charliedoggett.net
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| Scarlet Macaw Tambor, Costa Rica |
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| Collared Aracari Tambor, Costa Rica |
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| Hummingbird to identify later Tambor, Costa Rica |
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| White-winged Dove Tambor, Costa Rica |
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| Rufous-naped Wren Tambor, Costa Rica |
My trip gallery for this trip: 2017 Christmas Week Tambor Bay
And my photo gallery Costa Rica Birds .
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| At the Right Place at the Right Time As I headed for the birding trail before breakfast this morning, the turtle man told me that 12 new Olive Ridley turtle eggs hatched last night and he was ready to release them. New Morning Plans! I got to pick up all 12 from their nest and put in box for taking to beach. Tambor, Costa Rica |
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| 12 Babies Ready for the Beach! Tambor, Costa Rica |
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| One by one we take them from the box and sit each one on the beach. Instinctively the head for the water, some in a big rush! Tambor, Costa Rica |
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| What a privilege to participate in helping save an endangered species! Tambor, Costa Rica |
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| Once on water’s edge the next wave carries them out to sea. They swim for a full day before stopping to eat. Because of predators (birds & fish) only one in a thousand make it to adulthood. Tambor, Costa Rica |
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| Once eggs are laid on the beach, volunteers bring to this sheltered fenced area to protect eggs from predators. Behind a chain-link fence each clutch of 30-80 eggs is netted, dated and watched by volunteers. Eggs take about 45 days to hatch, thus they know when most will hatch. Most already have. They are expecting 100+ hatchlings on Christmas Day. Tambor, Costa Rica |
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| A small building was constructed by local volunteers who watch the eggs around the clock. Tambor, Costa Rica |
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| Tambor, Costa Rica |
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| A Mouse Pad here + T-shirts are sold to raise money. Tambor, Costa Rica |
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| There are government regulations on turtles, but no money to help. This volunteer group meets both national & international standards. Tambor, Costa Rica |
They are a new program and do not have a website yet, but will eventually have something similar to nearby MontezumaBeach.com to promote support and volunteerism and they are wanting to affiliate with a university somewhere for research as well as volunteers. They do have a Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/Tortugas-Bah%C3%ADa-Tambor-120575518588150/ Though my effort to post photos did not work well with one put as a “Visitor Post” in the right hand column.
They plan to also post more information about the program on the hotel website: Tambor Tropical Resort.
And I will eventually have these photos posted on my trip gallery for this particular trip: 2017 Christmas Week Tambor Bay. And maybe in my other animals gallery eventually! 🙂
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| Turquoise-browed Motmot Tambor, Costa Rica |
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| Black-headed Trogon Tambor, Costa Rica |
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| Lineated Woodpecker Tambor, Costa Rica |
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| Hoffman’s Woodpecker Tambor, Costa Rica |
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| Hoffman’s Woodpecker Feeding a Baby Tambor, Costa Rica |
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| Common Black Hawk Tambor, Costa Rica |
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| Roadside Hawk Tambor, Costa Rica |
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| Cocoa Woodcreeper Tambor, Costa Rica |
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| Little Blue Heron Tambor, Costa Rica |
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| Great-tailed Grackle Tambor, Costa Rica |
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| Brown Pelican Tambor, Costa Rica |
My trip gallery for this trip: 2017 Christmas Week Tambor Bay
See also my Costa Rica Birds Photo Gallery.
