Casa Orquideas, Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica
This morning we visited the remarkable Casa Orquideas Botanic Garden, on the shores of Golfo Dulce. This slice of paradise was carved out of the rainforest, over a twenty-year period by Ron and Trudy McAllister. As we wandered the trails we encountered numerous beautiful tropical plants, orchids galore in bloom, and a stunning variety of birds – Chestnut Mandibled Toucans, Green Honeycreepers, the incredible White Hawk, and Red-capped Manakins.
But one of the highlights was discovering the nest of a Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, pictured above. This nest was constructed of lichens and moss, and was scarcely larger than a thimble! The female was incubating two miniature eggs. These birds feed on the nectar produced by the profusion of tropical flowers present in the gardens.
The afternoon was spent exploring the Golfito Nature Reserve were some more hummingbirds were spotted, including the Long-tailed Hermit.
This morning we visited the remarkable Casa Orquideas Botanic Garden, on the shores of Golfo Dulce. This slice of paradise was carved out of the rainforest, over a twenty-year period by Ron and Trudy McAllister. As we wandered the trails we encountered numerous beautiful tropical plants, orchids galore in bloom, and a stunning variety of birds – Chestnut Mandibled Toucans, Green Honeycreepers, the incredible White Hawk, and Red-capped Manakins.
But one of the highlights was discovering the nest of a Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, pictured above. This nest was constructed of lichens and moss, and was scarcely larger than a thimble! The female was incubating two miniature eggs. These birds feed on the nectar produced by the profusion of tropical flowers present in the gardens.
The afternoon was spent exploring the Golfito Nature Reserve were some more hummingbirds were spotted, including the Long-tailed Hermit.
