Our birding boat trip on Rio Tarcoles was both in freshwater and in the brackish tidal water near the mouth of the river and of course mangroves there. Mangroves are near the mouth of all rivers and where you see lots of seabirds and many use the mangroves to birth and raise their young, just like a lot of the sea fishes. So it is a rich in nature place to photograph nature. Today I’m sharing the biggest bird we saw, the Magnificent Frigatebird, Frigata magnificens (linked to eBird) and you can see my photos from 7 different sightings since coming to Costa Rica at my Magnificent Frigatebird GALLERY. Here’s four shots from this sighting . . .
I’m still working on my hundreds of photos of birds photographed on Rio Tarcoles Monday, so I will start with one of the last things we saw, a Troop of White-faced Capuchin Monkeys among the trees along Mantas Beach (Playa Mantas), which I first visited while staying at Hotel Punta Leona in March of 2019. The beach photo below was made then. 🙂 The hotel and resort development owns most of the land but the government says beaches cannot be private, so Walter took us to a little trail at the end of one street in the village of Punta Leona to get here, mainly for the monkeys and sloths. I did not get a sloth photo this time, but some of my Canadian friends did. To see more of these monkey photos, go to what will become a sub-gallery of this Trip Gallery: Playa Mantas Monkeys 2025 or if you want more, see my capuchins from all over CR in gallery: White-faced Capuchin Monkeys.
White-faced Capuchin Monkey, Playa Mantas, Punta Leona, Costa Rica
A new regular that’s seen about as much as the Rufous-tailed! See more photos in my GALLERY: Blue-vented Hummingbird.
Blue-vented Hummingbird, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
¡Pura Vida!
Birding Today!
I’m out birding with friends from British Columbia, Canada today and expect to have a lot of photos to share over the next week or so. Stand by! Starting with blog in two days. 🙂
Our plan is to have breakfast in Orotina, which is not far from Tarcoles where we will check in at 8am for the birding river boat trip on the Tarcoles River. I usually get a lot of birds on that trip with my prefered “Jungle Crocodile Safari” boat. They generally do a lot better job finding birds than their several competitor boats who focus mostly on the crocodiles. 🙂
After two hours on the river we will go to the nearby coast and beaches of Punta Leona which is a private development and hotel, but the government requires all beaches to be public and Walter knows how to get in free. At these beaches he has seen sloths and monkeys in the past plus the usual seabirds. We will then eat lunch somewhere and travel the hour or so back to Atenas. That is the plan.
These photos are from my kind of “catch all” category that I call “Leaves and Nature Things.” In this case, all leaves with one whole tree on the hill above my house. Tomorrow will start January pix and tomorrow is when I’m taking some Canadian friends birding on the Tarcoles River early, then looking for monkeys on Punta Leona Beaches with Walter. A full day, so those pix won’t be until at least the next day or later but coming! 🙂 Then Wednesday I go see the doctor in San Jose who is monitoring the possible spread of my facial cancer. And another morning will be given to visiting Dan Sheaks’ bird feeders where he gets a lot of toucans! So a busy week again! 🙂
This Banded Peacock, Anartia fatima (my gallery link) is the most obvious butterfly to still be around during these months of fewer butterflies. Here in the Central Valley the best time for the most butterflies is May-October which is the bulk of the Rainy Season, which I cannot explain, because they do not usually come out when raining. But now, the wind is just as big a problem and it is more frequent than the rain is during rainy season. The irony is that this is the peak tourist season until May and thus tourist see very few butterflies except those captive in the butterfly gardens. 🙂
Banded Peacok, in my gardens, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
My most frequent visitor of the Doves & Pigeons looks like he/she owns that tree! 🙂 See more of my photos of this species, including a nest, in my Gallery: White-winged Dove.
This photo from my terrace was made on December 16, so maybe by now those few little gray rain clouds have already disappeared from our skies here. 🙂
December 16 vista from my terrace.
The “Rainy Season” which is sometimes called “Winter” (el invierno) here is generally from May to November, but there can be an overlap of rainy and dry seasons in December with pretty much no rain from January through March or April called “Summer” (el verano) here and then in late April or May the rain starts again to keep beautiful Costa Rica green! (With climate change we’ve had a lot more rain this December!) And that description above is mainly for the Central Valley or center of this little country with both coasts, coastal lowlands, and a few internal low areas called rainforests have rain year around as do some of the cloud forests high in the mountains.
And then there is the northwest part of the country, called Guanacaste (that province name), which is dry most all year with some deserts and only a few really wet areas like Palo Verde NP or Rincón de la Vieja. So if you don’t like the weather one place, go somewhere else! 🙂
Plus a little interesting trivia is that here in the Central Valley our two rainiest or wettest months are usually September & October while the year-around wet and rainy Caribbean Coast has their least amount of rain during those two months. Thus I usually travel to the Caribbean side in September or October! 🙂 But it’s not the same on the mid & south Pacific Coast which can have rain year around like the Caribbean. 🙂
CLICK IMAGE ABOVE to go to the report or click address below (assuming they allow non-members in). AND YES! All those photos in the montage above are ones I submitted to iNaturalist. Their A-I work I guess. 🙂
The above-linked report includes lots of data, graphs, and the actual photos or you can go to My Observations page (linked) to just see which ones I submitted. Just beginning!
