My Holbrook group was among the first back into Costa Rica after the pandemic. My eight birders and guide Erick Guzman had the lodges and trip virtually to ourselves. With Costa Rica closed for a year, the birds and other wildlife had rest from people and carried on their natural routine. We found over 300 species of birds, and we all returned home safely. The Lesser Violetear photo was taken with a Nikon D 7200 and a Sigma F 2.8 120 - 300 mm lens on April 18, 2021, at Savegre. My group was traveling from Savegre to San José when we saw the tapir in vegetative cover close to the highway. We had made five Holbrook trips to Costa Rica, and this was the first tapir seen. Our guide, Erick Guzman, had never seen one in all his group travels. Most Costa Rica residents live a lifetime and never see a tapir. We were fortunate to do so, and this added to a very successful trip. The tapir photo was taken with a Nikon D 7200 and a Sigma F 2.8 120 - 300 mm lens on April 18, 2021.

Photo and story by Jerry Wayne Davis
Costa Rica | Birding Expedition