By Sara Green, SCWF Executive Director
Last month, SCWF took an amazing group of birders on a fantastic trip to Costa Rica! I got to tag along and help with logistics, driving and photos. Jay Keck, our Industry Habitat Manager, has been to this area before, and also speaks Spanish in addition to being a bird expert - so he was a instrumental to have along also!
Jay & I counted ourselves very lucky to have a group of participants who were very friendly and chatty, and super excited to explore the northern, mountainous part of Costa Rica together, and see amazing birds and other wildlife. They had a variety of levels of birding experience, some choosing to focus more on photography or hiking, and some checking “lifers” off their extensive bird lists.
On this trip, we ended up with 160 species of birds (see entire list below), including 11 species of hummingbirds and 13 species of tanagers! We also saw 2 sloths, several howler and spider monkeys, a tarantula, and a few additional mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects.
The wonderful nature-based La Carolina Lodge was our home base, and we took day trips to birding hot spots in the Guanacaste Region. The Lodge was built from wood on the property, and our meals were prepared deliciously with fruits, vegetables, eggs and meat from their farm and greenhouse. Every day, the staff would build fires for cooking and heating hot tubs, and they lit candles which lined the paths in the evenings, producing a beautiful and relaxing atmosphere to end the day. The sounds of the Montezuma oropendola were delightfully ever-present during the day, sometimes accompanied by howler monkeys.
For our first day of birding, we stayed right there on the grounds of the Lodge - there were so many amazing habitat types and edges there! We hiked through meadows where horses grazed, along the forested edges of the creek, and through the property’s numerous gardens. We met our amazing local guide, Jorge, from Bijagua Birdwatching. Jorge was a wealth of knowledge about birds, as well as many plants, insects, etc. and the culture of the area. He brought along a spotting scope to allow us all to have a great view of the birds (and also the monkeys!) and helped folks take photos through the scope also. That evening, we drove to the back side of the property where there was a peaceful pond and a little elevation so we could watch the sunset over the pond. This property was a great location for our group to begin to recognize many of the common birds at a leisurely pace.
Tapir Valley Preserve
On day two, we drove a short distance to Tapir Valley, which is carefully managed for the native, nocturnal mammals for which the preserve was named. It also features a moderately strenuous hike through the rainforest and around the edge of the Valley with breathtaking views of the valley below. After visiting some areas which were loaded with several different species of hummingbirds (highlight - a Snowcap!), our group was treated to delicious snacks at an overlook where we watched a great diversity of birds at the fruit feeders. We then continued the hike around the valley and saw many birds, in addition to a small snake, and a tarantula! On the way back to the lodge, we stopped in the nearby town of Bijagua for souvenirs, snacks, and cash for tips.
Hellaconias Hanging Bridges
Heliconias Hanging Bridges was our destination for the third day. As soon as we unloaded from the vehicles, Jorge excitedly led us walking back down the driveway to the roadway where he had spotted a sloth! He set up the spotting scope so we could all see it clearly. We had participants literally jumping up and down with excitement to see this guy! On the trail through this park, we saw many birds we had already seen, but added several new ones also. The trail included several hanging bridges, and it gave us a new experience to be at the level, or above the tops, of the treetops where many of the birds were. Bird highlights for this day were the Squirrel cuckoo and the Long-tailed manakin.
Arenal Volcano National Park was not on our original agenda, but we surprised the group with a trip there on the fourth day. The drive was significantly longer, but everyone agreed it was worth it! There was an amazing overlook with several fruit feeders which attracted a fantastic variety of birds for close-up views. The volcano was obscured with clouds, but there was still an incredible view. The trails from the Visitor Center wound through manicured gardens full of hummingbirds and other birds, and then wound deeper into the forest at the base of the volcano. By the time we came out of the forest, the clouds had cleared and we could see the top of the volcano!
Overlook at Arenal Volcano National Park
The fifth day was a planned “free” day and folks were free to make arrangements to visit nearby cocoa farms, go horseback riding or zip lining, rent a car and travel to another area, etc. Surprisingly, or maybe not so, everyone wanted to keep birding! We stayed on the La Carolina property and even saw a sloth on the grounds. We spent a lot of time in the woods along the creek, because the meadow was too hot that day. It was a great relaxing day and everyone had time to pack up and be ready to travel home the next day. Several members of the group also took a night hike to look for snakes - and found an eyelash viper!
Each of those days, we rose early to go birding, usually taking “breakfast” with us in the form of granola bars, fruit and nuts. We’d typically be back to the Lodge by early- to mid-afternoon to rest and cool off in the river before dinner. Most days included 5+ hours of birding, 2-4 miles of hiking (sometimes with considerable elevation change and uneven footing), and it was hot and humid each day. We carried lots of water and snacks, and found some incredible places to eat when we were away from the Lodge.
The Lodge does not have air-conditioning, but every room has a ceiling fan and at least one floor fan, and multiple screened windows to help with airflow. The creek that runs through the property is nice and cold and refreshing, and has easy access by stairs. Dips in the creek, plenty of showers, and all the fans and open windows allowed us to keep cool. The beds also have mosquito nets above them, and I figured they were there for a reason, so I used them every night. But, we did not have much issue at all with insects, either at the lodge or on any of our excursions.
This trip is definitely geared toward birding - while we did stop to check out all mammals and reptiles, we did not spend much time on all of the amazing tropical plants along our hikes. Our guides Jorge and Jay were very focused on helping the group see as many different birds as possible (as evidenced by our impressive list of birds below!).
“Liked all the places we visited. Thought the change in scenery, terrain and types of birds/wildlife was nice. Thought the bird feeders at Arenal were the best with closeness to see the birds and the variety at Tapir birdfeeder viewing station was the most unique.”
“Jorge was excellent and a very experienced birder. He also made sure that every participant was given the opportunity to view every bird, monkey or wildlife. He was proficient in the local flora and fauna and the ecology of Costa Rica. Also, he was fun and just a nice person.”
“WONDERFUL Trip. I am a better birder because of the trip and it was so nice and relaxing. Jay was outstanding as a guide and trip leader - also very patient and made everything fun always up for an adventure.”
Regarding our guide, Jorge: “Extremely knowledgeable and well versed on birds, flora and fauna. Very kind and patient. Jorge is an expert birder by sight and sound. He made sure I hit some hoped for items on my personal checklist.”
“Enjoyed the Lodge very much. Beautiful property with gracious and knowledgeable staff. Fabulous coffee and plenty of very good food. Room was above adequate. Very clean. Comfortable bed.”
“Property was beautiful, staff was attentive, river was a wonderful feature for cooling down.”
“Meals were spectacular! The food was fresh and delicious and the kitchen staff were pleasant and hard working!”
“Food was fresh and plentiful. Delicious juices with each meal. Water was tasty and safe.”
“The food at the lodge was super fresh and delicious. I loved every meal. The beans, rice, hot sauce, fresh vegetables, eggs and meat were very satisfying. And the beautiful women cooking for us - so very special! Oh, and the coffee!!”
“Excellent price. The experience, the SCWF staff, the guests, and the Lodge staff were delightful. The Lodge is beautiful. A true memory maker of a trip.”
“Kinda warm but getting out early helped followed by some river time. Just take lots of lightweight long sleeves and pants and it will work out. The bugs seem nonexistent during our trip which is a huge bonus. The people along the way and at the lodge had the Pura Vida spirit and it was easy to join in to the culture. Although we kept busy there was plenty of down time for relaxation and contemplation as well. It was great not seeing a stop light for a week. It was also amazing not having to worry about anything, as food, shelter, activities were always available or upcoming. It was a unique way to live when everything was done for you and one could just enjoy the state of being still and experiencing the local environment.”