More from Costa Rica...Toucans to Waterfalls...

That's a very distant Yellow-throated (or black-mandibled, depending on your field guide!)

Yep, still living the Pura Vida! I have so many memories of great times with my new and old friends in Costa Rica...not to mention the number of photos I took!

Most of these shots were taken during our trip to a finca, or farm, which I can't remember the name of, and of the Nauyaca Waterfalls. I do remember the heat of that day! Close to 90 degrees with all the humidity there is! I was soaking wet, even before the waterfalls! Even with that I would love to go back to do some serious birding!

In the meantime, enjoy a few more photos of our adventure!

I finally got close enough to get a good shot!

Another yellow-throated toucan trying to hide...he needs to find some bigger branches...

Woo-hoo! A lifer warbly! It's been a while since I've gotten a new one...this is a buff-rumped warbler hunting in a small stream.

Uh...moo amigo...

After the hike to the waterfalls and a wander around the finca property, we were parched to say the least. Our host made this very refreshing drink with pure and fresh cane sugar, lemons delivered by horseback(really!) and various spices. It tasted like sweet tea and was fantastic!

This is one of the views from the farm.I would love to wake up to this everyday!

This is definitely a flower...I could tell. Pretty clever, aren't I?

A pair of golden carpenter ants...with bad attitudes!

These are about a half inch long with serrated mandibles. I would not want to be chewed on by them, nope.

Under that leaf is a leaf cutter ant. They cut leaves. And carry them. I carry a camera, not leaves.

This was a big surprise to me! It's a Montezuma oropendula, normally found much further north of our location. Birds have wings and their territory is spreading.

Ken and I, kings of the rocks! That's Brian's head just to the left...what muscles I have!

This is the lower part of Nauyaca Waterfall. That man gives you some scale. He later climbed up much higher and leapt off...nope, not me!

So many streams branched off of the falls...with nice cool water!

Mini-falls!

Here we go...who's that skinny bald guy in the second row?

One of the only butterflies that sat still long enough for me! A white satyr.

I was truly surprised to see white-tailed deer in Costa Rica...they're a bit smaller than the Ohio deer.
 

Thanks again for visiting! Stay tuned for more of PURA VIDA!

We Went Cuckoo...

 Yep, we saw a Yellow-billed Cuckoo along the shores of Lake Erie!

 I'll bet you thought I was going to make some sort of political wise crack! Ha! I would NEVER stoop so low...so, anyway...back to the program...

I managed to wake Phil up early again(he wasn't quite so cranky this time.) We went to an area near Lorain harbor west of Cleveland commonly known as the Lorain Impoundment. There's always something good to see out there and worth the drive. Lately, a Northern Shrike and a Cattle Egret have been spotted...and there's always a few ducks and coots to keep you occupied as well!

We never did see a shrike, but the cuckoo was a great find! My friend Ernie let me know about where it had been seen last..."Look for the crowd!" Out there a crowd is 4 or 5 birders...it's not very busy, just a few birders and fishermen on most days. All in all it was a great warm and sunny November day, quite a change in the climate from years past...hint hint...
 
 Enough of that...let's look at some birdies!

 A scope would be handy out here...but that would be too much for me to carry cause I'm lazy.

We could make out those Buffleheads waaaaay in the back!

 Ooooo...an American Wigeon trying to escape my view!

...and American Coots and Northern Sleepers...uh...Shovelers.

 I was surprised to see so many Clouded Sulphurs flitting about!

The weather had them confused...like me.

 A lone Dark-eyed Junco zipped through and sat for a second...not very patient...

 Talk about rarities! 

 How often does one get to see a Dock Owl sunning himself in the daytime?

Well?

 Wowie wow wow!

TWO rare Dock Owls sunning themselves.

Oh my, we were lucky boys!

Phil may argue that point...

 I do believe that is a juvenile Gadwall...with a stoopid coot trying to get in the pic...

Phil says I'm juvenile too.

 A number of Golden-crowned Kinglets were flitting faster than the speed of light through the trees.

 This guy was kind enough to sit still for almost a second!

AND he even turned around to allow me my prerequisite dorsal view!

 At first I thought it was Daffy Duck, but it turned out to be a Lesser Scaup.

