Author: Charlie

Retired American nature-lover, living in Costa Rica, photographing birds and other jewels of nature. This site simply reports on my joys of being RETIRED IN COSTA RICA!
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Sloth

The hand indicates it is a Hoffman’s Two-toed Sloth
Though color could work as either 2 or 3-toed.
Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica

There’s a pink-nosed juvenile above what is probably the mother sloth.
Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica
The typical sloth sighting, a ball of fur in the tree. Sleeping sloth!
You are lucky to find one awake and moving!
Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica

See more sloths and other mammal photos in my Costa Rica Mammals PHOTO GALLERY

To learn more about sloths, see Sloth Facts on the livescience website.

And only one or two more posts to finish sharing my nature photos from Tortuguero. Hopefully you can see why I love that park (among others I also love!).

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Tortuguero Reptiles

Ebony Keelback snake, on banks of Tortuguero River, Costa Rica
It is similar to a Mussurana, which is more common in South America than here.

Many people think that they will see more snakes than anything in the rainforest, but that is not usually the case as they fear humans more than we fear them and many are well camouflaged. I’m including a second photo of the only snake we saw in Tortuguero to show the full length:

Ebony Keelback snake, Tortuguero, Costa rica
Green Iguana was the most often seen reptile. This male is orange because he is mating.
Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica
Green Basilisk or “Jesus Christ Lizard” because he walks on water.
Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica
Spectacled Caiman, Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica

Spectacled Caiman, Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica
Note that this is a lighter color than the first photo. Color varies and light makes photos different.
Black River Turtle, Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica

Be not in haste, said the tortoise.There is nothing here but time.

If you live long enough, you will see.Of course, though, you will see them from your cage.

Live long enough? I asked. Are there mortal dangers here?
The tortoise chuckled. 

The boy doesn’t always take very good care of his prisoners, Rex the lizard chimed in.
What do you mean? He doesn’t feed us enough?

Sometimes he doesn’t understand what we need to survive, Rex answered. Sometimes he plays too rough.

How can a creature able to bend the laws of nature be so cruel? I asked.” 

― Patrick Jennings, We Can’t All Be Rattlesnakes

Pura Vida!

Check out my  Costa Rica Reptiles  Photo Gallery

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Tortuguero Monkeys

Mantled Howler Monkey, Laguna Lodge, Tortuguero, Costa Rica
Photo made on cell phone through the guide’s spotting scope.

Central American Spider Monkey (Juvenile)
Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica
Geoffroy’s Spider Monkey,  Tortuguero, Costa Rica
It is lumped in with the other spider monkey as just one species of the 4 here
This is a mature adult while the Central American above is a juvenile
They are like first cousins with mainly a color difference.

White-faced Capuchin Monkey, Tortuguero, Costa Rica

Of the four monkeys that live in Costa Rica, three can be found in Tortuguero National Park and I managed to get photos of all three on this trip. The one not here is the Squirrel Monkey found only in and around Manuel Antonio National Park. See one of my photos of Squirrel Monkey at Manuel Antonio.

BACK  HOME
“A pie” – That is Spanish for “On foot” which is what I now am again! And I love it! Reagan left today and I turned in the expensive rent car at the airport, road a bus back to Atenas and walked from the bus station to my house. Wow! I didn’t realize how much detail in the world you miss from a car. Walking puts you close to people, animals, flowers, other nature and interesting buildings, sounds, odors, things to stump your toe on and the weather! Warning to future visitors: You might be “A pie” which is not said like my favorite dessert because all i’s in Spanish are pronounced like ee, thus it is said something like: “Ah Pee Eh.”
That’s all the Spanish for now but not all of Tortuguero yet!  🙂  I still have more photos to share over the next few days. And must say thanks to Reagan for being a great guest and tourist in my Costa Rica! And for the delicious going away lunch! (American food of course!)   🙂

Follow Reagan’s Blog for his view of his visit here!       Pura Vida!
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The Other Birds – Tortuguero

Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Tortuguero, Costa Rica

From our Tortuguero Trip last week I have already shown photos of 3 Species of Toucans, a Sungrebe, a Red-lored Parrot, and a Snowy Egret. And here are about 15 more species that I got photos of plus of course seeing others. You can see why I love Tortuguero! And a few of these were first-time sightings for me which will be added to my Birds of Costa Rica Photo Gallery.

Belted Kingfisher, Tortuguero, Costa Rica

Little Blue Heron, Tortuguero, Costa Rica
Montezuma Oropendola, Tortuguero, Costa Rica

Female Anhinga, Tortuguero, Costa Rica

Male Anhinga, Tortuguero, Costa Rica

Great Curassow Female, Tortuguero, Costa Rica

Bare-throated Tiger Heron, Tortuguero, Costa Rica
Interesting note: This nest was above the outdoor bar at Laguna Lodge.
I watched the male bring twigs and female arrange them. Fun!

Royal Tern Juvenile, Tortuguero, Costa Rica

Osprey, Tortuguero, Costa Rica

Long-tailed Grackle Female, Tortuguero, Costa Rica

Northern Jacana, Tortuguero, Costa Rica
Common Black Hawk, Tortuguero, Costa Rica

Orange-breasted Falcon or Bat Falcon or Black-collared Hawk ???Tortuguero, Costa Rica
If you can narrow the identification down, please contact me!
Wings only is tough to ID!

Social Flycatcher (most likely) or Great Kiskadee or
White-ringed Flycatcher, Tortuguero, Costa Rica

Birds of Tortuguero Checklist

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Red-lored Parrot

Red-lored Parrot, Tortuguero, Costa Rica

It looks like it will be next week before I get all my shots from Tortuguero processed, so here is one more! He is the only parrot we saw and I am pleased with this shot. But there are still several more shots of birds to share! (And 3 species of monkeys, several lizards, and one snake.) And I assume you know that all of these were shot in the wild! Tortuguero is a terrific place for nature lovers!


“We need the tonic of wildness… We can never have enough of nature.” 

― Henry David Thoreau, Walden: Or, Life in the Woods

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Bus to Alajuela Today

Catedral de Alajuela seen from
Juan Santamaria Park

Even though I have rental car, I really don’t like to drive in the big cities and wanted Reagan to experience how I get to town and walk around in the old, simple city of Alajuela – more crowded and dirty than Atenas and with more old buildings. So we rode bus to town where we walked and took taxis to and from the mall. He did not particularly like it until we got to the modern City Mall

Juan Santamaria Statue
Alajuela, Costa Rica

Main entrance to City Mall, Alajuela, Costa Rica

Reagan in the City Mall Food Court
Where he finally got to eat at McDonald’s!

Follow Reagan’s Blog for his view of his visit here!

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Sungrebe

Sungrebe (mating female) at Tortuguero National Park (A first sighting for me!)

Lots of catch-up work at home today that did not include managing my thousand+ photos from Tortuguero, so many more to share in time.  🙂   I’m taking Reagan to Alajuela tomorrow where I do much of my shopping. Then Saturday to the Pacific Coast, Jaco Beach and maybe Puntarenas. His last two days of Sunday and Monday may be a lot slower. We are both tired. 

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Tortuguero Toucans

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
All photos by Charlie Doggett and copyrighted
It is late and I am tired as we got back home from Tortuguero at nearly dinner time and I had to water the gardens. I will add more photos from Tortuguero tomorrow and the following days. And I hope you are beginning to see why I like Tortuguero so much!  🙂    Pura Vida!


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!

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Exploring Tortuguero

Green Basilisk or “Jesus Christ Lizard” (because he walks on water)
It is also called emerald, plumed, or double-crested basilisk (Nat’l Geographic)
From a boat on Tortuguero River – CLICK TO ENLARGE

We are busy & upload is slow, so I’m saving the bird photos for when we are home tomorrow or later this week. Lots of birds! Good tours today! I recommend Laguna Lodge at Tortuguero!

And if you are going to the west coast or especially Manuel Antonio, I recommend our guide for these 3 days who usually works over in Manuel Antonio National Park. His name is Robert Umaña, robert.uma8@gmail.com or call (506) 8881-2240. He is very personable and well organized and good at finding birds. Though I have had guides more knowledgeable of birds, he is going to continue getting better as a young man. And he is real good about taking a picture for you with your cell phone through his spotting scope, which I find very impressive for most people from the U.S. And he is very patient with people which is important for a professional guide. Guides here are trained by the government and certified which means most are good and that is a big plus for Costa Rica tourism! I’ve never had a bad guide, just some are better than others. Robert’s one of the best!

Follow Reagan’s Blog for his view of his visit here! He is not into birds like me or the wildness, but he likes the adventure and the opportunities to make photos and share them just like me! So we are both having a good experience in “The Amazon of Costa Rica.”   Pura Vida!