Ellen Horak | The Ovenbird Blog

#7 Trapp Family Lodge in Monteverde March 24-26

by Ellen Horak | Apr 27, 2026 | 2026

The road out from Cano Negro was as challenging as the road in but we continued to take it very slow and managed to get through without a flat tire. After about 14km we finally hit pavement and then major highways before turning onto the road to Monteverde and again ran into rough road for about 10 kms or so before hitting pavement with potholes. The road was uphill as we once again headed for our last stop in the cloud forest. Despite the many birds we have seen, there are still more and we hope to have better views of ones we have already seen as well as finding new ones. We arrived at 1:15 and our room was ready. We have found all the lodges so far have allowed early arrivals and are happy to get you into your room hours earlier than the checkin time stated. It is a nice perk. The room was lovely and large with a screened in porch.

Jerry took a nap and then we birded up the road to the Monteverde NP .5 km away. We heard an Ornate Hawk Eagle very close but could not see it. Walked on and spent some time at the hummingbird feeders at the park entrance. We were not sure of all the ID’s of the hummers – we never are, so Jerry took pictures of everything that looked different so we could check them with Merlin and Ebird later. We started back up and saw a hawk out from the same area where we had heard the calls – it was quite distance but looked pretty good for the Hawk Eagle as far as shape and size. It was too distant for pics but we are confident that we at least heard it, confirmed with ebird when we got back so it will be added to the list. A bit further up the road we spotted a Northern Emerald Toucanet in a tree and then had a second one fly in as well. There were some nice interactions between them which I managed to get on video.

A few young girls walked by at that point and then when they were passed us they went over to the edge of the overlook and started screaming. Almost immediately we heard howler monkeys howling loudly from back in the park. Did their screaming set off the monkeys? Did they know it would? Did they do it to shock us? We had so many questions and no answers as they had disappeared up the road quickly. We were happy they had screamed so that we had the chance to hear the monkeys so close but it was a weird situation.

Once we were back to the lodge we checked the photos and realized that we added 3 more Hummingbird lifers! Purple-throated Mountain-gem, Coppery-headed Emerald and Stripe-tailed Hermit. There are 54 species of Hummingbirds seen in Costa Rica and we have seen 24 of them so far.

Dinner was very good, Jerry opted for a typical Costa Rican dinner and then we showered, did some laundry in the shower and worked on pictures and notes. Ebird is messed up today and our checklist says 0 species even though there are 24 species on the list. Checking with the ebird community on FB it appears widespread and not an issue with us so hopefully it gets cleared up soon.

We had a guided hike in the morning into a private reserve that we hoped would net us more lifers. We met up with Rodrigo at 6am and just birded in town while we waited for the reserve to open at 7. We had 3 lifers fairly quickly, Rufous-and-white Wren, Streaked Flycatcher and Ruddy Pigeon but no pictures of any of them because of distance. The reserves open later because they are trying really hard to limit people into the parks and reserves. For Monteverde NP you have to decide what trail you want to walk on, what time and you have to take a shuttle into the park area. While it is impressive that the goal is to preserve what is there it means that people miss out. The website to book is also very slow and frustrating so we opted to go to Curi Cuncha, a private reserve instead, but the late opening meant that the first hour of “best” birding did not happen. There was a long involved waiver to fill out and sign and so we didn’t get in until almost 7:30 which was frustrating for us.

We heard the Three Wattled Bellbird almost immediately but at a distance. It was the bird I was most hoping for and it was my Merlin Bird of the Day!! We went through the trails and heard a Long-tailed Manakin too and a few other lifers as we walked along. The trails were lovely. We ended up seeing the Bellbird at a very long distance across a ravine. The scope views were identifiable but I really wanted to see one at closer views. Maybe later. It was a really good bird to get and that most people want to see here.

The trails were fairly quiet and our guide was not as attentive as I would have liked. He seemed to want to tell us stories and about history and while it was very interesting, I felt we were missing hearing birds. We did see 5 lifers with him, but it was $120 to him and $50 to get into the reserve and really by lunch we felt we would have seen probably the same lifers on our own. The Magenta Woodstar was easy to see at the Hummingbird feeders. We also managed to see another Quetzal making it our 3rd sighting and our 4th Quetzal.

After we had our boxed breakfast for lunch we went back into the reserve on our own and birded for another 3 hours. We saw the Bellbird again a bit closer but no better pictures.

We were walking one trail and heard weird noises overheard and looked up to see this puff of orange on the branch above. From right below we could not figure out what bird we were looking at but after a minute we realized it was Trogons mating.

We picked up another 4 lifers, unfortunately all heard only. It is so tough birding in the forest. The birds repeatedly call and you try to narrow in but they are not always close to the trail and so you do your best. Again, we made sure that we hear the calls ourselves and repeatedly and Merlin confirmed but we always made sure that ebird also confirmed the call before adding them. There is always a chance we will see one of these birds yet so we don’t discount the sighting. We also saw monkeys in a few of the trees and some weird bugs.

Dinner was once again, delish. I had a Mexican tortilla soup and Spaghetti, I know a weird combination but so tasty.

Our last morning we were at breakfast at 6am so we could bird at a refuge near by at 7. The food and the staff are superb at the Trapp Family Lodge. We were very impressed. Breakfast was included and they provided a boxed breakfast when we had to leave early the first morning for our guided hike. There is a small garden but no grounds to bird through so be aware of that but it is .5km from the entrance to Montverde National Park and 10 mins to many other ebird hotspots.

We loaded the car, waited our usual 10 minutes to get it in gear and then headed to Bajo del Tigre or the Eternal Child Rainforest for the morning hoping for better looks at Bellbird and Manakins.

This jungle birding is so tough. Merlin alerts you to the bird singing but finding it and then confirming it and then getting a picture is darn near impossible. Yes guides could help in some situations but we did not have guides here. We hunted for the Long-tailed Manakin having not heard the Bellbird when we arrived at 7. the Manakin was calling repeatedly and we walked the trails hoping to get closer to the sound but it tantalizingly stayed out of reach. At one point we thought we were close and had a few other birds calling as well but nope still nothing. A lifer Red-crowned Ant-Tanger (not to be confused with the Red-faced Ant-Tanager) showed up right beside the path so we could see it without bins and it stayed for 10 seconds. Jerry tried to get a picture but it flew as he took it. A very blurry picture and it had been so close to us LOL. He was definitely frustrated trying to deal with the lighting and humidity. Before w e left for Costa Rica I commented on how few pictures there were on people’s checklists and now I know why. We also added a Rufous-breasted Wren and a Northern Barred-Woodcreeper.

