Birding in Southern Costa Rica 3-10-25

My trip to Costa Rica started with the plane being de-iced, and after one stop in Charlotte, the heat hit my face as I landed in San Jose. I was greeted by a Road Scholar representative at the airport and was taken to our Villa San Ignacio Hotel and Restaurant, located just outside the city. I explored the grounds and met our group leader, whose name, unfortunately, eludes me. We did an early morning walk around before breakfast, and as fast as they were pointing out the different birds, I knew I would be in a challenge to capture these buggers as small and fast as there are in the trees. After breakfast, we had a lecture about the birds of Costa Rica, and that elevated my enthusiasm to get out there. In the afternoon, we bused to the coast and stopped along the roadside to do some birding. I don’t know if our group leader did it, but we found birds in the most unusual spots—for example, an owl buried under a tree branch just 5 feet from the road. After lunch at the Jungle Crocodile Safari and Bird Watching Tour, we took a boat tour on the Tárcoles River estuary, during which I captured many different reptiles and birds. The sound of the boat cutting through the water, the sight of the vibrant Roseate Spoonbill, and the elusive green basilisk, along with the smell of salty sea air, filled me with a sense of adventure. We next moved inland and traveled about 3 hours to the Macaw Lodge, where we would stay for two nights. Here, there was a beautiful balcony where the setting sun reflected onto the pond, enveloping the encompassing jungle. It was getting dark, so I didn’t take any pictures and just soaked in the rousing roar of the animals as night settled in.