Here is a slide show of 15 birds I photographed here. You can also see my Xandari Birds Gallery in the Xandari Trip Gallery I am now building separately online.
¡Pura Vida!
Birds at Xandari
Retire Here on Less Than $30,000 a year!
One of the regular blogs I read is Christopher Howard’s Live in Costa Rica (he also does the best relocation tour) and his latest blog post quoted International Living Magazine on Costa Rica being one of the best places in the world to retire on less than $30,000 a year. Read his post or go to the online version of International Living and maybe find it there. And bear in mind that it is still true even with Costa Rica having the highest cost of living in Central America, but right now I don’t think you want to retire in any of the other Central American countries! (Panama being a sometimes exception.) I chose to retire in luxury in Costa Rica over sliding into retirement poverty in the U.S.
Description of 5 Locations in Costa Rica that Retirees Love in an International Living article.
Today’s photo is of a Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, the most common in my garden and possibly all over Costa Rica or at least in many of the places I have visited. They are aggressive and chase other species of Hummingbirds away from feeders and even “their” garden sometimes. Thus I have mixed feelings about them! 🙂 ¡Pura Vida!
Isla Popa for the Snowy Cotinga
One afternoon we had a 2 hour boat ride around a smaller island called Popa.
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| This is the only island in the Boca del Toro Archipelago to have the Snowy Cotinga. We searched for over an hour before we finally found one of these semi-rare birds. Popa Island, Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama |
For the birders among my readers, this is only my second time to see and photograph a Snowy Cotinga. The other time was Christmas before last at Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí.
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| And everyone likes to see a toucan! This is now called the Yellow-throated Toucan Popa is close enough to the mainland for toucans to fly to them. Our island, Barsimanto, is not, thus no toucans! Popa Island, Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama |
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| Brown Pelican Popa Island, Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama |
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| Brown Pelican Popa Island, Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama |
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| Being in the Atlantic Ocean with lots of islands and mainland nearby is pretty! Popa Island, Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama |
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| I love the trees! Popa Island, Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama |
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| I love the trees! Popa Island, Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama |
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| I love the trees! Popa Island, Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama |
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| And the houses and tourist cabins are interesting too! Popa Island, Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama |
Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama
See my “Trip Gallery”:
2018 Tranquilo Bay, Bocas del Toro, Panama
I am now back home in Atenas, Costa Rica after a very long day getting back with rain and heavy traffic making it a slower drive and not back home until about 8:30 or 9:00 PM Wednesday night. Today, Thursday, was busy with laundry, grocery shopping, bank visit, and lots of text messages and emails to deal with. Friday I meet a young friend for lunch who wants to practice his English and I will practice my Spanish. And Saturday morning I will go to Alajuela to pick up another photo book that has arrived. I probably will be sharing more photos from Panama for another week. It was a good trip!
And in between all the other things I will be back onto building my new website and maybe transferring this blog to it.
Early Birds 2
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| Blue Dacnis Female Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama |
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| Passerini’s Tanager Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama |
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| Palm Tanager Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama |
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| Kiskadee Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama |
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| Green-breasted Mango Hummingbird Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama |
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| Tropical Kingbird Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama |
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| Plain-colored Tanager Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama |
Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama
See my “Trip Gallery”:
2018 Tranquilo Bay, Bocas del Toro, Panama
And my photo gallery: Panama Birds
Early Birds 1
I was going to do one post with the first or early birds photographed here on the lodge grounds, but with 14 already I’m dividing it into two posts of 7 each. Then we go to another island today and the mainland tomorrow for many more birds I hope! But with slow internet, 7 is enough for one post!
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| Red-lored Parrot Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama |
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| Red-lored Parrot Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama |
There are also Mealy Parrots and Blue-headed Parrots here, but I have no photos of them yet.
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| Lineated Woodpecker Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama |
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| Black-cheeked Woodpecker Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama |
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| Boat-billed Flycatcher Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama |
There is a slight difference between this flycatcher and the Kiskadee which I will show one of tomorrow. They are easy to confuse!
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| White-lined Tanager Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama |
The “white line” is on his shoulder and only seen when in flight.
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| Blue-gray Tanager Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama |
Living slow in the jungles on an island in the Western Atlantic or Western Caribbean Sea. It is very hot and humid and you tire easily but it is a great place with lots of wildness, This afternoon we go to another island for a particular bird found only there, the Snowy Cotinga. Tomorrow we do the first of three trips to the mainland for birds. The two families running the lodge are very accomodating of us and our needs/desires. Cabins are very nice and the food is very good. We are experiencing a Panama version of pura vida!
TTranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge
Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama
See my “Trip Gallery”:
2018 Tranquilo Bay, Bocas del Toro, Panama
The flowers have to be sisters of the birds..!!
