a bird in hand

A bird in the hand is said to be worth two in the bush. We’d add that a lot depends on the bird in question. As we’ve entered the final month of our two-and-a-half years in Costa Rica, D has grown increasingly more intent on carving out opportunities to go birding in the hopes of reaching his target of 700 species in Costa Rica. Last week, browsing eBird hotspots for chance reports of his remaining likely targets, D came across close-up photos of the black hawk-eagle — a spectacular raptor that, while not uncommon, is usually only ever seen high in flight. The photos had been taken at a nest discovered not far from Monteverde and were almost too good to believe. Use one of his few remaining birding opportunities to try to find some of the species that have eluded us or get up in the middle of the night to drive three hours to Monteverde for a chance to see a nesting hawk-eagle? D considered the choice for a split-second, then set his alarm. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: a bird (almost) in hand that would be worth dozens in the bush!

borrowed time

T-minus 35 days. We’re beginning to feel like we’re living on borrowed time. We’ve already cycled through the full gamut of feelings and emotions several times: excitement for what lies ahead, sadness for our impending farewells, relief at not having to deal with the myriad small consternations that are unique to our current living situation, apprehension at the new challenges that await just around the corner, the anticipated joy of reuniting with friends and family during our all-too-brief home leave, grief at losing the close friends we made here, whiplashing to advance nostalgia for all the wonderful experiences we enjoyed but are leaving behind. It’s exhausting, honestly.

the coolest birds ever

“So…what are the coolest birds you’ve seen in Costa Rica?” D’s friend, who is not a birder but who quickly cottoned on to the hobby’s appeal, asked on their walk down to the San Gerardo biological station in Monteverde. That outing during Semana Santa, which proved a bit more adventurous than D had bargained for, ended with sightings of two incredibly hard-to-find birds, including one of D’s all-time favorite Costa Rican species. It also got D thinking about his most memorable birding experiences during our two-and-a-half years here. Some of the birds that made this list are truly remarkable mega species; others are not that uncommon, but we saw them under circumstances remarkable enough to fix the experiences in our memory.

Costa Rica pelagic

When D mentioned pelagic birding to his regular birding buddy, the latter scoffed. “Esos pajaros no tienen nada de gracia,” he said, meaning he would much rather walk through the woods in search of colorful songbirds and delight in their dulcet tones than spend a day on a boat squinting to try to tell apart various fast-moving, drably-colored gulls. For D, on the other hand, an oceanic birding expedition held undeniable appeal, not least because it promised the opportunity to see birds he had never glimpsed before.

a deeper look

Over the years, D’s ongoing search for new birds has provided numerous other benefits, some expected and others much less so. Birding has been a means to practice wildlife photography and an escape from pandemic-era lockdowns; an excuse to travel extensively around our host countries and a way to meet people and cement friendships; a reason to spend more time in nature and improve our health, as well as a therapeutic break from our hectic work and lifestyle. Every once in a while, it also provides a window into local culture and serves as a bridge to greater understanding.

rays of sunshine on a rainy day

One of the reasons D angled for us to visit Boca Tapada last weekend is that for weeks prior he had been seeing a wide range of amazing bird photos posted by other visitors to the area’s two primary birding lodges. Toucans, parrots, tanagers, and all manner of other colorful birds posed in postcard-perfect portraits while raindrops fell behind their perches. While D still prioritizes seeing new species over nailing the perfect picture, photography has always animated his birding passion. As we get closer to closing the book on the Costa Rica chapter of our lives, the idea of capturing perfect images of some of our favorite local birds has gained greater appeal.

chance of a lifetime

After three glorious weeks to start the new year, two of which we spent exploring Belize before returning to check the biggest pending item off our Costa Rica bucket list, three idle weeks followed. We don’t mean we were idle. On the contrary, returning to work after a three-week vacation is a surefire recipe for being busy. And in our case, preparations for our forthcoming move added to the hectic pace we’ve maintained since the end of our trip. However, we are also keenly aware that our remaining time in Costa Rica is all too short and shrinking by the day. We work to live, rather than the other way around, so three weeks without any travels or adventures when we only have four months left at our disposal felt idle indeed.

new mission

After giving some thought to our broader Costa Rica bucket list, D drilled down on his birding objectives for the remainder of our San Jose assignment. We had thought 2022 — our first full year in Costa Rica — had been a banner birding year. Then, last year, D surpassed his wildest dreams, seeing nearly 600 different birds across Costa Rica. With only a few months left at our disposal, D knows he won’t reach such lofty heights this year, but he does hope to continue adding new Costa Rican birds to his life list.

Costa Rica bucket list

We’ve reached the point of our assignment when ordinarily we would be compiling a bucket list of must-visit destinations and must-have experiences before packing out and doing our final farewells. In Kenya, our last safari included a walk through the bush with African wild dogs, an experience whose memory still sends shivers down our spines. In the Philippines, a tour that was interrupted by the onset of the pandemic, we took advantage of a brief relaxation of coronavirus restrictions to enjoy once-in-a-lifetime visits to Coron and El Nido in Palawan — typically overcrowded postcard-perfect destinations that we explored in near total solitude. With little more than four months left at our disposal, how should we bid adieu to Costa Rica?

don’t know how to chill

What would you do if you had a couple of free days after climbing a difficult mountain in the tropics? With beautiful beaches up and down Costa Rica’s Pacific shoreline less than two hours away from Chirripó, naturally we headed to the coast. Two weeks in Belize followed by an ascent of Costa Rica’s tallest peak had brought us to the tail end of our holiday vacation. S had envisioned a few days at the beach to round out our break before we returned to work. Only trouble is that we don’t really do sedentary vacations very well. The beach is great with kids because it keeps them endlessly entertained. As we were traveling without our children for a change, it almost seemed like a waste of a golden opportunity for us to stay put in one spot.