Pre-Easter Color in Atenas
Celeste Mountain Lodge Rainforest Trail
I neither saw nor photographed a single bird, though I heard many. But it was a beautiful walk in the rainforest across the road from the lodge on a trail they created for about 2-3 km. It is a similar cloud forest to what I walked through in Tenorio Park, just fewer people! Here are a dozen photos without much comment:
 |
| Rainforest Trail Seen from Lodge Dining Room Celeste Mountain Lodge Rainforest Trail, Bijagua, Costa Rica |
 |
| Tree Fern
Celeste Mountain Lodge Rainforest Trail, Bijagua, Costa Rica |
 |
| One of Many Old Growth Trees Celeste Mountain Lodge Rainforest Trail, Bijagua, Costa Rica |
 |
| Flower at Entrance to Trail Celeste Mountain Lodge Rainforest Trail, Bijagua, Costa Rica |
 |
| Fern Celeste Mountain Lodge Rainforest Trail, Bijagua, Costa Rica |
 |
| Unknown Berries Celeste Mountain Lodge Rainforest Trail, Bijagua, Costa Rica |
 |
| Tree Celeste Mountain Lodge Rainforest Trail, Bijagua, Costa Rica |
 |
| Tree Celeste Mountain Lodge Rainforest Trail, Bijagua, Costa Rica |
 |
| Plant Celeste Mountain Lodge Rainforest Trail, Bijagua, Costa Rica |
 |
| Much Grows on the Trees Celeste Mountain Lodge Rainforest Trail, Bijagua, Costa Rica |
 |
| Air Plant Celeste Mountain Lodge Rainforest Trail, Bijagua, Costa Rica |
 |
| Footbridge Over Stream Celeste Mountain Lodge Rainforest Trail, Bijagua, Costa Rica |
 |
| Trail Welcome & Rules in Spanish, English & French Celeste Mountain Lodge Rainforest Trail, Bijagua, Costa Rica |
My real highlight was the Birds at Celeste Mountain Lodge, link to earlier post.
Or you might want to see the lodge’s website for more about their services, great food, etc.
For more photos of Costa Rica, see my gallery called Charlie Doggett’s COSTA RICA
Celeste Mountain Lodge
Another great nature place!
¡PURA VIDA!
Tenorio Park & Rio Celeste
 |
| Charlie Doggett crossing Rio Celeste I sure have a lot of “Jungle Fun” for an old man! Its why I’m here! Tenorio Volcano National Park, Costa Rica |
 |
| Welcome Sign
Tenorio Volcano National Park, Costa Rica |
 |
| Merging of the Waters 2 streams merge & their minerals mix & turn the water blue. Fun! 30 meters upstream from the bridge photo above. Tenorio Volcano National Park, Costa Rica |
 |
| Trailhead to Waterfall I Missed Tenorio Volcano National Park, Costa Rica Strong winds had knocked some trees over trail. Closed all 3 days there. It was interesting to learn that Bomberos (Firemen) would clean it up. And yes, some people went around the yellow tape anyway. Not me. Sendero Cerrado – Trail Closed |
 |
| And Every Tree is a Work of Art! Tenorio Volcano National Park, Costa Rica |
 |
| Brown Wood Turtle Tenorio Volcano National Park, Costa Rica |
 |
| White-nosed Coati Tenorio Volcano National Park, Costa Rica |
 |
| Yellow-eared Toucanet Tenorio Volcano National Park, Costa Rica |
 |
| Yes, Much of Trail was this Muddy! Tenorio Volcano National Park, Costa Rica I always take two pairs of hiking shoes & one is still drying from cleanup! ¡PURA VIDA! |
You may be asking how it could be so wet when you are still in the “Dry Season.” Well, in a cloud forest like this it is always humid, misty, and sometimes raining, year-around. Maybe more so during the rainy season. Same goes for the coastal rainforests, while we in the Central Valley have two very distinct seasons. That is why the majority of the population lives in the Central Valley.
LITTLE CR EXTRAS:
History of Gallo Pinto (beans & rice in Costa Rica)
Starbucks Coffee Farm in Costa Rica
Another Reason to NOT have a Car in Costa Rica (Besides the high cost)
Only YOU Can Prevent Forest Fires! (Dry Season problem around the world!)
Cañon Negro: People & Other Wildlife
 |
| The Jacques Pellé’s From France at my lodge and decided to join me on Cañon Negro trip A very enjoyable couple! |
 |
| Alex, our guide Explaining this interesting plume plant Cañon Negro, Costa Rica |
 |
| Me Thanks to the Pelé’s Cañon Negro, Costa Rica |
 |
| Red-eared Slider Turtle Cañon Negro, Costa Rica |
 |
| Green Iguana (male in mating orange) Cañon Negro, Costa Rica |
 |
| Spectacled Caiman Cañon Negro, Costa Rica |
 |
| Unknown Frog (Smilisca?) Cañon Negro, Costa Rica |
 |
| Red Seed of a Fruit used to Color Rice Cañon Negro, Costa Rica |
 |
| Dry Season Flowering Trees Cañon Negro, Costa Rica |
 |
| And many other interesting trees! Cañon Negro, Costa Rica |
 |
| A Big Boat for just 4 of us! Cañon Negro, Costa Rica |
 |
| Jacques captures the river ahead – Rio Frio Cañon Negro, Costa Rica |
Obviously, Cañon Negro was a highlight of the trip! Assuming that you saw the 19 different bird photos from the last three days’ posts. Harris’s Hawk, Cañon Negro Birds 1, and Cañon Negro Birds 2
Tomorrow I will share shots from the Tenorio Volcano National Park, the closest place to Celeste Mountain Lodge and then more from the lodge another day.
