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Being quarantined at home with Covid means I can give more time to finishing my photos from the July trip to Maquenque Eco Lodge and I now have that “Trip Gallery” finished, which I’m pleased with. It is Costa Rica Trip #121 and I continue to feel my trip galleries are the best.
You can click on the first page below to go there or if prefered, here’s the web address: https://charliedoggett.smugmug.com/TRIPS/2024-July-4-9-Maquenque-Eco-Lodge
¡Pura Vida!
In my slow state of activity with Covid I finished the birds gallery for my recent trip. 48 species is not bad but not as many as last year with 62! But let’s face it, I’m slowing down. And the good thing is that I got one Lifer this trip, the Yellow Tyrannulet! And from the back porch of my little cabin! 🙂
You can see this trip’s bird gallery by clicking the first page image below or going to: https://charliedoggett.smugmug.com/TRIPS/2024-July-4-9-Maquenque-Eco-Lodge/BIRDS
¡Pura Vida!
There were oh so many more hummingbirds at Maquenque, but I’m getting too “slow on the draw” to capture these fast and constantly moving birds. And these four shots aren’t real good, but at least I got some that aren’t Rufous-tailed H, which is all I get at home now. 🙂 Here’s a shot of each of four different species of hummingbirds and only a tiny sample of what’s at Maquenque throughout the forests and gardens.
See more in my Stripe-throated Hermit Gallery.
Continue reading “4 Hummingbirds”
Most mornings at Maquenque I walked from my cabin to breakfast around the Lagoon, through two little forests, and a corner of the farm looking for birds. One morning I saw this juvenile, young or immature Gray Hawk perched in a tree long enough for me to get several shots and in okay light! To see the different looks of Gray Hawks, go to my Gray Hawk Gallery with shots from several areas of Costa Rica. I did see a more mature Gray Hawk on another day, but in the shadows and my photo is not good enough to share here though in my gallery.
¡Pura vida!
One of my favorite ducks in Costa Rica, the Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Dendrocygna autumnalis, is found where there’s a lot of water. The only place I’ve seen more than at Maquenque was at Palo Verde National Park and the Rancho Humo next door. Here’s two shots and you can see more of my efforts to photograph them in my Black-bellied Whistling Duck Gallery, or read about them on eBird. They are found in Eastern and Southern U.S. south through all of Central America and most of South America. Here’s two shots from last week with more in the above gallery.
¡Pura Vida!
This trip I got photos of 4 species of parrots as shown in the 4 photos below with each followed by a link to my CR Birds Gallery for that species. Though I’ve never gotten all 8 on one visit there, the other 4 I’ve previously photographed at Maquenque are both Macaws: Scarlet & Green, the Mealy Parrot, and the Crimson-fronted Parakeet. Here’s one photo for the email notice and the other three follow online.
And the reason I say that is because I almost always get photos of all three of the toucans in that particular reserve, but the Keel-billed Toucan never showed up during my 6 days there this time. One of the family there said that it was because many fruit trees are fruiting right now throughout the rainforest and they have preferences elsewhere. 🙂
Here’s one shot of each of the other two and links to my galleries with earlier photos of each from all over Costa Rica.
And my Gallery of CR Collared Aracari. You will see from the locations of those photos that this aracari is only on the Caribbean Slope or Atlantic side while the Pacific Slope has the Fiery-billed Aracari, which I’ve had in my garden a couple of times.
See more of this bird in my Yellow-throated Toucan Gallery. And this guy and the similar Keel-billed Toucan can be seen on both slopes of Costa Rica.
¡Pura Vida!
One of the Maquenque Managers took me out into the thick rainforest today where one of the new Treehouses is being built, while the workers were on their lunch break. 🙂 They discovered the roosting place for a couple of Crested Owls at eye level from one new treehouse in the forest, but hidden from the normal human eyes behind the limbs and leaves of the large tree they’re in. It was impossible to get a good photo, but here are three shots that show three different things: first the top 2/3 of one with the second shot showing the bottom 2/3 of one and the third shot showing a portion of both owls, just to show that there are two there! 🙂 They weren’t poising on an open limb for me! 🙂
Shooting through the foliage is a common challenge when birding in a forest anywhere and could be a part of your challenge if you come stay in a treehouse at Maquenque, but in my past stays in treehouses here I’ve also had some very clear shots of toucans, spider monkeys and howler monkeys; so don’t let a little jungle challenge stop you from a great experience here at Maquenque Eco Lodge & Reserve! (Link to lodge website.)
You can sort of see the “crests” which seemed to be relaxed while resting.
¡Pura Vida!
And you may want to see my Crested Owl Gallery, though I have only one other photo.
And you can read about them on eBird. Found in Central America and the northern half of South America.
I captured some images today of this Black-cheeked Woodpecker building a new house where soon some new little woodpeckers will be raised at Maquenque Eco Lodge. 🙂
And I’m getting lots of other bird photos plus other wildlife here in the rainforest which I will eventually share here or in my gallery.
¡Pura Vida!
I consider my group of galleries titled Costa Rica TRIPS to be my best group of photo galleries, because they cover my trips to all my favorite nature places all over Costa Rica, now numbering 120 including day trips! Though I share some good photography from home here in Atenas, including my garden, the exciting stuff is usually from the trips! 🙂
And the newest one is from last week’s little 2-night trip to Xandari Resort on the edge of my provincial capital of Alajuela, Alajuela with their surprising private rainforest with waterfalls, all kinds of trees and wildlife, along with their gorgeous gardens near the rooms, restaurant, spa and their farm. A great little jungle island near a big city! This gallery is labeled 2024 June 11-13 — Xandari Resort, Alajuela (linked to the gallery) or you can click the image of the first page of the gallery below to get there . . .
If you are one of my readers in Costa Rica and want to check out Xandari, which has greatly reduced prices during rainy season, go to their website at Xandari Costa Rica! (Pronounced shaun-dar-ie) It is the Costa Rica location of a chain of resorts based in India, all focused on nature and local culture and people.
Now I will start catching up on some blog posts from my garden that I made before Xandari. 🙂 And my next trip is in July to Maquenque Eco Lodge where I’ve photographed more birds than any other location! 🙂 Plus I will celebrate my 84th birthday there! 🙂 Always something to look forward too when you live “Retired in Costa Rica!”
¡Pura Vida!