Costa Rica Photo Tour February 8 – 19, 2019 Guide: Pablo Cervantes D. Photos by Pablo unless otherwise indicated.

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Costa Rica Photo Tour

The Costa Rica Photo Tour is one of the most popular photo trips in Central America. Every day our group had terrific photo opportunities as we visited locations from sea level to 9000 feet. There were fantastic birds like hummingbirds, toucans, tanagers, quetzals, herons, oropendolas, aracaris, wood rails, spoonbills, owls, macaws, parrots, honeycreepers, jays and more. Amphibians and reptiles delighted us too like the famous Red-eyed Tree Frog, glass frogs, poison frogs, Eyelash Vipers and Hog-nose Pit Vipers.

Costa Rica Photo Tour

Cherrie’s Tanager

Costa Rica Photo Tour

Our group photographed at least 134 birds, 8 mammals, 7 amphibians, and 4 reptiles from boat, hides, platforms, balconies and in the field.

Costa Rica Photo Tour

Honduras White-bat

Costa Rica Photo Tour

Our tour started in San Jose. On the first morning outing we had a good breakfast and drove straight to Paraiso Quetzal. Here we photographed Resplendent Quetzals (photo left) and terrific hummingbirds like Fiery-throated and Talamanca Hummingbirds and Lesser Violetear with multiflash. Nearby we visited other areas like Savegre for good photos of White-throated Mountain-gem, Volcano Hummingbird, Stripe-tailed Hummingbird, Acorn Woodpecker and more.

Costa Rica Photo Tour

The next stop was Cerro Lodge. We arrived in the afternoon in time to shoot Hoffmann’s Woodpecker, Cinnamon Hummingbird, and Rufous-naped Wren. Next morning we took a boat trip on the Tarcoles River where the photography was great, with Bare-throated Tiger-Heron (photo right), Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Boat-billed Heron, Magnificent Frigatebird, Anhinga among many others. I can say it was fantastic. Next stop was Hacienda Solimar.

Costa Rica Photo Tour

Hacienda Solimar is a ranch with a big portion set aside for wetlands. Ibises, Roseate Spoonbills (photo left), herons, jacanas, owls, Wood Storks, and Jabirus are all happy to live here. If you enjoy shooting bird in flight this is the right place for you. Afternoon was the best time to do this, because the sun was behind us. We also stopped in La Fortuna where we photographed various honeycreepers and tanagers. After lunch

we drove a few hours to Puerto Viejo and stopped in at Dave and Daves, where aracaris, hummingbirds, chachalacas, tanagers, honeycreepers and saltators come in to the feeders.

Next morning, we started in El Tapir looking for the Black-crested Coquete, after that we continued to Cope’s House, a place well set up for photography. Here the wood-rails, pigeons, hummingbirds, kiskadees, thrushes, tanagers, honeycreepers, oropendolas, and saltators were performing in front of our cameras. Walking in the forest we could photograph Spectacled Owl (photo right), potoos and Manakins.

Costa Rica Photo Tour

Costa Rica Photo Tour

Next morning, we went to the Macaw farm, here had another chance to photograph birds in flight, this time Scarlet and Great Green Macaws. Others like Crimson-fronted Parakeet were perched in some trees nearby, and we also got shots of White-fronted Capuchins running in the field. We then left for Laguna del Lagarto, our base for 2 nights. While there we photographed Keel-billed Toucans (photo right), aracaris, parrots, oropendolas, euphonias, tanagers, honeycreepers, orioles and the wonderful King Vulture before returning to San Jose where the tour finished.

Costa Rica Photo Tour

Our group The rest of the report is a selection of some of the best photos from the trip.

Resplendant Quetzal

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Acorn Woodpecker

Bare-throated Tiger-Heron

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Black-and White Owl

Black-cheeked Woodpecker

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Black-cowled Oriole Black-billed Nightingale Thrush

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Brown-hooded Parrot Blue-gray Tanager

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Buff-throated Saltator Cherrie’s Tanager

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Chestnut-colored Woodpecker

Collared Aracari

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Chestnut-headed Oropendola White-necked Jacobin

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Crimson-fronted Parakeet Crested Caracara

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Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl Double-striped Thick-knee

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Fiery-throated Hummingbird

Grayish Saltator

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Flame-colored Tanager male Flame-colored Tanager female

Golden-hooded Tanager Golden-browed Chlorophonia

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Green Heron Gray-headed Chachalaca

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Great Kiskadee

Great Green Macaw

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Green Honeycreeper King Vulture

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Palm Tanager

Keel-billed Toucan

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Large-footed Finch Lesser Violetear

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Talamanca Hummingbird Northern Jacana

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Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher Montezuma Oropendola

Olive-backed Euphonia Red-legged Honeycreeper

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Red-throated Ant-Tanager Roseate Spoonbil

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Silver-throated Tanager Russet-naped Wood-Rail

Scarlet Macaw

Spectacled Owl

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Summer Tanager Tricolored Heron

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Turquoise-browed Motmot

Pacific Screech-Owl

White-collared Manakin Volcano Hummingbird

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White-fronted Nunbird

White-throated Magpie-Jay

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White-throated Mountain-gem

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

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Yellow-throated Euphonia Yellow-throated Toucan

Crab-eating Raccoon White-faced Capuchin

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White-nosed Coati

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Red-eye Tree Frog

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Strawberry Poison Frog

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Granular Glass Frog Masked Tree Frog

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Reticulated Glass Frog Green and Black Poison Frog

Photos on this page taken by Kurt Buzard. Thanks for letting us use them in the report!

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Hog-nose Pit Viper Eyelash Viper

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List of Birds, Mammals, Reptiles and Amphibians

Photographed on this tour

Costa Rica Photo Tour

Costa Rica Photo Tour

Costa Rica Photo Tour

Costa Rica Photo Tour

Costa Rica Photo Tour

“Delivering dreams for two decades”

Thanks to everyone for making it a great and memorable trip!