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Osa Peninsula
Costa Rica
Trip Report - Nov.2022
Mantled Spider Monkey
In November 2022 we offered our first Photo Tour to one of the Central America's iconic destinations, the Osa Peninsula in southwester Costa Rica. Mary Ann and I had scouted out the location in the 2021, a trip that was extremely successful. We traveled to the Osa for monkeys, the only location in Costa Rica where one can find all four species found in this country.
Nearby lies Corcovado National Park, which occupies much of the northern half of the peninsula, and here all of Costa Rica's large mammals are found. On our scouting trip we thought we'd be visiting the park, and we were surprised to learn that the best photography took place either around the lodge or on the road that travels the length of the peninsula, from our base - a first class hotel - to the boundary of the park. We discovered that there were no roads within the park and access was by trails, and having done my share of jungle trail walking I knew that the photo opportunities would be extremely limited.
That wasn't the case on the roads and around the lodges! Here wildlife was accessible and many were quite habituated. Each day we'd head out, traveling through secondary forest, teak plantations, fields, and some forests that had trees large enough to almost qualify as primary forests. We'd be looking for monkeys and anything else, which often included brightly colored Trogans, which often perched for long periods quite close to the road.
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Squirrel Monkey - sniffing and jumping
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Squirrel Monkey and White-faced Capuchin Monkey jumping
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White-faced Capuchin, Geoffroy's Spider Monkey
Over our five days afield we encountered our monkeys - Geoffroy's Spider, Mantled Howler, White-faced Capuchin, and Red-backed (aka Central American) Squirrel Monkey. Since forest or a tree line parallels the road in many spots monkey often cross the road, spanning smaller gaps where branches interlock, and the monkeys cross fairly safely, but often the monkeys had to leap from tree to tree. While somewhat difficult to photograph -- although we did so -- these jumps were always exciting to watch.
Collared Peccaries, a distant relative of the pig family, occasionally crossed the road and were surprisingly tame. In the US southwest we'll see this species, but only in refuges and parks are they somewhat tame.
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Top: Two-toed Sloth
Botton: Three-toed Sloth
Both species of Sloth, the Two-toed and the Three-toed, are found here, and we visited one of our guide's father's farm where, in their small forest, over 70 sloths reside. We had luck with the Three-toed here, and at another location found two Two-toed Sloths. While the distinguishing feature is the number of toes on their front legs, the over-all appearance and color is quite different. Three-toed Sloths look somewhat unkempt and greenish, from the algae that grows on their fur, while the larger Two-toed has longer, somewhat blondish fur that almost looks as if it were brushed.
Swallow-tailed Kite - on the river, after swooping in for a drink
Amazon Kingfisher and fish
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Double-toothed Kite, Great Black Hawk
Spectacled Owl
Black-throated, Baird's, and Slaty-tailed Trogans
We had a variety of birds besides the Trogans, and on a river cruise we did quite well with a variety of birds, including an Amazon Kingfisher that was struggling to gulp down a large fish, a Common Potoo that resembled a tree stump, and a couple of Scarlet Macaws investigating a nest hole. American Crocodiles lined the river, the best photo opportunity I've ever had with this species anywhere.
American Crocodile
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Eyelash Viper, Fer-de-lance
Red-eyed Treefrog
One of the highlights was our visit to a farm where the owner hosts birders and, for our groups, catches some reptiles and amphibians for a day of photography. One never knows what he'll have, as he only keeps a specimen for a few days, at the most, but on both our visits he had a nice selection of treefrogs and frogs, lizards, and venomous snakes.
This was the beginning of the rainy season, and most days we had a drizzle and sometimes a downpour. While that might seem to be a flaw having rain, drizzle, and overcast skies made for wonderful soft light where contrast and terrible shadows were not an issue. On our scouting trip, in the dry season, we had a lot of sun and contrast was a frequent issue.
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Tent-making Bat (we missed this one this year), Bare-throated Tiger-Heron
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Green Tree Anole, Helmeted Basilisk
We're planning on returning in November of 2024, and may do a tour here in September of 2023, although that's speculative at the moment. If you're interested, contact our office and get on our list!
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Mangrove Swallow
A few of the images above are from our scouting trip and I expected to see these species on this tour. If you join us, you'll have a good chance at getting these and other species not illustrated here.
