Costa Rica- Day 6 and half, May 12-13, 2012

Sorry for the delay in my last blog entry for this trip. I was away for a few days in Big Bend.

My day at Punta Leona began very early, with a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl calling outside of my room at about 3:00 AM. Luckily, it was a brief interlude. I woke up for the day a bit later than that and left the room to meet the rest of the group for a day of birding around the resort. Right outside the door a Long-tailed Hermit, a hummingbird, was feeding in the ginger growing by the patio. 

We birded for around the hotel for a couple of hours, and then had breakfast. The open air restaurant was a great spot to see a few birds, but the big show was mammalian. First several Coatis came strolling by, very close to the tables. We were warned to not feed them, and I resisted temptation. They looked very healthy, so I think somebody was breaking the rules from time to time. Then a troop of White-faced Capuchin Monkeys arrived, including a mother with a very young baby on her back. I really struggled now to not slip them a few scraps. They didn't miss a beat; running up and snatching left overs out of the bucket the bus staff was scraping plates into. Patrick, our guide, bared his teeth at the mother, warning her not to jump up on his table.

We finally wrapped up and gathered our binoculars and other gear and headed out. We walked the main road into the resort, which I had mentioned in my last entry. Several trails go through these woods, and the birding can be very good. A Fiery Aracari hung high from an open tree branch. We very quickly found Black-hooded Antshrike, a bird confined to Costa Rica and Western Panama. Dot-winged Antwrens were quite common. I loved the Chestnut-backed Antbird, with the big blue bare area around the eyes, and this was just from the road! Henry pointed out a nesting box he had put up for the Scarlet Macaws and discussed the breeding population in the resort. Unfortunately, many of the boxes put up were upside down.

We reached one of the trails and headed into the forest. Our group was made up of people of varying ability, in terms of hiking and climbing. The trail had some steep bits, so we went slow, for which I was grateful! The sounds were incredible, especially the song of the Rufous-and-white Wren, which I want to add as a ring tone on my phone. A Rufous Piha gave us amazing looks. Several species of trogons  and two tinamous called. It was shaping up to be a great morning. On the way back we spotted a King Vulture wheeling in the distance.

Connie had planned for lunch outside the resort, then some beach time, followed by a boat tour of the Tarcoles River. We were having so much fun, we were bit late for lunch, which didn't allow for beach time, at least for the group I was hanging with. I was fine with this; I prefer birding to beaches any day! Four of us went together for lunch at a little restaurant owned by an Australian couple, across the road from the Pacific. It was so cool to see Scarlet Macaws soaring next to Magnificent Frigatebirds! We shared a round of margaritas and the conversation became even wittier and more intelligent, at least it seemed that way.

When we got back to the hotel it was almost time for the boat trip. We gathered at the restaurant, where we had nice surprise.  A couple of Gray-headed Tanagers announced the presence of an Army Ant swarm working the forested area next to the pool! A Tawny-winged Woodcreeper moved in. It was a small swarm and there were only a few birds, but it was still exciting.

The Tarcoles River is well known for the huge number of Crocodiles that live in its waters, but our targets were a few birds, most often seen on the river. Mangrove Hummingbird, Northern Scrub-Flycatcher and Boat-billed Herons are found on the river. It is also the best chance for Yellow-billed Cotinga. When we arrived at the boatman's place, we were delighted to find we were being joined by Richard Garriques, one of the authors of the Birds of Costa Rica and two men that he was guiding, who recognized me from Savegre Lodge.

The boat ride was great fun! Right out of the dock we got good looks at a Boat-billed Heron. A bit further down a large number of waders and shorebirds covered the sandbars. Common Black-Hawks were actually common. We pulled into a small creek mouth, where Mangrove Hummingbirds are usually found. Unfortunately, we never got a solid look at one. Several times hummingbirds shot through, but no one got decent enough looks to identify them. We then tried for Northern Scrub-Flycatcher, with equal bad luck. I did see some flycatchers on the opposite shore of the river, but I was not confident enough to ID them. Several times Plumbeous Kites soared overhead. Two Bare-throated Tiger-Herons, an immature and an adult, were on the bank. I did get one very important bird, at least to me, a Turquoise-browned Motmot. Yellow-naped Parrots perched in a dead tree.

We headed back to shore and split up into groups for dinner. My group found a great little seafood restaurant. The food was plentiful, cheap and very good! They did not have a liquor license, but one of the brothers who ran the place was happy to go to the store next door for cold beer. We finished up the meal with some great local ice cream bars. I was very happy to get to bed.

I am not doing a whole blog on Sunday morning, as I only had a brief time to bird before heading back to the airport. We were supposed to visit Carrara National Park, but there was some miscommunication, and the park opened too late for me to go. Some of us birded the road again, before breakfast. The biggest surprise was a Great Tinamou, that exploded in front us off of the side of the road. We also saw an Orange-collared Manakin, which we had only heard the day before. We enjoyed our last breakfast together.  I had to cut out a bit early, as the shuttle bus was coming to take me to the airport. I really wish I had more time to bird that area.

I enjoyed Costa Rica so much! I would love to return and hit some areas that I missed, particularly the Caribbean side and the northern area. I got a lot of birds for just one week. I end this set of blogs with a very serious suggestion- Go someplace! Don't be afraid to leave the USA. It isn't any more expensive than traveling in the lower 48 and it will change your life for the better.

My few photos for the two days-
 http://www.flickr.com/photos/sngcanary/sets/72157629959744802/


Great Tinamou
Little Tinamou-heard
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
Crested Guan
Brown Pelican
Neotropic Cormorant
Anhinga
Magnificent Frigatebird
Bare-throated Tiger-Heron
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Boat-billed Heron
White Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill
Wood Stork
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
King Vulture
Osprey
Plumbeous Kite
Common Black-Hawk
Yellow-headed Caracara
Laughing Falcon
Purple Gallinule
Black-bellied Plover
Black-necked Stilt
Northern Jacana
Spotted Sandpiper
Rock Pigeon
Red-billed Pigeon
Short-billed Pigeon
Inca Dove
Ruddy Ground-Dove
Scarlet Macaw
Crimson-fronted Parakeet
Orange-chinned Parakeet
White-fronted Parrot
Yellow-naped Parrot
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl
Squirrel Cuckoo
Groove-billed Ani
Long-tailed Hermit
Stripe-throated Hermit
Scaly-breasted Hummingbird
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Black-throated Trogon
Slaty-tailed Trogon
Baird's Trogon
Gartered Trogon
Blue-crowned Motmot
Turquoise-browed Motmot
Ringed Kingfisher
Green Kingfisher
White-whiskered Puffbird
Fiery-billed Aracari
Chestnut-mandibled Toucan
Hoffmann's Woodpecker
Pale-billed Woodpecker
Plain Xenops
Tawny-winged Woodcreeper
Wedge-billed Woodcreeper
Cocoa Woodcreeper
Streak-headed Woodcreeper
Black-hooded Antshrike
Dot-winged Antwren
Dusky Antbird
Chestnut-backed Antbird
Yellow-bellied Elaenia
Northern Scrub-Flycatcher
Northern Bentbill
Common Tody-Flycatcher
Yellow-olive Flycatcher
Tropical Pewee
Bright-rumped Attila
Panama Flycatcher
Great Kiskadee
Boat-billed Flycatcher
Gray-capped Flycatcher
Streaked Flycatcher
Piratic Flycatcher
Tropical Kingbird
Rufous Piha
Orange-collared Manakin
Red-capped Manakin-heard
Rose-throated Becard
Lesser Greenlet
Green Shrike-Vireo-heard
Rufous-browed Peppershrike-heard
Blue-and-white Swallow
Brown Jay
Rufous-naped Wren
Riverside Wren
Rufous-breasted Wren
Rufous-and-white Wren-heard
House Wren
Long-billed Gnatwren
Tropical Gnatcatcher
Clay-colored Thrush
Yellow Warbler
Gray-headed Tanager
Cherrie's Tanager
Blue-gray Tanager
Green Honeycreeper
Red-legged Honeycreeper
Buff-throated Saltator
Orange-billed Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Melodious Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Bronzed Cowbird
Yellow-throated Euphonia

Costa Rica- Day 5, May 11, 2012

The Clay-colored Thrushes woke up early again! Who saw that coming? I was hoping to see Rufous-naped Wrens, which Connie told me, sometimes pick off bugs under the outside lights early in the morning. Either they weren't hungry, or I was too late. Pepito, the dog, was delighted to have me to hang out with for a while. We were leaving just before lunch time, to go to the Pacific coast, so I wanted to make the morning count.

I heard a loud, raucous calling up the hill from the house. The birds sounded familiar, but I just couldn't place it. I always have this problem in a new location. I walked around the edge of the house where I could get a better view and realized why it sounded familiar, but I didn't recognize the calls. A group of Gray-headed Chachalacas were foraging in a tree top. The sound was close to our Plain Chachalacas, but not quite. The Hoffmann's Woodpecker added his voice to the cacophony.

I returned to the back yard to take a couple of photos of the amazing view, when I spotted a Golden-hooded Tanager feeding in a fruiting mulberry tree below the edge of the yard. This surprised me, as I thought we were a bit high for that species. I later mentioned it to Connie and she said she had never seen one in the yard before. A young Cherrie's Tanager confused me a bit. I had another great look at a White-eared Ground Sparrow, unfortunately while my camera was inside on my bed. I did get a few photos of the Variegated Squirrels that make their home in the yard.

