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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More Chachalacas!

Friday morning in tree behind my neighbor’s house.
 This is another juvenile Chachalaca among adults and kids chattering.
Atenas, Costa Rica

Adult Gray-headed Chachalaca 
 Atenas, Costa Rica

Adult Gray-headed Chachalaca 
 Atenas, Costa Rica

They were lower in the tree than at my house the morning before and thus a little easier to photograph when not behind leaves where they were most of the time!  🙂

See all of my Costa Rica Birds  photographed (235 species so far)
¡Pura Vida!

Retired in Costa Rica – THE BLOG
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A Butterfly’s Demise – Spider Web

I was walking up the hill to 214 to get my dinner from Chef Dan,
At this driveway entrance (101) a German family was photographing
something! I stopped and saw a cobweb stretched over the red plants.
I pulled out my cellphone and opened the camera.
Atenas, Costa Rica

 

A butterfly had flown into a Golden Orb Spider Web and was already being eaten
by the Golden Orb Spider. “The law of the jungle!” or “The food chain!”
Atenas, Costa Rica

 

Another Golden Orb Spider waited nearby.
Will he eat the leftovers? Or do they share?
Atenas, Costa Rica

Doesn’t this remind you of the giant spiders in the Forbidden Forest of the Harry Potter books?  🙂

Related photo galleries:

Butterflies & Moths       and         Other Insects
 

This was yesterday afternoon’s experience. This morning yielded another photo op which I am saving for tomorrow’s post. Never a dull moment in the Costa Rica Rainforests!       ¡Pura Vida!      🙂

¡Hasta mañana!
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Heliconius Hecale Zuleika

Heliconius Hecale Zuleika
My home garden in
Atenas, Costa Rica
This is one of the most common butterflies in Costa Rica. To see more, go to my photo gallery Butterflies & Moths   (65 species and still adding!)
¡Pura Vida! 
Costa Rica Flag Butterfly Art
Not a real butterfly!
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Ser chachalaca – to talk too much

“Ser chachalaca” is a Tico slang expression meaning “To talk too much.”  And here are photos of juvenile (teenagers maybe) Chachalacas, the bird the expression came from. These large birds chatter a lot and very loudly. In fact the juveniles pictured here woke me up around 5:00 AM today and later I tried to snap some photos which is difficult because they stay in the tops of the trees mostly.

Gray-headed Chachalaca juvenile
Atenas, Costa Rica

Gray-headed Chachalaca 
Atenas, Costa Rica

Gray-headed Chachalaca 
Atenas, Costa Rica

I have photos of adult Gray-headed Chachalacas in my photo gallery Costa Rica Birds
And to read more Classic Tico Expressions


“A fool is made more of a fool, 
when their mouth is more open than their mind.” 

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Great Southern White

Great Southern White Butterfly or Ascia monuste en español
My Home Garden, Atenas, Costa Rica

You may be interested in my Photo Gallery of Costa Rica Butterflies & Moths  (65 species!)
“Well, I must endure the presence of a few caterpillars 
  if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies.” 
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince
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A Rare, Unique Jewel Hiding in My Garden

Hiding in the shadows of taller Red Ginger plants & their own tall stalks,
Cellphone photo of Zingiber zerumbet, also known as
Shampoo ginger, bitter ginger, and pinecone ginger
And my gardener calls it Moraca plant 
 Atenas, Costa Rica
CAN YOU SEE THEM?
Left of center behind and below Red Ginger
 (click photo for enlargement)
 Atenas, Costa Rica
FOR YOUR RESEARCH ASSISTANCE: 
A description in Wikipedia       A TripAdvisor photo post from Pura Vida Gardens visitors
My first post on this plant as a baby 2 years ago  –  I’ve given some to a neighbor who has about this many blooms this year also, all from my one little beginning plant. A hidden jewel for me!
Or a Google Search of images of this flower       A FloriData description
Use as an Alternative Medicine        Useful Tropical Plants  post
A ScienceDirect article on the plant        CABI scientific info & distribution maps
And Google gives many more information sites on this rare and unique plant.
Of course for all flowers I see here: my Photo Gallery Flora & Forest
Flowers… 
are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty 
outvalues all the utilities of the world. 

~Ralph Waldo Emerson


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Home Business Signs: Lawyers

There may be as many lawyers working from home as there are dentists. This is only two of many. FYI in Spanish two words are used for “lawyer” like English interchanges lawyer and attorney. They are abogado and bufete.   And you could guess that notario is a notary public. 
And if interested in Spanish, my Spanish blog today is about Hoy tengo mi nuevo libro.
And my photo gallery of Home Business Signs – Atenas
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Pilgrimage to Cartago Was August 2

Read article: Millions expected in annual Costa Rica pilgrimage

It was two days ago and even though we met someone going to join the pilgrimage last week at a bus stop, I forget that it is mostly on one day, August 2, and I have yet to go watch and photograph the over 2 million people walking the 22 km from San Jose to Cartago to this church and Basilica, Our Lady of the Angels. Read the linked article above for a good description of the pilgrimage and why it happens and learn about finding the Black Virgen. 
These photos were made by me enroute to Turrialba in 2015. See also; 
My photo gallery of Churches in Costa Rica -far from as many photos as I hope to have collected eventually, but an interesting start! 
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Sewing Classes in Her Home – Home Business Signs

Clases Quilting y Costura = Classes In Quilting and Sewing
Confeccion a la Medida = Dressmaking to the Measurements or Tailor Made Dresses

I’m not needing my quilt here, but to some Ticos anything below 20° C which is 68° F is considered cold and we have most nights with that! Plus quilts are works of art! And of course homemade dresses are popular here.

Note of Interest: The Spanish word for quilt is el edredón but in Costa Rica they often prefer to use the English word for things like quilt, sandwich, jeans, and sometimes tennis shoes and more. And more specifically here with the -ing or “quilting” it would be la tela acolchada which would be worse! Easy names are pura vida!

This is a house across from the sports park that I pass nearly every day and just really paid attention to the sign today. Lots of home businesses here! 
You may remember me posting a photo of a little food stand the other day she called a  “Kioskito” or “Little Kiosk. ”  Today I noticed she has changed the name to “Soda de Maria” which is like saying “Maria’s Cafe.” AND she added picnic tables to her front yard which were full of people eating lunch! Even home businesses can make improvements!  🙂  This is a cool community! And sometimes it’s these little things that make it cool! 
And my photo gallery of Home Business Signs – Atenas  No other photo collection like this!  🙂