This Canivet’s Emerald (my gallery link) is one of the 3 hummingbirds in my garden, with Blue-vented being the other one secondary to the Rufous-tailed who thinks he owns the garden and when I fill the feeders, hogs them and chases off other hummingbirds (the Canivet’s & Blue-vented), but these other two have easier access to my large number of Porter Weeds, officially called Blue Porterweed, Stachytarpheta jamaicensis (Wikipedia link). They are in the verbena family and are the most popular flower here for both hummingbirds and butterflies. And they are not all blue! 🙂
Canivet’s Emerald, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa RicaBlue Porterweed, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Starting today, I will spend a couple of days at Xandari Nature Resort on the outskirts of the city of Alajuela, our provincial capital. It is not exactly cheap, so two nights is enough for one of my top 3 or 4 butterfly locations while I hope they have less wind there than we do in Atenas, less than an hour away. We will see! Oops! I just had to cancel because of a sick stomach and asked if they could move my special price to another date. Hope so! Though not suppose to make changes on pre-paid specials. 🙂 Well, they did make the change to June 8-10, same reservation, just two week later and hopefully with a healthier old man! They told me that I was a special guest and they were happy to postpone the reservation. 🙂
Garden Art, Xandari Costa Rica
Here’s links to the “trip galleries” of my earlier visits to Xandari, in a resort chain with headquarters in India, adding to the exotic nature of the place with waterfalls, forest trails, birds & butterflies and some of the best flower gardens in the country, plus a small farm for their restaurant. A cool place on a hilltop overlooking downtown Alajuela and the San Jose Airport from a lush tropical forest.
One of the more common birds seen in my garden has always been the Great Kiskadee (linked to my gallery) and here are 2 shots of this tropical bird common all over Costa Rica.
Great Kiskadee, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa RicaGreat Kiskadee, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
The rainy season here is believed by many to have been “sung in” by the Yigüirro or Clay-colored Thrush. Rain usually starts around the middle of May, while this year it started in early May. And sure enough, the Clay-colored Thrush sang almost constantly throughout April and the rains started the first week of May! I think this image of a Yigüirro in one of my Nance Trees has that look of a “job well done!” 🙂 And it continues to rain almost every afternoon.
Yigüirro or Clay-colored Thrush, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
¡Pura Vida!
See more photos of this National Bird of Costa Rica in my gallery: Clay-colored Thrush.
Looks over the grass (where they feed) from a neighbor’s fence. See more of this interesting bird in my Yellow-faced Grassquit Gallery. They are plentiful in the cow pasture across the street. Grass seeds are their favorite food.
Yellow-faced Grassquit, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
This little guy with the bright blue tail was the first hummingbird I photographed in this house, in a neighbor’s Mimosa Tree, back in 2015! He now hangs out a lot in my Porter Weeds and is similar to the Rufous Tails that are dominant in my garden, but is more colorful. Blue vs Rufous (rusty-brown)! 🙂 See more in my gallery: Blue-vented Hummingbird.
The Yigüirro (CR Spanish name) or Clay-colored Thrush (Common English name) became the national bird of Costa Rica because early residents gave it credit for the beginning of Rainy Season in May, since they seem to be singing constantly during April before the rains start. Two shots from my garden a few days ago or see more from over the years in the gallery: Clay-colored Thrush or Yigüirro
Yigüirro or Clay-colored Thrush, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa RicaYigüirro or Clay-colored Thrush, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
One of the more common and often seen birds in my garden is found in Costa Rica Rica only on the Pacific Slope and mostly Northern and Central Pacific, while otherwise it is found only from Mexico to Costa Rica also only on the Pacific Slope, but fairly common in those areas. It is a boisterous or noisy, chattering wren mostly on the ground and in low shrubs and trees. I see almost every day and thus don’t often bother to photograph. See more photos in my Rufous-backed Wren Gallery. When I first came to Costa Rica he was called the Rufous-naped Wren, but like too many birds has had his name changed during my 11 years here.
Still somewhat windy here, but at least the birds are coming back out, though not many butterflies yet. This Blue-gray Tanager (my gallery link) is well-known on both slopes of Costa Rica and from Mexico to South America. The powder-blue and white plumage make him distinctive with the closest look maybe being his cousin, the brown and white Palm Tanager. See more of my photos from all over in the above-linked gallery.
Fairly common in humid lowland forest edges, farms and gardens all over Costa Rica and is found from Mexico south through most of South America. When you get a front view, you see the unique buff-colored (beige to pinkish) spot on his throat with a black border. There are many examples in my Buff-throated Saltator Gallery, just did not get that view with this one in my garden last week.
Buff-throated Saltator, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa RicaBuff-throated Saltator, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
