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Being quarantined at home with Covid means I can give more time to finishing my photos from the July trip to Maquenque Eco Lodge and I now have that “Trip Gallery” finished, which I’m pleased with. It is Costa Rica Trip #121 and I continue to feel my trip galleries are the best.
You can click on the first page below to go there or if prefered, here’s the web address: https://charliedoggett.smugmug.com/TRIPS/2024-July-4-9-Maquenque-Eco-Lodge
¡Pura Vida!
Fewer than birds which is expected at my best birding location, but of these 14, 3 are new to me! 🙂 Click the first page image below or go to this address: https://charliedoggett.smugmug.com/TRIPS/2024-July-4-9-Maquenque-Eco-Lodge/BUTTERFLIES
¡Pura Vida!
In my slow state of activity with Covid I finished the birds gallery for my recent trip. 48 species is not bad but not as many as last year with 62! But let’s face it, I’m slowing down. And the good thing is that I got one Lifer this trip, the Yellow Tyrannulet! And from the back porch of my little cabin! 🙂
You can see this trip’s bird gallery by clicking the first page image below or going to: https://charliedoggett.smugmug.com/TRIPS/2024-July-4-9-Maquenque-Eco-Lodge/BIRDS
¡Pura Vida!
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.
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 . . .
¡Pura Vida!
And the reason I say that is because I almost always get photos of all three of the toucans in that particular reserve, but the Keel-billed Toucan never showed up during my 6 days there this time. One of the family there said that it was because many fruit trees are fruiting right now throughout the rainforest and they have preferences elsewhere. 🙂
Here’s one shot of each of the other two and links to my galleries with earlier photos of each from all over Costa Rica.
And my Gallery of CR Collared Aracari. You will see from the locations of those photos that this aracari is only on the Caribbean Slope or Atlantic side while the Pacific Slope has the Fiery-billed Aracari, which I’ve had in my garden a couple of times.
See more of this bird in my Yellow-throated Toucan Gallery. And this guy and the similar Keel-billed Toucan can be seen on both slopes of Costa Rica.
¡Pura Vida!
Today I received a phone call from the wonderful family that runs Maquenque Eco Lodge just checking on me and how my health is doing. They are so nice to me in every way and I count them among my best friends in Costa Rica. Then they sent me this photo of the table in their lodge lobby covered with my photo books that they continually thank me for and tell me how much their other guests enjoy them! 🙂 Just one more reason that I enjoy my retirement life photographing nature! 🙂
¡Pura Vida!
I’ve seen the Masked Tityra in 8 places all over Costa Rica but not the Black-crowned Tityra, just 2 locations, Maquenque and here in Atenas. 🙂 Maquenque Ecolodge has both of them! (As we do in Atenas!) 🙂 Here’s one pix each and a link to my two Tityra galleries for more photos if you like. 🙂
Note that both species nest in the hollow of a dead tree, usually in a former Woodpecker hole! 🙂
See more photos of both types of Tityra in my GALLERIES:
¡Pura Vida!
After a 3.5 hour drive up to Boca Tapada near the Nicaragua border on the San Carlos River, I crossed the river and got settled in my little rainforest “bungalow” on a small lake where I’ve already photographed more birds and other wildlife than I can count! But I will stay simple the first night and post only one photo, the back porch of my cabin overlooking the lake. Pura vida! 🙂
¡Pura Vida!
Since it is such a short post, you might want more information:
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 . . .