We got our suitcases packed and put in the car to begin our journey to the Punta Leona resort, on the Pacific coast, where we were meeting the Costa Rica birding club that Connie belongs to. Connie had put this club trip together, so she was very focused on getting there and making sure that everything went well. The group wasn't meeting until 3:30 PM, so we stopped for lunch at a beautiful spot on the way, Ama Tierra, which was owned by some people Connie knew. We visited with a lady from Chicago who was considering moving to Costa Rica. I don't know about her, but I am ready to go!

We lingered a bit over lunch and had to hurry to make our 3:30 PM meeting time. The road was twisting and it was not possible to drive too fast. Finally we hit the autopista (highway) and started making time. We crossed the Tarcoles River, famous for the large crocodiles, but didn't have time to stop. We were doing a boat trip on the river the following day, so I figured I would see plenty of crocs. Connie said the entrance to Puenta Leona looked like a What-a-burger, and she was right! When we pulled under the steep orange and white striped roof, I expected the guard to ask if we wanted fries.

The road into the resort is awesome! We drove about 3 kilometers in, with over half of it being good tropical forest. I couldn't wait to bird it! The resort is a mixture of hotel rooms, condos and houses. It is quite large and has an excellent white sand beach. We checked into our rooms and walked to the restaurant  to meet the others in the birding club. This was such a great group. I enjoyed every single person I met. Patrick O'Donnell, an amazing tropical birder, was our guide. Henry Kantrowitz, another excellent birder, who lives at Punta Leona, was co-leading.

We walked around the grounds near where our hotel rooms were. We had some great birds, right off the bat. Scarlet Macaws breed on the grounds, and we saw pairs and small groups flying over. Orange-chinned Parakeets also were seen and heard. Patrick whistled a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl call to try to draw birds in. We were all a bit surprised when one answered back! We got great looks at it, as it flew in over head. Rose-throated Becards were everywhere, reminding me of yet another bird I had missed in Texas this year. I even added a new hummingbird to my list, Scaly-breasted. I was very happy to see a couple of antbirds; Black-hooded Antshrike was a life bird.

I returned to my room, where I met my room mate, Joan, who had arrived later than us. I absolutely loved her, and she seemed to like me. I was a bit relieved to tell the truth, as I can be a bit of an acquired taste. We walked over to join the group for "bocas", which are kind of like hors d’œuvres or snacks, sort of a pot luck thing. Connie arranged for us to have it in the restaurant, as long as we all agreed to order drinks. I did my part with a couple of glasses of red wine. I left to go back to the room and turned left where I should have turned right. I got a tiny bit lost, but it was worth it, as I saw a beautiful skunk along the path. I finally got turned around the right way, and found the room, which was on the path called Cuba. So, I not only visited Costa Rica, I went to Cuba, too!
 
Photos for the day-
 http://www.flickr.com/photos/sngcanary/sets/72157629839648444/

Bird list for the day-
Gray-headed Chachalaca
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Rock Pigeon
Red-billed Pigeon
Scarlet Macaw
Orange-chinned Parakeet
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl
Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift
Scaly-breasted Hummingbird
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Blue-crowned Motmot
Hoffmann's Woodpecker
Cocoa Woodcreeper
Streak-headed Woodcreeper
Black-hooded Antshrike
Dot-winged Antwren
Boat-billed Flycatcher
Tropical Kingbird
Rose-throated Becard
Yellow-green Vireo
Lesser Greenlet
Blue-and-white Swallow
Rufous-naped Wren
Clay-colored Thrush
Golden-hooded Tanager
Cherrie's Tanager
Blue-gray Tanager
White-eared Ground-Sparrow
Melodious Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Yellow-throated Euphonia

Costa Rica- Day 4, May 10, 2012

I woke up very early, hearing Clay-colored Robins singing quiet loudly, outside my open window. Connie and Dick like to sleep in, so I got up, at least trying to be quiet, and went outside. Their dog, Pepito, was very happy for the company. We walked around their beautiful yard, checking out the Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds and the gorgeous Blue-crowned Motmots. The hill up behind their house has bananas, oranges, and coffee. We walked up the drive and saw a very dark house wren and a Grayish Saltator. A Hoffmann's Woodpecker was calling nearby. I was hoping for a Fiery-billed Aracari, but I had no luck. I was very happy with a low flying flock of White-fronted Parrots.

I met Martin, their gardener, as I was walking back down. I introduced myself and we carried on a short conversation, with me using my very broken Spanish. Martin was very polite. When I said "Mi Espanol es muy mal." (Which I am not sure is even the right way to say it!) He insisted that my Spanish was very good. What a nice guy!

