Cachicama or Carton Wasp Nest

The other morning after breakfast on my terrace I discovered this wasp nest on a limb of my Cecropia or Guarumo Tree. After a lengthy bit of research on the web I discovered this ID on the “What’s That Bug?” website. It’s a really interesting and well-built nest! I think it might be a type of the more generic “Paper Wasp.” The curls on top are just dead leaves from my Guarumo tree.

Cachicama or Carton Wasp Nest, Atenas, Costa Rica
Cachicama or Carton Wasp Nest, Atenas, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

And check out all My More Insects CR Gallery.

Grackle for Breakfast

Well, not to eat! 🙂 But this male Great-tailed Grackle (eBird description) stopped by and stayed awhile during my breakfast (I always eat outside) where I could see him while other birds are going higher in the tree above the roof line and my line of sight. 🙂

This common bird is found from the Western U.S. south throughout Central America and into northern South America. In my Great-tailed Grackle Gallery I have photos of both the male and female from 11 different locations in Costa Rica.

Great-tailed Grackle male, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica
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WALKING PATHS of My Adult Life

Had I not married, hiking would have been my avocation or how I spent all my time when not working to pay the bills. 🙂 But that’s not the way my life worked out. So I squeezed in as much as I could, though mostly before marriage and after the divorce with some during marriage, and the memories of all those times among nature are some of the greatest treasures I have. Most of my photography on backpacking trips and day hikes were of the scenery and nature, but I have a few of me on the hiking trails I will show below on the post-email section of the blog, plus even more of hiking groups I either led (most of them) or participated in group hikes. These will be galleries and you can click an image to see its larger full-frame pix and/or a manual slideshow if you wish.

For the 10 years I lived in downtown Nashville I walked nearly every day in Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park.

The feature photo at top is of my Vasque Hiking Shoes, the best hiking shoes I ever had!

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FAVE BIRDS – Yigüirro or Clay-colored Thrush

My last bird in this series, Clay-colored Thrush (eBird description), is special in multiple ways. First, he is the National Bird of Costa Rica, not because of his colors but rather because he is the bird that the indigenous people say sings in the rainy season every April & May. And special for me because I’m including one of my latest images as the feature and one of my first bird shots here back in 2015 while still in the apartments, Hacienda La Jacaranda. Read more in The Backstory and see some of my many other shots of this bird in my Yigüirro or Clay-colored Thrush Gallery with shots from 16 locations across Costa Rica.

Yigüirro or Clay-colored Thrush Nest, Best Western Plus, San Jose, Costa Rica
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FAVE BIRDS – White-fronted Parrot

This White-fronted Parrot (eBird description) is found only in Central America and Mexico and is just one of the 13 different species of parrots/parakeets that I have photos of and I think the reason I chose him rather than one of the other colorful parrots is the way he looks back at me as if to ask “What are you doing?” 🙂 See other shots in my White-fronted Parrot Gallery from the only location I’ve seen him in Costa Rica, the Hacienda Guachipelin Lodge and read more in The Backstory below . . .

White-fronted Parrot, Hacienda Guachipelin, Rincon de la Vieja NP
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Central Park Renovation

On September 25 I reported that work is being done on the northwest corner of the park that people from the city hall were out observing and discussing then, but I’ve not seen a lot since then with the gate closed on all of my walks by there since. with one taxista telling me it was the section devoted to the county or canton. Peeking through the fence crack or shooting over the fence I have only the below photos to show. Like always, slow progress.

First they leveled the ground and removed plants, other objects.

Now they are constructing something for seating maybe?

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