charliedoggett.net
To me, this second most common dove/pigeon around my house looks sculptured, almost as if he were carved out of wood. Read eBird on Inca Doves for more information or to see more of my many photos, my Inca Dove Gallery with some better photos.
“Every bird, every tree, every flower reminds me what a blessing and privilege it is just to be alive.”
– Marty Rubin
Costa Rica launches crowdfunding campaign for reforestation ~A Tico Times article
¡Pura Vida!
Yigüirro or Clay-colored Thrush (eBird link) in English (at one time called “Clay-colored Robin”) is one of the most common birds in Costa Rica, found everywhere, and is also the National Bird, not because of his/her beauty or color (we have so many more colorful), but because he/she sings so beautifully in late April and early May before the rainy season begins. Tradition is that the Yigüirro sings in the rain every year and thus is loved by farmers and gardeners alike and became the national bird.
This weak photo is of a juvenile or young adult made on that cloudy overcast day. They vary in color from this rich dark brown to a lighter brown with a lighter colored breast, sort of creamy white and more rarely a touch of yellow, but always that same beak! I’m calling it “The Robin of Costa Rica” BECAUSE it is as common here as the American Robin (my gallery) was during my days in the States. 🙂
The top link is to an eBird article on them or you can see many better photos in my Clay-colored Thrush – Yigüirro Gallery. Happy birding! 🙂
“Everyone likes birds. What wild creature is more accessible to our eyes and ears, as close to us and everyone in the world, as universal as a bird?”
— Nature historian David Attenborough
¡Pura Vida!
At least “Merlin,” my eBird identifier says they are “rare” for this location, though I know there are manakins in Atenas and I have seen the grosbeak in nearby Alajuela, so I don’t think they are really that rare here! 🙂 They are a female Long-tailed Manakin (feature photo) and an immature or female Rose-breasted Grosbeak. And I believe the latter is an immature male because another poorer photo shows a touch of rose color coming on the breast and the females do not have that. NOTE: The name links above are to eBird descriptions. You can also see more of my photos of these in my bird GALLERIES: Long-tailed Manakin and the Rose-breasted Grosbeak galleries.
It was an overcast morning with no good light, thus the poor quality images when against the sky:
Reusing, recycling, rethinking ~The Washington Post Article
¡Pura Vida!
Last week they took down all that yellow plastic crime-scene tape that surrounded the Atenas Central Park, but it is still mostly empty with no concerts or fiestas scheduled. There were a few old men on the opposite corner where they usually “hang out,” but that was all. And the colorful Marigolds that were planted on this corner that I shared earlier have been removed. Hmmm. And there has been no continued work on the park remodeling, probably because of a lack of tax money.
Atenas is still in the Pandemic Shutdown Mode with few people in Central Atenas on the above cloudy day and many shops closed, some permanently. A difficult year for many here and worldwide!
I feel safe walking to and through town with my mask (required by law here) and anyone else who is out is also wearing a mask and maintaining a 1.8 meter distance, also required by law here. It is a bit of trouble but at least we are not having the daily increases of cases and deaths like the USA! It is still beyond my understanding how so many people still support that stupid, lying, self-centered, racist Donald Trump who clearly is responsible for thousands of deaths he could have prevented and the equally evil Republican Party supporting him. God help America! At least one Republican expressed a little bit of common sense today on Trump’s refusal to concede the election:
“It’s just simply madness,” Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said. “The idea of supplanting the vote of the people with partisan legislators, is, is so completely out of our national character that it’s simply mad. Of course the president has the right to challenge results in court, to have recounts. But this effort to subvert the vote of the people is dangerous and destructive of the cause of democracy.”
~Washington Post, 10 December 2020
Thank God I live in Costa Rica!
¡Pura Vida!
I’ve been walking that route with only my cell phone as a camera and the other day missed a beautiful Squirrel Cuckoo bird in a tree that my big camera would have caught. Thus yesterday morning I went with my big camera and no cuckoo! But I did get rough shots of these four. The feature photo is a Great-tailed Grackle and the other 3 are labeled in the slideshow. It is not as good a place for birds as up the hill from my house, but I tried! 🙂
See my BIRDS Galleries or my COUNTRY LANE Gallery.
