Orchids in Costa Rica

Orchid 11-14-14-0139I stayed home this weekend, hanging out with the new birds, playing music for them on my new piano – more about that in a later post – checking out what’s going on in my backyard, making soup and bread… And trying to finish the pictures from Costa Rica.

Green Hermit

Green Hermit – a token hummingbird in an orchid post

Except that going through them there is so much more than just birds. There is landscape, butterflies, other animals, orchids and other plants and flowers that defy description.

All the orchid pictures on this page were taken on a field trip we took to Lankester Botanical Gardens on November 14th.

Orchid Waterfall 11-14-14-0195

Waterfall at Lankester Gardens

I have seen orchids in other places, but nothing compares to the feeling of being surrounded by them everywhere!

There are thousands of varieties and these pictures are by no means meant to be representative. I just took pictures of the cooperative plants that caught my eye.

Orchid 11-14-14-0171

Orchid 11-14-14-0192

Orchid 11-14-14-0162 Orchid 11-14-14-0157 Orchid 11-14-14-0154 Orchid 11-14-14-0149

I confess ignorance about plants in general and orchids in particular, but it is easy to see why people become enamored and enslaved by them.

Orchid 11-14-14-0174

I did buy a book on Costa Rican plants but I am almost afraid to open it. I suspect it will help me identify some of the more common plants and trees in some photographs but it couldn’t possibly catalogue very many orchid species. The sheer variety is mind-numbing.

Orchid 11-14-14-0184

The gardens have a nursery going for new orchids, some growing out of wood blocks, like the one below.

Orchid 11-14-14-0148

Orchid 11-14-14-0146

Orchid 11-14-14-0143

Orchid 11-14-14-0138

Orchid 11-14-14-0134

It seemed only fitting to close with a Green Hermit enjoying flowers.

Green Hermit 11-14-14-7170

 

Hummingbirds!!

Crowned Woodnymph

Crowned Woodnymph

I have barely managed to process four days’ worth of photographs from Costa Rica, and have three more to go. And this was not a birding trip! But I find myself with a surfeit of hummingbird photos, so maybe it’s time to look at a few before I discover any more treasures.

Volcano Hummingbird

Volcano Hummingbird

Perhaps the most unusual sighting was of the Volcano Hummingbird. Although conditions were not perfect for photographing this bird, it was cooperative and loyal to its perch on top of a short tree hugging a crater of the Irazu volcano.

White-Necked Jacobin

White-Necked Jacobin

Even if White-Necked Jacobins were not widespread in Central and South America, they would be easily recognizable for their distinctive colors.

Green Hermit

Green Hermit

In the middle of our work week we took a day off from banding and one feature of that day was visiting Rancho Naturalista for lunch and observing their hummingbirds at the feeders, like the Green Hermit above and the Green-Breasted Mango below.

Green-Breasted Mango

Green-Breasted Mango

Rufous-Tailed Hummingbirds were numerous everywhere, and we were releasing them daily from the nets in the chayote fields. They appeared exotic again feeding in the vervain.

Rufous-Tailed Hummingbird

Rufous-Tailed Hummingbird

Rufous-Tailed Hummingbird

Rufous-Tailed Hummingbird

Black-Crested Coquettes are distinctive-looking little birds. Going through the pictures I wondered how I could have missed the fancy striping on their bellies, but I guess I was paying more attention to the black crest and the white posterior band that I guess makes them coquettish.

Black-Crested Coquette

Black-Crested Coquette

Black-Crested Coquette

Black-Crested Coquette

Black-Crested Coquette

Black-Crested Coquette

Black-Crested Coquette 11-12-14-6220

Black-Crested Coquette

Crowned Woodnymphs used to be called Violet-Crowned Woodnymphs. I kind of like the old name better but they’re spectacular-looking little birds, whatever they’re called.

Crowned Woodnymph

Crowned Woodnymph

Of course we saw Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds outside of the nets too.

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

It’s been nice to have a four-day weekend to spend at home observing my new live-in birds. I hope to be back soon with reports from the home front as well as more from Costa Rica.

Crowned Woodnymph

Crowned Woodnymph