April 2025
Bog 6: Mangos and Monkeys
This is mango season! Every day after my morning walk, I pick up a couple ripe mangos and have them for part of my breakfast—delicious! Monkeys feel the same way. They have been hanging out late at night and early in the morning feasting.
Here is a big male Congo monkey reflecting and digesting.
DO NOT GO TO THE BEACH!
Semana Santa, the seven days leading up to Easter, is a really big deal here. Catholicism is the official state religion, and Semana Santa and Easter are really big time. Businesses close or lessen hours and many/most/almost all natives head for the beach. Our good friends here gave us this warning, “DO NOT GO TO THE BEACH, as there are hundreds of running screaming kids, dueling boom boxes, and major blanket/towel/space infringement. We took their advice and enjoyed the quiet of our neighborhood. Note: I already put this on next year’s calendar.
Coatimundi Bash
Around noon one day, over 20 coatamundi showed up just across the water, scrambling and eating whatever fruits, berries, insects, birds, eggs, and lizards they could find in the half-hour search. What a treat to watch.
Birds from Our Backyard
Reptiles on the Rise
When it comes to spotting critters, Jan is at bald-eagle level. For example, while seated outside, Jan spotted a couple big male iguanas across water, 40 feet or so, and up in the trees at about the observation level of a New York skyscraper. These are the type of photos one does not normally see.
Upcoming Surprise: In my next blog I will be introducing…
Jack will be watching.
Pura Vida!
Here is a big male Congo monkey reflecting and digesting.
DO NOT GO TO THE BEACH!
Semana Santa, the seven days leading up to Easter, is a really big deal here. Catholicism is the official state religion, and Semana Santa and Easter are really big time. Businesses close or lessen hours and many/most/almost all natives head for the beach. Our good friends here gave us this warning, “DO NOT GO TO THE BEACH, as there are hundreds of running screaming kids, dueling boom boxes, and major blanket/towel/space infringement. We took their advice and enjoyed the quiet of our neighborhood. Note: I already put this on next year’s calendar.
Coatimundi Bash
Around noon one day, over 20 coatamundi showed up just across the water, scrambling and eating whatever fruits, berries, insects, birds, eggs, and lizards they could find in the half-hour search. What a treat to watch.
Birds from Our Backyard
Reptiles on the Rise
When it comes to spotting critters, Jan is at bald-eagle level. For example, while seated outside, Jan spotted a couple big male iguanas across water, 40 feet or so, and up in the trees at about the observation level of a New York skyscraper. These are the type of photos one does not normally see.
Upcoming Surprise: In my next blog I will be introducing…
Jack will be watching.
Pura Vida!
Blog 5: Monkey Mango Madness
As mentioned in an earlier blog, we have occasionally been visited by both white-faced and howler monkeys. Quite fun to watch them scamper, swing, and sway in our backyard trees. Lately, however, the howler visits have increased a lot—Jan and I both figured out the reason for the increase—the increase in mangos…howlers love mangos! Often the howling starts at 2 or 3 a.m. As I eat my breakfast, it is first light a few minutes after 6 a.m., and I see four or five swaying along in the tree tops. Here is a shot of the big male howler watching the other howlers at play.
Backyard Birds
Along with increased monkeys, the ripening mangos attract more birds. Here are some of our recent backyard visitors: a Montezuma, an immature male summer tanager, a rufous-backed wren, and a keel-billed toucan butt shot.
Finally, we got a hummingbird feeder up! Here are photos of the cinnamon hummingbird and the rufous-tailed hummingbird.
The Rescata Preserve
With friends, we visited the Rescata Preserve. https://rescatewildlife.org/. This is a world-class sanctuary that provides a good home for all kinds of critters, from jaguars to sloths to the resplendent quetzal.
Here is one big lizard and a white-faced monkey watching the big lizard.
Here is a sitting monkey, a hanging monkey, and a pair of scarlet macaws.
Fun Facts and Figures
Interested in a deeper dive on Costa Rica? Here are three resources that will rev your engine, warm your jets, and boost your horsepower:
You might see in my photo the pages are getting a little dog-eared from constant reference.
Till next time.
Pura Vida!
Backyard Birds
Along with increased monkeys, the ripening mangos attract more birds. Here are some of our recent backyard visitors: a Montezuma, an immature male summer tanager, a rufous-backed wren, and a keel-billed toucan butt shot.
Finally, we got a hummingbird feeder up! Here are photos of the cinnamon hummingbird and the rufous-tailed hummingbird.
The Rescata Preserve
With friends, we visited the Rescata Preserve. https://rescatewildlife.org/. This is a world-class sanctuary that provides a good home for all kinds of critters, from jaguars to sloths to the resplendent quetzal.
Here is one big lizard and a white-faced monkey watching the big lizard.
Here is a sitting monkey, a hanging monkey, and a pair of scarlet macaws.
Fun Facts and Figures
Interested in a deeper dive on Costa Rica? Here are three resources that will rev your engine, warm your jets, and boost your horsepower:
- Just for fun, check out YouTube. You will find lots of videos on Costa Rica and some are very well done. I suggest you limit your view time to two hours because you soon get tired of beautiful beaches, spewing volcanoes, flights of gorgeous birds, and so on and so on.
- Another recommendation is the free newsletter MyTanFeet.com. They give all sorts of solid information and excellent advice.
- For great facts, figures, and recommendations, Frommer’s 13th guide on Costa Rica is excellent.
You might see in my photo the pages are getting a little dog-eared from constant reference.
Till next time.
Pura Vida!