Nature Archives - Page 210 of 238 - Retired in Costa Rica

May 29, 2017

“Professional” Landscape Photos

See this article about an Italian Landscape Photographer here with 10 of his photos. Some of his landscapes I haven’t seen yet. And my equipment is not as good. But I will end up having most of these photos in time except for the time lapse at Poas. Not my thing. Also note that beneath that first beach photo is a web address to his website with a 360 degree image of that same beach which is really cool!

My March trip was partly to get this photo, but a closed trail stopped me.
I will go back and make my own photo one of these days!
Rio Celeste Waterfall
Tenorio National Park, Costa Rica

And for some of my “amateur” landscapes, see my Vistas gallery or my Waterfalls gallery.

-o-

LOCAL REPORT: The rain is bringing in some new bugs and while typing I just watched one of my geckos eat one. They are little with long wings, chase the light, and pester me! Life in the jungle! 🙂

May 28, 2017

Where There Is a Lot of Water!

Flying over Corcovado National Park near Drake Bay
Probably one winding river but whatever, a lot of water for one forest!
The Richness of a Rainforest!
Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica

Sometimes I go back and look through photos from a trip and see something new to share. 🙂

My “Trip Gallery” for Drake Bay – Corcovado – Aguila Lodge

May 24, 2017July 22, 2018

Meadow Haiku

Cellphone shot in Roca Verde Neighborhood, Atenas, Costa Rica

This is the view that a few houses up the hill from me have. It is one of the views I have when I walk the kilometer circle through my neighborhood. Peaceful and rural.

My photo gallery of Vistas

My photo gallery of Haiku

“Mountains are the beginning and the end of all natural scenery.“

~John Ruskin

May 21, 2017

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Rancho Naturalista, Turrialba, Costa Rica
Photo by Charlie Doggett

These guys have been feeding a lot in my garden and at the hummingbird feeder I inherited from Anthony.

Watch One Feed on Porterweed Flowers – A VIDEO

You can see what it is like with this video another nature photographer (Steven Williams) here in Costa Rica posted on an Expat Facebook page. He calls it a Berylline Hummingbird, but I disagree. Those live mainly in Mexico with a few as far south as Honduras, still a long way from Costa Rica! I think it is a Rufous-tailed Hummingbird which is what we have a lot of in Costa Rica. Either way, this is how they feed in my garden:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3F2Hw_Zctoc (Video is slow-motion, not real time!)

See also my Costa Rica Birds photo gallery

May 20, 2017

Rain, rain Haiku

Rain dripping off my Guarumo or Cecropia Tree

I’m experiencing a wonderful afternoon rain as I post this. After a sunny morning.

Tropical Blossom Haiku

In My Home Garden
Atenas, Costa Rica

-o-

INTERESTING NEWS FROM COSTA RICA:

Environmental agency orders suspension of pineapple farming project
which means that the American imperialists (Del Monte) cannot destroy any more of our wetlands and forests. Yay! I’m glad that the government here is defending our environment. This particular case is on the Osa Peninsula near Corcovado where I just traveled. Costa Rica is recognized internationally for protecting its land and environment and has 25% of the land set aside as national parks or reserves. And don’t feel sorry for Del Monte. There is plenty of legal land they can build pineapple farms on with plenty of cheap labor to make them rich!

The Dollar is at its highest value in Costa Rica right now, meaning a good time for U.S. people to visit or vacation or buy property here when you get more colones for the dollar, as much as C581 this article says. It had been at around 530 for a long time which was good, but this is better! 🙂 Best in the last 7 years says the article!

May 17, 2017

Maracas are Flourishing!