I checked the trees around the yard and was very pleased with the birds I found. Rufous-capped Warblers were common. Yellow-green Vireos were all over the place. I heard an unfamiliar song coming from a bare tree and saw a Yellow-throated Euphonia, a life bird for me. A bit later, I spotted a pair in some bushes near the house. A motmot came in to eat some watermelon, allowing me to get some decent photos. I certainly don't get these birds in my yard.

I went back into the house and Connie and Dick were getting up. We had a lovely breakfast, with coffee they had grown themselves! How cool is that? It was great, too. Connie pointed out a White-eared Ground Sparrow. I was a bit surprised to see a Blackburnian Warbler still hanging around. I thought they had all gotten up at least to Texas by May 10. After breakfast, I went back out and birded a bit more around the yard.

Connie had planned for a "down day", with no formal birding. We did take a trip into Puriscal, which was fun. I enjoyed seeing the town. I am afraid my memory is a bit clouded, so I don't remember the date, but the town suffered a very serious earthquake a few years ago. The church was badly damaged and still stands abandoned. At the time of the quake they were sure it was going to come down. It is a shame, as it is a lovely old building.

We drove to another town a short distance away, which my memory is also a bit vague about. I keep thinking the name is Barbacoa, but I don't think that is right. Anyway, they have a lovely church, which I went into. The walls were all natural varnished wood. It was really impressive. As we walked out, we noticed that there were men singeing banana leaves in an open garage type structure next door. The parish hall, also and open building, was attached to this structure and there was a group of people gathered around some long tables. They had an assembly line going, making tamales for the parish festival, which was taking place that weekend. We went in and watched the process. One woman would put the masa in a piece of banana leaf, then another would add pork, then it was passed on, and green beans, peppers and other vegetables were put in. The parish priest then folded it all up and another gentleman tied the tamales in bundles of two, to be steamed later.  The group was very welcoming. I really enjoyed meeting them.

We visited a friend of Connie's, who was getting ready to move. She regularly has wood rails visit her yard, but unfortunately, not while we were there. We did see a few Melodious Blackbirds and a Yellow-bellied Elaenia flew in, which was a new bird for Connie. I was seeing more and more why Americans move to Costa Rica! We returned to Connie's, where it started to rain again. I  birded around the yard a bit more, and enjoyed Connie and Dick's company. Despite being a non-birding day, I managed to get three life birds!

Photos from the day-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sngcanary/sets/72157629822691582/

Bird list from the day-
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Rock Pigeon
Red-billed Pigeon
White-tipped Dove
Crimson-fronted Parakeet
White-fronted Parrot
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Blue-crowned Motmot
Hoffmann's Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Elaenia
Great Kiskadee
Tropical Kingbird
Yellow-green Vireo
Blue-and-white Swallow
House Wren
Clay-colored Thrush
Blackburnian Warbler
Cherrie's Tanager
Blue-gray Tanager
Grayish Saltator
Blue-black Grassquit
Yellow-faced Grassquit
White-eared Ground-Sparrow
Rufous-collared Sparrow
Melodious Blackbird

Costa Rica- Day 3, May 9, 2012

I had gone to bed with the sound of heavy rain, so I was very happy to wake up to a clear dawn. My driver was coming to get me at 11:00 AM, so I wanted to squeeze every minute out of the morning. Just walking through the gardens around the rooms was great. A Gray-breasted Wood-Wren, normally a really shy skulker, was out in the open picking bugs off of a "Hen and Chicks" plants. A White-naped Brush-Finch was out on the lawn. I finally got a decent photo of a female Scintillant Hummingbird. A young male Flame-colored Tanager let me approach close enough to get a couple of full frame shots.

 I returned to the wooded area where the Spotted Wood-Quail are, but had no luck, again. Despite that, it was fun walking the paths. A Tufted Flycatcher was calling. I got the best looks yet at Flame-throated Warblers, and was still in love with the songs of the nightingale-thrushes. I glanced up in the tree tops and caught a flash of yellow. I moved and twisted until I got a decent look. It was a bird I thought I was going to miss, Black-thighed Grosbeak. I hunted and listened for Yellowish Flycatcher, which should have been easy to find, but not for me.

Speaking of thighs, a family group of Yellow-thighed Grosbeaks were feeding on the ground behind one of the cabins, as I exited the woods. I walked past the cabin and noticed a fluttering inside one of the lights on a post in the middle of the garden. A young Rufous-collared Sparrow had gotten inside the light globe, but couldn't figure out how to escape. I tried to free him, but couldn't figure out how to open the light. I went and got a workman who was remodeling one of the cabins. My Spanish was so broken, he just looked mystified. I finally took him over and showed him. He laughed and freed the sparrow.

