A View from the Top

A Unique View of the Rainforest

La Selva Biological Field Station, Costa Rica

July 14th, 2009

This photograph was taken from atop a research tower at the OTS La Selva Field Station. The total height of the tower is just over 40 meters. On a clear day at the top, you can see the chain of volcanoes that run like a spine down the center of the country to the west, and the Caribbean to the east.  It was partly cloudy on the day I climbed the tower, so most of the view was obstructed, but what I did see was amazing. After climbing to the top of this tower, I climbed part way down and crossed a bridge to the second tower. From here, I made my way down to the ground. I will say the whole experience was a little tense, but well worth it. I would not have wanted to miss out on this experience; one that few visitors get to have. 

The towers themselves are part of a long term project to study the Carbon Cycle and climate change. The towers I climbed are only two of several scattered throughout the forest. Our guide was telling my group that there are plans to add additional towers to this site and monitoring equipment that will make it possible to collect data remotely. 

Night Walk Along the Camino Cantarana

Scinax boulengeri

La Selva Biological Field Station, Costa Rica

July 15th, 2009

This Boulenger's Snouted Treefrog was photographed along the boardwalk of the Camino Cantarana at the OTS La Selva field station. The Cantarana (frog song) trail was one of my favorite night spots during my trip to Costa Rica. The trailhead was only a few meters from the academic building and we would often take a quick trip down to the boardwalk before heading on the one kilometer hike back to the Cabinas. At night the Cantarana trail is alive with the sound of frogs calling and snakes hunting, every night was an adventure with new organisms to observe and photograph.

Poison-Dart Frog on a Walk Through La Selva

Oophaga pumilio

La Selva Biological Field Station, Costa Rica

July 13th, 2009

Here is another photograph from my trip last summer to Costa Rica. I captured this little frog during a solo walk through the forest. Although these frogs were ubiquitous in La Selva, I couldn't help but photograph one every chance I got. They were easy to spot in the leaf litter and on the roots of trees both because of their bright color and their resounding vocalizations.

The Oophaga pumilio (formerly of the genus Dendrobates) are an interesting species in that throughout their range they exist in several distinct color morphs. The blue-jeans variety, as photographed above, is the most common but they can be solid orange-red, as well as green, yellow, or even blue, all with or without spots. Another interesting characteristic of this species is the high degree of parental care from both parents. The male of this species, though less involved than the female, provides a degree of parental care by depositing water on the eggs and defending the nest. The females expend more energy and time into the care of her young. She will take the newly hatched tadpoles one at a time from the nest to a small water filled cavity, often a bromeliad axil. In these little pools her young are safe from predators, but have no food, so she will come back periodically and lay unfertilized eggs for her young to eat.

Frogs are amazing creatures, unfortunately across the World their populations are being threatened with extinction from habitat loss, climate change, and infectious disease (chytrid fungus). Hopefully with a conscious effort we can protect the species we have left.

Green Honeycreeper After Lunch

Chlorophanes spiza

La Selva Biological Field Station, Costa Rica

July 15th, 2009

I photographed this female Green Honeycreeper just after lunch at the OTS La Selva field station in Costa Rica. She was sitting in my favorite birding tree, just off the patio. I was impressed by the diversity of birds I saw in this one spot. This particular species of honeycreeper is different from others in the tanager family, in that they are less dependent on nectar and more dependent on fruit. This species is monotypic, or the only member of the genus Chlorophanes. Like many avians, this species displays sexual dimorphism with the male sporting bright teal-blue feathers with a black head, while the female is clad in green.

Hummingbird at La Selva

Hummingbird and Heliconia

La Selva, Costa Rica

July 13, 2009

I took this picture of a hummingbird feeding at a heliconia during my recent trip to Costa Rica during an OTS teachers course. This shot was a lucky snap taken while photographing the beautiful red-orange bracts of the heliconia plant. I was framing a shot of a nearby bract when this cute little hummingbird landed. I quickly and quietly panned over and fired off two shots. I was absolutely amazed at the diversity of the hummingbirds and their adaptations for feeding on different flowering plants.