I can imagine, in some otherworld,
               Primeval-dumb, far back
               In that most awful stillness, that only gasped and hummed,
               Humming-birds raced down the avenues.

                                                           D.H.Lawrence. Humming-bird.

July 26th

We landed in Madrid 2 hours after leaving Heathrow, most of us well recovered from the shock of having our names inverted at check-in, to Wellerjohn, Thompsonval, etc. Another 8 hours later we landed in Miami, for the US Immigration Sketch, which involves standing in a queue that moves slower than a snail while uniformed officials ensure that the likes of Sheila and Ann are not, despite appearances, international terrorists. There is even a space on the immigration form for letting them know, just in case their deliberations are not totally effective, and in one brilliantly inexplicable manoeuvre, John and Sheila were shifted from the front of one row to five back in another, which, curiously, did not have the effect of speeding things along. That over, we flew for a further 2½ hours to San José, where we met Simon Ellis, the trip organiser, and Santiago, our driver, before transferring to our hotel in the city, where we met John B, who had travelled a day earlier. Beer, some light grub and much chatter later, we slept like logs.

July 27th

Cloud hugged the rim of the Cordillera Central as we woke to our first Costa Rican morning and drove into the highlands south of San José, finding Crimson-fronted Parakeet and White-winged Dove by the hotel, quickly getting Rufous-collared Sparrow and Great-tailed Grackle out of our systems and passing a hovering White-tailed Kite as we entered the surrounding countryside. After a brief stop by the roadside at around 2,000m, where some of us were treated to our only Spangle-cheeked Tanagers of the trip and a female Grey-tailed Mountain-gem, we reached Finca Mirador de Quetzales, situated at 2,650m in the Cerro de la Muerte. After breakfast of rice and beans and scrambled eggs we headed out with Jorge, a local guide, finding Yellow-thighed and Large-footed Finches, Slaty Flowerpiercer, Black-capped Flycatcher, Sooty Robin, Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager, Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush and Fiery-throated Hummingbird in open areas close to the lodge, and Black and Yellow Silky-Flycatcher, Ochraceous and Timberline Wrens, Ruddy Treerunner, Golden-browed Chlorophonia and Black-cheeked Warbler as we delved deeper into the forest, where soft, bouncy trails below lichen-encrusted limbs and vines helped to disguise the effects of the altitude. Apart from Monteverde, where it is relatively difficult to see at this time of year, this is one of the few places in Costa Rica where the beautiful Resplendent Quetzal is common and we were treated to three of these evocative creatures along one of the trails, followed not long after by a demonstrative Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher as we headed into the open and on to a delicious lunch of local trout.

 

Violet Sabrewing

It remained pleasantly warm and dry, but mostly dull, as we headed for our next stop at Savegre Mountain Lodge, along a long, twisting road that drops into the floor of a lovely valley, with a river rushing enthusiastically below us; a country made for fishing, birdwatching and horse riding. Despite having been unable to find the local Volcano Junco, we decided against heading higher to the paramó and stayed around the lodge to maximise our chances of seeing birds in the limited time available to us. A party of Acorn Woodpeckers bounced on ahead of us and our first Torrent Tyrannulet was busy in the river as we neared the lodge, where the hummingbird feeders by the main building were occupied throughout. Volcano and Scintillant Hummingbirds favoured the front, while Magnificent Hummingbird, Green Violet-ear and Grey-tailed Mountain-gem were more frequent at the back, and Flame-coloured Tanager, Yellow-winged and Brown-capped Vireos and Yellow-bellied Siskin provided welcome distractions in the lodge grounds. Well satisfied at the end of a long but very enjoyable first day, we drove back into the capital with a storm flashing away to the north, reminding us that this was the Central American wet season.

Highlights:

Black and Turkey Vultures, White-tailed Kite, Red-tailed Hawk; Band-tailed and Red-billed Pigeons, White-winged Dove, Ruddy Ground-Dove, Crimson-fronted Parakeet, Squirrel Cuckoo, Violet Sabrewing, Green Violet-ear, Fiery-throated Hummingbird, Grey-tailed Mountain-gem; Magnificent, Scintillant and Volcano Hummingbirds, Resplendent Quetzal; Acorn and Hairy Woodpeckers, Ruddy Treerunner; Torrent and Paltry Tyrannulets, Tufted Flycatcher, Ochraceous Peewee, Black-capped Flycatcher, Black Phoebe, Great Kiskadee, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird; Blue and White and Northern Rough-winged Swallows; Black and Yellow and Long-tailed Silky-Flycatchers; Ochraceous and Timberline Wrens, Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush; Sooty, Mountain and Clay-coloured Robins; Yellow-winged and Brown-capped Vireos, Yellow-bellied Siskin, Collared Redstart, Black-cheeked Warbler, Sooty-caped Bush-Tanager; Flame-coloured and Blue-grey Tanagers, Golden-browed Chlorophonia, Spangle-cheeked Tanager, Yellow-faced Grassquit, Slaty Flowerpiercer; Yellow-thighed and Large-footed Finches, Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Eastern Meadowlark, Great-tailed Grackle.

July 28th

Tiskita looking towards to Osa

Arriving early at a local airport for our flight to Tiskita, we were apportioned to three five-seater aircraft, passengers and luggage having been weighed in the balance and found wanting. The twin-engine plane took its cargo to the Osa peninsula, while the rest of us flew direct in single-engine craft and waited for the remainder of the group and the luggage to follow. Rising to 7,000’ we crossed the steep hillsides of the Cordillera Central, where the growth of ranching and homesteading has left indigenous forest on only the steepest ridges. Even these are being denuded to their summits, with roads and tracks etched into their gaunt faces. Sliding SW towards the Pacific, following the mountainous Cordillera de Talamanca, our course took us close to the highest point in Costa Rica, where the peak of Chirripó rises to over 3,800m and waterfalls cascade from forested cliffs to the flat coastal plain below. Our shadow followed us, dancing over slithering river channels that slid between patches of forest, and then over shrimp ponds, glistening flooded pastures, plantations and patches of cultivation teetering on the edge of existence. Rocky offshore islets and broad sandbars came ever closer and soon we swept out over the broad blue expanse of the Golfo Dulce, with the Osa peninsula to our right and forested fingers of land splaying down to the sea on our left, now low enough to pick out dolphins, a slow green turtle, frigatebirds and pelicans and a shoal of heavy fish, diving suddenly from the surface as we passed overhead. A final loop across the surf and past the quickening palm fringed, black-sanded beach and we were down on Tiskita’s grass airstrip, where we met Luis, our guide, and Ashleigh and Grace who were there for our every need, or something like that.

Our first Squirrel Monkeys were seen from the airstrip shortly after we came to earth and birds came steadily as we waited for the rest of the group on the lawn outside the lodge restaurant, overlooking the rolling surf of the Pacific – Magnificent Frigatebird, Masked and Black-crowned Tityras, Chestnut-mandibled Toucan and some excellent raptors including King Vulture, Double-toothed Kite, Short-tailed Hawk and Mangrove Black-Hawk.

Double Toothed Kite

A walk along the stream running through the forest behind the lodge produced two more hummers – Band-tailed Barbthroat and Crowned Woodnymph – and our first Golden-naped Woodpecker and some noisy Riverside Wrens. Luis also found a roost of nine tent-making bats underneath a huge banana leaf and our first poison arrow frogs in moist leaf litter. Apparently, they obtain their noxious nature from a diet of ants, which is, in my view, totally understandable. Kept in captivity and fed cheese and pickle sandwiches and they lose their toxicity entirely. We were also introduced to our first two-toed sloth at some point, though the sense of amazement seemed rather one-sided.

