Savage Lodge and Spa is not far from Miriam's so our arrival here brought a close to an amazingly fun and birdy day.
When on a field trip such as this, busy and active day-after-day with lots of new and different things, I rely on the order of photographs on my card to help me remember and sort out the days to tell the story. In the highlands around Savegre there is so much to do and see that two days here will bring a schedule of events that, when home and looking at photos, their order becomes important to help remember. When I downloaded my photos I accidentally got them out of order. Since I have so many photos, (most already deleted) I don't want to go through and download again. Doesn't really matter; the story seems to be unfolding anyway.
Over the trees in the hills, a swirl of Swallow-tailed Kites (Elanoides forficatus) are always thrilling.
The fuzzy photos above and below are of a female Yellow-faced Grassquit (Tiaris olivaceus), a life bird for me.
Above and below Male White-throated Mountain Gem (Lampoons castaneoventris)
Again. I think this bird gives me trouble because the illustration in the new (2014) Birds of Costa Rica field guide by Garrigues and Dean is limited and not very good. Some of the new illustrations are better but, as Vernon pointed out, there are some birds that would never be identified from the illustration included in the new guide.
Magnificent Hummingbird
Terrible photo of female White-throated Mountain Gem. Too bad because it's a really pretty bird.
Above and below, Dark Pewee (Contopus lugubris)
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Sooty-capped Chlorospingus nee Bush-tanager - I have better photos, but I like the busyiness - all the plants and colors - in this photo.
Hummingbird nest built into a very low vine along a deep bank.
Last year my photos of Torrent Tyrannulet (Serpophaga cinerea) were of fuzzy, little gray balls. This year they are still fuzzy, little gray balls, but this year at least the fuzz ball has eyes.
Freshwater fish is a popular dish served at the Savegre Lodge restaurant. The above photo is feeding time at a fish farm within walking distance to the lodge - salmon, I think.
Night photo of a perched Dusky Nightjar (Antrostomus saturatus) which gave away it's presence by calling. Sounded a little like a whippoorwill. This was a quite night. While it was raining hard we had amazing looks at both Bare-shanked Screech-owl (Megascops clarkii) and the nightjar - both highland specialties.
Other birds on another trail.
Above and below: Sooty-capped Chlorospingus (Chlorospingus pileatus)
What does it sound like?
Have a listen.
Above and below, Mountain Thrush (Turdus plebejus) tucked deep into some branches. Not great photos, but I was happy to get them.
Unknown butterfly that actually landed.
Swallow-tailed Kite in the mist.
Again, in clear sky.
Black Guan (Chamaepetes unicolor) knows its been spotted.
I love flycatchers - Yellowish Flycatcher (Empidonax flavescens)
Streak-breasted Treehunter (Thripadectes rufobrunneus)
Golden-bellied Flycatcher (Myiodynastes hemichrysus)
Black-faced Solitaire (Myadestes melanops) - easy to hear, hard to see.
There is one vocalization at the beginning of this video.
From the backside, a Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush (Catharus frantzii)
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