This past Sunday, my partner and I took a quick morning trip to the Pacific lowlands. That means sites just west of the Central Valley, hot spots below the continental slope. It is a relatively easy drive and it is always tempting because this route promises birds.
To be honest, that’s par for the course in birdie Costa Rica. However, in Ceiba de Orotina, some of those birds may be rare and unexpected species for Costa Rica.
Ever since I had a guide in the Ceiba de Orotina area and saw a group of Grasshoppers, I’ve been thinking about that place. We also saw Violet-green Swallows and I’d like to see those again too, see if I can parse a Tree Swallow, maybe a Cave Swallow. Both are uncommon species for Costa Rica, putting them on your year list is always a sweet bonus.
I also want to see the sparrows again. We don’t see a heck of a lot of cool, flat-headed little birds. It was nice to meet them again, take me back to structured grass at roadside stops in Kansas. As a “good year” for feathered Grasshoppers, I bet some other sparrows will be there too. A few Larks, Savannahs, and maybe even rarer for Costa Rica.
Those sparrows were on my mind as I packed drinks and snacks for the next morning. Ideally, going to the site would mean getting there before dawn and listening to the hoarse coughs of a Northern Potoo and other night birds.
However, since such a start time translates into leaving the house at 3 am, it is likely to be difficult to manage. Instead, we traded potoos for sleep and got there around 6:30. That’s even better! There are still many birds.
After birding patches of dry forest and open fields for a bit, our next stop on the birding agenda was Tarcoles. The following are some highlights and tips from the morning of birding:
Ceiba de Orotina = Easy Birding and Good Selection of Birds
This area consists of a long road that passes through open fields, some agriculture, and some patches of tropical dry forest. There is also a seasonal marsh on the road leading to Cascajal.
Everything is beautiful, full of birdies, and you will see a lot. However, you want to get there early, before the tropical sun is released to bake the soil. We usually visit on Sunday. There were a few Turquoise-browed Motmots on the wires, Gartered Trogons calling, and a few Double-striped Thick-Knees in the field.
There were a fair number of bone-eating birds but, strangely, we didn’t see any Grasshopper sparrows! While surveying a field of tall dry grass, I saw a sparrow fly away and disappear into the vegetation but, alas, it never reappeared. That was sad because I thought it might be a Savannah.
Oh well, we saw a lot more cool birds. There were lots of Blue Grosbeaks, some tan and brilliant blue Indigo Buntings, and some beautiful green female Painted Buntings. At one point, as I whistled like a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (which we also saw), at least a dozen Blue Grosbeaks graced a small tree!
We also have some wonderful resident species including a White-necked Puffbird, several Long-tailed Manakins, Striped Cuckoo, and various other birds.
It’s Always Good for the Raptors
Ceiba de Orotina is also a good place for raptors. The Pearl Kite may appear with the Crane Hawk and other unusual species. Although we didn’t see those, we were treated to Northern Harrier (a good year bird for Costa Rica), Harriss’s Hawk, Laughing Falcon, Merlin, American Kestrel, Gray Hawks, and both caracaras.
Expect the unexpected
This site is also a great place for unique and unexpected species. Definitely worth checking out as the site has hosted the Aplomado Falcon, King Vulture, and even the Burrowing Owl!
On our visit, our best birds may have been a pair of Mourning Doves and two Mangrove Cuckoos. I know, Mourning Doves? While yes, that is kind of ridiculous, in Costa Rica, they are quite unusual and local.
Cuckoos are incredibly curious (they can winter in open, dry forest habitats), but you can’t really count on them. They are so beautiful to look at!
Tarcoles is hot
After La Ceiba, we went to Tarcoles, which, like other places in the Pacific lowlands, is ovenish. Get into your birding early because after 9, it’s all about the burn and finding the ice cream.
Be prepared for 90 degree weather and bring hydration.
Tarcoles Can Get Busy on Saturdays and Sundays
On weekends, Tarcoles can be busy. I mean temporary traffic jams at crocodile bridge, lots of cars, and most of all, people playing in Tarcoles creek.
That would be the small river that runs through the southern edge of town. The exit may attract gulls and other exotic birds but not during prime frolicking times (like Saturdays and Sundays).
The River Mouth is a little further away
Tarcoles is also where a fair river flows into the ocean. This is the same river that has crocs and boat tours to see them (and lots of birds too!).
In the past, one could drive to Playa Azul and quite easily see the mouth of the river in all its beauty. Sadly, since then, the mouth of the river has moved north and is no longer visible.
You can still see it but you really have to take one of the boat tours. Otherwise, you could be on a death march along the beach for at least a kilometer and maybe more. It’s not an easy walk on the beach. I bet the dawn wasn’t too bad but after that, it was a long, very hot hike with no guarantee of birds.
Do you want to see the mouth of the river? Go for the boat.
Drive Back to the Central Valley Before Noon
If you plan to drive back to San Jose and the rest of the Central Valley on Sunday, don’t wait until after lunch. There are so many people doing that and when they start driving back, they can block the roads from Jaco to Atenas.
Instead, leave by 11 or noon at the latest. This will avoid spending extra time in really slow traffic.
Ceiba de Orotina is a nice, easy place for a morning of birding. Also the Tarcoles boat ride, especially since you can view the mouth of the river. Stay in that area for a few days and you will see a lot more! Just make sure you get up really early, have plenty to drink, and stay out of the sun.
To learn more about this and hundreds of other birding sites in Costa Rica, support this blog by getting my 900 plus page Costa Rica bird finding guide. Birding in Costa Rica is pretty darn good, hope to see you here!