Granular Poison-Dart Frog
Check out our pages at:
Facebook
Flickr
Instagram
YouTube Channel
eJunkie
Mary and Joe are proud to endorse the Photo Retailer that has
done the absolute most in supporting nature photography in all
its facets ---
Check out the Monthly Specials
from Hunt's
Osa Peninsula
Costa Rica
Trip Report - Nov.2022
Mantled Spider Monkey
In November 2022 we offered our first Photo Tour to one of the Central America's iconic destinations, the Osa Peninsula in southwester Costa Rica. Mary Ann and I had scouted out the location in the 2021, a trip that was extremely successful. We traveled to the Osa for monkeys, the only location in Costa Rica where one can find all four species found in this country.
Nearby lies Corcovado National Park, which occupies much of the northern half of the peninsula, and here all of Costa Rica's large mammals are found. On our scouting trip we thought we'd be visiting the park, and we were surprised to learn that the best photography took place either around the lodge or on the road that travels the length of the peninsula, from our base - a first class hotel - to the boundary of the park. We discovered that there were no roads within the park and access was by trails, and having done my share of jungle trail walking I knew that the photo opportunities would be extremely limited.
That wasn't the case on the roads and around the lodges! Here wildlife was accessible and many were quite habituated. Each day we'd head out, traveling through secondary forest, teak plantations, fields, and some forests that had trees large enough to almost qualify as primary forests. We'd be looking for monkeys and anything else, which often included brightly colored Trogans, which often perched for long periods quite close to the road.
Squirrel Monkey - sniffing and jumping
Squirrel Monkey and White-faced Capuchin Monkey jumping
White-faced Capuchin, Geoffroy's Spider Monkey
Over our five days afield we encountered our monkeys - Geoffroy's Spider, Mantled Howler, White-faced Capuchin, and Red-backed (aka Central American) Squirrel Monkey. Since forest or a tree line parallels the road in many spots monkey often cross the road, spanning smaller gaps where branches interlock, and the monkeys cross fairly safely, but often the monkeys had to leap from tree to tree. While somewhat difficult to photograph -- although we did so -- these jumps were always exciting to watch.
Collared Peccaries, a distant relative of the pig family, occasionally crossed the road and were surprisingly tame. In the US southwest we'll see this species, but only in refuges and parks are they somewhat tame.
Top: Two-toed Sloth
Botton: Three-toed Sloth
Both species of Sloth, the Two-toed and the Three-toed, are found here, and we visited one of our guide's father's farm where, in their small forest, over 70 sloths reside. We had luck with the Three-toed here, and at another location found two Two-toed Sloths. While the distinguishing feature is the number of toes on their front legs, the over-all appearance and color is quite different. Three-toed Sloths look somewhat unkempt and greenish, from the algae that grows on their fur, while the larger Two-toed has longer, somewhat blondish fur that almost looks as if it were brushed.
Swallow-tailed Kite - on the river, after swooping in for a drink
Amazon Kingfisher and fish
Double-toothed Kite, Great Black Hawk
Spectacled Owl
Black-throated, Baird's, and Slaty-tailed Trogans
We had a variety of birds besides the Trogans, and on a river cruise we did quite well with a variety of birds, including an Amazon Kingfisher that was struggling to gulp down a large fish, a Common Potoo that resembled a tree stump, and a couple of Scarlet Macaws investigating a nest hole. American Crocodiles lined the river, the best photo opportunity I've ever had with this species anywhere.
American Crocodile
Eyelash Viper, Fer-de-lance
Red-eyed Treefrog
One of the highlights was our visit to a farm where the owner hosts birders and, for our groups, catches some reptiles and amphibians for a day of photography. One never knows what he'll have, as he only keeps a specimen for a few days, at the most, but on both our visits he had a nice selection of treefrogs and frogs, lizards, and venomous snakes.
This was the beginning of the rainy season, and most days we had a drizzle and sometimes a downpour. While that might seem to be a flaw having rain, drizzle, and overcast skies made for wonderful soft light where contrast and terrible shadows were not an issue. On our scouting trip, in the dry season, we had a lot of sun and contrast was a frequent issue.
Tent-making Bat (we missed this one this year), Bare-throated Tiger-Heron
Green Tree Anole, Helmeted Basilisk
We're planning on returning in November of 2024, and may do a tour here in September of 2023, although that's speculative at the moment. If you're interested, contact our office and get on our list!
Mangrove Swallow
A few of the images above are from our scouting trip and I expected to see these species on this tour. If you join us, you'll have a good chance at getting these and other species not illustrated here.
