Category: Atenas

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The Security of Tree Limbs

I’m noticing that most birds (with exceptions of course) tend to land in a tree on a limb that is surrounded by other limbs and thus I assume that they purposefully find a “safe spot” out of the reach of possible predators. And in the case of this White-winged Dove (my gallery link) in a Nance Tree, they also make themselves difficult to photograph! 🙂 Or at least the kind of open and posed photo on a clean limb humans like to see. Maybe you could call it “Nature’s Security.” 🙂

White-winged Dove, My Garden, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Sad Loss of a Young Tico Friend

And of course 38 is young to me! 🙂 Yeison went by “Jason” with his English-speaking friends and was one of two, then 12 years younger, guys assigned to me to “practice” my Spanish and as would probably be expected, he practiced more English than I did Spanish, 🙂 but that was okay.

After that first year I saw him only occasionally and he continued to be like too many of his generation of males here, not wanting to work or not keeping a job for long (it seems to me). With his good English, he tried 3 different U.S. Call Center jobs here in Costa Rica and hated all of them, none lasting long. Then off and on jobs as a security guard which he was at my bank when he died last month. During his off and on work he married and had a cute little baby boy, but was not sufficiently supporting his family and she divorced him and he was ordered to pay the equivalent of $400 per month child support and had become quite depressed with the difficulty of that and seldom getting to see the child.

Last month he walked out on the Atenas railroad bridge (highest in the country) and jumped off into the deep rocky canyon of the Rio Grande River. He was reported missing and not found for two days, and then by the Red Cross Ambulance Service after someone called to report seeing a body in the bottom of the canyon. The official government report of his death is here: https://crhoy.com/nacionales/encuentran-en-rio-el-hombre-de-joven-desaparecido-en-atenas/

Yeison Quesada

My Blog Post Search for my mentions of Jason Quesada

It was mostly during those first 2 to 4 years when I was with him, often as a needed translator then, or at the beginning is my treating him to a Star Wars movie (his 1st) as the only blog post showing a photo of him. But the idea is that in those early years here in CR, he was a part of my life and I deeply regret that I was not able do anything to stop his suicide. He is just one example of the difficulties of being poor in this world, sometimes living a hopeless life. And of course he brought some of his problems on himself, but the popular lifestyes and systems of this world (highly American-influenced) also have some blame. It saddens me to lose a friend who gave up on living in this hectic, crazy world.

Jason Quesada with Charlie Doggett at the 2015 Star Wars Movie, Alajuela City Mall.

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Laverna Metalmark

The Laverna Metalmark, Calephelis laverna (my gallery link) is almost identical to the Carolina Metalmark in the States, while this one is found from Costa Rica to Brazil.

¡Pura Vida!

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White Peacock

Another favorite butterfly was seen in the cow pasture in September, the White Peacock (my gallery link). They are so different from the Banded Peacock, I sometimes wonder why they are both called peacocks. 🙂 But, “A rose by any other name . . .” I definitely don’t see as many of these as his “Banded” cousin, but I have photos of them from all over the country, literally coast to coast.

White Peacock, Roca Verde Cow Pasture, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Brazilian Nightshade

I snapped this vine flower with my cellphone while walking down a Roca Verde street. It was growing on the side of the street on the edge of someone’s property, possibly growing wild. iNaturalist AI tells me it is Brazilian Nightshade – Solanum seaforthianum (linked to a Wikipedia article). If you keep your eyes open and scanning around, there are “little treasures” to find almost anywhere you walk here. 🙂

Brazilian Nightshade, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Sensitive Plant – Mimosa pudica

Touch the leaves and they curl up! Sensitive Plant – Mimosa pudica. See more unusual things in nature in my gallery Leaves & Nature Things.

Sensitive Plant – Mimosa pudica, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica. Note the tiny hairs on edge of leaves.

¡Pura Vida!

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A Deeper Red Than Usual

I grow two groups of Maraca or Shampoo Ginger (Zingiber zerumbet) (My gallery link). The ones on the west side of my house by the Higueron Tree usually start yellow and turn orange and at a different time of year than these in my “Jungle Garden” on the south side of my casita which usually stay yellow during their 3 months plus of blooming, with some hints of orange. But this year on a south side one has turned a deep red as shown in the feature photo above. I have been cutting the tall plants back to give more sun to ground plants and the more sun might be the reason, though I don’t know for sure. Tropical plants are just as interesting to watch and photograph as much of the wildlife that I usually focus on.

I first experienced this interesting tropical flower on a jungle trip to Mayan ruins in Guatemala in 2006 December – Guatemala where this plant grew right outside my jungle room at Chiminos Lodge. Tropical adventures always include tropical plants! 🙂

Maraca or Shampoo Ginger, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

And two more photos showing the usual yellow and some orange ones . . .

Continue reading “A Deeper Red Than Usual”
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Rose-throated Becard

This is a young male Rose-throated Becard (my gallery link) whose throat has not turned rose colored yet and iNat says that some in the rainforest never get the rosy-pink throat. The female is overall reddish brown as you can see in my above-linked gallery. This one landed in a neighbor’s tree for a minute or so, then flew off. I don’t see them very often. They are found from Southern Arizona & Texas south to Panama, so mostly Central American. Read more on eBird.

Rose-throated Becard, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Fridericus Spreadwing 

I hope that I’m identifying this new species for me correctly, Fridericus Spreadwing, Quadrus fridericus (iNaturalist Costa Rica link). Both photos were made on the same day, but I think they are two different individuals. And of course I’ve started a gallery for Fridericus Spreadwing (linked) with one more photo than these.

Fridericus Spreadwing, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Florida White

Found in many more places than the U.S. state of Florida, this butterfly is throughout tropical America from Brazil north to the Florida peninsula and South Texas including the Caribbean islands and all of Central America. I see him frequently in my garden as you can see in my gallery Florida White (linked). In the gallery, the ones with large swatches of dark brown (black) trim are females in the wet season only.

Florida White, my garden, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Florida “Blizzard?”

From Google: “In coastal Florida often tell modern “nature stories” about the massive, sudden irruptions or migrations of these butterflies. During peak population explosions, millions of Florida Whites hatch simultaneously. Residents describe looking out their windows and thinking they are seeing a “beachside blizzard” or “flying white ashes” blowing down the highway. It creates an ethereal, temporary winter wonderland in a tropical climate. [1]” Click that footnote “1” for a video of that “blizzard.” 🙂