Juvenile Iguana Sunning

There seems to be more than one juvenile iguana, at different stages of development, living in or near my garden. I think that the main reason they climb my Cecropia/Guarumo Tree is to soak up the sunshine, which all reptiles need as cold-blooded creatures, but as a herbivore, he may also be eating from the leaves and flowers of this tree. The flowers of this tree are also popular with toucans which I’ve photographed in this same tree. Plus the toucans also eat young iguanas! 🙂

Juvenile Iguana in a Cecropia Tree, Atenas, Costa Rica
Juvenile Iguana in a Cecropia Tree, Atenas, Costa Rica
Juvenile Iguana in a Cecropia Tree, Atenas, Costa Rica

See my two Iguana Galleries:

Green Iguanas

Black Spiny-tailed Iguanas

I think these photos are of a Spiny-tailed, but juveniles of both species are similar, so I’m not certain.

¡Pura Vida!

And don’t forget!

Art Show at 105 Roca Verde #2

This SATURDAY, 24 June, 9-12 am

Cash, PayPal or Bank Transfers only.

Wall Art Available in Atenas

I will always prefer that you order wall art directly from my online Photo Gallery which is hosted by SmugMug.com who uses professional printers to print each of these, whether on paper, canvas or my new preference of “Float-mounted Metal Print.” I ordered each of these from my gallery.

There are 11 new ones ordered especially for the new local gallery that did not get established, plus about that many more I already had. You can see them online in two places:

  • Wall Art Images in a sub-gallery in my big Photo Gallery on SmugMug.
  • Or on this website at: Art Gallery at My House, but you have to scroll down past the floral accent pillows which I listed first with wall art second. Everything available is presented there on one page, while in the galleries there is a separate sub-gallery for each category.

The feature photo is one of the bigger images, a sunset from Cancun with Costa Rica on that horizon! 🙂 And below is one of the four Red-eyed Tree Frog photos available.

Red-eyed Tree Frog at Arenal Observatory Lodge, 20×16 inches, Metal, $100 USD or ¢55,000 CRC.

¡Pura Vida!

Coffee & Art, June 24, 9-12 am

Come and Go as you please! – ¡Ven y Vete como quieras!

Blooming Cactus?

No – though the first time I saw these bright pink flowers on top of the cactus plant at a house I walk by frequently on my way to town, I thought is was going to be a beautiful cactus! But it seems that the owner of that house has allowed his Bougainvillea to climb over from the wall to the cactus and from a distance, the second photo, it looks like it’s blooming. And some cactus here do bloom, but I’ve not seen that one bloom yets.

Bougainvillea on a cactus makes it look like the cactus is blooming.

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Blue-lipped Iguana?

Not really a new species, but this is first time I’ve noticed any iguana with blue lips! (Okay, I just looked in my gallery and one at Punta Leona had his whole head blue! 🙂 ) It is an immature Spiny-tailed Iguana and I have no explanation for the blue lips or earlier blue head!   🙂   Here’s 3 shots of him the other day in my Guarumo/Cecropia Tree . . .

Immature Spiny-tailed Iguana, Atenas, Costa Rica

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One Street’s “Tree Tunnel”

I love these! And there’s actually more than one place in Atenas where a tree spreads over the street like this, forming a “tree tunnel” that cars drive through and I walk through. There would probably be more if the power company wasn’t tree-trimming along most streets in town regularly. Here the tree is actually growing in the street and power lines are over the sidewalk and you can see that the sidewalk side of the tree has been trimmed and it looks like it is about time again!  🙂

“Tree Tunnel” on Calle Central, alongside the Sports Park, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica.

Though not all of my photos, I do have an Atenas Gallery, a collection of things & places here, or for pix of people and activities here see my PEOPLE, FIESTAS & ARTS Costa Rica collection of galleries which is mostly from Atenas.

And in case you are wondering, “Pueblo Atenas” and its county called “Canton Atenas” is in the Central Valley of Costa Rica about an hour and a half from the Capital, San Jose. It is a coffee and sugar cane farming town of about 8,000 people while the canton has 25,000, thus many more live away from the main town. A lot of expats from the United States, Canada and Europe live here, more in the canton than the town. Rich Americans have built big luxurious homes out in the country nearby and do grocery shopping in town or other nearby supermarkets and big box stores around Alajuela and in other suburbs this side of San Jose. Because I have no car and walk most places, I prefer to live in town.    🙂

¡Pura Vida!

Fluffing the Great Tail!

Before I left on my recent Maquenque trip I caught a few shots of this male Great-tailed Grackle fluffing his tail in my Guarumo or Cecropia Tree. I thought it kind of funny, interesting and almost like art!  🙂  Here’s just 3 shots at different stages of his fluff!  🙂

Great-tailed Grackle fluffing his tail, Atenas, Costa Rica.

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Rio Tres Amigos Safari

My 4th time at Maquenque Ecolodge, but first time to go on this particular float trip (their web description link) though I’ve canoed their lake and been on the bigger river, San Carlos, in a larger boat. The only reason I’ve missed this one is that they require a minimum of 2 paying customers and I travel solo! 🙂 This was the first time there were other guests interested in this same float trip to make up the minimum with me. They were a lovely couple from Europe, he Italian and she Swiss! We had a great time together and I got a lot of photos which is right now the only part of my Maquenque Trip Gallery that is completed. So you can see more photos at Rio Tres Amigos Safari GALLERY.   🙂

And note that the only wildlife (The cow doesn’t count!) that I show in this post is one bird, but it’s a rare photo of a female Sunbittern sitting on her nest! In earlier blog posts I’ve shown you 3 animals from this safari:  Crested Caracara, Green Iguana and Mantled Howler Monkey, yet there are still many more in the above gallery including 12 species of birds!  🙂  And here are 6 shots to give you an idea of what just one morning at Maquenque can be like!  🙂  Still my favorite lodge!

A fresh fruit & water break along the Rio Tres Amigos, Costa Rica.

Continue reading “Rio Tres Amigos Safari”

Mantled Howler Monkey

Called a “Congo” by Costa Ricans, the Mantled Howler Monkey is the largest and loudest of the four species of monkeys in Costa Rica and the only one I got photos of this trip, from alongside Rio Tres Amigos on float trip last Wednesday near Maquenque Ecolodge. I heard them at the lodge but never was close enough for photos and the same for the Spider Monkeys. I’ve been photographing Howler Monkeys since my first weeks in Costa Rica and have an okay GALLERY: Mantled Howler Monkey of Costa Rica.

Mantled Howler Monkey male, Rio Tres Amigos, San Carlos Canton, Alajuela, Costa Rica

Immature Mantled Howler Monkey, Rio Tres Amigos, San Carlos Canton, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

The Stately Crested Caracara

I photographed this beautiful bird along the road on our way to Rio Tres Amigos for our floating safari. The guides and drivers are all so good about stopping when a significant bird is seen. I would not have photographed this bird had we not stopped the van. The map on eBird shows this falcon type bird throughout the Americas, but more so in Central and South america.

Crested Caracara, near Rio Tres Amigos, San Carlos Canton, Alajuela, Costa Rica.

Crested Caracara, near Rio Tres Amigos, San Carlos Canton, Alajuela, Costa Rica.

I was originally planning to do my post on Rio Tres Amigos today, but simply have too many photo of too many things to have them ready by today, plus this is a very full week with two medical appointments and tourist friends from the states stopping by!  🙂  So I may stick to individual birds, etc. for most of this week. But that Rio Tres Amigos was a great half-day trip that is going to make a super gallery when finished!

And oh yes, my Crested Caracara GALLERY!

¡Pura Vida!