The light is low and every bird appears dark near the ground. The trail took us in a loop where we met up with birders who had just had a Puma cross the path in front of them! We commiserated over the lack of Manakins and went on our way. Finally, the Bellbird started singing so we moved on to try for pictures of it but again it was so close but we had no sighting of one.

In the last 8 days we have walked 52.8km and climbed the equivalent of 204 flights of stairs. It is a mountainous country and so many of the trails are up and down, the lodges are on hills, there are hills to get to and from rooms. We are in pretty good shape and we are only walking around 4-5kms each day but much of that is on inclines making it feel like much more of a workout.

Eventually after 4 hours we gave up. It was hot, a number of birders were trying as we were to see the Long-tailed manakin but it was just not happening. On to Cerro Lodge.

20 new species with 19 of them lifers

#8 Cerro Lodge and Tarcoles March 26-28

by Ellen Horak | Apr 27, 2026 | 2026

We left the Bajo del Tigre trails around 11 and headed back down the mountain but this time on almost all paved road. Whew! what a difference. Once we hit the main highways the traffic was super slow with lots of construction as they are in the midst of making highways into 4 lanes. As in all travel in Costa Rica you aim on 50-60 kms an hour even for “highway” driving. We had 95 km to drive and it took almost 3 hours. We had a bird fly across in front of the car and we were easily able to ID it as a White-throated Magpie Jay. Not any birds that look close to it and I had been waiting to see one. Unfortunately, with lifers like that there are rarely photos. The temperature climbed as we hit the lowlands and was reading 32C outside the car. When we arrived at Cerro Lodge it was around 30C. And humid.

The beautiful lush gardens from the pictures online were crispy, dry and brown. But birds remained. This was the only lodge that made us wait until the actual checkin at 3pm. We had arrived at 1:15. All the other lodges got us into our rooms early but we always expected to have to wait for room cleaning. At Cerro Lodge there was no one cleaning the rooms so really no reason to not let us in early. But Pura Vida, so we birded from the raised restaurant and added 3 lifers while we waited. Scarlet Macaws flew past at a distance but we will see more of them over the next few days. They are the bird that people come to this lodge for. We also added a Cinnamon Hummingbird, Greenish Elaenia and had great views of a Rufous-backed Wren playing around the deck.

Our first view of the Spectacular Scarlet Macaws

Once in the room, we turned on the air conditioner, something we rarely use but man was I hot. And we have an outdoor bathroom! What fun that will be in the dark! LOL.

We ended up with a few creatures in the bathroom but nothing too scary even in the middle of the night.

We birded the grounds and saw more Scarlet Macaws flying past to roost and a few birds came up on Merlin but we did not have the time to figure out calls so hopefully we will get on them in the morning. We did hear and see at a distance the Yellow-naped Amazon, which is a sensitive species here as well as a couple of other parrot species. We enjoyed the sunset from the restaurant and watched Swifts and Nighthawks take to the skies.

We met a family and started chatting and then their guide arrived and it turned out we had met him at the Quetzal tour and spoken to him for a bit and I had asked him for his card. We caught up with what they were seeing and what we had seen and then ordered our dinner. A Pizza, wood-fired! The chef has won awards for the pizzas so of course we had to try one. It was very tasty but I felt the dough in the middle was too thin and it had very few toppings and a wide round of dough. I had one piece of basil on a Margherita pizza? There was more basil on the Bruschetta, which was also delish! They would be shocked at how much I add to mine at home. The surface is covered but maybe basil is expensive here. Anyway, it was tasty, I could have eaten another one.

Next morning we stepped out of our room and had a Turquoise-browed Motmot singing away. Then we heard and saw the Rose-breasted Becard.

We did a quick checklist for 40 minutes and then for the first time we skipped breakfast, it wasn’t included so we opted for the granola bars that have been squished in the bottom of our bags for weeks and headed to Carara NP. There were guides at the gate and so one started chatting with us and eventually asked if we wanted a guide. We talked it over and figured why not, $70US for 3 hours. We had been told that this was an acceptable way to find local guides and Victor seemed knowledgable and had a business doing tours. We left our car in the secure Park parking and Victor drove us 2 km down the highway in his car to another trail still in the National Park that is supposed to be good for birding. There was a local man collecting money for watching cars at this spot, something that is common in Costa Rica and we were happy to pay him to watch Victors car LOL even though they were friends of course but hey it is all about giving back to the locals. We paid him a couple of dollars.

We birded the trail and Victor got us on Scarlet Macaws, also showing us a tree they had used for nesting. The Macaws are LOUD! You would never miss them as the squawking seems to continue while they are in the air.

A bit later Victor spotted a White-whiskered Puffbird.

Victor tried calling in Orange-collared Manakins but though we could hear them respond they did not come close for us to see them. We did finally see a Chestnut-headed Antbird and Jerry managed bad, blurry pictures LOL.

We are at the point that the birds left to find are the more difficult ones to see at the best of time, often easy to hear them calling but trying to find them amongst the foliage or off the trail is frustrating. It was hot 32-34C and humid. Our glasses would steam up when we lifted our bins to them, our hands were sweaty. The sweat was running down our backs and it was only 8am. We have tried in every situation to stay and try to see these birds but the reality is that we just have to accept lifers as heard only – we have done this in the past of course but for the most part it is restricted to really skulky or nocturnal species. Here just the normal little birds that spend their time in the top canopy are neck-breaking to see let alone get a decent picture. Jerry tries beyond what is expected in these circumstances. On the other hand, ants were everywhere, as they always are with some huge colonies and we had some nice views of monkeys.

