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Lowlands - 0 - 400 meters
The Southern Pacific Lowlands, for our purposes, start at around Jacó and continue to the border with Panama. They extend from the Pacific Ocean to the foothills of the Talamanca Cordillera which separates the Pacific from the Atlantic sides in the southern part of Costa Rica. Here the climate is more moist than in the Northern Pacific Lowlands, particularly Guanacaste. Clearly, there are many different habitats all along this long area. These are just a few examples our birding trips in the Southern Pacific Lowlands. |
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Manuel Antonio and Quepos
Pat was on vacation, so Wilbur & Berny (very competent local guides) led 13 of us on an overnight trip around the Quepos area. We saw 79 species, including a pair of Double-striped Thick-Knees that had not previously been reported this far South. We spent the night in the Hotel Plaza Yara in Manuel Antonio, a very nice hotel with reasonable rates. (Some came early and spent two nights.) Connie organized a boat trip in the mangrove estuary of Isla Damas that was a big hit and produced a Tree Boa sunning itself next to the water, in addition to lots of aquatic birds. Phil & Danny hosted a pre-dinner wine party and organized a great restaurant, Ronny’s Place, for dinner afterwards. Lyn did a super job of organizing the trip.
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In all they saw 79 species. |
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Los Campesinos Ecolodge
Pat and 13 members arrived at theLos Campesinos Ecolodge, a tourism coop about 24 km inland from Quepos, around midday. After settling in, they saw the occupied nest of a Stripe-throated Hermit on a banana tree near one of the cabins. They had a hearty lunch and started birding at 2:30 PM. Pat pointed out swifts and a White Hawk overhead. And the hedges near the cabins yielded Violet-headed and Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds. Moving slowly up to the entrance gate, they spotted a Green Honeycreeper, a Blue Dacnis, a Striped Woodhaunter and the nest of a Common Tody-Flycatcher before the rain started when they took shelter in the local bus stop before making their way back to an early dinner. Saturday morning started at 5 AM with coffee and birding that turned up an Eye-ringed Flatbill and Rufous-breasted and Black-bellied Wrens before breakfast at 8. After breakfast, they split into two groups: one crossed the long footbridge to a waterfall while the other group went down the trail below the cabinas and saw an Ochre-bellied Flycatcher. In the afternoon most of the group birded with Pat until the rain came while two drove down to the Savegre River and spotted a Green Kingfisher, and a Great Egret. On Sunday morning, they set off on the path into the woods towards the Mirador, where they saw a Scaly-throated Leaftosser. Back at the cabins later, they may have seen a Spot-fronted Swift and got a few brief looks at Lesser Swallow-tailed and Costa Rican Swifts among the more common White-collared Swifts flying very high. After breakfast at 8, they did the bird list and took off for home. |
The count for the trip was a respectable 87 seen and 23 heard for a total of 110 species. |
