Long Garden Bed Update, Coyote and Scarlet Macaws

I decided to try something different in the long garden bed. Small tomatoes have been growing in various places in the garden. I feed them to the chickens and their poop along with rotten tomatoes go into the compost bin. This results in compost with tons of tomato seeds.

The compost was spread in the long garden bed and in just a few days, hundreds of seeds sprouted. I have learned that "volunteer" plants are often the best. I thinned them out over several weeks and finally settled on the healthiest looking plants.

They began growing during the rainy season so I did not have to do anything, except tie them to the support. I allowed the volunteer flowers to grow, resulting in a colorful long garden bed. The tomatoes are just beginning to produce. Soon, we will have an abundance of tasty, vine ripened tomatoes. 

We had an exciting nature sighting this morning as we were putting clean sheets on the bed. I looked down the hill from the back patio and saw a coyote! He was jumping/pouncing down the slope, which looked like hunting to me. This was the first coyote I have seen in Costa Rica. He was a similar size to Smiley, long hair and very handsome. Smiley heard the commotion and ran him off. Copanita heard the alarm call and came running to support Smiley. I am glad there was only one Coyote, or it may not have ended so well.

An update on the Scarlet Macaws: I was thrilled that around 5-7 of them slept on our property for about one week. At the peak I counted 40 of them flying over head. Slowly, the numbers have tapered off. I don't think anyone stayed the night last night and so far today I have only seen four.