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| Tambor Tropical Resort A small boutique luxury hotel on beach of the calmer water bay of the Pacific Ocean on southern end of the Nicoya Peninsula (Guanacaste) west of Puntarenas. Catering to birders, nature lovers, adventurers and yoga people. Tambor Bay, Costa rica |
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| Not only is the hotel on the beach, but adjacent to a river with multiple birding/hiking trails. This is my kind of place! I can hardly wait to get there! Birding guides to 2 reserves plus maybe a boat trip to Tortuga Island along with the ever-present river tails above! And beach! Plus most reviews rank the food and other services very high. A great vacation! Tambor Bay, Costa Rica |
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| Bird Christmas Tree (Click for close-ups of some of the birds.) The leafless tree in the corner is sprayed with gold paint and has hanging on it 33 hand-made art birds from every country in Central America made of wood, cloth, pottery, beads, gourds, etc. I like it so much I have kept it up since last Christmas and probably will again all this year. Charlie’s Living Room Atenas, Costa Rica |
I expect to give daily reports of my adventures at Tambor Tropical on this blog, so keep reading for my idea of a Merry Christmas and Feliz Navidad! Birding in Costa Rica! 🙂
My trip gallery for this trip: 2017 Christmas Week Tambor Bay
And the hotel website: Tambor Tropical Resort
Expats in Costa Rica most often feel safer than in the U.S. Article in Live in Costa Rica Blog
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| Nativity in Central Market Courtyard Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| City Hall Christmas Tree Not one in park this year like in past. Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Small Local Clothing Store Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Largest Supermarket Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| In Parking Lot of Largest Supermarket Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Many Small Shops have Scooters & Bikes Lined up out front! Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| And for this shoe store, a sign was enough for them! Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| This Chain Bakery a sign and some inside garland. Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| A favorite Gift & Office Supply Store has this tree + garlands Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| This Soda settled for ceiling garlands. |
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| And a Gift Shop with an English sign! Oh no! Gringos? Atenas, Costa Rica |
For these and other Christmas photos, see my gallery: Christmas in Atenas 2017
In case you missed the Alajuela Public Tree posted earlier and
Two of the Alajuela City Mall Christmas Trees also posted earlier.
Or the disgustingly early BEFORE HALLOWEEN Walmart Christmas Decorations also in Alajuela.
CHRISTMAS IS BIG HERE! Many businesses will be closed the week between Christmas and New Years and I will have no maid or gardener that week. Home with families!
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| A half block uphill from the Roca Verde main gate is one of the smallest and poorest houses in Boqueron Barrio. But in front of the little house is this beautiful array of bougainvillea that blooms the most in dry season. And behind it is the happy chatter and laughter of little children, some on summer vacation from school. Atenas, Costa Rica |
See my photo gallery Flora & Forest for more flower photos.
Or my photo gallery People & Fiestas for more happy people.
And I just became aware of the new website for our Su Espacio Spanish Atenas Classes. Nice!
Ship That Ran Aground in Manzanillo, near where I spent a week a year ago September. It could have been weather or a sloppy boat captain (doesn’t say), but it looks like some heavy work will be needed to get it back out to sea. Click the photo in article to see it enlarged.
Paddling Across the Gulf of Nicoya is an interesting article about a group of all ages of Ticos who used paddle boards to paddle across the 17 mile wide Gulf of Nicoya near where I will be vacationing during Christmas. Here paddle boarding has become a popular substitute for surfing, especially for novices or as surfers get older, though this trip was in the relatively calm waters of a bay in the morning, 5-11 am as opposed to the open Pacific Ocean where some people use them.
ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT MOVING ABROAD?
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| The official theme was “Navidad Azul” or “Blue Christmas.” Most groups didn’t follow the theme like this one. |
For more shots of the fantastic parade and the arts & crafts fair, see my photo gallery:
Christmas in Atenas 2017.
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| This is on CATUCA’s website and they hope shared by other like this. Fliers are just not done much here with word-of-mouth the main publicity. Everyone just knows when it is happening except some segregated gringos. |
See my photo gallery People & Fiestas.
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| One of my photos of a Collared Aracari in Sarapiqui, Costa Rica — eating of course! 🙂 |
Or for a more traditional message and a different bird photo, see my Christmas card on Facebook.
It is Christmas Time here! The children and teens are out of school and out of uniforms as the seniors graduated yesterday and summer vacation has started. Happy sounds! Schools begin a new year in February.
The rains have stopped and the wind is blowing; dry season is here. Soon some businesses will close for two weeks or more and when I get to the beach 22 December it will be crowded with more Ticos than foreign tourists.
My gardener team said goodbye today, “Hasta proxima anos!” They will see me next year. Mid December until January is vacation time for many people and even more so a family time. The week between Christmas and New Years Atenas will look like a ghost town with little going on beyond the always open super mercados and farmacias. Peaceful too! I will be gone on my trip to Tambor Bay December 22-27 and reporting in daily right here on this blog! (If internet connection!)
And hoping you have the joy and tranquility of Costa Rica during your Christmas celebration!
Merry Christmas!
