Chestnut-mandibled Toucan

The largest of the toucans to be found in Costa Rica, I loved seeing these guys every time, without getting bored. Who could with such interesting features? They were tough to find, but we managed to almost every day. Interestingly, their call is very muted, so we solely relied on sight to spot them.

Chestnut-mandibled Toucan, originally uploaded by Hannibals Animals.

Interestingly, the toucan eats fruits and berries just like Toucan Sam of Fruit Loops cereal fame, but will steal eggs and nestlings from the nests of the endangered Scarlet Macaw!



Their long bill allows them to perch on heavier, stable branches and reach a distance for hanging fruits. They snip the fruit off, hold it at the tip of the bill, and then, with a forward flip of the head, toss the fruit into the air and into their throats.



Small fruit seeds pass unharmed through toucan digestive tracts and large seeds are regurgitated, also unharmed. Thus, these frugivores aid in the dispersal of tree seeds, and, together with other fruit-eaters, are responsible for the positions of some forest trees.



This last one is a Fiery-billed Aracari. It is much smaller than the toucan and has a serrated bill. He was a very cool bird to see with it's awesome colors! We didn't have the pleasure of seeing this guy but twice, and was very lucky to get the photos we did, as they scare very easily, and are spotted high up in the canopy in most cases.
I was thrilled with the luck we did have!



Click on photos to see better detail!

Costa Rica - Day 5 at a Glance

Our 5th day started off by calling the Pygmy Owl with no luck, then went ziplining. We got completely strapped in, and trekked up a garganchuan hill to the start of the path to the first platform. Let me tell you, just the hike was enough to kill you. It was all uphill, and then... the jungle path was again uphill with dirt steps that only King Kong could stride comfortably. My legs were about to give out. Anyway...we made it to the 1st platform, got our instructions on safety, and were off...



Ziplining is a hell of a rush! We zipped from 11 different platforms, all in various heights, lengths & speeds. We were trained in how to brake, and how to cruise at full speed.



The instructors were absolutely great! Even with limited English, they were there to have a good time, and joked with us the entire time. They wanted to make our experience the best they could, so they took over our cameras, shot us in our action, and another guy even videoed the whole thing-with OUR videocamera. They even showed us how to zip upside down!



The whole experience was about an hour and a half long and was worth every penny. ($45) We would do that again any time!

We then went to breakfast (no Monkeys) and went looking for the Toucans. It has been a tough week trying to find these guys. We spied our usual areas, then came across an area we had yet to fully see. It was in a busy part where the food shops and pool meet, just off the beaten path. We usually stayed clear of this area, because of the chaos, but... We walked up and down and caught a glimpse of 5 of them flying in to the trees. Who'd of thunk it?



For most of the time, our necks were completely crained, looking up into these tall trees, with the sun backlighting the leaves. It was also tough trying to jockey around limbs and leaves for a good shot. We managed...



We shot plenty of photos and video as a few people notice us taking pictures of something...they joined in to our bounty...



We walked away with sore necks, but at last, we were successful in finding these elusive Toucans! This one has a broken beak...


The rest of the day was going to the beach, looking for Macaws, and calling Pygmies...none worth posting at this time...

Coast Rica - Day 3 at a Glance - Part 2

Part 2- So we were alittle disappointed that we didn't get to share our breakfast with the monkeys, and who wouldn't? We waited for quite awhile and eventually gave up. Our plan was to go to the butterfly farm, then do more exploring, since we had the golfcart until 11:30 a.m. As we are discussing this, we see some people with cameras shooting something in the forest from the restaurants outer "wing". I think, since it is on the ground, it must be an Iguana or something, and don't put too much thought into it, but my best friend always tends to remind me that when I underestimate something I know nothing about, I am usually wrong, shocked, and thrilled all at the same time, by taking the time out to check into something that is not always what it seems. We walk over there and discover that a whole family of Coati Mundis are playing and stealing sugar packets from a bussing table near the edge of the deck. Well... I am amazed and learn something new about myself ...again... (until the next time) and snapped off some really cute shots of these creatures that remind me of a Raccoon mixed with a Meercat. They scavenge just like raccoons, and have the same similarities and size, but the tail is plenty longer with many more stripes, which reminds me of the meercat, along with the upturned extended snout. A Meercoon if you will...We had a fascinating morning already, and add these guys to the mix, and our morning was beyond anything, and mind you, this is the start of day 3...



