Hi all...I just returned from 2 weeks in CR. My friends showed me around to a number of places, mostly those rarely visited by tourists. I did spend one weekend at La Tigra, near La Fortuna and the Arenal Volcano. I saw the volcano erupting, from the vantage point of the dam that creates Lake Arenal, but only during the daylight - it's much more dramatic when seen at night.

I couldn't go to the La Paz waterfall; a big disappointment. I didn't see many hummers & rarely at close range. If they aren't used to feeders, they seem to be pretty "shy" in the wild. At La Tigra, I tried to take pics of hummers feeding at a 20' vervain hedge. But they always moved to the opposite side of the hedge when I approached. I did see some other pretty birds, including a couple that I think were honeycreepers of some kind. They were a beautiful blue. I'll come back later with a pic or two. Next on my favorite list would be the Motmots...very pretty! I saw a number of toucans flying, but never at close range. I saw a few "critters"...howler monkeys, sloths, squirrels & iguanas...fortunately, no snakes.

Patricia, I didn't get to Monteverde, but thought of you when I eventually did a 3-night weekend on the Nicoya Peninsula (last weekend when the Caribbean storm was sending rainy weather to San Jose). I took in the local rodeo/bull riding and saw BEAUTIFUL horses. I also spent an afternoon at Carrillo Beach. What I saw of the Guanacaste region was too dry & dusty for my taste...I was glad to retreat to the greener mountains again.

When I flew out of Costa Rica yesterday morning, I saw a number of volcanos near the coast line. I could clearly see one that was smoking, with the smoke flowing down the slopes and toward the sea. It might have been Volcan Rincan, but for all I know, we may have been over Nicaragua or Guatemala by that time.

Costa Rica really is a plant lover's paradise...it was so cool to see all the tropical "house plants" thriving outdoors...bromeliads, orchids & various gesneriads growing in trees and hedges made of vervain, pentas, bouganvilla & hibiscus.

It was a very good trip & I came home feeling much better acquainted with Costa Rica.

Patrick
USDA Zone 8b
Heat Zone 3
Sunset Zone 5
SeaTac, WA...one cool place

Glad you had a good time, Patrick! I see you caught some of the awful and unusual weather the country experienced last week. Look forward to seeing your photos.
Was it the BIG Tope, where the horses were in Palmares? Millions of dollars worth of horses and not the 'everyday work horses', these are the 'Sunday best'!.
Aren't those Mot Mots beautiful! 'Up there' in my top 5! The toucans are plentiful around our house right now.
It really is strange that the hummers are not out in great numbers at all.
Well, I will turn my coffee pot off for now, since you didn't get over here!

Patrick
Sorry you didn't see as many hummers as you hoped for but soumds as though you still had a wonderful trip.

Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

Sounds like a great trip. Year ago I went to Hawaii and was so surprised to see hedges of Bouganvilla. In an area that never freezes, tropicals keep on growing. Norfolk pines were 20+ feet tall.

Joan Garvey - Metairie, LA Zone 9

Joan
I fell in love the the Norfolk Island Pines when I lived on
Guam. They grew even taller there

Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

Incredible!

Joan Garvey - Metairie, LA Zone 9

Patricia, I saw the horses & bulls in the town of Nicoya. I knew there was a big fair going on in Palmares & I'll bet many of the same horses & bulls I saw had been there, too.

Patrick
USDA Zone 8b
Heat Zone 3
Sunset Zone 5
SeaTac, WA...one cool place

I really liked the Mot Mots I saw, but I think these little guys impressed me the most. My friends took me to an all-weekend birthday celebration at La Tigra and I saw these birds there on Sunday morning, while I fed the mosquitoes and chiggers. I looked at a few bird books and the nearest comparison I found was a red-legged honeycreeper, but the photos were not identical. Patricia, Peter, or anyone...can you identify them?





Patrick
USDA Zone 8b
Heat Zone 3
Sunset Zone 5
SeaTac, WA...one cool place

2nd pic:



Patrick
USDA Zone 8b
Heat Zone 3
Sunset Zone 5
SeaTac, WA...one cool place

Patrick, I would say the are Red-legged Honeycreepers. At least, that what I named them in the photo that I have taken of this same species.

These were taken New Years day in the rain while mixed flocks were enjoying breakfast.




This was taken in another area

I should have checked the Net before asking for ID assistance. I've decided my 2 birds ARE Red-legged Honeycreepers...males. They may have been competing for the attention of the plain colored female that was in the tree above them. While they liked to keep some vegetation between themselves and me, they weren't anxious to fly away. I followed them with my camera in almost a complete circle around the tree, trying to take pics.

Here's a link to info I just found, with an image that matches my pics:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-legged_Honeycreeper



Patrick
USDA Zone 8b
Heat Zone 3
Sunset Zone 5
SeaTac, WA...one cool place

Thanks, Patricia...I was posting the same time you answered. Do you see this species often? I don't think the people I was visiting that weekend had ever seen them before (altho, again, they are at the property only on weekends). They seemed like lovely little birds to have around, keeping up a rather quiet chatter & maintaining an unobtrusive presence. I love the irridescent turquoise patch on the tops of their heads.

