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An Eventful Day

8AM Spanish Class with Hilda my new “more mature” teacher who has been trying to help me understand past perfect participles in Spanish and I’m not sure I do in English! 🙂

An errand-running morning after class with about 5 stops and much accomplished.

2:30 bus to Alajuela gave me time for my late lunch or early dinner there before a 4:30 appointment with another new Jesus in my life, Dr. Roberto Jesús Gamboa Arend, Dermatologist. He looked at all my “tags” and other growths, moles, assuring me that I do not have cancer, then used the nitrogen or whatever to freeze-dry most of them. I have a cream to put on each of them until they fall off on their own, which took two pharmacies to find and I barely made the 5:30 bus back to Atenas which was standing room only. I stood less than a minute when a young man, maybe 20 I guess, got up and insisted I take his seat. This is typical of the high respect given to older people here. A good feeling.

I’m home and tired now with only 1 little errand for tomorrow. Whew! Photo is of sunset from my terrace last night.

¡Pura vida!

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Mainland Birding Near Bocas del Toro

Only a sample of the many birds we saw driving from the coast up the mountain in mainland Panama at closest point to Bocas del Toro Archipelago of islands. For all that I photographed on this trip see my TRIP GALLERY 2018 Tranquilo Bay, the Birds sub-gallery.

Green Ibis
Mainland Panama near Bocas del Toro Islands, Panama

 

Passerini’s Tanager
Mainland Panama near Bocas del Toro Islands, Panama

 

Dusky-capped Flycatcher
Mainland Panama near Bocas del Toro Islands, Panama

 

Pale-vented Pigeon
Mainland Panama near Bocas del Toro Islands, Panama

 

 

Cattle Egret Juvenile in Nest
Mainland Panama near Bocas del Toro Islands, Panama

 

Boat-billed Heron Juvenile near nest
Mainland Panama near Bocas del Toro Islands, Panama

 

Swallowtail Kite
Mainland Panama near Bocas del Toro Islands, Panama

 

Silver Throated Tanager
Mainland Panama near Bocas del Toro Islands, Panama
Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama

See my “Trip Gallery”:
2018 Tranquilo Bay, Bocas del Toro, Panama

 

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ALSO OF POSSIBLE INTEREST TO YOU:




 

Check out BirdLife International for ways you can be a better conservationist.
Their People & Nature Program!
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And of course the serious birder must join eBird and the
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And for Costa Rica Birders I recommend the Facebook Group
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A Little More Progress on Website Today

Banded Peacock Butterfly

I continue to see more butterflies which is part of June & July here and want to keep my nature theme even on posts about the website.

Today was the day for my online video visit with a specialist or “concierge” who was Nancy and very helpful, answering all my questions and giving me a boost forward in my understanding of technical things that can be frustrating. And one of the best things she did was recommend WP101 help videos online. I have already watched 6 of them and again got another boost forward making me more hopeful that this site will be successful eventually. She claims that moving my blog from Blogger to WP is “pretty straightforward.” But I will get the site working a little smoother before I try that.

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Grass Fire Approaching – Left House

Shot on cell phone from my terrace.
Atenas, Costa Rica

Shot from behind my landlord’s house on cell phone. Fired headed our way – lots of smoke!
Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica
This fire is behind my làndlord’s house behind mine. Bomberos or firemen are on scene but there is no water. I decided it not good to breath smoke plus nothing I can do and no power, internet or water. So I am camped out at a fav restaurant.

Will go back after dark and hope I still have a house!

First ever post by my phone.

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Tarcoles River Today – First 7 Birds

This morning I got to go to Tarcoles River again with new friends John & Kit Loesche. But I have only had time to process first 7 bird photos. More coming tomorrow and maybe another day!

Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl
My favorite and closest I have been to this species.
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Green Heron

Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Osprey

Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Mangrove Swallow

Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Snowy Egret

Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Bare-throated Tiger-Heron

Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Little Blue Heron

Tarcoles River, Costa Rica
None of these were new species for me, but the pygmy-owl was the big treat and closest I have been to the two I have seen. Closeness makes a better photo even though he was in the shadows (another bird photography difficulty. We saw him off the parking lot of the boat facility we used, Jungle Crocodile Safari, my favorite because they emphasis the birds rather than the crocs and don’t feed the animals like some of the other tours do.
¡Pura Vida!


