Is still coming around in September and I’m glad! I think he is one of the most elegant of the birds here!
See my gallery: Lesson’s Motmot, Momotus lessonii
¡Pura Vida!
Lesson’s Motmot
Tortuguero Trip Gallery
Go to: https://charliedoggett.smugmug.com/TRIPS/2025-09-08-12-Tortuga-Lodge-Gardens-Tortuguero
For the last two weeks I’ve shared photos made on my 4-night trip to “The Amazon of Costa Rica,” Tortuguero National Park. And that was only the “tip of the iceberg” of the many photos made. See them all in the above gallery! Having this kind of nature adventures is why I chose to live out my retirement in Costa Rica and it has already surpassed my hopes and dreams and though I have to slow down some, the adventures continue! Sometimes in my little backyard garden! 🙂
¡Pura Vida!
Two Toucans for Breakfast
Every morning at Tortuga Lodge & Gardens there were two little flocks of two species of toucans directly behind my room eating berries from different trees; Keel-billed Toucans and Yellow-throated Toucans. Here’s just one photo of each species with more in my species galleries linked below the photos.
See more photos from this trip and from many other places in Costa Rica, including my gardens at home, with a gallery for each species:
- Keel-billed Toucan – On Caribbean Slope & in Central Valley (much of which is Pacific Slope like where I live)
- Yellow-throated Toucan – Found all over Costa Rica except Guanacaste.
- Collared Aracari – Not seen this trip, but often on the Caribbean Slope only. (Similar bird on Pacific Slope is the Fiery-billed Aracari)
¡Pura Vida!
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.
¡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) . . .
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! 🙂
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. 🙂
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.
¡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.
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 . . .
¡Pura Vida!