Angle is Everything ...

So today I learned a lesson about taking photos of Howler Monkeys ... the angle you shoot from is EVERYTHING!!! (**Warning...explicit photos coming up**)

We heard a group of them close by and I thought I had them pin pointed so we headed out in the truck to find them .. but they were gone already! However we tried another road and then suddenly I saw this one lone monkey hanging out in a tree ... literally hanging out .. I thought he was sick but he was just chilling ...

Angle is everything!

Checking us out too ...

I am thinking that he was a juvenile male who was booted out of his group ...and will have to fight to get a mate and start his own family one day?

Then later in the afternoon I heard the resident group that we always hear near the house, but they were REALLY loud. So I grabbed my camera and walked up the road. Sure enough right across the road was a group of them sitting in a nice open tree. I had lots of fun chatting back and forth with them.

You looking at me?

This was apparently the leader of the gang ... 

I loved how he just hung out like this, staring at me

KING OF THE JUNGLE!!!

I was talking to him here lol

That look!!!

It was a good monkey day! LOL
I also got some nice humming bird pics today

This guy has taken over the whole garden. He is never far away.

Can you see the pollen on his beak?

Turkey Vultures fly over every day.

I also got too much sun today while taking photos of the monkeys across the road so I am going to go slather myself in cream now.

Thanks for stopping by

Sue and her side kick

A little excursion on the property.

We had quite the rainfall the other day (and now have lots of new bugs to show for it).
So yesterday we went around the property to check the roads had not had any mud slides or rock falls. Some of the roads are new and until they "settle" this can happen when it rains.
We also planned on going to the beach for more clean up there.

So off we went, I of course took my camera, never leave the house without it. It has been very quiet in the last few days with regards to monkeys so was not expecting to see any.

We went off in the truck and took a road we don't usually take .. OK we got a bit lost. But what a nice lost it was! I heard some birds so we turned off the engine and I got out and waited a while. It was in a shady area and I just waited and listened. Sure enough I heard something and located it and snapped some pictures. Sometimes I just aim at the subject and snap a load of pics and hope for the best!
I was able to add some new birds to my growing list!

Masked Tityra

Back view of the Male Striped Cuckoo

and then he sweetly turned around and raised his crown! <3

I got two more birds in my lens but they were very poor images and I think not new birds for me. The Male Barred Antshrike and the TK.

So we moved on after waiting around for a bit longer. I will go back to that spot though as there was lots of activity. While we were there we heard the Howler Monkeys and I was praying they would be near the road. Sure enough as we turned the corner there they were in a big tree by the road. It looked like they were eating the new buds.

Male Howler Monkey (LOL)

So excited to see a baby near its Mum. You can see mum's tail for size comparison!

Peek-a-Boo!

Mum then carried it off to the other side of the tree

Just standing guard

I like this one as I got the light on his face.

While we were taking pictures of the monkeys I also got a few new birds too.

Striped Throat Hermit Hummingbird. Richard spotted this one and I could not believe how good the image turned out as he was way high up in the tree tops.

I had taken a picture of a Male Lance Tailed Manakin the other day but it was really bad. This one is a bit better as you can see the blue on his wings. I have to keep trying...need a better shot of this beautiful bird. You can see his long lance tail!!

We stopped a few times along the road but didn't find any more birds. I did see what I thought was an empty wasp nest .. then when I got home and blew it up I realized it was very active! UM...apparently there are African Killer Bees here ... but they don't harm you unless you threaten their nest ... I won't go near this again..not sure what kind they are LOL

Thanks for stopping by! Lots of nature pics ... road trips planned for next week!

Sue and her Side Kick

Life in the Jungle ...

