinerary in Brief:
10 Jan - Traveled from San Jose to El
Gavilan
Lodge (EG) near Puerto Viejo, about 1 hour of birding at the lodge.
11 Jan - Birded all day on the grounds
surrounding El Gavilan Lodge.
12 Jan - Birded El Gavilan's forest
preserve
(EGP) in the morning and lodge grounds in afternoon.
13 Jan - La Selva Biological Station (La
Selva) tour in the morning and birded lodge grounds in afternoon.
14 Jan - Traveled to San Jose, birded
along route at Virgen del Socorro (VS), La Paz Falls, and checked the
hummingbird
feeders in Colonia.
Trip List:
| SPECIES | WHERE OBSERVED |
| Great Tinamou | one seen and several heard at La Selva |
| Anhinga | one near San Miguel on the 14th |
| Fasciated Tiger-Heron | one adult at EG on the 11th |
| Great Egret | 4 or 5 seen daily flying over EG in the early morning and late afternoon |
| Little Blue Heron | one adult at EG on the 11th & 13th |
| Cattle Egret | common |
| Green Heron | one at EG on the 13th |
| Green Ibis | three on the "Green Ibis Trail" at EG on the 10th |
| Black Vulture | common |
| Turkey Vulture | common |
| Osprey | one at EG on the morning of the 11th |
| Gray-headed Kite | one seen soaring over La Selva |
| Great Black-Hawk | one seen soaring over EGP on the 12th |
| Gray Hawk | one in route on the 10th and five on the 14th |
| Black Hawk-Eagle | an imm. see soaring over EGP on the 12th |
| Laughing Falcon | one heard and seen early on the 11th and heard again on the 12th |
| Peregrine Falcon | one over EG on the 11th |
| Crested Guan | five moving through the trees at EGP |
| Gray-necked Wood-Rail | two at La Selva on the 13th |
| Sunbittern | excellent views at close range at EG on the afternoon of the 12th |
| Spotted Sandpiper | two along the Rio Sarapiqui daily |
| Scaled Pigeon | two to four daily at EG |
| Red-billed Pigeon | two to six seen daily at EG and one at VS on the 14th |
| Short-billed Pigeon | three observed and several others heard at La Selva |
| White-winged Dove | one at EG on the 13th |
| Ruddy Ground-Dove | one in route on the 10th and four on the 14th |
| Blue Ground-Dove | uncommon at EG, at least six seen daily |
| Gray-chested Dove | common on the lodge grounds, at least 10 seen daily |
| Olive-backed Quail-Dove | two seen at close range walking through underbrush at La Selva |
| Crimson-fronted Parakeet | two on the 10th & 25 on the 12th at EG |
| Olive-throated Parakeet | ten at La Selva and about 20 at EG, all on the 13th |
| Orange-chinned Parakeet | six at EG on the 11th and seen sporadically during the entire visit |
| Brown-hooded Parrot | three at EG on the 13th |
| White-crowned Parrot | two at EG on the 12th, one at La Selva, and about 30 seen in route to San Jose on the 14th |
| Red-lored Parrot | two to 10 seen daily at EG |
| Mealy Parrot | two at EG on the 12th & 13th; about 25 at EGP on the 12th |
| Squirrel Cuckoo | one seen at EG on the 11th, 12th, & 13th; one at EGP on the 12th |
| Groove-billed Ani | common around EG |
| Black-and-white Owl | one observed at a security light across the Rio Sarapiqui from EG on the 12th |
| Pauraque | one seen at EGP on the 12th, heard daily at EG |
| White-collared Swift | about 100 at VS on the 14th |
| Gray-rumped Swift | 15 to 20 at EG on the 12th & 13th |
| Bronzy Hermit | one seen daily at EG |
| Long-tailed Hermit | common at EGP and La Selva |
| Little Hermit | one or two seen daily at EG |
| Violet Saberwing | three or four males at the restaurant in Colonia on the 14th |
| Violet-headed Hummingbird | one female at La Selva on the 13th |
| Green Thorntail | about 15 at the restaurant in Colonia on the 14th |
| Violet-crowned Woodnymph | one male observed bathing at VS on the 14th |
| Rufous-tailed Hummingbird | common |
| Coppery-headed Emerald | about 15 at the restaurant in Colonia on the 14th |
| Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer | female at EG on the 11th and 13th; male at La Selva on 13th |
| White-bellied Mountain-Gem | female at the restaurant in Colonia on the 14th |
| Purple-throated Mountain-Gem | at least one male at the restaurant in Colonia on the 14th |
| Green-crowned Brilliant | two at VS and about four at the restaurant in Colonia on the 14th |
| Purple-crowned Fairy | one at EG on the 11th, female on nest at La Selva |
| Collared Trogon | female at VS on 14th |
| Black-throated Trogon | single males at EGP on 12th and La Selva on 13th |
| Rufous Motmot | five observed at La Selva |
| Broad-billed Motmot | two seen daily at EG |
| Ringed Kingfisher | one male in route on the 14th near San Miguel |
| Amazon Kingfisher | one male seen along Rio Sarapiqui on the 11th |
| Green Kingfisher | one male seen along Rio Sarapiqui on the 13th |
| Rufous-tailed Jacamar | a pair seen daily at EG |
| Red-headed Barbet | a male was at VS on the 14th |
| Collared Aracari | five were seen at La Selva on the 13th |
| Keel-billed Toucan | two were seen flying along the Rio Sarapiqui on the 11th and two others were seen at La Selva |
| Chestnut-mandibled Toucan | about 10 were seen at La Selva and one other was observed near San Miguel on the 14th |
| Black-cheeked Woodpecker | two or three seen daily at EG |
| Smoky-brown Woodpecker | one seen at EG on the 10th |
| Golden-olive Woodpecker | two at VS on the 14th |
| Chestnut-colored Woodpecker | two at EGP on the 12th and one at La Selva on the 13th |
| Lineated Woodpecker | one male at EGP on the 12th |
| Pale-billed Woodpecker | one male at EG on the 11th |
| Spotted Barbtail | one at VS on the 14th |
| Plain Xenops | one at EGP on the 12th and VS on the 14th |
| Olivaceous Woodcreeper | one at VS on the 14th |
| Wedge-billed Woodcreeper | one at EG on the 11th and 2 at EGP on the 12th |
| Northern Barred-Woodcreeper | seen daily at EG, high count of 8 on the 11th |
| Cocoa Woodcreeper | two to four seen daily at EG |
| Black-striped Woodcreeper | three at EGP on the 12th |
| Streak-headed Woodcreeper | two to five seen daily at EG |
| Brown-billed Scythebill | one at VS on the 14th |
| Great Antshrike | one male at EG on the 12th |
| Rough-legged (Zeledon's) Tyrannulet | one at VS on the 14th |
| Paltry Tyrannulet | one seen daily at EG |
| Torrent Tyrannulet | one at VS and two at La Paz Falls on the 14th |
| Olive-striped Flycatcher | one at VS on the 14th |
| Ochre-bellied Flycatcher | one or two seen daily at EG |
| Common Tody-Flycatcher | one or two seen daily at EG |
| Yellow-margined Flycatcher | one seen at EG on the 11th |
| Tawny-chested Flycatcher | one at EG on the 10th and 12th, two other individuals at EG on the 13th |
| Tufted Flycatcher | two at VS on the 14th |
| Tropical Pewee | one at EG on the 11th |
| Empidonax sp. | one at VS on the 14th |
| Bright-rumped Attila | one at EG on the 11th & 12th; one at EGP on the 12th |
| Dusky-capped Flycatcher | common |
| Great Kiskadee | common |
| Boat-billed Flycatcher | two pairs at EG |
| Social Flycatcher | common |
| Gray-headed Flycatcher | common at EG, about 12 at La Selva on the 13th |
| Golden-bellied Flycatcher | two at VS on the 14th |
| Tropical Kingbird | common |
| Cinnamon Becard | one or two seen daily at EG |
| Masked Tityra | two at EG daily; four at La Selva |
| Black-crowned Tityra | pair at EG on the 11th and a male at La Selva |
| Bare-necked Umbrellabird | two females at EGP on the 12th |
| Red-capped Manakin | one female at La Selva on the 13th |
| Gray-breasted Martin | two at EG on the 12th |
| Mangrove Swallow | common along the Rio Sarapiqui |
| Blue-and-white Swallow | several seen in route on the 10th |
| Southern Rough-winged Swallow | common at EG |
| Barn Swallow | several seen in route on the 10th & 14th |
