12th August - El Silencio Lodge, Bajos Del Toro, Costa Rica

This morning finally saw some sunshine, a welcome after the overcast conditions we had endured.  We were moving on today to our next destination, but still had time to return to the hummingbirds once again.  As we had breakfast there were many tanagers in the bushes, thclosest being the Common Bush Tanager (which I now understand is to be known as the Common Chlorospingus), in the bushes just outside the restaurant window.

As well as the birds there was another interesting moth lying close to the window, a Dead Leaf Moth.

After breakfast the clouds rolled in once again, but it was not enough top stop us heading out.  Yesterday I had forgotten the insect repellent and was bitten quite badly, I didn't make the same mistake this morning.  We once again crossed the bridge and walked up the track to the garden.  Around us in the bushes were Slate-throated Redstarts and House Wrens, calling as they moved through the trees.  As we looked up in search of them though all we could see were the patterns woven into the leaves once again.
 

At the garden the hummingbirds were already zipping about and calling as they methodically worked their way around each and every flower head.  This gives you some idea of what the garden looks like, the view taken from one corner of the square maze
  

Initially there were Black-bellied Hummingbirds, the males looking very grand in their jet black plumage and white outer tail feathers.

 It was all about territory, but if a female wandered into it there was a different reaction.  Any male would be vigourously chased away.  The female would be approached, but it would seem she was prepared to give as good as she got, and squabbles would break out with the hummingbirds towering up like dueling butterflies.  In some circumstance other males would join in.  When they did this they would be oblivious to anything else and they could come very close.  The males would also look to "bump" the female with their breasts.  The females though were very hard to deter as you can see from this determined expression.

The males though remained on guard for any invading males, choosing a sufficiently open perch to protect their flowers.

 
In amongst the hummingbirds were more Hawkmoths, this time with different markings.  I assume they are the same species, but just variants.

What I wanted to do today was to try and increase the shutter speed in an effort to try and freeze the wings of the hummingbirds, believe me no mean feat.  A male Purple-throated Mountain Gem was my first success.

But even at 1/3200 of a second there is still an amount of blur in the wings.

The Scintillent was about again this morning, and this time it was giving some superb views.  Because by speeding the shutter speed meant I had to lose the light exposure I went back to the program format.  This lovely little Hummingbird chose to perch with very dark backgrounds

 Here the lovely orange necklace that flashes orange as the light catches the feathers

Here it gives the appearance of being rather grumpy
  

 A turn of the head and the spectacular colour is gone

Only to return once again when head on!

Then finally feeding around the flowers.  As it would get in amongst the middle of the bush it would occasionally save energy and perch to feed on the flowers before moving on.

 
I then continued my attempt to capture the hummingbirds in flight, starting with the male Black-bellied Hummingbird once again.

Then onto the female Purple-throated Mountain Gems.

It captures a grace and style like nothing else

If a Hummingbird Hawkmoth flies in the same way as the bird was it possible to freeze their wings?  The answer was yes, a rare look at the open wings on this day flying moth.  From above

And from below.

While not as many butterflies about as yesterday there were still a few to catch the eye.  Once again this remains unidentified but is quite superb.

And again a skipper that may very well be the same species as yesterday the Southern Skipperling.

A male Purple-throated Mountain Gem had been teasing me all morning.  It fed around the same bushes but disappeared into the canopy surrounding the garden.  As it fed it flashed the beautiful electric blue cap. along with the purple throat that gives it the name.  Try as I might this bird evaded me, but finally I managed an acceptable picture, albeit  not as bright as I had seen, but sufficient to satisfy as we had to leave.

We dragged ourselves away from the hummingbirds, hopeful we would see more on our travels.  As we left the Scintillent was sitting on one of its favourite perchs, silhouetted against the silver grey sky.
 

Our bags were packed and we waited for our driver to pick us up.  He was early and as we were about to leave my attention was drawn to a large moth on the ceiling.  

I am not sure of what the species was, but I know that this moth probably was one of the reasons for the events that were about to unfold on our transfer to our next destination, Monteverde