Rainy Morning Determination

This little Rufous-tailed Hummingbird was determined to continue eating nectar from the nearby Porterweed Flowers when he rested for a moment on this Red Ginger Flower. As I’m posting at about 11 am the rain has finally stopped and the sun coming out, so my post-poned morning hiked will be about now! 🙂 – P.S. – Right after posting this I start to go out and the rain starts again – Awww . . . shucks! More rain photography!

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Volcan Arenal National Park, Costa Rica.

Yes – the photo was made in the rain!

See more in my Rufous-tailed Hummingbird GALLERY.

¡Pura Vida!

Observatory Welcome Committee

White-nosed Coatis are the first to welcome you to Arenal Observatory along the entrance road.

Even though it was cloudy and beginning to rain, the main characters of this place were there to welcome all! In addition to the above Coatis there were the usual birds, many more than shown below . . .

Continue reading “Observatory Welcome Committee”

Turkey Vulture Soars . . .

. . . over the neighborhood, looking for lunch.

Turkey Vulture, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

Not a popular bird, but I think they are beautiful soaring on the wind currents overhead! 🙂

¡Pura Vida!

My Turkey Vulture GALLERY

And possibly I will have a post tonight from Arenal Observatory Lodge, the first night of my Christmas week adventure in the forest below a volcano.

Black Spiny-tailed Iguana. . .

. . . in my Higueron or Strangler Fig Tree (Big Ficus). The tree just lost its leaves again which makes it a little easier to see birds or other wildlife like this, though with so many tight limbs it is like “he is behind bars!” 🙂 And this tree has few open spaces where I could have gotten a clear view of his whole body, plus he continued higher up where I could not see him at all. This variety of iguana is the only kind I’ve seen in my yard or anywhere else in Atenas, while many of the lodges I visit also have the Green Iguana which is more colorful but with the same behavior high in trees and sometimes on the ground. See my separate photo galleries:

Black Spiny-tailed Iguana, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Continue reading “Black Spiny-tailed Iguana. . .”

Children’s Author at ART SHOW!

CLICK the cover image above to see book on Amazon.com.

Denise Gilien will be at this weekend’s ART SHOW with her children’s book (above) Where the Wild Sloths Roam and other work. Don’t miss this opportunity to see 21 local artists together in one room and possibly find a creative Christmas gift! At Hotel Colinas del Sol in Atenas on Avenida 8.

  • Friday 9 December – 3-8 pm — Jack, Piet & Syl, Fire Music at 5 pm!
  • Saturday, 10 December – 10 am to 8 pm — Poison Dart Frogs Band at 5 pm!
  • Sunday, 11 December – 10 am to 4 pm

¡Pura Vida!

And be sure to stop by my Nature as Art table!

Wall Art, Greeting Cards, Books & more!

🙂

White Spider

I’m suddenly getting a lot of spider webs all around my yard and we still have rain almost every afternoon. Not sure what it means. This particular web did have its spider in the center, a little white spider.

White Spider in center of its web, Atenas, Costa Rica.

¡Pura Vida!

And my Spiders GALLERY for more.

Banded Peacock

In addition to the Satyrs, several of these Banded Peacock butterflies are staying around while the bulk of butterflies seem to have gone from my gardens.

Banded Peacock Butterfly, Atenas, Costa Rica
Continue reading “Banded Peacock”

New Spider Web

This one is more “normal” or typical of spider webs than the strange one taking over a plant the other day. If you look close, there is one insect trapped in the web but I do not see the spider.

Spider Web in my garden, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica.

¡Pura Vida!

See my Spiders (& webs) GALLERY!

Baltimore Oriole

A female in one of my trees and the “snowbirds” are coming – both literally and figuratively! 🙂

TODAY is Thanksgiving Day in the States and though not a holiday here, I’m having a traditional Thanksgiving Day Dinner with friends from New Hampshire up the street from my house.

Baltimore Oriole Female, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

¡Pura Vida!

And my Baltimore Oriole Gallery!