Category: Nature

My profession is to always find God in nature.

– Henry David Thoreau

Posted on

My Arenal Room

This is my 5th time to spend five nights at Arenal Observatory Lodge and all 5 times in the same room because I liked it on my first visit! 🙂 It is close to the beginning of all hiking trails and just across a courtyard from the restaurant, and as a corner room, it has two great views! Looking north, I look up at the volcano and looking west I look out over Lake Arenal and this time of year at some magnificent sunsets. Here’s a shot of each of my two views and one of the courtyard between my building and the restaurant. As they say here, “Perfecto!”

One of the 2 views from my room, Arenal Volcano.
Continue reading “My Arenal Room”
Posted on

From Mini-Jungle to Rainforest!

This morning my usual transportation of Walter Ramirez Tours and Taxis is taking me away from my home “garden” or “mini-jungle,” featured above, to one of my favorite forest getaways for 5 nights . . .

Arenal Observatory Lodge, the only hotel inside the Arenal Volcano National Park, where I will spend 5 days hiking the trails of a forest with a great variety of plants and animals! Tree Ferns to Toucans and more!

Below are four shots of my little mini-rainforest garden in Atenas that I am proud of and in which I photograph much for this blog! Then following that, another 4-shot gallery from my last trip to the Observatory in 2022. I chose to go in May this year because that is the month I got good sunset photos over Lake Arenal in 2018 and my most monkey shots that year, though anytime is a good time to visit Arenal Observatory Lodge! (lodge website link) 🙂 Looking forward to just being there!

Continue reading “From Mini-Jungle to Rainforest!”
Posted on

Barred Yellow

This is just my third time to see this unusual Yellow (among the many Yellows!). The Barred Yellow, Eurema daira (linked to my gallery) is found from Argentina north to the deep south of the U.S. It’s uniqueness is the brown, orange & yellow bars on the top of wings. The side view is similar to many Whites & Yellows. I’ve seen it twice here in Atenas and once at Arenal Observatory (where I’m headed tomorrow). See photos from other countries including the U.S. at butterfliesandmoths.

Barred Yellow, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Continue reading “Barred Yellow”
Posted on

Lantana Scrub-Hairstreak

The Lantana Scrub-Hairstreak, Strymon bazochii, (butterfliesandmoths link) is a new species for me and a nice one! I have these same 3 images in my gallery, so I won’t link to it. But I was fortunate to get both the side view and a top view, which really helps with the identification! And with all the wind this year, few ever land with wing open and it is very difficult to catch one in flight on the camera as I did here! 🙂

Lantana Scrub-Hairstreak, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Continue reading “Lantana Scrub-Hairstreak”
Posted on

Plumeria or Frangipani

are the two common English names for this beautiful tropical flowering shrub or small tree that comes in white, pink or red varieties. This white one that I pass on my walks to town one website called the “Plumeria rubra var. acutifolia.”

When I lived in West Africa it was called Frangipani by both English and French speakers and by most tribal languages. In Spanish, frangipanis are also referred to as alhelí, alhelí cimarrón, and suche, though in Costa Rica they are called frangipani, plumeria, juche or cacalojoche. Every Central American country seems to have a different name! 🙂

Here’s 2 photos of the one at a house on 8th Avenue in Atenas . . .

Plumeria or Frangipani Tropical Flowers, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Continue reading “Plumeria or Frangipani”
Posted on

Fawn-spotted Skipper

A new butterfly for me and like most now, in my garden! 🙂 The Cymaenes trebius or common name of Fawn-spotted Skipper which I think was a poor choice (many others look more like fawns) but I didn’t make the names for these little jewels! 🙂 Here’s one photo and you can see all four of my shots in Fawn-spotted Skipper GALLERY or see photos that others have submitted from Central America, Mexico and South Texas in butterfliesandmoths.org where you too can submit your butterfly photos for research and sharing with the world! Please share!

Fawn-spotted Skipper, Cymaenes trebius, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Posted on

Buff-throated Saltator

One of four species of Saltators in Costa Rica, Buff-throated Saltator, Saltator maximus (my gallery link), is one of the more common species quietly eating fruit, berries and seeds in the trees from lowlands to 1800 meters on both slopes of Costa Rica and found from Mexico to South America. Read more about on eBird. Here’s 3 shots from my garden in Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica . . .

Buff-throated Saltator, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Continue reading “Buff-throated Saltator”
Posted on

Banded Peacock Butterfly

The old regular Banded Peacock, Anartia fatima (linked to my gallery), is back and I will see him regularly now throughout the rainy season, one of the most numerous butterflies in my garden, but also seen all over Costa Rica as the above link to my gallery will show. These 4 shots are from two different days recently.

Banded Peacock Butterfly, Atenas, Costa Rica
Continue reading “Banded Peacock Butterfly”
Posted on

Wildness Disappearing

Well, at least close to towns like Atenas or anywhere within an hour or two from San Jose. But from my porch, or terrace they call it here, I zoomed in on one of the hills nearby that looked undeveloped. The only sign of humans seems to be one small or moderate-sized house at the end of a dirt road, which could be a cool place to live! 🙂

Zooming in on a Nearby Hill, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

Of course Costa Rica has more than 25% of all land protected as wilderness national parks, reserves, or wildlife refuges, but in the more populated Central Valley or anywhere near the capital of San Jose, development is growing rapidly. I am very much aware of how many more cars are on the streets and highways now than just 10 years ago! Plus there seems to be construction work somewhere all the time, even in little Atenas! So it was fun to zoom in on one of the Atenas hills and see only one small house! 🙂

See more of my Roca Verde Terrace Views in that gallery.

¡Pura Vida!