Monday, March 29, 2010

Back in the Home Country!

Hello!

I have made it safe and sound back to Canada!  I will hopefully be spending the next little while sorting, processing and editing photos, so check back for updates!

Cheers!
Kyle

Friday, March 26, 2010

Uno mas!

Hola!

Couldn't help but post one more from Tortuguero.  We were exploring around at one of the local lodges, and we told the gardener we were looking for snakes.  He excitedly took us to show us the one he had found this morning, and imagine our amazement when he turned up this little fellow:

Eyelash Viper (Bothriechis schlegelii)

























Next update (probably) will be from the home country!

Kyle

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

More from Tortuguero

Hola!

Still alive in Tortuguero.  Many highlights to report later, but for now one more sampler photo:

Strawberry Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates pumilio)















Also I have updated my bird list here: http://www.kylehorner.com/page8.php.

Cheers!
Kyle

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Still Alive!

Hola!

I am still alive, having survived the journey into Corcovado and currently residing in Tortuguero Village.  I am on the move these days, and haven't taken much time to edit photos.  Here's one though, from near the Sirena Ranger Station in Corcovado National Park.

Squirrel Monkey

























I am coming home on the 28th of March, and will hopefully be able to get down to editing and posting then.  Until then!

Kyle

Friday, March 12, 2010

Things In My Room

Hola!

So my time in Monteverde is nearing the end (3 more days), and I thought that the best way to finish up would be by posting some photos of my roommates.  For the last two months I have been sharing my tiny room with a plethora of interesting critters, so here they are!

#1 - Scorpions (regular resident)

























I have been stung by no fewer than two scorpions in my sleep.  Nothing like stumbling out of bed at 5am to relocate the scorpion from under your pillow.

#2 - Spiders (abundant and variable resident)















A male (above) and female (below)
















#3 - Earwig (occasional visitor)















Look at those pincers!

#4 - House Centipede (likely frequent resident, often undetected)

























#5 - Gecko (one-time visitor)















#6 - Wasp (rare visitor)















As you can tell, the interior decorating here is stellar.  Most of these are quick grab-shots on my way to bed, so not exactly fine art but fun nonetheless.

I will be leaving Monteverde on Monday and spending two weeks exploring the country - first Corcovado NP then Tortuguero NP.  I imagine that I will have limited access but will try to post when possible.  Either way I shall post more photos upon return to Canada.

Cheers!
Kyle

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Big Day!

Hola!

Big day today!  I decided, for my last day off in Monteverde, that I would bite the bullet and pay the big bucks for a birdwatching tour of the Preserve.  Aside from being a shameless attempt to see a Quetzal, I hoped that this tour would also turn up some of the less-observable species that I had thus far missed.  I was quite pleased with the result picking up one adult male Resplendent Quetzal and 13 other new species.  The last of which, Green Hermit, becomes my 500th life bird!

As if the day could actually get better, my guide found (on a tip from another guide) a species that I've been dying to see since I got here.  I had not taken my big camera (preferring to focus my attention on actually seeing birds) but was glad that I had my point-and-shoot to grab a couple of shots of this amazing little creature.  It is my only photo upload for today.

Side-striped Palm Viper juvenile (Bothriechis lateralis)















Until next time!
Happy Kyle

Monday, March 1, 2010

Odds and Ends #3

Hola!

The last odds-and-ends post for now, with 6 more random photos from the last little while.  Here goes:

On a recent trip to a neighbouring property, the Sanctuario Biologico, I managed some very satisfactory  macro photography with a few cooperative subjects.  I love this type of photography, and was really happy with the results.  First is a tiny lizard who I startled as he crossed the trail.  He is no more than 2 inches from tip to tail:

Unknown Lizard















The second is a gorgeous damselfly with red-tinted wing-bases:

Unknown Damselfly















A few more shots from the butterfly gardens as well.  First a Glasswing Butterfly:

Glasswing (Greta oto)

























And some aphids:

Aphids

























A slight break in my artistic (ha!) tree series for an insert from my also artistic (also ha!) water series:

Rapid















I'm not entirely happy with the result, but it's fun to play with the moving water and long exposure times.  Lastly, a very cooperative bird that I found on a second trip to the Sanctuario:

Pale-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus guatemalensis)

























I'm all out of odds and ends, so I guess I'd better get out there and take some more photos!

Cheers,
Kyle