Costa Rica birding sites

Poas Volcano Reopens and More Costa Rica Birding News

How’s your July birding coming along? In the birding realm, this month seems to be dominated by the Bird Fair in the UK and the post breeding birding break (except when you look for shorebirds). At least that’s how I remember it. I have only experienced the Bird Fair via social media posts (would be nice to change that some day) but, have done my fair share of late July/August shorebird searching.

Friends would take me to the Lake Erie shore and other local shorebird hotspots in southern Ontario. We walked along humid beaches and scanned the algae patches on shore to see which migrants had stopped for much needed biofilm and small bug snacks. We didn’t have the huge numbers of sandpipers or plovers of lucky coastal birders but, we were always happy with the birds we found.

It was and is sort of mind-blowing to consider where the Ruddy Turnstones, Semipalmated Sands and Plovers and other shorebirds had spent the summer, the wild lands they flew over, and the bird neighbors they saw (and had to watch out for). Those same species make it all the way to Costa Rica, I hope to look for them here soon.

This one has already showed up, I’d love to include it on my year list!

On another note, if you’re headed to Costa Rica soon, here’s some birding news you may find interesting.

Poas Volcano National Park to Open Back Up

Yes! After months of shooting ash clouds and other unwelcome stuff from its crater, the authorities have deemed that Poas has calmed down enough to reopen the national park.

As long as the volcano doesn’t suddenly explode again, the reopening is scheduled for the final week of July. You’ll still need to reserve and buy tickets online (and I wouldn’t linger too long at the crater) but, the trails will be open.

On account of avoiding an active volcano, I haven’t been up there in a while and am curious to see if bird populations have been affected by the gases and other volcanic activity. Hopefully, not too much. One of these days, I’ll probably check out the entrance road and see if it still has the same number of silky-flycatchers, Fiery-throated Hummingbirds, and other highland species.

Although the park is heavily visited, it’s still a good spot to see Wrenthrush, Flame-throated Warbler, and various other highland birds. It can also be good for Peg-billed Finch.

Flooding May Continue in Some Areas

In some parts of Costa Rica, this wet season has been pretty harsh. I suppose that reflects the trend for extreme weather in many parts of the world. Lately, I know of flooding around Upala, at Medio Queso, areas north of Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui, around Limon, near Boca Tapada, and Golfito.

The ground is still saturated in many areas and more rain is expected. For the visiting birder, that translates to keeping an eye on weather, and staying in touch with your lodging to see if you’ll be headed to flooded zones. It also means using common sense. Like, if a road is a bit too flooded, don’t drive through it!

Other birding areas that commonly flood include the Coto 47 area near Ciudad Neily, parts of the Nicoya Peninsula, the road to the Pavona dock to go to Tortuguero, parts of Jaco, and towns near Playas del Coco.

Sueños de Irazu Burns Down

Sadly, an important restaurant and tourist complex on the way to Irazu Volcano has burned down. Thankfully, this is not the Nochebuena Restaurant but it’s still an awful blow to a place that employed a number of local people.

If you’ve been to Irazu, this the large place with a big sign that read, “Mongongo” (tripe), just after a forested stream. Roadside habitat on that same stream is also one of the better spots in the area to see quetzal and is also good for other highland birds. Hopefully, the habitat wasn’t affected.

Algae Bloom in the Gulf of Nicoya

There have been recent reports of algae blooms in the Gulf of Nicoya. So far, the blooms have not been harmful algae but, I wonder how they’ll affect marine bird communities that use the gulf. I fear not in a good manner although the only way to tell is by going there and checking it out.

With bird migration just kicking into gear and the gulf tending to be better for pelagic birds at this time of year, I look forward to doing some seawatching from Puntarenas or taking the ferry.

Road Work on the Tarcoles Crocodile Bridge

This is a big one. Yes, the time has come to refurbish or fix the famous crocodile bridge. Lane closures will cause traffic jams on this main coastal road but, better that the bridge collapsing and throwing people straight into the maws of huge American Crocodiles.

The works are scheduled to end in May and, starting in October, there will also be occasional nighttime closures from 9 pm to 5 am. This post gives a timeframe for the works (in Spanish).

With all of this in mind, once the night closures start, make sure NOT to plan on driving from San Jose to Jaco and further south on Route 34 between 9 and 5. There won’t be closures every night but, without knowing the dates for them, it’s better to play it safe. This route is going to see major traffic jams but, you might avoid the worst if you avoid travel on the weekends and during rush hour.

The Usual Awesome Birding Going On

Oh yeah, not mention but, there’s still the usual great birding going on in Costa Rica. Lots of fantastic resident birds to look at, skulkers to look for, and skies to scan. Go to the right birding sites and it’s always gonna be good!

To learn more about where to see birds in Costa Rica and support this blog, please purchase my 900 plus page ebook and birding site guide to Costa Rica. I hope to see you here!

