Category: Trees

Posted on

Between the Tree Limbs

Across the street from me, the first house is an Airbnb rental owned by a German man who comes himself about once a year. And at his entrance gate is an Oro Tree, the tree that is scattering orange splotches across the many landscapes of Costa Rica in January-February, making the hills & valleys beautiful! And it is all orange flowers, no leaves yet. They come after the flowers. Well, to see his Oro Tree from my terrace or windows I must peer through my Higueron Ficus Tree. The feature photo is from me zooming in through the tree limbs from my terrace and other photos below show how thick my Ficus tree is to try and focus through! 🙂 So I went out in the street to get a pix of the whole tree and it has lost all its flowers except on that one branch I can see through my Ficus, so not sharing that, plus it is butchered on one side by the power company to protect their lines. So just these 3 photos here . . .

Oro Tree Flowers seen through the branches of my Ficus Tree.
Oro Tree Flowers seen through the branches of my Ficus Tree.
Oro Tree Flowers seen through the branches of my Ficus Tree.

Here’s a closeup of an Oro Tree I made in Orosi Valley several years ago. It is in my Trees gallery which has other photos of Oro Trees and many other species.

¡Pura Vida!

Posted on

Nature Art for a Traffic Jam

Because of numerous doctor appointments in San Jose, I get to “ride shotgun” and be the observer while Walter deals with the traffic! 🙂 Anyone who regularly drives back to Atenas from San Jose will recognize this “bottleneck” where traffic must narrow down to one lane for our side of a two-lane bridge and then enjoy the multiple lines following that for the toll booths. 🙂

Well, my philosophy is to always “make lemonade out of lemons” (rather than screaming at the idiots in government who wouldn’t pay for a 4-lane bridge on a major highway like Ruta 27). So I notice the other day this black tree contrasting with the yellow & green grasses on a hill where the traffic jam begins. Walter says that there was a grass fire on that hill a few years back and that tree burned down. Now its charcoaled figure graces the hill like a statue on a museum pedestal. 🙂 Welllll . . . use your imagination! 🙂

Here’s two shots on my cellphone through the car window glare, one from a distance and one closer as we passed it. You locals look for it the next time you drive back from San Jose! And I know . . . this is only one of many places where one side or the other of 27 narrows down to one lane. And it is beyond my comprehension why the new bridge on 27 west of Atenas is only 3 lanes instead of four! But – just enjoy the gorgeous vista from that bridge! 🙂 Beauty in every inconvenience! 🙂

Ruta 27 westbound from San Jose.
Nature As Art on Ruta 27 westbound from San Jose.

Nature as Art!

¡Pura Vida!

And for all kinds of views of Costa Rica, visit my photo gallery online called Charlie Doggett’s COSTA RICA + with 10 years of CR photos plus all my old Tennessee and other historical photos. The galleries represent my whole life but especially my retirement years. It has been fun! 🙂

Or maybe you would prefer to see my San Jose Gallery.

Posted on

Visitor from Baltimore – The Oriole!

Possibly a migrant, this Baltimore Oriole, Icterus galbula (linked to eBird) was in and out of several trees in my garden Sunday. We do have some resident Baltimore Orioles here, just like some of us humans from up north! 🙂 But this time of year they are likely to be migrants. And I’m still amazed at how far birds fly!

Baltimore Oriole, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

See also my Baltimore Oriole Gallery for more photos of this northerner made in many places all over Costa Rica! And you might also be interested in some of his relatives who are also down here . . .

  • Black-cowled Oriole (Gallery)
  • Orchard Oriole (Gallery)
  • And there are 3 other species of Orioles in Costa Rica that I have no photos of. 🙂 They are: Streak-backed Oriole, Spot-breasted Oriole, and Yellow-tailed Oriole. Orioles are in a bigger family that includes Blackbirds.

¡Pura Vida!

Posted on

Simple Beauty

I continue to photograph dying palm fronds and other leaves because, to me, there is a different and simple beauty in each one, kind of like people! 🙂 And the colors vary greatly from bright yellows and oranges to rusty browns or coffee colors, and yes, even almost black sometimes. Then there is the overall shape of a frond, slightly different with each species of palms and the multiple lines and shapes that each frond forms. Oh well, I guess “Simple Beauty” says it best! 🙂 Enjoy!

Dying Palm Frond, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

And of course I have a gallery of Leaves & Nature Thing! 🙂

¡Pura Vida!

Posted on

Mango Tree Flowers

In a neighbor’s garden, snapped with my telephoto lens from my own driveway. In a tropical place like Costa Rica I seem to find something new and wonderful to photograph every few days, even while standing in my own garden! 🙂 I love it here!

Mango Tree Flower, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

Mango, Mangifera indica (linked to a Wikipedia article)

Or perhaps you would enjoy my “Trees” GALLERY which I just noticed has had 3,000 views since February 2022, in just 2 years! Seems that someone else likes trees too! 🙂

“The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.” – Nelson Henderson

¡Pura Vida!

Posted on

Close & Far Panoramas

The first shot on my cellphone is close, as I step out through my gate onto the road by the cow pasture and begin another walk. The second photo on my camera is a merging of 3 shots of the far mountains in a common panorama vista from my terrace. I love where I live! 🙂 Plus it is not far from some totally different vistas I can visit in rainforests, beaches or cloud forests. Pura vida! 🙂

The cow pasture across the road from my casita on a hill, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica.
And the distant view from my terrace, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

See the photo gallery titled: From My Roca Verde Terrace for many more similar vistas. And FYI: “Roca Verde” (Green Rock) is the name of the housing development where I live, named after the big green (moss-covered) rock just inside the entrance gate. 🙂

Atenas: “El mejor clima del mundo!” “The best weather in the world!”

🙂

Posted on

Nance Trees Blooming!

Along with dozens of other trees that bloom here during the dry season, which at first seemed strange to me, but I guess it is all about the sun. 🙂 These little yellow and orange cluster flowers will eventually turn into clusters of Nance Berries (yellow) which many birds will enjoy! And the iguanas too! 🙂 And here a few people eat them or make jams-jellies or marmalade with them. I tried eating one and did not like it as a bitter taste to me. Read about them on Wikipedia: Nance Tree, Byrsonima crassifolia.

Nance Tree Flowers that will become berries, Atenas, Costa Rica.

¡Pura Vida!

Posted on

A New Rufous-tailed Visited

This older and much larger Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Amazilia tzacatl (my gallery link) was visiting a couple of days ago and has not been back. I think that the smaller and younger one is chasing all other hummingbirds away as if he owns the place. The Blue-vented I had here earlier last month has not returned either. I filled the feeders again, hoping if would attract others, but maybe not with a little boss bird around. 🙂

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Posted on

Gray-headed Chachalaca

The only “regular” (almost daily) large (Turkey-sized) bird in my garden is the Gray-headed Chachalaca, Ortalis cinereiceps (eBird link) which is found only in the southern parts of Central America or from Honduras to Columbia. When a whole flock of them swoop into one of my trees they are sort of “pests” because of their constant chatter. But lately it has only been 2 to 4 at a time which is less noise and more interesting to watch. See my many photos of this unique bird in my Chachalaca Gallery. Just one shot here.

Gray-headed Chachalaca, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Posted on

Red-billed Pigeon

This colorful, purpleish, dove-like bird is not as common in my garden as the White-winged Dove, but I like him just as much! He is the Red-billed Pigeon, Patagioenas flavirostris (linked to eBird) and found only from Costa Rica to Mexico. Just one more of the many birds unique to this part of the world! The best place to go birding! 🙂

Red-billed Pigeon, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!