Rattler

My first rattlesnake, seen with Patrick and Maura along Pine Mountain Road last week.

Leatherback Turtle Nesting Begins!

Though I have referred to our buildingmates as THE TURTLE PEOPLE, as if they are the odd ones out, the station where Amanda and I work is focused on sea turtle conservation, the main attraction of the town of Tortuguero itself, and we are the outcasts of the group as THE BIRD BANDERS. A few of these turtle folk have joined us for banding, so we decided we could not pass up the opportunity to see some seriously huge animals. Though our first night (9pm-2am) beach survey was not fruitful, last night we lucked out with TWO Leatherbacks before midnight. It's hard to describe how prehistorically structured these things are, but with a rugby-sized ball head, tennis-ball sized eggs, and a carapace of four to six feet, our minds were blown. No pictures are allowed, as it would disturb the nesting, but we were lucky enough to find our first turtle midway through digging out her nest, which meant we got to see the hour+ process of digging, laying (66 eggs for this one), covering, and camouflaging the nest.

So, in the same vein as last nights dino sighting, here are a few extraordinary non-avian beasts that we have encountered recently and regularly.

Iguanas are everywhere. Some big, some small, but all very fast runners, sprinting away at your approach, and diving into the canal if need be.


The main reason we can't swim in the fresh water around here...


This is the same species as previously posted, but its just so darn pretty, taking after the trogon's lashes.


A lizard (whip-tail of some kind) taking on a katydid.


Brazilian Long-nosed Bats






Tomorrow we are off for a final five day stint in the mountains. Goodbye, until our final night in Costa Rica.

Green Vine Snake

We found this five or six foot brilliantly colored snake slowly making its way across our yard yesterday. Apparently they eat a lot of cavity nesting birds, which is not surprising considering how easily it was making its way up trees.

Palm Viper

Don't forget the deadly snakes!

Cider

I woke up from a nap today to find a large gopher snake sunning in on the path


Amanda and I are house/dog sitting for a couple of days. Cider is a 13ish year old gal with the energy of a puppy...she also remembers the one time there was an exciting frog in the hot tub, and now does this every time it is opened:

The wildlife (and others) from Great Basin

Five ants pulling from all sides at a dead one:


Red-naped sapsucker feeding nestlings:


Red-naped taking off:

Photo by Eric Hough

Dead gopher snake:




Black rosy finch:

Photo by Eric Hough

Red crossbill with a juvenile:

Photo by Eric Hough

Red crossbill through the binoculars:


Out of focus, but cute. Five barn swallows crushed into a nest: