Birding in Osa Peninsula
 

Hi everyone!!
My husband and I went to central Costa Rica over Christmas and we are totally hooked! :) We are now planning a trip to the Osa Peninsula for 2 weeks end of July/beginning of August. We are AVID birders!
Can anyone out there offer help in beginning to formulate our itinerary? Where should we go for SURE, where should we NOT go?
We were in Monteverde and Arenal for our first trip, so missed out on the Bellbird. Is there a really good place to see him on the Osa Peninsula during that time of year?
Thanks a ton in advance guys!
Heather

LOL.....check out my reply from about 10 minutes ago on Tripadvisor.

Bosque del Rio Tigre Lodge is excellent - check out their website.

Also consider somewhere like Wilson Botanical Gardens [in SW Costa Rica but not on the Osa] that is reasonably close but has many different species.

Of course places like Bosque del Cabo have good wildlife viewing as well.

cheers

Jerry

Thanks!!! That is too funny that we are playing trip forum tag here. Thanks for responding - in BOTH places :)

Cheers,
Heather

I whole heartedly agree with Jerry on Bosque del Rio Tigre. We have been regulars there for several years now. Abraham is just incredible when it comes to spotting the birds. He grew up there and knows where all of them live. He even found the Gulfo Dulce poison dart frog for us on our trip last summer. For birds, his wife Liz almost walked right into a Sickle Bill Hummingbird in its night roost along the river. A first time seeing it for us. Do go to the Rincon bridge with him.

You will need to be closer to the coast line for the Scarlet macaws. Lots and lots of them these days. If Bosque del Cabo is in your budget it is an excellent place to see them. Look Out Inn down in Carate, even one of the lodges on Playa Platanares just outside of Puerto Jimenez like Iguana Lodge, Black Turtle lodge, Pearl of the Osa. It is very easy to get to Playa Platanares from Bosque del Rio Tigre and in fact, many of the Puerto Jimenez hotels/lodges offer morning birding trips with Abraham.

If you aren't nervous about being out in the woods Tigre has a little cabin with half walls and a "private" bathroom with cold water shower. If cold water doesn't do it for you they have a bath house with hot water showers. We actually enjoy the cold showers on the Osa. I woke up one night to a sound and turned my flashlight on to see a kinkajou climbing on a tree right by the cabin. The main lodge has 4 bedrooms and 1 bathroom up by the bedrooms and another downstairs. The food is wonderful. Abraham is an excellent cook and I am addicted to his after dinner teas made with either local ginger or lemon grass.

I have never seen bellbirds on the Osa. We did hear a flock of them over on the Golfito side when Ron McAllister from Casa Orquideas was showing us some property. No mistaking that sound. That was during the month of Feb though.

If you have a driver or will be driving yourselves you could stop in San Gerardo de Dota. Check the Savegre Lodge bird list. There is also a lodge further towards San Isidro and right off the Intercontinental called Bosque del Tolomuco. Haven't been there yet but hoping to be able to stop in to see it in March some time.

Another very serious birding lodge is Rancho Naturalista in Turrialba. Excellent food. The morning coffee birding is awesome! Saw my first forest falcon right over the path while there.

The bird lists during July and August can be more limited than around Christmas because you won't have all of the migratory birds but even a slow day birding in CR is a great day.

Heather, we stayed at Bosque del Cabo this past July and did an early morning birding tour with Carlos - it was great - amazing to see the toucans and scarlet macaws in the wild. Have yet to see the Bellbird though. Did you get to see the quetzals in Monteverde?

One of the best option is to come to Uvita in front of the Marino Ballena National Park. From here you can take many tour like Oro Verde Bird Watching or Hacienda Barú national wildlife refuge. You can take olso whale watching tours, caño island, or corcovado National Park. If you need a plase to stay just check www.hotelbahiaazul.com