Category: Birds

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2018 – Year of the Bird

National Geographic has joined with The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and other organization to help call attention to the importance of birds in the life of the earth with a Year of the Bird  emphasis and an even more fun emphasis in National Geographic Kids. 

Read your National Geographic magazine every month this year for more about birds and . . .

See this very short Thank You Video from The Cornell Lab.  Or go to Cornell Lab Website to see how you can participate in helping birds.

Or just for fun, browse through my collection of Birds photos since moving to Costa Rica . . .

Screen Shot of BIRDS gallery opening page
Birds are indicators of the environment. 
If they are in trouble, we know we’ll soon be in trouble. 
~Roger Tory Peterson

The USA Today article on Costa Rica, the Country Without an Army & the Happiest Country
Thanks to Larry Yarborough for sharing this article! And one quote from the article:
“Blessed is the Costa Rican mother who knows her son at birth will never be a soldier.”

International Living magazine again ranks Costa Rica the #1 Place to Retire!
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Curu Wildlife

Curu Wildlife Refuge
Paquera, Costa Rica
Tuesday, 26 December 2017
 
Roadside Hawk Juvenile 
Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica

 

Double-striped Thick-knee 
Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica

 

Green Kingfisher female 
Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica

 

Pale-billed Woodpecker 
Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica

 

Lineated Woodpecker
Yes it is different from the one above!
Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica

 

Spotted Sandpiper 
Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica

 

 Brown-crested Flycatcher 
Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica

 

Cattle Egret 
Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica

 

White-tailed Deer 
Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica

 

Common Basilisk “Jesus Christ Lizard” 
We watched this one “walk” run across the stream.
Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica

 

Variegated Squirrel 
Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica

 

One of the Heliconias I’ll Name Later 
Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica

 

Unknown Tiny Lizard 
Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica

 

Crab-eating Raccoon 
Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica

 

 Baby Raccoons with above mother 
Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica
And yes, we saw a lot of Coatis and one Agouti, just no photos

 

What a Wildlife Refuge Looks Like Here! 
Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica

 

Guide Ruth & Driver Larry 
Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica

The website of the wildlife refuge (1st one in Costa Rica):   http://www.curuwildliferefuge.com/

 
My trip gallery for this trip: 2017 Christmas Week Tambor Bay 
 
Or my birds and wildlife galleries at   Charlie Doggett’s COSTA RICA
 
 
 
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Christmas Creatures

From both hotel grounds and the river trail again, on Christmas Day . . .

Streaked Flycatcher
Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Black-headed Trogon  
Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Black-headed Trogon Juvenile 
 Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl 
 Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl 
Side view – He’s looking left
Very difficult to photograph in bamboo cane.
 Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Squirrel Cuckoo  
Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 
 Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Boat-billed Heron 
 Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Magnificent Frigatebird 
 Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Cattle Egrets 
 Tambor, Costa Rica

 

American Crocodile 
 Tambor, Costa Rica
Striped Iguana 
On this same rock every day at hotel. 
Tambor, Costa Rica

As always, you can click on any photo to make it larger.

My trip photo gallery:   2017 Christmas Week Tambor Bay

And I always have growing galleries of birds and other wildlife as sub-galleries of :
Charlie Doggett’s COSTA RICA.  Making photos is my passion, hobby and fun.
My guides take me to Curu Wildlife Reserve tomorrow for hopefully some new birds and other wildlife. It is near the water like the hotel, so there will be some overlap!
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A King Vulture for Christmas Eve!

King Vulture Adult
Raptor Ridge, Tambor, Costa Rica

 

King Vulture Juvenile
 Raptor Ridge, Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Social Flycatcher
 Raptor Ridge, Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Olive Sparrow
 Raptor Ridge, Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Rufous-capped Warbler
 Raptor Ridge, Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Barred Antshrike
 Raptor Ridge, Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Possibly a Greenish Elaenia
 Raptor Ridge, Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Blue-throated Goldentail Hummingbird
 Raptor Ridge, Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Painted Buntings 
They would not let me get close enough for a good photo
 Raptor Ridge, Tambor, Costa Rica

 

White-nosed Coati 
 Raptor Ridge, Tambor, Costa Rica

 

 Helicopter Damselfly
 Raptor Ridge, Tambor, Costa Rica

 

Black Vulture
These guys circle a dead animal and attract the King Vulture
Raptor Ridge, Tambor, Costa Rica

My trip gallery for this trip: 2017 Christmas Week Tambor Bay 

And my photo gallery Costa Rica Birds .

 
 
MERRY CHRISTMAS!  FELIZ NAVIDAD!
 
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First Day Birds

Turquoise-browed Motmot 
 Tambor, Costa Rica 

Black-headed Trogon
 Tambor, Costa Rica 

Lineated Woodpecker
 Tambor, Costa Rica 

Hoffman’s Woodpecker
 Tambor, Costa Rica 

Hoffman’s Woodpecker Feeding a Baby
 Tambor, Costa Rica 

Common Black Hawk
 Tambor, Costa Rica 

Roadside Hawk
 Tambor, Costa Rica 

Cocoa Woodcreeper
 Tambor, Costa Rica 

Little Blue Heron
 Tambor, Costa Rica 

Great-tailed Grackle
 Tambor, Costa Rica 

Brown Pelican
 Tambor, Costa Rica 

My trip gallery for this trip: 2017 Christmas Week Tambor Bay 

See also my Costa Rica Birds Photo Gallery.