| Brown Jay | one at EG on the 13th |
| Band-backed Wren | six seen daily at EG |
| Black-throated Wren | one or two seen daily, one found building its nest |
| Bay Wren | common at EG, at least six each day |
| House Wren | one along roadside between EG and EGP on the 12th |
| Gray-breasted Wood-Wren | two at VS on the 14th |
| Tropical Gnatcatcher | several seen daily at EG |
| Wood Thrush | three at La Selva |
| Clay-colored Robin | common |
| Yellow-throated Vireo | one at EG on the 11th |
| Philadelphia Vireo | one at VS on the 14th |
| Lesser Greenlet | three at VS on the 14th |
| Golden-winged Warbler | two at EG on the 11th and two at VS on the 14th |
| Tennessee Warbler | two near San Miguel on the 14th |
| Tropical Parula | one male at VS on the 14th |
| Yellow Warbler | several seen daily around EG |
| Chestnut-sided Warbler | abundant |
| Black-throated Green Warbler | three at VS on the 14th |
| Bay-breasted Warbler | one at EG on the 12th and 13th |
| Black-and-white Warbler | two or three daily at EG; one at VS on the 14th |
| Prothonotary Warbler | one at EG on the 11th |
| Northern Waterthrush | one at EG on the 12th |
| Kentucky Warbler | one at EG on the 13th |
| Mourning Warbler | one at EG on the 11th |
| Olive-crowned Yellowthroat | one at EGP on the 12th |
| Slate-throated Redstart | one at VS on the 14th |
| Buff-rumped Warbler | three to five at EG daily; one at La Selva |
| Bananaquit | three to five daily at EG |
| Plain-colored Tanager | six in a single mixed flock at EG on the 11th |
| Emerald Tanager | one at VS on the 14th |
| Silver-throated Tanager | five at VS on the 14th |
| Bay-headed Tanager | six at VS on the 14th |
| Rufous-winged Tanager | one female at VS on the 14th |
| Golden-masked Tanager | one at EG on the 11th & 13th; one at La Selva on the 13th |
| Green Honeycreeper | pair seen daily at EG |
| Shining Honeycreeper | female at La Selva on the 13th |
| Red-legged Honeycreeper | one male and five females in a single tree near San Miguel on the 14th |
| Yellow-crowned Euphonia | one along roadside between EG and EGP on the 12th |
| Olive-backed Euphonia | six to ten seen daily at EG; five at La Selva |
| Tawny-capped Euphonia | one male at VS on the 14th |
| Blue-gray Tanager | common at EG |
| Palm Tanager | two or three seen daily at EG |
| Blue-and-gold Tanager | two at VS on the 14th |
| Red-throated Ant-Tanager | two pairs seen daily at EG |
| Summer Tanager | two or three seen daily at EG |
| Crimson-collared Tanager | two at EG on the 11th and one on the 13th |
| Scarlet-rumped Tanager | abundant at EG |
| Dusky-faced Tanager | three or four seen daily at EG |
| Common Bush-Tanager | about 15 at VS on the 14th |
| Grayish Saltator | two or three seen daily at EG |
| Buff-throated Saltator | 10 to 15 seen daily at EG and elsewhere |
| Black-thighed Grosbeak | one at VS on the 14th |
| Rose-breasted Grosbeak | five at VS on the 14th |
| Blue-black Grosbeak | one female at EG on the 11th |
| Sooty-faced Finch | one at VS on the 14th |
| Orange-billed Sparrow | one or two daily at EG |
| Black-striped Sparrow | five to ten seen daily at EG |
| Blue-black Grassquit | one along roadside between EG and EGP on the 12th, several in route on the 14th |
| Variable Seedeater | common |
| Rufous-collared Sparrow | one in route on the 10th and three on the 14th |
| Eastern Meadowlark | two in route on the 14th |
| Great-tailed Grackle | common |
| Bronzed Cowbird | about 30 near San Miguel on the 14th |
| Orchard Oriole | one along roadside between EG and EGP on the 12th |
| Baltimore Oriole | common |
| Yellow-billed Cacique | one or two seen daily at EG |
| Scarlet-rumped Cacique | two at EGP on the 12th and La Selva on the 13th |
| Montezuma Oropendola | abundant at EG and elsewhere |
Total species - 181
Mark Lockwood
mwlockwood@juno.com