Last year, to celebrate a milestone birthday for Mike, we embarked on a trip to the magical cloud forests of Costa Rica. Our first destination was Hotel Villablanca, a beautiful nature reserve that felt like a world away. Our room had a private patio, perfect for enjoying a glass of wine, taking in the stunning scenery, and, of course, birding.
Cloud Forest Welcome
The property itself was a birding haven. Just by exploring the grounds, we easily found Common Chlorospingus, Clay-colored Thrush, Blue-and-white Swallow, Brown Jay, and Rufous-collared Sparrow.
The hotel’s lush gardens were full of winding paths, and on our way to the hummingbird garden, we had an incredible sighting of an Ornate Hawk-Eagle—a bird so rare that it made the resident bird expert jealous! The hummingbird garden was a hive of activity, providing us with great looks at Green Hermit, Green-crowned Brilliant, Violet Sabrewing, and Crowned Woodnymph.
The Quest for the Quetzal
The next morning, we set out on a tour for the legendary Resplendent Quetzal. Our first stop was a wetland that held many birds we recognized from Florida, like herons and teals, but our highlights were the White Hawk, Southern Lapwing, and Northern Jacana.
Next, we went to a private property known as a hotspot for the quetzals. Our guides, despite the language barrier, led us directly to the perfect spot. Soon, a male Resplendent Quetzal flew by, a flash of emerald and crimson, and a female perched in a tree nearby. It was a life bird for us, a truly unforgettable sight. We also found other lifers, including the Northern-Emerald Toucanet and Golden-browed Chlorophonia.
Afterward, our guides took us to a local “soda,” Cafeteria Flory. It was easy to see why they chose this place—the owners put out fresh fruit that attracted a variety of birds. We were thrilled to add more lifers to our list, including Montezuma Oropendola, Gray-headed Chachalaca, and Buff-throated Saltator.
Beyond Birding
Our last morning began with a birding tour of the property with the resident guide, Roy Valverde. Roy was fantastic, putting us on 44 species with ease. One of the first new birds we saw was an Olive-striped Flycatcher sitting on a sign. The highlight of the morning was the Orange-bellied Trogan, a Cloud Forest endemic.
But our trip wasn’t just about the birds. We had other unique experiences, like milking a cow for the first time and seeing a Coati, a long-tailed member of the raccoon family. The property was an entomologist’s paradise, with a multitude of butterflies and moths, and we can’t wait to try to identify them all from our pictures.
We could have stayed in the Cloud Forest much longer, but it was time to head to our next destination, Quepos. Our custom tour included transportation, and we were surprised to learn it would be a 3.5-hour car ride to our next stop. This trip gave us a total of 79 birds, with 50 of them being new life birds! We look forward to sharing more about our Costa Rican adventures soon.
Trip Summary:
Trip Birds: 79
Life Birds: 50
Next up: Costa Rica – Quepos
You must be logged in to post a comment.