COSTA RICA: Epilogue

While the montane cloud forests of Costa Rica have provided us with tremendous opportunities to observe many species only found at these elevated altitudes,  the elegant Resplendent Quetzal will remain the highlight of this adventure.  Until next year, take care.

COSTA RICA: Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve (Day 10)

Awoke to the first clear morning since arriving in Monteverde.  Trade winds had finally slowed.  Outside our treehouse window, hummingbirds peacefully fed on flowering epiphytes.

While having breakfast, we were notified that a local guide had discovered the lichen-filled nest of a Mountain Gem at higher elevation.  The tiny eggs (the size of fat "Tic-Tacs") had hatched yesterday.  Our gear was quickly packed as we set out in search of this rare find.  On our arrival to the site, we found the mother vigilantly guarding her nest.  After a few images, we left her undisturbed to hike in the nearby canopy walks. 

There, we finally encountered a bird that, thus far, had been photographically elusive as it spends much of its life high in the canopy -- the Golden-browed Chlorophonia.  Despite the swinging of the suspension bridge (about 80 foot over the forest floor), the encounter yielded several reasonably good images of their courtship display.

 

Later in the day, we returned to the Moutain Gem nest to find the chicks huddled alone in their nest. ( Note that the eyes haven't even opened yet.)

With that wonderful sighting, our Costa Rican birding adventure drew to a close. 

Photographic Equipment used during this trip:

Body: Canon EOS 7D

Lenses:  Canon 800 mm f/4, 300 mm f/2.8, & 28 - 135 mm f/3.5 - 5.6

Flash:  Canon Speedlight 580EX II

COSTA RICA: Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve (Day 9)

Several hummingbirds at the Monteverde Wildilife Preserve were our birding targets this morning.   As we entered the Preserve, the clouds again sneaked over the ground leaving a beautiful residual mist while the bellbird calls echoed in the distance.

Eight new varieties of hummingbirds were added to our life list;  unfortunately, several were just too quick for successful photographs (including the endemic Coppery-headed Emerald).    The Voilet Sabrewing remained well in the shadowed recesses of the vegetation, but the flash yielded a striking image in the darkness.  (Note the pollen on his bill and forehead.)

As one of the few birds which tended to perch and rest frequently, the Green-crowned Brilliants provided several razor-sharp images.

 

COSTA RICA: Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve (Day 8)

As has become a tradition on many of our birding trips, today we hiked to one of the region's manakin (Pipridae) leks in Refugio de Vida Silvestre.  Due to the dry season, this was the first manakin lek I have visited that was not infested with large mosquitoes and other creepy crawlies.  The Long-tailed Manakin is similar in appearance to the Lance-tailed Manakin we observed in Panama except for 2 long slender central rectrices.  

Upon our arrival, multiple birds were comically dancing in the lek.  Several were juveniles learning the "moves" -- a process that takes more than 2 years.  A pair of competing adult males repeatedly jumped from perch to perch within inches of each other while singing beautifully in unison.

Low light and entangled vegetation made photography of these rapidly moving birds characteristically difficult -- especially to capture the complete tail which endlessly flickered across the viewfinder...
 

 

COSTA RICA: Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve (Day 7)

Three-waddled Bellbird (Procnias tricarunculatus), a member of the Cotinga family, was another major target species for our trip.  It is very uncommon, but are often seen in the tiny Curi-Cancha Wildlife Refuge near Monteverde.  The call of this bellbird is considered the loudest of any bird in the world.  The bird opens its mouth widely and no sound is initially emitted as it inhales deeply; then, the silence is broken by the deafening "Bock!" call.  It takes young bellbirds almost 20 months to master this skill. Interestingly,  the call has different dialects depending on the region.  Due to habitat loss, the bellbird has been studied extensively in effort to save from extinction.  Despite this, no nest of this secretive bird has ever been located.

COSTA RICA: Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve (Day 6)

Prior to leaving for Monteverde today, we made one last tour of the property surrounding the Lodge.  Alerted by the alarm calls of the Clay-colored Robin (the drab national bird of Costa Rica), we looked for the source of the commotion.  High in the moss-covered branches, the aggressive, nest-marauding Emerald Toucanette were making their rounds.  This scene yielded one of our favorite images of the trip.

Note the Emerald Toucanette of Costa Rica is actually the same bird as the "Blue-throated Toucanette" in neighboring Panama.

 

A quick visit of the lodge's gardens yielded some new hummingbird images.

Our day would end with an arduous 6+ hr trip to Monteverde enduring innumerable hairpin turns.  At the highest elevation of the trip (9000 ft), we took a short detour with hopes of finding an elusive hummingbird with the most spectacular gorget (i.e. highly iridescent throat feathers; I never knew this term either before this trip .... but adding it here makes me feel smarter).  The brightest colors of Fiery-throated hummingbird are only visible when the bird looks directly at you ... usually only for a split second (fortunately, after several hundred images, we were rewarded with a few classic images). 

 

 

Traversed by the Continental Divide,  Monteverde has 6 distinct life zones in a very small region along the Cordillera de Tilaran mountain range.  Similar to Savegre, mists bathe the forest and result in abundant epiphyte growth on the trees.  Monteverde is one of the most famous cloud forest reserves in the world.

