Wildlife Photography
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!
Blog 3: Walking on Water
What kind of blog title is this? Read on and it will all make sense.
The Jesus Christ Lizard
I am not making this up, Jesus Christ has visited several times!
This basillisk lizard’s nickname comes from their ability to walk (actually run) on water. We have had a small one, a medium-sized one, and a big guy visit us.
Check out this video clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CW0TijmAUqY
Iguanas
Iguanas are just about everywhere. I have to be on guard when walking the pups because when they see this reptile, they both blast off like cheetahs and pull like mastiffs.
We have a “family” of iguanas just the other side of the river. Depending on the day, there is a large adult male, a female or two, one or two or more youngsters, and sometimes a rival male.
We often see the “Big Guy” show his stuff when females are around, and more than once we have seen his actions bear fruit. (I have intimate photos, but felt it best not to display the hanky-panky). Here a few more family-approved shots.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iguana
The White-Nosed Coati
In the heart of Costa Rica's forests, there's a special animal called the coati, or coatimundi, also known as "pizote" in Spanish. It's curious, with a striped tail and a cute face.
One afternoon as we were spotting iguanas, first one, then two, then more coati appeared in the area usually occupied by the iguanas. We spotted nine in total as they systematically searched the iguana area, presumably looking for food? A little research showed that iguanas are on their meal menu! Who knew?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2Z1rOTc_mo
A Few Birds
Here is a blue-gray tanager, a chachalaca, and a keel-billed toucan. All of these were at our home or close by.
Butterflies
Check out the orange banner butterfly.
Plants & Flowers
Take a look at torch ginger, sunset bells, and the bird of paradise.
Things Coming Up
We continue to enjoy Costa Rica more each day. We are making new friends, learning our way around, and the weather has been just fantastic. Another huge plus is that we have found a really good pup-sitter! This adds a nice level of freedom for exploring. More info coming soon.
Pura Vida!
The Jesus Christ Lizard
I am not making this up, Jesus Christ has visited several times!
This basillisk lizard’s nickname comes from their ability to walk (actually run) on water. We have had a small one, a medium-sized one, and a big guy visit us.
Check out this video clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CW0TijmAUqY
Iguanas
Iguanas are just about everywhere. I have to be on guard when walking the pups because when they see this reptile, they both blast off like cheetahs and pull like mastiffs.
We have a “family” of iguanas just the other side of the river. Depending on the day, there is a large adult male, a female or two, one or two or more youngsters, and sometimes a rival male.
We often see the “Big Guy” show his stuff when females are around, and more than once we have seen his actions bear fruit. (I have intimate photos, but felt it best not to display the hanky-panky). Here a few more family-approved shots.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iguana
The White-Nosed Coati
In the heart of Costa Rica's forests, there's a special animal called the coati, or coatimundi, also known as "pizote" in Spanish. It's curious, with a striped tail and a cute face.
One afternoon as we were spotting iguanas, first one, then two, then more coati appeared in the area usually occupied by the iguanas. We spotted nine in total as they systematically searched the iguana area, presumably looking for food? A little research showed that iguanas are on their meal menu! Who knew?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2Z1rOTc_mo
A Few Birds
Here is a blue-gray tanager, a chachalaca, and a keel-billed toucan. All of these were at our home or close by.
Butterflies
Check out the orange banner butterfly.
Plants & Flowers
Take a look at torch ginger, sunset bells, and the bird of paradise.
Things Coming Up
We continue to enjoy Costa Rica more each day. We are making new friends, learning our way around, and the weather has been just fantastic. Another huge plus is that we have found a really good pup-sitter! This adds a nice level of freedom for exploring. More info coming soon.
Pura Vida!
Blog 2: Monkey Business
Our last writing, Blog #1, Vamos a Central America, shared our interesting move from the States to Costa Rica.
Jan and I and our two pups are in our new home in Atenas, Costa Rica. A few bags are still unpacked, but lots going on.
Our New Home
Our new casa is a three-year-old furnished home with three bedrooms (one is my office), two baths, an electric stove, washer and dryer, refrigerator, microwave, on-demand hot water, Internet, and lots of ceiling fans (no AC needed). Although our motorhome was huge by RVing standards, our new place feels pleasantly massive.
Our walk-out patio deck borders a grove of bamboo, a stand of deciduous trees, and a streaming river with a waterfall.
Bird Feeder Birds
A variety of birds live close or nearby, and many like to frequent our bird feeder out on the deck. We had a couple in town build the feeder for us, and it is a constant focus of entertainment.
Here you can see my camera set up just a few yards away from the action.
Jan fills our bird feeder each morning just before dawn, and we usually get a nice variety of birds to eat the fruit—they like the papaya, love the bananas, but oranges and other fruit, not so much.
Here are a few customers: Motmots, Baltimore oriole, Hofmann’s woodpecker, keel-billed toucan, and more.
Lots more birds will be coming in future blogs.
Monkey Business
We have been wonderfully pleased with some of our deck visitors (and again you will see more in the future), but at the top of our entertainment list (that goes for Jack and Toby as well) are monkeys. We have two different types of monkeys with some basic similarities and a few big differences.
White-faced capuchin monkeys (normally called white-faced monkeys) seem to be the most common. What a treat! With no warning, the leaves start to tremble and branches start to bow as these seriously looking mammals zig-zag across the canopy in perfect Tarzan choreography. We have seen them in groups of two to seven, eating leaves and coming quite close as they swing through the bamboo.
The second type is the Howler monkey. Howler monkeys are commonly called “Congo monkeys” in Costa Rica.
Wonder why they are called “howler?” Click here for a clue.
As you probably have guessed, you can hear these guys coming. In fact, the common reaction of people the first time they hear this howl is: “Holy Moly! What is it? Are there bears in Costa Rica! Where can I hide!” For example, the normally fearless Toby stops in his tracks, and cautious Jack, well, he acts cautiously.
Driving in SJO
Our first day driving in a new city and in a new car was good—we only got honked at twice and flipped off once! I’ve done a little big-city driving, and this had all the similar attributes—speed limits considered just recommendations, tailgating seen as a sign of professional know-how—but another big consideration here is the quality of the roads. In many cases, the roads are the worst: narrow, rocky lanes ending with no warning, initially smooth roads turning into cow paths, and San Andreas-fault wannabes waiting around a bend.
Later, after we had time to reflect, we’ve arrived at the following Key Points and Recommendations for Driving:
In the next blog, I’ll introduce you to some new critters I think you will like and maybe share an experience or two.
Pura Vida!
Jan and I and our two pups are in our new home in Atenas, Costa Rica. A few bags are still unpacked, but lots going on.
Our New Home
Our new casa is a three-year-old furnished home with three bedrooms (one is my office), two baths, an electric stove, washer and dryer, refrigerator, microwave, on-demand hot water, Internet, and lots of ceiling fans (no AC needed). Although our motorhome was huge by RVing standards, our new place feels pleasantly massive.
Our walk-out patio deck borders a grove of bamboo, a stand of deciduous trees, and a streaming river with a waterfall.
Bird Feeder Birds
A variety of birds live close or nearby, and many like to frequent our bird feeder out on the deck. We had a couple in town build the feeder for us, and it is a constant focus of entertainment.
Here you can see my camera set up just a few yards away from the action.
Jan fills our bird feeder each morning just before dawn, and we usually get a nice variety of birds to eat the fruit—they like the papaya, love the bananas, but oranges and other fruit, not so much.
Here are a few customers: Motmots, Baltimore oriole, Hofmann’s woodpecker, keel-billed toucan, and more.
Lots more birds will be coming in future blogs.
Monkey Business
We have been wonderfully pleased with some of our deck visitors (and again you will see more in the future), but at the top of our entertainment list (that goes for Jack and Toby as well) are monkeys. We have two different types of monkeys with some basic similarities and a few big differences.
White-faced capuchin monkeys (normally called white-faced monkeys) seem to be the most common. What a treat! With no warning, the leaves start to tremble and branches start to bow as these seriously looking mammals zig-zag across the canopy in perfect Tarzan choreography. We have seen them in groups of two to seven, eating leaves and coming quite close as they swing through the bamboo.
The second type is the Howler monkey. Howler monkeys are commonly called “Congo monkeys” in Costa Rica.
Wonder why they are called “howler?” Click here for a clue.
As you probably have guessed, you can hear these guys coming. In fact, the common reaction of people the first time they hear this howl is: “Holy Moly! What is it? Are there bears in Costa Rica! Where can I hide!” For example, the normally fearless Toby stops in his tracks, and cautious Jack, well, he acts cautiously.
Driving in SJO
Our first day driving in a new city and in a new car was good—we only got honked at twice and flipped off once! I’ve done a little big-city driving, and this had all the similar attributes—speed limits considered just recommendations, tailgating seen as a sign of professional know-how—but another big consideration here is the quality of the roads. In many cases, the roads are the worst: narrow, rocky lanes ending with no warning, initially smooth roads turning into cow paths, and San Andreas-fault wannabes waiting around a bend.
Later, after we had time to reflect, we’ve arrived at the following Key Points and Recommendations for Driving:
- Study a real map ahead of time just to get some grounding if things go south. (Don’t even think about traveling without a travel app, such as Waze or Google.
- Road signs are nice…when they are there and IF they are accurate.
- Really try to drive a 4WD, as they handle potholes and dirt paths much better.
- When Waze (the most popular travel app) says turn in 100 meters, you better be ready.
- Ignore the motorcycles/motor bikes (because they ignore you). The drivers must be on missions from God or on the way to someone who tips really well for on-time delivery for the crazy risks they take.
- If your app says one hour, plan on two, and be ready for three. Hence, pee early, bring extra water, a snack might be nice, and audio books are good as well.
- Watch for and use hand signs to conspire with other drivers. For example, the “I’m coming anyway" command or “come quick and I’ll let you in" signal, and so on.
- Tolerate tailgating—that’s just what they do.
- Don’t drive at night—park it and text Uber.
- Use relaxation therapy before leaving.
- Mild, non-impairing drugs might be an OK option.
- Be calm and be kind.
In the next blog, I’ll introduce you to some new critters I think you will like and maybe share an experience or two.
Pura Vida!