Granular Poison-Dart Frog
Check out our pages at:
Facebook
Flickr
Instagram
YouTube Channel
eJunkie
Mary and Joe are proud to endorse the Photo Retailer that has
done the absolute most in supporting nature photography in all
its facets ---
Check out the Monthly Specials
from Hunt's
Osa Peninsula
Costa Rica
Trip Report - Nov.2022
Mantled Spider Monkey
In November 2022 we offered our first Photo Tour to one of the Central America's iconic destinations, the Osa Peninsula in southwester Costa Rica. Mary Ann and I had scouted out the location in the 2021, a trip that was extremely successful. We traveled to the Osa for monkeys, the only location in Costa Rica where one can find all four species found in this country.
Nearby lies Corcovado National Park, which occupies much of the northern half of the peninsula, and here all of Costa Rica's large mammals are found. On our scouting trip we thought we'd be visiting the park, and we were surprised to learn that the best photography took place either around the lodge or on the road that travels the length of the peninsula, from our base - a first class hotel - to the boundary of the park. We discovered that there were no roads within the park and access was by trails, and having done my share of jungle trail walking I knew that the photo opportunities would be extremely limited.
That wasn't the case on the roads and around the lodges! Here wildlife was accessible and many were quite habituated. Each day we'd head out, traveling through secondary forest, teak plantations, fields, and some forests that had trees large enough to almost qualify as primary forests. We'd be looking for monkeys and anything else, which often included brightly colored Trogans, which often perched for long periods quite close to the road.
Squirrel Monkey - sniffing and jumping
Squirrel Monkey and White-faced Capuchin Monkey jumping
White-faced Capuchin, Geoffroy's Spider Monkey
Over our five days afield we encountered our monkeys - Geoffroy's Spider, Mantled Howler, White-faced Capuchin, and Red-backed (aka Central American) Squirrel Monkey. Since forest or a tree line parallels the road in many spots monkey often cross the road, spanning smaller gaps where branches interlock, and the monkeys cross fairly safely, but often the monkeys had to leap from tree to tree. While somewhat difficult to photograph -- although we did so -- these jumps were always exciting to watch.
Collared Peccaries, a distant relative of the pig family, occasionally crossed the road and were surprisingly tame. In the US southwest we'll see this species, but only in refuges and parks are they somewhat tame.
Top: Two-toed Sloth
Botton: Three-toed Sloth
Both species of Sloth, the Two-toed and the Three-toed, are found here, and we visited one of our guide's father's farm where, in their small forest, over 70 sloths reside. We had luck with the Three-toed here, and at another location found two Two-toed Sloths. While the distinguishing feature is the number of toes on their front legs, the over-all appearance and color is quite different. Three-toed Sloths look somewhat unkempt and greenish, from the algae that grows on their fur, while the larger Two-toed has longer, somewhat blondish fur that almost looks as if it were brushed.
Swallow-tailed Kite - on the river, after swooping in for a drink
Amazon Kingfisher and fish
Double-toothed Kite, Great Black Hawk
Spectacled Owl
Black-throated, Baird's, and Slaty-tailed Trogans
We had a variety of birds besides the Trogans, and on a river cruise we did quite well with a variety of birds, including an Amazon Kingfisher that was struggling to gulp down a large fish, a Common Potoo that resembled a tree stump, and a couple of Scarlet Macaws investigating a nest hole. American Crocodiles lined the river, the best photo opportunity I've ever had with this species anywhere.
American Crocodile
Eyelash Viper, Fer-de-lance
Red-eyed Treefrog
One of the highlights was our visit to a farm where the owner hosts birders and, for our groups, catches some reptiles and amphibians for a day of photography. One never knows what he'll have, as he only keeps a specimen for a few days, at the most, but on both our visits he had a nice selection of treefrogs and frogs, lizards, and venomous snakes.
This was the beginning of the rainy season, and most days we had a drizzle and sometimes a downpour. While that might seem to be a flaw having rain, drizzle, and overcast skies made for wonderful soft light where contrast and terrible shadows were not an issue. On our scouting trip, in the dry season, we had a lot of sun and contrast was a frequent issue.
Tent-making Bat (we missed this one this year), Bare-throated Tiger-Heron
Green Tree Anole, Helmeted Basilisk
We're planning on returning in November of 2024, and may do a tour here in September of 2023, although that's speculative at the moment. If you're interested, contact our office and get on our list!
Mangrove Swallow
A few of the images above are from our scouting trip and I expected to see these species on this tour. If you join us, you'll have a good chance at getting these and other species not illustrated here.
Granular Poison-Dart Frog
Check out our pages at:
Facebook
Flickr
Instagram
YouTube Channel
eJunkie
Mary and Joe are proud to endorse the Photo Retailer that has
done the absolute most in supporting nature photography in all
its facets ---
Check out the Monthly Specials
from Hunt's
Osa Peninsula
Costa Rica
Trip Report - Nov.2022
Mantled Spider Monkey
In November 2022 we offered our first Photo Tour to one of the Central America's iconic destinations, the Osa Peninsula in southwester Costa Rica. Mary Ann and I had scouted out the location in the 2021, a trip that was extremely successful. We traveled to the Osa for monkeys, the only location in Costa Rica where one can find all four species found in this country.
