charliedoggett.net
My profession is to always find God in nature.
– Henry David Thoreau
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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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| 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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| 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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| Grasshopper (1 of 11,000+ species) Manzanillo, Costa Rica |
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| Golden Orb Spider Manzanillo, Costa Rica |
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| Whitened Bluewing Butterfly Restaurant Selva Tropical Butterfly Garden, Guapiles, Costa Rica On the highway to the Caribe |
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| Common Mytip Butterfly Manzanillo, Costa Rica |
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| Green Page Moth Manzanillo, Costa Rica |
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| Isabella’s Tiger Longwing or Heliconianf Butterfly Manzanillo, Costa Rica |
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| Sara Longwing Butterfly Restaurant Selva Tropical Butterfly Garden, Guapiles, Costa Rica On the highway to the Caribe |
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| Helcale Longwing or Heart-spotted Helconian Manzanillo, Costa Rica |
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| Giant Swallowtail Butterfly Restaurant Selva Tropical Garden, Guapiles, Costa Rica On the highway to the Caribe |
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| Almond Eyes Owl-butterfly Restaurant Selva Tropical Butterfly Garden, Guapiles, Costa Rica On the highway to the Caribe |
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| Emerald Patches Cattleheart Butterfly Manzanillo, Costa Rica |
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| Blue Morpho Butterfly Restaurant Selva Tropical Butterfly Garden, Guapiles, Costa Rica On the highway to the Caribe |
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| Giant Skipper Butterfly Restaurant Selva Tropical Butterfly Garden, Guapiles, Costa Rica On the highway to the Caribe |
See my BUTTERFLY PHOTO GALLERY
and/or
See my OTHER INSECTS PHOTO GALLERY
My collections are growing! The adventure never ends!
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| Split-banded or Heliconia/Linnean Owlet Butterfly In My House, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Split-banded or Heliconia/Linnean Owlet Butterfly In My House, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica Sorry for out-of-focus image, but needed for identification, top side |
Yes, the bottom side (wings folded) is similar to Owl Butterfly but the top side is different! The bottom is a fair match for “Split-banded Owlet” but the top seems to be closer to the “Heliconian or Linnean Owlet” meaning that I am not sure! Sorry top is not in focus but seldom opened and only for brief second rapidly. In both shots he is on my kitchen window screen.
See also MY BUTTERFLY PHOTO GALLERY for many more species of butterflies, 54 now!
For identification I am now primarily using the book A Swift Guide to the Butterflies of Mexico and Central America. It has more photos and species included than any book I have found yet for this region and I double check on the internet. The National Audubon Society’s Field Guide to Butterflies is the best for North American butterflies but does not always include all in Central America such as this one which is close on the bottom side to one of the “Pearly Eyes” but not a match. The only Costa Rica book on butterflies is woefully lacking in species.
Another study showed Costa Rica to be the happiest place on earth, even for expats! The few negative ones (who are never happy anywhere, just leave. Good!)
Read the article: Expats in Costa Rica happiest in the world, says new poll
See my new photo galleries: Charlie Doggett’s COST RICA on SmugMug