After another great breakfast, I walked up to the area behind my cabin, where the lodge grows apples and peaches.. A couple and a guide were looking at some perched Sulphur-winged Parakeets in the orchard through a scope. I had seen a number of flocks going over, but never perched. They were kind enough to let me look. I then heard a Rufous-browed Peppershrike sing, and one flew up and landed in the open. This is one of those species that I have heard a hundred times, but have rarely gotten good looks.

I walked back down to the restaurant to look at the hummingbirds. The feeders were dominated almost totally by Magnificents, but a Green Violetear had snuck in. He would feed for a second or two and then one of the Magnificents would spot him and chase him off. The violetear would sit low on the rock wall and wait. I was able to see and photograph the "ear tufts" of the Green Violetear quite well.

 I returned to my room and packed, very sad to be leaving. I went to the reception desk, parked my bags and went looking for just one more bird. I didn't see anything new, so I walked back to see if the driver had arrived. He was standing waiting for me, but I was distracted by a Yellow-winged Vireo, so close that I couldn't take a decent photo. I finally made it to the van, gave the driver my bags, and loaded up to go.

My driver asked me if I spoke Spanish, and looked very disappointed when I said not really. He said his English was very poor, but we got on fine. It took about two and half hours to get back to San Jose and hotel where Connie Sandlin and her husband were picking me up. We chatted about Costa Rica and I learned quite a bit from him. We finally arrived at the Quality Inn and I sat by the door waiting. A flock of Crimson-fronted Parakeets flew by, a life bird where I wasn't expecting one. Connie and her husband, Dick, arrived about five minutes later.

We had a nice drive back to their place in Puriscal. When we got close to town, we stopped for a late lunch of the area specialty, Chicharonnes. The food really was great, and we were serenaded by a Yellow-green Vireo in a tree right next to us. As we were finishing our meal a sudden rain storm moved in and we got slightly soaked running to the car. We drove the rest of the way to Connie and Dick's wonderful house.

The rain slowed down after we got into the house, so I did a bit of birding. A Blue-crowned Motmot was sitting on their clothes line! Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds zipped everywhere. Yellow-green Vireos were singing and there were, of course, many, many Clay-colored Thrushes. It started getting dark, so I came in and we spent the evening sharing birding story after birding story.  We were still full from the Chicharrones, so we just had some fresh banana bread and a glass of red wine for dinner, not a bad way to end a day!

Photos from the day-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sngcanary/sets/72157629805752620/

Bird list for the day-
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
Rock Pigeon
White-winged Dove
Sulphur-winged Parakeet
White-throated Mountain-Gem
Magnificent Hummingbird
Green Violetear
Crimson-fronted Parakeet
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Stripe-tailed Hummingbird
Scintillant Hummingbird
Blue-crowned Motmot
Acorn Woodpecker
Mountain Elaenia
Tufted Flycatcher
Tropical Kingbird
Brown-capped Vireo
Yellow-green Vireo
Yellow-winged Vireo
Rufous-browed Peppershrike
Blue-and-white Swallow
Gray-breasted Wood-Wren
Ochraceous Wren
Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush
Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush
Sooty Thrush
Clay-colored Thrush
Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher
Flame-throated Warbler
Collared Redstart
Cherrie's Tanager
Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager
Blue-gray Tanager
Yellow-faced Grassquit
Slaty Flowerpiercer
Yellow-thighed Finch
Rufous-collared Sparrow
Flame-colored Tanager
Great-tailed Grackle
Buff-throated Saltator
White-naped Brush-Finch
Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch
Black-thighed Grosbeak

Costa Rica- Day 2, May 8, 2012

Sun rise comes early in May in Costa Rica. They do not observe Daylight Savings Time, so even though they are on CST, they are an hour behind San Antonio this time of year. I was wide awake and out the door a little after 5:00 AM. Clay-colored Thrushes had begun their incessant singing and Blue-and-white Swallows zipped all over Savegre's grounds. I walked down and met Melvin. We had a very busy morning ahead of us.

We began by walking into a wooded area next to the restaurant and bar, behind some cabins. We met another guide and a couple who lived in Monte Verde. We were looking, and listening, for Spotted Wood-Quail. The couple said they had heard them from their cabins before dawn, but didn't want to run outside naked to see them. I said "So, you're not hard core birders, huh?" Unfortunately, the quail were silent and not moving at all. The search wasn't in vain, though. We had great looks at both Large-footed and Yellow-thighed Finches. Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush sang their chilling discordant songs. A Spot-crowned Woodcreeper scooted up a moss covered tree in full sunlight.

We walked down a trail out of the other side of the woods. It dropped down into another area of the lodge. Melvin pointed out a Dark Pewee in the top of a tree along the rushing creek. We heard an Ochraceous Wren singing and Melvin was able to coax it out. Melodious Blackbirds were singing across the creek. The weather was cool, but very comfortable. I was in shirt sleeves, though the others were in coats, hats and gloves. We went up for  breakfast, which was excellent, and got ready for the drive up hill. On the way we got great looks at a Striped-tailed Hummingbird.

