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The Valley of the Quetzals

BOD - COLLARED REDSTART!

Today we had a big and long day birding in the Savegre Valley.


We birded the grounds before and after breakfast of our lodge: Sueños del Bosque [above].













 

Later we drove down further in the valley for some river side birding – basically at the limits of the Quetzal NP. The Resplendent Quetzal is a big target, not only for birders but for everyone, it seems who is a tourist visiting Costa Rica. March is the beginning of the breeding season for this spectacular bird and every tour company knows it!







 We saw at least five or six individuals throughout the day – some testimony to how common they are in this valley. If we were willing to fight other tourist groups we would have seen more.  

 



Towards the top of the Vally we stopped for lunch at Mirriams – a restaurant and accommodation that has been operating for some thirty years. Traditional meal was enjoyed as was the feeders out side. Mountain Thrush, Acorn Woodpecker, Flame coloured Tanager, Sooty Thrush, Tennessee Warblers attended the fruit, while five hummers – the same five as yesterday attended the feeders there; Talamanca, Volcano, Lesser Violetear, White throated Mountain Gem and Fiery chested.













 

A longer rest period this afternoon as the plan involved spotlighting into the night.

 

A light dinner at Eric Granados’s lodge was followed by attempting to see a mix of nocturnal birds and mammals. It was good but a little frustrating. We got good views of Dusky Nightjar that was calling loudly ‘Prepare for it”.

 


Bare shanked Screech Owl was called in briefly, but a few, myself included failed to get binoculars on it before it flew away.

 

A mammal – Cacomistle - was calling loudly and showed briefly when most of the group had reboarded the bus,

 

We then searched for Tapir and were very nearly successful. Two were roadside but flushed by a vehicle in front of us and headed invisibly into the forest. Despite the guide’s best efforts they stayed away from the roadside and were never seen near clearly.

 

The guides got pretty good views of them down under a metre! Again frustrating for those left on the roadside…


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