Rio Puerto Viejo Archives - Retired in Costa Rica

January 8, 2017

Vultures Feeding at Sarapiquí

Even among birds there is the less beautiful but necessary functions.

Black Vulture
Along the Puerto Viejo River
Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica

Black Vulture feeding on a dead calf
Along the Puerto Viejo River
Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica

Black Vulture (Some wait patiently in trees)
Along the Puerto Viejo River
Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica

Black Vulture (The younger, weaker ones wait across river on sandbar)
Along the Puerto Viejo River
Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica

See also my Photo Gallery of Costa Rica Birds

January 6, 2017

Woodpecker, Anhinga & Hawk at Sarapiquí

Black-cheeked Woodpecker
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica
Photographed from the Dining Room

Black-cheeked Woodpecker
Along the Puerto Viejo River
Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica
Note how his tail braces him on tree trunk.

I earlier posted a photo of a different woodpecker, the Pale-billed Woodpecker found behind my cabin at Selva Verde Lodge which is even more impressive! I was much closer!

Anhinga female
Along the Puerto Viejo River
Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica

Anhinga
Along the Puerto Viejo River
Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica
This is the typical pose of a male drying his wings,
but the male neck is usually black, so this may be a female,
though her neck is usually lighter than this. See other photo.

Semiplumbeous Hawk
Along the Puerto Viejo River
Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica

See also my Photo Gallery of Costa Rica Birds

PERSONAL UPDATE: I’ve had what I thought was a bad cold for the last week+ or maybe allergies or sinusitis. Well it is probably volcanic ash that continues to fall over the central valley from Turrialba Volcano which won’t quit belching smoke/ash.

January 2, 2017

Herons, Egrets & Ibis at Sarapiquí

Bare-throated Tiger Heron
Puerto Viejo & Sarapiquí Rivers, Costa Rica

Little Blue Heron
Puerto Viejo & Sarapiquí Rivers, Costa Rica

Great Blue Heron
Puerto Viejo & Sarapiquí Rivers, Costa Rica

Green Heron
Puerto Viejo & Sarapiquí Rivers, Costa Rica

Green Ibis
Puerto Viejo & Sarapiquí Rivers, Costa Rica

Cattle Egret
Flying over Sarapiquí River, Selva Verde Lodge, Chilamate, Costa Rica
Evening flight to roosting tree.

I did two boat trips from the town of Puerto Viejo on the two rivers that merge near there, the Sarapiqui River and the Puerto Viejo River. The afternoon trip was not bad but the morning trip had more birds and they were somewhat different birds the two times.

See also my Photo Gallery of Costa Rica Birds