Yellow-crowned Night Heron

This is one of the “resident” herons that do not migrate north during the rainy season. Same with the Black-crowned Night Heron, Boat-billed Heron (I shared a few days ago), Green Heron and other similar herons. While we did not see on our boat tour any Little Blue Herons, Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets or Snowy Egrets because they have all migrated north until around October when they begin returning to avoid the winter up north. See more of my photos of Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Nyctanassa violacea in that gallery.

Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Tortuguero National Park, Limón, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Yesterday was Independence Day in Costa Rica

And in the past I would have shared photos of the parade in Atenas, but the hot sun and often long time sitting on a little plastic stool or if early enough, a concrete bench is beginning to be too much for me, so no report on yesterday’s patriotic parade in Atenas. Here is Google’s AI summary of what goes on every September 15:

“Yesterday’s Independence Day celebrations in Costa Rica included the traditional “Foles” or lantern parade the night before, followed by patriotic school parades, flag ceremonies, and student performances on the actual holiday, September 15th, emphasizing unity, hope, and freedom. The day honors Costa Rica’s 1821 independence from Spain with national pride and cultural traditions.”

RUNNING OF THE TORCH Tico Times article on that event.

Jaco was the only town with a parade amateur video posted online last night when I did this. Jaco is a beach town west of Atenas and their parade seems more hectic than ours! 🙂

¡Pura Vida!

Laughing Falcon

One of the several birds we saw on the Jaguar Trail in Tortuguero National Park was the Laughing Falcon, Herpetotheres cachinnans (linked to my gallery) or you can read more about him on ebird. Just 2 shots shared here (more in gallery) . . .

Laughing Falcon, Jaguar Trail, Tortuguero National Park, Limón, Costa Rica
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Chestnut-colored Woodpecker male

Photographed on my last morning in Tortuguero (yesterday) and these are probably my favorite bird photos bird photos from this trip. 🙂 Chestnut-colored Woodpecker, Celeus castaneus (linked to my gallery. I’ve seen this unusual woodpecker only one other time and that was in the South Caribbean, at Manzanillo. Tortuguero is in the North Caribbean. It is found from Mexico to Panama. And this is my first time to see a woodpecker eating a flower! 🙂

Chestnut-colored Woodpecker, Tortuga Lodge, Tortuguero National Park, Limón, Costa Rica
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Black-crowned Antshrike

All the birds in Tortuguero aren’t water birds, and on the Jaguar Trail in the park, running parallel to the beach, I had a park guide (Manuel) who like guides everywhere in Costa Rica, was more skilled at finding birds than butterflies (my target for that trail) and thus I got several good bird shots along with some butterflies. We were looking at a long line of Soldier Ants when this Antshrike showed up! 🙂 See my gallery with more photos from Cahuita NP and Maquenque Eco Lodge, along with these, all on the Caribbean Slope: Black-crowned Antshrike, Thamnophilus atrinucha. Here’s two shots from yesterday’s hike on the Jaguar Trail in Tortuguero National Park. We also saw a Laughing Falcon and I may share one of those photos tomorrow. 🙂

Black-crowned Antshrike, Tortuguero National Park, Limón, Costa Rica
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Intriguing Boat-billed Herons

They are almost always hiding behind tree limbs, leaves and/or adjacent shrubs along water, meaning that I seldom get a clear shot of their whole body and face. These two shots were my top clearest views yesterday morning as our guide and boat captain stopped by a known nesting place for Boat-billed Herons (one of many reasons to always use a guide). See some more shots from yesterday and photos from earlier years in my Boat-billed Heron, Cochlearius cochlearius GALLERY. This bizarre bird is called Pico Cuchara in Spanish and is found only in tropical Central & South America in mangroves and lowland rivers.

Boat-billed Heron, Tortuguero National Park, Limón, Costa Rica
Boat-billed Heron, Tortuguero National Park, Limón, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

This was one of about a dozen birds I photographed yesterday morning on a morning boat trip in Tortuguero National Park, along with monkeys, caimans, basilisks, butterflies and and cool waterscapes. More photos to be shared later. I’m having a fun and relaxed time in the park with only one project a day. Today I hike the Jaguar Trail in the park looking for butterflies which my research said was the best place in this park. Tomorrow night, if conditions are right, I will get to go on the beach and watch sea turtles lay their eggs. But no photos because flash is not allowed on this park ranger led event.

Yellow-faced Grassquit . . .

. . . is on the powerline overlooking the meadow where he feeds on the grasses. I’m seeing more of him this year. For more photos, go to my gallery: Yellow-faced Grassquit, Tiaris olivaceus.

Yellow-faced Grassquit, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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The Motmot’s Back!

This colorful bird is not always around but seen more this year than usual and the other day in my big Strangler Fig or Ficus Tree, called a Higuerón in Spanish. See more of my photos in the gallery: Lesson’s Motmot, Momotus lessonii. Interestingly to me is that since February 2022 (when a counter was added) I’ve had more than a thousand visitors to that gallery. 🙂 Just this one photo here . . .

Lesson’s Motmot, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird & My Health

This “hummer” is still the dominant or most seen hummingbird in my garden. But with still fewer flowers than normal this year, all of my hummingbird are also looking elsewhere for flowers, because I just do not fill the feeders regularly. Here are a couple of recent shots in my garden. For more photos go to my GALLERY: Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Amazilia tzacatl.

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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Clay-colored Thrush – Yigüirro

The national bird of Costa Rica, believed to “sing in the rain” in April and May, beginning the Rainy Season. An ever present bird you can find in most of Costa Rica is one that I never tire of photographing. Just one shot from my garden a week or so ago.

Clay-colored Thrush or Yigüirro, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

See my gallery of Clay-colored Thrush for many more photos! 🙂

¡Pura Vida!