Costa Rica Birding with the Hendersons
January 15 to January 26, 2011
Saturday, January 15:
Travel day to Juan Santamaria International Airport. After clearing immigration and customs, you will be met and assisted by a transfer guide from Costa Rica Expeditions. Overnight at Vista del Valle Plantation Inn.
Sunday, January 16:
Travel to Hacienda La Pacifica near Cañas in the Guanacaste Province. Afternoon float trip to observe wildlife on the Tenorio River. Overnight at La Pacifica. This will be an opportunity to see wildlife of the Guanacaste Dry Forest and a variety of wetland wildlife ranging from egrets and ibises to crocodiles, ctenosaurs, and wood storks. (BLD)
Monday, January 17:
Early departure to spend the day at Palo Verde National Park - a wonderful area to observe wildlife of the Guanacaste Dry forest. Lunch at the Park. Palo Verde is one of Costa Rica's premier parks. It features dry forest wildlife including Black-headed Trogons, Turquoise-browed Motmots, Double-striped Thick-knees, Black-bellied Whistling-ducks, and White-throated Magpie-jays. Overnight at La Pacifica. (BLD)
Tuesday, January 18:
Early departure to Caño Negro National Wildlife Refuge, birding en route. Afternoon boat tour. Nighttime boat tour on Jan. 18 or 19. Overnight at Caño Negro Lodge. Caño Negro is at a unique position in northern Costa Rica. It has wildlife of the Caribbean lowland wet forests as well as a mixing of dry forest wildlife. The grounds can host cotingas, trogons, motmots, parakeets, antshrikes, potoos, and monkeys. The boat tour provides the opportunity to see uncommon species like the Nicaraguan Grackle, Green Ibis, and Agami Heron. Overnight at Caño Negro Lodge. (BLD)
Wednesday, January 19:
Morning boat trip in the Caño Negro lagoons. Afternoon exploring the local vicinity of Caño Negro. Local wildlife includes several kinds of hummingbirds and tanagers including the Cinnamon Hummingbird, Green-breasted Mango, Blue-gray Tanager, Passerini's Tanager, and Red-legged Honeycreepeer, Overnight at Caño Negro Lodge. (BLD)
Thursday, January 20:
Travel to Celeste Mountain Lodge on the north slope of Tenorio Volcano - an exceptional premontane wet forest that has rainforest wildlife of the Caribbean lowlands and foothills as well as some dry forest wildlife. Afternoon, explore forest trails on the Celeste Mountain Lodge property. Among the wildlife species that can be seen here are the Black-crested Coquette, Hepatic Tanager, White Hawk, Purple-crowned fairy, Broad-billed Motmot, Long-tailed Manakin, and even the rare Tody Motmot. Overnight at Celeste Mountain Lodge. (BLD)
Friday, January 21:
Visit nearby Heliconias Lodge to explore trails on that property. Overnight at Celeste Mountain Lodge. This lodge has excellent trails that also provide exceptional birding and the chance to see birds like the Keel-billed Motmot, Rufous Motmot, Broad-billed Motmot, Ocellated Antbird, Spotted Antbird, Dull-mantled Antbird, Black-headed Antthrush, Black-eared Wood-Quail, Purplish-backed Quail-Dove, Song Wren and even the rare Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo. Overnight at Celeste Mountain Lodge. (BLD)
Saturday, January 22:
Visit forests in the vicinity of Heliconias Lodge/ Tenorio National Park. Picnic lunch afield. Overnight at Celeste Mountain Lodge. (BLD)
Sunday, January 23:
Travel from Celeste Mountain Lodge to Hacienda Solimar. Field trip of the Solimar ranch to see wildlife, including the endangered Jabiru. The mixture of wetlands, woodlands, and pastures on this modern cattle ranch provide habitat for many wetland species of wildlife like crocodiles, Black Stilts, Wood Storks, Snail Kites, Black-bellied Whistling-ducks, and Bare-throated Tiger-herons. Lunch at Hacienda Solimar. Continue after lunch to Villa Lapas, birding en route. Overnight at Villa Lapas. (BLD)
Monday, January 24:
Visit Carara National Park in morning; return to Villa Lapas for lunch; return to Carara National Park in the afternoon to explore the forests. Carara is at the ecological boundary between tropical dry forest to the north and lowland moist forest to the south. The wildlife is a fascinating mix of species from both habitats. The featured species there is the Scarlet Macaw. Other highlights include the opportunity to see boat-billed herons, Baird's trogons, rufous-tailed jacamars, collared forest-falcons, white-faced monkeys, and huge crocodiles. Overnight at Villa Lapas. (BLD)
Tuesday, January 25:
Morning boat trip on the Tarcoles River and mangrove lagoons. Along the river's edge we will have the chance to see herons, egrets, iguanas, ibises, parrots, sandpipers, plovers, and perhaps the rare southern lapwing. Lunch at Villa Lapas. Afternoon return to Vista del Valle Plantation Inn. Overnight at Vista del Valle Plantation Inn. (BLD)
Wednesday, January 26:
Return to USA/Minnesota.