I
was out in the first rays of the Savegre morning to the sound of Rufous-collared
Sparrows and Clay Coloured Thrushes singing in the new day. As the light improved all the songs blended
in to one and were joined by the zips and clicks of Hummingbirds, chittering of
Swifts and ticks ticks of Warblers.
Two videos - one pre-dawn and one just after - volume up - close your eyes.
The
gardens started to fill with birds and a pair of Yellow Winged Vireos got the
day off to a great start as they poked around the Fucshias with Sooty-capped
Bush-Tanagers and Slaty Flowerpiercers.
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| Yellow Winged Vireo |
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| Yellow Winged Vireo |
A
Mountain Thrush showed nicely on the lawn and they are much greyer than the
books suggest with an even darker bill and Northern Orioles and Flame-coloured
Tanagers in a range of black, orange, red and yellow moved through.
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| Mountain Thrush |
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| Flame-coloured
Tanager |
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| Flame-coloured
Tanager - Steve Cullum |
When
I say ‘gardens’ it perhaps suggests something on the flowing scale of Arenal
when in fact it was probably not much bigger than a tennis court but it was so
packed with all the right flowering plants that it was a magnet.
The
feisty White-throated Mountain Gems were trying to see off all comers including
the bigger Talamancas and tiny Micro Hummers tried to sneak in undetected. Only females were seen and this made
separation of Volcano from the equally miniscule Scintillant quite tricky with
the middle pair of tail feathers being the go to id feature which is quite
tricky on a whizzing bird smaller than a Goldcrest.
Both
species have rufous tails but the central two on Volcano are shiny green for
the most part while the Scintillant is wholly rufous and has a narrower dark
sub-terminal band and with patience this was visible to confirm that we did
indeed have both species.
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| White-throated Mountain Gem |
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| White-throated Mountain Gem |
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| Volcano Hummingbird |
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| Volcano Hummingbird |
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| Volcano Hummingbird |
A
Spot-crowned Woodcreeper showed at low level and Long-tailed Silky Flycatchers
moved back and forth but seldom stayed long in one spot.
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| Spot-crowned Woodcreeper |
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| Long-tailed Silky Flycatcher |
A
quick look onto the forest path gave us large Chestnut-capped Brush-finch (like
we saw at Cinchona) double foot scrabbling in the leaf litter like I have seen
Song and White-throated Sparrows do, sending debris flying everywhere and
making so much noise.
Two
Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrushes hopped around in typical New World Thrush
manner; these ones being particularly Veery-like in my eyes, before moving back
into the undergrowth and up above a flock of Sulphur-winged Parakeets flew
noisily across the valley with pale yellow underwings gleaming in the sun.
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| Chestnut-capped Brush-finch - it was really dark! |
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| Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush |
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| Yellow-thighed Finch |
The
ladies would want me to point out that they walked down to the river and saw a
fine Rose-breasted Grosbeak which would turn out to be the only bird seen
by some of the group and not by me – not that I was in anyway envious!
Ramon
then drove back up the valley to the corner where we did not see the Quetzals
yesterday evening. The mad morning rush had passed and we were the
only birders there. The stars did not
really perform but a couple of females and a tailess male did come into the
Avocado trees and a Black Guan flew noisily across the road.
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| Quetzal - being awkward |
There were small birds all around and you had
to be on your toes to connect with them all.
Ruddy Treerunners and Sooty-capped Bush-Tanagers fed in mixed groups
with Wilson’s Warblers. Black-billed Nightingale-Thrushes poked around the
road verges and occasionally showed very well.
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| Ruddy Treerunner |
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| Ruddy Treerunner - Steve Cullum |
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| Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush - Steve Cullum |
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| Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush |
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| Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush |
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| Wilson's Warbler |
A
Swainson’s Thrush was found sat high in a tree that it shared with two Mountain
Elaenias and an olive yellow Tufted Flycatcher quickly joined Black-capped
Flycatchers as our first two new FCs of the day. This country is just full of them!
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| Swainson’s Thrush |
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| Black-capped
Flycatcher |
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| Black-capped
Flycatcher - Steve Cullum |
Grey-breasted
Wood-Wrens sang up the slope and showed briefly and a pair of curious looking
Barred Becards with more obvious spots on the wings than the fine bars below
fed in the understorey where gaudy Collared Whitestarts bounded around flashing blue, white, yellow and chestnut. Lesser Violetear Hummingbirds sang 'tick-tock' from high up but we managed to find one this time. It was another one of those full on forty
minutes.
Breakfast
beckoned and so we headed back to base and before too long we were back outside
and waiting for our jeep ride up through the forest to give us an elevated
starting point for our next walk. Spiny Lizards basked on the walls and a
female Scintillant zipped in and out while we waited.