By tomorrow I will post photos of my room and hotel grounds, and more. Today I got a 30 minute taxi to airport and the 30 minute flight to Tambor. They are not full, so my room was ready this morning and I got settled, ate a second breakfast and finished reading the Washington Post. Then hiked the River Trail for most of these birds and rested in the afternoon and sorted photos. I’ve scheduled birding guides for Sunday and Tuesday and a massage for tomorrow. Great first day! Tambor Tropical Resort. 

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Yellow Warbler

Yellow Warbler joined me for Breakfast Friday
 My garden, Atenas, Costa Rica

I believe it is a migratory male from the states. The year-around male here has an orange/rust colored head. The female is usually lighter colored than this. This is not an uncommon bird, but all species are fun to see and to have in decent light for a photo. The next shot is not as good, but he’s flying and that to me is always fun to catch!   🙂

Yellow Warbler 
 Atenas, Costa Rica

My Costa Rica Birds photo gallery for more bird photos

THANKS for sending your birds south for your winter as our summer begins!  ~Charlie

North America has more than 50 species of warblers, but few combine brilliant color and easy viewing quite like the Yellow Warbler. In summer, the buttery yellow males sing their sweet whistled song from willows, wet thickets, and roadsides across almost all of North America. The females and immatures aren’t as bright, and lack the male’s rich chestnut streaking, but their overall warm yellow tones, unmarked faces, and prominent black eyes help pick them out.   ~The Cornell Lab of Ornithology

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A 6 mile Beach Walk

I arrived early yesterday before my room was ready and so I decided to walk to the Caribbean town of Puerto Viejo from the hotel by way of the beach and back. My odometer showed it to be nearly 6 miles round trip, counting a walk around town. The next post will be about the interesting town. But here’s a few shots from the beach walk:

I walked from those blue hills around the bay to this town beach.
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

The bend in the bay before getting to the town.
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

I get to cross this stream coming into the bay and
see the one-lane bridge on the road running parallel with beach.
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

Approaching town there are runners & this abandoned barge.
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

Near every hotel is this standard sign warning of undertow.
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

A faster way to get to town?  🙂
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

Great Kiskadee
One of six species of birds seen along the beach walk.
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

Semipalmated Plover
For birders, yes, similar to Wilson’s Plover except
this one has orange legs & orange on base of bill (click to enlarge)
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

Non-breeding Western Sandpiper
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

Breeding Western Sandpiper
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

Whimbrel  
 Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

Brown Pelican
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

Great-tailed Grackle male 
 Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

I was high-energy yesterday and did more than I should probably, but doing very little today to make up for it!  Thus I have a lot of photos still from yesterday to share and may do another post tonight. Every new place is an adventure and full of photo-ops!

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Some Birds in Flight from Today at Tarcoles

Had a wild bus adventure to Tarcoles and back today with Ed Fair. More photos, stories tomorrow.

Roseate Spoonbill
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

l

Magnificent Frigate Bird female
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Ringed Kingfisher
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Great Egret
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Oops!   –   Snowy Egret
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Trip Photo Gallery: 2017-07-29- Tarcoles River


All of my photo galleries on Birds       or just Costa Rica Birds

And the boat tour company we used: Jungle Crocodile Safari

Pura Vida from Costa Rica!

~Charlie
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Sunbittern!

Sunbittern
La Mina, near Rancho Naturalista, Costa Rica
Sunbittern
La Mina, near Rancho Naturalista, Costa Rica

Sunbittern
La Mina, near Rancho Naturalista, Costa Rica

Sunbittern
La Mina, near Rancho Naturalista, Costa Rica

Sunbittern
La Mina, near Rancho Naturalista, Costa Rica

This is a first sighting bird for me and the primary bird I wanted to see on this trip, so I am very happy to have seen it today and add it to my Costa Rica collection. I have added twelve new species  to my Costa Rica list this trip which is really good. I got others today but will show them tomorrow, since I wanted to show several shots of the sunbittern today.

Also I am very sore, having fallen in my room this morning. I made the mistake of spraying myself and my shoes with insect repellant at the front door, leaving an oily residue on the tile floor which I then slipped on and fell. I managed to walk 3 or 4 km today at La Mina and saw the Sunbittern after a pre-breakfast walk 2 km down the road here, just sore in my right leg and hip. I rest tomorrow and they are taking good care of me at the lodge! I may do some birding here tomorrow and work on more blog posts. 
Read about Sunbittern on Wikipedia   a bird found only in neotropical Americas on mountain streams at a certain altitude (and in a few zoos).

And my photo gallery of other Costa Rica Birds  before this trip. These will be added next week.

Retired in Costa Rica!