charliedoggett.net
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| Banded Skipper Butterfly (Possibly Chisos or Spiked) Inside my house, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica What is throwing me on ID is the 6 spots on each side – None in book with 6! They all have 0-3. And none indicate orange bulb on antennae. |
And see my Photo Gallery for BUTTERFLIES in Costa Rica with 54 species!
Or my newest photo book My First 50 Butterflies in Costa Rica you can preview online free!
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| What I see when standing at the kitchen sink looking out the window. My home, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Rufous-tailed Hummingbird Inside on my kitchen window screen, Roca Verde Atenas, Costa Rica |
I had Anthony over for dinner (with “to go” dinners from Chef Dan I’ll tell you about later). As we were about to sit down for dinner and TV News this little guy flew in and landed on the kitchen window. I partially opened the screen expecting him to fly out but that kind of trapped him between glass and screen. So after dinner I helped him get loose and he flew out the sliding class doors that are always open and where he flew in.
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| Green Thorntail Hummingbird Female (pretty sure) My garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Great Crested Flycatcher (most likely?) My garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
And my online photo gallery for more BIRDS
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| Rain Makes the Garden Grow! Thicker & More Lush! Note that I replaced my Lantanas flowering border with red caladiums which will get fuller soon. The other taller plants shaded the Lantanas and they require sun to thrive and bloom. New color in the shade! |
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| The Maraca or Shampoo Ginger plant has multiplied and grown very tall with several blooms. |
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| Heliconia Across from the door I added a row of 20 of the small Heliconias with little bright red & orange flowers that will bloom constantly year-around when they mature. They help the “tropical look.” |
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| One of the little Helconia up close, like adding little jewels to my garden! |
I’m always trying to improve my garden and during the rainy season is the time for new plants as the rain helps them to take root and thrive. Life in the tropics just keeps getting better! 🙂
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| Masked Tityra My Home Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Masked Tityra My Home Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
Maybe he is wearing a mask early for Halloween. No? This is the first I’ve seen in my garden, but I did see one at the Rio Chirripó Retreat near Chirripó National Park.
And my BIRDS PHOTO GALLERY include many more!
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| Municipal Water Truck Goes Down Every Street Every Day when the public water system is “down” Here it is across the street from La Carreta Restaurant. Those palm trees are at the Central Catholic Church at the Central Park. |
Our public water comes from the same source as Grecia’s over a mountain or two from Atenas. It is pumped through large water mains (big pipes) through the mountains, over rivers and deep canyons to Atenas. Sometimes the water main breaks or something stops the flow. This time, for more than week now they have supposedly been trying to fix a broken pipe that goes over a canyon on a little bridge that was broken when a huge tree fell during a thunder storm. It has become a real problem for some homes and businesses that must have water – well – all must have! And most are asking “Why is it taking so long?” One article said they are waiting on parts to arrive from overseas.
Even in developing countries we depend on water! And the water truck is like a pied piper with a crowd constantly with it. It is beginning to remind me of Africa around here! We were regularly without water in The Gambia and I always kept large bottles of water “just in case.” You adapt! 🙂
Well, if you are a Trump supporter, I hope you find another country to move to! I will not personally welcome you to Costa Rica!
My Costa Rica Photo Gallery: Charlie Doggett’s COSTA RICA
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| Cecropia or Guarumo Tree Kekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica I have a tree like this in my yard. Toucans like these trees! 🙂 |
Except for securing Abel Busamanti as a birding guide in Manzanillo, I had no other pre-plans though expecting to visit the Ara Project featured yesterday. Well, on the north side of Puerto Viejo which is just 20 km or so north of Manzanillo is the Cahuita National Park that I kind of expected to visit (but never made it). I didn’t want to risk one of the guides lined up at the park entrance, so with my Kindle (no laptop) I googled and found a guide service in Puerto Viejo called TERRAVENTURAS which I called and said I was interested in a birding guide for the park or other better area near there. (There are a lot of companies like them here! Many are geared more to white water rafting and zip-lining!f Adventures for the young!)
She told me the birding would be better in Kekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve and they had a platform tower on top of a hill to view raptors migrating. (I had heard about the tower and so liked that choice.) I told her to book me for tomorrow and she said she needed me to send money in advance for a reservation which I did not know how to do on my Kindle. So I just drove to their office in Puerto Viejo and paid cash.