A post-lunch sortie added Black-hooded Antshrike, Chestnut-backed Antbird, Spotted-crowned Euphonia and Scarlet Macaw and as we returned to the lodge a flock of 11 Swallow-tailed Kites appeared, elegantly sweeping down to pick fruits from a tree close by.
The bright, hot and sultry morning changed gradually as cloud increased during our afternoon walk through secondary growth and around the edge of a mixed fruit orchard, where Plain Xenops, Thick-billed Seed-Finch, Shining Honeycreeper, Lesser Swallow-tailed and Band-rumped Swifts and Blue-throated Goldentail were all devoured with as much relish as the local starfruit. A White Hawk drifted along the face of the forest above as light rain began to fall and at 5.15 the heavens opened, bringing hurried fumbling for rain ponchos, for those who had brought those and their British faith in the weather with them. The rain poured down until after dark, and fireflies danced over the lawn by the restaurant as it moved away, the sound of the beating surf providing a wonderful backdrop to a lovely introduction to our time on Costa Rica’s South Pacific.

Highlights:

Brown Pelican, Magnificent Frigatebird, White Ibis, King Vulture; Swallow-tailed and Double-toothed Kites; Barred and White Hawks, Mangrove Black-Hawk; Roadside and Short-tailed Hawks, Yellow-headed Caracara; Plain-breasted and Ruddy Ground-Doves, Scarlet Macaw, Orange-chinned Parakeet, Mealy Parrot; Chestnut-collared, White-collared and Band-rumped Swifts, Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift, Band-tailed Barbthroat, Crowned Woodnymph, Blue-throated Goldentail, Chestnut-mandibled Toucan, Golden-naped Woodpecker, Plain Xenops, Black-hooded Antshrike, Chestnut-backed Antbird, Bright-rumped Attila, Social Flycatcher; Masked and Black-crowned Tityras, Grey-breasted Martin; Riverside and House Wrens, Tropical Gnatcatcher, Buff-rumped Warbler, Bananaquit; Cherrie’s and Palm Tanagers, Spot-crowned Euphonia, Shining Honeycreeper, Blue-black Grassquit, Variable Seedeater, Thick-billed Seed-Finch.

July 29th

Luis said we wouldn’t need to set alarms and he was right, as the first Howler Monkey went off just outside my room, bang on the dot of 5 am. Unable to locate its off button, it howled on enthusiastically until I just gave in and went to breakfast, to be confronted by the fact that the males possess white testicles, rather like biscuits that appear in tinned assortments in supermarkets around Christmas, though they tend to be less noisy.
Dull and humid to begin with, it began to rain steadily while we ate breakfast, but slackened at 7, allowing some birding from the lodge lawn, where highlights included Golden-naped Woodpecker, Purple-crowned Fairy, Thick-billed Euphonia and Golden-hooded, Cherrie’s and Bay-headed Tanagers. We then headed into the primary forest behind the lodge, where it was initially quiet but suddenly vibrant as we found a party of Orange-billed Sparrows close to a clearing, just after the rain, which had been falling delicately for most of the morning, died away. The forest edge here produced a female Red-capped Manakin, Slaty and Dot-winged Antwrens, Black-throated Trogon, a Cocoa Woodcreeper and three Blue-crowned Manakins.
It remained dry after lunch, but rain was never far away as we walked towards the shore in the afternoon, adding Ruddy Ground-Dove, Orange-chinned Parakeet, Red-crowned Woodpecker, Scrub Greenlet and Black-striped Sparrow near the airstrip. Hordes of hermit crabs scuttled along the beach, in shells of all shapes and sizes, under a wonderful energy-charged sky to the south, the atmosphere tautened by the constant roar of the surf on the black, driftwood-strewn sand.

Highlights:

Brown Booby, Bronzy and Long-tailed Hermits, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Purple-crowned Fairy, Black-throated Trogon, Red-crowned Woodpecker, Cocoa Woodcreeper, Slaty and Dot-winged Antwrens, Blue-crowned and Red-capped Manakins; Ochre-bellied, Panama and Streaked Flycatchers, Plain Wren, Scrub Greenlet, Thick-billed Euphonia; Bay-headed and Golden-hooded Tanagers, Blue Dacnis; Green and Red-legged Honeycreepers, Orange-billed and Black-striped Sparrows, Buff-throated Saltator.