And my general Costa Rica Photo Gallery is always available!
Tree-trimming the Quick Way!
 |
| Whack! Whack! and Drop the Machete! All before I can turn on my cellphone & photograph it! 2 limbs of my Guarumo Tree were banging against roof in the wind. My yard, Atenas, Costa Rica |
Photo gallery of My Home Gardens
And for anyone planning to drive a car here in the near future, Ruta 27 will get a little faster next week and the La Patina Bridge repairs & widening is to be finished by April 30 according to this article in Tico Times. And it will speed up the buses to San Jose also!
Yellow Corteza Tree!
 |
| Corteza Tree or Tabebuia ochracea On the hill just opposite by house Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| Seen from my Living Room Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| And seen from a walk today over the hill. The big yellow tree on right is same as other photos. Look carefully to see 3 other yellow trees & a light lavender one. My house is left of center, the small orange roof below or to right of the big orange roof with solar panel (landlord’s). Cellphone shot, Atenas, Costa Rica |
This Corteza Tree is not to be confused with what I call “Yellow Bell Tree” or some call Yellow Trumpet Tree that bloomed earlier here and which I have in my yard. Earlier this dry season on the same hill above was a beautiful orange blooming tree, called the Oro Tree and I shared a photo on my blog when at the apartments, follow the link. But can’t find one made on this hill.
In the last month and currently are also some pink blossom trees called Roble de sabana or Pink Trumpet Tree which I also showed a photo of when at the apartments. There will also be a few lavender trees and some with white blooms too.
Why do so many trees bloom in the dry season? They defoliate or lose their leaves and the new growth starts with blooms that turn to leaves that will soon be nourished by the coming rainy season which is also called the green season here! I’m ready for rain! It usually starts in May.
See also my photo gallery Walking in Atenas for more trees and flowers around town.
Mama Dove Abandons Nest in Strong Winds
I don’t know for sure if the mother Inca Dove abandoned the nest or something happened to her, but by this morning she was gone and two eggs had rolled out of nest down the spine of the palm frond, with at least one egg cracked. An animal that would eat her would probably also eat the eggs and an iguana may eat the eggs yet. 61 mph winds could have done it!
 |
| Inca Dove on Nest She sat on this for about 3 days in terribly fierce winds, palm fronds like sails! |
 |
| Empty Nest this Morning Was the wind too much? Did something happen to her? I never saw a mate and wondered where Daddy bird was! |
 |
| Eggs Rolled down Palm Frond & Cracked I’m so sorry to miss the birth of two Inca Doves & Sorry for the Mom! I have no way to save them and doubt they could be. |
 |
| Poor Choice of Nest Tree The nest is in this small palm surrounded by red/yellow crotons below my deck. Nest in lower of two fronds on the left, tiny gray spot halfway up. |
Check out our Weather and note that right now the wind is at 42 mph with gusts to 61 mph. The poor bird never had a chance! January-February is the usual windy time, but last year was never with as strong a wind as we’ve had this year. and it is still blowing strong into March, but hopefully dying down soon! Then a couple of months of windless, hot, dry days before the rain starts, May-Oct.
Read more about Inca Doves at Cornell’s All About Birds
My Birds Photo Gallery
POSTSCRIPT: Before dark I checked the palm again and both eggs were gone, maybe by wind or maybe by an animal.
PS again: Today I finished my Income Tax with only one call to the TurboTax help desk! 🙂 The problem was not with the form but getting past their security into my file online. It seems that I had two accounts with them with two different user names and passwords and I was mixing them up. Crazy! But done now!
A Golden Leaf
 |
| Front Side |
 |
| Back Side |
I picked up this leaf along the side of the road walking home from the bus stop after a trip to Alajuela. It just attracted me, and I felt the need to photograph it with more than my cellphone. (I know, “Get a life Charlie.”) Living slow in Costa Rica, I now pause to “smell the roses” or enjoy the simple beauty of a leaf, its design, shape, colors (front & back totally different), textures, and what was simply pleasing to me.
After getting it home and photographing it, I gave to my artist neighbor Anthony who painted the back side (lighter color) and pressed it on art paper to use as part of the background for one of his bird paintings. Neat, huh? Now I will pay more attention to leaves, for awhile anyway.
For more leaves, shot in Tennessee, see my older Closeups gallery, scrolling down
Or if you want a more spiritual application, see my Gambia Journal Miracle Leaf Stories.
For more leaves in Costa Rica browse through the tree and flower photos in my Flora & Forests gallery with a lot more of the cool leaves here in Costa Rica! It is a nature lover’s paradise in Costa Rica and my today’s find of a “golden leaf” is just a tiny sample of the simple pleasures I find here.
Trees Blooming Today
 |
| African Tulip Tree Also called Flame of the Forest and Fountain Tree At a neighbor’s house on the hill above me. Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| Yellow Bell Tree I have many of these around my house & just starting to bloom. Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
My photo gallery FLORA & FORESTS
Or more specifically MY HOME GARDENS
Animales Fantasticos!
I saw the first Harry Potter prequel today, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Animales Fantasticos) and of course you find them in Costa Rica! 🙂
And I also picked up an old dead branch along the road, lightly sprayed with gold paint, and put it in a vase of rocks for my árbolito de navidad (little Christmas Tree) this year and will decorate it with hand-crafted artisan birds. Here’s 4 of the first ones added. There will be more Fantastic Beasts! 🙂
And yes, Costa Rica is into Christmas decorations and the whole celebration in a big way! Every store is heavily decorated and the malls have three story tall Christmas Trees.