Tortuguero

This 1st winter Bare-throated Tiger Bittern was in the hotel garden where I was staying!

  The only way to get to Tortuguero is an hour on a narrow boat down river that Miranda's towards the village. As expected, lots of wildlife were seen on the trip including, 2 Crocodiles, 3 Red-eared Terrapins and many Balisik Lizards. Also good numbers of Snowy and Great Egret and Great-blue, Green and Little Blue Heron of the white and blue form. An hour after stepping off the boat, I could immediately see, by just walking around and looking at the people living here and all over the shop, stray dogs, that this place ain't what I visioned at all and that the idea was creeping in to my mind that the town of Tortuguero is not for me!
 

Cargo leaving for Tortugero

2 crocodiles were seen on the trip down river

Up to 3 Red-eared Terrapin were seen from the boat

Dingy dirty Tortuguero 

  I walked to the pier in the garden of the hotel, that over looks the river, where I was staying at. Royal Tern and Laughing Gull were above and Kingfishers, ibises, herons and egrets were on the river. Landing in the trees, just above me and chasing the terns, Magnificent Frigatebird.  Turning round to return to my room and below me a few meters away was a cracking 1st winter Bare-throated Tiger Bittern! It had no concern of me being so near to it at all and carried on fishing. Out of the blue, a small dog appeared from nowhere and on arriving found somethin to eat in all the crap and debris on the edge of the river. The bittern took an interest in what the stray dog had found and slowly worked it's way towards the animal. At the same time, it fluffed up it's feathers to make itself threatening and appear bigger. The bittern was challenging the dog! When it was almost on top of it, the dog reacted and chased off the bittern. The bird settled on top of a rusty roof where it could still watch what the dog was up to. After a few minutes it came back down to join the dog, but the dog wasn't having any of it and the bittern returned to the roof. After the dog was satisfied with whatever it came across, it walked off and the bittern immediately came down to the spot to where the dog was feeding. Altogether I observed this unusual behaviour for over 20 minutes.

The bittern fishing in the hostel garden

Note the bittern observing what the dog is doing from the roof of the building

And then decided to come down and have a closer look

What ever the dog had, the bittern wanted it as well and took it on by making itself appear bigger and threatening

But things turned and the stray wasn't having any of it!

The bittern flew to the safety of the roof. Only to return again once the dog had moved on

Dragonfly?

Red Postman

Butterfies?

Moth?

Sunset this evening from the hotel

My band played the first four minutes of this sound track to one my favourite movies 'Ne le dis a personne' (Tell No One) It made a hell of difference having one of the top UK leading violinist, who has also played solo in front of the president at the time, Bill Clinton! She also did an amazing job on the lead when we did the band, Wilco 'Jesus Don't Cry' The french composer, Mathieu Chedid, did a great job all the way through on the film score. This is a simple movie with no cimics or crap in it, like the American stuff, and made all the better being in french. However, it was written by a American  author, Harlan Coban.