Friday, January 29, 2010

Sadly no photos...

Hola!

Sadly, no photos today.  I did go the the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve yesterday, but was so preoccupied with trying to see and identify all the birds that I really didn't break out the camera!  This seems to be a general problem here, and I am remiss in not having taken very many photos.  I am resolving to remedy this situation (though as I type this an incoming rainstorm threatens my resolve - here's hoping it doesn't last).

I did, however, have a lovely visit to the Preserve, which is world renowned for its birdlife.  It is rather expensive though ($17USD) and fairly crowded on some of the more popular trails.  Nevertheless I did see 17 new bird species yesterday, so $1 per bird seems like a fair deal.  I think the key is to go very early (ie. before 6am) and I didn't get there until a bit later, so I wonder if more species could be seen with an earlier start.  The complicating factor is that it is a 7km walk from here to get to the entrance (about 22 total kms walked yesterday, at least half uphill!)

Anyway, highlight new species include Orange-bellied Trogon and a variety of warblers, wood-creepers and hummingbirds.  No Quetzals though, so perhaps a return is in order.  The Preserve is also known for its herplife, though I'm not sure where they hide it.  I saw no herps yesterday, save for one tiny brown lizard (less than 3cm with tail) scurrying off the path.  I've really got to dig up some reptiles!

In other news, I sent an inquiry to whatsthatbug.com and have made the website!  Still no definitive answer though, but I'm working on it.  See the post here:

http://www.whatsthatbug.com/2010/01/28/unknown-owlet-moth-from-costa-rica/

That's it for now.  Mission Get More Photos begins today!

Kyle

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Another Day in Paradise

Hola!

Just enjoying another day here in sunny Costa Rica and thought I'd fire up a few more photos.  The first is a Social Flycatcher.  These guys arrive in raucous, bickering groups chase each other around near our building.

Social Flycatcher (Myiozetetes texensis)
























Today's second photo is a bit of a mystery.  It is a small moth trying to convince us that he is a broken twig, sitting on one of the benches in reception.  I am in the process of trying to get it identified, but I believe it is either an Owlet Moth (Noctuidae) or a Prominent Moth (Notodontidae).

Unknown Moth















That's all for today.  Have a day off tomorrow, so hoping for some good photos!

Cheers,
Kyle

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Toucans and Parrots and Motmots oh my!

Hola!

There has been a shift in the weather here at Monteverde, and I am amazed how a slight weather change brings about a huge change in the bird life.  The wind has disappeared, and I now regularly see White-fronted Parrots, Keel-billed Toucans, Emerald Toucanets, and a host of other new and exciting species.  The first day that the Toucans appeared, I think I missed dozens of other birds because of my distraction with these amazing creatures.  I also had a day off recently where I hiked up into the cloud forest and saw a bunch of interesting birds.  Aside from the parrots and toucans, recent highlights include:Squirrel Cuckoo, Bat Falcon, two Bush-Tanagers, two Nightingale-Thrushes, two Redstarts, Streak-headed Woodcreeper, White-eared Ground-Sparrow and Gray-headed Chacalaca.

On the photo front I have come up against an expected challenge.  Under the canopy, bird photography is nearly impossible without an external flash.  That is definitely on the must-have list for the future.  This leaves me with only birds in open spaces.  Macro photography, however, is quite possible and I'm really hoping to find some more herps to shoot!  Here are a few photos from the last few days:

Millipede















Katydid















A distant shot of a Keel-billed Toucan, just because I was so excited to see one!

Keel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus)

















Squirrel Cuckoo (Piaya cayana)
























Gray-headed Chacalaca (Ortalis cinereiceps)
























That`s it for now, I will post again soon!

Kyle

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Finally Some Herps!

Hola!

At long last, I have seen some herps (in addition to the tiny frog from yesterday).  Both found by employees here at the gardens.  The first, a large salamander with no common name.

Bolitoglossa robusta















It looks a bit shabby, but that's because it was dug up by workers here and I had no non-chlorinated water to rinse it with.

The second find of the day was a Neotropical Ratsnake that our manager found while on a tour.  Knowing that I love snakes, she bagged it and brought it back for me.  I tried for some in-tree photos and the crafty serpent quickly climbed out of my reach.  So not great photos, but a cool snake nonetheless.

Neotropical Ratsnake (Elaphe triaspis)















The good life continues here in CR.  First day off tomorrow so I am planning some local exploring, should be fun!

Cheers!
Kyle

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

I love the night life!

Hola!

The crazy wind continues to keep the birds down and thus make me sad, so last night I took a different tactic to view the local wildlife.  After dinner we grabbed the headlamps and went spotlighting.  In the mammal department we came across a couple of possums (not sure on the species), but the bugs were the real hit of the night.  It was misting rain, so I grabbed my new waterproof point-and-shoot for its first real trial.  I am having a lot of fun experimenting with it, and am pretty happy with how it works.

The main nighttime insect here is Katydids, of several varieties.  Many mimic leaves in one way or another, such as this Bush Katydid

Bush Katydid
















I tried several ways to get photos showing the incredibly long antennae on these bugs.

Bush Katydid
























Lots of Harvestmen around here as well.  Found this guy hanging on to a drop of water.

