Author: Charlie

Retired American nature-lover, living in Costa Rica, photographing birds and other jewels of nature. This site simply reports on my joys of being RETIRED IN COSTA RICA!
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Insects at Sarapiquí

One of the Sulphur Butterflies
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica

Banded Peacock Butterfly
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica

One of the Tigerwings or Isabella’s Heliconian
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica

One of the 11,000 Grasshoppers
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica

One of the Leaf Insects, like Walking Leaf Katydid
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica

Cicada Shell
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica

Termite Nest
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica

See also my photo galleries of BUTTERFLIES  or  OTHER INSECTS

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Iguanas & Lizards at Sarapiquí

Green Iguana (male in mating orange)
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica

Emerald Basilisk (“Jesus Christ Lizard”)
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica

Gray Lichen Anole
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica

Unknown – Possibly a type of Skink or Ameiva (there are many)
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica

See also my photo gallery of Reptiles      And I still have insects and other animals to share! 🙂

What Global Warming is Doing to Costa Rica This Year is an interesting article about the radical weather we have been having. We had our first hurricane in 300 years, more eruptions of one volcano, and heavier winds and rains than normal. You guys in the states need to convince your new idiot president-elect that global warming is real! It affects everyone! 

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Frogs at Sarapiquí

Red-eyed Tree Frog
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica

Dead Leaf Frog
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica

Green & Black Poison Frog
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica

Bare-hearted or Lime-colored Glass Frog
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica
The size of my thumbnail.

All but the Green & Black Poison Frog was photographed on the Selva Verde Lodge‘s Night Hike. Night is the best time to see and photograph frogs, BUT they did not allow us to use camera flash, so these were made with a flashlight! Difficult!

See also my photo gallery of Amphibians   

Turrialba Volcano still erupting through the weekend. Click link for more photos.

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Last 5 Birds from Sarapiquí

Buff-throated Saltator
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica
Also saw a black-headed saltator, but no decent photo.

Spotted Sandpiper
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica
As seen from my room balcony on Sarapiquí River
And I have never seen one with actual spots.

Northern Barred Woodcreeper
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica

Great Kiskadee
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica

Gray-capped Flycatcher
Along the Puerto Viejo River, Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica

See also my Photo Gallery of Costa Rica Birds

Well, that really is all the bird photos I will share from this great trip! But expect about 4 more posts of other wildlife photographed in the Sarapiquí area of Costa Rica.

Corcovado Beach at southern end of
Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica

Then a 4-month break before my next big adventure the first week of May to Corcovado National Park (largest Pacific Coast rainforest) and Drake Bay, staying at the AGUILA DE OSA, Rainforest & Marine Adventure Lodge.  There is no end to adventure and nature photography in Costa Rica and I intend experience as much of it as possible! All my reservations are made including small plane air transportation down which is cheaper than a rent car. I could have done the bus but it is so much easier flying to the South Pacific! It is the wrong time of year for whale-watching, but my focus is birds right now. I’ll do whales another time.

Back in 2009 I visited the southern end of Osa Peninsula and Corcovado (above photo) on a birding trip to Luna Lodge and Lookout Inn, flying to Puerto Jimenez and a 2 hour dirt road drive to the edge of the park. This will be different at the other end or northern end and will include a visit to an island reserve out in the ocean. I can hardly wait!  

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Vultures Feeding at Sarapiquí

Even among birds there is the less beautiful but necessary functions.
Black Vulture
Along the Puerto Viejo River
Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica

Black Vulture feeding on a dead calf
Along the Puerto Viejo River
Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica

Black Vulture (Some wait patiently in trees)
Along the Puerto Viejo River
Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica

Black Vulture (The younger, weaker ones wait across river on sandbar)
Along the Puerto Viejo River
Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica

See also my Photo Gallery of Costa Rica Birds

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Woodpecker, Anhinga & Hawk at Sarapiquí

Black-cheeked Woodpecker
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica
Photographed from the Dining Room
Black-cheeked Woodpecker
Along the Puerto Viejo River
Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica
Note how his tail braces him on tree trunk.

I earlier posted a photo of a different woodpecker, the Pale-billed Woodpecker found behind my cabin at Selva Verde Lodge which is even more impressive! I was much closer!

