Margaret’s & Pat’s Costa Rica Adventure

Some of the new friends that have come into my life in Costa Rica are “seasonal” or some say “Snow Birds” who come to our tropical climate as an escape from the snow & ice up north during the coldest months. One, who has in the past stayed in Roca Verde just up the street from me, is Margaret from British Columbia, Canada and like me, a birder in her 80’s.

This year she decided to go beyond Atenas and see the birds and other sights of many areas of Costa Rica and brought her friend Pat with her. Here’s the diary or journal of their very economical adventure by public bus and staying in local B&Bs, like I did in my early years here . She included 45 photos that I could not copy with the story and adding all individually to this blog post would greatly slow it down, so I chose 4 to scatter throughout the story. And her good “storyteller” way of reporting their adventures makes her words the “illustrations.” Her third person references (you and yours) are to Jill, one of their first hostesses she was writing much of this to. The sub-headings are my addition to indicate the general area of Costa Rica they were in at that time of their trip.  Enjoy!  And plan your own adventure!  🙂  ¡Pura vida!

Margaret & Pat with one of their many guides.

Margaret & Pat’s Costa Rica Adventure

By Margaret

Continue reading “Margaret’s & Pat’s Costa Rica Adventure”

Mantled Howler Monkeys

While at Tortuguero I saw all three of the monkeys that live in that rainforest, but, as usual, the Mantled Howler Monkeys were the most photogenic with White-faced Capuchin next, often showing off, and the Spider Monkeys the most difficult to photograph as they frantically run through the tree tops like out of control hyper children. I’ll show these other two in tomorrow’s post as I continue a break from the many birds.

Mantled Howler Monkey, Tortuguero NP, Costa Rica – Fruit for lunch!

Two more photos below or you can see even more photos from this trip in my Howler Monkeys 2023 Tortuguero GALLERY or  see all my Mantled Howler Monkeys GALLERY from my 8 years in Costa Rica, including a nursing mother and other juveniles.

Continue reading “Mantled Howler Monkeys”

Bare-throated Tiger-Heron

“Weird Bird” some might say, especially with some of his unusual postures when drying feathers or otherwise standing around!  🙂 But always one I enjoy trying to photograph! For more photos beyond these 4, see my Bare-throated Tiger-Heron GALLERY. All were photographed from a moving boat at Tortuguero National Park, Limón, Costa Rica.

Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Tortuguero NP, Costa Rica

Continue reading “Bare-throated Tiger-Heron”

3 Toucan Species

There are 3 species of toucans on each side of Costa Rica with the Keel-billed and Yellow-throated on both sides and a different Aracari (smaller toucan) on each side, Collared Aracari on the Caribbean (Atlantic) side and Fiery-billed Aracari on the Pacific slopes. And of course this past week I was in the Caribbean. Here’s two shots of each species with a link to my gallery for that species if you want to see more and different photos. One photo for the email notice and then the three galleries online . . .

Keel-billed Toucan, Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica

Continue reading “3 Toucan Species”

Tortuguero Dragonflies

I managed to get usable photos of 5 dragonflies while in the Tortuguero wetlands but cannot guarantee the identification of the four I’ve labeled. The fifth one never landed and thus my photos of him flying are next to impossible to identify, so I just labeled him “unidentified,”  and one or more of the others could be also.  🙂

Red-mantled Dragonlet, Tortuguero NP, Costa Rica

Continue reading “Tortuguero Dragonflies”

Rainforest Floating Reflexions

I’m up to photos of about 40 bird species plus at least 20 other animals and I don’t leave until noon tomorrow, so it will be a while before I report on all of those, thus here’s a few representative shots from the different boats I floated on through the Tortuguero rivers and canals . . .

The 6 am trip was rainy more than half the two hours but we still saw a lot of wildlife!

Here’s 10 more shots, some of which could be considered art (I think) . . .

Continue reading “Rainforest Floating Reflexions”

Sungrebe – The Rarest Bird seen yesterday

This was only my third time to see a Sungrebe. The first time was here at Tortuguero in 2016 when Reagan came and we traveled to Tortuguero Laguna Lodge. My second sighting was in 2017 at Caño Negro and now again at Tortuguero but in the dark shadows of plants along the water’s edge and very difficult to photograph. See my shots from earlier years (which are better) in my Sungrebe Gallery and here’s the most representative shot from yesterday, a female behind brush along the canal where they usually stay, out of the sun and away from people. The female has an orange cheek and the male a plain white cheek of which I have one photo below this one of a female for a total of 4 photos, not of high quality, but representative of this bird . . .

Sungrebe female, Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica.

3 more photos below . . .

Continue reading “Sungrebe – The Rarest Bird seen yesterday”

An Iguana from Today & New Bus Station Open in Alajuela

Today was too busy because I had to take tours when they were available – two today! Morning and afternoon, both by boat and both with some rain. Reports on both great tours later but here’s a male Green Iguana who, I know, is orange! The male Green Iguanas turn orange during mating season because that is supposedly more attractive to female iguanas than green! Hmmm! Who am I to question female iguanas?  🙂 I photographed it near my cabin after lunch today between the two boat tours.

Male Green Iguana at Tortuga Lodge & Gardens, Tortuguero, Costa Rica.

 

See my gallery of other Green Iguana photos.

And I read an article today about the new bus station in Alajuela that is finally open! It’s the one I will use regularly.

Continue reading “An Iguana from Today & New Bus Station Open in Alajuela”

My Caribbean Cottage for 4 Nights

I look out over the main river in Tortuguero when in my colorful Caribbean Cottage. I’m in the downstairs one on the left in photo below. It rained off and on much of my arrival afternoon but I got  a few photos  with an Oropendola my only bird. Took the night walk and might have some photos from that later. And in the morning I do my favorite boat tour of the national park with lots of birds and other animal possibilities, then tomorrow afternoon visit a small community in the middle of the rainforest. So lots of photo-ops!  🙂

My room on the left, downstairs overlooking the river.

Continue reading “My Caribbean Cottage for 4 Nights”