We did manage views of some great birds but dipped on others. We chose not to add all the heard-only birds like Fiery Aracari. Victor said he heard it but this is one species we want to see and should see so we chose not to add it. Each time we have the discussion about whether to add or not, did we both hear it clear enough, did we try to see it and did we just see a bit of it and finally do you want to add it. It is like twenty questions every time we hear something new.

At 10am Victor took us back to the main entrance and we headed off on our own into the other trails. The forest was marginally cooler by a degree or two and near the river there was a whiff of a cool breeze but make no mistake we were still sweating and uncomfortable. The park was beautiful though.

The water is safe to drink everywhere in Costa Rica which is one less thing to worry about. The tap below is the National Parks “water fill up ” station. Used it and it was fine so appearances can be deceiving.

We found great birds on our own and Jerry finally got pictures of birds we have been hearing. He also found another Puffbird.

We had a very quick view of a Red-capped Manakin and despite our efforts walking back and forth we did not refind it. We heard the Velvety Manakins and spent 10-15 minutes trying in vain to see them. We saw a Crake or Wood Rail of some sort but could not ID it as it moved into deeper brush but that led us to 2 Ruddy Quail-Dove and then a minute later to seeing our first Great Tinamou! We were on fire! Jerry was already deciding we no longer needed a guide LOL.

We saw an Ochre-bellied Flycatcher and actually got pictures! We also had great looks at a Black-hooded Antshrike. And we heard the Riverside Wren numerous times. We also saw our first Poison-dart Frog! that I spotted just off the trail. We showed it to a tour group going past.

We met up with another guide that we had talked to back at Hotel Quelitales and he told us they had found Marbled Wood Quails back along the trail so we paid attention while walking that way. Jerry was walking ahead but I heard some leaves rustling and saw something just off the trail and there were 5 of the Quails, a fantastic bonus and another bird that can be tough to get.

We then headed down the Mangroves along the River Tarcoles. There was a trail that you could find specific Mangrove species on but again it was the hottest part of the day and so we were not successful with seeing or hearing the Mangrove Yellow Warbler or the Mangrove Vireo. We do have another chance at the next lodge so we did not spend a lot of time and we were more than happy to head back to the lodge with the continued heat.

When we finally returned back to the lodge at 3 my body was in rough shape. The heat has been hitting my skin hard for the last week. I had a severe rash above my ankle from sweaty synthetic socks that was itchy and sore. I had sores along my waist and edges of bra straps also from the heat and sweat. But the most concerning was a bite from 4-5 days ago on my thigh that was definitely infected, the red circle around it was expanding and it was hot to the touch. I won’t show you the picture of that, take my word it was ugly. I was using an antibiotic cream but it was not working. I will need to go to a pharmacy. I took pics so I will know if it expands anymore signalling a blood infection.

The Scarlet Macaws were hanging around the Lodge and while I cooled off Jerry took some beautiful pictures.

We cooled off by the pool but the water was so warm it really did not help and then headed into dinner.

The next morning we opted to walk down the road below the Lodge to chase one species. The Double-striped Thick-knee was a bird I had expected to get up at Cano Negro but we missed probably because we were watching for holes in the road instead of birds. Two had been reported yesterday minutes away and this would be my last attempt as we will move into an area they are not found. It was a beautiful morning and I changed from my normal pants and shirts to a shift dress to allow my skin a break. Maybe this will be my new birding ensemble?

We saw lots of species of birds and quickly added a lifer Blue-vented Hummingbird. We scanned the fields as this bird is a bird found in the grasses often around cattle. We scanned and walked, and scanned and walked. We finally got to a spot where the road split and a decision had to be made. I opted to go to the right since there was a farm right along the road as it split. Minutes later I spotted one right beside the fence near the road! Woohoo! I made the right choice. This was really the first “chase” we had done here and it paid off.

On the way back to the Lodge we added one more lifer, a Nuttings Flycatcher, identified by the call more than the looks as it is similar to our Great Crested Flycatcher or the Costa Rican Brown-crested Flycatcher.

Some extra pictures from Cerro Lodge and Carara National Park.

We were back at the lodge at 7am (see how much you can do with a 5:30 sunrise?) and opted to pay for breakfast before heading out for another longer drive to the Osa Peninsula.

We added 32 more species to the year list with 27 of them being lifers.

#6 Hotel de Campo Cano Negro Refuge March 22-24

by Ellen Horak | Apr 26, 2026 | 2026

After we left La Fortuna it was only a 3 hour drive to Cano Negro but the road in is not for the weak or faint-hearted. We knew it would be bad. Everyone we mentioned to that we were going to Cano Negro asked the same question – which road are you taking? Be prepared for a flat tire even if you drive slow. I was nervous but I was still going to go – we had a reservation after all. The first 90km were nice, paved road and not a lot of traffic. A surprise police stop for a drug search of a car in front of us was a bit strange but then we were very close to the Nicaraguan border so we figured this must be the reason to stop all trafiic both ways and have police dogs sniff around cars. The poor guy in front had to get out, empty pockets etc while they searched his car and everyone else sat and waited patiently while this transpired. Eventually, he was allowed back in his car and we were all waved through.

Shortly after we turned off the main highway and the road rapidly became worse and worse. My videos do not give the full extent of the road – the deep crevasses, yes crevasses, not little indents, it was lose your car in the crevasse. OK, maybe a bit of an exaggeration but you get the idea. We did not go above 10-15km an hour. It was a long, hot, dusty drive with me keeping my fingers crossed that we did not get a flat, and acting as the navigator around holes.

In between that we stopped for birds along the route. We were now in different habitat, grasslands and marsh. We ended up seeing a Roadside Hawk, Crested Caracaras, White-tailed Kite, Groove-billed Ani’s, all not lifers. As well as Meadowlarks and Red-winged Blackbirds. We did see our first Morelet’s Seedeater and I got a picture of it as it was on my side of the car. The Roadside hawk was also my picture since it was on my side of the car. I point it out as there are so few bird pictures of mine. We just birded from the car as getting out into the heat and dust of the road was not appealing at all.

We did arrive finally, with the vehicle in one piece! and no flat tire but we did have to drive back out in two days. The owner was friendly and welcoming, as they all are, and he let us know that we were the only guests for that first night. This lodge is not as well-appointed as previous places. It was older and the rooms were a little tired looking. Very clean and still more than adequate but not top of the line. The restaurant area was beautiful.

