29th July - Hummingbirds, Miriam's Cafe, San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica

We arrived back from our trip to see the Quetzal in time for breakfast, and as we ate, in the bushes outside the restaurant a female Volcano Hummingbird was moving around the flowers.  It would rest in a bush close to the window.

Acorn woodpeckers and Flame-coloured Tanagers were also about being attracted to the banana on one of the bird tables.

After breakfast we made our way back up the hill to the bungalow.  The weather was excellent, a huge contrast to the previous day, blue sky and a warm sun despite the fresh breeze.  Outside the bungalow a Talamanca Hummingbird came and went on the feeder outside our window, and on the bushes perched a Black-capped Flycatcher, that was quite tame and allowed a close approach.

As I photographed the Flycatcher, Helen tapped on the widow and pointed to a dead tree lose by, at the top was a Long-tailed Silky Flycatcher.

This flycatcher is one of Costa Rica’s endemic species and is found above 2000 metres in the central Highlands.  Despite this it is a fairly common bird, usually seen in small flocks.  It was a lifer for me.

It was a lovely morning and the valley looked splendid looking out from the bungalow

We decided to walk up the hill to Miriam’s café, the place we had visited yesterday afternoon in the rain.  Today though it was dry, and the sun was out a much better prospect for photography.  As we slowly made our way up the hill a lizard scrambled across the rock face alongside the road

There is a small platform at the back of the café that overlooks a small garden.  In front is a dead tree on which a feeding platform has been built, and to the right there were three hummingbird feeders hung from a small shelter and in the bushes.  Around the platform to the left were flowering plants.  It was a hive of activity with hummingbirds coming and going almost constantly.  It was a case of settling down, watching and waiting.

There were four types of hummingbirds about, The Talamanca, Fiery-throated and Volcano Hummingbirds that we had seen at the Paradise de Quetzal lodge yesterday, and one new bird a White-throated Mountain Gem.  Last year while staying at El Silencio in Banos del Toro we spent time watching and photographing the Purple-throated Mountain Gem, and in fact the female of the White-throated looks almost the same as the female Purple-throated.

Here a male showing the white throat, the electric blue forehead and white stripe behind the eye.

The flowers on the left-hand side of the platform were an attraction to the diminutive Volcano Hummingbird.

The dark spots on the throat identify this as either a female or immature male.

Hummingbirds are aggressive little birds and will vigorously defend territories engaging in aerial battles where they will bash into each other and clash wings.  The Talamanca Hummingbird, being the largest, and just like we observed yesterday was the most dominant, looking to guard the feeders and chase off anything that they saw looking to move in.

The cast was then made up by the Fiery-throated Hummingbird, coming in a little behind the Talamanca in the authority ranks, and just above that of the White-throated Mountain Gem.

However yesterday we had seen something different here, unfortunately due to the heavy rain I did not have my camera, but despite that this celebrity had attracted many other photographers and the same was true this morning.  The wait was not too long, and from out of the surrounding bushes appeared “el Angelito” as it had become known here at Miriam’s Café.

This is a leucistic Talamanca Hummingbird, and we had seen it yesterday in the rain and vowed to come back with the camera.  It apparently started to visit the feeders here at the café about two weeks ago.  In that time it has been a major attraction for birders, photographers and even Costa Rica TV.

Being white does not mean that this is an albino, an albino loses all pigments and typically the ye is pink.  Leucism is a condition in which there is partial loss of pigmentation in an animal resulting in white, pale, or patchy coloration of the skin, hair, feathers, scales or cuticle, but not the eyes.  It's occasionally spelled leukism. Unlike albinism, it is caused by a reduction in multiple types of pigment, not just melanin.

Yesterday in the rain we observed it being chased off the feeders by the other Talamanca Hummingbirds, but today it seemed to be more confident and prepared to step up to their challenges.

