Category: National Parks & Wildlife Reserves

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Crimson Patch & Semana Santa

One is a butterfly and the other maybe the busiest week in Costa Rica.

Crimson Patch Butterfly, Guayabo Lodge, Turrialba, Cartago, Costa Rica – A “Bokeh” Photo!

Crimson Patch Butterfly

This butterfly is one I photographed at Guayabo Lodge last week and my first time for it! I had earlier mistaken a Bordered Patch for this species, but the big difference is the two-toned orange on the underside of wing. 🙂 See my new Crimson Patched Gallery and to compare the two, my older Bordered Patch Gallery. Even though the photo above is of a damaged butterfly, I like that photo better than the next one below because of the better soft background which I just learned yesterday from another blog is called a “Bokeh” photo – “. . . defined as ‘the effect of a soft out-of-focus background that you get when shooting a subject, using a fast lens, at the widest aperture, such as f/2.8 or wider.’ Simply put, bokeh is the pleasing or aesthetic quality of out-of-focus blur in a photograph.” ~nikonusa.com

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A Black Tarantula

With over 2000 species of spiders in Costa Rica, it is hard to identify many of them and my internet search did not help find an ID for this guy that I photographed at the Guayabo Lodge, Turrialba, Cartago, Costa Rica. There are many kinds of Tarantulas and I’m reasonably sure he is in that family. He was a little smaller than the palm of my hand, so not a large Tarantula.

One of many black tarantulas in Costa Rica. Nearly as large as the palm of my hand.

¡Pura Vida!

And I’ll get to my bird photos eventually, just too many photos to process. 🙂 And of course I have a Spiders Gallery! 🙂

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Bees at Irazú & Guayabo Lodge

Three different bees that I have not tried to identify yet from my time at Guayabo Lodge, near Turrialba, Costa Rica through yesterday.

And for those who have written about my health, I went to Clinica Linea Vital for a checkup yesterday and an added visit to Santa Sophia Clinic for x-rays. Plus I got two shots and Rx’s for inflammation, swelling and something else she noted that will relieve my pains. So I do try to take care of myself, even if clumsy in my old age! 🙂

ON THE LODGE’S FARM . . .

Going for the sap of an evergreen tree on Guayabo Lodge Farm by their cow pasture.

AND . . .

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A Golden Scarab Beetle

On the tile and concrete entrance sidewalk I photographed this beetle yesterday and sure it is one of the dozens of Scarab Beetles and pretty sure it is in the sub-category of Golden Scarab Beetles. I don’t have a beetle book and the internet is taking more time than I wanted to spend for the exact ID! 🙂

Golden Scarab Beetle, Guayabo Lodge, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Two Volcanoes Today!

Volcanoes Irazú and Turrialba are almost twin volcanoes with a road connecting the near tops of both in the rural vegetable farming mountains just northwest of the lodge. The rich volcanic soil is great for growing vegetables and many are shipped to other countries including the states.

Turrialba is active right now, so we saw it from outside that park, but I have photos below of both. My one disclaimer is that there is not as much to see at these two as the Poas Volcano north of where I live and I do have past posts and photo galleries on my two visits there, plus a gallery on my visit to Rincón de la Vieja northeast of Liberia which is more like a miniature Yellowstone with lots of bubbling mud pots, hot springs and fissures. And Tenorio is similar. But my favorite is Arenal Volcano National Park for birding! You only see the volcano from outside. They are all interesting! And Stijn was an excellent guide again today! He made photos of me on his phone which I don’t have to share yet. And later I may do a post on the many interesting flowers and a couple of insects I photographed at Irazú.

The principle crater at Irazú can still be active.

Below are separate galleries on Irazú & Turrialba with 5 shots from each . . .

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A Young Dutch Hero for Me

Yesterday morning Stijn (he pronounces it sort of like the English word “sang”) who is taking a year away from a university in Holland to “see the world” is for now a tourism intern here at Guayabo Lodge (after spending time first in Indonesia). He does all the jobs here including front desk, restaurant waiter, and was my guide to visit the archaeological site and National Monument Guayabo. We are kindred spirits as he too loves to travel and do nature photography. (He’s a good photographer too!)

Stijn and Charlie at Archaeological Site. beside a 2000 year old road.

Read on to see more photos of the archaeological site and then the stairs that I tumbled down last night when Stijn again came to my rescue. 🙂

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Gardens of Guayabo Lodge

I shot most of these photos on my arrival afternoon, Sunday. Please be aware that I’m in one of those places with a weak internet connection. Yesterday I uploaded the photos for the blog okay but when I tried to view them online I got only words with no photos showing up at all. If that is happening to you, you may see the photos I’ve chosen for the blog on the beginnings of my Gallery for 2022 April 3-8 Guayabo Lodge. Of course the gallery is incomplete until after the trip. For now it is an alternate way to see my blog photos if you are not seeing them as I could not yesterday, 🙂 And the problem may have been my blog host yesterday because I’m seeing them okay today! 🙂

Bird of Paradise Flower
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South Pacific Parks to be Improved

Squirrel Monkey, Osa Peninsula

In Sunday’s Tico Times it was announced that Costa Rica’s National Parks located in the less-traveled South Pacific Area will receive the equivalent of $1.7 million USD infrastructure improvements which affects some of my favorite National Parks and Reserves like Marino Ballena, Corcovado, Piedras Blancas, Golfito Wildlife Reserve, and La Amistad International National Parks. I have visited all but La Amistad, the nearly inaccessible wilderness park on both sides of the Costa Rica/Panama border.

This will help tourism in that area and provide basic infrastructure needed with anything from a road or trail to a bathroom. Maybe even make La Amistad accessible to an old man! 🙂 They say this about it: “This protected area is vital for Costa Rica biodiversity and conservation. The rugged terrain and intense jungle make it difficult for tourists to visit. You won’t find convenient amenities there.” I slept 3 nights in the adjacent Bribri Yorkin Indigenous Reserve which is probably as close as I will get to that park.

Below are links to my “Trip Galleries” for parks in this area that are some of my favorites . . .

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Most Common Wild-Mammal for Me

Some tourism ads and photos/videos from visitors to Costa Rica make you think you will see Monkeys and Sloths everywhere you go, which is not true. Except for the aggressive White-faced Capuchin Monkey, all other monkeys are quite shy and elusive, but if you try, you can find them and photograph them all over the country, especially in the rainforests. Sloths are even more shy and difficult to see and photograph. But if you check my CR Mammals Gallery you will see the many photos I have of both monkeys and sloths or photos a total of 28 different mammals here! But the one wild mammal I see the most often and in the largest number is the White-faced Coatimundi or generally just “Coati” or the local Spanish name of “Pizote.”

Though in the Raccoon family, they are quite different and we do have raccoons here also! 🙂 See the “Treehugger” website’s 11 Interesting Coatimundi Facts. They live from Mexico south to the northern fringes of South America, so mostly a Central American animal. You frequently see them in large groups or families sniffing around the ground for grubs and beetles (feature photo at top), which is their favorite food, though they are omnivorous and do eat fruits, frogs, lizards, and other small creatures and plants. Read more on Wikipedia.

The shots below are some I made on my recent trip to Manquenque Lodge . . .

White-faced Coati, Costa Rica
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Maquenque Trip Gallery

In case you did not see the links in the last few posts, I have my trip gallery up and ready to visit in my big photo gallery. In some ways my “Trip Galleries” are my main photo galleries with them feeding specific theme galleries like Birds, etc. Plus if you are considering a visit to one of the places included, the photos will give you a good idea of what to expect. Click the print screen image of the gallery below or use this address: https://charliedoggett.smugmug.com/TRIPS/2022-February-14-19-Maquenque-Ecolodge-Reserve-Boca-Tapada

 “We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone”

– Katie Thurmes

¡Pura Vida!

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