Costa Rica: Day Six. Arenal Observatory Lodge. Birds, Butterflies And Spider Monkeys
I had seen many beautiful tropical and migratory birds, wildlife, exotic flowers and plants during four day stay at the Arenal Observatory Lodge in Costa Rica. I am sure I would have seen more if we didn’t have the daily steady rains. And it was difficult to discover where the birds were in the many acres of gardens, fields and rainforest surrounding the lodge. On my hikes at home in Northeastern Pennsylvania I am very familiar where the birds, bear, snakes and other wildlife live. Not here at the lodge. So, on Wednesday morning I signed up for a guided bird tour. It was $100 and was worth it. The tour began at the lodge front desk at 6a.m. It was another cloudy day when I awoke, and the volcano was again shrouded in clouds. 
When I arrived at the front desk I met my guide Raul. I was happy to learn there would only be three of us on the tour, myself and a pleasant couple from Minnesota. Raul immediately spotted a pair of yellow-throated toucans in the trees near the lodge parking lot.
He also saw this flock of birds flying high overhead in the overcasts skies. He said they would be flying from Arenal Lake and wasn’t sure if they were anhingas or cormorants. He later confirmed, from other guides, that they were anhingas. I love seeing these “snake” birds on my visits to the Florida Everglades. 
We walked toward the gardens surrounding the lodge and on the was saw a number of birds high in the treetops or in the lush vegetation along the trail, including a hepatic tanager. 
and this beautiful rufous tailed jacamar. It resembles a hummingbird with it’s long bill. It was a beautiful bird but, unfortunately, it was deep in the vegetation and I couldn’t get any better photos. 
As we walked through the gardens where Raul continued to point out birds and we learned so much about the flora, fauna and geology of the rainforest surrounding the volcano. He told us about the Caribbean pines and eucalyptus trees and how and why they were imported to Costa Rica. 
High in the treetops Raul was able to see this white-crowned parrot another lifer for me. 
A flock of orange chinned parakeets flew overhead. 
Beautiful tropical flowers bloomed in the gardens, including this spider lily and
this orchid. 
We left the gardens and followed the Hormiga Trail into the rainforest.
We didn’t see many birds on our walk through the rainforest but we learned so much about many birds that do live here. And we saw some spider monkeys in the treetops. 
We walked back out of the rain forest where we saw these cacao plants with pods that produce chocolate.
The sun was now shinning as we made our way back to the observation deck.The Arenal Volcano was again visible under the clear skies.
On the deck we observed the many birds that are attracted to the fruit feeders, including red-legged honeycreepers, and 
collared aracaris. 
The two hour hike went fast and we learned so much. Raul had showed and taught us so much about the birds that live in the rainforest around the lodge. It was now 8 a.m. and I enjoyed another hearty breakfast before I then continued my exploration of the many trails at the lodge. Here is a link to a gallery with some more photos from my morning birding hike. Costa Rica Day Six. Arenal Observatory Lodge birding hike, January 10 2024. 
The skies had cleared, and after a short break, I again explored the trails around the lodge, this time walking down the steep steps of the Old Lava or River Trail. It was mid morning now and now a lot of bird activity even in the shade of the rainforest. 
I did see this hummingbird. I am not sure but I think it is either a female racket-tailed or a black-crested coquette, a new lifer for if it is. 
I followed the steep trail down to the Los Monos Trail. This short trail is situated on the side of a ridge overlooking a valley of thick trees and tropical vegetation below. 
I followed the trail to the El Saino Trail another heavily forested trail that takes you through a primary rainforest woodland
I walked past an occasional tropical flower blooming along the trail. 
Unfortunately the only bird I saw was this juvenile sun wren . 
I hiked back up the trail and meandered through the beautiful gardens of the lodge, 
seeing the some of the many usual birds that feed there, including palm tanagers, 
bay headed tanagers, 
brown rufous hummingbirds, and this scaly breasted hummingbird. 
Although the late morning sun diminished the bird activity there were a lot of colorful tropical butterflies visiting the flowers in the gardens, including I believe a smooth banded sister butterfly, 
I believe an Isabella’s heliconian butterfly 
and a lot of white-angled sulphur butterflies. 
I left the gardens and hiked to the shade of the tall trees on the Waterfall Trail.
Here, in the cooler rainforest, I saw this bright rumped attila another lifer for me, 
and this white breasted wood wren.
I walked to the trail that would take you down to the waterfall and turned back. I returned to my room, after I had walked about 4 more miles in the early afternoon Here is a link to a gallery with some more photos from my late morning hike around the lodge . Costa Rica Day Six. Arenal Observatory Lodge hikes, January 10 2024. 
I rested in the mid-day hear, editing photos and checking e-mails from my office. I had walked over six miles but I was in Costa Rica and decided to take one more late afternoon walk. It was still mostly clear as I walked though the gardens,
and past the swimming pool, which I did not use once during my stay. 
I again walked down to the Waterfall Trail hoping to see some more exotic birds , all I saw was this summer tanager, and,
this squirrel. It was eating something,
and I soon learned it was some of the many mushrooms growing along the trail.
I hiked down the trail, 
seeing a lot more mushrooms growing on the dead tree branches and stumps along the trail. 
This was the first day on my stay I saw the sun close to setting in the western sky.
I walked back to the gardens as the sun was setting, out of view behind the mountains in the distance. I didn’t see much wildlife but it was another quiet and peaceful walk in the rainforest of Costa Rica. Here is a link to a gallery with some more photos from my afternoon hike. Costa Rica Day Six Arenal Observatory Lodge afternoon hike January 10 2024.
It was near dinner so I showered and rushed to the restaurant for my 6 p.m. reservation. On the way I saw this katydid w
ho would soon be serenading me as I fell asleep. 
I had a nice meal of seafood risotto, with chocolate ice cream for dessert. I was back in my room listening to the sounds of the rainforest and planning my hike on the 1968 Trail in the Arenal Volcano National Park early the next morning. 
“I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it.”
―
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