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This small toucan, Collared Aracari (my gallery link) is found mostly on the Caribbean Slope of Costa Rica but it is possible to see one on the Pacific Slope occasionally where his close “cousin” the Fiery-billed Aracari (my gallery link) lives only on the Pacific Slope.
¡Pura Vida!
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.
¡Pura Vida!
I did not do a post last night because I’m way behind on processing photos. I photographed 15 bird species just while eating lunch in partial rain yesterday and more yesterday afternoon and even more this morning on a pre-breakfast birding walk with guide Ronald! We were fortunate to have no rain for that hour and a half! 🙂 It is raining off and on just a little so far today, but so far nothing like yesterday!
So Walter would have a companion for talking with on his 4 hour return trip to Atenas yesterday, he brought his cousin who has a digital radio station in Atenas and here is the video he posted on the station or its Facebook or WhatsApp page (not sure how it works). It is of them leaving me at the boat dock on the flooded Rio San Carlos with Maquenque across the river. The first speaker in black is Walter’s cousin (forgot his name) and then Walter in the bright green cap speaks. My brief appearance is just waving at the camera from the boat. 🙂 I’m hoping that a WhatsApp Video works on this blog/website. I’m not a tech kind of guy! 🙂
Nope!
Well, it did not work, saying I’ve already used my one free video and must enroll in “VideoPress,” which I’m not doing, so I will just share two of Walter’s cellphone photos of their difficult return trip in a hard rain yesterday.
All that trouble just to get me to a favorite nature place! I’ll soon start sharing photos of the immense amount of nature here! 🙂
¡PuraVida!
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! 🙂
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”
Yesterday Diane died peacefully in her sleep after a long battle with cancer and all of its ugly side-effects, but also with the most exemplary support from Aubrey that I have ever seen. There are so many good things to say about Diane who was always happy, smiling and energetically ready to take on another project. But I will let others speak of her many attributes and just say that a mission trip is one of the best ways to get to know someone and I had the privilege of being with Diane on 3 mission trips. I pulled the photos of Diane from my galleries of those trips and created a photo gallery of “Mission Trip Diane” below.
Continue reading “Remembering Diane Parish”
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).
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.
And two more different view photos . . .
Continue reading “Pale-banded Crescent”
Above is a crisper, traditional shot while below is another “soft look” shot as with the feature photo . . .
Continue reading “Mimosa Yellow”
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).
¡Pura Vida!
When you live surrounded by both hills and trees, you don’t get to enjoy full sunrises or full sunsets. (I get both of those when I visit the two coasts of Costa Rica + at Arenal.) But occasionally the weather, the clouds and whatever else come together for a reflected colorful sky at sunrise and at sunset, as shown here from my terrace the other night at sunset (June 23). I look forward to my September trip to the Caribbean where I enjoy beautiful sunrises every morning, While my Christmas trip to Arenal Observatory will have semi-indirect (time of year thing) sunsets over Lake Arenal, visible from my choice room. 🙂
For the “real” sunsets, see my galleries: VISTAS, BEACHES, SUNRISES, SUNSETS Costa Rica which includes a sub-gallery of other sunrises & sunsets from my terrace.
¡Pura Vida!