Day 8: Fiery-throated Hummingbird and Getting Settled at Savegre

Hi Tyler writing! Unfortunately we had to say goodbye to Harry and the amazing staff at Rancho Natualista this morning. We didn't leave without a few more life birds though! We were able to see Brown-hooded Parrots, Cinnamon Becard, Yellow-olive Flycatcher, as well as Ethan was able to see the Bright-rumped Attila that I saw yesterday. As we left from Rancho, we began the long 4 hour drive to Savegre Mountain Lodge. We decided to stop and walk across a bridge near a dam hoping to get water birds. We were able to add Giant Cowbird, Green Heron, and Bat Falcon. After the excitement of the Bat Falcon, we continued on to Mirador de Quetzales in hopes of Fiery-Throated Hummingbird. Before we even got out of the car, we had already seen 3! The feeders had at least 15 of them, 5 Magnificent, 2 Green Violetears, and a Volcano Junco. We also saw Black-and-yellow Silky-flycatcher and Large-footed Finches. After about 200 photos, here is the best Fiery-throated Hummingbird photo I took:

Lucky for me, the sun hit perfectly, if it hit from any other angle, it would appear black

After that, we went up to the timberline at about 11,000 feet. Our goals up here were, Peg-billed Finch, Volcano Junco, Timberline Wren, and Flame-throated Warbler. Luckily, we were able to see every one of these species! The Volcano Junco was not afraid of us and came within 4 feet of us!

Ethan's Photo

Tyler's Photo

As we were arriving in Savegre, Ethan and I both spotted a huge bird flyover. We noticed a white tail, rusty head and both knew what it was, Ornate Hawk-eagle! Unfortunately, we never were able to photograph it. We were amazed by the grounds at Savegre! The Savegre Mountain Lodge is amazing! The rooms are luxurious, the common area is extremely nice, the food is amazing, and the bird activity seems good from what we have seen. Here are some shots for the day:

Acorn Woodpecker (Tyler)

Sooty-capped Chlorospingus (Ethan)  

Flame-colored Tanager (Ethan)

Yellow-thighed Finch (Tyler)

Yellow-thighed Finch (Ethan)