Outside Room 104 where we stayed at Savegre Lodge, San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica

We got out early--the sun was just coming over the top of the mountains--for a bird walk at Savegre.

The view up the side of the hill across from our lodge

Succulents growing on on the grounds

Succulents thrived

A fence of succulent plants

Artful succulents

Sara, Mia and Barbara walking in the cool weather before the sun heated the grounds.

More plants on the grounds of Savegre Lodge

Karen, Kannan, Deb, Joanie, Sara and Bob on our early morning walk at Savegre Lodge Wednesday morning

Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush

Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush

Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush

Female White-throated Mountain-Gem

Male White-throated Mountain-Gem with pollen on its bill

Male White-throated Mountain-Gem

Slaty Flowerpiercer

Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher

Silver-throated Tanager

Female Flame-colored Tanager

Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush

Scintillant Hummingbird at a flower

Talamanca Hummingbird (formerly Magnificent Hummingbird)

Butterfly

Elegant Euphonia male at Savegre Mountain Lodge, CR

Elegant Euphonia

This Blue-and-white Swallow was nesting under this corrugated roof.

White-throated Mountain-Gem male

White-throated Mountain-Gem male

White-throated Mountain-Gem male

White-throated Mountain-Gem male

White-throated Mountain-Gem male

Yellow-thighed Finch eating rice at Savegre Mountain Lodge, CR

Scintillant Hummingbird

Lesser Violetear

Lesser Violetear

Female White-throated Mountain-Gem

Male Talamanca Hummingbird showing its colors

Talamanca Hummingbird

Sulphur-winged Parakeets flying over

Sulphur-winged Parakeets

Silhouette of Talamanca Hummingbird

Talamanca Hummingbird

Talamanca Hummingbird

Talamanca Hummingbird

This beaded wall hanging in a window of the Savegre Mountain Lodge had a birdy motif, naturally.

Beaded hummingbird

Another hummingbird in the beaded wall hanging at Savegre Mountain Lodge, San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica

Lesser Violetear

Lesser Violetear

Lesser Violetear

Lesser Violetear

Scintillant Hummingbird at flower

Scintillant Hummingbird

Scintillant Hummingbird

Female Scintillant Hummingbird

Flame-colored Tanager

Silver-throated Tanager

Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher

Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher

Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher

Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher

Mountain Elaenia

Black-faced Solitaire

Black-faced Solitaire

Black-faced Solitaire

Black-faced Solitaire

Slaty Flowerpiercer about its business

Fiery-throated Hummingbird at Bottle-brush flower

Slaty Flowerpiercer

Slaty Flowerpiercer

Slaty Flowerpiercer

Slaty Flowerpiercer

Slaty Flowerpiercer

Slaty Flowerpiercer

Slaty Flowerpiercer

Red-tailed Hawk soaring overhead

Red-tailed Hawk

After our morning walk and breakfast, we took the bus to Paraíso Quetzal Hotel de Montaña to meet the guides who would take us to see the Resplendent Quetzal.

Fiery-throated Hummingbirds and others at a feeder on the deck rail outside the restaurant at the Paraíso Quetzal Hotel.

Talamanca and Fiery-throated Hummingbirds at a feeder at Paraíso Quetzal Hotel, CR

Hummingbirds galore

Hummingbirds at a feeder

Hummingbirds

Fiery-throated Hummingbird

Side view of Fiery-throated Hummingbird

Fiery-throated Hummingbird

Fiery-throated Hummingbird on a colorful flower

Fiery-throated Hummingbird

Fiery-throated Hummingbird

Front and rear views of the Fiery-throated Hummingbird

Fiery-throated Hummingbird

Flowers

Butterfly

Red flowers

Our guides for the day, Erick and Jorge, gave us an orientation before leaving for the quetzal nest site.
David, Jim, Carolyn, Ann, Rayna, Betsy, Jane, Bob (in back) and Deb

Kannan recorded Erick and Jorge's orientation

We parked at a distance, took golf cart rides to get closer, then hiked the last trail up to the nest site.

