Costa Rica may be small, but its location and topography make it a biodiversity hotspot. About one-fifth of the world’s biodiversity is found within its borders, especially in the lowlands where we took our first photos. Over three days, we captured a stunning variety of birds visiting our lodge’s feeders at eye level from the viewing deck. Keel-billed toucans, Montezuma oropendolas, and aracaris frequently came within meters of our cameras. Smaller species like blue-grey tanagers, brown-hooded parrots, and black-cheeked woodpeckers fed almost constantly. This time of year, the feeders were bustling with colorful green and red-legged honeycreepers, offering plenty of chances for portraits and action shots.
Our first lodge was an excellent spot for photographing from well-established hides that attracted various vulture species. We easily captured images of black vultures and crested caracaras as they came to feed. The highlight was photographing the majestic king vultures; we saw at least eight adults and two juveniles within close range. Everyone in the group managed to get in-flight shots of the king vultures as they approached the hide.
During our stay, we also visited a local garden designed for photographing the diverse reptiles and amphibians of the Caribbean Forest. With the help of a handler, we safely photographed remarkable snakes like the eyelash viper and the highly venomous fer-de-lance. This garden was also perfect for capturing images of smaller poison dart frogs, such as the black and green dart frog and the strawberry dart frog. Additionally, we had our first opportunity to photograph iconic red-eyed tree frogs. After a brief transfer to our second lodge, we focused on spotting new species. A short drive took us to a reliable area where we could photograph stunning scarlet macaws and great green macaws up close and in flight. The macaws were spectacular, and the group had plenty of opportunities to capture these vibrant birds soaring through the air against the lush green forest backdrop. Portraits were easy to take as the macaws perched in the trees around the feeding area.
While at the macaw location, a troop of capuchin monkeys dropped by, providing additional entertainment and excellent photographic subjects. The forest floor around our lodge was perfect for finding more dart frogs to photograph. After dinner, we searched the vegetation around the buildings and found more red-eyed tree frogs to focus our cameras on.
After two more productive days in the lowlands, we began our ascent into the lush greenery of the higher forests. Our next lodge offered a completely different array of bird and mammal species to photograph. Despite intermittent rain over the two days, the lodge’s well-designed decks and covered areas made photography easy. We focused on the vibrant hummingbirds, spending many hours capturing images of white-necked Jacobins, rufous-tailed hummingbirds, and hermit hummingbirds at the lodge’s feeders. The birds weren’t just at the feeders; they could also be seen feeding on the numerous flowers blooming around the lodge and perching on small branches, all within arm’s reach.
This location was particularly rewarding as we had the chance to photograph the rarer snowcap hummingbird several times as it visited the verbena blossoms near the dining area. On our last afternoon, we took advantage of the feeder activity by setting up two multi-flash systems to capture stunning in-flight images of the hummingbirds. After dinner, we ventured into the forest surrounding the lodge to a flash setup, allowing us to photograph nectar-feeding bats. The bats were more active than in previous visits, making it easy for everyone to capture dramatic images of Pallas’s long-tongue bats and orange nectar bats as they fed. We also photographed other mammals at this location. Variegated squirrels provided near-constant entertainment as they sneaked off with bananas from the bird feeders. Shy agoutis worked the forest margins, slipping in and out of their shady green habitat. Occasionally, a curious coati would venture into the open to check out the bird feeders for some tasty offerings before disappearing into the lush vegetation again.
Our next photography destination took us higher into the Costa Rica cloud forest, where the lush greenery became even more intense, with shades of green cascading from every limb. Despite the continued rain, our photography was hardly affected. Our main target here was the resplendent quetzal, known for its stunning iridescence and the males’ long, extravagant tail coverts that dance in flight or on mossy perches. We focused our efforts on the quetzal’s favorite feeding trees, spending three sessions at a large native avocado tree where several birds are known to feed. Our patience paid off with multiple visits from at least eight to nine males and a couple of females. The rain added a beautiful atmosphere to our photos, capturing the birds perched on mossy branches or in flight against the lush green forest backdrop.
The cloud forest is home to many other bird species that our group was eager to photograph. The lodge property featured beautiful long-tailed silky flycatchers feeding in berry bushes. Additionally, the lodge hosted five hummingbird feeders, attracting various species and providing hours of photographic opportunities. We captured images of green violetear hummingbirds, volcano hummingbirds, talamanca hummingbirds, and the stunning fiery-throated hummingbirds both in flight and resting in the surrounding vegetation.
After a short shuttle up the neighboring mountain, we spent the afternoon photographing at a garden overlooking the primary forest and valley below. The garden’s well-positioned bird feeders provided an eye-level view of new bird species. We saw a mix of colorful tanagers, including blue-gray, silver-throated, and the brilliant flame-colored tanager. About halfway through our session, the raucous calls of a group of acorn woodpeckers announced their arrival, and they continued to visit the garden for the rest of our time there. This location also allowed us to add a couple of new hummingbirds to our shot list. A striped-tailed hummingbird regularly visited the feeder before disappearing into the surrounding forest, while a beautiful male scintillant hummingbird spent much of its time watching over our activity from a high perch near the garden’s center. As the light faded, we concluded our day with a shuttle down the mountain to our lodge, ready to prepare for dinner. Our last morning of the trip allowed us to slow down and photograph around the property gardens. Meanwhile, some opted for a guided walk through the primary forest, capturing more greenery and a few forest species not seen at our usual photo locations. After a hearty lunch, we drove back to the hotel on the outskirts of San Jose for our farewell dinner at a local restaurant, giving the group a chance to wish each other well.
Our Costa Rica green season itinerary packs a lot of photography into a short time in such a lush and diverse country. I can’t imagine finding more productive photo locations with such a variety of birds, reptiles, and mammals in one photo safari. Add the rich nature of a tropical landscape during the green season, and you have a perfect Eden for a photography adventure.
