Hoffman’s woodpecker
The Bolseros (Orioles) were late today, beaten by the Hoffman’s Woodpecker.
Social Flycatcher
Each morning a parade of birds stops by our bamboo to survey the neighborhood and make a plan for the day.
From the Voice of Guanacaste, this is the best thing I’ve read about what all those people are doing on the beach at Ostional during a turtle Arrival (Arribada). It says that, in a big Arribada, many of the eggs are destroyed by other turtles “over-digging”. When 251,000 turtles try to lay their eggs on the same stretch of beach within a few days, it’s bound to happen. So harvesting during the first 3 days doesn’t have a big impact on overall survival. Caring for the nests and cleaning the beach, however, does have an impact, a positive one.
http://www.vozdeguanacaste.com/en/gallery/turtle-eggs-ostionals-subsidy
What the article doesn’t explain is how SINAC assesses the market and who the buyers are. Even so, if you run the numbers, you can quickly see that a large Arribada like we saw in September produces a $40 share for each of the 230 members. Seems like a labor of love to me. More important, perhaps, to turtle survival is to stop polluting the oceans.
Before heading out on a bicycle ride, it’s important to always do a brief safety check.
Say that three times fast and you’ll begin to know what it sounds like around the house at dusk these days.
I think the Chacalacas are mating, although I can’t explain the menage a trois.
Costa Rica is in the middle of a drought, like just about everyone else on the Pacific Coast, but there is still some good news in the natural world.
The Olive Ridley turtles appear to be getting stronger. On our morning walk on Carrillo Beach this morning, just 4 km from Casa Mango and Casa Papaya, we encountered a hatch.
Our owls are back, hanging out in the bamboo near the house. Last year there were three but maybe the juvenile grew up.
We think these are Pacific Screech owls. Any confirmation?
Damn that auto flash!
What I love about Costa Rica: If you can beat the ants, there is free food lying in the ditch beside the road. Today we made breakfast while walking the dog. This mango was perfect.
“I couldn’t come yesterday because a Boa ate my cat.”
Albeit, brief, the rain was welcome relief today. Maybe there’s more to come. The skies still look pretty dark.
Look who visited Aqua-yoga class today – a Bare-throated Tiger -Heron. Although this is not my photo, the bird looked just like this, topping out at 30 inches. They’re common on both coasts of Costa Rica. Today’s sighing was just 10 kilometers from Casa Mango and Casa Papaya.
Sandy-Shorts 