Wow!!! Amazing pics, David! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Printable View
Wow!!! Amazing pics, David! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Gorgeous photos, David. I can not say which I like the most.
I believe the Strawberry Dart Frog has been given the nickname of 'BlueJeans' , which I think you can see is quite appropriate.
Not sure about the first one. Clearwings are very challenging as there are numerous similar spp. and also dead specimens look very different from live ones due to fading/scale loss:/
Venation is the only way to go:)
1st two riodinids in post #34 are either Eurybia unxia or lycisca.
Mesosemia have different ocelli configurations and more angular hindwings(mostly).
Ithomiid in post #35 is probably a Dircenna sp.
Unknown "Nymphalid" is actually a pierid, Dismorphia sp.
Lycaenid is a female Panthiades bitias. The earlier, darker one was a male.
Thanks, Les and Bobby. Yes, I've heard the name "Blue Jeans" for the little dart frog before and it is appropriate. Something that seemed surprising was that these toxic little guys were very wary. They would rapidly jump away and then dive beneath a leaf when disturbed. This behaviour made it difficult to take good photos.
Thanks again, Aaron, for your help with the names. I was most amazed at the strange little black and white pierid (Dismorphia sp). I don't think that I would have recognized it as a pierid rather than a nymph. You are very knowledgeable about these butterflies. Have you been on a trip to the neotropics?
We spent a single night at Suena Azul while awaiting the transfer to Rara Avis the following morning. The grounds were nice and we saw a number of birds, butterflies and a few herps on our single afternoon noon and the following morning. The lodge was near the Rio Sarapiqui and there were patches of tall forest (secondary?) in places.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...suenoAzul2.jpg
There were several ponds on the grounds of the lodge. These were the home to numerous caimans that we saw at night.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...l/habitat1.jpg
The adult male Brown Basilisk (Basiliscus vittatus) was basking in the early morning sun near our room. It seemed quite tame and allowed us to approach for photos.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../basilisk1.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../basilisk2.jpg
We also saw what I assume is a female Green Basilisk (Basiliscus plumifrons). She was shy and we could only take shots at a distance.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...iliskgreen.jpg
These large frogs were common on the lawns at night. I think that they were Rana vaillanti.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...Azul/frog1.jpg
Butterflies were numerous especially near a stand of lantana. One of the common species at these flowers was the White Peacock (Anartia jatrophae):
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...kSuenoAzul.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...2SuenoAzul.jpg
Banded Peacocks (Anartia fatima) were the most numerous butterfly.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...kSuenoAzul.jpg
I watched a single Banner Metalmark (Thisbe lycorias) as it rested beneath palm fronds and then fed at the lantana flowers.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...aSuenoAzul.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...1SuenoAzul.jpg
This checkerspot (Chlosyne janais) was particularly colourful.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...1suenoazul.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...2suenoazul.jpg
This rodent was sheltering beneath the canopy over the walkway near our unit.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...zul/rodent.jpg
Giant Squirrel:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...1SuenoAzul.jpg
These bats were seen a few times.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...tSuenoAzul.jpg
Wow. Beautiful pictures. That's a lot of species you shot in one trip. Thanks for sharing. :cheers:
Amazing trip!Every shot is breath-taking:gbounce: Many of the the butterflies you shot are new to me!:what: Congrats on nailing the eyelash pit-viper!:cheers:
Woww...
It must have been a most exhilarating trip!!:cheers:
So many lovely species, and with those amazing habitat shots you have taken me straight to the Costa Rican Jungle!! :grin2:
I have never been there unfortunately.Quote:
Originally Posted by moloch
However i'm especially keen on going to the Trans-Andean countries(Colombia, Ecuador, Peru etc.) because they have many unique species there but my parents say that it's dangerous coz of the guerilla activity/drugs, even though i think it's totally worth the risk.:bsmile:
I'm also curious how long it took you to plan a trip to such countries, especially when good guides are hard to come by.
