Category: Wildlife

Posted on

Yellow-throated Toucan

With several tourists here from around the world, it seems that one of the first things they want to see is a toucan, and the boldest one here is this Yellow-throated Toucan (my gallery link). Here’s two slightly different views with neither showing his patch of red, but still a handsome bird! We are on the Caribbean Slope here, where this Yellow-throated is more common than the Keel-billed which is more common on the Pacific Slope. Tomorrow I will share another variety of toucans which also has a different “cousin” on the Pacific Slope.

Yellow Throated Toucan, Maquenque Lodge, Costa Rica
Yellow Throated Toucan, Maquenque Lodge, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Posted on

Maquenque Lodge Tonight

Today I will travel for about 4 hours to one of my favorite lodges and best birding place, Maquenque Eco Lodge (their link) near the Nicaragua border in Boca Tapada, San Carlos Canton, Alajuela Province, almost directly north of where I live in the center of the country. It will be my 6th trip there and 3rd time to celebrate my birthday there, which is July 4 and this year number 86! 🙂

3 years ago I planted an Avocado Tree there to help the endangered Green Macaws at Maquenque.

I may or may not do a post tonight from there, but otherwise a daily post from Maquenque reporting on my nature finds there for the next 5 days and as always a few more days after a trip. This will be my 6th time at Maquenque with, of course, lots of photos and a “Trip Gallery” from every visit there . . .

Continue reading “Maquenque Lodge Tonight”
Posted on

Mexican Fritillary

There are so many orange with black trim butterflies and most of them are distinctly different, as is this Mexican Fritillary, Euptoieta hegesia (my gallery link).

Mexican Fritillary, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Continue reading “Mexican Fritillary”
Posted on

Pale-banded Crescent

In my gallery I have 9 different species of Crescents and this one has been mostly seen here in Atenas. See my GALLERY: Pale-banded Crescent, Anthanassa tulcis (linked). Here’s three different views in my garden this June and the damaged wings you may have noticed on other butterfly photos I’ve shared this year. It is the wind! Though not all the time like January, it is blowing just as hard here in June, which is not normal! I believe it is a part of the human-caused climate change. Also note that this one is on one of my few Milkweed Flowers, which is also attracting other species, so I want to find another sunny spot for more.

Pale banded Crescent, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

And two more different view photos . . .

Continue reading “Pale-banded Crescent”
Posted on

Mimosa Yellow

Mimosa Yellow, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

Above is a crisper, traditional shot while below is another “soft look” shot as with the feature photo . . .

Continue reading “Mimosa Yellow”
Posted on

Juno Silverspot

Earlier this month I was seeing a lot of different butterflies but it has turned windy again and not many can handle that. This is one of my favorites . . . Juno Silverspot (my gallery link).

Juno Silverspot, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Juno Silverspot, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Posted on

Fledgling Yellow-faced Grassquit

And that is a “Most Likely” identification from iNaturalist and eBird with a definite from Google Lens. 🙂 I photographed it outside the gate of Roca Verde in Barrio Boquerón and we do have a lot of adult Yellow-faced Grassquits here, especially around the cow pasture, so it is a pretty safe ID. 🙂 See photos of adults in my gallery Yellow-faced Grassquit (linked).

Fledgling Yellow-faced Grassquit, Barrio Boquerón, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Posted on

Pale-vented Thrush – A Lifer!

“A Lifer” means “first time seen species” and this is my first new bird in quite a while! (# 189 in my CR bird gallery) 🙂 He was on the ground in my garden (or front yard) and I first thought it was a young Yigüirro – Clay-colored Thrush (and it is possible that he actually is), but it is instead the iNat AI says it is a juvenile or immature Pale-vented Thrush, and I’m going with that. As they get older they lose those two rows of little orange spots and the belly turns whitish. In Costa Rica they are seen only in the low foothills of the Central Valley (like where I live), so not your every day bird all over Costa Rica! 🙂 And I got only one useable photo the first sighting (read on for the better 2nd sighting) . . .

Pale-vented Thrush Juvenile, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

Then, the next day, I saw this same juvenile in a tree waiting for Mom to come feed him as you can see that she did in these two shots the day after the above photo . . .

Continue reading “Pale-vented Thrush – A Lifer!”
Posted on

Barred Yellow

June has become the usual big butterfly month in my gardens and here is another nice one, the Barred Yellow (my gallery link) . . .

Barred Yellow, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Barred Yellow, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Posted on

Orchid Bee

One of the most common bees in my garden is this particular Orchid Bee. There are several kinds of Orchid Bees. All of my Bee photos are in one gallery called Bees — Abejas.

Here are two shots of one in my garden recently as they join the Hummingbirds and Butterflies in spreading nectar around . . .

Orchid Bee, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Orchid Bee, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!