25 Feb 2019
Another beautiful jungle sunrise:
We got up nice and early to climb this tower and look for some cool birds:
It’s built right into the tree, complete with tire padding and chains:
A long way down, but cool roots!
Can’t remember the name of these guys, but I like the one getting ready to fly off:
Groove-billed ani:
Opal-crowned tanager:
This guy was my favorite- he was building a nest, so he hung around for quite a while:
Kite! This guy was also building a nest:
There was actually a nesting pair, so both the male and female were there (and no, I can’t tell them apart):
Not the greatest picture, but these two blue and yellow macaws circled our tree (hence the branch in the way):
Another Opal-crowned tanager:
Also, that does not look like a good branch to stand on…
Green and gold tanager:
Hiking through the jungle, again:
Don’t grab this branch:
Some trees have this hybrid buttress root system:
Others have more of a tripod system:
This is a walking palm- it sends out roots toward the light, and loses roots on the shaded side. Not sure how far they actually walk:
Squirrel monkey, with baby!
Hold on tight little guy!
Millipede (he tickles when he walks across your hand):
Another creepy crawling millipede:
Poison dart frog (do not lick):
Another poison dart frog (I spotted this one- go me!):
Grumpy-faced leaf frog (not his real name):
Chubby little frog:
BLUE BUTTERFLY!!!
Black-mantled tamarin:
I think he saw me!
Leaf frog:
Señor long-legs (again, not his real name):
Back at our lodge, I found these birds just chilling on the roof with their wings fluffed out:
We tried some more piranha fishing- this time Jim caught a flying fish!
I caught a piranha!
Kissing him might not be the best idea…
…but I had been swimming in the lake, with the piranhas, so maybe my judgement is a bit questionable 😉
Summer caught this lunker of a piranha!
He was seriously the size of a dinner plate! No one wanted to pick him up, so he got nudged back into the lake with a shoe- poor guy!
As the sun began to set, we hopped into the canoes for one last evening of sight-seeing around the lake:
Patti, Mark and me
Groove-billed ani:
Fun fact: butterflies sit on the heads of turtles and lick their tears (it’s how they get salt).
Also: the turtles here are side-neck turtles- they can’t retract their heads into their shells; they just bend their heads to the side.
Proboscis bats sleeping on a tree:
Golden-crowned flycatcher:
I like it when birds stretch funny:
White-winged swallow:
Overhead macaws:
White caiman:
I see you…
Red-capped cardinal:
Great kiskadee (I think):
Rufescent Tiger-Heron
Sulfur-bellied flycatcher:
Marmoset- look at that long tail:
Another marmoset:
Black caiman:
Parrot eating a fruit:
Pygmy kingfisher:
Capped heron:
Zigzag heron:
Lodge at night:
Baby boa constrictor on the walk back to our room:
Good night, little snake!