The back of Buena Vista Hotel, Alajuela, Costa Rica, Central America;
Ours was the room just in front of where Steve was standing.

Mary found this butterfly on the screen of our open window.

We took a selfie outside our room window.

The hotel was aptly named; from its 'backyard' you could see the central valley and San José below.

There was a wall of flowering bushes and vines on one side of the hotel that included this pale violet bougainvillea.

More of the pale bougainvillea

We learned the red passionflower in the wall of flowers is so-named for the blood red of the flower petals, the 12 petals that represent the 12 apostles and the cross shape of the stamens.

More passionflower blossoms

A blossom and buds of a yellow trumpet-shaped flower on the wall

More bougainvillea and trumpet-shaped flowers on the wall

Deep purple bougainvillea

A White-winged Dove peeking out from its nest on a gutter on the hotel wall

A little of the white showing on the dove's wing

One of many Black Vultures we saw

Great Kiskadee

Great Kiskadee

Lesson's Motmot (digiscoped by our guide, Chito)

Lesson's Motmot

Lesson's Motmot

Rufous-naped Wren

Rufous-naped Wren

Mary was taken by the shape and color of this pine tree down the hill from the hotel grounds.

We learned this orange-flowered Poro tree (Erythrina poeppigiana) was a favorite of a variety of birds.

A closer look at the Poro tree

An orange and black Baltimore Oriole among the orange Poro tree blossoms

The Baltimore Oriole flew into a closer tree.

When the birds turned to the sun, we could easily tell they were White-crowned Parrots.

Tennessee Warbler

Tennessee Warbler

Pink flowers on a tree below the hotel

Close-up of the pink flowers

Female (L) and first spring male (flying R) Summer Tanagers

First spring male Summer Tanager

Female Summer Tanager

Female Summer Tanager

Profile of female Summer Tanager

Clay-colored Thrush

Female Flame-colored Tanager

Tennessee Warbler

Flame-colored Tanager

Flame-colored Tanager

This House Wren was calling from the hedge that bordered the hotel lawn.

Plain-capped Starthroat showing the white stripe behind the eye that distinguishes it from the Long-billed Starthroat

Plain-capped Starthroat

Plain-capped Starthroat

Plain-capped Starthroat

Plain-capped Starthroat

Two Black Vultures soaring overhead with their white patches reflecting in the afternoon sun

Turkey Vulture

This bad photo of a Short-tailed Hawk does not look like the drawings in the field guide.

This Short-tailed Hawk photo looks a little more like some I found online.

Short-tailed Hawk

White-winged Dove

Turkey Vulture

Lesson's Motmot

Lesson's Motmot

Motmots often have a black dot of feathers in the middle of the breast.

Lesson's Motmot

The view of San José at night from the back lawn of the Buena Vista Hotel, Alajuela, Costa Rica