Q is for Quetzal: a Resplendent Trogon indeed

Magnificent tropical oaks, with a female Resplendent Quetzal

Our stay for the last few days has been at the Savergre Hotel in the Province of San Jose. This high altitude region is above 2200m and the forests are lush and home to magnificent tropical oaks, some over 700 years old.

These forests are home to the brilliant Resplendent Quetzal, a bird deified by the Mayans and arguably the most beautiful  bird in the Central Americas. 

A bird of legends and art. 

And our target bird!

Found, admired, photographed.

A male in all his glory.

In the 1940s, Dr. Alexander Skutch wrote a life history of the Quetzal, based on long years of careful observation. He describes the Quetzal as follows:

The male is a supremely lovely bird; the most beautiful, all things considered, that I have ever seen. He owes his beauty to the intensity and arresting contrast of his coloration, the resplendent sheen and glitter of his plumage, the elegance of his ornamentation; the symmetry of his form, and the noble dignity of his carriage. His whole head and upper plumage, foreneck. and chest are an intense glittering green. His lower breast, belly, and under tail coverts are of the richest crimson. 

The dark, central feathers of the tail are entirely concealed by the greatly elongated upper tail coverts, which are golden green with blue or violent iridescence, and have loose, soft barbs. The two median and longest of these coverts are longer than the entire body of the bird, and extend far beyond the tip of the tail, which is of normal length. Loose and slender, they cross each other above the end of the tail, and thence diverging gradually, form a long, gracefully curving train which hangs below the bird while he perches upright on a branch and ripple gaily behind him as he flies. The outer tail feathers are pure white and contrast with the crimson belly as he flies overhead. To complete the splendor of his attire, reflections of blue and violent play over the glittering metallic plumage of back and head, when viewed in favourable light. 

P is for Potoo: a mother and her chick

Step 1: Johan Fernandez had to help me out to see this bird so well camouflaged!

Step 2: OMG. It's a Great Potoo, and her chick!

Step 3: Creep around tree for a front view, they are so strange looking!

Step 4: Mom is sleeping but chick notices 5 humans creeping up taking photos!

Step 5: I am so bored, why do these humans hang around, I should be sleeping.

Y is for Yiguirro: Costa Rica's national bird

yigüirro
Clay-colored thrush. The clay-colored thrush (Turdus grayi) is a common Middle American bird of the thrush family (Turdidae). It is the national bird of Costa Rica, where it is well known as the yigüirro.

Clay-colored Thrush

One of the common birds here in Costa Rica and also widely distributed. It calls and sings continuously, is very people friendly and confiding, therefore it is well known by all of Costa Rica's people.

It's choice at first was not obvious to me when one considers all the other showy, huge, colourful, fierce birds, in fact some of the world's iconic birds, but this gentle little bird feels so right for this country of open, caring, and hard working people.

D is for Detail: finding hidden gems

Gaudy Tree Frog

As we walk in the forests it is so easy to miss what is right in front of us. 

The pleasure of being guided by locals, passionate about their environment, is that we are taught to see what is around us.

Johan showed us a frog hanging on for dear life under a leaf in Cope's garden. 

The humid rain-forests of Costa Rica are home to this vibrantly colored red-eyed tree frog, also known as the gaudy leaf frog.

Another tiny frog we saw is called the Blue Jeans frog, blue legs and red body.

The body of the Gaudy Leaf Frog is lime green with blue and yellow striped flanks and with white along the underbelly and inner legs. 

Honduran White Bats.

A little later, when we walking to see the Spectacled Owl, Cope went off the path and called us each in turn to look under a large frond. 

Bats. 

Tiny, Honduran White Bats. 

They are found in Panama, Nicaragua and here in Costa Rica. 

Their colour is unusual, white fur and a yellow nose.

They use the leaf as a tent and look cosy and snug!  They cling upside down onto the stem of the underside of the leaf, which offers protection from rain and predators. When the leaf eventually dies off they move house.

A very rare sighting indeed.

Even birding demands paying attention to the smallest detail, like the Yellow-legged Finch - when I eventually saw the little tennis balls of colour on its thighs I was thrilled, as was Martie!

Yellow-thighed Finch

A is for Art: Cope a Costa Rican artist

Cope's original art - the Spectacled Owl

We had the privilege to meet Cope Arte, a Costa Rican artist, photographer, birder and friend to Johan Fernandez.

Cope has developed a wetland in his garden with a hide and he hosts birders and photographers. We sat in this peaceful place, watched the hummingbird feeders, and the birds flitted in and out, they nibbled on the pawpaw and plantain on offer, all quite lovely.

