Costa Rica 2013
Fifteen Years Later

January 23, 2013 - Bosque de Paz and Arenal Observatory Lodge

Before breakfast, Memo drove us to the top of the ridge behind Bosque de Paz. We birded our way back down. There was a stiff wind at the summit, but lower down it was fine. Lovely climate at that altitude. The best bird was the Emerald Toucanet, a species Nick worked very hard to find for us.

After breakfast, we hung around the Bosque feeders a while. Really nice folks and a truly lovely facility. Then we headed to Arenal Observatory Lodge, which involved driving more than half way around the volcano. Vulcan Arenal looms over the lodge; the summit is just 1.7 miles away. Terrific photo ops from the deck, especially for Montezuma's Oropendolas. Birding the trails wasn't so hot. A few birds, mostly warblers, but nothing new.

A very cosmopolitan lodge. Lots of Germans, Swiss and Brits, as well as Yankees. The trails are quite tame. Only one night, but given scarce birds, limited trails and crowds, probably just as well.


Birds
Crested Guan
Black Guan
Wood Stork
Great Egret
Cattle Egret
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Roadside Hawk
Gray Hawk
Ruddy Ground-Dove
White-tipped Dove
Gray-rumped Swift
Green Hermit
Green-crowned Brilliant
Magnificent Hummingbird
Purple-throated Mountain-gem
Scintillant Hummingbird
Violet-headed Hummingbird
Scaly-breasted Hummingbird
Violet Sabrewing
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Amazon Kingfisher
Emerald Toucanet
Keel-billed Toucan
Black-cheeked Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Crested Caracara
Laughing Falcon
White-crowned Parrot
Dusky Antbird
Streak-breasted Treehunter
Red-faced Spinetail
Olive-striped Flycatcher
Dark Pewee
Black Phoebe
Great Kiskadee
Social Flycatcher
Tropical Kingbird
Brown Jay
Blue-and-white Swallow
Southern Rough-winged Swallow
House Wren
Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush
Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush
Wood Thrush
Clay-colored Thrush
Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher
Black-and-white Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Tropical Parula
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Black-cheeked Warbler
Golden-crowned Warbler
Slate-throated Redstart
Passerini's Tanager
Blue-gray Tanager
Palm Tanager
Golden-hooded Tanager
Emerald Tanager
Silver-throated Tanager
Red-legged Honeycreeper
Green Honeycreeper
Variable Seedeater
Bananaquit
Yellow-faced Grassquit
Yellow-thighed Finch
Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch
Black-striped Sparrow
Rufous-collared Sparrow
Common Bush-Tanager
Hepatic Tanager
Summer Tanager
Red-throated Ant-Tanager
Melodious Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Black-cowled Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Montezuma Oropendola
House Sparrow

Keel-billed Toucan

Montezuma's Oropendolas

Male Red-legged Honeycreeper

Golden-hooded Tanager
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