Animales Fantasticos!

I saw the first Harry Potter prequel today, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Animales Fantasticos) and of course you find them in Costa Rica!  🙂

And I also picked up an old dead branch along the road, lightly sprayed with gold paint, and put it in a vase of rocks for my árbolito de navidad (little Christmas Tree) this year and will decorate it with hand-crafted artisan birds. Here’s 4 of the first ones added. There will be more Fantastic Beasts! 🙂

And yes, Costa Rica is into Christmas decorations and the whole celebration in a big way! Every store is heavily decorated and the malls have three story tall Christmas Trees. 


Seeing Behind the Leaves

In the forest or my garden, one must look through tiny windows to see behind the leaves:

Blue-crowned Motmot at breakfast this morning
In Yellow Bell tree that will soon be blooming, Atenas, Costa Rica
As usual, I said “Oh fuey! He’s not in the open for a good shot!”
But this is a more common view! 

Tropical Kingbird (pretty sure, can’t see breast)
From my terrace, Atenas, Costa Rica

Maraca or Shampoo Ginger
In jungle of my garden, Atenas, Costa Rica

Heliconia behind Heliconia plants
My garden, Atenas, Costa Rica

Red Ginger amongst the ginger leave
My garden, Atenas, Costa Rica

Red Ginger amongst many plants
My garden, Atenas, Costa Rica

Layers of Leaves
My garden, Atenas, Costa Rica

Heliconia
Overshadowed in my garden, Atenas, Costa Rica

Between the leaves in my garden
Atenas, Costa Rica

The Missed Birds!

Many Pass Through this Dead Tree at end of my terrace.
Yesterday I had no camera when
two Keel-billed Toucans stopped momentarily & then up the hill!
and a few days ago
A Blue-crowned Motmot landed in this same tree, briefly!
Links are to one of my photos of that same bird made elsewhere.

I think the toucans were looking at my Cecropia Tree (Arbole Guarumo o Yagrumo) which is suppose to attract toucans. So far that is as close to the Cecropia as I have seen them yet. Eventually! Pura Vida!

The dead tree is soon to be cut down, so maybe that will make the Cecropia more appealing! 🙂
The Cecropia or Guarumo o Yagrumo Tree beside my terrace (a deck in the states).
And remember that I put Spanish words/names in red (when I remember).  🙂
Toucans love this tree, but mine is still young, so eventually it will get toucans.
And for the birds I did get photos of, see my BIRDS PHOTO GALLERY
Or maybe you would like more trees in my FLORA & FORESTS GALLERY

Dinner Guest

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Inside on my kitchen window screen, Roca Verde
Atenas, Costa Rica

I had Anthony over for dinner (with “to go” dinners from Chef Dan I’ll tell you about later). As we were about to sit down for dinner and TV News this little guy flew in and landed on the kitchen window. I partially opened the screen expecting him to fly out but that kind of trapped him between glass and screen. So after dinner I helped him get loose and he flew out the sliding class doors that are always open and where he flew in.

My photo gallery of BIRDS has hundreds of species of birds now.

Masked Tityra Approaches My House!

But that is not as bad as it might sound! He’s not a bandit but a bird! And a nice one!

Masked Tityra
My Home Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica

Masked Tityra
My Home Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica

Maybe he is wearing a mask early for Halloween. No? This is the first I’ve seen in my garden, but I did see one at the Rio Chirripó Retreat near Chirripó National Park.

And my BIRDS PHOTO GALLERY include many more!

Birding on the Kekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve

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 FOLLOWING PHOTOS FROM KELKOLDI ARE REPEATS 
FROM EARLIER POSTS (But show you what is at Kelkoldi)

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:

August 27, 2015 – The Birds

See more photos in my new galleries Charlie Doggett’s COSTA RICA


¡PURA VIDA!

Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo

Jaguar Rescue Center is located on the south side of Puerto Viejo,
not far from my hotel in Manzanillo. No Jaguars here! It got its name
from the first animal the founder actually rescued, a baby Jaguar whose
mother had been killed and would have died otherwise.
Photo on above entrance sign is of a one-eyed monkey.

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

Unidentified Hawk, similar to Gray and Gray Lined,
but those are not in the Caribbean and our group was
too large for me to constantly ask the name of animals.
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!

And for more of my Costa Rica photos, see my gallery: Charlie Doggett’s COSTA RICA & SCROLL DOWN

Or more specifically my BIRDS PHOTO GALLERY   or

My  OTHER WILDLIFE PHOTO GALLERY

¡Pura Vida!

The Birds of Palo Verde Park

Groove-billed Ani

Tempisque River, Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica

Crane Hawk

Tempisque River, Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica
This is my first sighting of this bird. 

Black-crowned Night Heron

Tempisque River, Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica

Bare-throated Tiger Heron

Tempisque River, Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica

Crested Caracara Juvenile (or young adult)

Tempisque River, Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica
This was a “first sighting” of this guy. It’s usually Yellow-headed Caracara.

Spotted Sandpiper

Tempisque River, Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica
Little Blue Heron

Tempisque River, Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica

Boat-billed Heron

Tempisque River, Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica

Mangrove Swallow

Tempisque River, Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica

My computer is working properly again! And I haven’t even taken it to the shop yet! Maybe it is the weather here it likes better!  🙂  So I was able to upload these photos! Of course I have many more and we did not see as many birds as might have been possible because it was windy the whole time we were on the river. (Birds don’t fly much when it is windy! They hide in the bushes!) We also saw some other animals which I will show tomorrow. Below is a photo of the kind of boat we floated on, though only the two of us plus our guide and boat captain.

There are several tour boat companies here like at Rio Tarcoles & Rio Frio.
Tomorrow I will show the above boat passengers acting like tourists.  🙂

Had it not been windy, we would have seen more smaller birds including hummingbirds, but weather is just part of life! Pura Vida!

See my photo gallery of BIRDS OF COSTA RICA

Or all my BIRDS OF CENTRAL AMERICA   for even more!

Tempisque River Today

Little Blue Heron
Tempisque River, The Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica

I’m having trouble with my computer shutting off every few minutes, so only one photo for now and more later from our boat trip on Rio Tempisque and a drive through Playa Hermosa and Playa Coco. I of course made lots of photos!  🙂  It was windy and thus not as many birds as we would normally have and I only got maybe one new or first time bird. But a good trip and I learned about some more Guanacaste beaches. Hope to get photos up soon!