It's kill or be killed...basically. LOL
With five cats there is something on the patio for me just about every morning.
This morning I fed the outdoor kittens and they all seemed happy ... then Mamacita walked behind my chair and proceed to finished munching the mouse I had not seen that she had started on prior to me feeding them. Lovely!
Then...all relaxing again and suddenly Diabilito walks across the grass with a baby iguana in his mouth. I thought it was dead so I let nature take its course. Next thing I know he is in the flower bed chasing something .. the baby iguana had been playing possum and as soon as he put it down that baby took off like a bat outta hell. Man was Diabilito vexed! LOL.  Iguana 1 / Cat 0

Serial Killer ... or not....

This morning I sat and watched a big storm roll in ...thunder clapping and all. Of course the power went out so we had to start the generator. We run it for a few hours on and then a few off. Tonight we still have no power so we are running it for three hours and then we will turn it off over night and hopefully they will get the power back on again before the morning. We are noticing a significant increase in the number of bugs flying around. Probably due to the heavy rain this morning. I don't like flying bugs...just saying'

So since we had to stay around the house today to monitor the power etc I watched some videos on bird photography and walked around the area and got some nice evening pictures. Getting a bit better and starting to understand the camera settings.
Here are some of my fave from today

Yesterday evening we went down to see David and buy some fish from him. Im not sure what type of fish it was but it was delicious. Sort of like snapper. We had it for dinner this evening.

Lets hope the power is back on tomorrow so we can go on the adventure we have planned. But there is always another day too.

Thanks for dropping in!

Sue and her killer cats.

A couple of calm days ...

We have enjoyed a nice quiet weekend with not too many tragedies on the patio!

So when we first arrived and went around the property with Marcy and Ray we also went to a beach at the other side. Its so beautiful but the area where we came onto the beach seemed to be a catch all for ocean debris. I knew we would go back and pick up the garbage and take it to the dump. Yesterday we went there.

Within about 5 minutes we picked up all this.

5 minute beach pick up

There were water bottles, flip flops, a high heeled shoe .. oil bottles, toothbrush, bucket bits,  and bits... Bits of plastic that when I went to pick them up they dissolved in my hand into tiny pieces...just at the stage that they become a real danger to the environment. It made me very sad.
We loaded it all up and this morning took it to the dump. The only choice here is .. the ocean or the dump. I chose the dump. :-(

Picked up some big containers too

This morning we went to the dump on our way to Chitré for grocery shopping and a couple of errands.

I did add another bird to my photo collection ... black headed vulture 😏

The dump made me sad. The only thing I am having a hard time with here is the lack of recycling. EVERYTHING goes to the dump. I cannot dwell on it too much or it is overwhelming. One thing that I did see there was very shocking ... red garbage bags with bio hazard signs on them ... Im presuming just discarded hospital garb and nothing "serious". I think when I get home I have to write a letter to the Emilio Semipros the Minister of the Environment here. Surely there are plans in the works to change things? One can hope.

We had a great drive to Chitré using the Waze app on our iPhone. (Everyone uses it here) Marcy told us about it and downloaded it for us and added all the destinations we might need under "favourites" so driving would be easier here.

We stopped to get gas in Tonosí and while at the gas station asked the guy how to get to the road to Chitré using the mountain route. He pointed and said go over three bridges and take the next left. That was not what Waze had entered but we knew that we had come the way he indicated with Ray on day 1 so took his advise and it worked. We arrived into Chitré and the first stop was the UPS store to pick up a package for Marcy that had arrived. I was hoping it was a huge lens for her camera but it was just a small little box so I didn't rip it open LOL

Driving in the towns is different, no indicators and you just move in to get ahead and always be prepared that the person on the corner will pull out in front of you.

Next stop was the electronics store. Last night when I tried to upload my new pictures...the gadget I use didn't work. I was freaking. But Marcy to the rescue again from half way around the world. Contacted her local friends to find out where I might find one. They suggest the Auvimax the electronics store. The guy at the UPS store put it into Waze for us and Bingo..we are back in business and all for the cost of about $6! SCORE!
The blog will continue.

