charliedoggett.net
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| Costa Rica is home to more than 500,000 plant & animal species, nearly 4% of the total species estimated worldwide, making Costa Rica one of the 20 countries with the highest biodiversity in the world. Of these 500,000 species, a little more than 300,000 are insects. And oh yes, the above flower I shot at Rancho Naturalista Lodge is commonly known as anthurium, tailflower, flamingo flower, and laceleaf. |
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| Spiny-tailed Iguana On My Terrace, Roca Verde Home, Atenas Costa Rica |
This variety seems to be less common than the Green Iguana in most of Costa Rica, but I have seen this guy or his family members around the house, in neighbor’s tree, and going to and from the stream on the other side of our cow pasture. He was first heading in my backdoor, but turned and ran to the terrace when he saw me. They are basically harmless and never hurt people. Our little miniature dinosaurs! See also my photo gallery with this and other Reptiles.
And for travelers here the next 2 months:
Bridge between Airport & San Jose Closed 6 Weeks for repairs and Widening says this article in Tico Times. That means if you fly here it will take you longer to get into San Jose during February+ but should not affect coming west toward Atenas very much beyond the usual airport traffic congestion. The closure begins 21 January.
And FYI:
Costa Rica Ranks 4th in English Proficiency in Latin America says article in the Costa Rica Star.
That is convenient for lazy Americans who are mono-lingual, but note that it would not hold true in little farm towns like Atenas or other non-tourist, non-city locations. So my advice to those considering retiring or living here is to learn Spanish! After all, don’t you expect immigrants to the U.S. to learn English? 🙂 Que necesitas para aprender español.
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| My Breakfast View this Morning It is summer here, school is out for summer break & more flowers are blooming. Jan-Feb are also the windy months, but at least the volcano has slowed issuing ash. |
What Our Costa Rica President Says about Immigration, an article in Tico Times today.
You guys in the U.S. feel free to share this article with your new president-elect. The quick summary is “If you want to get through a border, you’ll be able to sooner or later.” 🙂 And read about how CR deals with the flow of Cubans en-route to the U.S. through Costa Rica and the Nicaraguans and Colombians who come here to stay. Personal Disclosure: My maid is a Nica and my haircuts are at a Colombino peluquería and nobody seems to have a problem with that here. Everyone is welcome in Costa Rica, even arrogant Americans. Though there’s already enough in Atenas, so I’m not issuing an invitation! 🙂
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| Mantled Howler Monkey male Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica |
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| White-nosed Coati Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica |
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| Variegated Squirrel Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica |
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| Black River Turtle Puerto Viejo River, Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica |
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| Spectacled Caiman Puerto Viejo River, Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica |
See also all my non-bird wildlife photo galleries at OTHER WILDLIFE
And this will be my last post on what I saw in Sarapiquí at Selva Verde Lodge. I highly recommend this lodge and spending at least 3 or 4 nights when you go!
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| One of the Sulphur Butterflies Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica |
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| Banded Peacock Butterfly Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica |
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| One of the Tigerwings or Isabella’s Heliconian Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica |
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| One of the 11,000 Grasshoppers Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica |
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| One of the Leaf Insects, like Walking Leaf Katydid Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica |
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| Cicada Shell Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica |
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| Termite Nest Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica |
See also my photo galleries of BUTTERFLIES or OTHER INSECTS
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| Green Iguana (male in mating orange) Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica |
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| Emerald Basilisk (“Jesus Christ Lizard”) Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica |
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| Gray Lichen Anole Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica |
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| Unknown – Possibly a type of Skink or Ameiva (there are many) Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica |
See also my photo gallery of Reptiles And I still have insects and other animals to share! 🙂
What Global Warming is Doing to Costa Rica This Year is an interesting article about the radical weather we have been having. We had our first hurricane in 300 years, more eruptions of one volcano, and heavier winds and rains than normal. You guys in the states need to convince your new idiot president-elect that global warming is real! It affects everyone!
