Bosque de Paz - Part 2

Continuing from Part 1. I really enjoyed the trails around Bosque de Paz. I usually got out on them several times a day for an hour or two. I can't say I saw a lot since it's dense forest, but there was always something. And it was very peaceful - no one else seemed to get more than a few hundred yards from the lodge.

One day I glimpsed some movement in the treetops and was happy to see a White-faced Capuchin monkey.

Coincidentally, when I got back to the lodge, a group of them went by in the tree tops. They looked like they were feeding on the bromeliads.

The coatimundis were more frequent visitors. They came every morning to get the food that was put out for them. I don't totally agree with the idea of feeding wild animals, but I have to admit we'd be unlikely to see them otherwise. Coatis are related to raccoons and their range includes the southern US, although I've never seen them there. They were obviously accustomed to the food but were still quite skittish. Once a dog barked in the distance and they scattered instantly.

The agoutis also came for the food. They are related to guinea pigs, but larger.

And the last of the furry creatures were the Red-tailed squirrels.

Leaf mimicry is most common in insects, but can also be found in reptiles, amphibians, and even fish. I found this Leaf Katydid on the stairs to my room. Love the shiny red and turquoise eyes.

One of the staff found this stick insect - also well camouflaged. It was large, with a body about 6 inches long and antennae that were almost as long again. I should have moved it to a more natural setting, or at least a plainer background. They are almost impossible to spot in a bush or tree.

I only saw a few butterflies.

Most people won't be excited, but there were a few interesting flies

This beetle wasn't very big, but it was certainly shiny!

Not so flashy but nicely patterned:

And plain black, but still fascinating:

At one point I noticed the ground was swarming with ants. I found out later (via iNaturalist) that they are army ants, and the only species in Costa Rica where the raids are spread out carpet-like rather than in a column. They don't have permanent nests. Instead they have temporary "bivouacs" formed by workers bodies.

One of my favorite finds was this Emerald Glass Frog. ("glass" because they are almost transparent) I almost walked right by this flower with a green spot. I was afraid it would hop away and I'd lose it in the vegetation. I took photos from a distance and moved closer cautiously, but it didn't seem to care and never moved. I love the eyes.

Of course, there were lots of interesting plants. I liked the variety of fruits and seeds, with 3, 5, and 6 way symmetry.

I did most of my walks with my telephoto lens on one camera, and closeup macro lens on the other. If I wanted something in the "normal" range I ended up using my iPhone. Like for this morning with the sun shining through the fog.

Mostly I was busy taking photos of living things, but I did take a few abstracts.

And that's finally the end of my Costa Rica photos. I took over 8000 photos and was pretty happy to have the opportunity to photograph such amazing wildlife. I hope you enjoyed them even a fraction as much as I enjoyed taking them.

See all 178 photos from Bosque de Paz (there are two pages of them, once you hit the bottom of the first page you can go to the next)

Bosque de Paz - Part 1

The last lodge I stayed at in Costa Rica was Bosque de Paz (literally, Forest of Peace). I found it on the internet and didn't know much about it, other than it was in a forest reserve and had trails I could explore on my own. When I arrived I was a little surprised at how "rustic" it was. But it turned out to be a great choice. The rooms were nice, the wifi was fast, the food was great. It was set meals, but they accommodated me being vegetarian. And it was in the middle of forest with nothing around for miles. I already covered the moths here, now onto the birds.

One of the first things you notice, right in the front of the lodge, were the numerous hummingbirds at the feeders. They were used to people and you could get quite close to photograph them. Of course, that doesn't mean they sat still for you. Although there were lots of hummingbirds there were only a few kinds. The most numerous were the Green-crowned Brilliants. At first I thought these were several different kinds due to the variation in coloring. Some had white on their chest, some had rust color around their throats, and some had a violet patch on their throat. I took a ton of photos of these ones. Here are a few, there are more in the full batch if you want more.

First thing in the morning, the sun was right behind the feeders. It was challenging shooting straight into the sun, but I like the backlit effect when it works.

Or the opposite - shooting against the dark shadows.

The next most common were the Violet Sabrewings. They were slightly bigger and were the bullies at the feeders. When they arrived the others would leave.

I think this last one is a Magenta-throated Woodstar. They were smaller and more shy than the others. They would dart in when there was an opening and then zip away.

The wasps and bees also liked the feeders. The hummingbirds seemed to respect the wasps and give them space.

There was the beginning of a paper wasp nest in a nearby bush. When it was in the full sun the wasps would fan the nest with their wings to keep it from overheating.

The lodge is over 1500 m (5000 feet) in the hills/mountains so it didn't have as many "tropical" birds like macaws or parrots. But lots of colorful birds came to the fruit the put out for them. Most of them were "tanagers", although recently genetics have split that group of birds. These Flame-colored Tanagers had quite different coloring between the red males and the yellow females.

Some of the bird watchers pointed out this Collared Trogon. I would never have spotted it high up in a tree, even with the bright red.

There were also a few cute little Black Phoebes hanging around.

And a Great Kiskadee that I'd seen lots of down lower.

I thought I'd get through this last batch of photos in one post, but I realize there are too many of them. Stay tuned for the second half.