Nature Archives - Page 212 of 238 - Retired in Costa Rica

April 17, 2017

My House Location

My House Location (Red arrow)
The big orange roof above & to left is my landlord from Montreal.
Little orange to right & down is Anthony of Indiana. Big gray house is Richard from England.
Towards mountains is downtown Atenas, white church steeple seen, top center-right.
I walk this whole valley almost daily, one great advantage of not owning a car!
Life in a rural small town. Pura vida!

Note that it is the end of dry season which is therefore the wildfire season, But we are starting to get some rain. Had a shower early this evening. Happy days are here again! (Rainy Season! May-Nov.)

Note to my relatives in Warren, Arkansas (Where I was born): Atenas is the same size town as Warren with about the same population (6,000 +/-), farming community, county seat, 4 supermarkets, 2 or 3 hardware stores, and only small shops for other needs with a 45 minute drive to Alajuela or hour drive to San Jose for big shopping and hospitals. Small towns are a lot alike around the world! Though we have a different kind of immigrants here than does Warren. Never thought I would be an immigrant in a small farm town! Life is full of surprises! And I did not consciously have this in mine when I chose Atenas.

Check out the “official” video on Atenas, just 2 1/2 min.

See my photo gallery of Public Art & Graffiti in Atenas

Or the general gallery on Atenas, or Walking in Atenas (flowers/trees),

Or the People & Fiestas of Atenas

April 14, 2017

Birds at Tarcoles

Great Egret
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Crested Caracara
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Yellow-headed Caracara juvenile
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Great Blue Heron with catfish
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Great Blue Heron finding fish
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Roseate Spoonbill
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Bare-throated Tiger-Heron
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Mangrove Swallow
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Tricolored Heron
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Green Kingfisher female
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Whimbrel
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Tomorrow I will post some photos of other animals and scenery from this trip. And I’ve created a new section of my photo gallery for trips and this is the first trip to get a gallery, though I may still be working on it when you get there: 2017-13-April Tarcoles Float Trip

April 12, 2017

Heavenly Sunlight

April 11, 2017

Pre-Easter Color in Atenas

April 9, 2017

Bird Sculpture Engulfed in Garden

My Garden Sculpture Bird
is engulfed in my growing garden, even in the dry season. This is as intended,
a changing garden, my little jungle growing around the bird.
Sculpture by Anthony Joseph Jeroski.

See more photos of My Garden in my bigger Flora & Forest Gallery

¡Pura Vida!

March 30, 2017

Roble de Sabana

Roble de Sabana
Tree across cow pasture from my house, seen from street.
Atenas, Costa Rica

Roble de Sabana
Zooming in through my trees
Atenas, Costa Rica

It is still dry season and trees that lose their leaves immediately burst out in flowers. This week it is the Roble de Sabana, which is a type of oak tree they say, but nothing like a north american oak!

Rainy season officially starts in May, so just a month away and I will be glad! I prefer the “green season.”

March 27, 2017

Celeste Mountain Lodge Rainforest Trail

I neither saw nor photographed a single bird, though I heard many. But it was a beautiful walk in the rainforest across the road from the lodge on a trail they created for about 2-3 km. It is a similar cloud forest to what I walked through in Tenorio Park, just fewer people! Here are a dozen photos without much comment:

Rainforest Trail Seen from Lodge Dining Room
Celeste Mountain Lodge Rainforest Trail, Bijagua, Costa Rica

Tree Fern

Celeste Mountain Lodge Rainforest Trail, Bijagua, Costa Rica

One of Many Old Growth Trees

Celeste Mountain Lodge Rainforest Trail,
Bijagua, Costa Rica

Flower at Entrance to Trail

Celeste Mountain Lodge Rainforest Trail, Bijagua, Costa Rica

Fern

Celeste Mountain Lodge Rainforest Trail, Bijagua, Costa Rica

Unknown Berries

Celeste Mountain Lodge Rainforest Trail, Bijagua, Costa Rica

Tree

Celeste Mountain Lodge Rainforest Trail,
Bijagua, Costa Rica

Plant

Celeste Mountain Lodge Rainforest Trail,
Bijagua, Costa Rica

Much Grows on the Trees

Celeste Mountain Lodge Rainforest Trail,
Bijagua, Costa Rica

Air Plant

Celeste Mountain Lodge Rainforest Trail, Bijagua, Costa Rica

Footbridge Over Stream

Celeste Mountain Lodge Rainforest Trail, Bijagua, Costa Rica

Trail Welcome & Rules in Spanish, English & French

Celeste Mountain Lodge Rainforest Trail, Bijagua, Costa Rica

My real highlight was the Birds at Celeste Mountain Lodge, link to earlier post.