We then had lunch at the same hotel we had had breakfast with Ray on day 1...and it was right beside the grocery store. Had an amazing lunch. Richard had a Clubhouse SandWISH (thats how it was written in the menu..and it was HUGE..Ray you should order this next time), and I had a quinoa  salad that was really amazing.

YUMMY! That sauce on the side was SPICYYYYYY!

So, all the groceries were done, time to head home. We input Búcaro into Waze and headed off. Suddenly it said to turn right...but we were pretty sure we had come straight into town ..but we decided that we should see where the road less travelled would take us.

It was a less well paved road shall we say. Thank goodness the truck is a comfortable ride. At one point it was a gravel road! But we passed through so many pretty little villages and towns. Because of the roads it took a bit longer to get home but eventually we did. Unloaded the truck and put all the groceries away. Richard told me there was a big grasshopper bug on the lounge chair on the patio so I pulled out my macro lens. Isn't he cute?

Hey there cutie!

Richard shooed him away then so the predators (aka Kitties) did not get him for dinner. I need to use my Macro more. Its not quite as sharp as it should be.

One more humming bird shot for you ...

Sapphire throated Hummingbird

I also took this picture of the cutest little spider sitting on the table....

Why so sad looking little guy?

Today Marcy said it is a jumping spider ... ARGH!!! LOL

Time for a drink, It's been a really long day! But always an adventure! Oh we bought balls for the cats..they are batting them around the room now LOL

Thanks for visiting!!

Sue and her side kick.

Another uneventful day in Panama ... NOT!

So today was laundry day and using up what was in the fridge day. Made some hummus and coleslaw  and salads.

Did my little daily art in my journal ... very relaxing.

Time for a beer on the patio. I checked my messages and was listening to a voice mail from David down the road and suddenly Richard says... "HON" and is pointing to the horizon ...the point where the garden dips down a steep bank into the veggie garden. I am paying attention to what David is saying on his message and half heartedly look to where he is pointing ... and there is some very subtle movement along the horizon line ... and I'm thinking...what is that... a row of big bugs? a row of  baby quail maybe? OH NO ... its  a BIG ASS SNAKE slithering along the horizon ...its black and greeny cream colours. I drop the phone and grab my camera ...because I am not wrangling this guy..he is about 4 feet long!! In the back of my head is Marcy's voice saying they have NEVER had a venomous  snake sighting on their property ... so it's OK to sneak up while he is stopped and take pics right?
(The cats were all sound asleep thank god!)

Hello there ... 

about 4 feet long we think

Oblivious thanks goodness!

Forget that beer...I need a stiff drink!! LOL

Mr Rat Snake is now gone and is somewhere in the veggie garden. We have the number to call if we see him again since he could hard the cats. Ahmed will arrange him and relocate him.

So much for a quiet day of housekeeping today....

As I sit and write this we are surrounded by noisy Mealy Parrots ... what  an adventure!

Jungle Sue and Tarzan

Westward Ho!

Today we got up early and headed back through Búcaro and then west through the mountains and to the costal beaches of Santa Maria and Playa Cambutal.

Surfers have started coming to the coast here for the constant waves and beautiful beaches.

Our first stop was the lesser known beach of Santa Maria (now that may not be the actual name but thats what the road sign said at the turn LOL)

We drove through all the Fincas (ranches) with the beautiful cows in the fields, saw many rancheros hearing on horseback etc. Very beautiful location. A little more lush vegetation as we headed in the direction of (we hoped) the water. We started seeing surfboards with signs on them for accommodations etc. We must have been in the right area.

Suddenly there we were...

Some people were surfing but the beach was basically empty.

Surfers make for cool pics don't they?

There were some accommodations along the beach and a restaurant/bar that we could see. Over all a gorgeous long beach, beautiful surf and what would it be without another entry under "Circle of Life"

FISH!

OOPS .. a bit too big maybe?

Let me get a grip on this ...

RUN ... he was being chased by his buddies!

He was a non breeding adult Laughing Gull ... he was not laughing while he was running away trying to save his dinner.