We had a nice walk around and added a few lifers down by the river. We saw a distant Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, a Black-collared Hawk flyover, a Pale-vented Pigeon, Black-headed Trogon and a group of Olive-throated Parakeets. We saw all of them! The difference between forest and river birds. I won’t post pictures as they were all quite distant and Jerry took much better pictures on the boat ride.

We had a yummy dinner prepared by his wife. Tilapia in white-wine sauce for me and Jerry had a Seafood with FRESH made Pasta! Served with fresh baked bread. To be in the middle of nowhere and get that kind of food is really wonderful.

We went to sleep early as we had the boat tour for 6am. It was only a five minute drive away but as we have been finding it is not always easy to get our rental car going in the morning. There is an issue with the gear changing and so it will go into reverse but when Jerry tries to put it into drive the engine just revs. It seems to only be in the morning and he moves the shifter around, back and forth and eventually it will start to go and then is usually fine the whole day but it is becoming more stressful as the days go by and the problem seems to be taking longer to resolve.

The boat trip was just us and a guide in a long boat equipped with rotating seats. It was fantastic! Our guide pointed out anything he saw or heard along the shore or in the water and he slowed or stopped the boat so Jerry could try for pictures.

We had stellar views of Bare-throated Tiger-Herons, Southern Lapwings, we added lifer Nicaraguan Grackle, a bird that is only found in this area of Costa Rica.

Many heron species, Tricoloured, Little Blue, Green, Snowy and Egrets.

We saw 4 species of Kingfisher, Green, Amazon, Ringed and American Pygmy. The American Pygmy was the toughest to see as it is so tiny but after carefully checking all the branches from where the calls were coming from we found it.

Really, truly the highlight of our trip even though we did not see that many lifers, just 11 out of 78 species seen. BUT it was just so cool being out on the water and really seeing so many different birds well even though many were birds we had seen previously. We felt incredibly grateful to be able to have experiences like that. I hit my 1,000 bird on the trip with seeing the Green-breasted Mango, a hummingbird.

We saw the Russet-naped Wood Rail that is almost identical to the Gray-cowled Wood Rail but easily determined by geographic area and call. We had a relatively close Black-collared Hawk that was content to let us take pictures and video.

Better looks at Green Ibis

Good looks at some land birds – Black-headed Trogon, Cinnamon Becard, Barred Antshrike, Mangrove Swallows and a Yellow-tailed Oriole, Olive-headed Yellowthroat and our first Prothonotary Warbler of the year.

We traveled through narrow canals giving us close views of Herons as they flushed on our approach. We added a lifer Boat-billed Heron roosting in the trees.

The water was quite low and so low that in order to access the back marsh area we had to anchor the boat and walk through a back area to view the marshland from land instead of water. It was in the marsh lands that the vast number of birds were congregating. Among them 26 Jabiru’s! A huge bird that I wish had been a tad closer.

There were also many Wood Storks, Egrets, Spoonbills and Various Herons in a vast group of 800-1,000 birds. Crested Caracara flew around the periphery. Vultures congregated along the waterways.

On the walk back to the boat our guide pointed out a few species to us – a Black-crowned Night Heron and then suddenly he heard and then saw a Tropical Royal Flycatcher!! That is a mega bird to get! Not easy. Sadly he did not raise his “crown” for us but still a fantastic bird to see and to get decent pictures of.

Once we were back in the boat the guide told us we had to watch the shoreline closely for a Sungrebe and so we started looking and within a minute we had a Sungrebe. Another much sought after species in Costa Rica. Stunning!

Soon it was time to head back and we could see on our return how much quieter it was for birds out on the water and how many more people on tours were out looking for birds. I was happy we had gone early. There were other critters along the river.

The tour ended at 10 and we were back at the hotel a few minutes later for a lovely breakfast accommpained by Mambo Number 5. All the music in the lodges has been from the 80-90’s and it feels like I am listening to my CD collection. I constantly feel like I should be dancing, it was weird and wonderful to hear the soundtrack of my life playing at every meal.

We chose to take some pool time since we were the only ones at the lodge and managed to add a lifer Spot-breasted Wren that we had heard briefly yesterday but we didn’t add it because we were not 100% sure. By the pool we saw it well and Jerry photographed it.

We spent the rest of the afternoon by the fountain in the restaurant with some cold beers and finally making some headway with the picture backlog. I spent time making blog notes, FB posts and helping Jerry sort pictures and update ebird lists. There is the temptation to think that we should be out there birding, we are in costa Rica after all but i didn’t want this trip to be about the race to see things and so I have been fine with taking hours to sit and relax, and be ok of the potential misses if we had rushed off here or there.

In the late afternoon we birded the garden a bit more but did not add anything new. We had another delicious dinner along with a number of other people who had arrived and it became quite a party atmosphere in the restaurant as more people arrived from what appeared to be a tour bus.

We were super tired though and headed to our room to pack up a bit and fall asleep way too early. In the morning we birded the road out front of the lodge and Jerry got pictures of a small bird that turned out to be an Oliveaceous Piculet – a tiny woodpecker the size of a Nuthatch. Another lifer.

Olivaceous Piculet – Who comes up with these names?

We finished with another awesome breakfast and spent 5 minutes or so waiting for the car to decide to work and then headed out to tackle a different road to leave by. Different by direction but not by what it was like to drive on. Craters, divots, ruts, depressions, slab breaks, whatever you call it, just like the road on the way in.

Cano Negro 45 birds added to the year list and 19 of them lifers

#5 Arenal Observatory Lodge March 19-22

by Ellen Horak | Apr 24, 2026 | 2026

We were sad to leave Rancho Naturalista as we knew there were many more birds we could have seen but it was time to move on and we had a 4.5 hr drive to Arenal but with plans to stop at a couple of places along the way. Our first stop was just a quick detour into Finca Tres Esquis or Farm and Forest. I had seen ebird reports from there and knew that Purple Fruitcrows was on the list of expected birds so we pulled in as it was right off the highway. It was a large property and clearly we would not have time to cover it all but we drove in a way and stopped near a look out and pond. We saw our first Green Kingfisher and Least Grebes, both not lifers and then from the tower we saw our lifer Black Hawk Eagle.

