4. Monteverde's Hummingbird Gallery (5/27/07)

Sunday, May 27, 2007
The bus picked us up by our rooms and we headed higher up the mountain. Saw orange-red orchids along the side of the road. Passed the Trapp Family Lodge, sister to the one in Vermont. First stop was the Hummingbird Gallery, a shop just outside the entrance to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, with feeders attracting numerous hummingbirds. We were enchanted by hummingbirds buzzing past our ears as they darted from feeder to feeder, or off into the plants surrounding the terrace. If only they would stay still long enough to be photographed!
We saw the Violet Sabrewing (Campyloptarus hemileucurus), the largest hummingbird found in Costa Rica, with its blue iridescence evident in the sunshine.

Violet Sabrewing (Photo by Brynne)

Also the Coppery-headed Emerald (Elvira cupreiceps), one of three endemic species in Costa Rica.

Coppery-headed Emerald (Photo by Linda)

We did take a moment to step into the shop, owned by Patricia Maynard, with hummingbird-related gifts, postcards, books, prints and posters, Guatemalan textiles, local batiks and woodcrafts, ceramics, jewelry, and t-shirts. There was an exhibit of wildlife photographs from around the world by Patricia and Michael Fogden, including hummingbird close-ups. And an exhibit of watercolors by nature artist Sarah Dowell.
Other hummingbirds seen at the Hummingbird Gallery: Green Hermit (Phaethornis guy), Green Violet-ear (Colibri thalassimus),

Green Violet-ear (Photo by Linda)

Stripe-tailed Hummingbird (Eupherusa eximia), Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl), [Female] Purple-throated Mountain Gem (Lampornis calolaema),

Purple-throated Mountain Gem (Photo by Brynne)

and Green-crowned Brilliant (Heliodoxa jacula).

Green-crowned Brilliant (Photo by Brynne)

Note: The other endemic hummingbird species of Costa Rica are the Mangrove Hummingbird (Polyerata boucardi) and Volcano Hummingbird (Selasphorus flammula).
Next: 5. The Hunt for the Quetzal.