Photo with 6 notes
Juvenile Ruby-throated Hummingbird, sporting two elegant blue study stripes
Source: FocusFrog.com
Hummingbirds of Costa Rica. These iridescent little jewels are a pleasure to watch. Hi speed photos taken as still images, with enhanced backgrounds.
First Osa Lodge
We have landed in the Osa Penninsula of Costa Rica. Our Lodge sits on a mountainside, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Scarlet Macaws fly under our room. But we have come to photograph hummingbirds. As advertized, the lodge has several hummingbird feeders. Only trouble is that they have no hummingbirds. Instead, there are Bananaquits, aggressive little bandits just a bit bigger than the hummers. Our target, the Charming Hummingbird is in the bushes. I can see him through the branches. But he doesn’t even attempt to come to the feeders, making him impossible to photograph. Oh well. Stuck in Paradise. Our pilot friends had recommended a local bush pilot to fly us out to the local ‘big’ town. He is nowhere to be found. The lodge works on solar power, which is precious and carefully controlled. So communication is sporadic. Late on the night before our departure, he confirms that he will be there the following morning. 8 am sharp. Three of us and our 200 pounds worth of equipment are packed and ready. We arrive at the landing strip where the lodge owner takes a good look at our stuff. ‘Your plane will not be able to take off’, he warns. You’d better negotiate with the local bus to take some of it. So, what to put on the bus? No, not the equipment, it’s too precious. So, it has to be our clothes. As the bus prepares to leave, the plane arrives. Out comes our pilot, dressed in cowboy boots, a 10 gallon hat and a denim shirt open to the waist. ‘No problem’. He takes the back seats off the plane, throws them in the tail. My husband is his co-pilot, I get the only passenger seat left while my brother sits in between the luggage for the 10 minute ride. As we take off, the luggage lands on poor Julio, but we all arrive safely at our destination. Stay tuned. The adventure continues. Here is another hummingbird image from a previous trip. It’s a pair of Black-belllied Humminbirds. More images here:
