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Birds at Carara National Park

Orange-Collared Manakin
Carara National Park, Costa Rica
White-whiskered Puffbird
Carara National Park, Costa Rica

Montezuma Oropendola
Carara National Park, Costa Rica
Black-mandibled Toucan
Carara National Park, Costa Rica
Scarlet Macaw
Carara National Park, Costa Rica

Pale-billed Woodpecker
Carara National Park, Costa Rica

Blue-crowned Motmot
Carara National Park, Costa Rica

Common Black-Hawk (most likely)
Carara National Park, Costa Rica
NOTE: The front is lighter than usual, but it happens on them some.
It does not match other characteristics of Gray or Gray-bellied Hawks
Tomorrow I will post a few shots of other non-bird animals I shot at Carara. 
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Birds at Cerro Lodge

Cinnamon Hummingbird
Cerro Lodge, Tarcoles, Costa Rica

Turquoise-browed Motmot
Cerro Lodge, Tarcoles, Costa Rica
My first to see in Costa Rica, though I saw many in Nicaragua.

White-tipped Dove
Cerro Lodge, Tarcoles, Costa Rica
I almost called them Inca for the scaling, but white tips on tails ID them.

Warbler of Some Kind   (I’m pretty sure but hard to ID)
Cerro Lodge, Tarcoles, Costa Rica

Hoffman’s Woodpecker
Cerro Lodge, Tarcoles, Costa Rica

Blue-gray Tanager
Cerro Lodge, Tarcoles, Costa Rica

Boat-billed Flycatcher
Cerro Lodge, Tarcoles, Costa Rica
Several flycatchers look similar, but the bill and red cap ID this one.

Melodious BlackbirdCerro Lodge, Tarcoles, Costa Rica
Very similar to Bronze Cowbird which has red eyes an this one doesn’t.
Only the Melodious Blackbird has everything black, eyes, bill, feet.
Cerro Lodge Entrance
Cerro Lodge, Tarcoles, Costa Rica

Last time I stayed down here it was at Villa Lapas which further off the highway,
closer to Tarcoles, & deeper in the forest, but services and facilities are similar.
This one is actually in the middle of an upscale housing development but with
plenty of land for privacy and lots of birds. The gate is like what the neighbors
have to enter their mansions. Good friendly service, views, birds and food.

I’m saving the birds photographed at Carara National Park for tomorrow since I got a lot at the lodge and the park was my last stop before going home. Some nice birds at the park this time! Better than my last trip there.

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Birds at Campesinos

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Fiery-billed Aracari Toucan
Campesinos Ecolodge, Quebrada Arroyo, Costa Rica
Yellow-throated Euphonia
Campesinos Ecolodge, Quebrada Arroyo, Costa Rica

Violet-headed Hummingbird
Campesinos Ecolodge, Quebrada Arroyo, Costa Rica
Lineated Woodpecker
 Campesinos Ecolodge, Quebrada Arroyo, Costa Rica

Orange-chinned Parakeets 
Campesinos Ecolodge, Quebrada Arroyo, Costa Rica

Cherrie’s Tanager male
Campesinos Ecolodge, Quebrada Arroyo, Costa Rica
NOTE: Passerini’s Tanager male looks the same but lives only on Caribbean side

Cherrie’s Tanager female
Campesinos Ecolodge, Quebrada Arroyo, Costa Rica
NOTE: Passerini’s Tanager female is obviously different.

Yellow-bellied Elaenia
Campesinos Ecolodge, Quebrada Arroyo, Costa Rica

Ochre-bellied Flycatcher (in a room shower)
Campesinos Ecolodge, Quebrada Arroyo, Costa Rica

Black-hooded Antshrike
Campesinos Ecolodge, Quebrada Arroyo, Costa Rica

Social Flycatcher
Campesinos Ecolodge, Quebrada Arroyo, Costa Rica

Beardless Tyrannulet
Campesinos Ecolodge, Quebrada Arroyo, Costa Rica

We saw many more including a beautiful White Hawk, but these are only decent photos. Tomorrow I will share the birds I photographed at Carara National Park and Cerro Lodge, Tarcoles, Costa Rica on my way home for a one night stop.

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Last Bird Photo Today – A First-Timer for Me!