Patrick
USDA Zone 8b
Heat Zone 3
Sunset Zone 5
SeaTac, WA...one cool place

Oh, how fortunate you are Patrick! Happy for you and thanks for sharing your trip experience with us! Thrilling!!

Diana
Upstate SC
Zone 7b

Patrick, no we don't have them in our immediate area. The first two were taken near Arenal where we spent some time with friends. The third was in Quepos at another friends. Nice to have friends with birds! At the friends in Arenal I even saw my first White-necked Jacobin and managed on photo but it was to distant with rain and fog foggy, just like many New Year Days in Seattle!
Read my other posting, Another Steely Vented' where you are mentioned...

Patrick, Am sorry too you didn't get to La Paz - I have seen pictures and it looks like a neat place to see hummers. But you did get to see some great sights like the volcanos - that must have been exciting.. All in all sounds like you had a nice trip. I hope to go to CR someday maybe....who knows...one can dream.

Carol
Milford, CT
Zone 6

Patrick I am sorry you did not get to see lots of hummingbirds but glad you got to make such a nice trip. Two weeks! WOW!! You got to see so many sights. You did say you had a whole weekend birthay didn't you?

The bird pictures are so nice. Beautiful color.

Dianne
Southeast Alabama
Heat Zone 8
Sunset Zone 31

Hi Dianne...it wasn't my birthday, but I was in the La Tigra/La Fortuna area, near the Arenal Volcano, for about 24 hours, traveling with my friends to celebrate a friend's brother's birthday. It's an area I'd definitely like to see more of....very scenic.

Patrick
USDA Zone 8b
Heat Zone 3
Sunset Zone 5
SeaTac, WA...one cool place

Good to hear that you had a nice trip down to Costa Rica. Those hummers can be pretty elusive when there are no feeders around. The Motmots are very interesting and beautiful birds.

JP, the Mot Mots were probably my 2nd favorite, after the red-legged honeycreepers. Of course, I'll reserve the right to adjust my "favorite" list as I see more. For sure, some of Patricia's hummers might jump to the top of the list. I still hope to get to Monteverde someday, but I spoke to a guy who went there about the time I went to Nicoya and he said he spent 3 days sitting in the rain...so, I'll save that for another trip. And I'll look forward to the reopening of the facilities at the La Paz Waterfall.

Patrick
USDA Zone 8b
Heat Zone 3
Sunset Zone 5
SeaTac, WA...one cool place

Here is one of my favorite photos,(some may have seen it before) even though I couldn't get closer to the pair of MotMots since they were on the other side of the river and I didn't have my newer/better lens. They waited patiently holding the 'catch of the day' for their young,for me to move so they could fly into their burrow just below where I was standing.

Sounds and looks like you had a great vacation...lucky you. Thank you for sharing with the rest of us.

Maybe someday

Chris
Burlington County
NJ

Nice photos! Here in Colombia they´re common on the Pacific coast with a number of dots on Hilty´s map for other locations but none in my neck of the woods.

I was just thrilled to get both the male & female in a shot!

I love the Mot Mots! That WAS a great opportunity, catching the 2 of them in the same photo. The ones I saw were at the INBioparque in Santo Domingo de Heredia, just outside San Jose. They were not caged or otherwised restricted...guess they just liked the mini jungle environment.


Patrick
USDA Zone 8b
Heat Zone 3
Sunset Zone 5
SeaTac, WA...one cool place

I'm back at work & we've had a few sunny days. I'll be off work on Mon-Tue-Wed...just in time for the return of the rain. Here's where I'd rather be:





Patrick
USDA Zone 8b
Heat Zone 3
Sunset Zone 5
SeaTac, WA...one cool place

Those Motmots are beautiful! WOW! and Patrick I wouldn't mind being in that picture either. I am so tired of seeing snow and more snow this year.

Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

That is an inviting looking hammock. Thanks for sharing your pictures from a memorable trip.

Joan Garvey - Metairie, LA Zone 9

Patrick it sounds like you had a great time , I believe that was your second trip there ? Please let us know what hummer species you saw. I missed out on The Red-legged Honeycreepers but saw the other two. Excellent photos from you and Patricia! Thanks !

Zone 6b New Jersey

visit my hummer garden at http://www.picturetrail.com/stephennj

Stephen, I didn't see many hummers...and none close up. I believe the one I got the best look at was a rufous-tailed. Nearly all the others were either at a distance or silhoutted against the sky. My attempted photos aren't worth posting. When I was in La Tigra, near La Fortuna, I saw quite a bit of activity around a long hedge of porter's weed. When I would quietly & slowly approach with my camera, they either disappeared or moved to the opposite side of the hedge. Near San Jose, I saw a few in the INBIOparque, but high up in the trees. I believe those were the only 2 places I saw hummers. I was always seeking out flowers, but hummers were pretty scarce.

As far as I know, it rained in Monteverde pretty much the whole time I was in Costa Rica...my friends weren't much interested in going there in the rain...I'll admit, I found the sunny places more pleasant too. Maybe on my next trip, the La Paz Waterfall Gardens will be open again...and with luck, I'll get to Monteverde. Oh, yes...this was my 2nd trip to CR.

Patrick
USDA Zone 8b
Heat Zone 3
Sunset Zone 5
SeaTac, WA...one cool place