Country: Costa Rica
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Afternoon Hummingbird-Feeder Session at Paraiso Quetzal Lodge
After lunch we settle in at the Paraiso Quetzal Lodge feeders in the Talamanca Highlands, where a steady stream of hummingbirds comes to the feeders: White-throated Mountain-Gem, Lesser Violetear, Talamanca Hummingbird, Volcano Hummingbird and the striking Fiery-throated Hummingbird.
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On-Site Photography at the Cartago Foothills
On-site photography at the Cartago Foothills often includes Montezuma Oropendola, Sunbittern and a wonderful hummingbird cast - Violet Sabrewing, Green Thorntail and Green Hermit. The pattern here is to combine mealtimes at bird-rich properties with dedicated photography time, so the lodge lunch carries its own birding possibilities.
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Morning Photography Session for Foothill Specialties
The morning opens with a photography session aimed at local celebrities, among them Scaled Antpitta, Green-fronted Lancebill and Sooty-faced Finch, before we load up and climb into the Talamanca Mountains.
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Morning Birding and Photography in the Cartago Foothills
A 1.5-hour drive from San Jose reaches a zone mixing Central Valley and Caribbean influence, with an unusually rich birdlife for such a short transfer. The morning is target-driven, focused on Black-bellied Hummingbird, White-bellied Mountaingem and Stripe-tailed Hummingbird, all of which we work carefully in good morning light.
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Late-Afternoon Walk in the Hotel Bouganvillea Gardens
Shortly after the group gathers we take an easy walk through the garden-rich grounds of Hotel Bouganvillea, a soft start that already carries good birdlife. Around the hedges and flowering trees, Lesson's Motmot, White-eared Ground-Sparrow, Mottled Owl and Crested Caracara are all possible, and the relaxed pace makes it an ideal warm-up for the trip.
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Arenal Observatory Lodge
Arenal Observatory Lodge is the Arenal base for private-reserve trails, garden and flowering-hedge birding. The itinerary uses the lodge for forest searches and for Black-crested Coquette and Green Thorntail possibilities near the flowering hedges; room plan and current availability remain to be confirmed.
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