After we left Savegre, but before we got to our main destination, we did some birding on the way. Melvin knew where an Emerald Toucanet was on territory. We got fabulous looks. The subspecies, Blue-throated, is a possible split.  Melvin heard one of my best birds of the trip, Ochraceous Pewee. We scanned the tree tops and I spotted it, almost buried in the leaves. A mixed flock passed by and I got even better looks at the Flame-throated Warblers.

Now, the name of my blog is "I hate Paramo, and Other Birding Stories", so it may surprise you that I had hired Melvin to take me up to the Paramo! For those of you who are not familiar with the term,  the definition of Paramo is - A high, bleak plateau or district, with stunted trees, and cold, damp atmosphere, as in the Andes, in South America. Sounds like a barrel of laughs, huh? Martin loves highland birding. I prefer lowland birding. I whine, at least internally, every time we go to the Paramo, which has its own particular group of birds. Yet, here I was, paying someone to take me up there. 


There are not that many Paramo birds in Costa Rica, but it is the only place to see them. We also planned to bird our way down hill back to the lodge.  We pulled off the main highway, which is the highest point anywhere on the Pan-American Highway, at about 11,000 ft. The view was breath-taking! The weather was actually perfect, sunny and clear. We went a little way up a gravel road towards some radio towers, when we spotted several Volcano Juncos on the side of the road. With yellow eyes and dark "eye-brows", they look like the original Angry Birds. Melvin then heard one of the more difficult birds singing, a Timberline Wren. He called it out, though our looks were brief, they were clear. I was very happy. 

I turned to scan the mountains that stretched out to the sea and caught my breath. I could see a beautiful cone shaped mountain with white smoke billowing out of the top. I asked Melvin and he said "Yes, it is an active volcano, Turrialba." I had no idea we would be sight of an active volcano. It is something I have wanted to see all of my life. It actually was a bigger thrill than the birds. There wasn't any lava or pyroclastic flow, but still, it was a real, live volcano! We walked around and did a bit more birding, seeing Volcano Hummingbirds, Slaty Flowerpiercers and more Volcano Juncos. Clouds starting moving in, and the possibility of seeing any other birds here was pretty slim. 


There were a lot more that I wanted to see, so we started back down. We made a stop along the highway where Melvin had seen one of my most wanted birds, Black-and-yellow Silky-flycatcher. Unfortunately, none seemed to be present. A park ranger, a very nice, young woman, stopped and chatted with Melvin for a few minutes. The clouds were getting thicker and rain was threatening. 


Melvin drove down the highway, past the road to Savegre. He said he knew a great spot for Fiery-throated Hummingbird. We turned on to a road that went to two hotels, Paraiso de Quetzal and Mirador del Quetzales. A hundred yards or so down the road, a man was cutting brush. A large branch lay across the road. Melvin stopped and spoke with the man, waiting for him to move the branch. He didn't. Melvin drove over the branch, and it got caught under his truck. The man did pull it out, and we drove on. I thought it was rather odd. Melvin explained that the two hotels were owned by brothers and there was some bad blood there. We were going to the other brother's hotel for the hummingbirds, so.... You get the drift.


We pulled up to the hotel restaurant, and the hummingbird feeders were swarming! Magnificents and the gorgeous Fiery-throateds were thick! Melvin went in to make arrangements and I started taking the first of many, many photos. Melvin came out and suggested we walk a trail behind the building. A sign, pointing to the trail said "Zeladonia", the old name for a difficult to see bird, the Wrenthrush. That alone was enough to get me going. We walked down hill on the trail and Melvin softly said "Black-and-yellow Silky-flycatcher!" A pair was perched very nearby. Unfortunately, it was very misty and I was not able to get clear photos, but I was still ecstatic! We started back up when we heard a Wrenthrush singing. I actually got decent looks at it, which more than made the day for me. It was very deep in the brush, so I wasn't able to get any photos, but I am not complaining.


We went back up to the hummingbird feeders and it started to rain. We were invited into the restaurant, where they had a covered porch with more feeders. The number of Fiery-throateds was beyond belief. They would flash their rainbow colored gorgets and chase endlessly. Magnificent Hummingbirds were also very common. It really was paradise. The owner came out to the porch with a big, untidy bundle of gray feathers perched on his finger. It was a juvenile female Resplendent Quetzal. The youngster had been abandoned by its parents and he was raising it. I feel rather uncertain about the fate of the bird, but I did enjoy seeing it. I actually held it for a few minutes and it rode on my shoulder when we went back into the restaurant. I never thought I would get to hold a quetzal!


