Sunday

What can happen on a Sunday? While the boys were enjoying ice-hockey on tv I took my camera and walked around the almond tree in front of our house. I spotted at least four green iguana babies. Cuteness to the max!

 

 

  

 

A white-winged dove had made its nest in a palm tree. Her nest making skills are nothing to brag about.

The boys heard chirping and found this Great Kiskadee chick on the ground. We put it twice back into its nest, but it hopped down.

Tuomas gently held the chick while we tried to figure out what to do.

 We put it back into the bush and soon saw its parents come to feed it.

 Unfortunately the next morning I found it covered in ants. Nature took its course.

 Later on in the afternoon just before sunset it was time for basket ball. Jaakko is getting pretty good!

 Risto and I walked the dog to the basketball court on the beach.

The water slide was installed the day before and the boys could test ride it on Sunday. Super fun!!!

Corcovado

Back in January when my parents were visiting we took a road trip all the way south to Osa Peninsula. Four adults, three kids and two cars. We had to leave our dog at home: 1) he would not be allowed to enter Corcovado national park, 2) it was over an eight hour drive, 3) he had tick fever.

On our way down south we crossed Rio Tarcoles full of crocs.

Rio Tarcoles

He messed with the wrong guy.

 We spent one night in Manuel Antonio, but did not visit the national park there. Continued our way south, passing beautiful scenery, oil palm plantations. Humid, hot, rainy.

Golfo Dulce and northern Panama in the background.

After crossing several rivers by car we arrived at Bahia Drake.

 Amazing flora and fauna.

Snowy egret

Great Egret

Great Blue Heron

Cacao

Ylang-ylang

Scarlet Macaws

The next day we went to a beach south of Bahia Drake, driving across rivers again. There was nobody else there.

 Except for our boys not fearing the huge waves at all.

Chestnut-mandible toucan

 Luckily we were able to get a pass to Corcovado for the next day. We hadn't made any reservations and only about 60 people are allowed to enter daily.  We left early in the morning and it took us 1.5 hour by boat to get close to Sirena ranger station. Kilometer after kilometer of deserted palm tree lined sand beaches pounded by massive waves.

The airstrip at Sirena.

Black-throated Trogon

Scarlet Macaws

 We had to cross the river while looking for tapirs. The same river in which we spotted crocodiles.

Golden Orb Spider

 The Golden Orb Spider makes an amazingly strong web. Our guide took an empty web and rolled it in to a string. We could not break the string!

Spider monkey

Green iguana doing his daily stretching.

Great Curassow

Tiger ants

Boys looking for bull sharks

Unfortunately we missed all the big mammals: tapirs, pecaries, sloths. Maybe our own howler monkeys scared them away.

 On the way back through the rough seas we spotted brown boobies.

Brown boobie

 Not every boy gets to spend his 9th birthday in Corcovado.