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.