Christmas Creatures

From both hotel grounds and the river trail again, on Christmas Day . . .

Streaked Flycatcher
Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Black-headed Trogon  
Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Black-headed Trogon Juvenile 
 Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl 
 Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl 
Side view – He’s looking left
Very difficult to photograph in bamboo cane.
 Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Squirrel Cuckoo  
Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 
 Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Boat-billed Heron 
 Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Magnificent Frigatebird 
 Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Cattle Egrets 
 Tambor, Costa Rica

 

American Crocodile 
 Tambor, Costa Rica
Striped Iguana 
On this same rock every day at hotel. 
Tambor, Costa Rica

As always, you can click on any photo to make it larger.

My trip photo gallery:   2017 Christmas Week Tambor Bay

And I always have growing galleries of birds and other wildlife as sub-galleries of :
Charlie Doggett’s COSTA RICA Making photos is my passion, hobby and fun.
My guides take me to Curu Wildlife Reserve tomorrow for hopefully some new birds and other wildlife. It is near the water like the hotel, so there will be some overlap!

A King Vulture for Christmas Eve!

King Vulture Adult
Raptor Ridge, Tambor, Costa Rica

 

King Vulture Juvenile
 Raptor Ridge, Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Social Flycatcher
 Raptor Ridge, Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Olive Sparrow
 Raptor Ridge, Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Rufous-capped Warbler
 Raptor Ridge, Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Barred Antshrike
 Raptor Ridge, Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Possibly a Greenish Elaenia
 Raptor Ridge, Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Blue-throated Goldentail Hummingbird
 Raptor Ridge, Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Painted Buntings 
They would not let me get close enough for a good photo
 Raptor Ridge, Tambor, Costa Rica

 

White-nosed Coati 
 Raptor Ridge, Tambor, Costa Rica

 

 Helicopter Damselfly
 Raptor Ridge, Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Black Vulture
These guys circle a dead animal and attract the King Vulture
Raptor Ridge, Tambor, Costa Rica

My trip gallery for this trip: 2017 Christmas Week Tambor Bay 

And my photo gallery Costa Rica Birds .

 
 
MERRY CHRISTMAS!  FELIZ NAVIDAD!
 

New Birds Second Day

Scarlet Macaw
 
Tambor, Costa Rica 

Collared Aracari  
Tambor, Costa Rica 

Hummingbird to identify later  
Tambor, Costa Rica 

White-winged Dove 
 Tambor, Costa Rica 

Rufous-naped Wren 
 Tambor, Costa Rica 

My trip gallery for this trip: 2017 Christmas Week Tambor Bay 

And my photo gallery Costa Rica Birds .



MERRY CHRISTMAS!  FELIZ NAVIDAD!

First Day Birds

Turquoise-browed Motmot 
 Tambor, Costa Rica 

Black-headed Trogon
 
Tambor, Costa Rica 

Lineated Woodpecker
 
Tambor, Costa Rica 

Hoffman’s Woodpecker
 
Tambor, Costa Rica 

Hoffman’s Woodpecker Feeding a Baby
 
Tambor, Costa Rica 

Common Black Hawk
 
Tambor, Costa Rica 

Roadside Hawk
 
Tambor, Costa Rica 

Cocoa Woodcreeper
 
Tambor, Costa Rica 

Little Blue Heron
 
Tambor, Costa Rica 

Great-tailed Grackle
 
Tambor, Costa Rica 

Brown Pelican
 
Tambor, Costa Rica 

My trip gallery for this trip: 2017 Christmas Week Tambor Bay 

See also my Costa Rica Birds Photo Gallery.

By tomorrow I will post photos of my room and hotel grounds, and more. Today I got a 30 minute taxi to airport and the 30 minute flight to Tambor. They are not full, so my room was ready this morning and I got settled, ate a second breakfast and finished reading the Washington Post. Then hiked the River Trail for most of these birds and rested in the afternoon and sorted photos. I’ve scheduled birding guides for Sunday and Tuesday and a massage for tomorrow. Great first day! Tambor Tropical Resort. 

Yellow Warbler

Yellow Warbler joined me for Breakfast Friday
 My garden, Atenas, Costa Rica

I believe it is a migratory male from the states. The year-around male here has an orange/rust colored head. The female is usually lighter colored than this. This is not an uncommon bird, but all species are fun to see and to have in decent light for a photo. The next shot is not as good, but he’s flying and that to me is always fun to catch!   🙂

Yellow Warbler 
 Atenas, Costa Rica

My Costa Rica Birds photo gallery for more bird photos

THANKS for sending your birds south for your winter as our summer begins!  ~Charlie

North America has more than 50 species of warblers, but few combine brilliant color and easy viewing quite like the Yellow Warbler. In summer, the buttery yellow males sing their sweet whistled song from willows, wet thickets, and roadsides across almost all of North America. The females and immatures aren’t as bright, and lack the male’s rich chestnut streaking, but their overall warm yellow tones, unmarked faces, and prominent black eyes help pick them out.   ~The Cornell Lab of Ornithology

