Tag: Squirrel Cuckoo

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FAVE BIRDS – Squirrel Cuckoo

I was really excited the first time I saw a Squirrel Cuckoo (eBird description) in my garden, thinking that all cuckoos were rare exotic birds. I’ve since learned that this particular one is fairly common all over Costa Rica and you will find 5 locations in Costa Rica in my Squirrel Cuckoo Gallery. Plus eBird says it is “widespread” throughout Central and South America. It is one of 6 different species of Cuckoos found in Costa Rica. Beyond this one, I have photos of just 2 other species in Costa Rica: The Mangrove Cuckoo (2) and the Lesser Ground-Cuckoo (1). See more information and links in The Backstory below . . .

Squirrel Cuckoo, My Gardens, Roca Verde, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Continue reading “FAVE BIRDS – Squirrel Cuckoo”
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Good Morning World

Squirrel Cuckoo
My Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica

Two mornings in a row for breakfast and he gave me a better pose this morning. Plus in only one shot did all 5 tail feathers show like this, so I’m particularly pleased with this one! It happened just as the fog lifted on a beautiful morning in Atenas!

And on my walk downtown today I got a shot of the church I’m pleased with, but I’m holding it for another day. It is so enjoyable to just walk through this tranquil little town every day! And I often stop in a little shop for a cup of coffee and a rollito de canela (cinnamon roll). This is living!
Breaking News:
Atenas is one of the safest cantons (counties) in Costa Rica according to statistics!  
How encouraging to someone who lives here!  (right click to change article to English)
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A Cuckoo at Breakfast & World Travelers at Lunch

Squirrel Cuckoo
Waiting on me in the Nance Tree when I went to the Terrace for Breakfast
Atenas, Costa,Rica

I have better shots of this cuckoo, but it is still nice to have one visit occasionally.  🙂

I had lunch today with Tom & Jess who are temporarily in Atenas as a part of their retirement plan to travel all around the world in their retirement, a month or two here and then on to the next interesting place. Sounds like fun! Click on their names above for their blog which is much more extensive about their retirement travels than my blog. And if you notice that they visited Zarcero in Costa Rica and don’t remember me reporting on it, you are right! But I plan a day trip there by bus soon! It’s a village famous for its beautiful church and topiary garden.

From here in November they go to Florida to catch a cruise ship that will drop them off in South America where they stay a while before Antarctica and then back to Africa again. They have an international health insurance policy and try to live simple lives in rent houses in every country they visit. They are renting a house in Roca Verde near me now.

They frequently use rent cars to give them more independence in seeing what they want to see. What they are doing seems more tiring and more expensive than my particular retirement plan, but a fun and exciting one. I do plan to visit other countries in Central and South America eventually and of course continue to explore Costa Rica! I visited every single Tennessee State Park before leaving there and plan to likewise visit all the National Parks in Costa Rica in time! It was good to visit with other world travelers that enjoys adventure as much as me! And even that is part of my retirement adventure of living in a coffee farming village in Costa Rica!   🙂


“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I — I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” 

– Robert Frost
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Cuckoo Eating Nance Berries

Squirrel Cuckoo
My Gardens, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica
Squirrel Cuckoo
My Gardens, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica

Squirrel Cuckoo
My Gardens, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica

Another breakfast visitor off my terrace, in the Nance Tree where the yellow berries are ripe. The underside of the long tail is beautiful but this one would never show it. This shot at Cañon Negro Reserve shows it somewhat. And there are other shots in my Costa Rica Birds Photo Gallery though he doesn’t seem to often show off his bright tail.

For more info on this beautiful bird, see Neotropical Birds Overview with a songs recording. The are fairly common from Central America down through the northern portions of South America. They are not on any endangered list.

¡Feliz Dia de Mamá!
Happy Mother’s Day!
A national holiday with almost everything closed today and
most mother’s getting a lot of attention from their families.
15th of August every year! Regardless which day of the week.
The restaurant I ate in today had tables of 8 or 10 honoring Moms.

¡Pura Vida!
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Cañon Negro Birds, Part 1

Squirrel Cuckoo 
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica

Anhinga female 
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica

Yellow-throated Toucan 
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica
Green Heron 
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica
Amazon Kingfisher female 
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica
Boat-billed Heron 
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica

Laughing Falcon 
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica

Red-winged Blackbird 
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica

Social Flycatcher building a nest 
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica

And 9 more tomorrow night, then we start on Tenorio and more from the lodge. Tomorrow (Wed.) I ride the buses back to Atenas.

And my Birds photo gallery

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15+ Bird Species Photographed in Manzanillo!

Great Green Macaw, Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

 

There were more seen but just 15 with decent photographs and I will share more photos of the Great Green Macaw later with info on the Ara Project. Some of these birds like the above are only found on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica.

 

Pale-billed Woodpecker
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Cinnamon Woodpecker
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Chestnut-colored Woodpecker
Manzanillo, Costa Rica
Keel-billed Toucan
Kekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

a

Collared Aracari
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Common Black Hawk
Manzanillo, Costa Rica
Photographed in tree next to my tent at Almonds & Corals.
Roadside Hawk
Kekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

 

 

One of the “New World Warblers” maybe Yellow
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

 

Shining Honeycreeper
Kekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

 

Squirrel Cuckoo
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Variable Seedeater
Manzanillo, Costa Rica
Turkey Vulture
Kekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
We also saw Kites, Hawks and Falcons flying high above, but no good photos.

 

Chestnut-backed Antbird
Manzanillo, Costa Rica
By the entrance to my tent at Almonds & Corals
Note that he is eating an insect, worm or whatever?

 

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Black-mandibled Toucan
Photographed at the Ara Project and added after original post.
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

All of these birds were wild in the forests of Manzanillo or Kekoldi. I saw a few more in captivity at the Jaguar Rescue Center in Puerto Viejo but not included here. See that post.

And I have a BIRDS PHOTO GALLERY with many more species! And the new ones here will be added very soon!