Costa Rica Birding Highlights- Nectar and Pollen

Where to go birding in Costa Rica? Where to see birds in Costa Rica? These are pertinent question for any birder, and, for some, all important concerns. The right answers vary; they wholly depend on what you would like to see. Walk outside and look around, as the Urban Birder says, “Look Up!”, and you will see birds, even in the concrete byways of San Jose. However, if you carry out that same action in and near primary rainforest, you could see ten times as many birds.

If “quetzal” is in your personal birding equation, any number of forested sites in the highlands will work. The same goes for many of Costa Rica’s near endemics including birds like Yellow-thighed Brushfinch, an arboreal towhee with legs that sport yellow pom-poms.

As you can see, I wasn’t kidding!

Looking for tanagers? Well of course you are! The best sites tend to be in quality foothill and middle elevation rainforest. How about hummingbirds? Yes please and with sabrewings on top! You’ll find those and much more at various middle elevation sites.

Nothing like seeing a massive purple hummingbird to get the birding blood flowing!

Now if you would like to see lots of cool, choice tropical birds, all at once, there are good birding sites in Costa Rica for that fast and furious happiness too. One such place is Nectar and Pollen, these are some recent highlights and birds to look for at this easily accessible, gem of a spot:

Raptors

Some of best places to see raptors in Costa Rica are sites with good views of the canopy and sky over extensive primary rainforest. Walk into the pasture at Nectar and Pollen and you’ll see what I mean, especially during a sunny morning, right around 9:00 a.m. This is high time for raptors to take to the skies and if you hit a good day at Nectar and Pollen you could see several of these species:

King Vulture

Hawk-eagles, even the rare Black-and-White

White Hawk

Barred Hawk

Great Black Hawk

Gray Hawk

Broad-winged Hawk

Short-tailed Hawk

Double-toothed Kite

Rarely, you could also see Hook-billed and Gray-headed Kites

Scan the canopy at an early hour and you might also get lucky with finding a perched Tiny Hawk, Bicolored Hawk, Laughing Falcon, or other raptor species.

White-tipped Sicklebill and Other Hummingbirds

Plantings can attract sicklebill, hermits, and several other hummingbirds. A recent visit turned up:

White-necked Jacobin

Blue-chested Hummingbird

Violet-headed Hummingbird

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

Scaly-breasted Hummingbird

Crowned Woodnymph, and

Green-breasted Mango.

On other visits, I have also had Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer, Green Thorntail, Black-crested Coquette, Brown Violetear, Long-billed Starthroat, and that minute mega, the Snowcap.

A Flurry of Birds

If you do pay a visit, be prepared, the birds often happen fast and furious! One after another and sometimes, all at once. So as not to miss anything, your best bet is to let go and do what the guide says. A good guide will get you on the birds that need to be seen at that moment instead of looking at species more likely to be seen later the same day or on other days.

Be forewarned, whether birding with a guide or not, sensory overload is likely! Just try to stay focused, try to recall field marks, and wait until a lull in the bird action to check your birding app for Costa Rica or field guide book. Trust me, if you try to look up each bird as you see them, you could miss a lot.

As with any site, the fast birding at Nectar and Pollen varies but often includes troops of Black-faced Grosbeaks and Carmiol’s Tanagers, other tanagers in fruiting trees, euphonias, hummingbirds, parrots doing flybys and more. It’s bird action at its best!

Red-fronted Parrotlet and Other Uncommon Species

Although you can’t expect it on every visit, this is a perfect site to see the rare Red-fronted Parrotlet fly past in the morning and late afternoon. Watch for them from the small hill in the pasture while also enjoying views of Long-tailed Tyrant, Cinnamon, Rufous-winged, Black-cheeked, and Smoky-brown Woodpeckers, and other species.

If you walk the forest trail, keep a close eye out for Olive-backed Quail-Dove on the ground, Dull-mantled Antbird in the ravines, and White-flanked Antwrem and other small birds in understory mixed flocks. The umbrellabird and other rare species are also always possible!

Tanagers and White-vented Euphonia

The number of tanagers can vary but fruiting trees usually attract Green and Shining Honeycreepers, Scarlet-rumped and Crimson-collared Tanagers, and various other species. Emerald, Silver-throated, Speckled, and Bay-headed are regular and once in a while, Rufous-winged, Black-and-yellow, and even Blue-and-Gold Tanagers occur! On a recent visit, although the tanager scene was somewhat subdued, we still had uncommon White-vented Euphonia and several other nice birds.

As you may have surmised, the birding at Nectar and Pollen can be pretty darn good. The same goes for bird photography, especially for hummingbirds, Rufous Motmot, and tanagers. Visits must be arranged in advance but that’s easy enough to do. Just send Miguel a message at the Nectar and Pollen Facebook page and give him the date of your visit. A visit for one to two people costs $25 per person, $20 per person for groups of three or more. If you go, please leave a comment with your sightings or link to eBird list at the end of this post. I hope to see you there!