Miriam Lodge

14th-17th February 2018 - Miriam Lodge area
Miriam Lodge is situated at an altitude of 2,500 metres and a good base for seeing the birds of the central highlands.  It was very cold overnight and in the early morning, warming up nicely in the middle part of the day.

The photos on this page are not all taken at Miriam Lodge but either on route or within  a few miles.

14th Feb
We left Wilson Lodge after breakfast and headed towards Miriam Lodge but stopped off at a couple of places along the way.  For more on these places go to the Other Sites page

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We arrived at Miriam Lodge late in the day as the light was fading.  We were still dressed in clothes more suited to lower altitudes, so it proved to be rather cold!  No time for any real birding apart from a few species along the road.

15th Feb 
An early morning drive to Paradiso Lodge where the local bird guides had teamed up with the local farmers.  News would come through to the lodge as to where the Resplendant Quetzals could be seen and various groups of birders would set off to try and view them.  This gave some financial gain to the farmers for allowing the birding groups on their land.

Quetzel Country - Our search started here.

Slaty Flowerpiecer  -  Found from northern Nicaragua to western Panama.
Now split from Rusty Flowerpiecer from South America.

Black-capped Flycatcher  - Appeared while we were waiting for the Quetzal.

A rubbish photo I know but just to prove that we did see a Volcano hummingbird.  
This species is restricted to the Costa Rica and Panama Highlands.

Back to Paradisio Lodge......

After a partly successful hunt for a Quetzel (seen but brief and distant) it was back to Paradisio Lodge to check out the Hummingbird feeders.

A typical view of the Hummingbirds at Paradiso Lodge.

Fiery-throated Hummingbird -A stunning male. Almost a Costa Rica endemic but the range does just extend into Panama.

Lesser Violetear - We saw this species on four days.  Locally common in montane regions of southern Central America and of South America, from Costa Rica south to northern Argentina, and east to the coastal mountains of northern Venezuela.

Talamaca Hummingbird - A below also after turning head.  Incredible colour change!  This species is a near endemic occuring in the highlands of Costa Rica and western Panama.

Talamanca Hummingbird - No trace of the colourful throat at this angle.

Scintilliant Hummingbird  -  This species is a near endemic and occurs in the highlands of Costa Rica and western Panama

Late morning we drove to the mountain top at Cerro Asuncion where we looked for several of the mountain top species.  The weather was not so good here with some drizzle and a little heavier rain.  It was tough finding any birds but we did add a few to our list!

Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush - At Cerro Asuncion. 
Another near endemic which is only found in the highlands of central Costa Rica, southeast into western Panama,  

Back to Miriam Lodge for lunch and a bit of birding at the feeders.

Large-footed Finch - Confined to the highlands of Costa Rica and westernmost Panamá. 

Acorn Woodpecker
This species has a wide range from the NW of the USA through Mexico into the very north of South America. 

Flame-coloured Tanager  - We only saw this species in and around Miriam Lodge. 

Sooty-capped Chorospingus  
Only seen in and around Miriam Lodge.  Endemic to Costa Rica and western Panama.  

Late afternoon we moved lower down the mountains to a private residence called  Bosque Del Tolomuco.  It is owned by an English couple and has amazing gardens and lots of feeders.  Some of the birds we saw there are pictured below.

Snowy-bellied Hummingbird
Restricted to Southern Costa Rica and the southern parts of Panama.

White-throated Mountain-gem  -  Only seen on two days. 
This species has a restricted geographic distribution, in the highlands of southern Costa Rica and western Panama.

Red-headed Barbet - Male.
Found in Costa Rica, Panama and several of the northernmost countries of South America.

Red-headed Barbet - Female

Golden-hooded Tanager
Found through much of Central America plus parts of Columbia and Ecuador.

Gray-headed Chachalaca   - Seen on several days during our trip.
A resident of Central America from Eastern Honduras south to northwest Colombia.

Buff-throated Saltator    
This species occurs from southern Mexico south to northern Bolivia and southeastern Brazil.

Blue-grey Tanager 
Widespread in Central and the northern half of South America.

Baltimore Oriole    
This species breeds in the eastern half of the USA and winters in Central and South America.

16th Feb 
This morning we drove down the valley from Miriam Lodge to a bend in the road where it was fairly open and with good views of the surrounding forested areas.  This was apparently the hotspot for Quetzal's!  We were first on the scene but within an hour about 150 people were present, mostly brought by various guides and on hotel excursions!

Quetzal Twitch - We had no idea just how many people would turn up.  Many of them were tourists and not birders.

If you can't see the bird yourself, photograph the back of someone else's camera!

Respendent Quetzal -  A stunning bird not done justice by this photo.
An inhabitant of cloud forest in Southern Mexico through to Western Panama. 

Sooty Thrush  - Not uncommon in this area but not seen elsewhere.
Endemic to the Costa Rica and Panama Highlands.

Breakfast was back at Miriam Lodge before we headed back down the valley to bird the wonderful grounds of the Savegre Hotel.  We spent the rest of the day here having a magnificent lunch in the restaurant. 

Sulphur-winged Parakeet  -  Our only sighting.  Occurs in the highlands of southern Costa Rica 
and western Panama, with an elevational range of approximately 1200-3000 m.

Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush  - Our only sighting.  
Found from southern Mexico south to western Panama on montane slopes.

Collared Redstart    - Seen on two days.
 Restricted to highland forests in Costa Rica and Panama, above 1500 meters.

Scintillant Hummingbird    
This species has a range of the Pacific slope of Costa Rica and western Panama. 

Stripe-tailed Hummingbird    - Only seen on one day.
This species has a range from southern Mexico to western Panama.

White-throated Mountain-gem  - seen on two days.
 It has a range through the highlands of southern Costa Rica and western Panama.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak  - Our only sighting.      Breeds in Central and eastern parts of North America, 
wintering in Central America and the northern parts of South America.

Mountain Eleania   - Seen on three days during our trip.    The species ranges from Guatemala south to Panama, 
and also in northwestern South America from northern Venezuela west to central Colombia.

Osprey  - A very widespread species; found in temperate and tropical regions of all continents except Antarctica.  

Yellowish Flycatcher  - The range is restricted to Central America. 

Summer Tanager  - A winter visitor to Costs Rica.
It breeds in the more southerly states of the USA.  

Flame-throated Warbler  - A near endemic, which is found in the highlands of southern Costa Rica and western Panama.

Buff-fronted Foliage-gleaner -  A widespread species with Costa Rica being at the most northerly point of it's range.   

17th Feb 
Breakfast and birding until 9:30am at Miriam Lodge and time for a few photos.....

Sooty Thrush - Endemic to the Costa Rica and Panama Highlands, where it is fairly common.    

Flame-coloured Tanager  - Found from northern Mexico south to western Panama.  

Blue-and-white Swallow   - Found from Costa Rica south to the tip of South America

Large-footed Finch  - Confined to the highlands of Costa Rica and westernmost Panama.   

Emerald Lizard / Green Spiny Lizard, Sceloporus malachiticus     

Beetle Sp  

Then the long journey to Sueño Azul Lodge in the Caribbean lowlands.  On the way we stopped at a few places (see Other Sites page)

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