Costa Rica February 2024
I visited Cloudbridge Nature Reserve in south-central Costa Rica for five days with members of this organization. Bird-watching was high on a list of activities that also included hiking, plant identification, and general get-to-know the people and the place. Cloudbridge hosts visiting researchers and guests to enjoy small lodgings and an array of waterfalls, trails, and beautiful plants... and, or course, birds! It's a special place tucked into beautiful mountains, and is adjacent to Cerro Chirrpo -- the highest mountain in Costa Rica.
The map (right) shows some of the many hiking trails, and the Silver-throated Tanager I found often in the trees outside my Casita. The images below are a mix of the many taken during the trip.
Brown Jay
Elegant Euphonia
House Wren
Red-headed Barbet
Scarlet-rumped Tanager
Snowy-bellied Hummingbird
White-naped Brushfinch
Switchbacks on the trail
Hanging Plants
View to Cloudbridge from upper trail
Walking Palm Tree
Covered Bridge on Trail
Orchid
Julia Falls
Along the Main Trail
Pacifica Falls
Reflections and Ambitions January 2024
To begin 2024 I attempted to "select my best image of the past year" to place here... finally narrowing it down to only three! Each is a different time and place with their own story, but I know at the moment they were taken I was completely engaged with what was on the other side of the lens, and that makes them special. I was beach walking with my daughter when the Dunlins were active at Yaquina Head; the wetland morning was just like many others I've been out walking on, except this time the Goldfinch were there; and the Willet was a complete surprise because I was in eastern California where I'd never been before. All the photos I could have selected (but didn't) remind me of how lucky I am to be able to explore the way I do.
What lies ahead? Ah, the many thoughts I have on where I hope to go and what I hope to find! But this year too I hope to share the vegetation project I've been working on at home for 3 years (and may appear on these pages). As I've learned, converting over an acre of field from a horse pasture to a forest and meadow is no small task, but it is a small way I make a positive change around me.
I hope for greater peace in the world in the coming year, for more listening and really hearing, and to work hard to keep wild places wild. That we can each engage with what brings us hope.
Shoreline at Yaquina Head
Morning in the Wetland