Fred bought me two pieces of Cope's art for our 37th anniversary and I look forward to framing them.

Cope then jumped on his bicycle and took us to his favourite woods, showed us a hummingbird nest, bats and the star of the visit - a Spectacled Owl.

Spectacled Owl, deep in the forest.

N is for Neotropical: forests of Costa Rica

Female Great Curassow

Definition of neotropical. : of, relating to, or constituting the tropical New World biogeographic region that extends south, east, and west from the central plateau of Mexico.

Birding in the forests of the Le Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica

These Neotropic ecozones are very special, abundant flora and fauna, Martie says this is what the Garden of Eden would look like.

We have been birding on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica at 600m around Arenal Volcano, then dropped down to 50m while birding at Le Selva and we have now come to Pacific side of the country and will be finding high altitude species, at times over 2000m. We have sweated and felt so hot at the low elevations and now we are cool and layering to keep warm.

Johan Fernandez our guide has chosen his spots carefully to optimise these remarkable forest zones and the birds change significantly as we move around.

T is for Toucan: Black-mandibled Toucan

Nothing quite like watching a Toucan eating a frog, seeing the squirt of innards as the bird' huge bill snapped tightly.

They are the avian predators here in Costa Rica and their droll appearance and beautiful colouring belie their fierceness.

Certainly a birding highlight among so many amazing moments as we bird these Neotropical forests.

F is for Foodie Treat: Costa Rica on the menu.

A typical offering here in Costa Rica - Casados con Carne or Pollo

A marriage of rice and beans is the staple on our menus - for breakfast they are combined, at lunch they are separated, vegetables are simple and fresh, and the fried plantains are a yummy punch of sweetness. One breakfast I even had some on toast with honey. Cassava croquettes are quite delicious too as was the fried fish.

All works so well. I so enjoyed all my rice dishes - with chicken, with shrimps...

Loads of fresh fruits are available, in season are mangoes, pawpaws, melon, bananas, heady, sweet pineapple and watermelon. Delicious fruit juices.

Another gem is a small serving of rice pudding for after a meal. Rich, creamy and so good.

Fresh bounty wherever we went.

S is for Size: huge ground birds to tiny specks high in the canopy

It's all about size! A Painted Gumtree in the background.

Forest birding is so challenging.

The dense undergrowth is perfect for Antbirds and Antpitta's to skulk but it makes for difficult sightings, I try fit together an image of the bird between, around and over all the vegetation! We then scan the lofty canopy which is alive with calls and the tiniest of birds. Our necks creak and the photographers complain.

The photo shows a large Crested Guan which is about 90cm compared to the Yellow-throated Euphonia on the bottom left and the Common Tody-Flycatcher on the bottom right which are no more than 10 cm from bill to tail.

And then of course, I have to then recall the bird and it's name....

H is for Hummingbirds: Green Violetear

Green Violetear.

I looked forward to seeing the hummingbirds here in Costa Rica and have not been disappointed.
In two days we have spotted 15 different 'hummers'. Johan Fernandez, our guide for the trip, took us to a garden with feeders yesterday en route to Arenal Volcano and the viewing was such a treat.

This photo of a Green Violetear shows off the delicate beauty of this tiny little bird and the sun illuminating the splash of violet.

T is for Tanagers: a female Passerini catches Fred's eye

Female Passerini Tanager

Among all the flash and high drama of the birds of Costa Rica, the camera caught the finer detail of the subdued colours of a female Passerini Tanager. The male is a showy black and red with a texture of velvet and she is so lovely in an understated way.

O is for an Oropendola: enjoying pawpaw.

Montezumo Oropendola, Arenal Observatory Lodge

The Montezumo Oropendolas are large social birds here in Costa Rica, they are highly vocal and keep us company as we stalk down the more secretive and skulking birds of the forest around the Arenal Volcano.

The call, the fabulous flash of the yellow on the tail and the facial detail make for a very interesting bird.

It also nests colonially in large trees. These nests are an achievement in weaving, looking like large, hanging baskets.

Montezumo Oropendola nest!

A is for Arenal Volcano: it puffs

Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica

We are birding in the shadow of Volcan Arenal. It looms over us at 1663m with its iconic conical shape and steep scree slopes.

It is what is known as a stratovolcano, which means a tall and symmetrical volcano built upon successive layers of rock, ash and lava.

It is partially active and when the clouds move off we could clearly see its emissions - a column of water vapour and gases.

Meanwhile, here at the Arenal Observatory Lodge we have been entertained by the antics of the White-nosed Coatis, relative of racoons, another tick on our mammal list.