Tag Archives: Finca La Libertad

Jungle Pools and Rushing Water/Piscinas en la Selva y Agua Corriendo

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Thermal pool soakers (photo by Julie Girard).

Thermal pool soakers (photo by Julie Girard).

The recent day trip with Desafios Tour to Aguas Calientes and Finca La Libertad was a “birdy” and watery wonderful time! Everyone succumbed to the beauty of the two main thermal pools, secluded in the forest next to the fast-moving water of the Rio Coto. Members enjoyed the morning soaking in the warm water, hiking further into the woods to find a third pool, photographing local flora and fauna and just sitting on the huge rocks, chatting and enjoying the scenic backdrop.

Our very first bird was an obligingly perched Purple Crowned Fairy, seen well and by everybody. Other avian highlights included a likewise perched Double-toothed Kite and a sweep of ‘pecho amarillos’: Great Kiskadee, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Social Flycatcher, Gray-capped Flycatcher and Tropical Kingbird.

Purple-crowned Fairy (photo by Jeff Worman).

Purple-crowned Fairy (photo by Jeff Worman).

 

Our leader from Desafios, Henry Barrantes, then led us to his family’s huge farm, Finca La Libertad, where we had a delicious lunch cooked by his wife, Francini, and served by his daughter Valeria who also accompanied us on our previous Desafios Tour at Los Chocuacos.

Espanol aqui

¡El reciente tour de un día con Desafíos Tour a Aguas Calientes y a la Finca La Libertad fue un “aviario” y acuoso momento increíble! Todo el mundo sucumbió a la belleza de las dos piscinas termales principales, aisladas en el bosque junto a la rápida corriente del Río Coto. Los miembros disfrutaron la mañana empapándose en el agua cálida, adentrándose en el bosque en busca de una tercera piscina, tomando fotografías de la flora y fauna locales y sentándose en las enormes rocas para hablar y observar el escénico ambiente.

Balancing act (photo by Julie Girard).

Balancing act (photo by Julie Girard).

Nuestro primer pájaro fue un colibrí picopunzón amablemente posado y visto fácilmente por todo el mundo. Otras aves destacables incluyeron un gavilán bidentado posado de la misma forma y  variedad de “pecho amarillos”: benteveo, mosquerón picudo, benteveo mediano, bienteveo cabecigrís y el benteveo real.

Nuestro líder de Desafíos, Henry Barrantes, nos guio luego a la enorme granja de su familia, Finca La Libertad, donde compartimos un delicioso almuerzo hecho por su esposa, Francini, y servido por su hija Valeria, quien nos acompañó también en nuestro tour con Desafíos a Los Chocuacos.

 

 

Trip to Aguas Calientes and Finca La Libertad on Thursday, February 12

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Please join us Thursday, Feb. 12 for a day trip to Aguas Calientes and Finca La Libertad. Once again, we will meet at the cemetery in San Vito to consolidate car pooling. Please be there no later than 8:15 am.

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird in flight. Photo by Julie Girard.

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird in flight. Photo by Julie Girard.

Our first stop will be Aguas Calientes, a natural thermal pool near Gutierrez Braun on the way to Amistad Park. We will bird around the entrance and along the path to the pool. In the past we have seen many species of migrants there including American Redstarts, Ovenbirds, Black-and-white warblers, Kentucky Warblers, Northern Waterthrushes plus local hummingbirds and Sulphur-winged Parakeets. Please bring bathing suits and a towel if you’d like to take a dip in the pool!

We’ll travel from there to Finca La Libertad, a working farm belonging to the Barrantes family where we will have a tour of the fruit orchard and vegetable garden and do some birding on the forest edge. A tasty Tico lunch will be provided while we feast our eyes on the beautiful Talamanca Mountains.

At $25 per person, a minimum of six people will be needed to run the trip with a maximum of 12 as space is somewhat limited at the pool. Please let us know ASAP if you would like to attend by sending an email to: sanvitobirdclub@gmail.com  First come, first served!

This adventure is for members only so if you would like to participate but have not paid your dues for 2015, please bring them with you! Hope to see you there!