charliedoggett.net
 |
| Costa Rica’s National Bird – Clay-colored Thrush On Charlie’s apartment balcony, Hacienda La Jacaranda, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| Golden Shower Tree or Cassia Fistula On Highway 3 east of Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| “Yellow Bells,” “Trumpet Bush” or officially Tecoma Stans Zoomed in on one of the mountain sides from my front balcony |
Earlier I showed orange-blooming Poro Tree around here, then the bright Pink Trumpet Tree, and there are now a bunch of yellow-blooming trees, two kinds! The first one above is an imported Asian ornamental tree that looks like a yellow lilac tree with delicate flowers hanging down, the one along the highway above. The other has clusters of bell-shaped flowers like this one off my back balcony. And remember, we are near the end of the dry season with no rain since November! Amazing!
 |
| Yellow Bells behind my apartment at Hacienda La Jacaranda, Atenas |
 |
| Clay-colored Thrush Hacienda La Jacaranda, Atenas, Costa Rica |
There was one of these down by the river with the howler monkeys yesterday afternoon, but this little guy landed on my balcony rail at sunset tonight. In earlier years he was called Clay-colored Robin. Yes, I posted a photo of this bird earlier, but just not as good as this one. Won’t do repeats often! Promise!
 |
| Male Mantled Howler Monkey Hacienda La Jacaranda, Atenas, Costa Rica |
And yes, that is his testicles showing above. Sorry! The Howlers arrived this morning early with their distinctive howl, like an African Lion’s growl – seriously! But I did not go out to photograph them until this evening’s howl which means shooting into the sun – not smart! Maybe I’ll get up early one morning when they start howling and get some better photos. They come on the apartments’ property every year about this time when some of the fruit starts getting ripe, though they were eating leaves this evening. We saw only two males and the female with her baby tonight.
 |
| Female and Baby Mantled Howler Monkeys Hacienda La Jacaranda, Atenas, Costa Rica |
I did not photograph these from my balcony like the birds because they are down along the river in those trees which I will have to start watching more. I’ve been too busy to do as much nature photography as I thought I would do, but having fun with everything else too! I got my first tennis lesson yesterday and that might become a new activity. 🙂 Healthy!
Click to Hear the Howler Monkeys Howl.
 |
| La Casita del Cafe Vista On a clear day you can see the Pacific Ocean on right behind close hill. |
I finally got to have breakfast at La Casita del Cafe, 8.7 km from my house (but with an Atenas address). It is a tiny little restaurant on the tallest mountain you can see from my balcony. It was a typical Tico breakfast of beans and rice with eggs and I added ham and chose the scrambled eggs with tomatoes and onions in them, almost as good as I make. I made the trip as my first trial run in a rent car which I got yesterday afternoon in preparation for two sets of Tennessee visitors next week. I could get spoiled having a car! 🙂
 |
| Sunset from Charlie’s Balcony, Hacienda La Jacaranda, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| I chose to remove the clutter, the noise, and find the tropical beauty I love! Can you see where I focused as the sun dimmed a little more? Seventeen minutes later and an effort to see beauty! |
 |
| Crimson-fronted Parakeet Hacienda La Jacaranda, Atenas, Costa Rica |
They have been flying over daily for most of my time here, but not landing where I could see them from my apartment. Then they finally did! Once! A small number landed in one of the palm trees on our apartment property for a few minutes. Not sure why they chose the palm tree. No berries that I can see. This is the largest of all parakeets, as large as most parrots, the Crimson-fronted Parakeet. It’s the same one I posted earlier from the power line out front of the apartments. But I like these shots better, more natural. All were made from my front balcony with my Canon Rebel and a 75-300mm lens, then cropped to about 1/4 the original image size for the birds to show up! None tack-sharp, but I’m satisfied after waiting so long for them to land. Later on jungle trips I may get much better shots and when we go to La Paz! I got macaws at Zoo Ave, but no parrots! Same on Tarcoles River.
 |
| Crimson-fronted Parakeets Hacienda La Jacaranda, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| Crimson-fronted Parakeets Hacienda La Jacaranda, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| Crimson-fronted Parakeet Hacienda La Jacaranda, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| Crimson-fronted Parakeet Hacienda La Jacaranda, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| Farmer bringing sugarcane to market while I am walking up the hill to my Spanish class. |
Note: I just added another fallen fruit photo to my March 7 Trodden Under Foot post, if interested. It is the Star Apple or Cainito, a purple fruit the size of an apple or orange and it fell right here in our apartments.
 |
| Maybe Blue & White Swallow, Bank Swallow, or even a Martin. Not sure. |
Hundreds of swallows fly over every day and all around the apartments, very fast! I’ve never been able to catch one in my camera, though this is one of my best efforts. We also have Keel-billed Toucans fly over occasionally, usually in pairs and very fast! No photos! Same with the Montezuma Oropendola! And parrots and parakeet flocks which are often even higher in sky. None of these birds ever land in the trees around us.
 |
| Iglesia Bautista 1946, Alajuela |
 |
| Aerocasillas Alajuela Office |
From the bus station to Aerocasillas (the blue sign on gray building) is an 11 block walk or as they say here, “about 1100 meters” or actually “oncecientos metres.” Today I had one letter, a check from the sale of my dining room table and chairs, finally! So worth the trip! Then this afternoon when I got home I received notice via email that a package will be ready for me to pick up tomorrow. Grrr! Maybe I go tomorrow or maybe next week! ! It is the replacement blades for my electric razor that I couldn’t find here. Oh well! Another adventure!
 |
| Church of the Agony, Alajuela |
 |
| La Bohemia Rock Bar across the street from Church of the Agony |
 |
| Cab Stand at Church of the Agony – $3 to Walmart – All official taxis are red! |
 |
| Waiting for a replacement bus on the western edge of La Garita. |