¡Pura Vida!
I’m counting down the days now for my next trip here in Costa Rica – just two weeks from today I will be at Arenal Observatory Lodge at the base of one of our largest volcanoes that is occasionally active (feature photo is view of it from my room & I get the same room each time) . But most of all I anticipate being in a great cloud forest, rich with birds and other nature for a week of hiking at Christmas! It’s hard to imagine a better Christmas! 🙂
I will feel safe from the virus as the lodge is extremely cautious and I will be mostly out in nature solo, so not worried about COVID19, though I’m always cautious and live in a sensible country with required distance rules and mask-wearing. (How can the USA be so stupid about the virus?)
My last two trips to Arenal include some great photos from the trip 2019 November 11-17 and from the first time which is always the best – that’s 2018-May 4-9. Check out my photos from both to see why I’m excited about returning. Plus while there I will celebrate 6 years of living in Costa Rica, AND becoming a permanent resident this year! 🙂
I’ve been limiting my travels during this pandemic, but ready to get started again with trips now scheduled for Christmas Week, the middle of January and another in March. More normal for me! 🙂 My new goal is a trip somewhere in Costa Rica at least every two months.
And oh yeah, that January trip is to the mountains for Quetzales at Savegre Mountain Lodge while my March trip is back on a west coast beach at Tambor Tropical Resort! It sure is fun to be “Retired in Costa Rica!” 🙂
¡Pura Vida!
Everywhere in the world governments are slow to fix potholes in roads. This Tico found an interesting way to reprimand our government here in Costa Rica. Just use the potholes for flowerpots! 🙂 I love it! In your face government people, “these potholes’ are in front of my house!” They are on the gravel extension of Avenida 8 in Atenas where I walk sometimes and find things to photograph. This is one of the more interesting photos to me. 🙂
¡Pura Vida!
🙂
Also seen on that walk yesterday:
These 2 photos are a part of my collection called “Country Lane” – Avenida 8 Photo Gallery.
Washington Post Article: Pace of climate change shown in new report has humanity on ‘suicidal’ path, U.N. leader warns
¡Pura Vida!
I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.
All three trees were photographed by me at Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica. And if you like trees too, check out my Trees Photo Gallery which is a sub-gallery under Flora & Forest Gallery.
And PLANT TREES! They absorb carbon dioxide & give us oxygen to breathe!
¡Pura Vida!
Like the hills yesterday, I never tire of trying to get a better photo of the Atenas Central Catholic Church, especially from the Roca Verde hills, so here’s another one! 🙂 The official name (en español) and website link is Parroquia San Rafael Arcángel.
The cluster of palms in front of the church is the Central Park which has been closed since March because of the pandemic, as has the church for large crowds, just open for solo prayers and small groups distanced and masked. Costa Rica has taken the pandemic seriously with national mask and distancing required, no large gatherings and strict restaurant rules, though unfortunately many restaurants have closed permanently for a lack of business. A sad time for many people world-wide. But the central church is still a symbol of hope for many. And fortunately Costa Rica has fewer cases of COVID19 than any other Central American country.
Most Catholic Churches face west so worshippers are facing east towards Jerusalem. I haven’t put a compass to it, but have been told that is the case here. In Costa Rica it is also tradition for most central parks to have the central church on the east side of the park and on the west side of the park, opposite the church, is a Banco Nacional, the main national bank in Costa Rica. That is the case in Atenas and Alajuela I know and in many other towns when I’ve thought to check. Hmmmm . . . is that elevating money? Sounds more like the U.S. 🙂
Well, maybe TMI – too much information! But I find it fascinating living in a culture that I did not grow up in and thus notice little things like these and I love living here! For more pix of just Atenas, see my Atenas Galleries and CR People, Fiestas & Arts (mostly Atenas).
“Let the villages of the future live in our imagination, so that we might one day come to live in them!” ~Mahatma Gandhi
¡Pura Vida!
I never get tired of photographing the hills across our little valley and just keep trying to make a different image or view of the same hills I see daily. I would prefer them without the cell phone towers, but the modern society would argue that they are absolutely necessary! 🙂 Debatable! 🙂
If you like hills too, you might also like my CR Vistas Gallery.
¡Pura Vida!
