If I had to pick a favorite....

I’m sometimes asked if I have a favorite bird or kind of bird. I don’t. But if I were forced to choose, I’d probably go with hummingbirds. They’re the only birds that can hover or fly backwards. They are small but mighty; ferocious defenders of their nests and territories and able to fly hundreds of miles over water during migration. And if you travel outside the Eastern U.S. — where the ruby-throated hummingbird is pretty much all you’ll see— you can find hummingbirds with all sorts of brilliant, iridescent colors, such as the Purple-throated Mountain Gem pictured below. I took this photo on our 2012 trip to Costa Rica, when we were traveling with our dear friends Debbie and Eugene. This little guy resting a few feet away from some feeders set up near the Monteverde National Park entrance.

More than 600 kinds of birds live in Costa Rica, many of which never come as far north as the U.S. But even if you’re not a birder, Costa Rica is a wonderful place to vacation. It’s easy to get to, friendly, not expensive, and all kinds of beautiful with mountains and beaches and cloud forests and year-’round warm weather. I cherish every memory of our 12 day trip there, but especially the fun I had sharing the vacation with people I love so much.