I missed out on a CR Highland stay .............clearly I missed out badly!!!
I will definitely have to go back soon -& Savegre looks to be the place to stay at. Rain & good birds -what more could I ask for?
I had been looking at a Bird photography trip to Costa Rica for a while but due to the Distance and awkward travelling from Scotland plus I needed a tailor made trip for Photography reasons I kept putting of my visit. During a wet spell in August I returned to looking at the internet for the right package. Costa Rica Gateway appeared to offer what I wanted and with a exchange rate of 2 dollars to the pound at the right price.
A number of e-mail’s to Sonia at CRG soon had a trip organised.
I choose a 16 day trip starting on the 17 November 1 night at Hotel Bougainvillea, 4 nights at Savegre Lodge plus three mornings guiding. 5 nights at Rancho Naturalista plus the services of a local Guide.
5 nights at Selva Verde Lodge plus one full day at La Selva OTS with private guide. 1 night at Hotel Bougainvillea for the flight home. Included in the price were three meals a day plus all internal transport within Costa Rica.
I choose the long stays at the Lodges to give me time to photograph the many species to be found at these locations.
The total cost for Myself and my Wife Barbara for the trip was £2100. I managed to get flights from Edinburgh where I stay to Costa Rica through Continental Airlines for £560 pp this with one stop at Newark.
Total cost of the Holiday £3260 for two for 16 days I paid in full in August a good move with the way the pound has fallen in value.
Equipment
Canon 40D Canon 600mm f4 IS Canon 400mm DO F4 IS Canon 1.4 Extender Manfrotto 444 Carbon Tripod Manfrotto 393 Head Canon 420EX Speedlite
The birds I mention in this report are some of the birds I photographed we saw and identified a lot more birds than I photographed in all I managed to Photograph 150 species on our 16 day trip, some just record shots most were of a Reasonable quality limitation of light etc made top Quality shots hard to come by.
The Trip
We arrived in San Joe a Hour late to be met by a CRG driver who drove us to Hotel Bougainvillea a very well appointed Hotel with Famous birding Gardens.
I rose early to a wet day but could not wait to get out with the Camera a good number of species were busy in the Hotel grounds including Blue-crowned Mot Mot, Green-breasted Mango, Blue Gray Tanager,Yellow-faced Grassquit, Grayish Saltator.Clay Colored Robin.
Savegre Highlands
Our Driver for our Journey to Savegre arrived on time as the Costa Rica Gateway people did the whole trip. As we headed Higher into the Mountains the Rain got Heavier and heavier we reached a stretch of Road that had been washed away the double yellow lines that marked the middle of the Road were lying 30 meters down a hillside a bit worrying we managed passed this obstacle only to be met by the same 5 miles further on, again our driver kept going finally we turned of on a small dirt track that led to Savegre Lodge.
Savegere Lodge Lies at a Height of 7200 ft in the Costa Rica Highlands it is in a lovely Location the accommodation is very good the Birding and Staff were great our best stop on our Costa Rica Trip I can fully recommend this Lodge.
We arrived at Lunch time and grabbed a seat at the window where the Hummingbird feeders were I could see 4 species feeding White-throated Mountain Gem, Magnificent Hummingbird, Scintillant Hummingbird, Rufos-tailed Hummingbird. I could not wait for the food and dived out with my 400mm lens for a few hand held shots a good start at Saverge.
I went out after Lunch with the 400mm lens it was still raining so a brolly was required and I just had the Lens on my shoulder to protect it from the weather A Wilson’s Warbler and Slaty Flowerpiercer soon followed also a Sooty-capped Bush Tanager, Then the bird of the day a Collard Redstart what a beauty, the Rain really started to get heavy and I had to end my day early still a good first day in Costa Rica to-morrow I had the services of Melvin one of the Lodge Guides.
We met Melvin at 7am next day and hit it of at once he loved the 600mm lens I told him I was lucky to have married a rich woman who had bought me the lens now she was poor and I had the Lens, that broke the Ice. Melvin only had one bird in mind for the day the Quetzal we got in the 4x4 and started to search the trees at the side of the Valley Road we came to one spot where there was a gathering of Birdwatchers a Quetzal had been spotted earlier but the location was unsuitable for a photo so we moved on we spent a hour searching with no luck when Melvin said I know and turned of the road into a gorge we passed through a locked gate then over a bridge with a hole in it a man and bike could have fell through.
We parked at the bottom of a steep hill Melvin pointed to a Avocado tree on a very steep hillside Melvin must have seen the look of horror on my face at the thought of lugging the 600mm lens up there he picked up the lens and of he marched at speed after a short distance he stopped and pointed to a Tree, Long-tailed Silky Flycatcher I soon had him in focus a good start as we headed uphill.
Melvin spoke with the owner of the land we had no Spanish but we could tell that he was relating the rich wife poor wife story to the farmer, we reached a flat area close to the Avocado Tree and there were a Male and Female Quetzal displaying a great 15min display took place with the Male perching 18ft from us at one point they had just gone when Melvin spotted a Torrent Tyrannulet in the Stream below us a welcome addition to the list. On the way out we stopped at the House there was a small charge of $8 to pay the Farmer we gave Melvin $10 which was slipped below the Door, well worth every penny.
The afternoon produced Acorn Woodpecker, Baltimore Oriole, Flame-colored Tanager
Next Day we returned to the Quetzal on the Farm free of charge the birds again put on a super display we then added Collard Trogon, Tufted Flycatcher, Yellowish Flycatcher, Fiery-throated Hummingbird, Spot-crowned Woodcreeper, Scintillant Hummingbird to our list.
The third day we were taken by 4x4 up a Mountain track at the back of the Lodges then we walked into the remnants of the of the original undisturbed Cloud Forest with its 400 year old Oaks covered in Lichens with Orchids growing from branches on the Trees, a fantastic place. We saw several mixed flocks of birds but the Rain was so heavy it would have been camera suicide to try for a shot.
The rain eased as we dropped down the Mountain Black-billed and Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush, Wilson’s Warbler, Dark Pewee soon joined the list.
Our stay at Savegre was a happy and productive one next day we were travelling to Rancho Naturalista in the Caribbean Foothills.
Cracking report so far Jim. Clearly you saw some superb high elevation birds.
I missed out on a CR Highland stay .............clearly I missed out badly!!!
I will definitely have to go back soon -& Savegre looks to be the place to stay at. Rain & good birds -what more could I ask for?