| Begins in San Jose Saturday Evening |
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$2450 |
July 16-24, 2011 (9 days, 8 nights)
Single Supplement = $225
Price is $2350 if you register before 03/16/2011 |
Costa Rica is an excellent destination for bird photographers because opportunities for photographing tropical birds are superb while excellent accommodations are located near all the prime sites. Our Summer Costa Rica bird photo tour takes advantage of the mini dry season when the weather is good and birds are active. The tour is led by professional photographer Laura Fellows, who captured most of the images on our website, with the assistance of resident birding guides at the lodges where we'll be staying.
Our summer Costa Rica bird photo tour covers two of the best places to see and photograph birds in the country. Rancho Naturalista offers a natural setting on the Caribbean slope where over 70 species can be seen from the veranda, hummingbirds visiting feeders offer innumerable photo opportunies, and both garden and forest birds add diversity to our experience. Savegre Mountain Hotel in the Talamanca Mountains is the best place to see and photograph Resplendent Quetzals anywhere in the world. While there we'll photograph highland hummingbirds, mostly different from those at Rancho Naturalist, and a good variety of higher elevation specialty birds such as Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher.
DAY 1 - ALAJUELA
International flights arrive in the afternoon or evening. Participants gather at the Hotel Aeropuerto near Alajuela just outside San Jose, a 5-minute taxi ride from the international airport. Everyone is met at the hotel by our tour leader. Night in Alejuela.
DAY 2 - RANCHO NATURALISTA
Early departure to Rancho Naturalista, arriving mid-morning. Remainder of day photographing birds around the lodge grounds and at the hummingbird and fruit feeders.Over 300 species of birds have been recorded on the lodge property. Many are found in open habitats in the gardens and along the forest edge. We'll spend the day making photographs near the lodge. Several tanagers are present including the striking Passerini's Tanager and Crimson-collared Tanager. Other birds such as the Banaquit and the lovely Blue-gray Tanager also come in to fruit feeders. Birds we hope to photograph around the gardens include Collared Aracari, Keel-billed Toucan, Common Tody-Flycatcher, Tawny-chested Flycatcher, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Bay Wren, Black-cowled Oriole, and Tawny-capped Euphonia.
Rancho Naturalista is the best place anywhere to see and photograph the prized Snowcap hummingbird, which is quite common and always present. Other hummingbirds of usually present include Green Hermit, Brown Violetear, Green-breasted Mango, Violet-headed Hummingbird, Black-crested Coquette, Green Thorntail, Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer, and Purple-crowned Fairy. Night at Rancho Naturalista.
DAY 3 - RANCHO NATURALISTA
After breakfast walk trails through secondary forest on the lodge property looking for birds to photograph. Possibilities include Northern Violaceous Trogon, Collared Trogon, Blue-crowned Motmot, Lineated Woodpecker, Brown-billed Scythebill, Immaculate Antbird, numerous flycatchers, and many species of tanagers including Ashy-throated Bush-Tanager, Black-and-yellow Tanager, White-shouldered Tanager, Crimson-collared Tanager, Passerini's Tanager, Speckled Tanager, Bay-headed Tanager, and Golden-hooded Tanager. Night at Rancho Naturalista.
DAY 4 - TUIS RIVER VALLEY & RANCHO NATURALISTA
Early morning excursion to Tuis River Valley, nestled between two low mountains not far from Rancho Naturalista. The site is somewhat higher elevation and attracts some birds not found at Rancho. A trail through the forest offers the best birding. Of special interest are the Sunbitterns that nest along the river. Other birds there include Black-bellied Hummingbird, Red-headed Barbet, White-fronted Tyrannulet, and Tawny-crested Tanager. Afternoon photographing birds around lodge grounds. Night at Rancho Naturalista.
DAY 5 - RANCHO NATURALISTA & TRANSFER
Morning photograph birds around lodge grounds. Mid-day transfer to Savegre Mountain Hotel in the Talamanca Mountains. After arrival photograph hummingbirds at feeders and birds around flowers in the gardens. Night at Savegre Mountain Hotel.
DAY 6 - SAN GERARDO DE DOTA
Morning walk to look for and photograph Resplendent Quetzals. We'll utilize the resident guide to find the quetzals, which are in different places every year depending on where their food is found. Mid-day photograph hummingbirds at feeders. Afternoon photograph birds around the lodge.
DAY 7 - THE TALAMANCA HIGHLANDS
Following breakfast drive into the highlands above the lodge on a private road to look for the near endemic Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl, a species we saw and photographed in 2010. After being dropped off, spend the morning photographing specialty birds of the highlands as we work our way back downhill toward the lodge. Possible birds we hope to photograph include include Black Guan, Resplendent Quetzal, Black-and-yellow Silky-Flycatcher, Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher, Mountain Thrush, Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager, Silver-throated Tanager, and the oddly different Yellow-thighed Finch.
Mid-day view hummingbirds coming to feeders. The most common species are Magnificent Hummingbird, Scintillant Hummingbird, Volcano Hummingbird, and Gray-tailed Mountain-gem. Afternoon photographing birds around the lodge. Night at Savegre Mountain Hotel.
DAY 8 - THE TALAMANCA HIGHLANDS
Morning walk the River Trail, a fairly easy somewhat downhill trail paralleling the river on lodge property. Resplendent Quetzals sometimes nest in the riverine forest along this trail. Other birds of interest include Tufted and Yellowish Flycatchers, Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher, Ruddy-capped and Black-billed Nightingale-Thrushes, Flame-throated Warbler, Collared Redstart, Spangle-cheeked Tanager, and Yellow-thighed Finch.After lunch depart for San Jose, arriving by late afternoon. Night at Hotel Aeropuerto in Alajuela.
DAY 9 - END OF TOUR
Tour ends with breakfast at the hotel. International flights home.
For more information on the places we stay, please click on the ACCOMMODATIONS tab above. Feel free to call us any time at 877-247-3371 (inside US) or 303-325-5188 (outside US) with any questions you may have or to register for this memorable tour.
