Monthly Archives: June 2020

Bird Walks Coming Soon as Wilson Botanical Garden Re-Opens

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Violet Sabrewing, the largest hummingbird in Costa Rica. Photo by Jean-Philippe Thelliez

OTS Las Cruces/Wilson Botanical Garden re-opened to the public yesterday, Friday, June 26. New Rules due to Covid-19 preventive restrictions include mandatory reservations for any kind of visit including Bird Walks. Entrance Fees must be paid at the new Gatehouse; costs are $3 for locals and residents and $10 for non-residents. (The colones equivalent will be calculated at the daily exchange rate.) Masks and hand sanitization are required so bring your mask! Staff will have hand sanitizer at the gate and at Reception.

If you would like to go on your own, please send an email to recepcionlc@tropicalstudies.org, noting the date and time you wish to go and the number of people in your party.

Upright red with yellow trim. Photo by Alison Olivieri

In the coming weeks, we will schedule a SVBC Bird Walk with an imbedded link for you to RSVP. That way, we can make the reservation and keep numbers within an acceptable limit.

Because the pandemic has hit tourism spots very hard, SVBC members must now pay Entrance Fees – additionally, we encourage you to add a donation of whatever you can afford!

Hellzapoppin Heliconias!

Right now, the Heliconia Garden is glorious; nearly every plant is in flower and they are all amazing. As you birders know, hummingbirds are going to be busy in there – nectaring and zipping around — so you will have a double treat if you go soon.

Pendant ‘Sexy Pink’. Photo by Julie Girard

Les Oiseaux du Costa Rica: Final

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Part III of bird photos from notre bon ami (our good friend/nuestra buen amigo) Jean-Philippe Theilliez. Jean-Philippe has returned to France. We wish him a speedy return.

All photos taken in Costa Rica except the Great Jacamar, which was taken very near…in Panama.

FYI: Note the detail in the Turkey Vulture’s beak. That big hollow space houses the most sophisticated and efficient olfactory (smell detecting) organ in the entire animal kingdom. Turkey Vultures can smell death from several miles away. Their close cousin, the Black Vulture, relies more on their eyesight.

Far From the Madding Crowd? Birding in San Vito, Costa Rica

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Notice the four people in the photo below. Two of them are birding and two of them are whimsically making a statement on the importance of social distancing. Which two are the closest together? CORRECT! The two that are making a point of staying a meter of two apart. The other two that are just birding? They’re already several meters apart…without even trying.

The point is…If you’re worried about social distancing, get outside and GO BIRDING! If you’re not worried about social distancing, get outside and go birding! (Feel free to replace ‘birding’ with ‘nature exploring’)

This coming dry season, we will very likely see a tsunami of foreign tourists coming to Costa Rica. Many of them have been stuck inside their homes, staring at the walls. When the travel barriers are lifted, these folks will look around and say, ‘Hmmm, I need a vacation. Where should I go on vacation? Where is a safe, healthy place to visit that doesn’t look anything like the four walls of my house? COSTA RICA!’

Tourism will return my friends…oh yes, it will return. If you are one of those wall-starers or know of any, the San Vito Bird Club and Coto Brus tourism welcome you.

(photo courtesy of Alison Olivieri)