Orange-collared Manakin
Carara National Park, Costa Rica

I spent Sunday afternoon and night at Cerro Lodge, Tarcoles, Costa Rica and because there was not a group boat ride available to bird on the river, I birded around my cabin and down the road yesterday. This morning I again birded around the lodge property with several birds then had an appointment with a birding guide named Antonio who was good and help me get lots of bird photos in my two hours there. Because this is a “first-time” bird for me, it is sort of my favorite, but I haven’t had time to go through the others yet and still haven’t posted the photos from Campesinos, so busy the rest of this week with this and lots of other projects. Stay tuned!  🙂

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Birding around Waterfalls and Beautiful Views

Waterfall & Swinging Bridge behind my cabin at
Campesinos Lodge on Pacific Coast near Quepos.
Yep! I walked over and back twice, a long bridge!
Several young men were repelling down the waterfall. Not me! I do birds!
I was at Campesinos with the birding club, now adding my solo adventure.
Halfway home I stopped for a personal night near Carara National Park,
staying at Cerro Lodge overlooking a Pacific Coast bay above.
Tomorrow morning I do 2 hours of birding in Carara before going home.
This afternoon I am enjoying a rest and birding the grounds of this lodge.

In the next couple of days I will post bird photos made in both places. This Cerro Lodge has pretty good internet connection while Campesinos had none nor cell phone service! Even with a connection there is seldom time to make these posts while on a trip. I may rest from travel a bit though it may not be for very long!  🙂  I love doing this!

And just as I sign off a flock of Scarlet Macaws is flying overhead.  🙂

Pura Vida!

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New Flowerpots

I replaced the ugly yellow & orange pots with these more attractive ones.
And the little round one on left is new with assorted greenery & a peace lily.
The second pot is ornamental grass I cut back for the transplanting,
It grows back quick here! Behind post is a bougainvillea that was in plastic! 

The greenery by the rocking chairs
looks much better in new pot!

And the living room plant looks
better in the new pot also! I think.

My newest indoor plant is this palm in
my bedroom with philodendron ivy at base.

I may have told you that my artist friend Anthony has returned from 9 months of traveling in Spain and Morocco and has moved into the house next door that was occupied by Don & Lynda who moved back to Oregon. Before traveling, Anthony lived on the other side of me in someone else’s casita (a small house most big house owners have for guests or rental.). He is the one who made my garden art bird sculpture. He really decorates well with a lot of plants and that motivated me to spruce mine up a little.

We just had a really good, slow, steady rain this afternoon for an hour or so. Garden loves it!

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Residency Approved!

Good morning Mr. Doggett,

Congratulations you got your residency approved!

I will send it to you on Monday when I get to the office.

Have a nice Sunday!
_______

That’s the email I just received from my residency attorney. I think there are separate steps to get the actual Cedula or residency card and the CAJA or medical services card. Plus a “Gold Card” for senior adults to get free bus and discounts on other things. Our next step is doing something on June 1 he said. One patient little step at a time!  🙂 The paperwork was filed in February 2015, so about 15 months for approval in my case. Friends have waited a great variety of times from 8 months to 3 years! So not bad and he asked for the resolution on Friday the 13th!  🙂

If you are wondering why I haven’t been posting as much on the blog, it is partly because of having a full schedule and partly because I’m using down time to work on a new photo gallery that will replace my PBase gallery for just Costa Rica photos, It is taking a long time to just upload/label the bird photos, not to mention all the other kinds of photos still to go! I hope to be introducing it soon. It is with SmugMug.com and will look a lot better than PBase plus you can order prints or other items with my photos on them if interested. 

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Art Exhibit Opening: Encuentro de Cultusas

One of my favorite paintings!
Sorry! I did not get the country names for any of photos.

Because of an artist from Atenas in the show, a group of Atenas expats got to attend the Grand Opening of an Art Exhibition titled Encuentro de Cultusas (The Meeting of Cultures) with art from 18 different Latin American countries and all their ambassadors there plus other ambassadors including the U.S. and Costa Rican government officials and the art leaders. We were able to crash this party of dignitaries because of the local artist/photographer who got us in. It was wonderful! One of the best art shows I have ever seen. And the Children’s Museum location in an old fort/prison is simply cool!

And the other cool thing was that each country had hors d’oeuvres and drinks typical of each of the 18 countries. Some were really delicious! And all photos made on my Samsung cell phone!  🙂

The Costa Rica Children’s Museum (was a prison in early years)
The Entrance Hall
Some of the photography of  John Dessarzin of Atenas who got us in the show.

Someone’s Political Cartoon that includes Donald Trump.

Some traditional & cultural photography.

Plus lots of traditional paintings of culture and local people.

And even some Dominican Voodoo art.
I was amused that all these pretty girls wanted their picture made with
this artist who seems uninterested or bored. Oh well!
“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way 
— things I had no words for.” 
– Georgia O’Keeffe