I'm easily confused.

 No.

 This female Northern Shoveler was eye balling Phil and giving him the creeps.

I told him you get used to it.

I get the crazy eye all the time...never can figure out why...hmmm...

 When ya gotta itch, ya gotta scratch!

 That's a male Northern Shoveler by the way...

They must be rich...they always carry big bills!

Hahahahahaha...or not.

 Another rarity!

They had seen a Cattle Egret a few days prior...well that's nothing!

This is the rare sub-species known as "Notta."

Yep, Notta Cattle Egret.

 Pied-butt Grebe.

 Waaaayyy out there!

A lone Ring-necked Duck.

We gotta get Phil some 10X50's so he can see these things...

 Ruddy Ducks with an American Coot pretending to be one of the gang.

They try so hard...silly old coots.

 White-tailed Deer Duck.

Like I said, there's always something rare to be seen out there!

The nest on the top of the phragmities.

How could I make this stuff up?

 Okay, back to reality(or as close as I can get.)

Love those White-throated Sparrows!

I love their little whistley song!

 Well, it's time to sail off into the sunset until our never adventure in birding...real and imagined!

See ya out there somewhere!

 By the way...this guy wants Mr. Trump to give him his hair back...

Just thought I would help...

Hoooo's There?!

 If you look very closely...WHO'S in there?

Oh kids, we're gong waaayyy back in the way back machine today! Back to May 9th to be precise. Like I said, I'm way behind! In addition to visiting my favorite little marsh on this day, I went to Maumee State Park to see some friends at the Biggest Week event! While there, how could I resist an evening stroll along their boardwalk and through the woods? Correct! I could not resist...other wise there wouldn't be any photos here, would there? Silly kids...

It was a dreary evening, chilly, breezy and very cloudy, butt that never stopped me before(actually it has a few times, but not any longer!) The high point was walking past the owl box on the tree because nothing was visible. I then passed a couple that asked what had I seen so far and did I see the owlet in the box. WHAT? OWLET? WHERE?...said I. We walked back to the box I passed and with squinty eyes I could see some squinty eyes looking back! Well I'll be! I could faintly make out an adult Eastern Screech Owl in the back and the fuzzy head of the owlet in the front.

I don't carry a flash during migration time as to not annoy or scare off any possible nesting birds. I decided(and you can yell at me!) to try the built in feeble-flash on the camera to see if it would give me a little more view as to what's inside that box. Yep, there they are! I can see the sleepy adult more clearly and the owlet giving me the evil eye for disturbing him. I got a shot and I was satisfied to leave them in peace. Whoooo's my buddy?!

 Uh, I don't think the owls are living here any longer...

Lot's of honey bees though!

 Since I'm on a holey roll here...

this Black-capped Chickadee was busy excavating this tree trunk for it's new home.

 Name this bird without looking down to the next photo!

It's a Birds From Behind pop quiz!

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 It's one of them crazy "Common" Yellowthroats!

Yep, commonly heard, butt seldomly seen!

(Is "seldomly" a word?)

 

 Not too many warlbies around, butt I did manage to find this singing Northern Cardinal.

They don't normally like to hold still for me.

I thanked her very nicely.

 Mr. Martin said she's quite shy with photographers.

"It's hard being purple ya know."

 No, this Red-winged Blackbird wasn't shy.

Are they ever?

He was splish-splashing in the marsh along the boardwalk, then took a sniff.

Maybe one more dunk in the pool...

He was VERY late for his Saturday night bath...

 Shaking off the pond water...I don't know if that was any better...

 That's a late evening snack...not a cheap cigar...

 This Veery eyed something down in that log...

A little tasty grub perhaps"

 I usually pass by the white-tailed deer without much notice.

I thought I should take one shot just for the heck of it.

No feathers...not a Killdeer...

 Now, a White-throated Sparrow on the other hand!

I will gladly take a shot of one of those as it may bee the last one until late fall around here!

Well, that was my short walk around Maumee. Thanks for walking with me...if you're still here...I can't see you...or can I...MWAHAHA!!!

Stay tuned!

Next week...MAGEE MARSH...and warblies!!

Wait a second, that's not a warbly!

 Oh well, stop back next week and we'll figure this thing out...