Last year Arthur and I visited Costa Rica for 11 days in May. We flew into San Jose on May 6th and rented a car for our trip. We stayed in three different locations for casual birding and exploring on our own: Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge in the shadow of the Arenal Volcano in Fortuna; Hotel El Bosque in Monteverde; and Savegre Hotel Natural Reserve & Spa inside the Los Quetzales National Park. Here I’ll post some highlights from our time around Fortuna.
May 7 2016
In the morning of our first full day we had a guided birding walk arranged by the lodge. We hiked around the lodge’s property and picked up a modest list of 25 species, 22 (!!) of which were lifers. That afternoon we went to a local park, Ecocentro Danaus, where we had a guided walk and explored on our own. Here we picked up 24 species, 15 of which were lifers. Besides birds we saw a 2-toed Sloth with baby, Spectacled Caimans, and an Agouti with a baby. Later in the afternoon we walked to La Fortuna Waterfall and had a dip in the cool fresh water. That evening we took a night hike on the lodge’s grounds and saw lots of interesting snakes, frogs, and insects. I recorded highlights on an eBird list with no birds, including Fer-de-lance, Loquacious Tree Frog, and a baby Hognose Pit Viper.
Collared Aracari at Ecocentro Danaus
May 8 2016
Sunday morning we birded a bit at our lodge and then headed to a famous local birding site, Arenal Observatory Lodge. I tried to book this hotel for our trip but they were full. Luckily day visitors can explore the grounds for birding. Here we walked the trails and picked up 14 lifers over several hours and checklists: 16+1 species total; 10 species; 17 species; 3 species; 4 species.
View of Arenal volcano from the Observatory Lodge
Passerini’s Tanager at Arenal Observatory Lodge
Blue-throated Goldentail at Arenal Observatory Lodge
May 9 2016
We started the morning with a little bit of birding around the lodge before packing up and heading to Monteverde. On the way we stopped at a big cat wildlife rescue center, Centro de Rescate Las Pumas, where we saw 5 species, including 3 lifers. On the drive we picked up several other lifers, including our first Keel-billed Toucan. We arrived at our hotel late in the afternoon and signed up for that evening’s night hike. This time we did manage to find a few birds.
On the road to Monteverde
Bare-throated Tiger-Heron at Las Pumas
Costa Rica Lifers May 7-9 2016
| Black-cowled Oriole | Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge | 7-May-16 |
| Melodious Blackbird | Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge | 7-May-16 |
| Red-throated Ant-Tanager | Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge | 7-May-16 |
| Rufous-collared Sparrow | Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge | 7-May-16 |
| Buff-throated Saltator | Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge | 7-May-16 |
| White-collared Seedeater | Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge | 7-May-16 |
| Thick-billed Seed-Finch | Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge | 7-May-16 |
| Palm Tanager | Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge | 7-May-16 |
| Blue-gray Tanager | Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge | 7-May-16 |
| Passerini’s Tanager | Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge | 7-May-16 |
| Clay-colored Thrush | Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge | 7-May-16 |
| White-collared Manakin | Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge | 7-May-16 |
| Social Flycatcher | Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge | 7-May-16 |
| Long-tailed Tyrant | Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge | 7-May-16 |
| Red-lored Parrot | Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge | 7-May-16 |
| Laughing Falcon | Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge | 7-May-16 |
| Black-cheeked Woodpecker | Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge | 7-May-16 |
| Yellow-throated Toucan | Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge | 7-May-16 |
| Rufous-tailed Hummingbird | Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge | 7-May-16 |
| Red-billed Pigeon | Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge | 7-May-16 |
| Gray Hawk | Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge | 7-May-16 |
| Gray-headed Chachalaca | Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge | 7-May-16 |
| Yellow-throated Euphonia | Eco Centro Danaus | 7-May-16 |
| Variable Seedeater | Eco Centro Danaus | 7-May-16 |
| Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Eco Centro Danaus | 7-May-16 |
| Common Tody-Flycatcher | Eco Centro Danaus | 7-May-16 |
| Golden-olive Woodpecker | Eco Centro Danaus | 7-May-16 |
| Collared Aracari | Eco Centro Danaus | 7-May-16 |
| Broad-billed Motmot | Eco Centro Danaus | 7-May-16 |
| Scaly-breasted Hummingbird | Eco Centro Danaus | 7-May-16 |
| Stripe-throated Hermit | Eco Centro Danaus | 7-May-16 |
| Long-billed Hermit | Eco Centro Danaus | 7-May-16 |
| White-tipped Dove | Eco Centro Danaus | 7-May-16 |
| Ruddy Ground-Dove | Eco Centro Danaus | 7-May-16 |
| Russet-naped Wood-Rail | Eco Centro Danaus | 7-May-16 |
| Boat-billed Heron | Eco Centro Danaus | 7-May-16 |
| Great Curassow | Eco Centro Danaus | 7-May-16 |
| Bronzed Cowbird | Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge | 8-May-16 |
| Yellow-faced Grassquit | Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge | 8-May-16 |
| Montezuma Oropendola | Arenal Observatory Lodge | 8-May-16 |
| Buff-rumped Warbler | Arenal Observatory Lodge | 8-May-16 |
| Streaked Flycatcher | Arenal Observatory Lodge | 8-May-16 |
| Barred Parakeet | Arenal Observatory Lodge | 8-May-16 |
| Crested Guan | Arenal Observatory Lodge | 8-May-16 |
| Cabanis’s Wren | Arenal Observatory Lodge | 8-May-16 |
| Blue-throated Goldentail | Arenal Observatory Lodge | 8-May-16 |
| Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer | Arenal Observatory Lodge | 8-May-16 |
| Brown Violetear | Arenal Observatory Lodge | 8-May-16 |
| White-necked Jacobin | Arenal Observatory Lodge | 8-May-16 |
| Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush | Arenal Observatory Lodge | 8-May-16 |
| Boat-billed Flycatcher | Arenal Observatory Lodge | 8-May-16 |
| Black-striped Sparrow | Arenal Observatory Lodge | 8-May-16 |
| Red-legged Honeycreeper | Arenal Observatory Lodge | 8-May-16 |
| White-throated Magpie-Jay | Highway from Fortuna to Cañas | 9-May-16 |
| Hoffmann’s Woodpecker | Centro de Rescate Las Pumas | 9-May-16 |
| Groove-billed Ani | Centro de Rescate Las Pumas | 9-May-16 |
| Bare-throated Tiger-Heron | Centro de Rescate Las Pumas | 9-May-16 |
| Rufous-naped Wren | Highway from Cañas to Monteverde | 9-May-16 |
| Keel-billed Toucan | Highway from Cañas to Monteverde | 9-May-16 |
| Turquoise-browed Motmot | Highway from Cañas to Monteverde | 9-May-16 |
| Cinnamon Hummingbird | Highway from Cañas to Monteverde | 9-May-16 |
| Inca Dove | Highway from Cañas to Monteverde | 9-May-16 |
| Lesson’s Motmot | Hotel El Bosque | 9-May-16 |
