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Green Ibis Pre-Rain Fishing

When on a boat on the Rio San Carlos and we saw these two Ibis, I first thought they were vultures, based on their perching stance and dark color, but they are Green Ibis which are not always green in color! 🙂 It was cloudy and about to rain and they were looking for some fish to eat. 🙂

If you look in my Green Ibis Gallery you can find some with a greenish hue, but many tend to be dark brown or near black with sometimes a reddish-brown hue. I don’t know why. If you look close, these seem to have a greenish hue on their necks and the base of their beaks, and that is all! 🙂 Here’s one shot. Go to the above gallery to see more.

Green Ibis, pre-rain fishing, Rio San Carlos, Maquenque Eco Lodge, Boca Tapada, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Flash News: I have Covid!

All those 2+ years of rampant Covid in 2020-2021 and I never had it! (Though I had cancer which is worst!) 🙂

Well, I came back from my trip not feeling my best and it kept getting worse, aching all over like the flu, sore throat and coughing, runny nose, etc. I went to the public clinic ER and they thought I had Dengue Fever, but after two days of blood tests, they said “No, not dengue!” Then told me to take lots of fluids and rest. Not being satisfied with that, I went to my private clinic and Dra. Candy immediately got a Covid Test on me and it was positive. I have several meds to take and I’m quarantined for 5 days, clear again next Wednesday. It’s the bronchitis, coughing and phlegm that bother me the most. Tylenol takes care of the fever. Just be glad when it it gone! 🙂

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4 Hummingbirds

There were oh so many more hummingbirds at Maquenque, but I’m getting too “slow on the draw” to capture these fast and constantly moving birds. And these four shots aren’t real good, but at least I got some that aren’t Rufous-tailed H, which is all I get at home now. 🙂 Here’s a shot of each of four different species of hummingbirds and only a tiny sample of what’s at Maquenque throughout the forests and gardens.

Stripe-throated Hermit Hummingbird, Maquenque Eco Lodge, Boca Tapada, Costa Rica

See more in my Stripe-throated Hermit Gallery.

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Immature Gray Hawk

Most mornings at Maquenque I walked from my cabin to breakfast around the Lagoon, through two little forests, and a corner of the farm looking for birds. One morning I saw this juvenile, young or immature Gray Hawk perched in a tree long enough for me to get several shots and in okay light! To see the different looks of Gray Hawks, go to my Gray Hawk Gallery with shots from several areas of Costa Rica. I did see a more mature Gray Hawk on another day, but in the shadows and my photo is not good enough to share here though in my gallery.

Immature Gray Hawk, Maquenque Eco Lodge, Boca Tapada, Costa Rica

¡Pura vida!

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Trees at Maquenque

It was a last minute thought to snap shots of some of the big trees in the rainforest and I didn’t get many or take the long hike to the “biggest” tree in their reserve, but this gives you an idea and you can see all five big tree shots in Maquenque ’24 Trees Gallery that will soon be a part of this Trip Gallery. Or see my bigger Trees of CR gallery.

Big Tree, Maquenque Eco Lodge, Boca Tapada, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Black-bellied Whistling Duck

One of my favorite ducks in Costa Rica, the Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Dendrocygna autumnalis, is found where there’s a lot of water. The only place I’ve seen more than at Maquenque was at Palo Verde National Park and the Rancho Humo next door. Here’s two shots and you can see more of my efforts to photograph them in my Black-bellied Whistling Duck Gallery, or read about them on eBird. They are found in Eastern and Southern U.S. south through all of Central America and most of South America. Here’s two shots from last week with more in the above gallery.

Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Maquenque Eco Lodge & Reserve, Costa Rica
Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Maquenque Eco Lodge & Reserve, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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2 Satyrs at Maquenque

There are many species of Satyrs (mostly very small) at Maquenque Eco Lodge or almost anywhere else you go in Costa Rica, but I photographed only these two on this visit. The Carolina Satyr , Hermeuptychia sosybius, is one that I also see regularly in my garden in Atenas, while the Simple Satyr, Magneuptychia alcinoe, I’ve seen two other times (At Hotel Banana Azul & Xandari Resort). Those names are linked to my gallery on each, if you wish to see more. Or if you explore my Brushfoots Galleries you will see that I have photos of 21 different species of Satyrs! And to me they are all amazing! 🙂 Here’s the two seen last week . . .

Carolina Satyr, Maquenque Eco Lodge, Costa Rica
Simple Satyr, Maquenque Eco Lodge, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Maquenque Eco Lodge Website

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Tranquil Canoeing

Though I did not use the canoes on this visit to Maquenque, I snapped a couple of shots of others canoeing, which is no extra charge as a part of your stay in Maquenque. It was especially fun to hear little children gleefully trying to paddle and manipulate their canoes around the lake! Though this is the “tourist low season” (rainy season), the lodge was mostly full all five nights I was there and mostly visitors from Europe with the French outnumbering the others, then British second, Germans third. and then Canadians. I love the international experience of traveling inside Costa Rica and getting acquainted with some of the people. 🙂

Canoeing on the lake at Maquenque Eco Lodge, Costa Rica
Canoeing on the lake at Maquenque Eco Lodge, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Maquenque Eco Lodge Website

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Bee

This was my favorite Bee shot and there is one more from this trip to Maquenque in my Bees Gallery. It is not as good a shot of the bee but on an interesting frilly-white water flower among the lily pads.

Bee at Maquenque Eco Lodge, Boca Tapada, Costa Rica.

¡Pura Vida!

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4 of My 8 Parrots at Maquenque

This trip I got photos of 4 species of parrots as shown in the 4 photos below with each followed by a link to my CR Birds Gallery for that species. Though I’ve never gotten all 8 on one visit there, the other 4 I’ve previously photographed at Maquenque are both Macaws: Scarlet & Green, the Mealy Parrot, and the Crimson-fronted Parakeet. Here’s one photo for the email notice and the other three follow online.

Red-lored Parrot, Maquenque Eco Lodge, Boca Tapada, Costa Rica

My Red-lored Parrot Gallery.

Continue reading “4 of My 8 Parrots at Maquenque”
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Mexican Sailor Butterfly

The Mexican Sailor, Dynamine postverta, (one book calls “Four-eyed Sailor”) is another new butterfly species for me and one of several in the Dynamine Genus. The only other one I’ve seen and photographed before this is the Pale Sailor,  Dynamine agacles core, (my gallery link) and I have seen it in three different locations on both slopes, including my garden once. They are a dainty and beautiful genus of butterflies with about a dozen different species in Central America, all with “sailor” in their common English name. 🙂

Here’s the only shot I got of this Mexican Sailor . . .

Mexican Sailor, Dynamine postverta, Maquenque Eco Lodge, Boca Tapada, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Maquenque Eco Lodge Website