7872 Fay Ranch Road
Weldon, California 93283
760.378.3345
ssrs@southernsierraresearch.org
Southern Sierra Research Station trip to Costa Rica
2010 Southern Sierra Research Station trip to Costa Rica
We have planned an exciting and very birdy trip the south-pacific region of Costa Rica. Although this is primarily a birdwatching trip, we will also look at monkeys, lizards, butterflies, insects, and plants, and learn about tropical ecology. We will begin near San Jose, then go to the Pacific Coast, and begin working our way south. We will visit Carara National Park, the coastal forest near Dominical, then the outer edge of the Osa Peninsula. We will next spend several days at the Wilson Botanical Gardens, and cool off with a few nights in the highlands of the Rio Savegre area. We will spend another night near San Jose. We will spend our last day birding north of San Jose, and end with dinner at our friend Alberto’s house. We will stay two nights at most locations, and a few single nights at others. Although we prefer to spend multiple nights at each location, there is a lot of ground to cover to visit the southern Pacific coast! We are also offering a single supplemental day visit to Tapanti National Park, on the Atlantic slope of the country.
Day 1 (Sunday January 11). The group will arrive in Costa Rica. Night at Villas Potrero (near San Jose). We assume people will arrive at different times. Those arriving early in the day can relax and bird the grounds and surrounding areas of Villas Potrero (Rufous-collard Sparrow, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Clay-colored Robin, Blue-crowned Motmot). Night at Villas Potrero
Day 2 (Monday January 12) After breakfast we will start the drive to Villas Lapas. We will make several birding stops on the way, including a stop in Orotina (owls) and the Cuaros River (waterbirds). We may arrange a boat ride after lunch to look for Boat-billed Heron, among other aquatic and marsh species. Night at Villa Lapas For more information please visit www.villalapas.com.
Day 3 (Tuesday January 13). We will spend a full day birding at the fantastic Carara National Park. Here we will look for Scarlet Macaw, Golden-crowned Spadebill, Royal Flycatcher, Slaty-tailed Trogon, Bare-throated Tiger Heron, Fiery-billed Aracari, Baird’s Trogon, Golden-naped Woodpecker, Black-hooded Antshrike, Yellow-billed Cotinga, Pale-billed Woodpecker, and Orange-collared Manakin. In the evening we will go owling. Night at Villa Lapas.
Day 4 (Wednesday January 14) After breakfast we will head to south to La Cusinga Eco Lodge. We will arrive in time for Lunch, and then we will head out to bird the forest of La Cusinga. We will look for Rufous-tailed Jacamar, puffbirds, spinetails, woodcreepers, tanagers, antshrikes, and warblers. Night at La Cusinga. For more information please visit http://www.lacusingalodge.com/, bird list at http://www.lacusingalodge.com/The%20Birds.pdf
Day 5 (Thursday January 15). We will spend the entire day birding the La Cusinga forest looking for White-crested Coquette, White Hawk, White-necked Puffbird, Golden-neck Woodpecker, Red-cap Manakin, tinamous, and Marbled Wood-quail. Night at La Cusinga
Day 6 (Friday January 16). After breakfast we will drive to the next beautiful place - Esquinas Rain Forest Lodge. We will arrive in time for lunch, then spend the afternoon birding. We will be looking for woodcreepers, puffbirds, Olivaceous Piculet, Antpittas, Antbirds, Antwrens, Ant-Tanager, and the ever elusive Antloon, AntDuck, and AntCuckoo. Okay, maybe not those last three, but this is a unique corner of Costa Rica, with many exciting endemics and we’ll be in a fantastic place to look for them. Night at Esquinas Rain Forest Lodge. For more information please visit http://www.esquinaslodge.com Bird list at: http://www.esquinaslodge.com/fileadmin/content/filebrowser/PDF_Dokumente/Bird_List_May_2007.pdf
Day 7 (Saturday January 17) We will spend the entire day birding at Esquinas Rain Forest Lodge. We will look for Fork-tailed Flycatcher, White-throated Crake, Uniform Crake, and Black-cheeked Ant-tanager. Night at Esquinas Rain Forest Lodge.