We walked the road for a bit but didn’t see or hear any Purple Fruitcrows and we just did not have the time to continue through the property. Even with three weeks it seemed like we did not have enough time to explore all the places we wanted to. We continued back on the highway and as we were driving I sighted a white and black raptor in a tree beside the road. I knew this was likely our Laughing Falcon lifer and Jerry pulled over quickly, got out and took some photos from a bit of a distance. Always nice when the lifers position themselves along the roadway LOL!

Fifteen minutes further along I spotted a wetland area and we could see some birds on the pond so we did a u-turn and came along the side of the pond to see our first Southern Lapwings, a gorgeous shorebird.

The main spot that I had wanted to stop at was La Selva Biological Station. I had saved all the places we were traveling to on my google maps app and so I punched in La Selva and we followed the directions. We ended up in a private yard! where I had a “conversation” with a lady in Spanish without me knowing any Spanish. I had a look at the map and realized that I had saved the ebird pin for La Selva which is clearly not at La Selva and the actual place was back about 10 minutes and on a different road. This was the first navigation error and self-inflicted with the wrong pin. La Selva has a large number of bird species and many people decide to stay in the area to visit it. I had considered adding a few days and doing that but I changed my mind figuring we would see many of the same birds at the other lodges. What I did not realize is that you need an actual reservation to get in as the security guard sadly informed us. Shoot! We had left the other birding place so we would have all the time at this place and now we could not get in. I asked if it was possible to use a restroom at least and he was kind enough to allow us down to the restaurant area and washrooms. We were happy to just have that access at least and figured we might see some birds so the visit was not a total bust. At the restaurant we met up with people we had just met at Rancho Naturalista and were staying at La Selva for a couple of days. After using the washrooms we ventured onto the drawbridge near by and had a close view of a lifer Yellow-throated Toucan, not to be confused by the Keel-billed Toucan.

We slowly walked back toward the security booth listening and looking for birds and added a Slaty-tailed Trogon, a Black-faced Grosbeak, and had great views and interactions with some Collared Acararis.

It was extremely hot and it was mid-day so we were happy to at least add a few birds as disappointing as it was to not get in to experience the forests of La Selva. While doing this blog I checked one of Jerry’s pictures and realized it was a bird we did not have. Another lifer added weeks after we are home LOL. Plain-brown Woodcreeper.

We continued on to Arenal and after another drive up into the mountains, on paved roads at least, we arrived at a beautiful lodge with stunning grounds, volcano views, and nice rooms. As we stepped into Reception we were greeted with cool facecloths to clean up and a refreshing cold fruit juice while we checked in for another three day stay. Nice! On the way to our room we added a lifer Great Currasow right outside the room! Close views, no bins required.

Our room faced the volcano and we had some lovely plantings outside the room to attract Hummingbirds and Honeycreepers.

While we had a cold beer on our patio we added a Violet-headed Hummingbird and then headed out to the deck with feeders to watch all these colourful birds coming into feed. We added Black-cheeked Woodpecker, Carmiol’s Tanager, and Red-lored Amazon as well as great looks at lots of Honeycreepers and Tanager species.

We had a guided walk scheduled for the morning but we were told he had a family emergency so we were offered a few alternatives and we decided on another guide for the second morning. They found someone available and let us know later in the evening that we were on for the tour.

We found the dinner good but not as good as our previous lodges. The staff were lovely and friendly but the dinner arrived lukewarm and it was quite expensive for what we had. Arenal is big, busy and located in the most popular tourist area of La Fortuna so although it is known for its birds there were many people staying there who were not birders. It was a different feel from our previous small, quiet lodges.

After dinner we headed out to walk the property knowing that a few owl species are regularly seen and heard. I was going from notes on ebird reports that suggested we look on the other side of the property so we crossed the swinging bridge and checked out the gardens as the light left. We found a Blue-black Grosbeak just before dark although the female was neither blue or black. We continued on through the gardens listening intently for owl sounds but came up empty.

As I settled into my bed with my computer to write some blog notes I see something move out of the corner of my eye and there is a tiny lizard scurrying across my blanket. I do not scream or throw the computer in the air. It is a pretty cute lizard and so Jerry helpfully assists it out of the room. I do not dream of lizards in my bed.

Next morning we woke up to many Coatis walking through our yard searching for grubs in the grass.

With no guided tour we went out at 6:30 for 2 hours and heard 4 more lifers, Broad-billed Motmot, Song Wren, Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush and Long-billed Gnatwren. We managed to finally see the Song Wren but the other three remained elusive. It was overcast so the lighting was horrible in the dense trees. We also saw our first monkeys – White-faced Capuchins before heading into breakfast.

This Bay Wren was very co-operative though.

The restaurant overlooks the gardens and the feeding areas with sliding windows that you can move right out of the way. We chose a table beside the best window for viewing, the perk for so many non-birders choosing to be near the food instead. A very good thing as a couple of Gartered Violaceous Trogons were sitting in nearby trees. Jerry took some pictures and then went out to get even closer ones.

After breakfast we had decided to do the furthest and longest trails around the lodge and headed out with water and snacks. Over the next 5 hours we walked all the different trails seeing mostly birds we had already seen but also tracking down birds we had only heard. Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush was one. It kept singing, we kept moving to get closer, it would stop, we would search with our bins, then move away, it would start singing. I went back and forth along the path determined to find it. I was looking at eye-level height but also started looking lower and suddenly there it was on a rock in a clearing. We had lovely views of it and Jerry took some nice pictures. We were both pumped from sticking it out and finding it. It is what we like most about birding.

We still managed to find some lifers on our own, Pale-billed Woodpecker, Black-crowned Tityra, Band-backed Wren, and a Northern Tropical Pee-wee. And somehow we saw all of them as well as took pictures.

The hike took us to different habitat, farmland, forest, over bridges and down shaded paths.

Every trail in Costa Rica has ants – Leaf-cutter Ants, Army Ants, and probably all kinds of other ants. I look down every time I stop to make sure I am not standing on their “highways”. I am starting to find them fascinating and find myself watching their long columns of busyness.