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| View of Ocean from Bird-spotting TowerKekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
The next morning Alex, a Bribri guide and uncle to the guide I had at Ara Project picked me up at my hotel. The time with him was as enjoyable as the birds we found and I got to photograph. As was walking by some of the simple homes in the reserve which I did not feel comfortable photographing. So really no Bribri photos this time, just the few birds and other animals I photographed. But I highly recommend the trip! And Alex! And Terraventuras!
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| And the Mountains in Other DirectionKekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica We saw raptors coming from both directions, but mostly along the coast. |
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| Kites, Hawks and Vultures would Fly Together in the DraftsKekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
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| Mississippi Kite Was one of my new bird shots for Costa Rica Kekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
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| The Ever Present Turkey VultureKekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
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| Shining HoneycreeperKekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
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| Roadside HawkKekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
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| Keel-billed ToucanKekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
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| Hoffman’s Two-toed SlothKekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica It was neat how close to our trail he was. My closest yet in the wild! |
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| Black & Green Poison Dart FrogKekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
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| Strawberry Poison Dart FrogKekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
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| Green Page MothKekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
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| Common Mytip ButterflyKekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
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| Isabella’s Tiger, a Longwing or Heliconia ButterflyKekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
Sometimes going to an out of way place where most tourists don’t go is the best place for wildlife and adventure. It is my second Bribri reserve to visit and both were unique! Special! Go to my August 25-27, 2015 posts for photos of the Yorkin Bribri Reserve:
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| Jaguar Rescue Center is located on the south side of Puerto Viejo, not far from my hotel in Manzanillo. No Jaguars here! It got its name from the first animal the founder actually rescued, a baby Jaguar whose mother had been killed and would have died otherwise. Photo on above entrance sign is of a one-eyed monkey. |
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| Nice Little Cafe and Gift Shop at the entrance, but not as big or as developed as Zoo Ave in La Garita! And you can only visit on a schedule with a tour guide, so get times ahead! On website: Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
NOTE: I am not repeating the photos of a Northern Tamandua Anteater and a Red-eyed Tree Frog that were shot here but shown in earlier posts. Click links to see again.
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| Brown Pelican with a broken wing Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
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| Unidentified Hawk, similar to Gray and Gray Lined, but those are not in the Caribbean and our group was too large for me to constantly ask the name of animals. Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
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| Baby Possums whose mother was killed. They will raise and try to introduce back into the wild. Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
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| Groove-billed Ani Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
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| Keel-billed Toucan Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
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| Hoffman’s Two-toed Sloth Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
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| Red-lored Parrot Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
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| Spectacled Caiman Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
To learn more about Jaguar Rescue Center, click link for their website where you can read the history, find out when there are tours and how you can volunteer. It is operated mostly by volunteers!
Or more specifically my BIRDS PHOTO GALLERY or
My OTHER WILDLIFE PHOTO GALLERY
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| Great Green Macaw On property of Ara Project Manzanillo, Costa Rica |
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| Great Green Macaw On property of Ara Project Manzanillo, Costa Rica |
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| Great Green Macaw On property of Ara Project Manzanillo, Costa Rica |
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| Great Green Macaw On property of Ara Project Manzanillo, Costa Rica Macaws mate for life! |
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| Great Green Macaw On property of Ara Project Manzanillo, Costa Rica |
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| Black-mandibled Toucan On property of Ara Project (and probably stealing Macaw food!) Manzanillo, Costa Rica |
The Endangered Species Great Green Macaw (birdlife.org) (or an easier article on Wikipedia) is listed in my Costa Rica Bird Guide as “rare” or “uncommon” in just a few spots along the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica.
The Ara Project is one of the main reasons this endangered species is returning to Costa Rica. Click the Ara link to read about what they are doing in the Manzanillo area of Costa Rica with the Endangered Great Green Macaw and the less endangered larger population of Scarlet Macaws on our Pacific Coast. Habitat loss is the problem for both species and they help by providing Macaw housing in trees along the Caribbean coast. They have a hospital for injured birds or orphaned babies, but the others are all free and wild but come back “home” in Manzanillo for socializing, food that is provided, and some still use the tree houses or even hollows in trees here because it is a community of Green Macaws.
They exist in 3 other Central American countries and 2 in South America, but endangered throughout their habitat and rare or uncommon to find with fewer than 1,000 total left on earth. So I am thrilled about getting many photos here! The guided tour is set for the same time every afternoon when they are feeding which guarantees you photos. My guide was a Bribri young man named Duaro who is so knowledgeable about the birds and their services there and also speaks very good English! His Uncle Alex was my guide the next day to see birds in the Bribri Reserve (another post coming on that).
