Category: National Parks & Wildlife Reserves

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RESCATE Wildlife Rescue Center

On Thursday the 21st of November I took just Gary on a public bus trip to the nearby RESCATE Wildlife Rescue Center (their website link), just 16.5 km or about 10 miles from Atenas to photograph rescued wildlife from all over Costa Rica. For those who have been here, it is the place that used to be called “ZooAve.” Interestingly, as we were leaving, a National Park Ranger brought in a cardboard box with a clutch of baby birds they rescued after their mother was killed.

The feature photo at top is a wild Yellow-throated Toucan who flew in to visit his “cousins” and steal their food! 🙂 Just a couple of shots in the blog post, but you can see more birds and other animals I got photos of from this trip at: Nov 21 RESCATE Wildlife (ZooAve) Photo Gallery. And we also ate lunch there in a very nice restaurant, (though a little “pricey”). 🙂

Mealy Parrot, RESCATE Wildlife Rescue Center, La Garita, Costa Rica
Golden Silk Spider (Orb Weaver), RESCATE Wildlife Rescue Center, La Garita, Costa Rica. Gary held his hand behind it to help me get a focus on it and then moved it for the final pix, but I like the contrast of this one better. 🙂

¡Pura Vida!

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La Paz Waterfall Gardens

Just two shots here with this link to my gallery: Nov 18 La Paz Waterfall Gardens, where there are 11 species of birds and 6 species of butterflies, including a new or first-time seen species, the Silver-studded Leafwing – Hypna clytemnestra. And I included the waterfall photos I made on an earlier trip since I did not feel like that mountainous trail in the rain this time. The feature photo at top is of Templo Falls, also in the rain back in 2015! 🙂 Because it was raining most of the time there this trip too, I did not try to photograph the many beautiful flower gardens this trip and the rain had most of the usual hummingbirds hiding under leaves. 🙂 But hey! Cloud Forests and Rainforests need rain! 🙂

A wild Northern Emerald or Blue-throated Toucanet, La Paz Waterfall Gardens, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Poas Volcano

On November 18 we visited two big favorites of tourists with the first being Poas Volcano National Park as soon as they opened at 8 am because clouds often cover the top of that mountain and you then see nothing. 🙂 We had great weather for seeing the volcano, the only one in Costa Rica you can look down into the bubbling cauldron and smell the sulphur. I’m including 4 shots with this post or you can see more in my gallery: Nov 18 Poas Volcano. Tomorrow a few shots from La Paz Waterfall Gardens, the other visit that day near Poas.

Gary & Kenna Eaton in front of the active Poas Volcano, Costa Rica
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2nd Edition Hiking Guide!

Becoming world famous for hikers is the coast to coast (Atlantic to Pacific) hiking trail titled El Camino de Costa Rica (WEBSITE link), a 280 kilometer hike through forests, mountains, farms and small villages with many suggested overnight stays in homes, camping or even a few luxury hotels nearby. 🙂

Hiking Guide cover. CLICK image to see the book.
Continue reading “2nd Edition Hiking Guide!”
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There is a pleasure in the pathless woods

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more,
From these our interviews, in which I steal
From all I may be, or have been before,
To mingle with the Universe, and feel
What I can ne’er express, yet cannot all conceal.

– Lord George Gordon Byron, 1813

9 more photos below . . .

Continue reading “There is a pleasure in the pathless woods”
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50+ Dragonflies Identified . . .

. . . with either the species or family genus name, most by species. That is because I decided to upload all my dragonfly and damselfly photos to Naturalista Costa Rica, the iNaturalist branch here, and of course you know that all members of iNaturalist can submit an identification of a species photo submitted. And lucky for me, one of the two authors of Dragonflies and Damselflies of Costa Rica is active on iNaturalist and so my many photos have been labeled by possibly the foremost specialist on Costa Rica Dragon and Damselflies. 🙂 You can see them in my gallery named: DRAGONFLIES & DAMSELFLIES (50+) which is now the first set of galleries under OTHER WILDLIFE. It was a lot of work, but now my photos are properly identified and are all on iNaturalist for posterity! 🙂 Plus, this gallery is now a good scientific database for research. And in the future I hope to do this with some other categories of my nature photos. 🙂 Though I will continue to post my birds on eBird and my butterflies on butterfliesandmoths.org

CLICK on the above image to go to the gallery. One of the largest Costa Rica Dragonfly Collections on the internet! 🙂

¡Pura Vida!

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Maquenque 2024 Trip Gallery

Being quarantined at home with Covid means I can give more time to finishing my photos from the July trip to Maquenque Eco Lodge and I now have that “Trip Gallery” finished, which I’m pleased with. It is Costa Rica Trip #121 and I continue to feel my trip galleries are the best.

You can click on the first page below to go there or if prefered, here’s the web address: https://charliedoggett.smugmug.com/TRIPS/2024-July-4-9-Maquenque-Eco-Lodge

CLICK on above image to go to the trip gallery.

¡Pura Vida!

And Maquenque Lodge Website

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Maquenque Butterflies 2024 GALLERY

Fewer than birds which is expected at my best birding location, but of these 14, 3 are new to me! 🙂 Click the first page image below or go to this address: https://charliedoggett.smugmug.com/TRIPS/2024-July-4-9-Maquenque-Eco-Lodge/BUTTERFLIES

CLICK above image to go to the gallery.

¡Pura Vida!

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Maquenque Birds 2024 GALLERY

In my slow state of activity with Covid I finished the birds gallery for my recent trip. 48 species is not bad but not as many as last year with 62! But let’s face it, I’m slowing down. And the good thing is that I got one Lifer this trip, the Yellow Tyrannulet! And from the back porch of my little cabin! 🙂

You can see this trip’s bird gallery by clicking the first page image below or going to: https://charliedoggett.smugmug.com/TRIPS/2024-July-4-9-Maquenque-Eco-Lodge/BIRDS

CLICK image to go to the gallery.

¡Pura Vida!