The last lifer of the hike was a Slate-coloured Grosbeak that we listened to for 15 minutes or more but remained elusive off the trail. We walked 10 kms and then did 20 flights of stairs to see the waterfalls on the property. It was nearing 2pm and we were hot and sweaty by the time we made it back to our rooms. A pool break seemed in order so we spent some time in a warm jacuzzi and pool with lovely views of the volcano free from any clouds.

Arenal Volcano was clear for minutes each day but mostly it was cloud-covered.

Once we were dried off a bit we went over to the hummingbird gardens in hopes of seeing something special. A few weeks back a Black-crested Coquette had been frequenting the flowers but in those weeks many of the flowers were spent and so there were fewer birds coming to them. We did see a new one though, a Purple-crowned Fairy.

I glanced down the path at one point and saw a different shape land in a tree – I got my bins on it and recognized it as new but not sure what it was. It had long thin tail feathers and was mostly black and white. I tried to get Jerry on the bird to take pictures while also trying to memorize what I was seeing in case it left. Eventually he saw it fly and then managed to take pictures and a man on his balcony was looking at it too and had a bird book so he was flipping through it and then the bird called and Long-tailed Tyrant came up and solved the problem for us.

On the way back to our room we saw a couple taking pictures by a telephone pole and stopped to see what they were looking at – Black and Yellow Tanager! We had already seen these at Rancho but did not have great looks or pictures. A nice bonus and then a staff member showed us a Rufus-tailed Hummingbird nest near our room.

A gathering of Yellow-throated Toucans kept us entertained for a bit.

Today Jerry hit a milestone in birding when he moved past 1,000 lifetime birds seen. His 1,000 bird was the Black-crowned Tityra. I still have a few more to go because Jerry has some European lifers that I do not have. Yes, a trip to Europe is in our future so I can try and even things up!

After dinner we headed back out to see about finding the Black-and-White Owl. We had heard from a birder during the day that it stays around the parking lot so instead of moving to the other side of the lodge as we did the night before, we stayed in the parking area. I went out with my pyjamas on figuring it was dark and not many people would be walking around. They have loons on them so I think it was appropriate birding clothing LOL. We only walked a short way down the parking lot and suddenly heard the owl quite close. We looked carefully and could see it in the trees and then it flew back behind buildings. We followed and got some views of it high in trees there. Then it flew again back near the restaurant and a better lit area. By this time people had come out of the restaurant wanting to see it and one of those people shines a light up towards the owl. We would not do that ourselves but we took a few pictures and then headed back to our rooms.

We were up early to meet our guide Jaime (Hymen) and spent a few minutes at the feeders while we discussed what birds we still needed to find. Jaime seemed confident he could find some new species for us so we headed down the lodge road. It was very steep and I was thinking about having to climb back up but Jaime kept going down. We saw a male Great Curassow that is quite different looking from the female. It was displaying with its grunts.

Jaime wanted to show us a Rufus-tailed Jacamar and he could mimic the call to try and bring them in close to us so we could see them. He tried at one spot but had no luck and so moved down to another spot.

There were some return calls at this spot but they did not move closer. We moved to a third spot and saw a Broad-billed Motmot, the species we heard yesterday but could not see so it was nice to add this species to the list. We then moved back up to the second spot. He called a few more times and the bird responded and then responded again closer and we started looking. Yes, finally close by a Rufous-tailed Jacamar! It looks like a large Hummingbird in colouring but it is actually the ? family. In minutes another arrived and we had two flying about, perching on the wires over the road and in the shrubs.

Jaime let us know that another bird was singing very close – A Western Woodhaunter – what a name! It ended up basically right in front of us in a thick tangle allowing us glimpses of it before it flew off so sadly no pictures. We also finally added a Bright-rumped Atilla that was singing and singing near us but not showing itself. We have had this bird come up on Merlin numerous times but we have not figured out which song matches it so this time Jaime helped and we isolate the song so we can add it to our list. On the way back UP the road we stopped often to try for other species of Trogons we have not seen and we ended up adding a Double-toothed Kite that flew into a tree across the road from us. Back at the lodge we took a walk along the paths near the Hummingbird gardens and a Gartered Violaceous Trogon perchs right beside us. It is so close that Jerry cannot get the whole bird in the shot. It appears to be nesting in the area and seemed fine to stay where it was despite the people coming past along the path. All in all is was another great experience with a guide.

Of course, after breakfast we hike down the River trail and Jerry spotted a Jacamar right beside the trail. It just always seems to be the way. Once you have seen a bird and added it to your list you see multiples of them.

The River Trail was labeled “Difficult” meaning steep, slippery and muddy.

We chose to spend the afternoon sitting out on our patio with beers and computers trying to catch up. Jerry is behind by 7 checklists and there are birds we do not even know we have seen. I’m trying to make notes for the blog and cannot even add names of birds and I am putting in checklists that have some of the birds but not all of them. While we are sitting there Jerry sees a bird that seems to be different. At first I think it is the Black and Yellow Tanager but Jerry is sure it is something else and starts taking pictures. It turns out to be another lifer, Black-cowled Oriole.

Just before dusk we head up to the feeding station to see if anything new will pop in but it is still mesmerizing to just see the same dazzling mix of the same birds from the last two days.

After dinner we get back to the lists and blogs but Jerry was falling asleep instead of doing pictures. I suggested I could start doing it but I think he fears that I will be deleting every picture except the one posted to ebird. UMMM! yes that makes total sense to me, why keep thousands of bad pictures? as he does…he fell asleep shortly anyway and the pictures continue to build…

Here are some random pictures from our 3 days at Arenal.

On the last morning at Arenal we had a leisurely breakfast and then drove down to La Fortuna for a date with a sloth I hoped. We had some laundry done for us at Rancho and needed to rinse a few things after the last very sweaty days but things do not dry well in this humidity so our car has become our dryer. Undies and bras hang in the trunk section. The heat in the car during the day is perfect for drying everything.