See also my BIRDS Photo Gallery
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Poas Lake Reappearing – Maybe Park Open Soon

Official Photo with water returning.

Poas Volcano, Costa Rica

My 2015 Photo of Active Volcano
I think the same place as their photo
OR is the lake they are talking about the one below?

Poas Volcano, Costa Rica

My 2015 Photo of the inactive crater, a blue-green Lake Botos
but I think they are talking about the active cone,
don’t know if this one went dry too.

Poas Volcano, Costa Rica

It is a positive sign that the lake is starting to reappear which I hope means the park will be opening again soon. Read the article at:
https://news.co.cr/lake-poas-volcano-costa-rica-reappears-rainfall/69998/

Another “official” photo of Poas erupting August 24, 2017
One of several eruptions, mostly gas and soot but not lava like some.
It has been closed for more than 9 months now and no longer active.
Poas Volcano, Costa Rica

Reopening the park is important to the Park Services budget as one of the most visited parks and to all of the local people who depend on the area tourism. The nearby La Paz Waterfall Gardens has remained open all this time and continues to be a popular tourist site. 
Me at Poas.2015

Poas Volcano on Wikipedia

Did you know?  Poas Volcano has the second largest volcanic crater in the world:   vacationscostarica.com  

I have taken more than one visitor there and not been able to get in because of cloud cover, especially during January-April. In fact my only visitor who got to see it was Kevin Hunter, so consider yourself lucky Kevin! The second largest volcano in the world to visit and the most popular in Costa Rica. 

And here is the TRIP Gallery:  2015-With Kevin at Poas Volcano


¡Pura Vida!
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Next 4 Months of Trips Planned – Retired in Costa Rica!

One of the many reasons I moved to Costa Rica was so I could afford to travel, by traveling locally to innumerable nature places in Costa Rica, year around! And it is now even cheaper than if I owned a car! Because I travel by local bus or occasionally by local airplanes it is cheaper than buying and operating a car – and healthier! For the first half of 2018 I have now booked a different experience monthly for February-May.

Here’s some links to places I will visit the next few months (without specific dates for security):

February – OROSI VALLEY & TAPANTI NATIONAL PARK

Chalet Orosi  
Birding at chalet as well as in the nearby parks.

 

Tapanti National Park
One of many waterfalls supposedly.




February – San Jose for performance of CIRQUE DU SOLEIL

Read article about show designed just for Costa Rica

I am going with the expat club of Atenas on a bus like several other trips to San Jose. Fun! Though I just read the article and I believe it is actually in Alajuela and not San Jose, so even closer!



March – DANTA CORCOVADO BIRDING

Real jungle living for 5 nights in rainforest.

Danta Corcovado Lodge

Day trip into Corcovado

Bird Watching

My 3rd trip to Corcovado is this time on the eastern side of the large park/reserve compared to my previous trips to SW & NW corners at Carate  &  Drake Bay.


This will compete with my Arenal trip below as the best trip the first 6 months!  🙂



April – MISSION TRIP TO HOGAR DE VIDA, ATENAS

Old friends from First Baptist Church, Nashville, TN are coming to provide service in the local Atenas orphanage Hogar de Vida. I will work and stay with them in the cabins at Hogar and they get one day of tourism away from the home.


May – ARENAL VOLCANO RAINFOREST BIRDING 

My Room window and deck will look out at the famous volcano.
If erupting, I will see the red lava at night.
Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica

I am staying at best birding lodge in the area, Arenal Observatory Lodge with room view of the volcano.

Of course I will be visiting the Arenal Volcano National Park along with many trails around the lodge known for their abundance of birds. I definitely expect some new species here.
And I may take a trip or two to other places like the Arenal Hanging Bridges or other places for birds, while avoiding many “touristy” places in this area. The town of La Fortuna nearby has become a junky Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge kind of tourist town like those at Tennessee’s Smoky Mountain Park.

My only other time here was on the 2010 Caravan.com Tour of Costa Rica when we spent one night in a different hotel.

And then there is my photo gallery of all my TRIPS made thus far in Costa Rica. Lots to see!

 

¡Pura Vida!