We woke up early today to get ready for our bird tour. Since it is so humid in Costa Rica, I needed time to set my camera outside so it can acclimate from the Air-conditioned room to the hotter outside temperature. Otherwise, the lenses will just fog up and stay that way for almost an hour. I learned this the hard way years back when we traveled to Belize the first time. Our tour guide Yahaira and driver Alan were very punctual and ready to go when we arrived in the lobby. We hopped into a van and started the tour. First we came across this White-throated Magpie-Jay.
Shortly after we left the Jay, Alan hit the brakes and excitedly stated “Toucan”! We pulled off the side of the road to observe it in the tree tops. It was a Keel-billed Toucan. Yahaira explained there were three types of Toucans in the area of Costa Rica we were in, all of which we eventually saw.
After the Toucan flew away, we then headed to the Arenal Observatory Lodge.
As we entered the area, we noticed the beautiful rainbow trees.
At the top of the property is a lodge, restaurant, viewing deck, and miles of hiking trails. We had an amazing view of the Volcano.
As we hiked the trails, we came across many types of birds, which I have labeled in the below gallery. We also came across a Coati, similar to a Racoon.
As we left and headed back to Nayara Springs, we came across the third type of Toucan, the Collared Ascari.
Once back on Nayara property, we hiked around the various trails and relaxed. Before we knew it, it was time for dinner. We would be eating at Mis Amores. My wife ordered the Pasta Carbonara, which was prepared in a wheel of cheese! Check out the video below the pictures of the chef preparing the meal.
I enjoyed the bird tour so much, I decided to do it again on Day 4, which is the next post in this series.
Adam Woods
Take a look below for our next post on our Costa Rica Trip.