July 30th

It poured down again in the night, but most of us slept like logs and by the time we awoke it had relented. Although it rained throughout breakfast it cleared soon after 6 and our rapidly growing list of hummingbirds was augmented by Long-tailed and Little Hermits, White-necked Jacobin and a lovely, pristine Purple-crowned Fairy by the lodge. We were all brought scurrying to a quite stunning male Red-capped Manakin that posed for us in telescope view, but a rather too brief Pale-billed Woodpecker gave some of us several nervous nights prior to catching up with it again.

 

Tiskita Lodge

Our post-breakfast sortie took us up the hill behind the lodge into primary forest. Dull and relatively cool to begin with, it gradually became warmer and more humid with hazy sunshine. Soon after starting off we found Long-billed Gnatwren, Grey-headed Tanager, a lek of Red-capped Manakins and a 2-3 week old Fer-de-Lance (that still knew how to defend itself, judging from its posture). Birding continued steadily with Blue-crowned Manakin and Wedge-billed, Tawny-winged and Cocoa Woodcreepers, then Golden-crowned Spadebill, Rufous Piha and Baird’s Trogon as we entered dense forest once again, appreciating the skills of Luis, our guide, who located some of these in apparently impossible situations.
We moved on expectantly through the forest, finding a couple of excellent feeding flocks, each of which seemed to have Black-hooded Antshrike as its main constituent. The first also included Plain Xenops, Long-billed Gnatwren and Slaty and Dot-winged Antwrens, while the second was made up of Plain Xenops, Plain Antvireo, Chestnut-backed Antbird, Cocoa Woodcreeper and a brief Tawny-capped Greenlet. Making sense of these flocks is one of the great challenges in birdwatching, wherever in the world you are, but at least these were at eye level, though they made no concession to our desire that they should stay close to the path, moving from leaf to leaf, vine to vine and across lichen-covered limbs in search of food as we frantically tried to keep them in view. As always, it is only the commoner ones that seem to return for a second look.
Lunch over, with a Bat Falcon for dessert, we ventured out again on a hot, sultry but dull afternoon, crossing the hill to the south, mostly along the edge of the primary forest, adding White-necked Puffbird, Black-tailed and Ochre-bellied Flycatchers, two more Golden-crowned Spadebills and Green Kingfisher. We emerged at the nearby village, where Tiskita United were playing football against the local plantation workers eleven, or fifteen or so, to be exact. Ice creams and a bit of shopping later, we sauntered back to the ranch, noticeably having forgotten any cares that had come with us in this utterly relaxing place. The same could not be said of the two LAPD Vice officers who had arrived earlier, feeling naked without their guns, apparently. It began to rain again at 5.30 but soon cleared to a beautiful evening lit by a full moon with fireflies dancing along the lawn and in the bushes and trees, a memorable last evening in this lovely place.

Highlights:

Bat Falcon, White-necked Jacobin, Baird’s Trogon, Green Kingfisher, White-necked Puffbird, Pale-billed Woodpecker; Tawny-winged and Wedge-billed Woodcreepers, Plain Antvireo, Rufous Piha, Golden-crowned Spadebill; Black-tailed and Dusky-capped Flycatchers, Long-billed Gnatwren, Tawny-crowned Greenlet, Grey-headed Tanager.

July 31st

It was a bright morning with shadows lengthening quickly as the sun rose over Tiskita’s airstrip, as we prepared to resume our impersonation of the riddle in which a farmer has to take a chicken, a fox and a bag of grain one at a time across a river without anything getting eaten. After excellent views of a Barred Antshrike, the first group departed at 06.15, with the rest of us following between 07.15 and 07.35. Although Osa again featured in the equation, things went much more smoothly than on our outward journey and we were away from the airport in San José at 08.40.
Our journey towards the Pacific coast was punctuated by Least Grebe and Muscovy Duck at a lake in the hills, then a stop at a park in the lowland town of Orotina, where we found a pair of roosting Black-and-White Owls, our first Rufous-naped Wrens, Greyish Saltator, Rose-throated Becard, Yellow-green Vireo and, just outside the town, a couple of Stripe-headed Sparrows that flew across the road. Some roadside pools near the Rio Tarcoles, just about the first bit of fresh water we had set eyes on since arriving in Costa Rica, produced Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Northern Jacana, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Purple Gallinule and Groove-billed Ani, plus a good selection of herons.