Day 8 (Sunday January 18). After breakfast we will travel to Las Cruces Biological Station and the Wilson Botanical Gardens. The birdwatching here is fantastic, with many plantings of fruit trees, and great paths to stroll around and check out the birds. Night at Las Cruces Biological Station. For more information please visit http://www.ots.ac.cr/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=221&Itemid=422
Day 9 (Monday January 19). Full day birding at Las Cruces Biological Station and Wilson Botanical Gardens. We will look for Turquoise Cotinga, Crested Oropendola, and fantastic mixed foraging flocks with multiple species of tanagers, warblers, orioles, and.… Night at Las Cruces Biological Station.
Day 10 (Tuesday January 20). Today we will have a fairly long ride to get to get to the Savegre region (aka Quetzal City). After breakfast and a bit of birding at Las Cruces we will begin the drive to Savegre, and arrive there in time for Dinner. We will stop for lunch on the way at the Pico Lino rest area, and we will stop at the paramo on the way to look for the volcano junco and Peg-billed Finch. Night at Cabinas el Quetzal. A bird list for the area: http://www.savegre.co.cr/birdlist.html
Day 11 (Wednesday January 21). We will spend the entire day walking around the Savegre area. We have an excellent chance of seeing the Resplendent Quetzal here! We will also look for Emerald Toucanet, Flame-colored Tanager, Collard Redstart, Slaty Flowerpiercer, and Yellow-thighed Finch. Night at Cabinas el Quetzal.
Day 12 (Thursday January 22). We will spend another morning birding in the area, then after lunch we will work our way towards San Jose. Along the way we will stop several times to bird. We will spend the night at Villas Potrero.
Day 13 (Friday January 23). We will leave very early today to visit Virgen del Socorro and look for tanager flocks. After that we will visit Mirador de Colibris (Hummingbird Overlook) and look for Green-crowned Brilliant, Brown Violet Ear, Black-bellied Hummingbird, White-bellied Mountain Gem, Magnificent Hummingbird, as well as Red-headed Barbet and Emerald Toucanet. Afterwards we will have lunch at the La Paz Waterfall Garden, then bird our way back to Villas Potrero. Alberto Vargas, our friend and driver, and his wife Andrea will host dinner at their home. We will spend the night at Villas Potrero.
Day 14 (Saturday January 24). Final day of the trip – we will assist all participants with transfers to the airport. For anyone wishing to extend their trip by a day or three, we can help with travel arrangements.
Day 14 SUPPLEMENTAL (Sunday January 25). - Supplemental Trip to Tapanti, Minimum of 5 participants. Cost – $150 per person. Tapanti National Park is about1.5 hours from San Jose – a fantastic birding area, with many species we won’t see on the rest of trip, such as Golden-browed Clorophonia, Spangle-cheeked Tanager, Purple-crowned Fairy, Tufted Flycatcher, Black-faced Solitaire, and Black-and-Yellow Silky-flycatcher. Includes breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner, transportation, Murrelet or a local as guide, park entry fees, an additional night at Villas Potrero, and transport to the airport on Saturday, Feb 15.
Day 15 SUPPLEMENTAL (Monday January 26). – Transportation to the airport in San Jose.
Length of the trip: 14 days, 13 nights (15 days, 14 nights with supplemental trip to P.N. Tapanti).
Number of Participants: 12 maximum.
Cost for the trip: $3150 per person. INCLUDED: all rooms, meals, snacks, park entry, transportation within the country, boat trip, guides. NOT INCLUDED: airfare from the US to Costa Rica, tips, exit tax, souvenirs).
Cost with Supplemental Tapanti Trip: $3400.
Non-refundable Deposit of $500 due October 15, 2009. Please let us know at this time if you will be going on the Supplemental trip.
Balance of $2750 Due December 15, 2009.
Balance of $2900 with Supplemental trip Due December 15, 2009.
For additional information please contact Murrelet Halterman at cuckoobuster@yahoo.com. My internet access is somewhat intermittent, so please be patient.
e going on the Supplemental trip.
Balance of $2550 Due December 15.
Balance of $2700 with Supplemental trip Due December 15.
For additional information please contact Murrelet Halterman at cuckoobuster@yahoo.com. My internet access is somewhat intermittent, so please be patient.