Anhinga female
Along the Puerto Viejo River 
Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica

Anhinga
Along the Puerto Viejo River 
Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica
This is the typical pose of a male drying his wings,
but the male neck is usually black, so this may be a female,
though her neck is usually lighter than this. See other photo.

Semiplumbeous Hawk
Along the Puerto Viejo River 
Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica
See also my Photo Gallery of Costa Rica Birds

PERSONAL UPDATE: I’ve had what I thought was a bad cold for the last week+ or maybe allergies or sinusitis. Well it is probably volcanic ash that continues to fall over the central valley from Turrialba Volcano which won’t quit belching smoke/ash. 

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Blackbirds & Orioles at Sarapiquí

Montezuma Oropendola
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica

Montezuma Oropendola Nests
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica

Black-cowled Oriole
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica

Baltimore Oriole female (I thought at first, but now doubt it) What?
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica

Baltimore Oriole male
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica

See also my Photo Gallery of Costa Rica Birds

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Hummingbirds at Sarapiquí

White-necked Jacobin
Sarapiquí, Costa Rica

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Sarapiquí, Costa Rica

Green-breasted Mango Hummingbird female
Sarapiquí, Costa Rica

Scaly-breasted Hummingbird
Sarapiquí, Costa Rica

Maybe a Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer
Sarapiquí, Costa Rica

Maybe a Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer
Sarapiquí, Costa Rica

Some of these were shot at the Selva Verde Lodge, some at Dave & Dave’s Nature Park, and possibly one at La Selva. I did not indicate exact location when uploading. Sorry.

Also note that when I say “Sarapiquí” I am referring to a region that has become a popular birding Sarapiquí River and Highway 4 (Ruta 4) down through and south of the bigger, main town of Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí where the boat docks are. Near there is the La Selva Biological Research Station and the large Braulio Carrillo National Park. This is the first of the Caribbean lowlands after the mountain range. There are many competing lodges, but I had read very good things about Selva Verde and now glad I chose it. Hard to imagine better birding anywhere. Though I understand that some other hotels have more luxurious rooms and even air conditioning. Selva Verde has a few rooms with a/c in the main building near the highway if you absolutely require it. The ceiling fan was fine for me.
location and somewhat for adventure sports and tourism in general. It is not a town but an area running from the little town of La Virgen in the west (closer to the mountains I drove through) along the

An additional note for people not familiar with Costa Rica, there are two towns named Puerto Viejo and those who want to avoid confusion use the “full names” or Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí for this area’s main town, and on the Caribbean Coast south of the port city of Limon is the more popular beach town of Puerto Viejo de Limon (in Limon Province) or sometimes call Puerto Viejo Talamanca as it is at the foot of the Talamanca Mountains near where the Bribri indigenous people live. I like both areas and birding is good and different in each. It will take years to explore all the nature spots in this beautiful country! And I will try!  🙂    

See also my Photo Gallery of Costa Rica Birds

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Thrushes, Warblers & Swallows at Sarapiquí

Clay-colored Thrush or Yigüirro
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica
The national bird of Costa Rica

Wood Thrush (possibly Swainson’s or Gray-cheeked)
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica

Buff-rumped Warbler
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica

Chestnut-sided Warbler
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica

Southern Rough-winged Swallow
Puerto Viejo & Sarapiquí Rivers, Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica

Mangrove Swallows
Puerto Viejo & Sarapiquí Rivers, Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica

See also my Photo Gallery of Costa Rica Birds
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Herons, Egrets & Ibis at Sarapiquí

Bare-throated Tiger Heron
Puerto Viejo & Sarapiquí Rivers, Costa Rica

Little Blue Heron
Puerto Viejo & Sarapiquí Rivers, Costa Rica

Great Blue Heron
Puerto Viejo & Sarapiquí Rivers, Costa Rica

Green Heron
Puerto Viejo & Sarapiquí Rivers, Costa Rica

Green Ibis
Puerto Viejo & Sarapiquí Rivers, Costa Rica

Cattle Egret
Flying over Sarapiquí River, Selva Verde Lodge, Chilamate, Costa Rica
Evening flight to roosting tree.

I did two boat trips from the town of Puerto Viejo on the two rivers that merge near there, the Sarapiqui River and the Puerto Viejo River. The afternoon trip was not bad but the morning trip had more birds and they were somewhat different birds the two times. 

See also my Photo Gallery of Costa Rica Birds