Final CR Blog: La Paz Waterfall Gardens, Tanagers

 Our return to Bougainvillea Hotel, a visit to La Paz Waterfall Gardens, and a final few birds. 

It was a very, very rewarding trip, especially in seeing how much Susan enjoyed it.  The wonderful weather, the great locations and wildlife, and all because of enormously helpful people like Marino, Juan, and of course Sonia Nunez who arranged it all.  I am so grateful to you all. 

The evening before we left Savegre, I was sitting on the bench in front of our cabin, and saw a large
bird fly into the woods next to the cabin. It was a Emerald Toucanet (!), and he was building a nest
not 30 yards from where I sat.  Here he is!  I called Marino, who got very excited.  My concern was
whether a lot of people would start congregating so near the nest and force them to abandon it. 
I'll have to check with Marino and find out.

Returning to San Jose, we passed Pois Volcano

We asked Juan to take us to La Paz Waterfall Gardens, about 45 minutes from San Jose.
This is probably the most touristy of the places we visited, and three years ago, Dave and I 
couldn't get in, it was so crowded.  It was perfect for our visit.  The sign explains the animal
collection on site.  I strongly reccommend a visit, it is not inexpensive, but it is quite an experience.

The trails were stone, with concrete railings. 

Juan and Susan

A Fer-de-Lance, the most common cause of snakebite, and 
snake-related deaths in Central and South America.

A wonderful exhibit of a typical Costa Rican farm house. 

In the animal collection, a Crested Cara-cara

Scarlet Macaw

Keel-billed Toucan

On the way down.  The hike was down, down, down, and after30 minutes, 
I thought I will have to be airlifted back up, but, thank heavens, after a very short
climb, there was a shuttle bus to take us back up.  The relief!

Beautiful falls, three of them.

On the way back to San Jose, I asked Juan to take us to a unique very rustic CR restaurant, Soda Y Abastecedor, where three years ago I watched five Chinese photograpehers, all loaded down with 500mmf.4 Canon monster lenses (about $8,000. each) trying to get a photo of the Red Barbett. 
Susan, Juan and I had a typical CR meal, and saw some great birds on feeders. 
This is a Bay-headed Tanager

Red-legged Honecreeper

Passerini's Tanager

Crimson-collared 
Tanager

Waterfall from the restaurant.  

Back at Bougainvillea, up in the tower in the garden, taking the same
photo I took three years ago, with trombone mouthpiece to buzz on, since
I have an Easter gig in 7 days. 

Hoffman's Woodpecker

Rufous-naped Wren

Another final shot of the Mot-Mot.

Susan in the garden. How incredibly happy I was to have her on this trip (she had never
been on a birding trip), and the best part was that she so enjoyed it. 

Maybe as a final reward for our persistence in taking this trip, as I was about
to leave the tower, this great bird flew in, perhaps 100 yards away, and that is how
I ended my trip!
This is a Lineated  Woodpecker.

I hope you have enjoyed some of this.  To be blessed with the time, money, 
health, and such great support from Sonia, Juan, and most of all, Susan, made it all possible. 
What a gift life is.