Blue Eyed Birder

I was awoken by the sound of howling Coyotes at about 4am. They sounded incredibly close and I ventured outside for a look but could see nothing. The first Clay-coloured Thrushes and Rufous-collared Sparrows were already waking up but I wanted to grab a little longer before our Savegre pre-breakfast walk. There was the same assortment of Hummers as the day before but the dark woods were better and the high pitched calls and hopping white throat gave away the position of the Chestnut-capped Brushfinches tossing leaves around. Ochraceous Wrens were calling and were found quite high up as usual but conversely I had not seen them at this lower elevation before while the liquid song of a Slate-throated Whitestart drew us to its white tail spot in the gloom. The Spotted Wood Quails were all around us with four troops all counter singing but none were in reach as usual.

Heliotrope-throated Volcano Hummingbird - Simon Stirrup

Talamanca Hummingbird - Simon Stirrup

White-throated Mountain Gem - Simon Stirrup

Heliotrope-throated Volcano Hummingbird - Simon Stirrup

Green Violetear - Simon Stirrup

Slaty Flowerpiercer - Simon Stirrup

Slaty Flowerpiercer

We walked down to the river bridge and a little way down the road and amazingly found the nests of both American Dipper and Torrent Tyrannulet within a few feet of each other. I had never seen the Dippers here so it was doubly pleasing to watch them so closely. These Tyrannulets are also one of my favourite birds on any trip. A male Yellow-bellied Siskin was the only other new trip bird as it perched briefly in a tree top.

Black Phoebe

American Dipper

American Dipper - huge feet

Torrent Tyrannulet

Retracing our steps after grub, we returned to the river and spent more time with the two mentioned above before walking all the way down to the lower bridge and onwards on the trail past the fish farm and beyond. It was a national holiday and I have never seen the valley so busy with Costa Ricans and more normal looking tourists.

Torrent Tyrannulet

American Dipper

It did not bother the birds and we saw so much. The same selection of Warblers and Tanagers were seen and amongst the Flycatchers were Dark Pewee, Black Phoebe, Northern Tufted, Long-tailed Silkies, Olive-streaked Fly and a new one with a Western Wood Pewee.

Black Phoebe

Northern Tufted Flycatcher

Western Wood Pewee - Tim Wilson

Dusky-blue Groundstreak - Calycopis isobeon

Mexican Silverspot - Dione moneta

Once again Red-faced Spinetail was found and as well as Rose-breasted Grosbeaks we got excellent views of at least two lumpy yellow Black-thighed Grosbeaks. Seriously chunky with a bill not to be messed with! Two female Quetzals were gathering fruit from the same tree and showed very well once you got your eye in.

Quetzal watching

Black-thighed Grosbeak

Both Brown-capped and Yellow-winged Vireos were found and with them was a single Philadelphia too. Black-faced Solitaires were singing all around and another was seen and we even got to see Sulphur-winged Parakeets perched up as they fed in an open low canopy. Golden-browed Chlorophonias were in the canopy and the Chlorospingus here changed with the slight drop in elevation from Sooty-capped by the lodge to Common a mile downhill – fascinating. Spot-crowned Woodcreeper was the only other furnariid and Long-tailed Silkies were constant companions. There were of course birds in the sky with White-collared Swifts, both Vultures and Broad-winged, Short-tailed and Red-tailed Hawks.

Sulphur-winged Parakeet

We booked ourselves in for lunch and started back to the lodge but Chris and I decided to wait on the road and watch the Dippers and Tyrannulets and wait for the others to return. A male Yellow-bellied Siskin appeared in front of us and we watched it quietly feeding with the Rooffies on a drive way while Mountain Elaenias and Acorn Woodpeckers were also seen.

Stripe-tailed Hummingbird

Yellow-bellied Siskin

After lunch we spent the rest of the afternoon up valley and although we saw the male Quetzal again it was hard work for little reward (although the botany was rather fine) and the woods on either side of the road were actually quiet with only Bigfoot and Legwarmers regularly seen and the odd Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush while Band-tailed Pigeons passed over and Swallow-tailed Kites soared over the ridges. A confiding juvenile American Dipper was the high point of the whole walk and a fine way to end the day.