Costa Rica 2

Hello everyone it has been two weeks since I was able to last write and A LOT has happened. First I failed to mention anything about birds last time and there are over 800 species in Costa Rica so as you can imagine we see quite a variety. Some of the survey work I am doing involves birds. So I want to mention my favorite bird song is the Motazuma Oropendola, this is a very colorful bird and its call always brings a smile to my face. Favorite bird sighted is the Chestnut-Mandible Toucan, absolutely gorgeous bird. Rarest bird sighted the Scarlet Rumped Tanenger. There I have done my part for the birds.

I did camp duty for the first time last week, and I tell you it is a lot of work cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner for 20 plus people. I say plus because there seems to always be some extras, be it visitors for other programs or workers doing things around camp. To top it off your day starts at 4:00 am because breakfast is served at 4:30. Yes people I am up before the sun every day of the week but Sunday. No hell has not frozen over yet.

The next big thing I did was the infamous Jaguar walk. This is a 15 mile walk on a beach near Tortugero, it is not the beach we work turtles. It is located in the national park and there are Jags eating turtles and we walk the beach to document new kills, check for jag tracks and count turtle tracks. This day starts at 3:30 ant we are on the beach walking at 4:30. We start off so early because it is best to get as much walking in before the heat of the day comes. So I got to see the sunrise and it was absolutely spectacular!!!

I also saw my first nesting turtle and two others that were returning to the sea after nesting. I was able to get one with the sunrise in the background. Very cool. I did fairly well but between 10:00 and 11:00 it was so hot. We use umbrellas to help block the sun and while it helps when it is just baking hot there is no relief. We stopped at mile 12 at 11:00 and sat in the shade and ate lunch. We rested for about a half hour and then got going again. I tell you it is amazing what a little rest does, we got really lucky because a nice Strong breeze started and clouds rolled in. So thankfully it was no longer sweltering. We finished at 2:30, I tell you it was so nice to see mile marker 18.

I look forward to my next Jag walk I want to see how much I have improved. I did two night walks this past week and on the second one we got lucky. We were able to work two turtles!!! I have been on three of these night walks and this was the first night that I saw anything. The night team consists of four people and this duty is rotated among the whole group. Working a turtle means we count her eggs as she is laying them, measuring her carapace(shell) triangulating her nest and tagging her. It is such a neat experience and they really are such beautiful animals.

I was defiantly very jazzed that night, I did not even feel that tired considering we did not get back to camp till 3:00 am. When we do night walks we do get to sleep in. I am writing this e mail to you from Puerta Viejo. It is on the Caribbean cost right near Panama. So yesterday when we headed down hear we were just 18 miles south of Nicaragua and now I am just 20 miles north of Panama. For those of you who have a Costa Rica map laying about just get it out and you will see.

We came down halfway to Limon by boat, it was a fabulous ride, it is a great way to travel. We saw at least 20 different kids of birds, crocodiles, cows, an otter, it was quite fun. We went the rest of the way by bus. I am not built for bus rides on these bumpy roads. I have definitely decided flying or boat are only two good ways to get around Costa Rica. Well now that I have put you all to sleep with my message, I will say good-bye for now. Big hugs and kisses to Emily, Hayden, William and Olivia!!!!! Love Kelly Pictures are here

Costa Rica 1

Hello everyone I hope this finds you all doing well. It is my first full week in Costa Rica. It has been a long week of training, and for those who know me a long week of early mornings. It is fabulous though I must admit. The first morning in the jungle I was awoken by the howler monkeys about 4:30, yes they really do howl quite like a dog (Good thing you did not buy me an alarm clock Jacq) I think they know when new people have arrived because they have not sounded off as much since that first morning.

It is quite beautiful here and I must say one of my favorite features is the canal the camp is on. It was about a 45 minute boat ride down rivers an canals to get to the base. It is so beautiful the way the thick lush jungle just goes straight up from the rivers edge. We have been out on the water several times as it is the only way to and from the camp. I enjoy the beauty each time, day or night. Most of this past week has been spent in class training for the different surveys we do: Turtle morning census, turtle night survey, canal bird survey, Rafia trail bird survey and the infamous Jaguar walk.

After 4 days in class I was in the last group to go out for a turtle walk. I did the morning census which is a six mile walk on the beach starting at 6:30 we look for tracks and nests from the night before. It was great because a green and a Hawks-bill had come up right near each other and their paths crossed and ran adjacent to each other. This was particularly interesting because it made it so you could see the distinct differences between their tracks.

Then I got to do the night survey that same day, yes another 6 miles on the beach from 10:00pm to 1:30am. It is so interesting to do the night walk because you do not use any lights because that would bother the females. I tell you it was so surreal. The sound of the waves, the moon and stars, I have to say this was my very favorite moment by far. We did not see any females come up to nest but the peace and tranquility of the walk was indescribable. I will look forward to the night walk each and every time.

Well I must be off as there are other people in the group who want to e mail their friends and family. Before I go though I need to tell you all that I also got to see hatch-lings (2) leave their nest and make their way down the beach to the ocean. This is a very rare treat. Take care and i will e mail next weekend Love Kelly Big higs and kisses to Emily, Hayden William And Livi Pictures are here