 

Bare-throated Tiger Heron

A short drive onward and we stopped again, at the bridge over Rio Tarcoles, where Roseate Spoonbill, Mangrove Swallow and Ringed Kingfisher were all new for the trip, and some truly impressive crocodiles thrashed about in the river below. Very partial to a nice Danish pastry, is your American Crocodile.
We arrived at Villa Lapas at 13.30 and although Santiago found a couple of roosting Lesser Nighthawks in a huge tree outside the main building, rain set in soon after lunch and only a few of us ventured out again in the afternoon, ponchos on, whimpering a bit and not moving far from the bus as the rain fell steadily. However, we must have been pathetic enough for the rain gods to relent, because it ceased after about an hour, allowing some enjoyable roadside birding that produced Violaceous and Slaty-tailed Trogons, White-lined, White-shouldered and Grey-headed Tanagers, Lesser Greenlet, Rufous and White and Rufous-breasted Wrens, a superb Orange-collared Manakin, Rufous-capped Warbler and Dusky Antbird.
We returned to Villa Lapas to be greeted by confirmation that our accommodation was all-inclusive, including drinks. Including drinks? Right ……..

Highlights:

Least Grebe, Neotropic Cormorant, Anhinga, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Tricoloured Heron, Little Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, Green Heron, Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Roseate Spoonbill, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Muscovy Duck, Crested Caracara, American Purple Gallinule, Northern Jacana, Short-billed Pigeon, Common Ground-Dove, White-tipped Dove, Brown-hooded Parrot, Groove-billed Ani, Black-and-White Owl, Lesser Nighthawk; Violaceous and Slaty-tailed Trogons, Ringed Kingfisher, Hoffmann’s Woodpecker, Barred Antshrike, Dusky Antbird, Orange-collared Manakin, Rose-throated Becard, Mangrove Swallow; Rufous-naped, Rufous-breasted and Rufous and White Wrens, Brown Jay, Lesser Greenlet, Rufous-capped Warbler; White-shouldered and White-lined Tanagers, Stripe-headed Sparrow, Greyish Saltator, Red-winged Blackbird.

August 1st

After White Ibis and Scaly-breasted Hummingbirds in the grounds of Villa Lapas, we made it to Carara NP at 07.30, where Santiago dropped us at the entrance to one of the subsidiary trails, initially under blue sky that gradually became cloudy as the humidity rose. The trails, apparently dry yesterday, were under ankle-deep puddles in places, necessitating a mix of nimble footwork and wet feet.
Although, curiously, we were left to our own devices by Santiago, we soon caught up with some good birds, including Orange-collared Manakin, Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner, Barred Woodcreeper, Baird’s and Slaty-tailed Trogons, Dusky Antbird, Black-bellied Wren, Barred Antshrike and Yellow-throated Euphonia. We found two furtive Boat-billed Herons and a diminutive American Pygmy Kingfisher at a lake close to the trail and, shortly after, as we made our way back to the main road, a White-winged Becard and a lovely Turquoise-browed Motmot that we showed to some passing Americans. A what mot? Two Plumbeous Kites later and we drove back to the hotel for some lunch, during which light rain began to fall around 14.00.

Boat Billed Heron

In an effort to find Stripe-headed Sparrow for the group, we stopped at a field of rough grass and scattered scrub at the end of the track to the main road, which proved to be a fortuitous decision. The first highlight was a scruffy-headed Striped Cuckoo, calling repeatedly from a slight bush in the hot early afternoon, and after a few Yellow-bellied Elaenias someone discovered a family of Grey-crowned Yellowthroats, skulking about in low, dry grass and bushes. We even found some of the birds we had come to see: three Stripe-headed Sparrows on the roadside fence.
That over, we returned to Carara NP and walked one of the trails adjacent to the road, which produced Northern Bentbill, Yellow-olive Flycatcher, a secretive Blue-black Grosbeak and, as we walked back along the road toward the bus, four Fiery-billed Araçaris, a difficult-to-find species that soon melted away into the forest once again.

