COSTA RICA 2019
COSTA RICA 2019
COSTA RICA 2019
PURA VIDA
- translated as the 'simple life' or 'pure life'
Costa Rica is a very special place. I was lucky enough to spend most of December exploring some of the extraordinarily diverse landscapes with my camera, capturing over 250 species across cloud forest, rain forest, montane, wetlands, mangroves, beach and Cano island.
Taking over 4,500 photographs, I managed to whittle this down to 2,100 and have picked out some of my favourites to give you an idea of why Costa Rica has fast become my spiritual home. Just click on the itinerary locations below or use the drop-down menu to see the birds, beasts and bugs I saw when I was staying in these wonderfully different places.
I've also included a species list at the bottom of this page for the keen wildlife spotters amongst you.
ITINERARY
01
SAN JOSE
Flew BA direct from Gatwick to San Jose. A quick one night stop over at the Hotel El Presidente before leaving early the next morning for Tortuguero.
02
TORTUGUERO
Road transfer from San Jose to Guapiles and then the tiny landing stage of Cuatro Esquinas to board a small boat for the 90 minute transfer to Evergreen Lodge.
03
LA SELVA
Boat back to the tiny landing at Cuatro Esquinas, then a road transfer to the stunning Selva Verde Lodge located in the middle of rain forest on the banks of the Sarapiqui river.
04
BOSQUE DE PAZ
A couple of hours up small roads into the montane area, Bosque de Paz is a family run conservation lodge with gushing streams, cloud forest, and hill trails.
05
MANUEL ANTONIO
Road transfer to the Parador Resort next to one of the smallest and busiest national parks. Located close to Quepos, MA is stuffed with wildlife. The surrounding areas of wetlands, mangroves and cloud forest are stupendous.
06
CORCOVADO
Road transfer to the mainland office where I was picked up by the lodge boat for a two hour thrill-ride up the river and out into the Pacific ocean. Casa Corcovado Jungle Lodge is heaven on earth.
07
SAN JOSE
Another boat ride, but this time just 45 minutes round to Drakes Bay where I was picked up and taken to Palmar Sur airstrip. A tiny prop plane took 10 of us (via a quick touch down at Golfito after 15 minutes to pick up two more) to San Jose airport. Back into town for 28 hours at the Hotel El Presidente again, giving me time to explore the city before flying home to Gatwick.
Species sighting list
Tortuguero
Fasciated Tiger Heron
Three-toed Sloth
Black and white spider (sp TBC)
Tiger-mimic butterfly
Passerini's Tanager
Pied Puffbird
Tiger Heron (juvenile)
Squirrel Cuckoo
Slaty-tailed Trogon (M + F)
Ringed Kingfisher
Rufous-tailed hummingbird
Great Kiskadee
Black Vulture
Falcon (sp TBC)
Great Green Macaw
Tropical Kingbird
Anhinga (F)
Western Cattle Egret
Little Egret
Great White Egret
Black-crowned Night Heron
Clay-coloured Thrush
Magnificent Frigate Bird
Nicaraguan Grackle
Collared Aracari
Gray-necked Wood Rail
Northern Waterthrush
Spider monkeys
White-faced Capuchins
Crocodile
Cayman
Mangrove Crab
River Otter
Iguana (M - mating colour)
Emerald Basilisk
Long-nosed bats
Howler monkeys
Bullet Ant
Weevil (sp TBC)
Harlequin beetle (juvenile)
Two-toed sloth
Damas Island mangroves
Bare-throated Heron
Common Black Hawk
Lineated Woodpecker
Yellow Warbler
Lesser Nighthawk
Green Kingfisher
Green backed Heron
Little Blue Heron (colony)
Tiger-faced crab
Sac winged bat
White Ibis (adult + juvenile)
Tri-coloured Heron
Whimbrels
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Silky Anteater
Crocodile
Quepos/catamaran
Osprey
Dolpins
Frigate birds
Brown Pelicans
Booby Birds
Selva Verde Lodge
Baltimore Oriole
Black-cowled Oriole
Passerini's Tanager
Blue-grey Tanager
Rufous Motmot
Stripe-throated Hermit
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Black-cheeked Woodpecker
Green Honeycreeper
Red-legged Honeycreeper
Black River Turtle
Common Rain frog
Blue Jeans dart frog
Reticulated Glass frog
Emerald Glass frog
Smokey Jungle frog
Red-eyed tree frog
Broad-headed Rain frog
Bransford's Litter frog
Clearwing butterfly
Dryas iulia butterfly
Yellow-headed gecko
Slender brown Anole
Emerald Basilisk
Nine-banded Armadillo
Neotropic Cormorant
White tipped dove
Red-lored parrot
Mealy parrot
Squirrel Cuckoo
Long-billed Hermit
Stripe-throated Hermit
Long-billed Starthroat
Gartered Trogon
Collared Aracari
Yellow-throated Toucan
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Black Phoebe
Great Kiskadee
Social Flycatcher
White-collared Manakin
Red-capped Manakin
Mangrove Swallow
Bay Wren
Wood Thrush
Clay-coloured Thrush
Yellow Warbler
Chesnut-sided Warbler
Northern Waterthrush
Buff-rumped Warbler
Crimson-collared Tanager
Blue-Gray Tanager
Palm Tanager
Silver-throated Tanager
Scarlet-thighed Dacnis
Golden-throated Tanager
Buff-throated Saltator
Variable Seedeater
Orange-billed sparrow
Red-throated Ant-Tanager
Summer Tanager
Great-tailed Grackle
Montezuma Oropendola
Yellow-throated Euphonia
Olive-backed Euphonia
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Bosque de Paz Eco Lodge
Flame-coloured Tanager
Red-headed Barbet
Chesnut-capped Brush Finch
Black Guan
Black Vulture
Gray Hawk
Black Phoebe
Long-tailed silky flycatcher
Black-faced Solitaire
Costa Rica Warbler
Orange-bellied Trogon
Wedge-billed Woodcreeper
Plain Wren
House Wren
Common Bush Tanager
Dark Pewee
Black and White Thrush
Streak-headed Woodcreeper
Spot-crowned Woodcreeper
White collared Swift
Slaty Spinetail
Scintillant hummingbird
Purple-throated Mountain-gem humming
bird
Violet Sabrewing
Green-crowned Brilliant hummingbird
Magenta-throated Woodstar hummingbird
Slate-throated Redstart
White-nosed Coarti
Central American Agouti
Metallic Blue Skipper
Blue-Gray Tanager
Sooty Thrush
Manuel Antonio National Park
Scarlet Macaw
Black-headed Antshrike
Tennessee Warbler
Chesnut-sided Warbler
Rainbow Grasshopper
Common Basilisk
Milky Tree frog
Helmet-headed lizard
Two-toed sloth
Three-toed sloth
Imperator boa constrictor (juvenile)
Savache Bull frog
Swallowtail butterfly (M + F)
Morpho butterfly
Long-tailed Grackle
Tropical land crab
Black Iguana
Green Iguana
Lesser white-lined bats
Lesser yellow-crowned Night Heron
Scaly-breasted hummingbird
Bananaquit
Summer Tanager (M+ F)
Blue-throated Goldentail hummingbird
Chesnut-backed Antbird
Roadside Hawk
Groove-billed Ani
Yellow-headed Caracara
White-faced capuchins
Howler monkeys
Red-crowned Woodpecker
Brown Pelican
Playa del Rey wetlands
Pale Vented Pigeon
Northern Jacana
Blue Black Grassquit
Purple Gallinule
Striped Cuckoo
Dickcissel
Pink Roseate Spoonbills
Southern Lapwing
Ruddy Ground Dove
Woodstork
Red-crowned woodpecker
Melodius Blackbird
Ringed Kingfisher
Belted Kingfisher
Prothonotary Warbler
Cocoa Woodcreeper
Red-breasted Blackbird (M + F)
Mangrove Cuckoo
Inca Dove
Black and White Saltator
Gray-necked Wood Rail
Black Bellied Whistling Duck
Variable Seedeater
Black Striped Sparrow
Killdeer
Northern Waterthrush
Great Crested Flycatcher
Squirrel Monkeys
Green Heron
Blue-winged Teale ducks
Esquipulas cloud forest
Orange-chinned parakeet
Blue-throated Goldentail hummingbird
Golden-throated Tanager
Buff-throated Saltator
Yellow-throated Toucan
Elegant Euphonia (M+ F)
Streaked Flycatcher
Riverside Wren
Crested Caracara
Orange-coloured Manakin
American Redstart
White-headed parrot
Rufous-tailed Jacamar
Double-toothed Kite
Purple-crowned Starthroat hummingbird
Long-billed Hermit
Yellow-crowned Euphonia
Violet-headed hummingbird
Roadside Hawk
Common Ground Dove
Groove-billed Ani
River Sierpe, Corcovado
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Little Blue Heron
Common Potoo
Scarlet Macaw
Osprey
Brown Pelicans
Corcovado Lodge/Park
Crested Guan
Yellow-headed Caracara
Crested Caracara
Bananquit
Spotted Sandpiper
Great Curassows
American Oyster Catchers
Orange-coloured Manakin
Broad-winged Hawk
King Vulture (juvenile)
Yellow-throated Toucan
Red-lored parrot
Spider monkeys
Camouflage lizard
Dragonfly
Milky Tree Frog
Golden Orb spider
Vine snake
Racer snake
Crocodile
Green Page Moth
Brown Pelican
White-nosed Coartis
Brown Basilisk
Harlequin beetle (adult)
Charming hummingbird
Bull frog
Longwing Zebra butterfly
Cano Island
White-tailed Kite
Common Black Hawk
Green Bee
Hermit Crabs
Panamic Frillfin