Maraca Plant or Shampoo Ginger
My Garden, Atenas, Costa
As always: Click Image to Enlarge

I had the gardeners clean out my garden today, cutting back the plumbago which was taking over everything like a plant-eating monster and this is part of what was opened up. New surprises every day in a garden! And I used to be happy with one or two of these flowers! 20+ now! This sure is different from gardening in Tennessee! 🙂

See also My Garden Photo Gallery or the bigger FLORA & FORESTS gallery

May 15, 2017

Blue-Gray Tanager Haiku

Blue-gray Tanager in my garden
Atenas, Costa Rica

My photo gallery of BIRDS

My photo gallery of HAIKU

May 12, 2017March 22, 2020

Photos of Hotel Aguia de Osa, Drake Bay

My Front Porch Hammock & Bay View
Aguila de Osa Lodge, Drake Bay, Costa Rica

My Front Door & Outside Chairs
Aguila de Osa Lodge, Drake Bay, Costa Rica

My Room, All those windows have only screens. High ceiling with Fan!
Aguila de Osa Lodge, Drake Bay, Costa Rica

One of 3 Flights of Stairs UP to Rooms on Top of Hill
Aguila de Osa Lodge, Drake Bay, Costa Rica

One of 3 Flights of Stairs DOWN from Rooms on Top of Hill
Aguila de Osa Lodge, Drake Bay, Costa Rica

Exit Sign from Drake Bay Community Trail to Hotel
Aguila de Osa Lodge, Drake Bay, Costa Rica

3 Meals a Day Overlooking the Bay
Though some trips included a box lunch on the day trip
Aguila de Osa Lodge, Drake Bay, Costa Rica

Gourmet Meals Served Three Times a Day!
Plus Happy Hour with Appetizers!
Aguila de Osa Lodge, Drake Bay, Costa Rica

Hotel’s Fleet of Boats is Important to Guest Transportation!
Aguila de Osa Lodge, Drake Bay, Costa Rica

As Are the Boat Captains!
Aguila de Osa Lodge, Drake Bay, Costa Rica

A Familiar Scene Coming and Going from the Hotel
Aguila de Osa Lodge, Drake Bay, Costa Rica

And the Hotel Pier is Really the “Front Door” to Hotel
You get here by boat or by walking a trail. No road for cars.
Aguila de Osa Lodge, Drake Bay, Costa Rica

I loved it here! Being gone the bulk of the daytime on adventures kept me from missing air-conditioning, which in the hot and humid coastal rainforest would have been better for resting inside during the day. But who does that with all the things to do during the day? At night the ceiling fan was more than adequate and I actually turned it off two nights and used the blanket.

The tour possibilities, guides and all other staff were simply great in every way! One family went deep-sea fishing and the kitchen cooked one of their fish for their dinner that night and the rest of us got a little as part of the appetizers! The food was excellent as was the food service. I highly recommend Hotel Aguila de Osa for anyone considering Drake Bay. Of course I have not tried any of the other hotels here to compare. This was not my best birding location, but was very good and a big variety of total animals to see both in and out of the park. I was disappointed I did not see a wild Tapir, though people on other tours did. Wildlife is always unpredictable and sightings cannot be scheduled!

It is not easy to compare this to my visit to the southern end of Corcovado Park at Carate Village and the two inns of Luna Lodge and Lookout Inn. That was on a 2009 Birding Tour from the states and the link is to my old PBase Photo Gallery of the total trip that included San Gerado de Dota in the mountains, so more than Corcovado. It was my first trip to Costa Rica and I fell in love with the country immediately! I may have seen and photographed more birds on that trip, but this was a better and more relaxed trip with more variety. And though Luna Lodge is very nice with gourmet food, Aguila might have even better food and my room was better. But glad I’ve seen both ends of this great rainforest park! Next time I may try one of those lodges on the east side of park.

Though not made yet, I will soon have a “Trip Gallery” on this trip in a new area of my Costa Rica galleries simply called TRIPS. And of course as always I use every trip to increase my collection of bird photos and other categories of photos in my big gallery called Charlie Doggett’s COSTA RICA. If interested in Costa Rica you might enjoy exploring my galleries.

And this concludes the Blog reports on my recent Corcovado-Drake Bay trip, though more photos may pop up here in the future. A 6-day trip is the longest I have made since my move here and I like longer visits in the same location! A friend has scheduled a week-long trip here soon for birding and will be in a different hotel every night. He may see more birds but will be physically exhausted by the end of the week! I’m too old for that now! 🙂 Pura Vida!

My TRIPS Photo Gallery on this Drake Bay Trip

And my Lodges & Hotels of Costa Rica photo gallery

Costa Rica to soon unveil its first hydrogen-powered bus!