Category: Nature

My profession is to always find God in nature.

– Henry David Thoreau

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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

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!
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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!)

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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!

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Cañon Negro Birds, Part 1

Squirrel Cuckoo 
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica

Anhinga female 
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica

Yellow-throated Toucan 
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica
Green Heron 
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica
Amazon Kingfisher female 
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica
Boat-billed Heron 
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica

Laughing Falcon 
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica

Red-winged Blackbird 
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica

Social Flycatcher building a nest 
Cañon Negro, Costa Rica

And 9 more tomorrow night, then we start on Tenorio and more from the lodge. Tomorrow (Wed.) I ride the buses back to Atenas.

And my Birds photo gallery

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Tree-trimming the Quick Way!

Whack! Whack! and Drop the Machete!
All before I can turn on my cellphone & photograph it!
2 limbs of my Guarumo Tree were banging against roof in the wind.
My yard, Atenas, Costa Rica

Photo gallery of My Home Gardens

And for anyone planning to drive a car here in the near future, Ruta 27 will get a little faster next week and the La Patina Bridge repairs & widening is to be finished by April 30 according to this article in Tico Times. And it will speed up the buses to San Jose also!

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Yellow Corteza Tree!

Corteza Tree or Tabebuia ochracea
On the hill just opposite by house
Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica

 

Seen from my Living Room
Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica
And seen from a walk today over the hill.
The big yellow tree on right is same as other photos. Look carefully to see 3 other yellow trees & a light lavender one.
My house is left of center, the small orange roof below or to right of the big orange roof with solar panel (landlord’s).
Cellphone shot, Atenas, Costa Rica

This Corteza Tree is not to be confused with what I call “Yellow Bell Tree” or some call Yellow Trumpet Tree that bloomed earlier here and which I have in my yard. Earlier this dry season on the same hill above was a beautiful orange blooming tree, called the Oro Tree and I shared a photo on my blog when at the apartments, follow the link. But can’t find one made on this hill.

In the last month and currently are also some pink blossom trees called Roble de sabana or Pink Trumpet Tree which I also showed a photo of when at the apartments. There will also be a few lavender trees and some with white blooms too.

Why do so many trees bloom in the dry season? They defoliate or lose their leaves and the new growth starts with blooms that turn to leaves that will soon be nourished by the coming rainy season which is also called the green season here! I’m ready for rain! It usually starts in May.

See also my photo gallery Walking in Atenas for more trees and flowers around town.

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Mama Dove Abandons Nest in Strong Winds

I don’t know for sure if the mother Inca Dove abandoned the nest or something happened to her, but by this morning she was gone and two eggs had rolled out of nest down the spine of the palm frond, with at least one egg cracked. An animal that would eat her would probably also eat the eggs and an iguana may eat the eggs yet.  61 mph winds could have done it!

Inca Dove on Nest
She sat on this for about 3 days in terribly fierce winds, palm fronds like sails!

Empty Nest this Morning
Was the wind too much? Did something happen to her? I never saw a mate
and wondered where Daddy bird was!

Eggs Rolled down Palm Frond & Cracked
I’m so sorry to miss the birth of two Inca Doves & Sorry for the Mom!
I have no way to save them and doubt they could be.

Poor Choice of Nest Tree
The nest is in this small palm surrounded by red/yellow crotons below my deck.
Nest in lower of two fronds on the left, tiny gray spot halfway up.

Check out our Weather and note that right now the wind is at 42 mph with gusts to 61 mph. The poor bird never had a chance! January-February is the usual windy time, but last year was never with as strong a wind as we’ve had this year. and it is still blowing strong into March, but hopefully dying down soon! Then a couple of months of windless, hot, dry days before the rain starts, May-Oct.

Read more about Inca Doves at Cornell’s All About Birds

My Birds Photo Gallery

POSTSCRIPT: Before dark I checked the palm again and both eggs were gone, maybe by wind or maybe by an animal.

PS again: Today I finished my Income Tax with only one call to the TurboTax help desk!  🙂  The problem was not with the form but getting past their security into my file online. It seems that I had two accounts with them with two different user names and passwords and I was mixing them up. Crazy! But done now!

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Christmas in March?

On one of my two walks to town today, I snapped these with my phone.
You do know that the red of Poinsettias is actually leaves & not flowers?

Yes. Poinsettias grow in yards here and in different months.
I’ve seen them in February & March now.

See my Photo Gallery called Flora & Forests

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Amazing Mother-in-laws!

Flowering “Mother-in-law Tongue” plant
In my neighbor’s yard
Atenas, Costa Rica
Flowering “Mother-in-law Tongue” plant
In my neighbor’s yard
Atenas, Costa Rica

My plant like this is in a pot in my bathroom, so I guess it is not as likely to bloom as these that are outside getting sunshine and rain. Interesting! My first time to ever see this plant bloom. I did not know that they had flowers!

See also my photo gallery called Flora & Forests.


And enjoy this very brief National Geographic Video on the greenest & happiest country in the world:  https://www.facebook.com/natgeotvUS/videos/10154745276431005/

The Greenest & Happiest Country!

The Greenest and Happiest Country in the World

This is the greenest/happiest country in the world, according to the Happy Planet Index, which measures the happiness and longevity of a population and divides it by their ecological footprint.

If all countries followed the Costa Rica example, it would be a wonderful world! Go for it!
But first the States have to “Dump Trump!”