Tag: Maquenque Lodge and Reserve

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Agouti

A break in my sharing of the many birds at Maquenque to share two photos of two different Agoutis I photographed there. Officially they are the Central American Agouti (Dasyprocta punctata) or in Costa Rica either Guatusa or Agutí centroamericana. There are different subspecies in Mexico and in the northern half of South America but all in the Dasyprocta family which is a rodent related to Guinea Pigs.

Read about them on Wikipedia or see my photos from all over Costa Rica in my Central American Agouti GALLERY.

Central American Agouti, Maquenque Ecolodge and Reserve, Boca Tapada, Costa Rica
Central American Agouti, Maquenque Ecolodge and Reserve, Boca Tapada, Costa Rica

Notice the color difference of the above two. They can be various shades of brown to reddish-orange to grayish or yellow & gray to blackish. They are more difficult to photograph than Coatis because they are more shy of humans and stay in the grasses and shrubs of the forest.

¡Pura Vida!

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4 Parrot Species from Maquenque

It is possible to photograph more than 4 there, but this is not bad for one lodge and two are pretty good photos, if I do say so myself.  🙂  The other two aren’t high quality, but then birds aren’t required to pose and the Crimson-fronted did everything in that tree except pose!  🙂  And until there are more grown, fruiting Almond Trees, those Green Macaws are going to keep flying over!  🙂  But anyway, here’s my record of seeing 4 different kinds of parrots at Maquenque recently . . .

Orange-chinned Parakeet, Maquenque Ecolodge, Boca Tapada, Costa Rica

Continue reading “4 Parrot Species from Maquenque”

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Maquenque’s Two Tityras

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.  🙂

Black-crowned Tityra male, Maquenque Ecolodge & Reserve, Boca Tapada, Costa Rica
Masked Tityra male, Maquenque Ecolodge & Reserve, Boca Tapada, Costa Rica – With an insect he just caught!

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!

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“Sometimes-Green” Iguanas

🙂   I say that because they are not always green as anyone who visits the tropics has noticed. I especially enjoy the males in mating season when they turn bright orange (not this time, though you can see them in my gallery). This time they were green to brown or greenish brown with some blue-gray and one black. And yes, I know that there is one called a “Black Spiny-tailed Iguana” or the “Common Spiny-tailed Iguana” (Ctenosaura similis), but it’s features are different and it lives only along the Pacific Coast and thus would not be at Maquenque Lodge which is on the Caribbean Slope where only the “Green Iguana” (Iguana iguana) lives. And it is interesting to note that the babies of both species are bright green.  🙂

Green Iguana, Rio Tres Amigos, near Maquenque Ecolodge, Boca Tapada, Costa Rica.

Below are 4 more photos (in different colors) from this trip and then a link to my photo galleries of both species of Iguanas . . .

Continue reading ““Sometimes-Green” Iguanas”

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White Peacock Butterfly

I photographed 9 or 10 different species of butterflies at Maquenque and hope to soon have the trip gallery up including all of them. Here’s just one, the White Peacock Butterfly.

White Peacock Butterfly, Maquenque Ecolodge, Boca Tapada, Costa Rica
White Peacock Butterfly, Maquenque Ecolodge, Boca Tapada, Costa Rica

See my White Peacock Gallery.

¡Pura Vida!

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Mantled Howler Monkey

Called a “Congo” by Costa Ricans, the Mantled Howler Monkey is the largest and loudest of the four species of monkeys in Costa Rica and the only one I got photos of this trip, from alongside Rio Tres Amigos on float trip last Wednesday near Maquenque Ecolodge. I heard them at the lodge but never was close enough for photos and the same for the Spider Monkeys. I’ve been photographing Howler Monkeys since my first weeks in Costa Rica and have an okay GALLERY: Mantled Howler Monkey of Costa Rica.

Mantled Howler Monkey male, Rio Tres Amigos, San Carlos Canton, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Immature Mantled Howler Monkey, Rio Tres Amigos, San Carlos Canton, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Lizard for Lunch!

WARNING! The photos in this post are graphic and could be considered gross, especially if you are a lizard or have close friends who are lizards!   🙂

I was waiting for my driver from Atenas to arrive at Maquenque for lunch and our return trip home when one of the lodge staff come running in, excitedly telling me that there was a Toucan in a tree in front of the restaurant eating a lizard. Of course I grabbed my camera and ran out for some photos which were difficult because of the poor light in the tree at almost 12 noon! But here’s 5 shots of the Yellow-throated Toucan with his captured lizard and the final shot of another toucan either stealing lizard meat from him or having it shared. I could not tell which.   🙂

Yellow-throated Toucan eating a lizard for lunch at Maquenque Ecolodge, Boca Tapada, Costa Rica.

Continue reading “Lizard for Lunch!”

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3 Lifers on the First Day!

In just a day and a half I’ve photographed 44 species of birds which continues Maquenque as my best birding place in Costa Rica! And to top it off, thanks to a very good birding guide this morning, I got photos of three lifers! That’s 3 birds seen for the first time in my life! Here’s photos of the three lifers and I may not get all of the others in the blog but will of course have them in my trip gallery!  🙂 The weirdest one first . . .

Olivaceous Piculet (a tiny woodpecker), Maquenque Ecolodge, Boca Tapada, Costa Rica
Yellow-bellied Seedeater, Maquenque Ecolodge, Boca Tapada, Costa Rica
Common Pauraque, Maquenque Ecolodge, Boca Tapada, Costa Rica

These three photos will be the start of three new bird galleries in my Costa Rica Birds Galleries, which is a good place to get acquainted with birds you can see in Costa Rica, whether you live here or you are coming for a visit. Check it out! And I’ve included where I photographed each bird plus three names: English, Spanish and the Latin Scientific Name!   🙂

¡Pura Vida!

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In My Rainforest Cabin

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!   🙂

Back porch of my rainforest cabin at Maquenque Ecolodge, Boca Tapada, San Carlos, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Since it is such a short post, you might want more information: