Birding Escape III – 5 Days 4 Nights

Central Valley Highlands and Caribbean Lowlands

Day 1: Poás Volcano area
You’ll be met at your San José area hotel by our bilingual birding guide and taken up into the Central Valley highlands. Our lodging will be close to the Poás Volcano. From here, we’ll bird several different highland and middle-elevation sites, such as Poás Volcano National Park, San Rafael de Vara Blanca, and La Virgen del Socorro. (The exact order will depend in part on current weather conditions.)(L,D)

Day 2: Poás Volcano area
A full day of highland birding around the Poás Volcano. Our stay here could easily produce twenty different species of hummingbirds, among them endemics such as Fiery-throated Hummingbird, Black-bellied Hummingbird, Magenta-throated Woodstar, and Volcano Hummingbird. Additionally, we’ll hope to see a large number of other highland endemics as well as more wide-ranging species, including the exquisite Resplendent Quetzal. A bit of nocturnal searching might produce Dusky Nightjar or Bare-shanked Screech-Owl. (B,L,D)

Day 3: Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí
We’ll leave the cool highland climate and descend to the warm and humid Caribbean lowlands, where we’ll spend two nights in the Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí area. This afternoon we will explore the Sarapiquí River by boat. (B,L,D)

Day 4: Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí
An entire day to explore La Selva Biological Station in search of the regionally endemic Rufous-winged Woodpecker, Snowy Cotinga, Stripe-breasted Wren, and Nicaraguan Seed-Finch, along with other tropical denizens including various toucans, trogons, and tanagers. We will visit part of the 60 kilometres of excellent trails which provide unparalleled access to tropical rain forest habitat that is home to such species as Great Tinamou, Great Curassow, Great Potoo and Great Antshrike -- what can we say, it’s "great" birding! (B,L,D)

Day 5: Braulio Carrillo National Park
We return to San José via Braulio Carrillo National Park where, if time and weather permit, we may make one last birding stop at Quebrada Gonzalez Station in hopes of some Caribbean foothill specialties such as Snowcap Hummingbird, Lattice-tailed Trogon, Blue-and-gold Tanager, and Black-and-yellow Tanager. (B,L)