This was a local fisherman, he was loading his fish onto a truck with big cooler boxes on it and we saw him stopping along the way at restaurants and houses selling the fish.

Lovely beach but we have places to go still. We will be back!

We drove back to the main road and again headed west through cattle country to Playa Cambutal which we had heard lots about. David our new friend in the village had told us about an Italian he knew there who had a little restaurant. They made their own pasta etc and he said it was amazing. We had eaten lightly this morning so that we could enjoy the meal.

I stopped to take pictures of the cattle Egrets and saw the calves had these sticks tied to the side of their necks. I realized it is to prevent them from getting through the fences! Clever!

Breeding Adult Cattle Egret - very common to see with the cattle in the fields.
You can tell it is a breeding one by the tan feathers on the head.

There were quite a few workmen on the roads today, fixing fences and doing electrical work, so we slowly made our way and eventually arrived at Cambutal. I knew only that the restaurant was between the two larger hotels on the beach and to look out for the sigh that said Italian!

Before long we passed the first hotel and then sure enough there was the sign. We parked and as we got out of the car I saw a van pull up. The driver was a young lady and she opened the back of the van and she had FRESH PRODUCE!! We bought two fragrant pineapples, a giant papaya, tomatoes and a head of lettuce (SALAD TONIGHT) for lest than $5. I wish you could smell this pineapple....

Did I mention LETTUCE??? A rare commodity here.

We tucked all that into the cooler and headed for lunch. We were not dissappointed! The owner Franchesco (?) was so friendly and told use they had just made fresh stuffed pasta. Two orders of that please! But first a cold beer!

Our view while we dined! Magical!

They have three little chalets on the beach that you can rent and I would not hesitate to recommend this place. There are two slightly bigger hotels and so lots of dining options available if you for some crazy reason did not want to eat here every single day! Links at the bottom of the post for anyone interested.

Fresh Homemade Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli ... So yummy.

We shared this piece of heaven ... seriously one of the best ever!!

As we sat waiting for our lunch the circle of life took place yet again ... is it just me that notices carnage everywhere?

This female Great Tailed Grackle caught a lizard as big as herself! RIP little guy.

Then it was time for a walk on the beach. I grabbed my big hat and was sure in the knowledge that I had slathered myself in #50 sunscreen earlier that a walk would be fine!

as far as the eye could see ... solitude!

... both directions.
I think this would be an AWESOME sandcastle building beach as the sand is dark and heavy.

The back drop. Thats where we had lunch.

These are the two small cabins on the beach that you can rent. They also have a bigger looking one set back a little bit.

We walked for a while and then I noticed lots of BIG holes in the sand...everywhere...

I was not sticking my hand in to see what lived in there!!

I'll let you know if we find the inhabitants when we go back...because we will for sure go back here a few times while we are here in Panama! It's so beautiful!! Come now before it gets spoiled! The surfers are coming!!

We slowly packed up and headed home. Stopped to take a few picks along the way of the living fences to show you all the different stages of how they are grown. But I will save that for a seperate post another day when there is no excitement to share.

Did I mention this mornings circle of life moment? This is what I saw first thing this morning..,
Mamacita (aka Ginger) noshing down on a lizard. For sure I would not want to be a lizard in Panama. She kindly left me the head to dispose of! Lucky I love her just a little bit! :-) She has stolen a little bit of my heart for sure.

Oh yeah, breakfast!

One the way home Richard saw these little doves on the fence so I managed to capture a couple of pics to add to my growing collection.

I think it is a male Ruddy Ground Dove but I might eb wrong. I'll check with Marcy.

Beautiful scenery everywhere.

Here is the place we stopped for lunch. No affiliation what so ever just loved it.

HOTEL BOOM SHIVA Ask for Daniele (guy)

You can phone them on WhatsApp at +507-622-008-65
Everyone uses WhatsApp here by the way. Make sure to add the +
boomshivacambutal@gmail.com

Thanks for dropping by. Let me know if you go!!

Sue and her sidekick