Nearby lies Corcovado National Park, which occupies much of the northern half of the peninsula, and here all of Costa Rica's large mammals are found. On our scouting trip we thought we'd be visiting the park, and we were surprised to learn that the best photography took place either around the lodge or on the road that travels the length of the peninsula, from our base - a first class hotel - to the boundary of the park. We discovered that there were no roads within the park and access was by trails, and having done my share of jungle trail walking I knew that the photo opportunities would be extremely limited.
That wasn't the case on the roads and around the lodges! Here wildlife was accessible and many were quite habituated. Each day we'd head out, traveling through secondary forest, teak plantations, fields, and some forests that had trees large enough to almost qualify as primary forests. We'd be looking for monkeys and anything else, which often included brightly colored Trogans, which often perched for long periods quite close to the road.
Squirrel Monkey - sniffing and jumping
Squirrel Monkey and White-faced Capuchin Monkey jumping
White-faced Capuchin, Geoffroy's Spider Monkey
Over our five days afield we encountered our monkeys - Geoffroy's Spider, Mantled Howler, White-faced Capuchin, and Red-backed (aka Central American) Squirrel Monkey. Since forest or a tree line parallels the road in many spots monkey often cross the road, spanning smaller gaps where branches interlock, and the monkeys cross fairly safely, but often the monkeys had to leap from tree to tree. While somewhat difficult to photograph -- although we did so -- these jumps were always exciting to watch.
Collared Peccaries, a distant relative of the pig family, occasionally crossed the road and were surprisingly tame. In the US southwest we'll see this species, but only in refuges and parks are they somewhat tame.
Top: Two-toed Sloth
Botton: Three-toed Sloth
Both species of Sloth, the Two-toed and the Three-toed, are found here, and we visited one of our guide's father's farm where, in their small forest, over 70 sloths reside. We had luck with the Three-toed here, and at another location found two Two-toed Sloths. While the distinguishing feature is the number of toes on their front legs, the over-all appearance and color is quite different. Three-toed Sloths look somewhat unkempt and greenish, from the algae that grows on their fur, while the larger Two-toed has longer, somewhat blondish fur that almost looks as if it were brushed.
Swallow-tailed Kite - on the river, after swooping in for a drink
Amazon Kingfisher and fish
Double-toothed Kite, Great Black Hawk
Spectacled Owl
Black-throated, Baird's, and Slaty-tailed Trogans
We had a variety of birds besides the Trogans, and on a river cruise we did quite well with a variety of birds, including an Amazon Kingfisher that was struggling to gulp down a large fish, a Common Potoo that resembled a tree stump, and a couple of Scarlet Macaws investigating a nest hole. American Crocodiles lined the river, the best photo opportunity I've ever had with this species anywhere.
American Crocodile
Eyelash Viper, Fer-de-lance
Red-eyed Treefrog
One of the highlights was our visit to a farm where the owner hosts birders and, for our groups, catches some reptiles and amphibians for a day of photography. One never knows what he'll have, as he only keeps a specimen for a few days, at the most, but on both our visits he had a nice selection of treefrogs and frogs, lizards, and venomous snakes.
This was the beginning of the rainy season, and most days we had a drizzle and sometimes a downpour. While that might seem to be a flaw having rain, drizzle, and overcast skies made for wonderful soft light where contrast and terrible shadows were not an issue. On our scouting trip, in the dry season, we had a lot of sun and contrast was a frequent issue.
Tent-making Bat (we missed this one this year), Bare-throated Tiger-Heron
Green Tree Anole, Helmeted Basilisk
We're planning on returning in November of 2024, and may do a tour here in September of 2023, although that's speculative at the moment. If you're interested, contact our office and get on our list!
Mangrove Swallow
A few of the images above are from our scouting trip and I expected to see these species on this tour. If you join us, you'll have a good chance at getting these and other species not illustrated here.
Granular Poison-Dart Frog
Check out our pages at:
Facebook
Flickr
Instagram
YouTube Channel
eJunkie
Mary and Joe are proud to endorse the Photo Retailer that has
done the absolute most in supporting nature photography in all
its facets ---
Check out the Monthly Specials
from Hunt's
Osa Peninsula
Costa Rica
Trip Report - Nov.2022
Mantled Spider Monkey
In November 2022 we offered our first Photo Tour to one of the Central America's iconic destinations, the Osa Peninsula in southwester Costa Rica. Mary Ann and I had scouted out the location in the 2021, a trip that was extremely successful. We traveled to the Osa for monkeys, the only location in Costa Rica where one can find all four species found in this country.