The Borgain Trail is an ebird hotspot and has a nice selection of birds but it is also known to have sloths. I wanted very much to see a sloth. It is $20 each to get in and 2 minutes up the trail there was one quite high up in the trees. Mission accomplished. We started birding while still watching for sloths and a helpful guide showed us a Common Parauque sleeping under a bush off the main path.

We had quick looks at a Tropical Mockingbird but no pictures of it as it flew away. We walked some more trails and saw 2 more sloths. We then had help finding a Black-and-white-Owl that we helped others see, saw yet another Jacamar! and showed that bird to others on the paths. We heard two new lifers, Fasciated Antshrike and an Ochre-bellied Flycatcher. Again, we hoped to be able to see these birds somewhere else. Another couple showed us a 4th sloth, again high up. We then had White-collared Manakins buzzing and squeaking around us as Jerry tried to get pictures when they briefly stopped.

White-collared Manakins – male and female

Another guide told us to ask at the desk about a Pacific Screech Owl that was roosting on a trail so when we got back to the front we asked and someone took us over and pointed to a very well hidden Pacific Screech Owl.

We decided to check back for one of the birds we missed seeing and in doing so ended up with our best views of a sloth, a juvenile just over a year old was climbing down out of the trees possibly to go to the bathroom which they only do every few days and so we could see him clearly, and all the flies attached to him as well. The loud buzzing noise in the video is cicada bugs that were in full voice at a number of locations. So loud they drowned out the song of birds!

We watched the sloth for a bit hopeful that it might make it to the ground BUT they move so slowly! We continued on our way and when we passed by on our way out it had not come to the ground after all and was further back in the trees. It was a wonderful trail and visit despite being somewhat commercialized and fairly busy. It still gave me the sloth experience I wanted and added a few more lifers to our bird list.

After our visit I saw a few comments online about it perhaps not being as ethical as they suggest and that they must feed the sloths to keep them there – something that is not supposed to happen. I don’t know what to believe, I had researched it before we left and been told that it was an ethical place so I guess make your own decision about what or how you want to see sloths when you travel there.

The stops and Arenal we saw 40 more new species for the year and 34 of them were lifers

#4 Rancho Naturalista March 16-19

by Ellen Horak | Apr 22, 2026 | 2026

We had originally only planned on one stop before our next hotel but because we missed the Bat Falcon and the Owls we doubled back a tiny bit to try for these two birds before our scheduled stop. Cachi Dam was only 15 minutes from Hotel Quelitales so we were there by 9. Instead of all the food trucks and tourists that were present on a weekend, it was empty on a Monday. We parked the car right at the end of the one lane across the bridge so we could see it as we walked across. Facebook was full of stories about never leaving anything in your car and walking away because roving bandits were everywhere so we exercised some caution since our suitcases and laptops were in the car. Jerry walked down and I followed slowly behind. We scanned the dam gates and structures as had been suggested. Nothing. We scanned the trees along the hill beside the dam as had been suggested. Nothing. Jerry decided to head back towards the car as I continued across. It was looking like there would be no joy again. I finished checking all the dam and then decided to check the trees again. As I scanned across the far hills I saw a lump at the top of a dead tree halfway up the hill that had not been there a few minutes before. Bins confirmed it to be the Bat Falcon! I yelled to Jerry to come back and he got as close as he could to take some pictures, which was not very close LOL. Success! it had taken all of 19 minutes.

Our next stop was Parque de Paraiso for the Tropical Screech Owls known to roost there. The park was still busy but no where near what it was on Saturday. We had to circle around to find a parking spot and ended up with one directly beside the trees the owls supposedly used. As we walked up a local started looking up too so I asked him if he knew where the owls were. He got up and walked down the path and then beckoned me over. Just 1, not the 2 but still how wonderful! We thanked him and spent some moments watching it and taking pictures and video. It was shaping up to be a good day! Two for two. How strange that these owls are comfortable roosting and nesting in a very busy park with lots of people sitting below them talking, children playing and Saturday market days with so much going on. They have been there for a few years now.

We stopped to pick up beer at a small grocery where it was half the price we had paid in San Jose and then filled up the car with gas and we were on our way to the birding stop, the Botanical Gardens, (CAITE) at the University. We arrived just after 11, the hottest part of the day and walked the gardens off the parking area. We still added a couple of lifers, Roadside Hawk and an Olive-backed Euphonia, to our list. Back at the car we watched the Montezuma Oropendolas tending their swinging nests in a massive Palm tree by the parking lot.

We then drove through the coffee plantation part adding a Giant Cowbird to the lifer list and saw a large Iguana crossing the road.

Further along there was a large marsh/lake that had hundreds of Cattle Egrets nesting in bamboo at the edge and lots of other marsh birds.

We parked and walked around the lake adding Northern Jacana and Russet-naped Wood Rail as well as some wetland species to the year list.

The last bird of the visit was a beautiful Green Honeycreeper, a stunning bird that I almost did not see. Jerry said “oh I’ve got this blue bird, and I said Blue/Gray Tanager?” as I had just seen one a minute before. Silence, he continued to take pictures. Eventually I realized he was still taking pictures and asked him what he had and put my bins on it and when I saw the gorgeous colour I realized it was not the tanager! I think he thought he had answered me and couldn’t figure why I was not more interested LOL. It was a gorgeous bird! Stunning turquoise really.

We then headed to Rancho Naturalista for a 3 day stay. A beautiful lodge with a dining area looking out to a feeding station and an upper deck with some hummingbird feeders as well as the feeding station view. Our room was lovely with doors opening out to the rain forest.

Arriving late afternoon the forests seemed quiet but after getting our room situated we stepped out for a bit of a walk around and added one lifer, the Thicket Antpitta which was singing over and over from a ravine off the lodge road. Jerry was a tad grouchy, long day, hot and silent forest. He went to take a nap and I sat outside our room and in minutes I had 3 more lifers all heard only, Bay Wren, Red-throated Ant-Tanager and Orange-billed Sparrow. Jerry woke up when I went in to get my camera so his nap was a quick 10 minutes. We eventually saw the Sparrow and Wren before dusk stopped our birding for the day. The sun is up the same hours every day, 5:30am – 5:30-6pm.

