Tag: Costa Rica

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Giant Ceiba Borer

The Giant Ceiba Borer or Euchroma gigantea (iNaturalist link), is one of the larger borer beetles that inhabits the warm tropical lowland jungles of Central and South America from Mexico to Argentina. And quite a sight to see! 🙂

This was one of my very last photos this morning before leaving Maquenque Eco Lodge (lodge website) on one of the handrail posts going over the bridge/dam between the lake & lagoon. And just before beginning another adventurous road trip back to Atenas through pineapple fields, heavy traffic, clouds/fog, rain and winding mountain roads, arriving just barely in time for my appointment to receive a new dental bridge. 🙂

Giant Ceiba Borer, Euchroma-gigantea, Maquenque Eco Lodge and Reserve, Boca Tapada, Costa Rica

More to Read About this Insect . . .

¡Pura Vida!

Expect more reports about Maquenque during the next week of so. Plus another great Costa Rica Trip Gallery! 🙂

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Common Mexican Tree Frog

While waiting on the guide to get our group together for the boat trip this morning on Rio San Carlos, I noticed someone photographing something in one of the flowerbeds in front of the dining room. I checked it out and got both front and side/back views of this Common Mexican Tree Frog because the flowerbed had a sidewalk on two sides. 🙂 Got a lot of photos on the boat trip, but these two were my favorites today!  🙂  And a new species for me too! 🙂 And notice how different his front and back are! It’s the same frog photographed on the same flower from two directions.

Common Mexican Tree Frog, Maquenque Eco Lodge & Reserve, Costa Rica
Common Mexican Tree Frog, Maquenque Eco Lodge & Reserve, Costa Rica

You can read more about this Mexican Tree Frog, (Smilisca baudinii) on Wikipedia. And to see more of my fun frog photos, including several other tree frogs, go to my Amphibians Costa Rica Galleries (50+). 🙂

¡Pura Vida!

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Crested Owl Jungle Challenge

One of the Maquenque Managers took me out into the thick rainforest today where one of the new Treehouses is being built, while the workers were on their lunch break.  🙂  They discovered the roosting place for a couple of Crested Owls at eye level from one new treehouse in the forest, but hidden from the normal human eyes behind the limbs and leaves of the large tree they’re in. It was impossible to get a good photo, but here are three shots that show three different things: first the top 2/3 of one with the second shot showing the bottom 2/3 of one and the third shot showing a portion of both owls, just to show that there are two there!  🙂  They weren’t poising on an open limb for me!  🙂

Shooting through the foliage is a common challenge when birding in a forest anywhere and could be a part of your challenge if you come stay in a treehouse at Maquenque, but in my past stays in treehouses here I’ve also had some very clear shots of toucans, spider monkeys and howler monkeys; so don’t let a little jungle challenge stop you from a great experience here at Maquenque Eco Lodge & Reserve! (Link to lodge website.)

Top 2/3 of a Crested Owl, Maquenque Eco Lodge, Costa Rica

You can sort of see the “crests” which seemed to be relaxed while resting.

Bottom 2/3 of a Crested Owl, Maquenque Eco Lodge, Costa Rica
And the most I could capture of the two birds together! You can barely see that there are 2! 🙂

¡Pura Vida!

And you may want to see my Crested Owl Gallery, though I have only one other photo.

And you can read about them on eBird. Found in Central America and the northern half of South America.

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Lunch with Spider Monkeys

As I finished my quesadilla lunch today, I stepped out of the dining room to a tropical Guaba Tree where a couple of Spider Monkeys were eating both fruit & leaves for their lunch! 🙂 Here’s just one photo. You can see more photos of this wiry guy in my Central American Spider Monkey Gallery. And oh yes, only “new world monkeys” (Central & South America) have prehensile tails and can hang in a tree like this fellow with all hands and feet free! Nada in Africa and Asia! 🙂

Central American Spider Monkey, Maquenque Eco Lodge, Costa Rica

Part of the fun of living Retired in Costa Rica!

¡Pura Vida!

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Woodpecker House-building

I captured some images today of this Black-cheeked Woodpecker building a new house where soon some new little woodpeckers will be raised at Maquenque Eco Lodge.  🙂

Black-cheeked Woodpecker house building, Maquenque Eco Lodge, Costa Rica
Black-cheeked Woodpecker, Maquenque Eco Lodge, Costa Rica

And I’m getting lots of other bird photos plus other wildlife here in the rainforest which I will eventually share here or in my gallery.

¡Pura Vida!

Maquenque Eco Lodge website

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Birthday at Maquenque

Maquenque Eco Lodge is in Boca Tapada and a long drive of about 3.5 hours here and my driver brought me here with his wife an daughter and treated me to lunch with birthday cake and ice cream. They are already treating me royally in the dining room as I am using the WiFi here before I eat. And though I photographed more birds this afternoon, I’m using two dragonflies for tonight’s post.

One of the Amberwings, Maqueque Eco Lodge, Boca Tapada, Costa Rica.
I think this one is a Square Tail, Maqueque Eco Lodge, Boca Tapada, Costa Rica.

¡Pura Vida!

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New Species: White-striped Longtail

I shake my head in amazement that I keep getting photos of new butterfly species in my own garden in the little coffee farming town of Atenas in the Central Valley of Costa Rica. But here is another one seen last week for the first time: White-striped Longtail, Chioides albofasciatus (linked to my gallery with more photos). And you can see on the butterfliesandmothsMAP that they’ve only been reported from the SW U.S. and Mexico until now, but they are know to appear as far south as Argentina.

White-striped Longtail, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Continue reading “New Species: White-striped Longtail”
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Flora Volcán or Pagoda Flower

I planted a Pagoda Flower, Clerodendrum paniculatum, in my yard last year after seeing several large shrubs with many flowers in two or more lodges. (They were introduced here from SE Asia.) Mine seems to be “just hanging on” with two stems shooting up, one flower each, but nothing like what I had hoped for. Maybe this year it will grow into a bush and give me more than just 2 flowers. 🙂 Here’s two shots from the other day . . .

Volcano or Pagoda Flower in my garden, Atenas, Costa Rica
Continue reading “Flora Volcán or Pagoda Flower”
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Crab’s Claw Heliconia

The rainy season is the big time for Heliconia flowers and this year in my garden they are massing on one side for some reason. I thought I would share what I see when I look out of my kitchen window while washing dishes! 🙂

Crab’s Claw Heliconia, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica.

¡Pura Vida!