Category: Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge

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Early Birds 2

Blue Dacnis Female
Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama

Passerini’s Tanager
Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama

Palm Tanager
Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama

Kiskadee
Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama

Green-breasted Mango Hummingbird
Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama

Tropical Kingbird
Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama

Plain-colored Tanager
Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama
Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama

And my photo gallery:  Panama Birds
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Early Birds 1

I was going to do one post with the first or early birds photographed here on the lodge grounds, but with 14 already I’m dividing it into two posts of 7 each. Then we go to another island today and the mainland tomorrow for many more birds I hope! But with slow internet, 7 is enough for one post!

Red-lored Parrot
Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama

Red-lored Parrot
Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama

There are also Mealy Parrots and Blue-headed Parrots here, but I have no photos of them yet. 

Lineated Woodpecker
Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama

Black-cheeked Woodpecker
Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama

Boat-billed Flycatcher
Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama

There is a slight difference between this flycatcher and the Kiskadee which I will show one of tomorrow. They are easy to confuse!

White-lined Tanager
Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama

The “white line” is on his shoulder and only seen when in flight. 

Blue-gray Tanager
Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama

Living slow in the jungles on an island in the Western Atlantic or Western Caribbean Sea. It is very hot and humid and you tire easily but it is a great place with lots of wildness, This afternoon we go to another island for a particular bird found only there, the Snowy Cotinga. Tomorrow we do the first of three trips to the mainland for birds. The two families running the lodge are very accomodating of us and our needs/desires. Cabins are very nice and the food is very good. We are experiencing a Panama version of pura vida!

TTranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge 

Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama
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Life on the Water

Part of the archipelago of Bocas del Toro from the tower at Tranquilo Bay Lodge on Isla Bastimento, Panama

Family transportation in Puerto Almirante, Panama

Bocas del Toro Taxi, Panama

Homes and businesses on the water, Almirante, Panama

“Bocas Town” on Isla Colon where our first boat met the boat from our lodge, Panama.

Arriving at the dock of Tranquilo Bay Lodge, Isla Bastimento, Panama.
The little girl is part of the family of 5 that arrived with me from Nashville of all places!
Small world in Bocas del Toro, Panama

Our welcome guide Joel leads us into property as one
of the owner’s sons in blue shirt come out too welcome us.
Tranquilo Bay Ecolodge, Panama

The Tranquilo Bay Ecolodge private dock seen from the birding tower.
Tranquilo Bay Eco Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama
This lodge is a family operation by two families from Texas with teenagers who are part of the operation. Two teen boys (1 from each family) are both excellent birders and of course many local Panamanians have been hired to help in various ways. There are less than 30 of us here and we are like the personal guests of Renee Kimball who works out everything for each of us, mostly family groups. It is a very casual, relaxed atmosphere which I like. And they have lots of local challenges with poor air and other transportation to get here and weak government to help with other issues. 
I’ve already got lots of bird photos which will be shared later. Internet is very slow and I will do fewer photos on future days. Mainly relaxing and enjoying the rare lodge room for me to have air conditioning! Birding around here today, Friday. 
Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama
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Enroute to Paradise

Today (Tuesday) I used my local preferred driver (Walter) to take me to Hampton Inn Airport San Jose/Alajuela where I sleep tonight (free HH room) for a very early pickup tomorrow (Wednesday) by Caribe Shuttle, my favorite tour company on the Caribbean side, headquartered in my favorite Caribe hotel, Banana Azul.

I’m using them because the only airline flying to Bocas del Toro (Nature Air) went bankrupt after their serious crash in December (and they still haven’t refunded me for my planned airline ticket!) But this will be a different kind of adventure and we stop for lunch at Banana Azul enroute to Tranquilo Bay! I may be traveling with surfers or businessmen, you never know on this daily shuttle bus run. Tomorrow night I will have dinner overlooking the ocean and archipelago of islands in the Western Caribbean Sea and birding the next morning!

Tranquilo private beach, dock, boats, kayaks, snorkeling
and of course lots of birds on our island and others!
Bocas del Toro, Panama
Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama
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Two More Trips Added for This Year

A follow-up to my earlier post:  Next 4 Months of Trips Planned – Retired in Costa Rica!
First to the Costa Rica South Caribe again:

“The Howler Suite” at Banana Azul Hotel
I wanted this room last September but not available – very popular!
So I now have it reserved for 5 nights this coming September!
Planning ahead sometimes pays off!  🙂
Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

Also on the Caribbean side, across the border in Panama is the popular tourist area of Bocas del Toro. I now have a full week or 7 nights in June at Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge:


In addition to BIRDING there are beautiful BEACHES & ISLANDS to visit by boat + SNORKELING
Tranquilo Bay, Bocas del Toro, Panama

KAYAKS available at all times for bay & rivers + miles of HIKING TRAILS for more birds!
It’s the kind of place with plenty for me to do just on the hotel grounds. Great anticipation!
Tranquilo Bay, Bocas del Toro, Panama

See this cool video about Tranquilo Bay

And keep reading this blog RETIRED IN COSTA RICA as the adventures just keep getting bigger and better. I will truly never be bored here and never run out of something to do or photograph! I don’t understand why everyone doesn’t retire here! I’m sure having fun! And seldom repeat a place!

And I will keep adding photos to my gallery:  Charlie Doggett’s COSTA RICA

Kind of funny: The other day some new students of Spanish at Su Espacio were in class and saw one of my photo books there. One student said “I know him. I read his blog about Costa Rica!” So David enjoyed telling me that I am now famous!  🙂  This blog has only 80 subscribers plus drop-in visitors vary from 50 to 300 a day, so really not that big, but I’m glad that some considering retirement here are reading it plus others and hope it is helpful in your “Costa Rica decision process.”

¡Pura Vida!