Barbara, Karen, Kim, Zoe, Mary (in foreground), Ann, Carolyn, Bob, Joanie and Erick await the arrival of the quetzal.

A little farther up the hill overlooking the nest tree, someone behind an umbrella, Kannan, Ann, Esteban and Deb wait and watch.

Mitch, David, Sara and Jim

Jane, Mia, Barbara and some of the rest of the group (behind the greenery)

Karen, Kim, Mary (in the foreground), Zoe, Rayna, Carolyn, Joanie (standing), Bob, and Erick

Erick and Jorge showed us a variety of avocado fruits, all much smaller than the avocado we eat, but the biggest of these is what the adult quetzal brought to his nestling.

The spotting scope was set up and aimed at the Resplendent Quetzals' nest tree...waiting.

David, Mitch, Sara, Steve, others hidden behind the tree, and Deb

Karen, Kim, Zoe, Rayna, Carolyn and Bob

While we were waiting for the quetzal, this Northern Emerald Toucanet appeared. Erick said this bird is a danger to unfledged quetzals.

Northern Emerald Toucanet

Northern Emerald Toucanet

At last the adult male Resplendent Quetzal appeared.

Adult male Resplendent Quetzal

Adult male Resplendent Quetzal

Adult male Resplendent Quetzal

Adult male Resplendent Quetzal

Adult male Resplendent Quetzal

With an adult Resplendent Quetzal in a nearby tree, a young quetzal appeared at the entrance of the nest cavity.

Young Resplendent Quetzal in nest cavity

Young Resplendent Quetzal

Adult male Resplendent Quetzal
digiscoped image

Adult male Resplendent Quetzal
digiscoped image

Adult male Resplendent Quetzal
digiscoped image

Adult male Resplendent Quetzal
digiscoped image

Adult male Resplendent Quetzal with avocado fruit in its mouth

Adult male Resplendent Quetzal with avocado fruit

Adult male Resplendent Quetzal feeding young quetzal at nest cavity

The young quetzal is swallowing the entire avocado.

Adult and young Resplendent Quetzals

Adult male Resplendent Quetzal

Adult male Resplendent Quetzal

Adult male Resplendent Quetzal

Look at those tail feathers!

Adult male Resplendent Quetzal

The adult male Resplendent Quetzal returned to the nest.

Adult male Resplendent Quetzal

Adult male Resplendent Quetzal

Adult male Resplendent Quetzal poked its head into the nest cavity

Adult male Resplendent Quetzal with the front part of its body in the nest cavity

Adult male Resplendent Quetzal outside the nest cavity

Adult male Resplendent Quetzal entering the nest cavity

Only the long tail feathers are showing.

Remarkably the adult quetzal gets its full body and feathers into the nest cavity, then re-emerges.

And then flies away

After our adventure with the quetzals, Erick and Jorge introduced us to the owner of the property, William.

Jorge showed us some quetzal tail feathers.

Adult male quetzal tail feathers

Sign acknowledging the owner's participation in a quetzal conservation project

We went back to the hotel for lunch, then got out to do a little birding in the drizzle.
Mary, Deb and Jane

Steve in his rain gear

Black-billed Nightingale Thrush

Back view of Black-billed Nightingale Thrush

There was a pair of Black-billed Nightingale Thrushes outside the hotel restaurant.

Black-billed Nightingale Thrush

The feeder on the deck at the restaurant continued to be alive with hummingbirds like these Fiery-throated Hummingbirds.

Fiery-throated Hummingbirds and a couple of Lesser Violetears

Hummingbirds

and more hummingbirds

Fiery-throated, Talamanca and Lesser Violetear Hummingbirds

Fiery-throated, Talamanca and Lesser Violetear Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds

Sooty-capped Chlorospingus (formerly Bush-Tanager)

Mountain Thrush (with dark bill)

Sooty-capped Chlorospingus

Sooty Thrush

Clay-colored Thrush, the national bird of Costa Rica

Statue with a flower pot on top

Moth

Costa Rican skyline

Zoomed view of that Costa Rican skyline.
At the end of the day, we went to a hotel near the airport in San Jose, got up early the next morning and headed back to OKC.