YES! That certainly looks like your bird. My book is the "Illustrated Field Guide to Birds of Panama." It was expensive, but I bit the bullet -- you should too. The illustrations are drawings and I'm sure there is a Costa Rica version. I do go sort of bird watching when I go to Panama, but I'm such an amateur compared to some of the fanatics I've met along the way.

My version of a tropical bird

That's lovely, bhs - beautiful colours

One of the many different types of bee on the spirea shrub I mentioned in an previous post. I think this one looks quite 'cuddly' although I'm sure I wouldn't think so if I tried!

and another tropical bird, a blue and yellow macaw at our local zoo "Paradise Wildlife Park'.

Gorgeous picture, Piqero. I see a quilt in its future!!

Lily, how close were you when you took that shot? Beautiful detail!

Love both the parrots!


A street corner in the old part of Granada, Nicaragua. The city is in the last stages of restoring this beautiful Colonial city.



edited for spelling

Mags: Is this your bird?

www.birdfinders.co.uk/images/squirrel-cuckoo-costa-2007.jpg

If so, it's a Squirrel Cuckoo (Piaya cayana)

Here's another website with description instead of just a picture...
www.arthurgrosset.com/sabirds/squirrelcuckoo.html

wowwwwww lily, that's the best bee pic I've seen in ages (hiding all mine now LOL). Verrrrrrrrry nice.

Mags: sorry, I didn't see your edit at the bottom of your previous note re the bird, otherwise, I wouldn't have put in the links above lol.

Picqero: I think you must secretly work for Audobon or some "animal geographic" Magazine ;ol. ALL of your pictures are high quality, but I must say I adore all your wildlife ones.

It certainly looks so, doesn't it? Although in the first link, that bird looks a lot smaller, perhaps it's a young 'un. The third photo down in the second link looks like my garden friend. Thanks for the links, Jakeroo, they were very helpful.

Awesome bee and macaw!

Another desert sunset...

Keeping up the bird theme, here's an Egyptian goose in St. James Park, London.

Nice looking bird pictures everyone. And what a gorgeous sunset, PDAZ.



Here is how I spent my morning. My grandson and I built this volcano from a water bottle.

Looks like you both had fun, deputygary.

I didn't take any photos today, so here's one from last October. A restored Colonial building in El Centro Viejo, Granada, Nicaragua.



edited for spelling

Here's the canal a bit further along in Neasden. Besides a small park next to it you'd never think this was in the middle of a busy industrial area.

A developing magnolia seed pod in the middle of a rain shower

Desert lichen -- a mix between algae and fungus. They're pretty colorful -- this rock had mint green and orange lichen on it.

There's a scale of rarity in my old sign collection, they were changed after 1963 and scheduled for removal. I discovered this last week, which is one of the rarest of all, leaving a car park and is in perfect condition besides not having the circle on top which were on most but not all.

We have a planter with artificial flowers hanging just outside our front door. For several years now a house wren has built a nest in amongst the plastic flowers. Here is this year's nest with 3 eggs in it. Every time we open the front door the mama flies off but she returns a few minutes later.



After the nest is empty we have to take the planter down and wash all the mud and bird poo off the wall.

Thank you picqero. Here's the full shot.

A doorway in Granada, Nicaragua. I loved the bright vibrant colours of this city. This door was on a busy street, so I had to stand close to avoid passersby in the shot, thus not able to get the complete arch in. :/

deputygary, I hung some dried Indian corn on my front door at Thanksgiving time. I heard a knocking at my door and went to see who it was. Lol, a bluejay thought the corn was his treat, and was merrily pecking away at it.

That's funny, Mags. Maybe he knocked because he wanted to thank you...or ask for some more.

Hi all! I've missed all these great pics - glad I can catch up now. I've been limiting my computer time due to a bad back. I've been kind of confined, so I have to settle for an indoor picture. I kind of thought this was a pretty, if domestic, arrangement of fruit (if I do say so myself ;D ).







Y

Seagulls at Edisto Beach, SC
Edisto is a little south of Charleston.

Such fab photos from everyone! PDAZ, you are totally making me homesick with Arizona photos; I haven't been home in months. There's nothing like a desert sunset. *sigh*

So since I'm in East Texas tonight, here's tonight's sunset. The camera just didn't do it justice. It was such a vibrant red.

Paddy fields

I've just been catching up on all the photos and I really love your shots of Nicaragua, MadMags.

Thanks zorba and welcome back, too!