Costa Rica | Birding and Photography with Award-Winning Photographer Krisztina Scheeff

Upon arrival in San José this afternoon, you will be met at the airport and taken to the Hotel Bougainvillea. Check-in starts at 3 pm. This evening, enjoy a welcome briefing and dinner.

Early morning birding and photography on the lovely grounds of the hotel. After breakfast depart for Carara with lunch and a boat ride whenever the tide is the best (this afternoon or tomorrow morning) along the Tárcoles River to watch for both water and shore birds, like the Double-striped Thick-knee, Roseate Spoonbill, jacanas and ducks. The Tárcoles River basin is one of the most important in the Pacific coastal region; it drains virtually the entire western side of the Central Valley. Tárcoles hosts an amazing diversity of wildlife along its banks. The river is a perfect place to catch a glimpse of mangrove specialties such as the rare Rufous-necked Wood-Rail, Mangrove Hummingbird, American Pygmy Kingfisher, Panama Flycatcher, Mangrove Vireo, Yellow Warbler (Mangrove), and Scrub Greenlet. Perhaps the most famous of all its inhabitants are the enormous American crocodiles that live on its banks.

Breakfast and photography around the lodge, then check out this morning and travel south to Dominical, stopping en route for lunch and birds. Enjoy some free time on arrival.

Photography in the morning. After breakfast, check out and head toward San Gerardo de Dota. Stop for lunch at Alma de Árbol, and then visit Batsú Gardens. After check-in at the hotel, explore the grounds before dinner. Some resident hummingbirds here include the Talamanca Hummingbird, Lesser Violetear, White-throated Mountain-gem (Grey-tailed), Volcano Hummingbird, and the tiny Scintillant Hummingbird.

San Gerardo de Dota is located in a small community in the Talamanca Mountains and houses its own private biological reserve. This high-elevation habitat of mostly oak and highland cloud forest is rich with insects, mammals, amphibians, and a huge variety of avifauna - more than 170 species. The large centennial oaks that cover the forest are laden with lichens and mosses that contrast with the colorful bromeliads. Spend the morning traveling in a 4x4 vehicle to the upper trails in Savegre Reserve and looking for the Spotted Wood-Quail, Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl, Collared Trogon, Buffy Tuftedcheek, Ruddy Treerunner, Ochraceous Pewee, Barred Becard, Wrenthrush, and Golden-browed Chlorophonia. Depending on the activity of the birds, this may be replaced with Miriams or other spots for birds and photography. In the afternoon, visit a special site to photograph the Resplendent Quetzal. We will spend 3-4 hours with the quetzals.

After breakfast, depart for Selva Verde Lodge & Rainforest Reserve in the Caribbean lowlands, with elevations ranging from 180 to 220 feet. Founded by the Holbrook family in 1985, the lodge is renowned for its commitment to ecological preservation and sustainability. Stop at Paraíso Quetzal for lunch and hummingbird photography. After arriving at Selva Verde, receive a brief orientation to the facilities and spend time exploring the property before dinner. The reserve is home to a large assortment of avian life, including several types of herons, egrets, hawks, falcons, macaws, hummingbirds, flycatchers, warblers, sparrows, and tanagers. Specific species often spotted at Selva Verde include the Keel-billed Toucan, Sunbittern, Crimson-backed Tanager, Wood Thrush, Crowned Woodnymph, and Grey-cowled Wood-Rail. Selva Verde is also home to the endangered Great Green Macaw, which can occasionally be found feeding on the giant fruiting almond trees in the rainforest. After dinner spend time photographing red-eyed tree frogs in their natural habitat.

Begin the day with optional birding around Selva Verde grounds and reserve. Depart after breakfast for the world-famous Organization for Tropical Studies La Selva Research Station for photography and birding in the tropical wet forest. La Selva consists of approximately nearly 4,000 acres of land, more than half of which is virgin forest. The area averages over 13 feet of rainfall each year, making it a prime spot to observe water birds. More than half of Costa Rica's recorded bird species have been spotted at La Selva, including the Bare-necked Umbrellabird, Red-capped Manakin, Great Antshrike, Chestnut-backed Antbird, Slaty-tailed Trogon, Striped Cuckoo, Slaty Spinetail, Yellow-tailed Oriole, and Rufous-tailed Jacamar. Lunch at Selva Verde. In the afternoon, take a boat ride on the Río Sarapiquí. While winding down the river, which is bordered with forests and cultivated fields, look for aquatic animals, birds, and reptiles in their natural habitat. You may also see residents going about their daily lives and witness the impact local banana plantations have on this watershed.

After breakfast, visit the home and private reserve of Costa Rican naturalist and wildlife artist José Alberto Pérez, also known as Cope. Cope's property is designed to maximize opportunities for birding and photography. Return to the lodge for late lunch. This afternoon free time or spend time photographing around the lodge grounds. There will be a classroom session, if you would like to attend. Krisztina will be share and teach photo tips and techniques, processing photos and more. Dinner then optional frog photography.

After breakfast, leisurely depart for San José. En route, stop at Mirador Cinchona, and then have lunch at a local restaurant. Arrive at Hotel Bougainvillea and, after check-in, spend the afternoon doing more photography in the gardens. Enjoy a farewell dinner this evening.

Travel to the airport for flights home. Check-out time is at noon.