Bird watching in Costa Rica - December 2024

OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.

Jiffy (also jiff)

noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.

ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.

So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.

So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!

Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas

Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!

Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!

Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra

Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!

คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้

Вы говорите по-русски? Просто нажмите синюю кнопку "Next" с левой стороны и Вы моментально переместитесь на следующую страницу!

E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.

Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.

December 2024

Day 4

Tuesday 24 ^th of December 2024 and my alarm went off at 4 o'clock and 5 minutes later I hit my toe in the table. The pain filled my eyes with tears and the toes started to bleed again. Perfectstart of the Christmas.

The pain disappeared and I could make my tea that I enjoyed with the honey I boughtin the reception yesterday.

And of course some cheese.

I was on the parking lot at 5 o'clock and Miss Gorgeouscame a minute later.

We took off towards eBird hotspot: San Gerardo de Dota--Los Lagos' Quetzal Observation and I hope we are lucky today. My hotel is empty and my Guide tells me that the other hotels are empty as well.

One of the reasons for me to book today's tour, I do not expect many people coming to look for the bird. And of course, I want to have a good picture.

It is pitch dark when we arrive and we are alone. We are joined by a couple from New York 15 minutes later and by 6 o'clock there are around 10 people looking for the birds. All of them are having heavy camera equipment, good.

These people are here for pictures and not like the crowd last time, 50 tourists with mobile phonecameras. Today's crow understands the importance of being quiet and we could exchange experiences.

It was actually real nice waiting for the birds with this crowd.

The light improved by the minute and at 6 o'clock it was still too dark for photography. So, I was not really in a hurry for the bird to come and eat.

It was a little bit cold and a wee bit windy and I was happy that I had brought my wind breaker this time. I did not bring it last time and I suffered from a cold in the afternoon. Nothing that a little extra C and D vitamins could not cure overnight.

Slowly getting lighter

Slowly getting lighter

Gorgeous view over the mountains

Gorgeous view over the mountains

Male Resplendent Quetzal

Male Resplendent Quetzal

Suddenly, everyone got excited, the bird arrived, one male landing on a perch. Still to dark but I give it a try and the bird is soon taking of and my Guide spot the bird in the forest behind the wild avocado trees.

The wild avocado is the size of a olive and it is mostly a big seed.

She shows me the bird through her tube binoculars and I can see the bird hiding in the forest. I go to the people up front and they are desperately looking for the bird. I point out the bird for them and instantly, I turn in to a hero.

Suddenly, two males coming out from the forest and it looks like they are fighting. My Guide tells me that they are very territorial.

They look for the birds and we get one more view of one of them hiding in the forest. But we keep on waiting, will this be the day when I can get a picture of the bird?

Male Resplendent Quetzal landing in the tree

One of them is coming back and we were disappointed when the Quetzal ignored the perches andlanded in a tree, and again, like the bird giving us the finger and only show the back to us.

The bird is just sitting there and we are trying to get in to position but without any luck. The owner of the land goes up behind the area and he calls us up the hill. There is an opening in the foliage and the bird is facing the road.

Walking up the hill and I get a good view of the bird, not any good light but I was happy when me and my Guide left.

Male Resplendent Quetzal

Male Resplendent Quetzal

Male Resplendent Quetzal

Breakfast

My Guide dropped me at Hotel de Montaña Suria at 8 o'clock and that gives me 30 minutes for breakfast before my next Guide is coming to pick me up. We will go to Cerro Buenavista to have a look for birds. And we have three target birds:
1) Timberline Wren
2) Volcano Junco
3) Peg-billed Finch

I had bacon and egg for breakfast, two plates and my Guide waited while I had my second plate. Ihad two cups of tea and I was ready a few minutes after 8 thirty and we were soon on our way up the mountains to the Pan-American Highway.

Reaching the Pan-American Highway and we turn right and we drive for a bit before we take off to get up on a gravel road with plenty pot holes. Weare going up the Cerro Buenavista to the Mirador las Torres de Telecomunicaciones del Cerro de la Muerte (Cerro Buenavista communication towers) to look for the birds.

The area is also an eBird hotspot: PN Los Quetzales--Cerro Buenavista communication towers

Driving towards the Cerro Buenavista communication towers

Gorgeous view

Gorgeous view

We are above the clouds

Cerro Buenavista communication towers

We park the car below the Mirador las Torres de Telecomunicaciones del Cerro de la Muerte and we get out to look for birds. The first bird we see is a male Volcano Hummingbird

We continue to look for our three birds that we are here to look for. My Guide spot one Peg-billed Finch and I try to get pictures. We discover one Volcano Junco next to the Peg-billed Finch and we have seen 2 out of 3 birds.

