More photos from Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge visit yesterday:
Did you notice the quote on the entrance sign to this refuge? It is . . .
“The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.”
― Charles Darwin
¡Pura Vida!
More photos from Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge visit yesterday:
Did you notice the quote on the entrance sign to this refuge? It is . . .
“The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.”
― Charles Darwin
¡Pura Vida!
The one photo I posted there from my Arenal trip was this Keel-billed Toucan that I also used on the cover of the book about Arenal Observatory.
Several comments were made but the most interesting was from Diego who said,
Las flores han de ser hermanas de las aves..!!
ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
The flowers have to be sisters of the birds..!!
It is possibly and old saying or even a quote from some writer (though my Google search did not find an author), but I thought it so interesting and true especially with some of the many colorful birds here in Costa Rica and I appreciate Diego’s comment!
Toucans are difficult to photograph even with the tower at Arenal putting me up on their level! But they certainly are a lot like flying flowers! 🙂
Keel-billed Toucan Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica |
Collared Aracari Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica |
Keel-billed Toucan Flying Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica |
Cecropia or Guarumo Tree Kekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica I have a tree like this in my yard. Toucans like these trees! 🙂 |
Except for securing Abel Busamanti as a birding guide in Manzanillo, I had no other pre-plans though expecting to visit the Ara Project featured yesterday. Well, on the north side of Puerto Viejo which is just 20 km or so north of Manzanillo is the Cahuita National Park that I kind of expected to visit (but never made it). I didn’t want to risk one of the guides lined up at the park entrance, so with my Kindle (no laptop) I googled and found a guide service in Puerto Viejo called TERRAVENTURAS which I called and said I was interested in a birding guide for the park or other better area near there. (There are a lot of companies like them here! Many are geared more to white water rafting and zip-lining!f Adventures for the young!)
She told me the birding would be better in Kekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve and they had a platform tower on top of a hill to view raptors migrating. (I had heard about the tower and so liked that choice.) I told her to book me for tomorrow and she said she needed me to send money in advance for a reservation which I did not know how to do on my Kindle. So I just drove to their office in Puerto Viejo and paid cash.
View of Ocean from Bird-spotting TowerKekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
The next morning Alex, a Bribri guide and uncle to the guide I had at Ara Project picked me up at my hotel. The time with him was as enjoyable as the birds we found and I got to photograph. As was walking by some of the simple homes in the reserve which I did not feel comfortable photographing. So really no Bribri photos this time, just the few birds and other animals I photographed. But I highly recommend the trip! And Alex! And Terraventuras!
And the Mountains in Other DirectionKekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica We saw raptors coming from both directions, but mostly along the coast. |
Kites, Hawks and Vultures would Fly Together in the DraftsKekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
Mississippi Kite Was one of my new bird shots for Costa Rica Kekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
The Ever Present Turkey VultureKekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
Shining HoneycreeperKekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
Roadside HawkKekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
Keel-billed ToucanKekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
Hoffman’s Two-toed SlothKekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica It was neat how close to our trail he was. My closest yet in the wild! |
Black & Green Poison Dart FrogKekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
Strawberry Poison Dart FrogKekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
Green Page MothKekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
Common Mytip ButterflyKekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
Isabella’s Tiger, a Longwing or Heliconia ButterflyKekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
Sometimes going to an out of way place where most tourists don’t go is the best place for wildlife and adventure. It is my second Bribri reserve to visit and both were unique! Special! Go to my August 25-27, 2015 posts for photos of the Yorkin Bribri Reserve:
Nice Little Cafe and Gift Shop at the entrance, but not as big or as developed as Zoo Ave in La Garita! And you can only visit on a schedule with a tour guide, so get times ahead! On website: Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
NOTE: I am not repeating the photos of a Northern Tamandua Anteater and a Red-eyed Tree Frog that were shot here but shown in earlier posts. Click links to see again.
Brown Pelican with a broken wing Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
Baby Possums whose mother was killed. They will raise and try to introduce back into the wild. Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
Groove-billed Ani Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
Keel-billed Toucan Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
Hoffman’s Two-toed Sloth Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
Red-lored Parrot Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
Spectacled Caiman Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
To learn more about Jaguar Rescue Center, click link for their website where you can read the history, find out when there are tours and how you can volunteer. It is operated mostly by volunteers!
