Tárcoles River in Costa Rica

Late last night, I arrived back home from my trip to Costa Rica.  I saw many things, of which I will talk about on here.  We visited the Tárcoles River, Poas Volcano, Monteverde Reserve, and Manuel Antonio National Park, among other places.  I thought that the Tárcoles River, as seen below, would be the most appropriate to write about on here.

Riding on our boat, with a bird pamphlet in our hands, we all saw many different kinds of animals.  Below is a Little Blue Heron, and in the center far right is a Basilisk, or Lagartija Jesucristo, which I had inadvertently got in the picture.

Going further down the Tárcoles, we saw frigatebirds, vultures, an iguana, an osprey, and this Yellow-headed Caracara.  

At this point I was reminded of something that Mandaza Kandemwa, our Mystic River healer said about the Mystic when he visited back in October.  To quote him "You are the river, representing all rivers of the world."  He sure was right about that, as the Tárcoles River shared so many aspects with the Mystic, Charles, Alewife, and other rivers I have been on before.  Wildlife on the Tárcoles is very reminiscent of the rivers of Massachusetts, and unfortunately, there were some old tires lying along its banks.

Now here is the most incredible animal I saw on the trip, tied with monkeys en la playa de Manuel Antonio.  A Crocodile!

I was amazed just to see it in the water, but then our tour guide got out of the boat with some meat, which I thought he was going to feed to the vultures or caracaras.  But then the crocodile came out of the water and ate right out of his hands!

After it was done eating, the crocodile went back into his murky river, and all the other meat-eating birds came looking for seconds, like this Great Egret.

Further down river, by the mangroves, we ran into this Wood Stork, who was hanging around with a group of Roseate Spoonbills.

And lastly, the end of the river, where it meets the Pacific Ocean.  Amazing to think that just on that one river, on one day, I saw as much as I saw.  ¡Pura Vida!                   -Will