It was hard to leave, but it we had a bit of a drive ahead and it was close to lunch time. We got amazing looks at Long-tailed Silky-flycatchers along the way. We glanced in at the quetzal nests from the day before. It was a bit of a toss up, but we decided that the wood pewee were saw was an Eastern. Finally, we got back to Savegre and Melvin and I parted company. He had been an excellent guide, and if you go to Savegre, I would highly recommend him. His last act was pointing out a Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher nest, with a chick in it, right by the reception area.


I had another excellent lunch, and went out into the rain, which had started again. Luckily, this time I had my rain jacket. I passed a flowering shrub, where Slaty Flowerpiercers and a female mountain gem were feeding. A juvenile Clay-colored Thrush was perched out visibly. I got to my cabin and birded from the porch again. Then I took advantage of the sound of rain on the roof and took a short nap. When the rain let up, I returned to the wooded area were we had looked for wood-quail. I still had no luck, but I did succeed in getting some decent shots of a young Collared Redstart. Even though most of the birding was done in the morning, I felt like I had a very full day!

Here are my photos from the day-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sngcanary/sets/72157629764587320/


Here is my bird list for the day-
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Band-tailed Pigeon
Ruddy Pigeon
Sulphur-winged Parakeet
Fiery-throated Hummingbird
Stripe-tailed Hummingbird
White-throated Mountain-Gem
Magnificent Hummingbird
Volcano Hummingbird
Scintillant Hummingbird
Resplendent Quetzal
Emerald Toucanet
Acorn Woodpecker
Ruddy Treerunner
Spot-crowned Woodcreeper
Mountain Elaenia
Tufted Flycatcher
Dark Pewee
Ochraceous Pewee
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Black-capped Flycatcher
Black Phoebe
Tropical Kingbird
Blue-and-white Swallow
Ochraceous Wren
Timberline Wren
Gray-breasted Wood-Wren
Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush
Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush
Sooty Thrush
Mountain Thrush
Clay-colored Thrush
Black-and-yellow Silky-flycatcher
Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher
Tennessee Warbler
Flame-throated Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Collared Redstart
Wrenthrush
Common Bush-Tanager
Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager
Blue-gray Tanager
Spangle-cheeked Tanager
Slaty Flowerpiercer
Yellow-thighed Finch
Large-footed Finch
Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch
Rufous-collared Sparrow
Flame-colored Tanager
Melodious Blackbird

Costa Rica-Intro and Day 1, May 07, 2012

I love it when trips come up unexpectedly. I had said earlier in the year that I probably would not be birding outside of the United States. I wasn't particularly happy with that proposition, but it looked like the way things were going to be. Then that changed. On March 30, Connie Sandlin, a birding friend from Dallas who is now living in Costa Rica, invited me to come to Costa Rica and go to Punta Leona with her and the Costa Rica birding club on May 11. At first I didn't think I could go, as I thought I needed to do a bird survey for Martin's current project. Then I found out that the survey was the week before. I looked at air fare and decided to do it.

I decided I would go a few days early and hit one of the excellent lodges. I had never been in Costa Rica and wanted to make the absolute best of the trip. Martin was not interested in going, as he had been there several times.  I did consult him and he strongly suggested Savegre Lodge, which is in the mountains southeast of San Jose. This is one of the best spots in the world to see Resplendent Quetzal, one of my top most wanted birds. There are a number of other excellent birds in this area. I contacted Costa Rica Gateway and got my arrangements under way. I set a date for Connie and her husband, Dick, to pick me up in San Jose, and started studying the birds.

I left San Antonio on May 6, arriving in San Jose in the evening. Costa Rica Gateway advised me it was not possible to go to Savegre that evening, as the road was a bit dangerous at night. I requested a 6AM pick up at the Courtyard. I took a cab from the airport, and settled in. The driver, Lenin, was very prompt. He spoke English, which I was very grateful for, as my Spanish is almost non-existent. We took off and made a few stops on the way to look for birds. Unfortunately, we did not see the White Hawk he had staked out lower down, but we were more successful higher up.

The main road up into the mountains is not suitable for birding. It is winding and full of traffic. Once we turned off for Savegre, we had more opportunities. The entrance road is about five miles long, dropping in elevation, so there are a variety of birds along the way. The first thing I saw just as we were making the turn, was the unmistakable silhouette of a Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher. A bit further down we heard a mixed flock calling and I found a Yellow-winged Vireo and a couple of Collared Redstarts. The road is a bit rough. If you are going on your own, you might consider renting a high clearance vehicle, though I did see some people driving normal cars.

There are a number of lodges and hotels along the road in, some of which look very nice. The photos of Savegre looked great and I was not disappointed in the least when we pulled in. Here is a link for their web site- http://savegre.com/index.php. I checked in and Lenin and I took my stuff to my room, which was lovely! Lenin left and I went down to the reception area and inquired about birding. The man at the front desk asked if I was interested in a guide. I asked the price, which was reasonable, and said yes. I was met about 15 minutes later by Melvin Fernandez. He was an absolutely fabulous guide! We arranged for some birding near the lodge, and then a trip for the following day. He asked me if I wanted to see the quetzals, and I said "Of course!"

Melvin got his truck and we took off. Not far from the lodge we stopped and he pointed out a hole in a tree, in a grove, not far off of the road. It was an active nest site. I could see two long feathers from the male's "tail", which is actually the upper coverts, sticking out of the nest hole. Melvin said that the male and female would switch places on the nest at 10:00 AM, which was only a few minutes away. He then pointed out that the female was sitting near the nest. Sure enough, the male stuck his head out of the nest hole, then flew, spectacularly, through the woods, to a perch, near the female. She flew to the hole and entered. Melvin said this switching occurred every two hours on the dot. I was dually impressed.

We birded further along the road, picking up more new species for me. A few Sooty-capped Bush-tanagers flew in and Melvin said "Look for a Ruddy Treerunner!" Sure enough, one flew in joining the bush-tanagers. They tend to travel together. Melvin spotted one of my most wanted birds, Spangle-cheeked Tanager, in a tree across the road. I love tangara tanagers and this one was particularly beautiful, and how can anyone not love that name? I added a Black-capped Flycatcher, an empid that is not difficult to ID, which was a big change from the ones in the states! Tufted Flycatchers were very common.  I found a baby Flame-colored Tanager, sitting on a branch waiting to be fed. The male came in, and was obliging, to both the baby and us.

Melvin showed me another quetzal nest, this one right next to the road, which also had a visible male on the nest. He had constructed a bamboo blind, to protect the birds. The male flew out of the nest and headed down the road. Melvin found him perched in a group of trees, closer to the road than the first male we had seen. He got his scope on him and I was very happy to get excellent looks. A car with a couple for the states stopped and we shared the bird with them, then two women stopped and looked, too. Melvin then heard a Golden-browed Chloraphonia, which we all saw. It was getting to be lunch time, so we went back to the lodge.

Just as we pulled in, it started to rain a bit. Melvin said we could do a couple of hours birding after lunch, around the lodge grounds. We arranged to meet in about an hour. I ate my first meal of the stay at the lodge restaurant. The food was great! They have a trout farm on site and the fish I had was incredible. By the time I finished, the rain was really heavy. Of course, my rain jacket was up the hill, in my cabin. I watched the Magnificent Hummingbirds, which swarm the feeders by the restaurant, hoping for a respite, but the rain only got heavier. I covered my camera with my hat, and slogged back to my room.

The phone rang and it was Melvin. He suggested instead of birding that afternoon, we could add a couple of hours on to our birding in the morning, starting at 5AM, instead of 7AM. I agreed that was a much better idea. I sat on the porch and did a bit of knitting with my binoculars nearby, but the sound of the rain was a bit soporific, and I soon was asleep in the bed by the window. I woke up two hours later and it was still raining, though it had lightened up. I decided to walk up the hill to the trails. I had almost gotten to the trail heads, when the sky opened up again. Luckily, I had on my rain jacket, but my jeans were totally soaked by the time I got back. I changed, and sat on the porch again. This was actually better, as a mixed flock came in and I spotted another of my target birds, Flame-throated Warbler. Sulphur-winged Parakeets flew by. Despite the rain, it was a lovely afternoon.

Here are my photos for the day-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sngcanary/sets/72157629749708758/

Bird list for the day-
Tricolored Heron
Cattle Egret
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Swallow-tailed Kite
Red-tailed Hawk
Rock Pigeon
Ruddy Pigeon
White-winged Dove
Sulphur-winged Parakeet
White-throated Mountain-Gem
Magnificent Hummingbird
Volcano Hummingbird
Resplendent Quetzal
Blue-crowned Motmot
Acorn Woodpecker
Ruddy Treerunner
Mountain Elaenia
Tufted Flycatcher
Black-capped Flycatcher
Boat-billed Flycatcher
Tropical Kingbird
Yellow-winged Vireo
Blue-and-white Swallow
Gray-breasted Wood-Wren
Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush
Sooty Thrush
Clay-colored Thrush
Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher
Flame-throated Warbler
Collared Redstart
Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager
Blue-gray Tanager
Spangle-cheeked Tanager
Yellow-faced Grassquit
Slaty Flowerpiercer
Yellow-thighed Finch
Rufous-collared Sparrow
Flame-colored Tanager
Great-tailed Grackle
Elegant Euphonia
Golden-browed Chlorophonia
Yellow-bellied Siskin