We go to the butterfly farm which is hidden pretty deep in the jungle and enter your typical greenhouse structure. Our first encounter was with a giant Blue Morpho Butterfly which has wings that are a massive 6 inches! For butterflies, I was pretty impressed. One in particular took a liking to Cutti and crawled all over her head. From there we roam the different paths and end up at the jungles edge on the far side of the resort and find:



Orange-Chinned Parakeets building a nest in a dilapitated palm trunk...



A Wilson's Warbler (female) singing with no fear of us. (She hung out for quite awhile)



Lineated Woodpeckers making a home in this palm right next to the parakeets palm paradise...We then discover a walking bridge and take it to a new unexplored part and find where the Macaws go for nesting. There were a few we could hear in the trees, but at first couldn't find them. The trees scale up to 200 feet high, so spotting them wasn't easy. You had to go by sound, which was easy, because they have a rude squawk when communicating to eachother. We found some roosting, and set up the tripod. (Thank God we have the golfcart for hauling all the gear.)



We stayed for quite some time, did some exploring of some trails, found some other nesting sites, and knew we would come back here for more later. We hauled our stuff back to the room, and got our cart back to the office to turn it in. We checked into their weekly rates on the cart, and found out it was $295, was outraged, and left. Again...we are back to calling for a shuttle. When we left the office...



we spotted our first Chestnut-Mandibled Toucan!

We gave it some more thought, then reconsidered the golfcart, went back and rented it for a week! You just have to consider that time is of value too, and to waste time on walking or waiting for the shuttle (which could take up to 30 minutes) and go where you want, when you want was worth the price of a perfect trip. We didn't want to look back and regret not spending the money-it really was worth it, considering...so we went to the beach, and had another perfect day!

Costa Rica - Day 3 at a Glance-Part 1

On our 3rd day, we booked the "morning bird walk" tour that was free at the resort. Our guide was Costa Rican and knew broken english, but also german. There were 8 of us, and 6 were German. We set off around 6:15 a.m. down a trail we had yet to explore. Our first encounter, just a few yards on our journey, was a small bird on a limb which was backlit and dark, so I couldn't tell what it was. The guide said its common name in german, & then in english, he pronounced "oolay" . I didn't understand. I focused my camera, took a shot, but noticed my flash didn't go off. I turned it on, but the bird flew off. After reviewing my camera screen, I gasp at my horror. It was possibly, a small owl, I could see the eyes in the viewer. I asked the guide again what it was, and he showed me a picture in his bird book, a Pygmy Owl. I missed an owl! In fact, it was the smallest of owls there is. A Pygmy Owl is 6 in. in height at maturity, including the tail. My first bird on this tour, it was a freakin owl (my favorite species!) and... I missed it. Above is the shot without the flash. He is looking right into the lens, and my error missed a great, one in a million shot. I hope I get a second chance. I ask the guide what the pygmy's call was, and he showed me. He told me to listen at dusk for the sound, and call back. I filed this info away for nightime. We walked on.



We came across an Orange-Billed Sparrow, and was able to get off a shot with flash that worked well. We moved on and found a Blue-Grey Tanager, and by this time the lighting was nice. We come to a lookout spot, and take in the view from above. The Pacific Ocean is so much cleaner than I expected and the view was awesome! The guide spots a Laughing Falcon in the distance, so I take a shot. The other people on the tour were taking their looks too, so I never did get off a decent shot.





As we stand there and absorb the scenery, we hear noises moving loudly in the trees ahead. All of a sudden we are greeted by White-Faced Monkees. A bunch of them were crossing the path ahead and using giant vines to swing and walk across. My camera needs adjustment, I set it right, and fire away. They were quite entertaining. They seemed to perform for us, as they played with their mates. They stop and lounge in the trees above and are having a great time with eachother. They even want us to participate, so one particular monkey gets to a vine, stops, gives us all a big chessy grin, and proceeds to shake his vine up and down, just like you would imagine a monkee to do. Then, he grabs his mate, has his way with her, sets back down, and has his way with himself. Quite entertaining, I must say. The guide told us, that with all his tours, he has only seen this maybe 3 other times, so it was "something", to say the least. The monkees moved on, as did we, and found plenty more birds to view.


We discovered the Orange Chinned Parakeet building his/her nest in a termite nest, along with a few Fiery-Billed Aracari's (Toucans) which had the most colorful bellies compared to their much larger cousins, the Keel-Billed Toucan. The tour ended, we tipped our guide well, and set off on our own. The day started off fantastic, but now its time to go have breakfast and see if the monkees are there.
The monkees are a no-show. We wait for a bit, but...(to be continued-something else DOES show up)