Lately, there have been some creepy birds in Costa Rica. Lesser Black-backed Gull at Tarcoles- second country record, first chaseable bird! American Avocet at Ensenada- a very rare vagrant scything the brine for a few days! White-eyed Vireo also in Ensenada- rare vagrant, great bird to see in Costa Rica!
All were there for more than a day, tempting for the Costa Rica birder, and all very twitchworthy. This past Thursday, temptation struck and we found ourselves driving to the Ensenada Wildlife Refuge. The plan is to see the avocet, maybe even visit the shorebird hotspot at Punta Morales, and keep an eye on the Tarcoles gull situation.
At least that was the plan, this is what happened, this is what I learned. Even if you’re not chasing vagrant migrants in Costa Rica, the following may also help your regular birding in Costa Rica.
“Twitchworthiness” Does Not Guarantee Anything
When you start following the birding method, it doesn’t take long to learn some hard truths. Among the many facts of birding life, we quickly learned that birders like to make a peculiar hissing noise referred to as “pishing”, that warblers look better in the spring, and that owls are almost invisible. .
We’ve also learned that just because we think we’re going to see a particular species of bird, even an ounce of your confidence and faith will make that bird come true. More than field skills, birding is a game of chance. You can use the weather, time of day, and other factors to push the odds in your direction but nothing is guaranteed.
But hey, there are upsides to the birding chance! You might find something different! You might find something unexpected and if you pay attention, you can always learn a thing or two.
As we chased the avocet, I remembered that even if the bird had been seen the other day, it didn’t have to be there. Twittering flocks of Western Sandpipers are present. Wilson’s Plovers, yellowlegs, stilts, and other expected shorebirds rested and picked at the mud of Ensenada’s brine pools but no, no proper bird with an extra delicate, upturned beak.
We met other birding friends, notably our friends from Birding Experiences but even with eyes looking and checking every pond, the avocet was gone. Well, we thought, at least we can check out the vireo a la white eyes! We know where another guide friend found it, right where a pygmy-owl would pish and hoot. The little dweller in the thicket is destined for the birding bag.
But, no, the vireo doesn’t want to come out either. I wouldn’t blame, if the two-legged creatures were making funny noises at me while the tropical sun baked the earth, yeah, I wouldn’t mind them either.
Noon is not the Best Time for Birding on the Pacific Coast
Yes, a better time to look for those White-eyed Vireos is earlier in the day. You know, when the birds are active and calling because it’s more comfortable when it’s not annoying, windless 90 plus degrees.
So right, why would we be birding a natural oven at noon? Our decision is based on increasing birding odds in our favor. On Thursday, noon was high tide and there was prime time for shorebirds in Costa Rica. At low tide, most sandpipers and plovers find their way out of the mud flats in the Gulf of Nicoya. They also spread out and many were too far away to watch.
You need to visit the shorebird spot at high tide, check out the salt pools and other places where they congregate. As per the no-guarantee rule for birding, they may not be in the pool you’re looking at but hey, what are you going to do? Stay home and not watch birds instead of getting lasered by the long vertical arms of Helios?
Not needed! However, you can forget about those things during midday birding and stick to pleasant and productive birding efforts in the morning and afternoon. You don’t even have to stay at home. Like, you can find an ice cream shop or enjoy a cold drink in some shady place until 3 pm. I mean, that’s kind of what birds do…
Slow Ride, Slowly…
Another benefit of leaving earlier is avoiding traffic. You won’t be exempt from crashing trucks and slow-moving block cars and other oddities but there won’t be that many. It’s still better than driving later.
I can’t stress enough, on Costa Rican roads, drive early or give yourself extra time! It’s really slow, especially on the highway between Puntarenas and somewhere around Limonal. In my opinion, even when you drive slowly, you have a better chance of seeing some perched raptors or maybe finding a Northern Potoo. But please remember to leave the bird looking for the passengers. The driver has to be constantly on the lookout for pot holes, bad drivers, and other oddities.
Late Afternoon Dining in Puntarenas- a Big Yes!
We didn’t see the twitchworthy birds, and our extra side trip to the Colorado salt pans added some unexpected driving time but at least we got to visit Puntarenas!
We got there just in time for a late afternoon meal at Isla Cocos Bar and Grill. Let me tell you, 4 pm might be the best time to visit this small seaside city. From our outdoor seating, we saw a beautiful view of the gulf of Nicoya, Franklin’s Gulls picked out on the shore, and other birds took flight.
As I scanned the gulf from my seat, I even spotted a distant storm-petrel sp.! I wish I had more time to scan for seabirds but we are hungry, we need a real meal. Along those gastronomic lines, Isla Cocos Bar and Grill delivers. I recommend it and not only because they support sustainable fishing. The food is great and the owner also offers boat trips to the Gulf!
Don’t Do Ensenada as a Day Trip
I previously visited Ensenada and Punta Morales as a day trip from the Central Valley. And yes, you still can but it will be a longer day than usual. Birding time has been reduced by traffic and the roadwork situation to the point where it’s hardly worth driving back and forth from that place.
I think you can still do it if you leave the Central Valley at 4 am but even so, it would be more fun and relaxing to bird the coast early and stay somewhere in that area for a night or two , maybe even in Puntarenas or the Ensenada Lodge. That way, you can have plenty of time to check out the shorebird area, dry forest, and seawatching and even boat trips from Puntarenas. There will also be plenty of time for mid-day siestas, cool drinks, and relaxing tropical ocean views.
Ensenada, Punta Morales, and other shorebird sites also work as birding stops as you make your way north to Guanacaste.
On Thursday we dipped into the avocet and vireo, and didn’t even try for the gull (which had also gone AWOL). However, of course, we still saw other birds (a highlight was looking for a Gull-billed Tern), enjoyed a delicious meal by the beach, and learned a thing or two. It is also nice to end the birding portion of the day by listening to the echoing voices of the duetting Spectacled Owls near Orotina.
There are always more birds to chase and as I write, there are sure to be more birds to find. Time to find them! Don’t just noon…
To learn more about the birding sites mentioned and prepare for your amazing birding trip in Costa Rica, get “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica”, a 900 page site guide ebook for Costa Rica with accurate list of birds, tips. for identification, finding birds, and more. Hope to see you here!