These days, May in the north is a time for cocoa-cappuccino Bay-breasted Warblers, chatty Wilson’s Warblers, and other latter May day migrants. Listen for the high-pitched calls, look in that general location and you might find breeding colors peeking through fresh green foliage. Warbler neck, profuse peering, and glimpsing warbler bits abounds but there’s also a heck of a lot to see. Keep up the watching and you might discover a background cuckoo here, a leaf-imitating Acadian Flycatcher there.
That sweet and tantalizing May birding is a lot like birding in tropical forest, a lot like birding in the lush habitats of Costa Rica. And lush they are, especially with all that rain going on. It’s expected, it’s needed, but it can also close roads and create sudden, surprising lakes in unwelcome places. You can still go birding but it would be wise to plan your excursions, sage to take the heavy rains into account.
Last week, I was doing that while guiding three day trips. Yes, it rained in the afternoon and, at Cope’s, even in the morning, but we still saw a lot. Know where to watch birds in Costa Rica and that’s how the birding ball rolls. These were some of the quality birds we saw.
Great Green Macaws and More at Cope’s
Like I was saying, yeah, we had some heavy morning rains but we also saw birds. Lately, Great Green Macaws have been visiting sites near Cope’s. One of Costa Rica’s avian stars, it’s not uncommon to see these majestic mega birds in flight. However, on account of their flying far and wide to forage, you never really know where you’ll see them perched (maybe outside of Tortuguero and the Boca Tapada area).
It was a treat to see and photograph these fantastic birds near Cope’s. Shortly after, the rain caught up to us but it didn’t hinder us from seeing a pair of Cope’s roosting Crested Owls, and some plush toy inspiring Honduran White Bats.
After waiting for the rain to subside, we also made a short hike to a roosting Spectacled Owl and then drove to a nesting Great Potoo! We had various other expected species there too although it was sobering to hear Cope’s tales of the place when he was a kid. He related how, back in the 70s, way back when I was watching Saturday morning cartoons and learning to play baseball with my friends, the entire pasture with the Great Potoo was primary rainforest. There was a lot more forest in the area and he said the trees were absolutely immense. Before immediate needs convinced people to cut it all down, there were also Red-throated Caracaras in the area; a social, wasp-specialist raptor that has mostly disappeared from Costa Rica.
Could be bring them back? Only if we let lots of forest grow back first, let it grow and thrive for a century.
Quetzals and More Around Varablanca
With Poas still blowing its top (according to the news, it shot a kilometer of ash into a pre-dawn sky this very morning), my quetzal searches have been happening near Varablanca. That’s alright, the birds are there and I usually find them. Find a lot of other birds too.
There were calling, fluttering Resplendent Quetzals, chippering Spangle-cheeked Tanagers, cheerful Collared Redstarts and the other usual cloud forest birds. It’s always good, I often get flyover Barred Parakeets too and other things can appear.
One of the best was this non-bird, a Banded Giant canopy Anole! This little known and rarely seen lizard ran off the road next to a patch of forest. A lifer lizard for me and a reminder of the immense biodiversity hiding and creeping and existing in Costa Rican cloud forest.
On another bright note, the Porterweed bushes at Corso are slowly growing back and hosting hummingbirds again. We had a couple Volcanos, a couple Scintillants, Purple-throated Mountain-gem, and Lesser Violetear. We also found several Scintillants at the “Restaurante Tipico de Varablanca”. This place is more easily recognized by its statues of a giant quetzal, Baird’s Tapir and other classic Costa Rican avifauna. Check the Porterweed, when we were there, it was buzzing with Scintillant joy.
Ceiba de Orotina Birding
This road through dry forest and open habitats always rocks the birds. It’s an easy and welcome way to get your fill of Rollerish, fancy Turquoise-browed Motmots, watch Gartered and Black-headed Trogons, see Double-striped Thick-knees, White-throated Magpie-Jays, and lots of other birds.
The other day, one of our stand outs was a pair of Crane Hawks. Although this species is present in the area, you sure don’t see them very often (at least I don’t). We had two soar into warm morning skies on the seasonally marshy part of the road around Cascajal.
On other days, watch those soaring skies and you might pick up Hook-billed Kite, Zone-tailed Hawk, Pearl Kite, and Harriss’s Hawk among the regular trio of small, common buteonines (Short-tailed, Roadside, and Gray Hawks).
Those were the main places we visited but, as a bonus, we also had good looks at White-eared Ground-Sparrow and a few other birds at Freddo Fresas, Yellow-naped Parrots perched next to a busy road at dawn, and, while charging my car near Orotina, I spied with my little eye, a couple of big, air-slicing Black Swifts foraging up above a busy, truck blaring highway. Birds are always there, the Urban Birder is right when he says to, “Look up”!
What’s next on the Costa Rica birding agenda? Hard to say, so much to always explore and see. No matter where I go, I know I’ll see some good stuff. I hope you do too, wherever you may be birding.
