It was especially satisfying to compile a list of 162 bird species on this 14-day trip, as we didn’t have birds coming to feeders, and we only had a bird guide for a few hours. I added 25 species to my life list. We’re getting more skilled at the birds of Central America, since this is our third visit in four years.

I added nine lifers to my list on this trip, my favourite being the Lucifer Hummingbird. All the photos are taken by me, and are not to be copied or reproduced without permission. Enjoy!

On a beautiful Sunday morning we got up early to arrive at the domestic terminal in San Jose by 4:15 AM. We were loading up on a Cessna Caravan to make the short flight to Puerto Jimenez on the Osa Peninsula.

It was a very scenic flight over the mountains and along the Pacific shoreline. Landing on the small airstrip was unique, in that the approach was over the water, and the airstrip was right in a residential area with houses barely beyond the wingtips.

Our taxi ride to the lodge at Bosque del Rio Tigre took us about 45 minutes over unpaved road, through a forded river, and over a riverside road that led up a steep, short hill to the rustic lodge.

This was an open air concept lodge, allowing guests to experience the forest and environment every hour of the day (except when inside the mosquito net over the bed). We thoroughly enjoyed the area, and saw a great variety of bird species and wildlife.

Rita’s swollen foot made hiking a bit painful for her, and by the second day she didn’t go on all of the hikes. We had guides for the hikes, and lots of help around the lodge to identify birds that came to visit.

There are lots of photos from this segment of our travels, and I’m not even posting nearly all of them. This was truly a memorable trip, and this lodge was certainly an adventurous way to finish off the touring.

We took a two-hour ride from Monteverde to Cerro Lodge, and arrived at another very different environment right at sea level, on the Pacific coast. The temperature was much warmer than the mountainous Monteverde cloud-forest.

Just an hour or so after settling into our place, we left for another short ride to Tarcoles River, where we did a river cruise (we were the only clients) and saw more than 40 species of herons, shorebirds, and forest species all from the boat. An excellent driver stopped whenever I needed a different angle for a photo, and the guide was very helpful in finding the birds along the banks and in the trees.

One of the features of this river and shoreline was the Mangrove forest, which is unique to saltwater tide areas. Different species are possibilities in this area. The river trip lasted until sunset, which we were able to see over the Pacific ocean at the mouth of the river.

The following morning, another guide picked us up for a muddy hike in Carara National Park. This was another very different opportunity, and provided numerous species that we hadn’t seen yet. Most memorable was an excellent time interacting with an American Pygmy Kingfisher.

Rita slipped at the side of a muddy pool, and injured her foot or ankle. This pain and swelling was a factor for the balance of our trip, but did not keep her from experiencing most of the hiking.

From Arenal Volcano area, we began our travels to Monteverde by driving to the shores of Arenal Lake, and boarding a ferry to cross in order to save many hours of driving around the perimeter of the lake.

The ferry was packed with people and luggage, and the weather was dreary and rainy for the entire trip of about 90 minutes. We had another two hours of driving on some pretty rough roads and some high elevation passes before arriving at the town Monteverde.

These regions are higher elevation, and are cloud-forest environments. The weather was rainy and foggy sometimes, and forest conditions were often darker and much more challenging for photos and for clear sightings.

We had a good guide each morning, and in the afternoons we were on our own for exploring and identifying. Our list was significantly longer because of the immediate identification by our guide.

The lodge where we stayed was designed for people who want to appreciate nature and birds and wildlife. Once or twice a day, they fed fruit to attract birds; but we mostly found our birds by hiking and exploring. We pushed Rita’s limits for terrain and distances in this region, given that she deals with some foot pains. But she was a trooper and saw everything that we were trying to reach.

Photos are of a lesser quality in this post, because I value the accomplishment of photographing unusual birds or very secretive birds–even when the light is low, I only got a quick glimpse, or I couldn’t hold the camera still enough. Many of these aren’t print-worthy, but they matter to me. I posted some poorly exposed photos because they are the only ones I have of some great birds. That’s a little hard on my pride.

All photos are the property of Merle Nisly.

This amazing experience began to take shape in early 2018 when the board members of LHNM began to brainstorm about a gift for our retirement from the responsibilities we have carried in that organization for many years. The surprise was presented to us at our retirement celebration in October 2018. Many friends and colleagues contributed to the fund that made this trip possible. We are deeply grateful!

We were connected with Ken Miller, owner of Mi Lora Tours in Costa Rica. After many emails and various options considered, we set the dates for November 13-27, 2019. Ken put together a very satisfying itinerary, giving us the most exposure to the birding hotspots that we might pack into that block of time and budget.

Our goals were built from our love for birding and for enjoying flowers in places of the world where the varieties are plentiful and (for us) unusual. We hoped to see birds we hadn’t seen before, photograph as many of these as possible, and see as many parts of the country as we could.

Assisted by expert guides on parts of each day, we identified 312 species in total. About 215 of those were lifers for us.

The rest of the trip will be covered in successive posts, by region.

All photos are the property of Merle Nisly.

My life began in Kansas, though I’ve only lived there the first 3 years of my life. I enjoy visiting, and love the various landscapes and sceneries. The contrast of the farmed prairies and the extensive marsh areas attract some very interesting birds and wildlife.

I always make the 45-minute drive to Quivera National Wildlife Refuge when we are visiting the Hutchinson area. We were there in early August, and I saw more than 50 species of birds in one visit to the Refuge.