Or more specifically my BIRDS PHOTO GALLERY or
My OTHER WILDLIFE PHOTO GALLERY
Tico Times photo of injured Keel-billed Toucan at ZooAVE |
Keel-billed Toucan, near dining room, El Jaguar Reserve, Nicaragua |
Collared Aracari Toucan, in tree by coffee field, El Jaguar Reserve, Nicaragua |
Obviously not my best toucan photos, so see other’s I’ve made in my Costa Rica Toucans Photo Gallery. But note that toucans are very difficult to photograph without expensive and large telephoto lens, since these birds generally stay high in the forest canopy. I did not get the lucky close one this trip like I did at Tortuguero. I was close to that Aracari!
See some interesting TOUCAN FACTS on the “Interesting Animal Facts” Page.
And though I had other short-term guides, these two guys did two and three full days respectively with me and were both so very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable about the local birds. I could not have asked for better guides at either Montibelli or El Jaguar! They are my favorite on this trip! I will ask for both of them if I ever return!
Here I am with Luis at Chocoyero, our one trip out of Montibelli. He was my full-time private guide at Montibelli Reserve and very professional for a 21 year old! And spoke good Ingles! 🙂 |
Like most young people in Latin America, these guys treated me with ultimate respect because of my age. And they acted like it was a privilege to serve me anyway they could. Like all over the world, young men in their 20’s find it difficult to get jobs. These two are following their passion for birds with part-time work as guides. And as all young adults in both Costa Rica and Nicaragua, they live at home with their parents until married or a job in another place. Luis finishes university in June with a business degree but does not know what he will do. He would like to start a bird guide business, but the competition and seasonal nature of the work would make it difficult to support a family if he marries his girlfriend or novia. Moises is more likely to stay with El Jaguar doing multiple jobs beyond bird guiding. (His bosses know what a good guide he is!) For example, he works with an international organization banding birds two mornings a week and assisting with research (though it could be volunteer work). And of course there is the coffee farm work year around. He did not go to the university. He also drives the farm truck and here there are limited people who can or will drive, making them professional drivers or conductors. There is more poverty in Nicaragua than Costa Rica and it is more difficult to find jobs, thus many from Nicaragua migrate to Costa Rica for work, like my maid Mayra and her husband and two children.
Both of these young men spoke good English but were just about the only ones in Nicaragua! I got lots of practice with my simple efforts to speak Spanish. ¡Necesito practicar más español!
Both reserves were wonderful with El Jaguar standing out for me on this trip, partly for the extra day, the most birds, and meeting delightful people! As I left, two couples had checked in for their birding adventures there! One from Germany and the other from Canada. Meeting people like this is part of the joy of traveling!
Sleeping Brown Jay Monteverde, Costa Rica |
Sleeping Orange-bellied Trogon Monteverde, Costa Rica |
Sleeping Keel-billed Toucan Monteverde, Costa Rica |
Sleeping Skipper Butterfly Monteverde, Costa Rica |
A Strange Cloud Forest Fruit Eaten Only by Bats Monteverde, Costa Rica |
It Was Dark! Night Hike! Monteverde, Costa Rica |
We saw many other creatures that I could not get usable photos of, like a Margay cat, two snakes, army ants, leaf-cutter ants, other insects, and some other birds including a spectacled owl.
Collared Aracari Toucan Eating Papaya in the village of Tortuguero, Costa Rica |
Black-mandibled Toucan Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica |
Keel-billed Toucan At Park Headquarters Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica |
The Toucan by Shel Silverstein
Tell me who can
Catch a toucan?
Lou can.
Just how few can
Ride the toucan?
Two can.
What kind of goo can
Stick you to the toucan?
Glue can.
Who can write some
More about the toucan?
You can!
Flash Back plays for dancing at Augostos Restaurant tonight |
Scarlet Macaw at Zoo Ave |
Keel-billed Toucan at Zoo Ave |
An Injured Toucan rescued and nursed to health |
Green Iguana, one of many around the park |
Wild Spectacled Owl visiting Zoo Ave |
Striped Owl at Zoo Ave |
Crested Owl at Zoo Ave |
Emu at Zoo Ave |
Great Curassow Male at Zoo Ave |
Great Curassow Female at Zoo Ave |
Squirrel Monkey at Zoo Ave |
Spider Monkey at Zoo Ave |
Helicopter Damselfly at Zoo Ave |
Baird’s Tapir or Central American Tapir at Zoo Ave |
Zoo animals are ambassadors for their cousins in the wild.~Jack Hanna