As quick as it arrived it was gone again, in flight due to the white plumage it takes on a ghost like presence, the name given to it by the café of “el angelito” suggests an angel, but for me ghost is a more apt description.

As well as the hummingbirds there were other visitors to the garden.  Acorn Woodpeckers were quite prepared to come to the feeding station.

Clown faced with distinctive facial markings this woodpecker is known for living in small colonies, at times there were up to six woodpeckers all feeding together

They are also very vocal with various contact calls.  They are known for collecting and caching acorns that they drill into holes in the dead tree trunks.

Both sexes have a red cap, but the males cap stretched forward to meet the white forehead.  In the female the red patch is to the back of the head with black between the white and the red

There were several Volcano Hummingbirds about and despite their small size they were prepared to put up a fight if pushed upon by the larger hummingbirds.

They would wait their time on a perch nearby and take a chance when the feeders appeared clear.

And again, once away from the feeders would take up a favourite perch in the sunshine

There was one Fiery-throated Hummingbird that had a favourite perch within one of the bushes, and when it returned to the perch after feeding it would be extremely vocal.  As a result, I was able to find him and able to watch as he preened and showed off the amazing colours in his throat.

Sitting quietly in the open the throat was not as electric

But a turn of the head would send a flash of brilliant colour

The normally plumaged Talamanca Hummingbirds are also quite an impressive bird.

This one a female

A long straight bill, and white stripe behind the eye similar to that of the White-throated Mountain Gem.

The male with just the patch behind the eye

The White-throated Mountain Gems were prone to flying at you, in fact one even flew into Helen’s face.  The reasons were not clear maybe it was something due to colour, or maybe being just too close to the feeders

Another striking bird around the feeders, attracted to the banana put our was the Flame-coloured Tanager.  It’s easy to see why it gets its name.

Very much a highland bird, they are quite common in forested habitats and forest edges.  While the male is the flame coloured orange, the female is a little drabber with a yellowish olive plumage with dark streaks on the upper parts.

A Long-tailed Silky Flycatcher visited the trees at the back of the garden

While on the grass below were Rufous-necked Sparrows and Large footed Thrush, while more adventurous birds were on the feeding platform.

A Sooty Capped Chlorospingus, previously known as a Bush Tanager

And a Yellow-thighed Finch, once again a very appropriate name.

A Streak-headed Woodcreeper.

The strong sunshine had given way to a light drizzle, and one of the photographers present decided to remove the feeders and replace them with bunches of flower heads.  Into these he injected with a hypodermic needle (he was a nurse by profession) the sugar water.  It made for a more natural photograph and gave us the opportunity to catch them in flight.  It didn’t seem to put the hummingbirds off from coming close, here three species, Fiery-throated, Volcano and the female White-throated Mountain Gem

And here two Fiery-throated Hummingbirds

Male White-throated Mountain Gems

A Fiery-throated showing the electric colours in the throat

And a Talamanca Hummingbird.

It was only appropriate though that we leave the final portfolio to the star of the show, call it Ghost, call it El Angelito, it was an impressive sight as it weaved around the other hummingbirds with flight that seemed to be so different, the white appearance seemingly slowing down the wings with the naked eye.

Taking a break from feeding it would sometimes sit below us on a perch in amongst the flowers.

But it was in flight that this special hummingbird looked most spectacular.

Even flying to the natural flowers.

As well as photographs, Helen was taking video, and here is a collection of clips showing el angelito, and the others around first the feeders and then the flowers.  The video was taken in real time, but in places the wing beats appear to be slowed down.  This is specially so with the white hummingbird which further enforces its appearance as either an angel, or a ghost, you decide

We had a superb lunch of chicken soup at the cafe,and after, with the rain returning we decided to make our way back down the hill to our bungalow where we spent the afternoon relaxing and watching the rain fall.

Once home I found out that "el angelito" was not seen after 10th August at the cafe, everyone hopes that it decided to move on, and did not suffer at the hands of an owl or cat.