More quetzals

Our last full day in Costa Rica was focused on quetzals. While we had the chance to see them up in the Monteverde Cloud Forest last week, our tour group members had not, except for a brief glimpse as we drove into the Savegre valley yesterday afternoon.  So today we drove to Paraiso de Quetzales, a fascinating private reserve and community engagement model. In the 1950s, this part of Costa Rica was settled by farmers from the Central Valley who had  lost their farms to volcanic eruptions. They cleared land, cutting down all the trees and bringing in cows, which thrived because the high mountain ridge gets rain or cloud condensation all year long so the grass was great.  Then in the 1970s the government realized that they needed to protect  the water supply so they outlawed any additional clearing of land. Many people sold their land back to the government and move back to the Central Valley. Much of the land began to convert to secondary growth forest, which is great for the wild avocado trees beloved by quetzals and other birds and animals. But still the farming culture and the conservation culture were at odds. In 2012 the Paraiso reserve started an experiment with two farms, where the fees paid by eco-tourists to visit the reserve were partially shared with the farmers in exchange for their protecting the quetzal habitats. Quetzals were the rallying cry but many other species benefit from the habitat protection. There are now 20 farm families participating and some of the younger generation from the farms are training to be guides. The quetzal population has boomed as well. 

We spent the morning on the land of one of the farms, where there is a quetzal nest. When we first arrived at the nest site, the male was incubating the eggs and we could just see the ends of his long tail feathers sticking out of the nest hole in a tall tree. About an hour later, he stuck his head out of the nest hole; then he left the hole and rested in a nearby tree to rest for a few moments.  He then flew off in search of food (wild avocados). The female arrived very shortly after the male departed to take over the incubation process. We were able to see both parents separately, and the cycle of parental behavior at the nest was very exciting. 

We went on several wildlife walks as well — with several new bird sightings.  For dinner, we ate at a tiny restaurant run by a young woman chef who only switched from nursing to cooking a few years ago (though she has been cooking for her family for years).  The food was simple but delicious and she is totally charming.  Tomorrow we drive back to San Jose and start the trek home.