Life under the volcano
Three Star Owl blogging resumes after a hiatus of two weeks in Costa Rica…
Volcán Turrialba at dawn, from Rancho Naturalista (photo A.Shock).
In the view above only a small plume of steam and gas is visible from the most active of the three summit craters of the nearly 11,000 foot stratovolcano. Its last major eruption was in 1866, but a recent increase in activity and a release of volcanic ash in January of this year, resulted in the evacuation of two nearby villages.
Gray-headed chachalacas (photo A.Shock) >>
Local residents may be used to living in view of this steaming giant, but for visitors it can be a little unnerving. However there’s lots to distract, including vocal groups of Gray-headed chachalacas eating bananas at a fruit feeder, and a Crested Guan perched and silhouetted against the green valley far below.
<< Crested guan (photo A.Shock)