Trees Archives - Page 5 of 61 - Retired in Costa Rica

July 9, 2024July 9, 2024

Giant Ceiba Borer

The Giant Ceiba Borer or Euchroma gigantea (iNaturalist link), is one of the larger borer beetles that inhabits the warm tropical lowland jungles of Central and South America from Mexico to Argentina. And quite a sight to see! 🙂

This was one of my very last photos this morning before leaving Maquenque Eco Lodge (lodge website) on one of the handrail posts going over the bridge/dam between the lake & lagoon. And just before beginning another adventurous road trip back to Atenas through pineapple fields, heavy traffic, clouds/fog, rain and winding mountain roads, arriving just barely in time for my appointment to receive a new dental bridge. 🙂

Giant Ceiba Borer, Euchroma-gigantea, Maquenque Eco Lodge and Reserve, Boca Tapada, Costa Rica

Lunch with Spider Monkeys

As I finished my quesadilla lunch today, I stepped out of the dining room to a tropical Guaba Tree where a couple of Spider Monkeys were eating both fruit & leaves for their lunch! 🙂 Here’s just one photo. You can see more photos of this wiry guy in my Central American Spider Monkey Gallery. And oh yes, only “new world monkeys” (Central & South America) have prehensile tails and can hang in a tree like this fellow with all hands and feet free! Nada in Africa and Asia! 🙂

Central American Spider Monkey, Maquenque Eco Lodge, Costa Rica

Part of the fun of living Retired in Costa Rica!

¡Pura Vida!

July 5, 2024July 5, 2024

Woodpecker House-building

I captured some images today of this Black-cheeked Woodpecker building a new house where soon some new little woodpeckers will be raised at Maquenque Eco Lodge. 🙂

Black-cheeked Woodpecker house building, Maquenque Eco Lodge, Costa Rica

Black-cheeked Woodpecker, Maquenque Eco Lodge, Costa Rica

And I’m getting lots of other bird photos plus other wildlife here in the rainforest which I will eventually share here or in my gallery.

¡Pura Vida!

Maquenque Eco Lodge website

June 17, 2024June 16, 2024

Xandari 2024 GALLERY Completed

I consider my group of galleries titled Costa Rica TRIPS to be my best group of photo galleries, because they cover my trips to all my favorite nature places all over Costa Rica, now numbering 120 including day trips! Though I share some good photography from home here in Atenas, including my garden, the exciting stuff is usually from the trips! 🙂

And the newest one is from last week’s little 2-night trip to Xandari Resort on the edge of my provincial capital of Alajuela, Alajuela with their surprising private rainforest with waterfalls, all kinds of trees and wildlife, along with their gorgeous gardens near the rooms, restaurant, spa and their farm. A great little jungle island near a big city! This gallery is labeled 2024 June 11-13 — Xandari Resort, Alajuela (linked to the gallery) or you can click the image of the first page of the gallery below to get there . . .

CLICK this first page of Gallery to go there.

If you are one of my readers in Costa Rica and want to check out Xandari, which has greatly reduced prices during rainy season, go to their website at Xandari Costa Rica! (Pronounced shaun-dar-ie) It is the Costa Rica location of a chain of resorts based in India, all focused on nature and local culture and people.

Now I will start catching up on some blog posts from my garden that I made before Xandari. 🙂 And my next trip is in July to Maquenque Eco Lodge where I’ve photographed more birds than any other location! 🙂 Plus I will celebrate my 84th birthday there! 🙂 Always something to look forward too when you live “Retired in Costa Rica!”

¡Pura Vida!

June 14, 2024June 14, 2024

5 of 10 Xandari Birds

Yeah, ten were all the birds I photographed there this time, but it was only a little more than one day there and during rainy season, so okay for near a big city. But by comparison, I got photos of 15 butterfly species! I will eventually share more of them. And on my first day’s post there were two more birds, a Kiskadee and a Rufous-tailed Wren. Here’s 5 more . . .

Red-billed Pigeon, Xandari Resort, Alajuela, Alajuela, Costa Rica

June 3, 2024June 2, 2024

Cecropia Leaves

I just can’t stop photographing this unique tree! But every photo is different! 🙂 This species lives up to 25 or 30 years, which is a short life for trees, but they perform many functions in the rainforest & cloud forest. Here are two blog posts on it’s longevity from the University of Georgia in Costa Rica Blog. (Lots of universities from around the world have campuses in Costa Rica! One reason is that we have more species of plants and animals than any other country its size in the world!) 🙂

Guarumo or Cecropia Leaves & Flower, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

My Cecropia Gallery.

¡Pura vida!

Postscript: Thanks to my Tennessee friend Larry Yarbrough for this link to an article titled Birding for the Soul, about how birding and other nature activities, like looking for butterflies, 🙂 not only lifts your spirits but is mentally and spiritually strengthening and it helps world research on saving nature. I hope you will get involved with nature in whatever way pleases you and enjoy the benefits! 🙂 ~Charlie

June 2, 2024May 26, 2024

Blue-gray Tanager

One of the more common birds that has been back in my garden for a while now is the Blue-gray Tanager, Thraupis episcopus (linked to my gallery), that is found from southern Mexico through all of Central America and the northern half of South America. Read more on eBird. Here’s a couple of shots made in April . . .

Blue-gray Tanager, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

May 31, 2024May 26, 2024

2 Less Often Seen Birds

Both in the shadows of my Cecropia Tree, thus not great photos, but part of my purpose is to document what seen, when and where, which with eBird helps scientific research like also with my butterflies on butterfliesandmoths. Great photos or works of art come occasionally as an extra treat! 🙂

You can see more in my galleries linked below for these two bird species photographed all over Costa Rica: