2005 Tour Narrative
Deciding on even a few highlights during our week in Costa Rica was difficult. The species barely garnering the most votes surprisingly ended up being the relatively drab pair of Band-backed Wrens at EARTH University. But there was little doubt that these birds exhibited the most character, fluttering around as a unit like little wind-up toys tied together with a short string, uttering their cackling duet and mirroring each other’s curiosity at the mystery intruder. But for flashiness, the most amazing sighting came only a few minutes later when a calmly preening Royal Flycatcher actually DID the thing one always hopes for. As it finished preening its breast and seemed to think about changing perches, for a full second it raised its crest. Unbelievable. The enormous, floppy orange and purple-tipped fan spread sideways from ear to ear, effectively doubling the size of the bird’s head. But nearly as spectacular was another one of the iconic tropical sights one usually only hopes to see—the giant sunburst pattern visible only when the Sunbittern takes flight—and see it we did, right below us while the bus stopped on a small bridge for us to see a Green Kingfisher.
With all the highlights from just our one day at EARTH in the humid lowlands (and don’t forget the Long-tailed Tyrants, Snowy Cotingas, Double-toothed Kite, Slaty-tailed Trogon almost too close for the spotting scope, White-faced Capuchins and Mantled Howlers and Julius, our charming student guide from Uganda) one would think we spent the whole week there. We did go elsewhere, such as the gorgeously sunny morning on Irazú Volcano with numerous the high-elevation specialties such as Black-cheeked Warblers, Large-footed Finch, numerous Black-billed Nightingale-Thrushes and Yellow-thighed Finch. Our time at the pre-Columbian ruins of Guayabo National Monument was cut short before we could see the entire grounds, but the birding here was dominated by great views of the large and colorful: Keel-billed Toucan, Collared Aracari, Emerald Toucanet, Squirrel Cuckoo and Violaceous Trogon. Short trips to the Río Platanillo were a little less productive, perhaps due to the only rain we ever had to bird in, but we still saw Emerald Tanagers, Buff-rumped Warblers, Dull-mantled Antbird, Torrent Tyrannulet and Bicolored Hawk, probably the rarest bird on the whole tour. Our full morning at Tapantí National Park added many species to the list, including nesting Golden-bellied Flycatchers, beautiful Spangle-cheeked Tanagers, Tufted Flycatcher, Ruddy Pigeon, and frustratingly brief views of a pair of flying Red-fronted Parrotlets and some roadside wood-quail we didn’t see well enough to identify.
Now it’s sounding like we never spent any time at Rancho Naturalista, but we did tally quite a few hours at the balcony feeders, witnessed an amazing early morning frenzy in front of the lodge a few times, and walked a fair amount on the lodge’s own trail system. The hummingbirds are always a highlight anywhere in Costa Rica, and it was hard to choose from among the 22 species we saw, many of them at Rancho Naturalista’s feeders. The unbelievable male Snowcap, which is guaranteed there, simply must be seen to be believed (the concept of iridescent white is the stumbling block), while the snazzy White-necked Jacobins, the “wild” Fiery-throated Hummingbirds on Irazú Volcano and an amazingly cooperative White-breasted Mountain-gem at Tapantí National Park ranked high on our lists. Keel-billed Toucans, both Montezuma and Chestnut-headed Oropendolas, scope-views of White-crowned and Brown-hooded Parrots, White-winged Becard and flashy Passerini’s Tanagers right around our accommodations were a daily treat we couldn’t imagine getting totally used to. A real treat was getting close and repeated views of a Rufous Motmot that appeared to be digging a new hole along the trail near the lodge. Local specialties of White-capped Manakin, Checker-throated Antwren (flushed from a nest), Tawny-chested Flycatcher and Thicket Antpitta were seen (or heard, as is the case of anything that begins “thicket”), and we were very lucky to come across a Great Tinamou wandering down the trail with a half-grown chick in tow.
Several additional aspects of the tour added up to make for a memorable week. The delicious family-style meals were a highlight every day. We had fun identifying several mammals, numerous butterflies, and a few reptiles and amphibians. With amazingly close views of Mottled Owl one evening, we actually had great fun on another night just poking along the trail seeing cool stuff such as a tarantula in a hole, a Scaly-breasted Wren roosting in a similar hole nearby, a tailless whip-scorpion, and myriad moths on the illuminated sheet. We usually had the advantage of being accompanied by Rancho’s two local guides, young men with sharp eyes and ears, and our wonderful driver, Ricardo Gómez, who contributed greatly to the success of the tour.
Rich Hoyer