Category: Photography

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Maquenque Iguanas

I did not include the “Green” in the title, though according to the books this area of Costa Rica has only Green Iguanas and none of the the Black or Spiny-tailed Iguanas, but all four of these photographed below are so different from each other, making me doubtful, even though I know that Green Iguanas come in all colors, have spiny tails, and frequently look like the other Iguana found on the Pacific Slope of Costa Rica. Here’s 4 different ones with all of them photographed on the Farm Hike at Maquenque Ecolodge, 17 February 2022. Note that the lodge is located on the Caribbean (Atlantic) Slope of Costa Rica which has only Green Iguanas according to the books.

Green Iguana, Maquenque Ecolodge, Boca Tapada
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Cool Spider Webs

I’m always amazed at the work of little spiders and really don’t try to photograph their work nearly enough! Early morning is the best time and seeing them at Maquenque on an early morning bird hike reminded me of early walks years ago in the Everglades National Park in the States with thousands of spider webs visible in early morning in those wetlands. Note that on the second or landscape photo below that the web looks like the spider wove a second web on top or an earlier one. Maybe common, but the first time I’ve noticed such.

Spider Web, Maquenque Ecolodge, Costa Rica
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Strange Katydid

With 6,400 different species of Katydids worldwide, this one may not even have an “official” name yet. Another amateur photographer online called it “Flat-faced Katydid” which is certainly descriptive but I’m not going to give it a name until I find an official entomology name for it – but it is a cool bug that we saw on the “Farm Tour” at Maquenque Ecolodge & Reserve a week or so ago (time is blurring on me now). 🙂

Here are three different views of what I am pretty sure is one of the many Katydids . . .

Unidentified Katydid, Maquenque Ecolodge & Reserve
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Technology Meltdown & More Maquenque

Groove-billed Ani Family – I think Mom at right with 7 noisy kids! 🙂 Unless the one on left is also a parent.

A New Computer is Like . . . “Back to Square One!”

WHY I HAVEN’T BEEN BLOGGING: I had to get a new laptop computer which comes with the new Microsoft Windows 11 they claim is better (Not!) but for an old man, just figuring out how to use it is a big challenge, plus no software and the tech guy is not allowed to transfer software, only files! And the keyboard is partly different! Augh!

Just getting the software was a multiple days chore and Microsoft forced me to buy a new version of Office. Not worth it! I’m nearly back online and functioning on my new Dell Inspiron Laptop. I like the laptop (very lightweight), but technology will be the death of me yet! And there are things I still haven’t figured out how to do!

Plus I’m behind on processing my photos from Maquenque Ecolodge, but I did finish the biggest bulk which is of birds and have an online gallery of bird photos from this trip, so read on for some amazing bird photos . . .

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Bird Portraits 3

I had some tough choices to show only 5 more birds, but that is best for now and I will maybe skip a day while I go through other photos for some future posts from Maquenque. Then I will get back to blogs about our tranquil little farm town of Atenas. 🙂

Here’s my last 5 bird portraits . . .

Orange-chinned Parakeet, Maquenque Ecolodge & Reserve, Boca Tapada, Costa Rica.
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Bird Portraits 2

Maquenque Ecolodge is such a great place to get close to birds that the portraits approach seemed logical to me! 🙂 Here’s 5 more and I will try to hold it down to just one more “Portraits Post.” 🙂

I can’t say enough good things about Maquenque Ecolodge & Reserve (link to their website). in many ways it is my favorite in Costa Rica and they made several improvements over my last visit – using their “Covid down time” to make many physical improvements plus they hired a new super chef with a menu that now competes with any lodge in Costa Rica! AND I still get to stay in a treehouse! 🙂

Here’s 5 more bird portraits that I liked . . .

Female Great-tailed Grackle at Maquenque Ecolodge & Reserve, Boca Tapada, Costa Rica.
And oh yes, she’s fluffing her feathers to dry them after a rain shower! 🙂
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Bird Portraits

Here’s the first five portraits with more coming, though all fifty-something birds I’ve photographed will not be good enough for what I’m calling a “portrait” or “a close-up” of just one bird. Plus other types of photos are coming from Maquenque over the next few days or week, even though I return home tomorrow.

Gray Hawk at Maquenque Ecolodge & Reserve, Boca Tapada, Costa Rica.
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Farm Visit Today

I was going to avoid all tours but decided the two I did today would not be that popular and not so many people and that was true! My early morning pre-breakfast bird hike was just me and a masked young couple from Europe, he from France and she from Germany plus our local guide Jose. (more on it later) Then at 9 Jose also led the farm tour with just me and a nice lady from Germany and her daughter 11 or 12ish. They were of course masked and her Dad was not interested in the tour. 🙂

A weird-looking Katydid on the farm!

Below is a slide show from the farm tour today with pix not in chronological order . . .

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Juvenile Birds

It seems like maybe there have been more than a usual number of immature or juvenile birds this week, so I’m featuring 5 today. 🙂

Tomorrow morning, I go on a guided bird hike and expect to get a lot more above the 35 species I’ve photographed on my own so far. 🙂 Plus, I’m taking a tour of the farm where 85% of the restaurant food is raised and that will probably be tomorrow night’s post! ?

Here’s my 5 juvenile birds . . .

Clay-colored Thrush juvenile bathing in a rain puddle.
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