Blue Eyed Birder: 2nd April 2026 - Day 13 - Costa Rica for Bird's Wildlife & Nature

I love waking up at Savegre. Alost everything is new and I knew that it would be an exciting morning for the crew. We only walked around the gardens but as usual they were full of colour. It did not take too long for the Hummers to wake up and very soon we had tiny Heliotrope-throated Volcanos, Stripe-tailed, Talamanca, Green Violetears and the grey-tailed form of White-throated Mountain Gem zipped around us the colourful flower beds.

Green Violetear

White-throated Mountain Gem

Stripe-tailed Hummingbird

Green Violetear

White-throated Mountain Gem

Green Violetear

Heliotrope-throated Volcano Hummingbird

Slaty Flower Piercers and Yellow-winged Vireos were never far away and Mountain and Clay-coloured Thrushes hopped around the trails and paths. We found Tennessee and Wilson’s Warblers as well as a smart male Flame-throated Warbler and vibrant Flame-coloured Tanagers and even two Spangle-cheeked Tanagers were feasting on tiny berries.

Yellow-winged Vireo

Slaty Flower Piercer

The Greenfinch-like calls of Long-tailed Silky Flycatchers drew us to their elegant form on the tree tops while soft, smooth looking Mountain Elaenia were lower down and more approachable. There were House Wrens flicking around and in the dark forest behind the rooms there were Rusty-capped Nightingale-Thrushes, Grey-breasted Wood Wrens and distant calling Spotted Wood Quails doing their best ‘Remember you’re a Womble’ song lines.

Long-tailed Silky Flycatcher

Tennessee Warbler

Mountain Elaenia

TVs and Black Vultures drifted over as things warmed up and Crested Caracara and our first Red-tailed Hawks were noted as we walked back to breakfast. An Acorn Woodpecker was sunning on a high snag but we were soon distracted by the shout of 'Quetzal' and we all scurried to Reception where a beautiful male with a full tail was flouncing around in the riverside trees before flying straight at us and into the tree where we were standing. You could just see him looking down at us before him and his tail waggled off along the road. Simply magnificent and my first in the Lodge grounds and so close too. What a way to start the day.

Acorn Woodpecker

Resplendent Quetzal

After breakfast we clambered into the back of the Jeeps and bumped our way up the hillside through the forest to the Los Robles drop of point before conducting the usual circuit and them walking the track back down again.

It was different again to the Savegre Hotel grounds and the towering White Oaks above us hosted Collared Trogons, flocks of Acorn Woodpeckers and Sulphur-winged Parakeets, Band-tailed Pigeons and Ruddy Pigeons (that sound very much like Short-billed).

Ruddy Pigeon

Band-tailed Pigeon

But most of the action was at lower levels and with patience we picked up Ruddy Treerunners, Spot-crowned Woodcreepers and a furtive Streak-breasted Treehunter along with a fine selection of Warblers with Golden-winged, Wilson’s, Chestnut-sided, Tennessee, Flame-throated and the all important Black-cheeked and blindingly vivid Collared Whitestarts which are always a favourite.

Wilson’s Warbler

Collared Whitestart

Black-faced Solitaires were creating their mournful squeaky bicycle songs along with Black-billed and Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrushes in a similar vain and Ochraceous Wrens were seen fossicking in the verdant growth on trunks and branches and other than the colour, are the most British Wren-shaped of all the species we see out here.

Grey-breasted Wood Wrens even showed but the Silvery-fronted Tapaculos were, as ever, tantalisingly close and I have yet to see one. There were many Flycatchers to identify with Mistletoe, Black-headed, Yellowish and Northern Tufted and amongst the usual Tanagers we again found Spangle-cheeked. These flocks of Tanagers and Warblers also gave us a male Golden-browed Chlorophonia, a male Barred Becard and both Yellow-winged and Brown-capped Vireos. The list of new trip birds just kept growing! Swainson’s Thrushes and Yellow-thighed Brushfinches were in the leaf litter but we could find any of the more cryptic forest floor dwellers.

A commotion from the shrubbery stopped me. There was so much bird noise that they just had to be a predator in there. We stood in the light rain and watched as a procession of species appeared and appeared to be intently staring and shouting at a spot not too far off the ground. Our first view of the Solitaire was at this point and a normal red male Collared Trogon came in to along with Tanagers, Warblers, Swainson’s Thrush and Mountain Elaenias. I am not sure why it took so long but I suddenly realised that there were two lumpy shapes sat there which resolved themselves into a pair of rather hacked off and damp roosting Mottled Owls.

Black-faced Solitaire

Fito and some of the crew were a little further ahead but thankfully not too far that they did not see my frantic beckoning. I have heard this species on each trip but never seen one despite it being one of the commonest and most widespread species. I even got a ‘Good eyes Howard’ from Ramon.

Mottled Owls - one of several upgrades this trip from previously heard only

A well deserved lunch and a little down time (during which we added a sparkling Scintillant Hummingbird in the gardens) and then off up the road to check out a Resplendent Quetzal nest. Both birds were seen and the female showed quite well but the male was a little more mobile and his nest visits were very brief.

Scintillant Hummingbird

Scintillant Hummingbird - almost but not quite - so quick!

Scintillant Hummingbird - showing the almost wholly rufous tail

Scintillant Hummingbird

Green Violetear

Stripe-tailed Hummingbird

Stripe-tailed Hummingbird using Flowerpeircer holes in the Canas

Resplendent Quetzal

A pair of Dark Pewees were hunting in the clearing and Black-throated Green Warblers were actively feeding in the lichen and moss covered trees. A small group of Sulphur-winged Parakeets flew over.

Emerald Swift - Sceloporus malachiticus (was Green Spiny Lizard)

Sulphur-winged Parakeets

An exceptionally well marked Black-throated Green Warbler

With rain increasing we moved all the way up the valley to the famous Miriam’s Café where, despite the rain and low cloud the crew had a memorable session with ‘bird table’ birds there. The low light may not have illuminated the Hummers but we were so close to them that it did not matter. It was the same selection as down at the Lodge but with the altitudinal addition of Fiery-throated.

Fiery-throated Hummingbird

Green Violetear

Talamanca Hummingbird

Heliotrope-throated Volcano Hummingbird

Talamanca Hummingbird

Talamanca Hummingbird

White-throated Mountain Gem

Fiery-throated Hummingbird

Mountain, Sooty and Clay-coloured Thrushes came in and there was a constant procession of Rufous-collared Sparrows, Sooty-capped Chlorospingus, Tanagers and Acorn Woodpeckers which are always a favourite of mine. Red-tailed Squirrels attempted to muscle in on the table but the Acorn Woodies were never happy about it. A male Rose-breasted Grosbeak came very close to coming into the feeder. He was in full plumage.

Mountain Thrush

Clay-coloured Thrush

Sooty Thrush

Acorn Woodpecker

Flame-coloured Tanager

Flame-coloured Tanager in all their many plumage shades

Summer Tanager

Sooty-capped Chlorospingus

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Red-tailed Squirrel

Yellow-thighed Brushfinches (Legwarmers) and Large-footed Finches (Bigfoots) bounded around below the feeders and occasionally came up to eye level with is. While we supped steaming hot chocolate a male Golden-browed Chlorophonia dropped in to snaffle and couple of berries and be on his way and even a Band-tailed Pigeon perched up for a while.