Posts in Category: Costa Rica
Red-eye
Red-eyed Leaf Frog: Frog Heaven, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, December 2024 — No visit to the lowlands of Costa Rica would be complete without an encounter with the Red-eyed Leaf Frog…perhaps the most emblematic of non-bird species in the American Tropical Rainforest. I already posted shots from my first daylight encounter with this frog, and of course I had to ask the guide at Frog Heaven to find me one before we were done there. Taken in the light of my Ulanzi Photo Flashlight and from a light-weight travel tripod. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 382mm. Aperture preferred with my macro modifications. ISO 12800 @ f16 @ 1/15th. -1.3EV Processed in Photomator.
Splendid!
Splendid Leaf Frog: Frog Heaven, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, December 2024 — I posted a photo of this Splendid Leaf Frog while I was still in Costa Rica in December and told the story of Frog Heaven’s efforts to entice the frog back to their property after it’s nesting tree blew down. They discovered that for it to thrive it needs an elevated spawning pool that has been “poisoned” for other frogs by the secretions of the host tree. No really, poisoned. The tree releases a toxic compound into the water that kills the tadpoles of other species of frogs, but not the tadpoles of the Splendid Leaf Frog. (I am not sure what the frogs do for the tree in return…if anything.) At any rate, Frog Heaven installed 50 gallon drums well off the ground and put cut branches of saplings of the host tree to soak in the water…and the Splendid Leaf Frog has returned. And Splendid it is. Just look at those colors. Taken by the light of my Ulanzi Photo Flashlight. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 327mm equivalent. Aperture mode with my macro modifications. f11, -1.7 EV, ISO 12800. Processed in Photomator.
Smoky no more
Savage’s Thin-toed Frog: Frog Heaven, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, December 2024 — This used to the Smoky Jungle Frog…just way better than Savage’s Thin-toed Frog. Way better! Therefore I will continue to call it the Smoky Jungle Frog, thank you just the same! Fascinating creature by any name. We found this one right beside the trail at Frog Heaven, not at all bothered by our flashlights. I love the natural look of the light from my Ulanzi Photo Flashlight! Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 327mm equivalent. My macro modifications to Aperture preferred mode. f16 at 25600 ISO. Processed in Photomator. (Gotta love the colors at this high ISO on the a6700.)
Green in the night
Green Basilisk: Frog Heaven, Sarapique, Costa Rica, December 2024 — I posted some daylight photos (if you call under deep canopy in the rain, daylight) a while back…but this was a much larger and more mature individual we found at Frog Heaven on our night walk. Taken by the light of my Ulanzi Photo Flashlight. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 88 and 600mm equivalents. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. -1.3 EV exposure compensation. Processed in Photomator.
Scarlet
Scarlet Macaw: Pierella Ecology Garden, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, December 2024 — Scarlet, and yellow, and blue…with some pink in there around the eye. There are not many more colorful, or more intensely colored, birds than the Scarlet Macaw. When we had finished with the Great Green Macaws, a guide called us back to the same trees to see a small flock of Scarlets feeding. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Great Green
Great Green Macaw: Pierella Ecology Gardens, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, December 2024 — I have seen Great Green Macaws before in Costa Rica…though they are still rare after years of effort to reestablish a viable population in what was once their native range, but I have never seen them this close in the wild. A small flock settled in a Mountain Almond tree right at the entrance to Pierella Gardens and one of the guides alerted us all to their presence. What a treat. We watched them feeing actively for close to a half hour, before they moved on. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Tenters
Brown Tent-making Bats: Pierella Ecology Gardens, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, December 2024 — I have seen the White Honduran Tent-making Bats several times in Costa Rica…on just about every trip for the past 10 years…but this was my first encounter with their brown cousins. Both are leaf-nosed bats, and both eat away at the spine of broad leaves until the leaves fold over to make a “tent” where they roost during daylight. It is not easy to get a photo as you have to get down low enough to see up under the leaves and use a flashlight for light. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 217mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator. This is another shot at ISO 25600. 🙂
Daylight Frog
Red-eyed Leaf Frog: Pierella Ecology Gardens, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, December 2024 — This is my first ever daylight shot of a Red-eyed Leaf Frog. If you can call a rainy day under the rainforest canopy daylight. 🙂 Our guide found the frog for us, and moved it to this little twig for photos…so, I do feel that it was cheating a bit…but I sill like the image…and love the critter. 🙂 Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 250mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. (ISO 25600! Even in daylight I could have used more light.) Processed in Photomator.
Green on green
Green Basilisk: Pierella Ecology Gardens, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, December 2024 — Not an uncommon lizard of the rainforest, but an uncommonly close view of one, and a daylight view at that. Our guide at Pierella found it for us while looking for Red-eyed Leaf Frogs in a damp spot in the forest. This is the Jesus lizard, so called because it appears to walk on the water…or run at least…it’s specially adapted feet and light weight not breaking the surface tension. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 477 and 231mm equivalents. (Like I said, a close view. :} Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Red-throat
Crested Guan: Pierrella Ecology Gardens, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, December 2024 — Pierrella Ecology Gardens is the public facing effort of a family owned commercial butterfly farm. They raise and ship tropical rainforest cocoons to butterfly gardens and research centers all over the world. Most of the cocoons are raised right in the forest, in mobile enclosures, so the heath of the forest is essential, and a healthy forest attracts a wide variety of all kinds of interesting birds, frogs, lizards, mammals, and other insects. All of which makes a tour of the gardens a special treat. This is the Crested Guan, a near threatened species similar in size and habits to the North American wild turkey (at least a hen turkey). The bright red waddle really sets of the speckled black plumage. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600 and 382mm equivalents. Program mode with my custom bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.