Hidden Canopy Treehouse Hotel would be our home for the remainder of the trip.  This phenomenal remote accommodation is a collection of boutique tree house chalets -- yes, they are actually built right on the trees!  Enormous circumferential windows provide grand views of the cloud forest as well as the Gulf of Nicoya.

 

COSTA RICA: Savegre Cloud Forest Reserve (Day 5)

Some birders travel here from around the globe with the primary goal of sighting the elusive Quetzal .... and go home empty-handed.  Today, we realized how incredible the Quetzal sightings of the first 2 days had been  – despite the heroic efforts of our guide Melvin, including several hours staked out at a known nesting site, not a single Quetzal was seen!

Nevertheless, we did get to add several birds to our life list (including the Acorn Woodpecker, Collared Trogan, and Yellow-thighed Tanager).

COSTA RICA: Savegre Cloud Forest Reserve (Day 4)

Spring is in the air.  Like the Queztals, many couples are working to start new families.  Early in the morning, we encountered Long-tailed Silky-flycatchers using moss, lichen, and rubbery tree sap to build a nest high in a chestnut tree.

Nearby,  the colorful Collared Redstart were digging through the underbrush gathering nesting material.  

 

Tumbling over the ground and oblivious to our presence, we later witnessed the rather violent face-to-face courtship of a pair of Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch.

Finally, we found a female Black-faced Solitaire incubating a clutch of eggs in an old tree stump.  Poachers capture these birds to be sold as pets due to their enchantingly, metallic calls. 

  

COSTA RICA: Savegre Cloud Forest Reserve (Day 3)

While continuing our daily search for Quetzal, we hiked up to the primary forest of montane oaks near the lodge.  Here we encountered a nesting pair of Costa Rican Pygmy Owl.  Observed the male bringing the female (a brown morph) a songbird meal – the large size of the prey made flight to the nest hole difficult.

Later in the morning, we encountered a pair of nesting Quetzals in the mist of the cloud forest -- spectacular encounter !

 

Quetzal nests are dug in trunks of rotting trees.  The word "Trogon", Greek for "nibbling", refers to this family's technique of gnawing holes in trunks.  

Both parents alternate the duties of incubating the eggs and then feeding the chicks.  Surprisingly, it is the female that often abandons the young near the end of rearing --  leaving the male to complete their preparation for independence.

The nest is usually deep enough that the entire bird is hidden except for the male's tail.

 

The primary food source of Queztal are the mini-avocado (Lauraceous).  It is high in fat and a crucial source of energy for chicks especially at the cooler climate of the high altitude.  Conservation efforts are currently focused on planting more Lauraceous trees to help boost the dwindling numbers of this amazing bird.   

 

Other good sightings today included Ruddy-capped Nightingale-thrush, Swallow-tailed Kites, scores of hawks in annual migration, and Flame-throated Warbler; unfortunately, successful images of the warbler were elusive.

COSTA RICA: Savegre Cloud Forest Reserve (Day 2)

We awoke to a brisk (45 degree F) and misty morning characteristic of the region.  With camera gear in hand, we met our native guide Melvin who we would soon discover was very passionate about all the endemic wildlife.  As on past trips, the expertise of the locals is essential for successful encounters.   And, Quetzals are notoriously challenging to photograph – so I welcomed all assistance.

The Resplendent Quetzal, a member of the Trogan family, is considered by many to be the world’s most beautiful bird.  It was revered by the Aztec and Mayan cultures – considered to the “god of the air” and a symbol of light and goodness.  Feathers were often worn by priests and royalty.  It is the national bird of Guatemala, but due to deforestation, sightings are even more rare in that country.

The endangered creature's appearance is strangely elegant and gaudy at the same time.  A Mohawk graces its delicate head, while its relatively large eyes facilitate vision in the dim forest light. Rich crimson breast feathers contrast with the irridescent green of the head and back.  Its body is approximately 1 foot long but its streaming tail adds 2 more feet to its length (!!). Males do not begin to grow these central tail coverts until 3 years of age.  Similar to antlers, the tail feathers are lost in the summer and grow to full length in just time for annual courtship period.

 

COSTA RICA: Savegre Cloud Forest Reserve (Day 1)

Costa Rica, a neighbor of Panama which we visited several months ago, is also a premier birding destination.  More than 25% of the country is protected as parks and preserves.  We focused our exploration to the cloud forest regions in search of the elusive Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno). 

In general, bird life is not as abundant or diverse at these high altitudes; however, many of the animals are unique to the Central American mountain ranges.

After landing in San Jose, we commenced the long drive to San Gerado de Dota.  Progress was slow as multiple hairpin turns comprise the narrow path carved into the steep mountainside.  Eventually, we reach a remote valley within the Talamanca Highlands that is world-renowned for Quetzal sightings.  Our first stop, the quaint Savegre Mountain Lodge, would live up to its excellent reputation in all respects.

At this altitude, the clouds pass so low that they ease between the trees giving an ethereal look to the landscape.  The air is thin and crisp -- we are a bit short-winded as we climb to our cabin.  The metallic muscial call of the Black-faced Solitaire resonates through the forest.  One can also hear the peaceful bubbling of the Rio Savegre as it meanders through the lodge grounds.  It is quite idyllic.