Costa Rica Travel: Delightful Wings

My Costa Rica travel series in the Osa Peninsula would be remiss if I didn't dedicate a blog or two to the birds.  Common, every day sightings of Parrots and Toucans soared the moment we stepped out of the jeep.  Raptors, such as the Yellow-headed Caracara regally perched on trees that were fairly low to the ground.

by Sheen's Nature Photography

by Sheen's Nature Photography

Comical, colorful masks of the Toucans stood out against inky black feathers.

Imagine sitting down for lunch your first day and a toucan is 25 feet away.  My first instinct was to grab the camera versus eat as I didn't want to miss my moment.  After watching the large number of birds hovering nearby, I realized Toucans were quite common.  They  behaved with humans similarly to common backyard birds back home.  

Toucans had their eating routine down to a science.  Like a kid who likes to toss popcorn and catch it in the air with their mouths, Toucans make mealtimes fun.  The pull the berry off the tree, they may crack it a bit before tossing, catching and swallowing whole.  

When most birds go quiet midday, the Toucans are still out and about popping their lunch.

Did I mention that their talons were blue?  What a fab pair of 'shoes'.  

Scarlet McCaws.  Seeing them in flight with the rich scarlets contrasting with bright green trees and sky blue surroundings stopped us in our tracks.

A small family with parents and junior stopped for their lunch where we were able to view family dynamics and get some fairly close images.  Their powerful bills cracked nuts like nobody's business!  Textured faces, inquisitive expressions brought a smile with every snap of the shutter.

by Sheen's Nature Photography

Costa Rica warms the spirit and graces the visual senses with brilliant colors, sounds and wings.

A perfect place for "Happy Shooting"!

Note:  Images taken with Nikon 7100 and Tamron 150-600mm.  The Scarlet Macaw was captured with the Nikon 70-300mm.

Traveling to Costa Rica: Lush Lands & Magnificent Wildlife

Capuchin Cutie by Sheen's Nature Photography
Nikon 7100, Tamron 150-600mm

Costa Rica.  Just saying those two little words a country filled with tremendous beauty immediately comes to mind.

During December 2014, I traveled there for a week that passed too quickly.

From people with quick smiles and delightful hellos, to foods that enticed the pallet (would love to have some yucca chips right now!) to nature's diversity, I will return to the Osa Peninsula for another sojourn.

Until then, I'll share images throughout the next few months that share the country's love of nature and color.

The first sounds I heard when arriving at the eco lodge of Bosque Del Cabo Rainforest Lodge were dogs barking.  Or so I thought.  Instead it was Howler monkeys rapidly on the move in rainforest.

My next monkey sighting was the Capuchins.  So expressive and so cute because of their ever changing faces.

One moment the monkeys are there, the next moment they disappear deep into the forest.

The Toucan's with their vibrant lime greens, lemon yellows and scarlet reds against a cape of black feathers and chestnut colored mandible, were the first birds to make their appearance.

Toucan Man by Sheen's Nature Photography
Nikon 7100, Tamron 150-600mm

While these funny faces were visible all week long, I never tired of photographing them.  Whether eating, basking in the sun or watching their photographer of the moment, seeing them in the wild was a wonderful gift.

Stay tuned for more images and writings illustrating Costa Rica's diversity and beauty.

Happy Shooting!

Sheen