Between my casita and the driveway going to the top of our hill and the big house there is mainly a row of privacy palms, though right at the gate is a little spreading Nance Tree which is now flowering and those flowers will turn to Nance Berries. Different kinds of birds eat them in the different stages, some even now as flowers which are already turning into baby berries. The birds are coming! 🙂
Humans do eat the berries with a taste that’s only “so-so” for me and some people tell me that they make good marmalade or jelly, but doesn’t anything with enough sugar added? 🙂 Yet harvesting enough would be tricky with the competition of birds and some small animals like squirrels and iguanas! 🙂 The joy of living in a garden!
Nance Tree Flowers, Atenas, Costa Rica
And below are three more shots including one of the small tree . . .
A truck and other equipment partially blocked this view from the corner in the other post. This is a cleaner view, even if taken over a construction fence. 🙂
Sun Sculpture seated between the E & N of ATENAS letters under black plastic.
I’m assuming the sun is representative of the city slogan “Mejor Clima del Mundo” which in English is “Best Weather in the World.” 🙂
This is another common bird that’s around here year-a-round. Though common, I still love him and still wishing for better light on the birds in my trees! Shot from my terrace at breakfast the other day.
The Cortez Amarillo or Gold Trumpet Tree is one of many yellow blooming trees in Costa Rica this time of year. It is different from the Yellow Bells Tree that I have in my yard that blooms with its leaves on, while this one has just flowers before the leaves come out. This first one is on the hill behind my house and the second shot at the Tribunal or Courthouse in Central Atenas.
This Yellow Warbler at breakfast the other day may be the same one who comes to that same tree in the afternoons. Problem is that the light is not good there morning or night! Oh well, I like this seasonal migrant from up north and will continue to try for better shots. 🙂 In the meantime, you can find more photos in my CR Yellow Warbler Gallery.
In today’s “tiny update” on the renovation of Atenas Central Park, I’m revealing something that I suspected earlier but was not in the architect’s drawings. This northwest corner of the park is the first park sighting visitors will have if they come into Central Atenas from Highway 3, Alajuela or anywhere north of Atenas (thanks to one-way streets) and is thus a good spot to welcome visitors to Central Park at 0 Street and 1st Avenue. Those coming from Highway 27, the beach/San Jose expressway will see the park first on the other side by the central Catholic Church on Central Avenue (0 Avenue) at 1st Street.
In my first photo you see that lines lead from the corner to a concrete structure of steps/seats that could seat a whole tour bus load of tourists for a group photo. On top of that, now covered in black plastic wrap, are six large cutout letters spelling A T E N A S. From my peek on the other side they are a bright red that look like plastic or metal from a distance. And if you look closely in the photo you see that along the top of the concrete structure, carved into it and painted white, is the promotional slogan of Atenas, “El Mejor Clima del Mundo.” or in English: “The Best Weather in the World.”
Incidentally, this corner of park is across the street from the city hall! 🙂 One taxi driver told me it was the fault of the current mayor that the park is progressing so slowly. 🙂 I think it is because of a lack of money and thus all work is being done by city employees, usually just 2 or 3 workers at a time. Covid affected every budget and every activity!
Hopefully there will soon be a lot of landscaping in and around this corner feature! It will certainly be the most photographed corner of the park! 🙂
Entrance Plaza on NW Corner of Atenas Central Park.
Read on for two more photos of the above from behind . . .
Although I’ve seen many “mixed flocks” of small birds feeding in the same tree before, I have only one other time seen a dove and pigeon together (2018 Post: Two Species Share Perching Space) though granted they are in the same family of birds, like, maybe cousins?
Anyway, this morning I snapped through my closed window this fuzzy shot of a White-winged Dove sitting beside a Red-billed Pigeon as if casually chatting. 🙂 And the second photo below (and feature photo online) is a Red-billed Pigeon I photographed yesterday in the dark shadows of my Cecropia tree. Neither photo is good (no good light), but maybe a good object lesson about getting along with others? 🙂
This Yellow Warbler(eBird link) was playing hide-and-seek with me in the afternoon shadows and tree limbs/leaves. For some reason I’m getting fewer birds in this tree than I got in the past which may have to do with it being much taller than the house now and birds go to the top above my line of vision. I know that is where toucans always go, but some of these smaller song birds do stay lower. For much better photos, see my CR Yellow Warbler Gallery. And here’s 4 shadowy shots of the hide-and-seek Yellow Warbler yesterday afternoon . . .
Many times I’ve shared photos of the cow pasture across the street from my house, but never this one I walk by on every trip to town. I believe that it belongs to the farmer university nearby and I am yet to see a cow on it! 🙂 It’s the dry season until sometime in May so fields like this are very dry and susceptible to fire.
Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
¡Pura Vida!
Starting Today Some Businesses go from 50% to 100% Occupancy with QR Code Proof of Vaccination
Read more about the lifting of some Covid Restrictions in the Tico Times Article.
More than 80% of adults in Costa Rica are vaccinated and this is why we are having fewer cases. Teens are now being vaccinated and children will be soon. Common sense health policies keep Costa Rica healthy! And yes, I finally got my “booster” or third shot!
In case you did not see the links in the last few posts, I have my trip gallery up and ready to visit in my big photo gallery. In some ways my “Trip Galleries” are my main photo galleries with them feeding specific theme galleries like Birds, etc. Plus if you are considering a visit to one of the places included, the photos will give you a good idea of what to expect. Click the print screen image of the gallery below or use this address: https://charliedoggett.smugmug.com/TRIPS/2022-February-14-19-Maquenque-Ecolodge-Reserve-Boca-Tapada
“We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone”
– Katie Thurmes
¡Pura Vida!
SALE ON MY PHOTO BOOKS – 25% OFF March 4-6 only with discount code: BOOKFAN in Bookstore