Nearby lies Corcovado National Park, which occupies much of the northern half of the peninsula, and here all of Costa Rica's large mammals are found. On our scouting trip we thought we'd be visiting the park, and we were surprised to learn that the best photography took place either around the lodge or on the road that travels the length of the peninsula, from our base - a first class hotel - to the boundary of the park. We discovered that there were no roads within the park and access was by trails, and having done my share of jungle trail walking I knew that the photo opportunities would be extremely limited.
That wasn't the case on the roads and around the lodges! Here wildlife was accessible and many were quite habituated. Each day we'd head out, traveling through secondary forest, teak plantations, fields, and some forests that had trees large enough to almost qualify as primary forests. We'd be looking for monkeys and anything else, which often included brightly colored Trogans, which often perched for long periods quite close to the road.
Squirrel Monkey - sniffing and jumping
Squirrel Monkey and White-faced Capuchin Monkey jumping
White-faced Capuchin, Geoffroy's Spider Monkey
Over our five days afield we encountered our monkeys - Geoffroy's Spider, Mantled Howler, White-faced Capuchin, and Red-backed (aka Central American) Squirrel Monkey. Since forest or a tree line parallels the road in many spots monkey often cross the road, spanning smaller gaps where branches interlock, and the monkeys cross fairly safely, but often the monkeys had to leap from tree to tree. While somewhat difficult to photograph -- although we did so -- these jumps were always exciting to watch.
Collared Peccaries, a distant relative of the pig family, occasionally crossed the road and were surprisingly tame. In the US southwest we'll see this species, but only in refuges and parks are they somewhat tame.
Top: Two-toed Sloth
Botton: Three-toed Sloth
Both species of Sloth, the Two-toed and the Three-toed, are found here, and we visited one of our guide's father's farm where, in their small forest, over 70 sloths reside. We had luck with the Three-toed here, and at another location found two Two-toed Sloths. While the distinguishing feature is the number of toes on their front legs, the over-all appearance and color is quite different. Three-toed Sloths look somewhat unkempt and greenish, from the algae that grows on their fur, while the larger Two-toed has longer, somewhat blondish fur that almost looks as if it were brushed.
Swallow-tailed Kite - on the river, after swooping in for a drink
Amazon Kingfisher and fish
Double-toothed Kite, Great Black Hawk
Spectacled Owl
Black-throated, Baird's, and Slaty-tailed Trogans
We had a variety of birds besides the Trogans, and on a river cruise we did quite well with a variety of birds, including an Amazon Kingfisher that was struggling to gulp down a large fish, a Common Potoo that resembled a tree stump, and a couple of Scarlet Macaws investigating a nest hole. American Crocodiles lined the river, the best photo opportunity I've ever had with this species anywhere.
American Crocodile
Eyelash Viper, Fer-de-lance
Red-eyed Treefrog
One of the highlights was our visit to a farm where the owner hosts birders and, for our groups, catches some reptiles and amphibians for a day of photography. One never knows what he'll have, as he only keeps a specimen for a few days, at the most, but on both our visits he had a nice selection of treefrogs and frogs, lizards, and venomous snakes.
This was the beginning of the rainy season, and most days we had a drizzle and sometimes a downpour. While that might seem to be a flaw having rain, drizzle, and overcast skies made for wonderful soft light where contrast and terrible shadows were not an issue. On our scouting trip, in the dry season, we had a lot of sun and contrast was a frequent issue.
Tent-making Bat (we missed this one this year), Bare-throated Tiger-Heron
Green Tree Anole, Helmeted Basilisk
We're planning on returning in November of 2024, and may do a tour here in September of 2023, although that's speculative at the moment. If you're interested, contact our office and get on our list!
Mangrove Swallow
A few of the images above are from our scouting trip and I expected to see these species on this tour. If you join us, you'll have a good chance at getting these and other species not illustrated here.
Granular Poison-Dart Frog
Check out our pages at:
Facebook
Flickr
Instagram
YouTube Channel
eJunkie
Mary and Joe are proud to endorse the Photo Retailer that has
done the absolute most in supporting nature photography in all
its facets ---
Check out the Monthly Specials
from Hunt's
Mary and Joe are proud to endorse the Photo Retailer that has
done the absolute most in supporting nature photography in all
its facets ---
Check out the Monthly Specials
from Hunt's
