Friday at the Feeder

 Here we have the Blue-crowned Motmot.  Momotus momota 

"The intense blue ring that separates the black crown and sides of head readily distinguishes this species from other Costa Rican motmots.  Prefers forest edges and shady gardens.  This poor little guy was injured as you can see in the first photo but the good folks at the Toucan Rescue Ranch is bringing him back to health.  He was inside of a caged but I was able to get a couple of good shots of him.

Chocolate Pots

At Sibu Chocolate in Costa Rica

Sibu!!

And now a break from the artsy-farty photographs in order to take in the some of the activities that we did.  Our first tour was to a cacao plantation called Sibu.  BEST chocolate this side of heaven.

It was a drizzly day and I have not had time to work with the photos whatsoever so this one is a bit overexposed.  Oh well, aren't we all at times?

What sloths eat

Sometimes sloths munch on the leaves of cecropia.  I loved the way the leaves curl inward exposing the red veins on the backside of the leaf.

Butterfly at La Paz Waterfall Gardens

Quite beautiful
Costa Rica

Double chin

This sort of looks like a prop from a 1940's sci-fi movie with the dramatic lighting but it's real!  I've got tons more iguana photos that I'll share in the next few weeks or so.  I found him at the Selva Verde Lodge on our last morning there.

Three toed sloth

This is Cooper a three toed sloth.  Like Nattie in yesterday's photo she loves her blankie too.  All the sloths looked like they were smiling.  Who wouldn't be when you're in Costa Rica!  Cooper lives at the Toucan Rescue Ranch in Costa Rica.

Friday at the Feeder

Here's a different sort of feeder, notice there is no snow!  The black birds are Passerini's Tanagers and I'm not sure what the brown bird is, will work on that for you.  I love the way the two on the left hand side of the feeder are swabbing with each other.

Two toed sloth

Meet Natalie!  Nattie is a two toed sloth that I met at the Toucan Rescue Ranch in Heredia, Costa Rica.  She was so sweet and they are so cute to watch because they love their blankets and to be curled up in them.  Who doesn't?  The Toucan Rescue Ranch is a wonderful ranch that we spent the afternoon at watching and photographing the toucan, owls and sloths.  More to come.  These are no longer iPhone photos, I've downloaded all my photos into a workable file and program thanks to my friend and photographer, Harold Shapiro.  Thanks Harold!

An apparition

This was another bus iPhone photo taken in Costa Rica.  Reflection was bad and it caught the reflection of the back of my cell phone.  Can you guess who appeared?????

To hold you over….

I still haven't had time to download the photos from my memory cards so I'm posting more iPhone photos.  Not great quality and a couple of them are taken from the moving bus.

 Arenal Volcano above

Costa Rican Garden Art

This photo was taken by Lori Vreeke just this past week in Costa Rica.  It was a cloudy day near Mount Arenal, the local volcano.  We were exploring the terrain in between raindrops.  I have not had one minute of time to edit or post photos of the trip.  Will do so later this coming week.  Be patient.

Happy Valentines Day from the Feeder

From an antique valentine collection.

Pre Valentines Day

Cherry Blossom

Cherry Blossom time from Wooster Square where I used to live.

Peony after rainfall

This was an iPhone picture so the res isn't great but I love it.

Black Eyed Susan's and Milo

Remember when the grass was green, the flowers yellow and all the children were above average?

Snow falling on tree house

Little White*Orange*Green

This church model has been in my driveway since last Memorial Day.  I've been promised that it will be removed.  In the meantime it's falling apart.  

Friday at the Feeder

Copyright Suzanne E. Wagner 2013

I have often wondered where the birds go during a storm, or a hurricane, or a blizzard.  Where do they find refuge when the cold and windy elements of nature rumble in?  One day as I was sitting in my study during a snowstorm I looked out of the window to find a Dark-Eyed Junco, Junco hyemales sitting on a branch hunkered down for the duration of the storm. 

Not only was this Junco hunkered down for the ensuing snowstorm, he was also camouflaged quite convincingly.  The moss green, deep browns and the grey of the tree trunk hid the Junco nicely and the distinctive horizontal light and dark demarcation of the Junco’s breast feathers also helped to camouflage this type of sparrow among the bare branches.  To top it all off the snow was falling at a fast pace so I am sure this ‘snowbird’, as they are sometimes called, loved it.

All Around the White*Orange*Green

 Hannah's House

Ye Old Parsonage

White*Orange*Green

The Orange Town Green dressed up like a bride on her wedding day.

Pretty in Pink

Love this photo!  A lovely little lady with pink Uggs, pink pocketbook, and a pink smart phone.  Times Square in NYC.  Looks like she just received some happy news.  We should all have a smile like that on our faces in sub degree, snowy weather in NYC.

Orange Slices is going on a little vacation, need a break.  Will be back in two weeks hopefully with glorious photos to share.

Love in Times Square

Really Snowy Times Square

Last week I met a friend and schlepped around NYC in the snow ALL DAY.  It was cold but fun.  These are photos of Times Square in the snow.

Friday at the Feeder on Saturday

I'm so confused, the days are getting way far away from me now.  Not sure if I ever posted this Blackburnian Warbler.  After doing several studies of this little guy in watercolor and pencil I painted this bird model and it was accepted to go on display at the Yale Peabody Natural Science Museum in New Haven, Connecticut.  Thrilled beyond belief!

 The preparator will eventually put real legs on him before mounting in the display case.