Actually, Colombia is beginning to open up and there is much better political stability and good governance. On the business front, there are quite a number of networks open already, and just this week, three of my staff are over at Bogota to give talks and discuss potential projects over there.Quote:
Originally Posted by atronox
A lot of the negatives are often created by our media. Like in the early 2000's when I had to go to Yangon a few times to handle the Singapore Embassy, a lot of people kept asking me whether it was safe or not, as Myanmar was portrayed as a war-torn country with guerillas crawling out from every nook and corner. Having visited and seen Yangon several times for myself back then, I realised that bad press often makes a country sound worse than it really is!
Anyway, when you go out and work after you finish your studies, you will find that Singapore is getting too small and competitive to "make a living", and you will most probably have to travel quite a bit, depending on which field you are in. :)
I agree, it's my parents who don't believe thatXDQuote:
Originally Posted by Commander
Thanks very much, everyone, for the comments. Sorry for the delay in completing this post ... too much work at the moment! I will post details about costs and travel in Costa Rica at the end of this post. Costa Rica is an easy place to visit and is well worth it if you have the opportunity. It was not expensive from Los Angeles and the 12 day trip including flights from LAX cost only a little more than $1000 USD.
Khew, you are correct that things are better now in South America than they were 10 years back or so. It was not long ago when Colombia was very dangerous but the government seems to have made good progress against the rebels. Bird tours are now again visiting after many years of a no-go status. Peru also has greatly improved. I knew a couple of British birders in 1990 who visited and were captured and killed by the Shining Path rebels. Once the Shining Path leader was finally captured, the group seemed to loose momentum and the country has become much safer.
Here is another shot of an Eye-lash Viper from Rara Avis. Cindy found this one afternoon and took the shot with a little point-and-shoot camera. Eye-lash Vipers have a number of colour phases and these vary greatly. It is hard to believe that this is the same species as the bright yellow snake at La Selva.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...lashCindy2.jpg
VOLCAN ARENAL
After La Selva, we moved to the Observatory Lodge of Arenal. This was about a 3 hour ride. Arenal is in the lower mountains and supports patches of primary and secondary forest mixed with agricultural lands. We stayed at the Observatory Lodge and I highly recommend it to anyone travelling to this part of Costa Rica. The grounds of the lodge were enormous and it reminded me a little of walking at Fraser's Hill with paved walkways and manicured gardens. Many of the plants were flowering and butterflies were abundant.
Here are a couple of shots of the Volcano. It is active although it has become quiet since 2010. At the moment, it is just venting steam and other gases from the summit.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...canArenal2.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...canArenal3.jpg
There were areas with primary forest within a km or two from the lodge. Here are shots of such areas. This was again a wet forest although not as wet as that of Rara Avis and Braulio Carillo NP.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...l/habitat2.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...l/habitat7.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...nal/plant2.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...icrophylls.jpg
Here is a shot of a waterfall in primary forest. This area was about a half-hour walk from our accommodation.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...l/habitat1.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...l/habitat5.jpg
Colourful flower near the falls.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...nal/plant3.jpg
I saw this butterfly near the falls. Eresia ithomioides alsina (thanks, Aaron)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...iconius10C.jpg
I saw this nicely coloured butterfly a couple of times. This group is difficult but I think that it is an ithomiid, possibly a Mimic Tigerwing (Melinaea lilis). These species are so hard to identify.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...liconius1-.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...iconius10b.jpg
Another one of the hard-to-identify species. Its pattern resembles that of Tithorea tarricina
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...Helionius4.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...elionius4a.jpg
I saw Cydno Longwings (Heliconius cydno) a few times in the forest. They don't usually land low enough for photos.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...liconius20.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...liconius21.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...nal/plant1.jpg
I was pleased on this trip to see several Great Currasow. This female with two young were along the trail to the falls in primary forest. I watched her plucking and eating leaves. Back in 1980, this was a hard bird to see. They are big birds, about the size of a turkey and were often shot for food. I only saw a few at that time in the remote Corcovado NP.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...atCurrasow.jpg
Spotted Antbird. I saw these fairly often at Volcan Arenal. They usually fed at army ant swarms. A number of the new world birds have learned to feed with the army ants. They stay near the front of the swarm and drop down to catch invertebrates that are trying to escape from the ants. Here at Arenal, I saw birds like Carmiol's Tanagers, Plain Xenops, Sulphur-rumped Flycatchers, Slaty Antwrens, Spotted Woodcreepers and others at the swarms.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...tedAntbird.jpg
Here is a shot of Ted and Cindy at the cabin where we stayed. We had a nice view of the surrounding garden and primary rainforest further down the slope. This place was said to be good for the gorgeous Lovely Cotinga but we were not lucky enough to see one. We did hear the incredible, metallic song of Three-wattled Bellbirds. Tanagers, euphonias and hummingbirds were abundant in the gardens. The second shot below is of a male Passerini or Scarlet-rumped Tanager.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...yatCasonas.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...pedTanager.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...l/habitat6.jpg
Here is a shot of the primary forest below our cabin:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...l/habitat9.jpg
There were nice gardens near our cabin and near the headquarters. The flowering plants attracted many butterflies.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...l/habitat8.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../habitat10.jpg
Flashing Flat (Celaenorrhinus aegiochus). Isn't this skipper fantastic? It was one of my favourites and so brightly coloured when in good light. These were big skippers.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...egiochus7b.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../skipper17.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../skipper18.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../skipper15.jpg
Here is another skipper without the white markings of the Flashing Flat. The body shape and size were the same but I assume that it must be a different species. I was not able to find anything like it on the butterfly website for North and Central America.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../skipper12.jpg
Guava Skippers (Phocides polybius) were seen early every morning near our cabin. After that, they vanished.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...l/skipper1.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../skipper1c.jpg
Nigrescens Skipper (Phocides metrodorus) were stunning. These were huge and colourful skippers.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../skipper24.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../skipper25.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../skipper23.jpg
Here is a shot of one of the swallow-tailed skippers (Chioides sp). Skippers with swallowtails seemed to be the norm at Volcan Arenal.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...hioidessp3.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../skipper40.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../skipper41.jpg
Long-tailed Skippers (Urbanus proteus) were nicely marked.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../skipper50.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../skipper51.jpg
I think that this must be another species since the wing spots are different from those of the Long-tailed Skipper above.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../skipper52.jpg
Polythrix sp.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../skipper30.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../skipper31.jpg
Spineless Silverdrop (Epargyreus aspina). This was another large species of skipper. I only saw it twice.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../skipper60.jpg
... more tomorrow night
Swallowtails in the genus Parides were abundant. They were so hard to photograph since they rarely stayed at a flower for more than a second or two. The following species was the most abundant. I believe that it is a True Cattleheart (Parides eurimedes)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...l/Parides4.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...l/Parides3.jpg
Iphidamas Cattleheart (Parides iphidamas) were fairly common.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...l/Parides6.jpg
Green-celled Cattleheart (Parides childrenae) were very common. I attempted many photos but this was the best that I could come up with. They just don't stop moving and seem to bounce from flower to flower.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...l/Parides5.jpg
This Parides was tiny. I only saw a few of these from time to time.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...l/Parides8.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...l/Parides7.jpg
Doris Longwing (Heliconius doris) was a new species to me. I think that the Parides must be mimicing the colour pattern of this heliconiinae. I initially that that this was another Parides when I spotted it but thought it strange that the behaviour was so different. This one flew slowly and remainded for much longer at a flower than did the frenetic Parides Swallowtails.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...Helionius2.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...Helionius1.jpg
Banded Peacock (Anartia fatima) was seen a few times.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...dedPeacock.jpg
Wide-banded Satyr (Pareuptychia metaleuca)?
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../satyrinae.jpg
I think that this was a Blue-gray Satyr (Magneuptychia libye):
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...satyrinae3.jpg
This Gold-stained Satyr (Cissia pseudoconfusa) was beautiful. I only encountered this single individual.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...satyrinae2.jpg
Pierids:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...l/sulphur1.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...l/sulphur2.jpg
Looks and sounds like you had a fantastic vacation! William
The first "ithomiid" in post #53 is actually a nymphalid, Eresia ithomioides alsina.
They are confusingly alike.
Thanks, William and Aaron. I will make the change to the name, Aaron.
William, Costa Rica is a beautiful place as you know. I wish that the photographers here on the BC forum would make the trip. I would love to see the images that they would produce!
Here was another skipper that fed from the Verbenna flowers:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../skipper70.jpg
Here is what I think to be a male Green-celled Cattleheart (Parides childrenae):
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ttleheart2.jpg
Ninia maculata. We saw this small species of snake on several occasions.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...amaculata1.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...amaculata2.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...amaculata3.jpg
We found this Cope's Vine Snake asleep on the upper surface of a palm frond while we were on a night walk.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../vinesnake.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...vinesnake2.jpg
Geophis hoffmanni exhibited the most incredible anti-predator behaviour. When I disturbed it, it would literally cartwheel off the trail into cover. Somehow, it could rapidly throw itself end over end.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...hoffmanni2.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...hoffmanni3.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...hoffmanni1.jpg
Ameiva festiva
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...nal/amieva.jpg
One of the small rainfrogs?
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...enal/frog2.jpg
Rana warszewitschii were nicely marked frogs.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...enal/frog3.jpg
Smoky Jungle Frogs (Leptodactylus pentadactylus) were seen on the banks of a tiny pond.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...enal/frog1.jpg
Bufo melanochloris: a nicely marked toad found at night in the primary forest.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...enal/toad1.jpg
Four-eyed Possum. This little guy became confused with the bright light so it just sat down.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...al/possum1.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...al/possum2.jpg
Cindy took this shot of an Armadillo as she was walking back to the cabin from the headquarters one morning.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../armadillo.jpg
Montezuma Oropendola: these giant blackbirds were a frequent sight and sound.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...la_collage.jpg
We did not see many interesting insects at night. One good group encountered the katydids that are cryptically patterned.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...l/katydid1.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...l/katydid2.jpg
Sprouting fenceposts were a common sight in rural Costa Rica.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...fenceposts.jpg
Here is a final shot of the lovely Volcan Arenal.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...canArenal4.jpg
Hummingbirds are diverse in Costa Rica. One of the most colourful and quite common was the Crowned Woodnymph. Here is a shot of male. In the second photo below, it was sunning itself after a heavy shower.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...oodnymph2a.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...woodnymph3.jpg
... another family with many confusingly similar species is that of the woodcreepers. These are passerines but they act a little like woodpeckers and hitch up trees to probe within epiphytes such as the bromeliads. They often are hard to identify since they are on the move but remain in the dark forest interior. The following shot was of a Spotted Woodcreeper.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...oodcreeper.jpg
PALO VERDE RESERVE
Before wrapping up, I thought that some of you might be interested in shots of another part of Costa Rica. These photos are scans of shots from one of my prior trips to Costa Rica Dec 1980 and Jan 1981. I spent 6 weeks at Palo Verde biological research station in Guanacaste Province. This area is in the monsoonal northwest of Costa Rica. The area is vaguely like that of Kakadu NP in the Northern Territory of Australia with limestone escarpments and seasonal swamps. I was there to study Black-bellied Whistling Ducks that gather in enormous numbers before the swamps become dry. It was a wonderful experience and I saw so many butterflies, birds, reptiles and mammals. Unfortunately, I did not photograph butterflies at the time but can remember a number of beauties.
This building was my home for visit. It once was an old ranch but had been converted to the headquarters of the reserve.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...loVerde9-1.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...oVerde9a-1.jpg
Dry, deciduous forest. These trees would loose most of their leaves and then flower at the end of the dry season.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...loVerde7-1.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...loVerde8-1.jpg
The resevere protected a seasonally flooded area that bordered the Rio Tempisque. These wetlands were the home of thousands of waterfowl. Black-bellied Whistling Ducks were the most numerous species but other ducks were also present including Fulvous Whistling Ducks, White-headed Whistling Ducks, Blue-winged Teal, Muscovy and Masked Ducks.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...aloVerde19.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...aloVerde17.jpg
Bare-necked Tiger Heron were fairly common in the marsh.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...gerHeron1b.jpg
Black Ctenosaurs lived right around the headquarters. They were fairly tame and would walk into my room in the afternoons, see me and then turn and walk away. They are members of the iguana family.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...Ctenosaurs.jpg
I saw snakes from time to time. The Central American Coral Snake on the left had fallen into a depression and drowned. These snakes are beautiful but elapids with toxic venom. The snake on the right was one of the Parrotsnakes (Leptophis sp.) that loved to eat frogs. I often heard the screams of frogs that had been captured by snakes and were in the process of being eaten alive.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...980/snakes.jpg
Scarlet Macaws were common and nesting not far from the headquarters.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...arletMacaw.jpg
Other birds includes species like the Olivaceous Woodcreeper (left) and Bar-breasted Wren (right), a species with a beautiful and loud song.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...reeperwren.jpg
Long-tailed Manakins were common and gorgeous birds. They usually displayed in groups of three. Two young males would work with an adult male and go into a strange spiralling dance. They would slide down a branch then flutter over the other two and slide down again. It was an amazing sight to watch. This bird was a sub-adult. The adult males were velvety black.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ng-tailed1.jpg
Lastly, here is a shot of me in 1980 but more importantly, a shot of Rodrigo Carazo, the president of Costa Rica at the time. The president visited the reserve while I was there and I had the privilege of meeting and talking with him. I was able to take him bird watching one morning. President Carazo was very interested in nature and he, along with others, realized that eco-tourism was a means of protecting the remaining forests of the country. He and others after him successfully turned Costa Rica into a model country for ecotourism.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...rigoCarazo.jpg
... that is all. I will add logistics, costing and a bird report later.
Manakins are spectacular birds and the males do interesting displays as well.
David, thanks for sharing. This is a wonderful thread and an eye-opener for me. I really enjoyed all the photos :thumbsup: . I'm normally not a fan of skippers but the skippers over there are really nice...Love that gorgeous Flashing Flat ! I must plan and hope to visit this place one day ;P .
Last in post #34 is a female Mesosemia asa
1st in post #35 is a female Mesosemia carissima
Thanks, Aaron and Chng.
I will update the identities of those butterflies, Aaron. Thanks for tracking down the names.
Chng,
I hope that you visit the place. You will certainly have a great time and see so much.
Here is a summary of the costs for the 12-night trip. These costs were divided among the 3 of us so weren't too bad. Costa Rica would be expensive, though, if you were not in a small group. Now is a good time to go since they set their prices in USD. The AUD is strong at the moment and I imagine the same would be true of the Singapore dollar and Malay Ringgit. USD are accepted everywhere so there is no need to convert to Costa Rican Colones.
TACA flights: $500 LAX<-> San Jose
20 Aug: Suena Azul (1 night stay awaiting transfer to Rara Avis). Suena Azul was a lodge in the little town of Horquetas. Great place for butterflies with big gardens. Pricey place but the grounds were great for butterflies.
$156/night + food ($20/dinner)
21-25 Aug: Rara Avis: remote lodge that is at the end of a horrible 3-4 hour tractor ride up into the mountains. Unfortunately, it may close in the next few months since they have lost their primary customer. The location is too remote for most ecotourists. It will be sad if it shuts down since it is such a great place and many range restricted animals can be found here.
$825 for "hotel" style accommodation and included all meals and transfers
http://www.rara-avis.com/
26-28 Aug: La Selva Biological Station. I spent nearly 6 weeks here in 1980 so it was great to see the place again. It was hardly recognizable with so much construction. Now, a village has been constructed for the the biologists and is the premier site for biological studies in the Central American tropics. It has an excellent trail system that resembles paved "sidewalks" for the first 2km or so out from the headquarters. After that, the trails were muddy and more difficult. Las Selva is located in the lowlands of the same watershed as Rara Avis. They have succeeded in protecting the entire watershed from the top of the high Volcan Barva to the lowlands. This is important for the long-term conservation of many birds in particular that move in rainforest from the upper montane areas to the lowlands depending upon weather and food. Species like Bare-necked Umbrellabirds and Three-wattled Bellbirds are examples of these altitudinal migrants.
$660 for a small house (2 bedrooms), kitchen and included all meals.
http://www.ots.ac.cr/index.php?optio...162&Itemid=348
$20 taxi ride from Rara Avis headquarters (Horquetas) to La Selva
29Aug-1 Sep: Arenal Observatory Lodge, Volcan Arenal. Top place that is much like Fraser's Hill with extensive gardens and lots of butterflies.
$285 for a room with 3 bunks, communal facilities. Included a superb buffet breakfast but lunch/dinner were extra ($20 each).
http://www.arenalobservatorylodge.com/index.php
Transfers from airport -> Suena Azul, La Selva -> Volcan Arenal, Volcan Arenal-> airport: We used "Anywhere Costa Rica". They were efficient and always arrived on time.
$440 for the 3 transfers that each were 2-3 hour drives. "Anywhere Costa Rica" can do all bookings but we only used them for the transport portion of the trip. We made all other bookings directly with the lodges.
http://www.anywherecostarica.com/
I was told by the various people at the resorts that April is probably the best time for butterflies on the Caribbean slope since it is the hottest, driest month. April is also peak season with regards to tourists so places would be much busier than what I experienced. The wet season was not as difficult as I had anticipated and there were always a few hours of sun each day before the torrential rains arrived. I enjoyed the dramatic thunderstorms and sometimes was caught out in these. I just put on my raincoat and sheltered under trees until the storm passed. These usually did not last more than an hour or two. After the rain, there was a surge of activity (birds, butterflies ... and a Fer-de-Lance!) when the sun re-emerged.
Regards,
I imagine that there are a few birders on the BC forum. Here is a list of what I encountered on this trip. My Costa Rica list is now in the mid-500s. I am not certain why, but it generally was quiet with not nearly as much avian activity as I remember from long ago. I really expected about twice this number of species but activity may have been suppressed due to the wet weather. My prior visits were during the dry season whereas this trip was in the middle of the wet. Those birds with an asterisk were lifers.
- Little Tinamou Suena Azul
- Great Tinamou Rara Avis, La Selva
- Striated Heron Suena Azul
- Great Egret -- Suena Azul, tranis
- Neotropical Cormorant
- Short-billed Pigeon Suena Azul, Rara Avis, La Selva
- Red-billed Pigeon -- Volcan Arenal
- Grey-chested Dove -- Rara Avis, La Selva, Volcan Arenal
- Ruddy Ground Dove -- road to Rara Avis, La Selva
- *Purplish-backed Quail-Dove Rara Avis
- *Violaceous Quail-Dove -- Volcan Arenal
- Great Currasow -- La Selva, Volcan Arenal
- Crested Guan -- La Selva, Volcan Arenal
- Bat Falcon Rara Avis, pair
- Laughing Falcon Suena Azul, calling and in treetops
- Roadside Hawk Rara Avis
- White Hawk -- Rara Avis
- Swallow-tailed Kite -- La Selva
- Hook-billed Kite -- dark phase, Volcan Arenal
- King Vulture one near Rara Avis, La Selva
- Black Vulture
- Turkey Vulture
- Squirrel Cuckoo -- Suena Azul, Rara Avis, La Selva
- Grove-billed Ani -- Suena Azul, La Selva
- Spotted Sandpiper -- Suena Azul, Rara Avis
- Amazon Kingfisher -- Suena Azul
- Ringed Kingfisher -- La Selva
- Green Kingfisher -- Suena Azul
- Mealy Parrot -- Rara Avis, La Selva
- Red-lored Parrot -- Volcan Arenal
- White-crowned Parrot -- La Selva, Volcan Arenal
- *Great Green Macaw -- La Selva
- Crimson-fronted Parakeet -- La Selva, Volcan Arenal
- Orange-chinned Parakeet -- Volcan Arenal
- Spectacled Owl -- Rara Avis
- Pauraque -- Suena Azul, La Selva, Volcan Arenal
- Least Pygmy Owl -- Rara Avis
- Long-tailed Hermit Suena Azul, La Selva
- Little Hermit -- Rara Avis, VolcanArenal
- Green Hermit -- Rara Avis, Volcan Arenal
- Banded Barbthroat Suena Azul
- Violet-headed Hummingbird -- Volcan Arenal
- Rufous-tailed Hummingbird -- Suena Azul, La Selva
- Blue-throated Goldentail -- Volcan Arenal
- Purple-crowned Fairy -- Volcan Arenal
- White-collared Swift -- Rara Avis
- Grey-rumped Swift -- La Selva
- Violaceous Trogon Suena Azul, La Selva, Volcan Arenal
- Black-throated Trogon Suena Azul
- Chestnut-mandibled Toucan Suena Azul, Rara Avis, La Selva, Volcan Arenal
- Keel-billed Toucan heard Suena Azul, seen when leaving Rara Avis, La Selva, Volcan Arenal
- Black-cheeked Woodpecker Suena Azul, La Selva, Volcan Arenal
- Chestnut Woodpecker -- La Selva
- Pale-billed Woodpecker -- Rara Avis, La Selva
- Red-headed Barbet -- Rara Avis
- Mangrove Swallow -- Suena Azul
- Rough-winged Swallow -- Suena Azul
- *Thicket Antpitta Rara Avis, upward trill, Volcan Arenal
- Chestnut-backed Antbird -- Rara Avis, La Selva
- Spotted Antbird -- Volcan Arenal
- Black-faced Ant-Thrush -- Rara Avis,usually 3 notes. one emphatic high followed by two or three lower at same pitch
- Russet Antshrike Rara Avis
- Slaty Antwren -- Volcan Arenal
- Plain Xenops Suena Azul, Volcan Arenal
- Buff-throated Foliage-Gleaner Rara Avis
- *Tawny-throated Leaf-Tosser -- Volcan Arenal
- Streaked Foliage-Gleaner -- Volcan Arenal
- Streak-headed Woodcreeper Suena Azul, Volcan Arenal
- Spotted Woodcreeper -- Volcan Arenal
- Cocoa Woodcreeper -- Rara Avis, La Selva
- Wedge-billed Woodcreeper -- La Selva, Volcan Arenal
- Barred Woodcreeper -- La Selva
- Rufous Piha -- Rara Avis
- Three-wattled Bellbird -- Volcan Arenal
- Masked Tityra -- La Selva
- Purple-throated Fruit-Crow -- La Selva
- Cinnamon Becard Suena Azul
- Rufous Mourner -- Volcan Arenal
- Tropical Pewee -- La Selva, Volcan Arenal
- Dusky-capped Flycatcher -- La Selva, Volcan Arenal
- Bright-rumped Atila -- Suena Azul, La Selva, Volcan Arenal
- Tufted Flycatcher Rara Avis
