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

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

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

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

Odds and Ends #2

Hola!

Another one of those odds-and-ends posts today, with more photos from the last month.  I have found my most desired photographic accessory here is an external flash - many a backlit or dimly-lit photo could be improved with a little light.  For example, these two:

Brown-crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus tyrranulus)

White-faced Capuchin (Cebus capucinus)

Next, continuing with my Distant-cropped-record-shots-of-cool-birds series:

White-fronted Parrot (Amazona albifrons)

One more shot from the Butterfly Gardens, this one of an Owl Butterfly caterpillar.

Owl Butterfly (Caligo sp.)

What would an odds-and-ends post be without some sort of tree photo?  Odd, that's what.

Kyle and Tree

That's all for now, I shall post again soon!

Kyle

Exciting News!!

Big day today.

Very big day.

The bellbirds have arrived.  These amazing birds with their sexy wattles are one of the most sought-after cloud-forest birds here.  As I finished a tour one of the agency guides came running in to say that there was one close-at-hand.  About 30 seniors and all of the MBG staff ran outside to see.  The bird was incredibly cooperative and I took a pile of photos.

Three-wattled Bellbird (Procnias tricarunculata)

Three-wattled Bellbird (Procnias tricarunculata)

Before I left, and to my great pleasure, the bird horked up what I assume was a large fruit pit.  I exclaimed excitedly, but nobody seemed to understand my joy.  Look carefully and you can see the pit a-coming!

Three-wattled Bellbird (Procnias tricarunculata)

I can now die happy.

Kyle

Odds and Ends #1

Hola!

I realize it was but an hour ago that I posted lamenting my complicated internet situation, but in a fortuitous turn of events I have found a more reliable connection (albeit somewhat further from home).  In the past several internet-less days I have had some time to sort photos.  I have arranged three posts worth of odds and ends that got lost in the shuffle of things earlier on.  Here is number 1:

To start with, a couple of the large, common flycatchers here:

Great Kiskadee (Pitangus sulfuratus)

Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus)

One of those lovely butterflies from the MBG (Monteverde Butterfly Gardens); the Postman, who gets his name from his odd habit of following a consistent route through his habitat every day.

Postman (Heliconius melpomene)

In my continuing attempt to be a bit more artistic with my photography, and to capture the awesome trees here, I give you: a tree.

A Tree

One more, a grab-shot of our most common swallow:

Blue-and-white Swallows (Notiochelidon cyanoleuca)

That's it for now, Odds and Ends #2 approaches!

Cheers!
Kyle