The first half of November I was in Costa Rica's Orosi Valley for our 22nd Operation RubyThroat citizen science expedition to the Neotropics. Mist netting and live-trapping operations were centered at Ujarrás, a riverside agricultural community whose cash crop is Chayote--a squash that flowers prolifically and whose nectar is sought by hummers and other avifauna.

Over a nine-day period we spent six mornings in the field, banding ruby-throats and other Neotropical migrants such as warblers and orioles, and photographing other colorful resident birds that went unbanded. We also had time for field trips to view other fauna and lush flora in natural areas, including Tapanti National Park, Irazú Volcano, and Rancho Naturalista ("Home of the Snowcap").

My "This Week at Hilton Pond" installment for 1-30 November 2013 is a summation of our most recent excursion, complete with more than a hundred photos and a non-technical description of our results. The photo essay is extensive and may take a while to download, but I think you'll find it enjoyable and informative. To view the write-up, please visit http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek131101.html . (It's formatted for easy reading on computer or tablet.)

Remember, experience and training are not necessary to participate in an Operation RubyThroat trip to Central America; ANYONE with interest and enthusiasm can be a citizen scientist!   :-)

Happy (Neotropical) Nature Watching!

BILL