We continue and we are soon spotting two more of the Peg-billed Finches. We walk back and there are three Volcano Junco foraging on the ground and we get more pictures.

Volcano Hummingbird

Peg-billed Finch

Volcano Junco

Peg-billed Finch

Peg-billed Finch

Peg-billed Finch

Volcano Junco

Volcano Junco

Volcano Junco

We have seen 2 out of 3 birds + the male Vulcano Hummingbird. We had seen the female down in Savegre Valley. My Guide tells me that the male birds stay up here and the females are down in the valley.

The bird is an altitude migrant during the breeding. We still miss the Timberline Wren and we walk up towards Cerro Buenavista communication towers looking for the Timberline Wren.

We can hear the bird once, there is a lot of birds in the vegetation but my Guide cannot ID the sounds as they are only making short twits, no call or song. But the Timberline Wren was singing once, but the bird was not seen.

We spot one Volcano Junco sitting on a rock twitting and I want to record the bird, but there is a couple arriving in a car and the wife goes on and on.The husband was long gone but she just kept on talking and I never got the recording of the Volcano Junco.

Looking for birds

Great view from the mountain

We are above the clouds

Volcano Junco

Volcano Junco

We walk back to the car and we will look for the Timberline Wren on some spots going back to the Pan-American Highway. Back in the car and we leave Cerro Buenavista communication towers behind.

We stop after 100 meters or so, my Guide had heard the Timberline Wren and we get out of the car. The bird was very near, not seen but heard and I start my recording.

Well, it seems like every time I start my recorder the birds turn quiet or a car is passing. And there was a car and I only got a very short recording.

Sooty-capped Chlorospingus

Looking for the Timberline Wren

Listen to the Timberline Wren

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my mobile phone using my JBL microphone with the Merlin app. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity.

We are looking for the Timberline Wren and we hear the bird singing when passing, bird singing from the vegetation next to the road. I just start my recording and a car pass and scare the bird.

Listen to the Timberline Wren

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my mobile phone using my JBL microphone with the Merlin app. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity.

Bird singing from the vegetation next to the road. I just get a short recording before the bird disappears or get quiet.

Continuing down the mountain towards the Pan-American Highway and we make a stop to have a look for the Timberline Wren. We can hear the bird and I start my recorder and something goes wrong and I only get a very short recording again.

Seeing the bird but no photos as we only saw it moving around in the vegetation and finally, we saw the back of it when it flew away.

I turn off my eBird app and we starting to drive back to Hotel de Montaña Suria so I can have tea and some cheese.

eBird Report

PN Los Quetzales--Cerro Buenavista communication towers, San José, CR
Dec 24, 2024 09:17 - 11:17
Protocol: Traveling
4.67 kilometer(s)
6 species

Fiery-throated Hummingbird 1
Volcano Hummingbird 5
Timberline Wren 2
Sooty-capped Chlorospingus 4
Volcano Junco 4
Peg-billed Finch 3

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S206425532

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

Today's track at Cerro Buenavista communication towers

Back at Hotel de Montaña Suria just before 12 o'clock and we can hear a very loud bird and I ask my Guide if it is a woodpecker. He tells me that it is the Sulphur-winged Parakeet.

A new bird for me so I sneak out of the car. The bird is in the tree right above the reception and I start my recorder and I record while looking for the bird.

I do not see the bird until it takes off and the end of the recording is the flight call when the bird fly away.

Listen to the Sulphur-winged Parakeet

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my mobile phone using my JBL microphone with the Merlin app. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity.

Reaching the hotel and we can hear the Sulphur-winged Parakeet in a tree next to the reception. I get out and record the bird. In the end it is a flight call.

Having tea and cheese in my room and I go through the pictures from today. I have seen 4 LIFERS today.
• Sulphur-winged Parakeet
• Peg-billed Finch
• Volcano Junco
• Timberline Wren

I will transfer to Arte de Plumas birding lodge tomorrow and they will come to pick me up at 12 o'clock. I have booked a birding tour for 8 thirty and that will be the last bird watching in Savegre Valley. So, there is a last chance to get more LIFERS before leaving.

To find out if I make it to Arte de Plumas birding lodge, or if I see any birds on tomorrow's bird tour, just click HERE to find out.

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