Arenal: A hummingbird paradise

Traveling to the Arenal region of Costa Rica promises two things: undeniably beautiful views of the majestic namesake volcano and countless bird sightings - specifically, hummingbirds. The area boasts more than 30 of the country's roughly 50 or so species.

A week stay at Arenal Observatory Lodge in 2023 meant we were only needed to stand on our balcony or wander about one of the nearby gardens to catch a glimpse of these

exceedingly tiny, speedy birds as they flocked to flowers around the property.

A thunderstorm rolled in half way through our stay, lighting the dark sky with bolts of lightning and cracks of thunder. The violent storm went on through the night, and was replaced by a soft rain by morning.

I was surprised to see the birds were not deterred. The Blue-throated Goldentails and Rufous-tailed hummingbirds patiently perched on the edge of large leaves or twigs, periodically fluffing their feathers or flicking their tongues. When the last raindrops fell, the birds were back to zipping about in search of the next source of nectar. Lucky for them, options were in full supply.