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| Red-eyed Tree Frog Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica |
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| Dead Leaf Frog Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica |
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| Green & Black Poison Frog Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica |
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| Bare-hearted or Lime-colored Glass Frog Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica The size of my thumbnail. |
All but the Green & Black Poison Frog was photographed on the Selva Verde Lodge‘s Night Hike. Night is the best time to see and photograph frogs, BUT they did not allow us to use camera flash, so these were made with a flashlight! Difficult!
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| Buff-throated Saltator Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica Also saw a black-headed saltator, but no decent photo. |
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| Spotted Sandpiper Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica As seen from my room balcony on Sarapiquí River And I have never seen one with actual spots. |
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| Northern Barred Woodcreeper Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica |
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| Great Kiskadee Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica |
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| Gray-capped Flycatcher Along the Puerto Viejo River, Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica |
See also my Photo Gallery of Costa Rica Birds
Well, that really is all the bird photos I will share from this great trip! But expect about 4 more posts of other wildlife photographed in the Sarapiquí area of Costa Rica.
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| Corcovado Beach at southern end of Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica |
Then a 4-month break before my next big adventure the first week of May to Corcovado National Park (largest Pacific Coast rainforest) and Drake Bay, staying at the AGUILA DE OSA, Rainforest & Marine Adventure Lodge. There is no end to adventure and nature photography in Costa Rica and I intend experience as much of it as possible! All my reservations are made including small plane air transportation down which is cheaper than a rent car. I could have done the bus but it is so much easier flying to the South Pacific! It is the wrong time of year for whale-watching, but my focus is birds right now. I’ll do whales another time.
Back in 2009 I visited the southern end of Osa Peninsula and Corcovado (above photo) on a birding trip to Luna Lodge and Lookout Inn, flying to Puerto Jimenez and a 2 hour dirt road drive to the edge of the park. This will be different at the other end or northern end and will include a visit to an island reserve out in the ocean. I can hardly wait!
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| Black Vulture Along the Puerto Viejo River Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica |
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| Black Vulture feeding on a dead calf Along the Puerto Viejo River Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica |
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| Black Vulture (Some wait patiently in trees) Along the Puerto Viejo River Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica |
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| Black Vulture (The younger, weaker ones wait across river on sandbar) Along the Puerto Viejo River Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica |
See also my Photo Gallery of Costa Rica Birds
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| White-necked Jacobin Sarapiquí, Costa Rica |
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| Rufous-tailed Hummingbird Sarapiquí, Costa Rica |
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| Green-breasted Mango Hummingbird female Sarapiquí, Costa Rica |
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| Scaly-breasted Hummingbird Sarapiquí, Costa Rica |
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| Maybe a Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer Sarapiquí, Costa Rica |
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| Maybe a Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer Sarapiquí, Costa Rica |
Some of these were shot at the Selva Verde Lodge, some at Dave & Dave’s Nature Park, and possibly one at La Selva. I did not indicate exact location when uploading. Sorry.
Also note that when I say “Sarapiquí” I am referring to a region that has become a popular birding Sarapiquí River and Highway 4 (Ruta 4) down through and south of the bigger, main town of Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí where the boat docks are. Near there is the La Selva Biological Research Station and the large Braulio Carrillo National Park. This is the first of the Caribbean lowlands after the mountain range. There are many competing lodges, but I had read very good things about Selva Verde and now glad I chose it. Hard to imagine better birding anywhere. Though I understand that some other hotels have more luxurious rooms and even air conditioning. Selva Verde has a few rooms with a/c in the main building near the highway if you absolutely require it. The ceiling fan was fine for me.
location and somewhat for adventure sports and tourism in general. It is not a town but an area running from the little town of La Virgen in the west (closer to the mountains I drove through) along the
An additional note for people not familiar with Costa Rica, there are two towns named Puerto Viejo and those who want to avoid confusion use the “full names” or Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí for this area’s main town, and on the Caribbean Coast south of the port city of Limon is the more popular beach town of Puerto Viejo de Limon (in Limon Province) or sometimes call Puerto Viejo Talamanca as it is at the foot of the Talamanca Mountains near where the Bribri indigenous people live. I like both areas and birding is good and different in each. It will take years to explore all the nature spots in this beautiful country! And I will try! 🙂