At Rancho Naturalista 3 meals every day are included and the food was fantastic. It was served on family platters at communal long tables so that guests got to know each other. The first night we were seated with a couple from Germany and then we joined a big table that included Greg and Heather, who we had met at Hotel Bougainvillea. They were finishing their stay at Rancho and we enjoyed catching up with them in the evening and the next morning.

We had booked a private guide, Steven for the next two mornings. We met up with him at 5:30 and in the 1.5 hours before breakfast we heard and saw 50 species with 18 of them being lifers for us. Steven was fantastic at the calls and knowing where to look along the roads close by. Highlights were Collared Aracari, White-collared Manakin, Rufous-winged Woodpecker, Cocoa Woodcreeper and a Checker-throated Stipplethroat, a bird I just wanted to see for its name. The bird is a bit underwhelming looking to be honest and Jerry did not manage a picture as it was deep in the leaves. Steven used pishing and some calls of his own and in a few instances playback to entice birds in closer. Jerry did his best but trying to get pictures was difficult with birds far away, in the leaves of trees or low to the ground, in the dark tangle of the forest. So this is the result – very sad pictures but they still hold memories for us being there and seeing the birds in our awesome binoculars where the view was much better than the pictures suggest. LOL

We saw or heard another 51 species on our forest walk after breakfast seeing the Tawny Chested Flycatcher, a rarer species, Dull-mantled Antbird and a Dusky Antbird, both difficult birds to find and to actually see being black and preferring the darkness of forest streams and bushes. We hoped to see the Thicket Antpitta that was constantly calling but it would not come onto its normal path to get some worms the staff leave for it every day. We added Spotted Woodcreeper and Wedge-billed Woodcreeper to the list and Jerry managed pictures of both.

Spotted Woodcreeper – check out the bracing feathers on the tail!

The paths are full of Leaf-cutter Ants and Army Ants and I assumed the Antpittas and Antbirds all feast on them but they do not eat ants, instead they have a parasitic relationship with the ants. While the ants move about other insects move out of their way and it is these insects that the Antbirds prey on. Cool huh? We heard a Collared Trogon and followed its calling back and forth along the paths until Steven managed to see it sitting back in the greenery. We did not have great views but it was our first Trogon in Costa Rica. Hoping we get better views of others.

At the end of our walk Steven tried to entice a Tarantula out from under its rock but it was not falling for the trick. We were happy to have it stay there where it was likely guarding its eggs.

We returned in time for a fantastic lunch of the best tacos and guacamole I have had. I was so “high” from all the birds we saw on the hike I forgot to take pictures. Well, to be honest, I was too busy stuffing my mouth with the deliciousness that I forgot to take a picture. The morning was such a fantastic birding experience, we were sold on using guides.

In the afternoon we tried to go through photos and lists to get everything on it. Steven led us to 48 lifers in half a day – we have been averaging about 20 on our own. It was a tad overwhelming though as he heard other things while we were listening to something else. I missed putting things on the list because he would hear multiple things so I added only those birds we saw or we actually stood and heard singing long enough with Steven saying “that is such and such” for us to confirm the bird.

Late afternoon we ventured down the main road to check out the hummingbirds at the owners house, she graciously welcomes any guests to sit and enjoy the hummingbirds. We were lucky to see a Male Snowcap right after we arrived and had better views of the Green Thorntail.

Our dining companions for the two nights were couples from England, US, and Nova Scotians, Richard and Tammy. It was a lively bunch and the conversation was about birding of course but also favourite books, traveling, families, past work, and a tiny bit of politics stemming from the Americans apologizing. It made the evening really entertaining with us hanging long after the meal was done which meant we were further behind on lists and photos but eventually we will get caught up and it is so nice to meet lovely people and enjoy a meal with good conversation.

The next morning we left the lodge with Steven to check out a few different areas to add birds not found in the rain forest. We walked up a rural road with farms and fields and added ten new lifers! Seedeaters, Sparrows, Tanagers and a Green Ibis.

Then we headed to an organic sugarcane company to add Gray-breasted Martin and a Torrent Tyrannulet in the nearby river that also netted us our 3rd Sunbittern of the trip. We tried for Cabanis Ground Sparrow but it was probably too late in the day for them to pop up.

Our last stop was for a Lancelated Monklet, one of the top rarities that people want in Costa Rica. Steven called at a few spots where he had it in the past but no bird showed up. We walked further up the road looking for Fasciated Tiger-Heron in the river but did not see one so headed back down and as we stood at the previous spot suddenly a bird flew in and it was the Monklet! What a different looking bird!

Yes, that is the view we had of the bird

As we have birded we have started seeing birds that up till now we just kept hearing. We heard a Yellow-olive Flatbill a few days back and finally saw it at this lodge, same with the Mistletoe Tyrannulet.

On our last afternoon we headed for the covered deck set up in the field area with a view of the forests. It was pretty quiet but we still heard and saw a number of birds and added another Trogon species, the Gartered Violaceous Trogon, unfortunately we just heard it, and heard it as it called. Hopefully we will catch up with this one at the next lodge.

I left our room door open for a few minutes so we could hear the birds and suddenly little critters were wanting to check things out. They were not harmed but transported back outside and our room door stayed closed after that.

Next morning we birded just an hour before breakfast and did not add any new birds! but had nice views of the Red-throated Ant-Tanager and Jerry took a much nicer picture.

The eggs at breakfast were delicious. I assume that they baked them maybe in a large round tray and spiced just right. We ate our usual hearty breakfast and then headed onward.

Rancho Naturalista is a special place and very well-known in the birding world. We paid for an expensive room because it was the only thing available so if you are considering going book way in advance. The Lodge is small and it is popular. Our itinerary was based around the dates we could get into Rancho Naturalista. This was our most expensive place to stay because of the room so it does not need to be that expensive if you book in advance. The food was fantastic, three meals included in the price with an honour system for cold beer and wine purchases. They also will do laundry at a reasonable price of $15 for half of a large laundry hamper. The number of species of birds possible was incredible and I wish we had more time at this lodge. The guide was excellent and I heard from others that their guides were also very good.

Stops and Rancho Naturalista and Guided tour 79 more species added for the year and 67 of them lifers

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