Or you might want to see the lodge’s website for more about their services, great food, etc.

For more photos of Costa Rica, see my gallery called Charlie Doggett’s COSTA RICA

Celeste Mountain Lodge

Another great nature place!

¡PURA VIDA!

March 24, 2017

Tenorio Park & Rio Celeste

Charlie Doggett crossing Rio Celeste
I sure have a lot of “Jungle Fun” for an old man! Its why I’m here!
Tenorio Volcano National Park, Costa Rica

Welcome Sign

Tenorio Volcano National Park, Costa Rica
They are known for Tapirs (the image) but we saw none.
We did see 5 Peccaries (like wild hogs), probably a family.
And photos below of 3 other animals.

Merging of the Waters

2 streams merge & their minerals mix & turn the water blue. Fun!
30 meters upstream from the bridge photo above.
Tenorio Volcano National Park, Costa Rica

Trailhead to Waterfall I Missed

Tenorio Volcano National Park, Costa Rica
Strong winds had knocked some trees over trail. Closed all 3 days there.
It was interesting to learn that Bomberos (Firemen) would clean it up.
And yes, some people went around the yellow tape anyway. Not me.
Sendero Cerrado – Trail Closed

And Every Tree is a Work of Art!

Tenorio Volcano National Park, Costa Rica

Brown Wood Turtle

Tenorio Volcano National Park, Costa Rica

White-nosed Coati

Tenorio Volcano National Park, Costa Rica

Yellow-eared Toucanet

Tenorio Volcano National Park, Costa Rica

Yes, Much of Trail was this Muddy!

Tenorio Volcano National Park, Costa Rica
I always take two pairs of hiking shoes & one is still drying from cleanup!
¡PURA VIDA!

You may be asking how it could be so wet when you are still in the “Dry Season.” Well, in a cloud forest like this it is always humid, misty, and sometimes raining, year-around. Maybe more so during the rainy season. Same goes for the coastal rainforests, while we in the Central Valley have two very distinct seasons. That is why the majority of the population lives in the Central Valley.

LITTLE CR EXTRAS:

History of Gallo Pinto (beans & rice in Costa Rica)

Starbucks Coffee Farm in Costa Rica

Another Reason to NOT have a Car in Costa Rica (Besides the high cost)

Only YOU Can Prevent Forest Fires! (Dry Season problem around the world!)

March 23, 2017July 22, 2018

Cañon Negro: People & Other Wildlife

The Jacques Pellé’s
From France at my lodge and decided to join me on Cañon Negro trip
A very enjoyable couple!

Alex, our guide
Explaining this interesting plume plant
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica

Me
Thanks to the Pelé’s
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica

Red-eared Slider Turtle
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica

Green Iguana (male in mating orange)
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica

Spectacled Caiman
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica

Unknown Frog (Smilisca?)
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica

Red Seed of a Fruit used to Color Rice
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica

Dry Season Flowering Trees
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica

And many other interesting trees!
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica

A Big Boat for just 4 of us!
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica

Jacques captures the river ahead – Rio Frio
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica

Obviously, Cañon Negro was a highlight of the trip! Assuming that you saw the 19 different bird photos from the last three days’ posts. Harris’s Hawk, Cañon Negro Birds 1, and Cañon Negro Birds 2

Tomorrow I will share shots from the Tenorio Volcano National Park, the closest place to Celeste Mountain Lodge and then more from the lodge another day.

And my general Costa Rica Photo Gallery is always available!