My favorite birding group here now is a Tico Facebook group called: Asociacion Ornitologica de Costa Rica
The one photo I posted there from my Arenal trip was this Keel-billed Toucan that I also used on the cover of the book about Arenal Observatory.
Several comments were made but the most interesting was from Diego who said,
Las flores han de ser hermanas de las aves..!!
ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
The flowers have to be sisters of the birds..!!
It is possibly and old saying or even a quote from some writer (though my Google search did not find an author), but I thought it so interesting and true especially with some of the many colorful birds here in Costa Rica and I appreciate Diego’s comment!
Toucans are difficult to photograph even with the tower at Arenal putting me up on their level! But they certainly are a lot like flying flowers! 🙂
If I had to choose, I would rather have birds than airplanes.
~Charles Lindbergh
Last Day in this Paradise – Arenal Observatory
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| A sign in the lodge property that is my motto for travels all over Costa Rica. Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica |
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| Variable Seedeater male Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica |
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| Rufous-tailed Hummingbird Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica |
I tried again this morning and will again this afternoon and tomorrow morning, but have not found
my two target bird, Bare-necked Umbrella Bird and Yellow-eared Toucanet which I have a lousy dark photo of from Tenorio National Park, but I really want a good photo of one! Both birds are supposed to be here but you can never guarantee a find! As of Tuesday afternoon I do have photos of 27 different species of birds and 5 of those are new photo-finds for me! So not bad! They are:
2. House Wren
4. Gray-capped Flycatcher (with a fly in his mouth)
5. Piratic Flycatcher
Links are to my photo of that bird on this trip.
And the big treat for today was monkeys! I went back to “The Nest” or observation tower at 4:00 PM and it was surrounded by both Howler Monkeys and a few Spider Monkeys, but I have 300 photos to go through and pick just a few for you in tomorrow’s post. So Expect monkeys tomorrow! 🙂
And now for tonight’s last sunset at Arenal for me:
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| Sunset over Lake Arenal at Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica |
There you can see all the birds together, etc. plus photos not on the blog.
Tomorrow morning at 11 AM I reluctantly leave Arenal for my return to Atenas.
This is definitely one of my favorite getaway places, but then I have so many!
Sample Photos from Today’s Adventure
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| Red-eyed Tree Frog And yes, this one is orange and I can’t explain why. Usually bright red! Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal National Park, Costa Rica |
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| Semiplumbeous Hawk Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal National Park, Costa Rica |
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| Gray-capped Flycatcher with insect in his mouth! Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal National Park, Costa Rica |
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| House Wren Singing Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal National Park, Costa Rica |
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| Buff-rumped Warbler Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal National Park, Costa Rica |
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| Variable Seedeater Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal National Park, Costa Rica |
I took so many photos of so many birds and other animals that the above is just a sample from my guided bird walk this morning before breakfast. For more, see Trip Gallery Arenal Observatory
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| The Broader “Pre-Sunset”Look behind the Restaurant Deck (shot from my room) Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal National Park, Costa Rica |
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| And the other extreme, zooming in on the sun behind the clouds tonight. Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal National Park, Costa Rica |
There you can see all the birds together, etc. plus photos not on the blog.
Waterfall & Bird Count Day
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| Danta Waterfall Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica |
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| Crested Guan Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica |
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| Great Curassow Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica |
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| Montezuma Oropendola Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica |
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| Green Honeycreeper female Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica |
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| Mantled Howler Monkey Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica |
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| Emerald Basilisk Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica |
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| One of the Lillies Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica |
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| Hibiscus Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica |
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| Tonight’s Sunset Over Lake Arenal Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica |
And today was eBird’s “Global Big Day” of bird counting. Here is a link to my eBird List of 11 species seen here at Arenal Observatory Lodge. All of the birding guides here were out counting today which is why I could not have a guided bird hike today. I have one tomorrow.
¡Pura Vida!
And My Photo Gallery for this Trip is being added to daily while on the trip! A longer more leisurely trip makes this possible and my galleries are my main trip reports. Enjoy!
First Half Day Hallelujah!
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| Yellow-throated Toucan Eating a Lizard Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica |
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| Male & Female Great Curassow Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica |
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| Lineated Woodpecker Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica |
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| Rufous-tailed Hummingbird Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica |
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| Montezuma Oropendola Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica |
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| Red-legged Honeycreeper, female & male Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica |
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| Palm Tanager Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica |
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| Blue-gray Tanager Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica |
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| White-nosed Coati Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica |
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| Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica |
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| Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica |
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| Arenal Volcano from my Lodge Room Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica |
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| Sunset from my Room Deck Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica |
What can I say? The photos are worth a thousand words and this was just after getting here at noon today and eating lunch first. It is a totally amazing place and instantly one of my favorites! And with another 4 and 1/2 days yet to go!
¡Pura Vida!
And My Photo Gallery for this Trip is being added to daily while on the trip! A longer more leisurely trip makes this possible and my galleries are my main trip reports. Enjoy!