Itinerary - Costa Rica

Flora & Fauna Field Tours
Costa Rica
Tour Itinerary
February 23 - March 05, 2009

Feb. 23 : We will convene in San Jose Airport prior to meeting our bus and driver to take us to the Hotel Pochote Grande on the Pacific coast, only 2 hours from the capital. Here we should have time to bird the beautiful grounds and walk along the beach of the Pacific Ocean. D. Overnight : Hotel Pochote Grande, Jaco Beach.
Feb. 24: After breakfast, we visit the nearby Carara Reserve to explore some of the forest trails searching for antbirds, wrens, tanagers, woodcreepers, etc. This reserve is located in the transition zone between the wet and dry forests of the Pacific lowlands. Consequently a larger variety of species can be found. Some of the most sought-after birds are the gaudy and raucous Scarlet Macaws, the Red-lored Parrot, Northern Bentbill, Baird's Trogon, Blue-throated Goldentail and Royal Flycatcher. Animals too such as the Spiny-tailed Iguana, Coati Mundi, and White-faced and Capuchin monkeys, can be seen. We will also traverse the Villa Lapas Skywalk to search for species in the upper canopy of the forest. B/L/D. Ov. Hotel Pochote Grande.

Feb. 25 : In the morning, we will walk another of Carara's trails before taking a boat trip on the Rio Tarcoles to find American Crocodiles, herons, egrets, shorebirds and mangrove species. This is often a major highlight of the tour for many participants. Back at our hotel, an optional late-afternoon walk will be conducted. As darkness falls, we will search for owls and other night creatures. B/L/D. Ov. Hotel Pochote Grande.
Feb. 26 : Optional early morning bird walk around the hotel. After breakfast, we leave along the coast road for the Pacific lowland resort of La Cusinga. A short stop enroute will be made at Manuel Antonio National Park before reaching the beautiful location of La Cusinga, where we will hike through the grounds until dusk. Many animals and birds can be found here in this idyllic setting. B/L/D. Ov. La Cusinga Resort.
Feb. 27 : After breakfast, we will walk the lodge trails. Then down to the lovely Pacific Ocean and the adjacent Ballena National Park, where seabirds, dolphins, whales and other marine life can be seen. Time for swimming and snorkeling. After a picnic lunch, we drive to Hacienda Baru Nature Reserve near Dominical. A canopy tower will be visited, then we will walk a trail into the mangroves searching for birds and animals. B/L/D. Ov. La Cusinga Resort.
Feb.28 : Today we visit 2 distinct habitats : in the morning, the Pacific lowlands at La Merced Reserve; in the p.m., the rainforest highlands of the Oro Verde Nature Reserve. Many bird species will be seen as well as animals, butterflies, and plants. In 2005 La Merced species included Red-legged Honeycreeper, Slaty-tailed Trogon, Green Kingfisher, Lineated Woodpecker, Golden-hooded and Cherrie's Tanagers, Scaled Pigeon, White Hawk, Gray-headed Kite, and Mangrove Black Hawk. B/L/D. Ov. La Cusinga Resort.
March 1 : Optional pre-breakfast walk on the La Cusinga trails. Then we head for San Vito and the Wilson Botanical Gardens (Las Cruces) close to the Panamanian border. Here the numerous trees, bushes, flowers, orchids, and ferns are well worth the visit alone. But there are several interesting trails and rainforest walks which will produce many birds and animals. Rare species to be sought include Little Tinamou, Ruddy Quail-Dove, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Brown-billed Scythebill, Bicolored Antbird, Black-faced Antthrush, Turquoise Cotinga and Thrushlike Manakin. B/L/D. Ov. Wilson Botanical Gardens, San Vito.

March 2 : After breakfast, we walk one of the forest trails on a moderate hike. On our return, we will relax by the bird feeders as Blue-crowned Motmots, Golden-hooded, Cherrie's, Silver-throated and Blue-Gray Tanagers, Buff-throated Saltator, Clay-colored Robin, Bananaquit and House Wren feed on the papaya and other fruit and attending insects.
In the afternoon, we visit the San Vito Airport area for fringe species and such birds in an adjacent marsh as Masked Yellowthroat, Ruddy-breasted Seedeater and Pale-breasted Spinetail. B/L/D. Ov. Wilson Gardens.

March 3: Following breakfast, we drive the Pan-American Highway into the Talamanca Mountains and the highest peak at Cerro de la Muerte (11,000').Here we search for high-elevation species such as Volcano Junco, Volcano Hummingbird, Buffy Tuftedcheek, Peg-billed and Slaty finches, Zeledonia, Slaty Flowerpiercer, the South American form of Hairy Woodpecker, Timberline Wren, Large-footed Finch, Flame-throated Warbler and Collared Redstart. From the paramo, we will drive downslope to the lovely setting of the Savegre Hotel and its extensive grounds. In the evening, we will search for Bare-shanked Screech Owl and Dusky Nightjar. B/L/D. Ov. Savegre Hotel.

March 4 : This morning we will explore the nearby area with local guide Marino Chacon, who will help us find the gorgeous Resplendant Quetzal, Long-tailed and Black & Yellow Silky-Flycatchers, Black Guan, Yellow-thighed Finch, Flame-throated Hummingbird, Mountain and Sooty Robins, Barred Parakeet, and Ochraceous Pewee. After lunch, we will return to the lodge and bird the grounds and trails to find Collared Trogon, Sulphur-winged Parakeet, Black-billed Nightingale Thrush, Black-capped Flycatcher, and Black-thighed Grosbeak. The hotel hummingbird feeders should produce White-throated Mountain Gem, Green Violet Ear, Magnificent and Scintillant hummingbirds. B/L/D. Ov. Savegre Hotel.

March 5 : An optional pre-breakfast hike of the grounds, breakfast, then we reluctantly head to San Jose airport for the flights home. B.