Harvestman
















We also turned up a bunch of small frogs, which I have yet to identify.  I have a bunch of photos, so I will break out the field guide soon and figure it out.

Unidentified Frog
















There were plenty of spiders around as well, and I marked the burrow of a huge Orange-kneed Tarantula, which I couldn't quite get with the point-and-shoot.  Hopefully more photos to come!

Cheers!
Kyle

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Monteverde

Hola!

I have arrived at my destination, and to my surprise there is wireless internet here!  It's not the best, but if you find just the right spot to put your computer it moves along not too badly.

Sadly no photos to post yet: I have been too busy settling in and absorbing this place to break out the camera.  I will have to change that soon!  This place is very cool, and in many ways not what I expected.  For one thing: it's sunny.  We seem to be on the very edge of the cloud forest - we can even see it - but our location is primarily sunny.  It's cool, especially at night, and very windy.  In the days the temperature reaches the low-to-mid twenties.

I have started (and pretty much finished) my training here at the Butterfly Gardens (www.monteverdebutterflygarden.com), and I will be giving my first tours today.  The garden consists of a visitors' centre containing live insects and arachnids, and four covered gardens for butterflies.  Most of the tours are given by volunteers, but there are a few staff on hand as well.

The sun rises at 6am here, so I have been able to get out in the mornings and do some birding.  This morning is so windy that there is little to see, but yesterday was productive and I saw a handful of new species without leaving the vicinity of the gardens.  The highlight for me was a Blue-crowned Motmot, a bird that I have long wanted to see and did not disappoint!   It has been a bit frustrating to see a large number of birds that I can't identify.  With so many species here, it's easy to think you've gotten a good enough look at a bird, then get back to your field guide only to find there are half a dozen nearly-identical species to choose from!

In addition to the birds I have seen Agouti, and a troop of White-faced Capuchins visited the gardens yesterday morning.  The monkeys are definitely humanized, and come quite close looking for food handouts.  It is amazing to see the inquisitive creatures so close-up, but also a bit sad that they are being fed by people (not here though!).

Anyway, I'd best be off.  I will make sure I get some photos for the next post.

Cheers!
Kyle

Thursday, January 14, 2010

From Costa Rica!

Hello!

I have officially made it to Costa Rica!  It has been a long day - about 15 hours of journeying - but I am here and well.  Much time spent on the plane, where I got seated next to a baby and a two-year-old.  There was much screaming, crying and seat-kicking.  Plus whatever sounds the children were making.  Actually they were pretty well behaved, I can't complain.

Already Costa Rica has caught me a bit by surprise.  Having visited other Latin-American countries I had an image in my head of what I expected.  In contrast to those other countries, in which there is often an air of poverty and wanting, the Ticos seem to be quite well off.  The people here wear fashionable clothes and drive shiny new cars.  The roads are in good shape and there are motorcycles everywhere.  The bikes carry no more than two people and the riders even wear helmets!  The one thing it shares with the rest of Latin-America (as I have experienced it) is scary-as-hell driving.  Whoever designed the traffic system needs a good shake, and the drivers don't make it any better.  The most popular motorcycle is a tiny 150cc model, and lanesplitting is completely accepted as a legitimate traffic maneuver.  But as long as you close your eyes when on the road all is well (hey, it works for the drivers).

I am now sitting in the rooftop bar of Hostel Pangea, enjoying a beer and waiting on some food.  This place is something else - sure some hostels have nice bars and restaurants, but this one also boasts a swimming pool, free WiFi and a host of other amenities, all for $10/night.  This is the view from the bar:

















I will be up and out of here before 6am tomorrow to get the bus to Monteverde, which I'm hoping is simple.  After several days of minimal sleep and this day full of travel, I am more than ready to be at my destination.  My next update will hopefully be from there, though I'm not entirely sure when that will be.

Oh, and for all of you wondering about my first trip-bird (that is, both of you - you know who you are), it was a Great Egret seen from the plane on the way into San Salvador.

Hope everyone is well!
Kyle

Monday, January 11, 2010

Departure Looms

Hello!

The time is drawing near for my Costa Rica departure.  I am finally getting things together and preparing to go.  I leave early Thursday morning and fly into San Jose, with a short stopover in San Salvador.  I will be spending Thursday night in a hostel in San Jose, then catching the 4.5 hour bus to Santa Elena early the next morning.  Then a half-hour walk with all of my gear and I will arrive at my destination.  Should be quite an adventure!

To get an idea where exactly I'm headed, have a look at this Google Map:

View Larger Map


I can't believe that what seemed like an eternity away is now just the day after tomorrow!  The next post I make should be from Costa Rica.

Until then,
Kyle

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Cleaning Up the Blog

Hello!

I have been spending some time cleaning up the blog...apparently when I changed the appearance (or for some unrelated reason) much of the formatting on previous posts has gone all wonky.  Not to worry though!  I think I've got it mostly remedied.  I have a suspicion though - that the blog appears differently on different computers.  So, if you are viewing this blog and it looks strange (big empty spaces, text where it shouldn't be, etc) let me know!  Not that I'll be able to fix it, but I am curious to find out.

In other news, I am pulling things together for my impending trip to Costa Rica.  More on this definitely to follow!

Kyle