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| Spiny Lizard |
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| Spiny Lizard |
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| Scintillant Hummingbird |
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| Fledgling Clay Coloured Thrush |
We
were dropped in a clearing surrounded by enormously tall straight trees with
foliage that began really high up. They were decked out in Mistletoe. Band-tailed Pigeons flew over in gangs and
Ruddy Pigeons were singing but out of view while around the clearing we found
Yellow-winged and Brown-capped Vireos, Long-tailed Silkies and dashing Collared Whitestarts. And we had not walked a step.
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| Long-tailed Silky Flycatcher |
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| Dad took great pleasure in pointing out that this is wrong... 1.7 km is 1.06 miles |
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| but that this one is correct... |
The
path we took headed upwards and we took it easy as we were at about 9000 feet
again. Black-faced Solitaires and Grey-breasted Wood Wrens were singing but it
was actually pretty quiet bar the addition of more invisible Ruddy Pigeons.
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| Terira Dancer - Argia terira |
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| male Spiny Lizard |
We
got to a point where a huge tree spanned the path and Steve decided to turn
around and head back to the clearing and chance our luck in the other
direction.
Back
at the clearing there were some additional species now on offer with Acorn
Woodpeckers, Ruddy Treerunners, our first Black-throated Green
Warbler and another new FC in the shape of a Yellowish Flycatcher which looked
a bit like the Tufted Flycatcher but with little a white spot behind the
eye. A call uncannily like the ‘plu-ip’
of a Ringed Plover was heard at several spots but we could not find it.
Sulphur-winged
Parakeets were noisily calling overhead and we got lucky and found a pair
investigating a tree where they actually showed rather well.
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| Sulphur-winged
Parakeet |
Our new path
immediately gave us a family party of Ochraceous Wrens – possibly the most European
Wren-like of all the species we had encountered and we also had a good couple
of views of the more skulking Grey-breasted Wood Wrens at last. We descended
into a small ravine with a stream running through it and moved cautiously in
the hope of coming across foraging flocks of birds. It was hard work and Ruddy
Treerunners and Sooty-capped Bush-Tanagers were seen often and usually together
but with them we saw Blue Grey Tanagers and our first encounter with Spangle
Cheeked Tanager (a bit like a variant on Golden Hooded). Brown Capped Vireos
showed low down and Steve then stopped us as he had heard the plaintive song of
what used to be known as Wren Thrush and now occupies its own monotypic family
and goes by the fabulous name of Zeledonia.
We
heard two by the path side but neither were responsive and although we did not see
one it was still a magical experience to be that close to something so special.
Perhaps we would get another chance? The
same has to also be said for the even more elusive songster that was on the
opposite side of the stream. A male Silvery-fronted Tapaculo was not even
playing hard to get – he was just invisible and all the staring for tiny
mouse-like birds poking out of root holes was to no avail.
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| Ruddy Treerunner |
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| Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager |
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| Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager - juv |
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| Super Sexy Skipper - well it should be called that |
Black-faced
Solitaires were still singing and three Black-cheeked Warblers moved through
low to the ground flashing a huge white superc and chestnut crown.
More
foraging flocks were found on the way back to the main track but the only new
bird was a rufous furnariid that was eventually identified as a young Lineated
Foliage Gleaner. A pair of Ruddy Pigeons
were eventually seen in the canopy and Ochraceous Wrens and Hooded Redstarts
were encountered as we dropped back down.
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| Collared Whitestart |
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| Collared Whitestart |
Once
back on the main path the group yomped off for lunch but I took my time on the
track and started with a singing Rufous-browed Pepper-Shrike and great views
of the White-collared Swifts as they sped along the hillside. The weird ‘plu-ip’
was heard again several times and I saw a flycatcher briefly but still had no
idea what it was.
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| White-collared Swift |
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| White-collared Swift |
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| White-collared Swifts |
I
caught up with Jules and Angie and we found a showy group of Spangle-cheeked
Tanagers and two of them came down to a bank to collect clay presumably for the
salts and Yellow-thighed Finches, Collared Whitestarts and Flame-throated Warblers
all fed in the adjacent trees. A
Spot Crowned Woodcreeper gave us a fine performance as it despatched a large
hairy caterpillar much in the manner that a Cuckoo would.
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| Spangle-cheeked
Tanagers |
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| Spangle-cheeked
Tanager |
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| Collared Whitestart |
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| Collared Whitestart |
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| Spot Crowned Woodcreeper |
As
we entered the final section, the forest thinned and we found ourselves walking
through a young orchard. Yellow-faced Grassquits, Tennessee and Wilson’s
Warblers were foraging pathside and a stunning male Yellow-bellied Siskin
decked out in blue-black and yellows was eating grass seeds. A small party flew up into the trees and some
of the yellowy females had larger white wing patches on the closed wing.
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| Wilson’s
Warbler |
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| Tennessee Warbler |
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| Yellow-bellied Siskin |
Almost
back but not before coming across a Blue-throated Toucanet dismantling a
recently fledged Clay-coloured Thrush while the parents went absolutely
potty. It was not going to give up its
prize and basically stared us out until we moved on to our own lunch!
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| Blue-throated Toucanet |
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| Blue-throated Toucanet |
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| Blue-throated Toucanet - Steve Cullum |
I
pondered those finches over lunch and both Gina and Steve had seen Lesser
Goldfinch at that spot and not Yellow-bellied Siskin and so, after a quick look
at the book, I headed back up there afterwards and sure enough found both
species feeding in the orchard and confirmed why I thought some of the females
looked different!
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| Lesser
Goldfinch |
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| Lesser
Goldfinch |
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| umm - Red-tailed Hawk |
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| Volcano Hummingbird |
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| Volcano Hummingbird |
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| White-throated Mountain Gem |
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| Long Way Off Silky Flycatcher |
Lunch
done, finches ticked and back out again for an afternoon walk down river from
the hotel to look for American Dipper amongst other things. We started off in
the woods which were now typically quiet and the pre-breakfast birds here were nowhere
to be seen.
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| The river - Peter Vaughan |
A
Dark Pewee showed nicely around one of the lower lodges and a Red-tailed Hawk
snuck over once again. Down on the river
there were no Dippers to be seen but we did find a family of delightful
ash-grey, black and white Torrent Tyrannulets with both parents collecting
insects from water covered boulders and cascades much as a Dipper would but
without the fully aquatic element. It was difficult to see but I think that
they have a white central crown stripe which I imagine is flared in display.
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| Dark Pewee |
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| Dark Pewee |
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| Dark Pewee |
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| Torrent Tyrannulet |
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| Torrent Tyrannulet |
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| Torrent Tyrannulet |
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| Torrent Tyrannulet - Steve Cullum |
The
big bank of Cannas on the roadside held Talamanca, Scintillant and two rather
flashy Stripe-tailed Hummers who dazzled with their striking white tail sides
and little ginger inner wing panel.
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| Upslope - Peter Vaughan |
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| Stripe-tailed Hummingbird - utilising a Flowerpiercer hole |
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| Stripe-tailed Hummingbird |
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| Stripe-tailed Hummingbird |
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| Stripe-tailed Hummingbird - perching to use a Flowerpiercer hole! |
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| Stripe-tailed Hummingbird - Steve Cullum |
Down
at the next bridge a Solitaire gave us a great display and the now usual mixed
flocks of Bush-Tanagers and Treerunners moved through the trees. There were still no Dippers or other hoped
for specialities but it was a nice peaceful stretch of river. Steve saw a Paltry Tyrannulet and played the call to entice it back... 'Plu-ip' Mystery solved...!
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| Black-faced Solitaire |
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Saturniidae caterpillar quite possibly Leucanella hosmera - thanks Annie!
|
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| Wild Impatiens |
The
walk back up gave more Tyrannulet views and an Acorn Woodpecker popped out of a
nest hole. A Black Phoebe was unusually not by the river and a large spiral of
Black Vultures circled up high with a few Swifts intermingled. Rufous Collared Sparrows were all around.
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| Acorn Woodpecker - Steve Cullum |
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| Rufous Collared Sparrow - Steve Cullum |
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| Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush - this one looks very Veery like! |
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| Black Vultures |
Back
in the gardens there was still time for some more Hummingbird and Flowerpiercer
action and we were treated to the spectacle of hundreds of White-collared
Swifts swirling in a screaming mass in the last golden light high over the
valley with two large Starling balls of Sulphur-winged Parakeets twisting and
jerking as they headed off to roost.
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| White-throated Mountain Gem - Steve Cullum |
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| White-collared
Swifts |
All
too soon it was time to eat, yet again, but the day was not done as we had a night
drive lined up. Back up the valley we
went to a few bends above Miriam’s Cafe I reckon. Steve and I got out and
walked silently back down the road; the idea being that we would try and find
either of the two scarce owls and then get everyone to come in for a listen so
that we did not have a big group of people strung out across the road in the
pitch black.
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| The sky was amazing... |
All
was quiet but then suddenly an Unspotted Saw-whet Owl responded and came closer
while another sung down in the valley. The
troops were hastily assembled and some heard the ‘poo-poo’ song before it went
silent.
We
had more luck a little lower down where Dusky Nightjars were easily heard but
were a bugger to pick out and we had to be content with two ghostly shapes
circling the trees and the song echoing off the hillsides. I just wish I had recorded them.
Ramon
pulled over and pointed to the east where a curious glow was creeping over the mountain
tops. None of us were entirely sure what
we were looking at to start with until the Moon began to rise ‘through’ the
thin layer of cloud settled there.
It
was the perfect way to end our last full day.
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