Costa Rica Photo Safari 2013
Photos from our 2013 Costa Rica Photo Safari, April 26 - May 6, 2013
This was our 10th trip to the wonderful country of Costa Rica, and once again we had a thrilling time. It continually amazes me how we continue to see a wide variety of new species each time we visit. The weather was wonderful, the group members were a delight, and Marco Fallas, our guide, was as exubererant and knowledgeable as ever!
Even before we got to our first destination, we had seen Boa Constrictors, Two-toed Soths, a Great Potoo, a Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher at the nest, several species of hummingbirds, etc. The grounds of the Selva Verde Lodge yielded several close-up encounters with both the Chestnut-mandibled and Keel-billed Toucans, as well as the Snowy Cotinga, Gray-capped Flycatcher, Fasciated Tiger Heron, a mating pair of the Red-eyed Tree Frog, and much more. And en route to the La Selva OTS, we were able to see and shoot the relatively rare Great Green Macaw, which was quite a thrill.
We were not expecting to see the Scarlet Macaw in the areas of Costa Rica on our itinerary this time, but we did come across a large group of them, an indication of their expansion within the country, as a result of Costa Rica's efforts to widen the presence of this spectacular bird.
At the LaSelva OTS we photographed the Yellow Eyelash Viper, a family of Crested Guan, Black-throated and Violaceous Trogons, and had our first ever sighting of the Rufous Motmot. At the Tirimbina preserve, another new location for us, we had a great encounter with a pair of Broad-billed Motmots, with both the mother and father having food in their bills, preparing to feed their young in a nest right on the path where we were walking.
In the Rancho Naturalista area, we were once again lucky to see and photograph the beautiful Sunbittern, which we had seen for the first time last year. And this is in additon to the many hummingbird species right on the grounds of this wonderful location. We also made a first visit to the CATIE facility (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center), where there was a beautiful wetlands area, home to Purple Gallinules, Northern Jacanas, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Black-crowned Night Herons, Cattle Egret, Boat-billed Heron, and many other species.
We next went to the Savegre Mountain Lodge, and were again fortunate to find and photograph the Resplendant Quetzal, along with the Fiery-throated, Magnificent, Scintillant, Rufous-tailed, Green Thorntail, and other species of hummingbirds. The biodiversity was amazing!
Below is a small selection of the many hundreds of photos I took on this trip. You can click on the little earth icon at the lower left of each full size image, and it will show the location in Google Maps where it was taken. I hope you enjoy them!
Even before we got to our first destination, we had seen Boa Constrictors, Two-toed Soths, a Great Potoo, a Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher at the nest, several species of hummingbirds, etc. The grounds of the Selva Verde Lodge yielded several close-up encounters with both the Chestnut-mandibled and Keel-billed Toucans, as well as the Snowy Cotinga, Gray-capped Flycatcher, Fasciated Tiger Heron, a mating pair of the Red-eyed Tree Frog, and much more. And en route to the La Selva OTS, we were able to see and shoot the relatively rare Great Green Macaw, which was quite a thrill.
We were not expecting to see the Scarlet Macaw in the areas of Costa Rica on our itinerary this time, but we did come across a large group of them, an indication of their expansion within the country, as a result of Costa Rica's efforts to widen the presence of this spectacular bird.
At the LaSelva OTS we photographed the Yellow Eyelash Viper, a family of Crested Guan, Black-throated and Violaceous Trogons, and had our first ever sighting of the Rufous Motmot. At the Tirimbina preserve, another new location for us, we had a great encounter with a pair of Broad-billed Motmots, with both the mother and father having food in their bills, preparing to feed their young in a nest right on the path where we were walking.
In the Rancho Naturalista area, we were once again lucky to see and photograph the beautiful Sunbittern, which we had seen for the first time last year. And this is in additon to the many hummingbird species right on the grounds of this wonderful location. We also made a first visit to the CATIE facility (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center), where there was a beautiful wetlands area, home to Purple Gallinules, Northern Jacanas, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Black-crowned Night Herons, Cattle Egret, Boat-billed Heron, and many other species.
We next went to the Savegre Mountain Lodge, and were again fortunate to find and photograph the Resplendant Quetzal, along with the Fiery-throated, Magnificent, Scintillant, Rufous-tailed, Green Thorntail, and other species of hummingbirds. The biodiversity was amazing!
Below is a small selection of the many hundreds of photos I took on this trip. You can click on the little earth icon at the lower left of each full size image, and it will show the location in Google Maps where it was taken. I hope you enjoy them!
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