- Yellow-olive Flycatcher Suena Azul
- Yellow-margined Flycatcher -- Volcan Arenal
- Paltry Tyrannulet -- La Selva
- Common Tody Tyrant -- La Selva
- Kiskadee Suena Azul, La Selva, Volcan Arenal
- Social Flycatcher Suena Azul, La Selva, Volcan Arenal
- Tropical Kingbird Suena Azul, Volcan Arenal
- Yellow-bellied Elaenia -- Volcan Arenal
- Scale-crested Pygmy Tyrant Rara Avis, Volcan Arenal
- Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher -- Volcan Arenal
- White-ruffed Manakin -- Rara Avis
- White-collared Manakin -- La Selva
- Clay-coloured Robin -- Suena Azul, La Selva, Volcan Arenal
- White-vented Robin Rara Avis
- Bay Wren Rara Avis
- Stripe-breasted Wren -- Rara Avis, La Selva
- Nightingale Wren Rara Avis, Volcan Arenal
- Banded-back Wren -- La Selva
- Southern House Wren -- Suena Azul, La Selva, Volcan Arenal
- White-breasted Wood-Wren -- Rara Avis, La Selva
- Brown Jay -- Volcan Arenal
- Long-billed Gnatwren -- Rara Avis, La Selva
- Tawny-faced Gnatwren -- Rara Avis
- Grey-headed Greenlet Rara Avis
- Emerald Shrike-Vireo -- La Selva
- Bananaquit Rara Avis, Volcan Arenal
- Louisiana Waterthrush -- Rara Avis
- American Redstart -- Rara Avis
- Black-and-White Warbler Rara Avis
- Magnolia Warbler Rara Avis
- Buff-rumped Warbler -- Suena Azul, Rara Avis, La Selva, Volcan Arenal
- Common Bush-Tanager -- Rara Avis
- Ashy-headed Bush-Tanager -- Rara Avis
- Black-and-Yellow Tanager Rara Avis
- Bay Tanager Rara Avis, Volcan Arenal
- *Emerald Tanager Rara Avis
- Speckled Tanager Rara Avis
- Golden-hooded Tanager -- Suena Azul, La Selva, Volcan Arenal
- Silver-throated Tanager -- Rara Avis
- Blue-grey Tanager Suena Azul, Rara Avis, La Selva, Volcan Arenal
- Palm Tanager -- seen when leaving Rara Avis, La Selva, Volcan Arenal
- Stripe-backed Tanager -- Volcan Arenal
- Crimson-collared Tanager -- Volcan Arenal
- Red-throated Ant-tanager Suena Azul, Rara Avis
- Passerini Tanager -- Suena Azul, La Selva, Volcan Arenal
- Carmiols Tanager Rara Avis, Volcan Arenal
- Tawny-crested Tanager -- Rara Avis
- White-lined Tanager -- La Selva
- Olive-backed Euphonia Suena Azul, Rara Avis, La Selva, Volcan Arenal
- Yellow-crowned Euphonia -- Volcan Arenal
- Tawny-capped Euphonia Rara Avis
- Green Honeycreeper Rara Avis, La Selva, Volcan Arenal
- Shining Honeycreeper Rara Avis, La Selva, Volcan Arenal
- Red-thighed Dacnis Suena Azul
- Great-tailed Grackle -- La Selva
- Black-cowled Oriole Suena Azul, Volcan Arenal
- *Yellow-tailed Oriole Suena Azul
- Yellow-billed Cacique Suena Azul
- Scarlet-rumped Cacique -- La Selva
- Montezuma Oropendola Suena Azul, La Selva, Volcan Arenal
- Blue-black Grassquit
- Thick-billed Seed Finch -- La Selva
- Variable Seed-Eater -- Volcan Arenal
- Yellow-faced Grassquit -- Volcan Arenal
- Black-striped Sparrow -- Volcan Arenal
- Orange-billed Sparrow Suena Azul, La Selva, Volcan Arenal
- Rufous-collared Sparrow -- San Jose, Volcan Arenal
- Buff-throated Saltator Suena Azul, seen when leaving Rara Avis, La Selva, Volcan Arenal
- Black-faced Grosbeak -- Rara Avis
Thanks David for listing down all the links and providing the info on types of expenses to expect in such a trip. This will surely help in the planning and budgeting. Need to study more into details and maybe can work out a shorter version trip or something for next year if anyone here in BC are interested ;P