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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Crocodiles

American Crocodile
“Crocodile Bridge,” Tarcoles, Costa Rica

American Crocodile
“Crocodile Bridge,” Tarcoles, Costa Rica
Our van with the Nashville group stopped here on the way to Jaco Beach. A regular stop for tour buses here on Ruta 34 is called Crocodile Bridge (Link to very good Animal Planet Video); the highway 34 bridge over the Tarcoles River is near the small fishing village of Tarcoles. Tourists usually walk over the bridge and look down to see the crocs sunning on the riverbanks or swimming in the river for a fish snack. (See above video link.) The nearby village has several vendors who will take you on the river in a boat to see the crocs up close and even better, for me, up to 30+ species of birds! There are of course several souvenir and food vendors at the bridge to oblige your needs!  🙂

American Crocodile on Wikipedia

Species Profile: Everglades National Park

¡Pura Vida!

Links to my float trips on the Tarcoles River (Bird Focus): 


2017 July    (1 croc pic)

2017 April   (2 good croc pics)




2015 February    (6 croc shots)

2011 April    (Cruise Ship stop, 2 croc shots) 
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Variegated Squirrel

Variegated Squirrel
Hogar de Vida Campus, Atenas, Costa Rica

This is the most common squirrel all over Costa Rica, but there are two other kinds of squirrels and I have photos of all three of them. See this search of squirrels on my gallery:

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Both Bizarre and Common Insects

Dobsonfly
Hogar de Vida Campus, Atenas, Costa Rica

Common Grasshopper
Hogar de Vida Campus, Atenas, Costa Rica
To read more about Dobsonfly:  Wikipedia  in 5 languages, but not Spanish!
To read more about Grasshoppers:   Wikipedia   in 5 languages, but not Spanish!
There are 11,000 known species of grasshoppers in the world and with more than 300.000 insect species in Costa Rica there has to be a lot of different kinds of grasshoppers here! 🙂

¡Pura Vida!
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Rufous-naped Wren

Rufous-naped Wren
Hogar de Vida Campus, Atenas, Costa Rica

Rufous-naped Wren
Hogar de Vida Campus, Atenas, Costa Rica
This noisy and aggressive little bird is the most numerous at my house and seemed to be likewise at Hogar de Vida during our week of living there. I shared a different shot than these in the photo book for the participants. To read more about this Central American bird, see:   
Neotropical Birds  where you can learn the most, see a locations map & hear them sing  
Wikipedia  where you can read about them in 10 languages and learn that the bird’s name in Spanish is Ratona de nuca rufa
And a search for my photos of this wren at my house, if interested. The only bird that flies inside my house. Click an image to see it larger.

Though wildlife was not the emphasis of the mission trip last week, I have a few animal shots that I will share the next few days from both the campus and the tourist day trip. 

¡Pura Vida!
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Cloudy Afternoons with Rain

We seem to be entering the “Rainy Season” ahead of May.
Atenas, Costa Rica

So what will my May trip to Arenal be like? We will see. I will expect and prepare for rain!   🙂
Already it is greening here! The “Green Season!”

¡Pura Vida!

Postscript: You may wonder if I will advertise a photo book about the mission trip to Hogar de Vida Children’s Home. I have already completed it and it is available for purchase by invitation only because the faces of the children cannot be shown on the internet in this blog, Facebook, or anywhere else. The team members have been invited already. If you are interested and I consider you “safe” I will invite you if you email me and request the link. It is a 50-page book, 7×7 inches square with 87 photos, available in softcover for $20.99 and in hardcover for $35.99.  Email me at  charlie@charliedoggett.net 
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Thanks to Nashville First Adults for Bringing Rain!

The First Adult Mission Team from First Baptist  Church Nashville, Tennessee
on my terrace after lunch last Sunday. Photo by Jason Quesada on Pam’s phone. Me back center in blue shirt.
Atenas, Costa Rica

The national bird of Costa Rica is the Clay-colored Thrush or Yigüirro in Spanish. It is a rather plain brownish robin-sized bird to be a national bird – BUT – the story is that it’s singing in April (mating season) is what brings the rains in May. Well, this year the rains started in April (the day the Nashville group arrived), so we don’t know whether to credit that to the little thrush or the First Adults!   🙂   But whatever – it’s been raining ever since! Each afternoon. ¡Muchas gracias!

¡Pura Vida!
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Last Day at Hogar de Vida

Letty “cutting in” along the floor as we continued painting the Baby House.
Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica

Finally a photo not showing children’s faces as we again played with the Toddler House.
Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica

Our “last supper” as a mission team to
Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica

Then we celebrated Larry’s birthday with a Passion Fruit, Pineapple & Coconut Cake
inscribed with “Feliz Cumpleaños Larry” Happy Birthday in Spanish.
Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica

The Gnuse family. Matt is missionary director of the home.
Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica

You will hear more about this fantastic children’s home, what we did there and future mission trips to Hogar de Vida.     Or see their Facebook Page. 

A Fantastic Place!
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Tourist Day for Mission Team

Pam Stockett, our fearless leader and example on the zipline!
FBC Nashville Mission Trip to Costa Rica
And 8 of the 10 in mission team geared up for the zipline!
FBC Nashville Mission Trip to Costa Rica
Dinner at Jaco hotel at sundown in the rain!
FBC Nashville Mission Trip to Costa Rica
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A Day with Helen!

Helen (seated) at Hogar was our helper, translator, and inspiration today – another great day!
Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica

Also today I walked some of the group to town for a look around and the walk was too much for some of them, but we enjoyed seeing the Central Mercado, Central Park and Catholic Church.