I’ll fly tonight to the magical kingdom of Costa Rica – 10,000 Birds

Tonight I’m going to fly to the magical kingdom of Costa Rica, to reset and restart at Rancho Naturalista. This lodge has the longest guidelines among the many eBird hotspots of Costa Rica – over 55 % of the nation’s whole, together with about 40 hummingbirds.

5 years in the past, I spent a day there and met Lisa Erb, the supervisor and proprietor, but additionally a former hen information. “Hmmm…. nicely I moved in 1984 to dwell at Rancho and it was a espresso and sugarcane farm again then,” Lisa advised me. “We tried the whole lot, Hawaiian pineapple, black pepper, even jalapeños, and we couldn’t generate profits from farming.”

Over 520 hen species have been recorded in 140 ac / 60 ha of Rancho Naturalista’s non-public premontane forest reserve, at 3,000 ft / 900 m above sea degree and belonging to the Caribbean (Talamanca’s) foothills biome: Sunbittern, hummingbirds reminiscent of Snowcap and Purple-crowned Fairy; Broad-billed and Rufous Motmots; Noticed Antbird, Beautiful Cotinga…

“We liked the forest and had by no means minimize it since we first owned the property. Then my dad spoke to some buddies that lived up within the Costa Rican highlands who mentioned they have been going to have birdwatchers come to stick with them. My dad requested how did they do this? And so they mentioned they put an advert in Hen Watcher’s Digest and other people would come, so we did that too! It began small and grew greater. Over time we needed to broaden however we by no means stopped being a strictly birding lodge.”

I’m wanting ahead to begin my mornings in a relaxed method, with a espresso and sweets among the many hummingbird feeders on the communal balcony of the lodge, observing Violet Sabrewing, White-necked Jacobin, Inexperienced Hermit, Inexperienced-breasted Mango, Topped Woodnymph, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, and so forth.

“We began on the precise good time when ecotourism was beginning – it was fortunate! Plus, I really like birds and birding and I started to information and did that for 12 years. That background helps me really feel what birders need and want in a lodge. We’ve additionally been fortunate in having superior guides and so they go on to information for various corporations everywhere in the world.”

You may as well hike and hen the 4 ranch trails (starting from 0.3 mi / 400 m to 1.6 mi / 2.5 km, and totalling 4 mi / 7 km) by yourself, or with Rancho’s in-house guides, Mercedes and Harry. On a guided stroll, it’s potential to look at 120 to 140 species in a single morning, together with Snowcap, Tawny-chested Flycatcher, Purplish-backed Quail-dove; White-collared (lek), White-crowned and White-ruffed Manakins; Boring-mantled Antbird, Thicket Antpitta, Black-throated Wren, Black-crested Coquette, Tawny-throated Leaftosser and the Gray-headed Piprites. Additionally an opportunity of Paint-billed Crake.

Close by lies the El Copal Nature Reserve, providing Blue-and-gold Tanager, Snowcap, White-crested Coquette, Black-headed Antthrush and Tawny-chested Flycatcher. A bit farther away lies the Irazu Volcano Nationwide Park, reaching 11,000 ft / 3,400 m a.s.l. and providing a distinct set of birds, e.g. endemic Volcano Hummingbird and Flame-throated Warbler, Costa Rican Floor Sparrow, an opportunity of Resplendent Quetzal and Buffy-crowned Wooden Partridge, and up close to the crater, Volcano Junco and Timberline Wren.

I’ll fly tonight to the magical kingdom of Costa Rica.

Pictures by Rancho Naturalista