charliedoggett.net
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| Costa Rica’s National Bird – Clay-colored Thrush On Charlie’s apartment balcony, Hacienda La Jacaranda, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Clay-colored Thrush Hacienda La Jacaranda, Atenas, Costa Rica |
There was one of these down by the river with the howler monkeys yesterday afternoon, but this little guy landed on my balcony rail at sunset tonight. In earlier years he was called Clay-colored Robin. Yes, I posted a photo of this bird earlier, but just not as good as this one. Won’t do repeats often! Promise!
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| Male Mantled Howler Monkey Hacienda La Jacaranda, Atenas, Costa Rica |
And yes, that is his testicles showing above. Sorry! The Howlers arrived this morning early with their distinctive howl, like an African Lion’s growl – seriously! But I did not go out to photograph them until this evening’s howl which means shooting into the sun – not smart! Maybe I’ll get up early one morning when they start howling and get some better photos. They come on the apartments’ property every year about this time when some of the fruit starts getting ripe, though they were eating leaves this evening. We saw only two males and the female with her baby tonight.
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| Female and Baby Mantled Howler Monkeys Hacienda La Jacaranda, Atenas, Costa Rica |
I did not photograph these from my balcony like the birds because they are down along the river in those trees which I will have to start watching more. I’ve been too busy to do as much nature photography as I thought I would do, but having fun with everything else too! I got my first tennis lesson yesterday and that might become a new activity. 🙂 Healthy!
Click to Hear the Howler Monkeys Howl.
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| Sunset from Charlie’s Balcony, Hacienda La Jacaranda, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| I chose to remove the clutter, the noise, and find the tropical beauty I love! Can you see where I focused as the sun dimmed a little more? Seventeen minutes later and an effort to see beauty! |
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| Crimson-fronted Parakeet Hacienda La Jacaranda, Atenas, Costa Rica |
They have been flying over daily for most of my time here, but not landing where I could see them from my apartment. Then they finally did! Once! A small number landed in one of the palm trees on our apartment property for a few minutes. Not sure why they chose the palm tree. No berries that I can see. This is the largest of all parakeets, as large as most parrots, the Crimson-fronted Parakeet. It’s the same one I posted earlier from the power line out front of the apartments. But I like these shots better, more natural. All were made from my front balcony with my Canon Rebel and a 75-300mm lens, then cropped to about 1/4 the original image size for the birds to show up! None tack-sharp, but I’m satisfied after waiting so long for them to land. Later on jungle trips I may get much better shots and when we go to La Paz! I got macaws at Zoo Ave, but no parrots! Same on Tarcoles River.
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| Crimson-fronted Parakeets Hacienda La Jacaranda, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Crimson-fronted Parakeets Hacienda La Jacaranda, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Crimson-fronted Parakeet Hacienda La Jacaranda, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Crimson-fronted Parakeet Hacienda La Jacaranda, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Maybe Blue & White Swallow, Bank Swallow, or even a Martin. Not sure. |
Hundreds of swallows fly over every day and all around the apartments, very fast! I’ve never been able to catch one in my camera, though this is one of my best efforts. We also have Keel-billed Toucans fly over occasionally, usually in pairs and very fast! No photos! Same with the Montezuma Oropendola! And parrots and parakeet flocks which are often even higher in sky. None of these birds ever land in the trees around us.
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| West End 3rd floor landing balcony, La Muchacha & door to my apartment. |
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| Carved from one piece of wood, dated 2004. |
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| Looks like sun worshipping to me! |
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| You hardly notice it when you walk up the hill. |
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| One view of our apartments while walking back from town. Far from a retirement home! |
Though the government talked in 2010 about creating “Jubilado Communities” like Retirement Communities in the states, it never materialized with most Ticos preferring to retire in place, stay a part of the total community and their extended family, says an article in La Nacion, the primary Spanish language newspaper here.
Of course there are North Americans who bought up property to create many gated communities of retired North Americans here, even in Atenas. I’m trying to avoid that. My apartments are gated for security, but we are not all gringo, not all retired, and not all old. I love the mix of peoples, ages, incomes, nationalities and the 300 meter walk to a real town! It is better than a retirement community! At least for me. We have two young couples who go to work daily, a couple of older working people, an unwed young mother with a 2-year old, a community of teenagers next door (New Summit Academy), and all ages of snowbirds. Who knows who will move in when the snowbirds go home in April and May for their summer? We are surrounded by Tico houses plus a church and shopping within walking distance! It is a good balance.
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| Gary from Quebec grilled 1 inch thick pork chops and sausages! Delicious! |
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| The rest of us brought side dishes. |
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| Our Tico couple brought the birthday cake. an old family recipe for a Caramel Cake – One of the best cakes I’ve ever tasted! Yum! |
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| Apartment Front Gate |
The gate is not bad looking, but the compound wall is ugly and I hope with all the improvements they are making, they will paint the walls soon. We all now have a clicker for the drive-through gate which means we can have a taxi take us up the hill to the apartments at night.You can barely see them through the trees in upper left, about 300 meters uphill! In addition to the clicker for the big gate we each got a key to the pedestrian gate in the green tower in the photo below. I use it more as a walker. They were locking the big gate only at night, but say they will start locking it all day, we’ll see.
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| Walk-through Gate in tower. First building is complex office, Hours: 7-4. |
BANK SECURITY TOO!