Highlights:

Boat-billed Heron, Plumbeous Kite, Striped Cuckoo, Vaux’s Swift, Scaly-breasted Hummingbird, American Pygmy Kingfisher, Turquoise-browed Motmot, Fiery-billed Araçari, Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner; Barred and Streak-headed Woodcreepers, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Northern Bentbill, Common Tody-flycatcher; Yellow-olive and Grey-capped Flycatchers, White-winged Becard, Black-bellied Wren, Grey-crowned Yellowthroat, Yellow-throated Euphonia, Blue-black Grosbeak.

August 2nd

Dull and comfortably warm, we trundled off toward the Tarcoles Estuary, stopping at a grove of trees where Lineated Woodpecker, Black-headed Trogon, Melodious Blackbird and Ferruginous Pygmy Owl delayed us for half an hour or so. At the estuary, a midsummer selection of shorebirds included two or three Collared Plovers, zipping about madly on the sandbars, and at least one Wilson’s Plover, though the nearest we got to any seabirds was a blizzard of Royal Terns that erupted from the beach as we watched. John Erb, owner of Tarcol Lodge, invited us on to his porch, where we supped a beer and mellowed even further, although the feeling was interrupted somewhat when a bright Yellow Warbler flashed across the estuary in front of us.

 

Bat Falcon

Leaving Villa Lapas in hazy sunshine at 09.45 we reached Puntarenas after an hour of bumping along potholed roads that recalled the drive up country to Tendaba in The Gambia. By now it was bright and sunny and the road instantly improved as we turned away from the coast, though the soporific effects of breakfast and John Erb’s beer soon had most of us sleeping like the flopsy bunnies. Ten years ago, the last 40km to Monteverde was tortuous, the road set with boulders and deep ruts that slowed progress to a crawl and, in a car, more or less guaranteed a puncture. For some time it looked as if things had improved but fortunately the experience remains undiluted, the last 30km taking an hour and a half to shudder along. The road passes through stark open ranch country where remnant patches of forest linger only in gullies and stumps of once great trees protrude from the now-dry landscape. Reaching the settlement of Monteverde, established by the Quakers in 1951, was a relief in more ways than one. The last 10km produced a couple of Grey Hawks and an excellent Bat Falcon, perched at the end of a bare tree.
Writing my notes on my balcony, looking over the valley on to a forested hillside, dusting ants from my baggage and listening to the sounds of bellbirds and solitaires. This was our entrancing introduction to the continental divide, where Caribbean and Pacific slopes meet, although the only ocean that is visible from Monteverde is the Pacific, where the Golfo de Nicoya glistens in the evening sunlight. Not today, though, since it began to rain soon after we reached the hummingbird gallery, just outside the entrance to the cloud Forest Preserve. It didn’t really dampen our spirits, or those of the hummers, and we spent a good couple of hours watching Green-crowned Brilliants, Purple-throated Mountain-gems, Violet Sabrewings, Coppery-headed Emeralds, Green Violet-ears, Stripe-tailed Hummingbirds and a solitary Fiery-throated Hummingbird, most of which were present in enough plumages to warrant another half a dozen species.

Green Violet-ear

We also saw Steely-vented Hummingbird at a nearby shop. Returning to the hotel, we met Melvin, our guide for the following two days. He seemed very personable, though some of us worried about calling him Marvin, the paranoid robot from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. The fact that he seemed capable of the occasional bout of self-hypnosis was also slightly worrying, though so long as he found us good birds he could more or less do what he liked, we reasoned.

Highlights:

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Wood Stork, Osprey, Grey Hawk; Semipalmated, Wilson’s and Collared Plovers, Short-billed Dowitcher, Greater Yellowlegs, Willet, Semipalmated and Western Sandpipers, Royal Tern, Ferruginous (Ridgeway’s) Pygmy-owl, Stripe-throated Hermit, Coppery-headed Emerald, Stripe-tailed Hummingbird, Steely-vented Hummingbird, Purple-throated Mountain-gem, Black-headed Trogon, Lineated Woodpecker, Three-wattled Bellbird, Yellow Warbler, Melodious Blackbird.

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