Costa Rica - Final day: In search of the Quetzal

 

Most tourists, especially birders coming to Costa Rica hope to be able to see the Resplendent Quetzal, a beautiful, multicolored long tailed bird.  We were no different, except that I didn’t know it was going to be tricky to see it.  And once I found out how difficult it might be, I wondered why we waited until the last day!

We can’t understand why this bird is not the national bird of Costa Rica.  The Clay colored Thrush is the national bird.  Yep, pretty drab compared to many of the birds you’ve seen on this blog, and I’m not a birder.  We’re told that it has the most beautiful song, that you can hear loudly and pervasively throughout the Costa Rican summer – but not now.  

 

Anyway, this morning we had a 3:30 departure and a two-hour night drive, before we saw daybreak at the Paraiso de Quetzal Lodge at almost 10,000 feet elevation!  It was COLD!

We met with our guide and another couple and headed out in our cars to ‘the spot’.  The lodge works with 22 different families in the area to help spot the birds.  The area has many fruit bearing trees that are quite yummy to these birds.  At this elevation the area has its own little microclimate and the fruit ripens around the area keeping the birds local.  Using the families and farmers helps everyone, as the farmers receive a finder’s fee from the lodge, and the guides from the lodge get happy customers!

 

We parked our cars and ranup the road for half a kilometer to the location of the bird.  4 other photographers were already set up.  

 There was the bird, a male, perched out in the open, on a lone dead tree.  No leaves or twigs to shoot through and sitting very contentedly while several hundred images were taken of him.  

It would look around and turn his head for a profile shot, showing off its ruffled head – the clicking of cameras made me laugh.   Thank goodness for digital and high gig memory cards!

And then it flew. Only to the other side of the yard, too far for any good shots.  Off we scrambled, quietly running around the back of the house of the farmer who had called the bird in.   Slipping and sliding, we all made it to the other side to see him posing on another branch.

And then it flew back, and was joined by the female.   Click, click, click……… At this point, I was more entertained watching the photographers, newbies and pros that the birds on the dead tree branch!

 

At one point, several of the photographers went up onto the porch of the house!

 

And here it is.... The Resplendent Quetzal

Our guide led us around the area finding birds along the way.   At one point we noticed a group of 16 birders in a field not far from us, also searching for the Quetzal.  

We headed back to the Paraiso de Queztal lodge for breakfast and more birdwatching.  The lodge has several feeders placed all around the property with close access for photography.

 

 

 Watching the hummers flit and dart about is lots of fun.  We could have spent the afternoon there, but we needed to move on.  We had one more birding stop to make before we headed into the city to return our car.

Casa Taranga dowii is an e-bird site, and is owned by Sergio Arias, another birder and friend of Susana’s. We followed him to his small house tucked on a hill overlooking Cartago City.

 The birding was slow, as it was almost mid-day.  But by just sitting and waiting, Tom was able to get the last few birds that put him over 350 birds for Costa Rica.  Yea!

I was pretty entertained by all the cool moths and other bugs on the observation deck!

 

 To me, this one looks like a native American blanket!

 And the find of the day was this metallic beetle, a highly sought after item on the black market.  I watched him fly into the forest after he patiently let me take it’s photo!

 

 

 

Continuing on down the hill, we slowly dropped down to the town of Cartago, and continued to San Jose.  

No road due to a wash out.

 

 

Unfortunately, it was about 1:30 on Friday when we got to the edges of San Jose, and traffic was not good.   A little over 2 hours later, we finally arrived at our hotel right next to the airport, in the middle of one final rain storm!

One more 3:00am wake up to be at the airport by 4.  I have never been on a vacation where I’ve seen more sunrises and day break than sunsets!