I have for 10+ years submitted my bird observations to eBird and in the last 2 or 3 years my butterfly observations to butterfliesandmoths.org, but in May of 2024 I started submitting all of my nature photos to iNaturalist Costa Rica (en español, Naturalista Costa Rica) including the birds and butterflies (double reporting them). 🙂 Though plants are included in iNaturalist, right now I’m only submitting the unusual ones or ones that I need help identifying! 🙂 My online gallery and website/blog will disappear after my death, but photos I submit to these organizations will be there for posterity! 🙂 Maybe that will be my legacy? 🙂
Yesterday’s blog post was my 12 favorite photos of 2024, allowing myself only 2 pix for each of 6 categories. The Birds Category was the most difficult to narrow down, choosing a Toucan and a pair of Green Ibis. Here are the other 9 bird photos that made my next-to-last cut, presented in a static gallery below this one photo for the email notice of the post . . .
8 Costa Rica New Year Traditions from Grapes to Beaches
By Sarah Jordan in Tico Times, December 26, 2024
1. 12 Grapes for 12 Wishes
As the clock strikes 12 not everyone is kissing their loved ones for the New Year. Some are starting their New Year with the love of grapes. 12 grapes that is. One grape for one wish. One of the long-running traditions in Costa Rica for New Year is eating 12 grapes. With every grape, a wish or intention is made, one for each month of the upcoming year.
When I asked my neighbors if it mattered which color all they said is well it depends if you like seeds or not. So, I am assuming the color of the grape won’t make any difference in making my wishes come true, I guess I will soon find out.
2. Left Hand Luck
Another popular New Year’s ritual I often hear about is starting the year with money in your left hand, para que no se vaya. There is no specific amount that goes along with this ritual. Simply hold a bit of money in your left hand as the clock chimes at midnight and you’re set to welcome a year of prosperity and abundance.
3. Sweeping Out the Old
Clearing the way for fresh beginnings lies at the heart of this Costa Rican New Year’s tradition. It is out with the old and in with the new! With the intent of sweeping out the negative energy that lies stagnant, the home is swept clean on New Year’s Eve inviting fresh good vibes for the upcoming year. Meanwhile, others prefer to wash the entrance once the New Year finally rings in, welcoming new beginnings right from the doorstep.
4. Choose Your Lucky Colors (and Bloomers!) Carefully
Depending on who you talk to, you’ll hear different takes on this one! Some folks swear by slipping on some yellow bloomers for buena suerte, while others say to wear them inside out. On the other hand, I have heard as long as you’re rocking something yellow, you’re good to go. I will let you decide on this one. But it doesn’t end there!
The same goes for the color red if you’re hoping to spark more passion and or find the love of your life in the year ahead. Meanwhile, if you’re looking to attract wealth, health, and abundance, green undies are the choice for you.
5. The Running of the Maletas
If your New Year’s resolutions include a year of travel, then you’ll want to grab your suitcase for this one. This fun and lighthearted tradition involves running around the block with your luggage for a new year filled with exciting trips and adventures.
6. It’s Raining Lentils
This tradition might get a bit messy but it’s all in good fun and all in the name of abundancia. As the New Year approaches you toss dry lentils (yes, uncooked) up into the air then you gather them up afterward. Placing them in a little red bag or pouch you can add some coins or bills to welcome prosperity.
7. Feast of Foods
No celebration in Costa Rica is complete without a feast, and New Year’s doesn’t disappoint. Rompope, Costa Rica’s creamy twist on eggnog is made with a blend of milk, fresh eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and spirits. Served up beside almond cookies, pastries, and queque navideño it is a spread of pure indulgence.
Pierna de cerdo is a long-standing tradition to eat on New Year’s Eve during a late dinner. And we can’t forget the star of December, the infamous tamales. These banana leaf-wrapped treats are like delicious little presents, a true labor of love, time, and companionship shared with friends and family.
8. Ringing in the Year at the Beach
One of Costa Rica’s biggest traditions takes place on New Year’s Day when the country’s beaches become absolutely packed. And I mean packed! So much so that Costa Rica implements temporary traffic measures, including reversible lane systems, to manage the increased highway volumes on the beach routes. These are just a few of the annual rituals Costa Ricans enjoy on New Year’s. Many homes and families put their own spin on traditions, but one thing remains the same, the sky lights up with fireworks as people gather on the beach, atop
Playa Blanca, Punta Leona near Jaco, Puntarenas, Pacific Coast.
Both photos by Charlie Doggett to illustrate article by Sarah Jordan in the Tico Times, online English language weekly newspaper.
