Costa Rica: Day Seven. More Rain, And A Change Of Plans At The Arenal Observatory Lodge

One of the main reasons for  my stay  at the Arenal Observatory Lodge in Costa Rica was the many hiking trails that were accessible from the lodge. I would be able to  explore the surrounding gardens, ranch lands and rainforest  whenever I wanted, without relying on transportation. This certainly was helpful with all the rain we had during my stay. I did however want to  visit the nearby Arenal Volcano National Park and hike some of the trail there. However, the rain kept me from these plans all week. Thursday was my last full day at the lodge and I had again made arrangements to be driven to the 1968 Trails in the National Park. It is about a twenty minute drive from the lodge. However, when I awoke early in the morning, of course, it was raining again.

I looked at the cloud covered Arenal volcano from the balcony in my room and  canceled my hike in the National Park.  I worked on editing photos and sipped on some coffee for about an hour waiting for the rain to stop or at least let up. Around 7;30 it slowed down enough for me to grab my poncho and camera and at  hike in the  gardens around the lodge again.  Although I was a little disappointed  not being to hike in the National Park,  I knew there was so much to explore and to see on the trails   close to the lodge.

I walked toward the gardens in a light rain and  noticed  the golden orb spider web near the Lodge Museum.  There was only one spider on the web on this rainy morning, earlier in the week there were two.

I also heard, then saw,  a pale-billed woodpecker high up on the trunk of a palm tree,

and this crested guan,

strutting  through the wet gardens.

There were also many of the territorial rufous tailed hummingbirds fluttering around  their favorite flowers.

During my stay I had learned where many of them perch, guarding their territory. I had seen many of them dive bombing other  birds and me when we approach “their flowers”. These are scaly breasted hummingbirds, also  common  in  the gardens.

I also saw this melodious black bird perched on a branch. Their songs are melodious and beautiful.

The skies remained cloudy and threatening so  I decided to stay near the lodge.

I roamed the gardens hoping to see new species of birds visiting the many flowers, 

blooming there.

The skies  started to clear again and I decided to walk to the Waterfall Trail,

on the way I say a tropical kingbird. and

I believe a slaty-capped  flycatcher.

The Waterfall Trail enters the primary rainforest above the fast flowing Dante River.

The waterfall and fast flowing river created a mist along the trail.

Here I saw a cocoa woodcreeper,

and a wedge-billed woodcreeper in the lush forest.

I followed the trail past the steps to the waterfall. It was now  around 8;30 a.m. so I  headed back to the lodge for breakfast which is served until 9 a.m. On the way I heard a lot of birds and saw the many mushrooms,

 tropical flowers,

and fern, vine and moss  covered trees along the trail.

As I walked back through the gardens near the lodge I saw some more of the many birds that visit the flowers there, including

a male,

and female scarlet rumped tanager,

and this yellow-throated toucan sitting in a tree right above the trail.    Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with more photos of the birds I saw on my morning hike, Costa Rica Day Seven Arenal Observatory Lodge morning birds January 11 2024

 I arrived at the restaurant just in time for breakfast. I had huevos rancheros  again with some granola , banana bread and the freshest and  best pineapple I had ever eaten. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with more photos from my morning hike, Costa Rica Day Seven Arenal Observatory Lodge morning January 11 2024

After breakfast the sky remained cloudy and threatening so I realized I wasn’t going to hike in the Arenal Volcano National Park.  I would edit photos and wait for the skies to clear and continue to hike and explore the trails at the lodge. This was okay with me. I knew  I would find  some new and wonderful flora or fauna of Costa Rica on my hike.  I loved this county and this lodge.

“The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.”
― Christopher McCandless