A 6 mile Beach Walk

I arrived early yesterday before my room was ready and so I decided to walk to the Caribbean town of Puerto Viejo from the hotel by way of the beach and back. My odometer showed it to be nearly 6 miles round trip, counting a walk around town. The next post will be about the interesting town. But here’s a few shots from the beach walk:

I walked from those blue hills around the bay to this town beach.
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

The bend in the bay before getting to the town.
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

I get to cross this stream coming into the bay and
see the one-lane bridge on the road running parallel with beach.
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

Approaching town there are runners & this abandoned barge.
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

Near every hotel is this standard sign warning of undertow.
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

A faster way to get to town?  🙂
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

Great Kiskadee
One of six species of birds seen along the beach walk.
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

Semipalmated Plover
For birders, yes, similar to Wilson’s Plover except
this one has orange legs & orange on base of bill (click to enlarge)
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

Non-breeding Western Sandpiper
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

Breeding Western Sandpiper
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

Whimbrel  
 Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

Brown Pelican
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

Great-tailed Grackle male 
 Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

I was high-energy yesterday and did more than I should probably, but doing very little today to make up for it!  Thus I have a lot of photos still from yesterday to share and may do another post tonight. Every new place is an adventure and full of photo-ops!

Some Birds in Flight from Today at Tarcoles

Had a wild bus adventure to Tarcoles and back today with Ed Fair. More photos, stories tomorrow.

Roseate Spoonbill
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

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Magnificent Frigate Bird female
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Ringed Kingfisher
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Great Egret
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Oops!   –   Snowy Egret
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Trip Photo Gallery: 2017-07-29- Tarcoles River


All of my photo galleries on Birds       or just Costa Rica Birds

And the boat tour company we used: Jungle Crocodile Safari

Pura Vida from Costa Rica!

~Charlie

Sunbittern!

Sunbittern
La Mina, near Rancho Naturalista, Costa Rica
Sunbittern
La Mina, near Rancho Naturalista, Costa Rica

Sunbittern
La Mina, near Rancho Naturalista, Costa Rica

Sunbittern
La Mina, near Rancho Naturalista, Costa Rica

Sunbittern
La Mina, near Rancho Naturalista, Costa Rica

This is a first sighting bird for me and the primary bird I wanted to see on this trip, so I am very happy to have seen it today and add it to my Costa Rica collection. I have added twelve new species  to my Costa Rica list this trip which is really good. I got others today but will show them tomorrow, since I wanted to show several shots of the sunbittern today.

Also I am very sore, having fallen in my room this morning. I made the mistake of spraying myself and my shoes with insect repellant at the front door, leaving an oily residue on the tile floor which I then slipped on and fell. I managed to walk 3 or 4 km today at La Mina and saw the Sunbittern after a pre-breakfast walk 2 km down the road here, just sore in my right leg and hip. I rest tomorrow and they are taking good care of me at the lodge! I may do some birding here tomorrow and work on more blog posts. 
Read about Sunbittern on Wikipedia   a bird found only in neotropical Americas on mountain streams at a certain altitude (and in a few zoos).

And my photo gallery of other Costa Rica Birds  before this trip. These will be added next week.

Retired in Costa Rica!

Hiking Corcovado Rainforest Today

Rainforest Meets Pacific Ocean
Corcovdo National Park, Costa Rica

A big gourmet breakfast and off by 6:30 by boat to San Pedrillo Ranger Station by boat in the rain through some pretty big swells along the Pacific coast – about 30 minutes and another wet landing in the surf and knee-deep wading to shore. We hiked three trails including part of the beach above seeing an unbelievable number of tree species and other cool plants, many animals and two new birds for me. We also saw a beautiful waterfall that I will show later. Then another rough boat ride back after our sandwich lunch, but no more rain! But it is cloudy and I do expect rain tonight.

I’m already worn out and have another boat trip tomorrow to the little island nearby where we will snorkle the coral reef and maybe see some wildlife on the island. Bumped my head on a low hanging tree limb today that brought a little blood, but I have Neosporin and the salt water tormorrow might help it heal even faster.

About Corcovado National Park (Wikipedia)  and  About Drake Bay (Wikipedia)


And Aguila de Osa Inn

My TRIPS Photo Gallery on this Drake Bay Trip

See also my Pacific Coast Flora & Forests photo gallery


Birds at Tarcoles

Great Egret
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Crested Caracara
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Yellow-headed Caracara juvenile
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Great Blue Heron with catfish
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Great Blue Heron finding fish
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Roseate Spoonbill
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Bare-throated Tiger-Heron
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Mangrove Swallow
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Tricolored Heron
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Green Kingfisher female
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Whimbrel
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica
Tomorrow I will post some photos of other animals and scenery from this trip. And I’ve created a new section of my photo gallery for trips and this is the first trip to get a gallery, though I may still be working on it  when you get there:  2017-13-April Tarcoles Float Trip