A few days at Bosque del Tolomuco, real time (almost)!

Hey everyone, I had an idea today... Does anyone want to spend the next two days exploring Bosque del Tolomuco with me? If so, you have two options: pull out your credit card, book the next direct flight to Costa Rica, get a car, bus, or helicopter and head down to the Talamanca mountains. The other option to do it digitally and follow this sort of mini-series of blog posts. There's a "follow" button somewhere on the top of the page.

I'm always trying to think of new ways to display my photographs and tell the stories of the things I've seen in the rainforest. While down the trail this morning I had an idea: why not take advantage of the fact that I have internet this time around and keep a running blog of real time field updates. The idea is to update the blog with photos and videos with short narration two or three times a day, ideally after meal times. Basically, you can take walks through the Pacific highland rainforest, searching for its inhabitants and soaking up the scenery all from the comfort (or confinement) or your home or office. Nothing formal, no academic entries, just sharing the experience with photos and video.

The focus of the blogs will be the experience of being here. As many of you know, I have a slight inclination towards amphibians and reptiles, but I think you will find these entries well balanced with general natural history. Some ideas I have are to post photos and videos of the animals, the trail and scenery, and some of the tropical fauna that I come across. As I'm a day late, I am including encounters from yesterday as well, such as a Pepsis tarantula-hawk wasp carrying its paralyzed arachnid prey away and the finding of two adult Black milk snakes. For you bird lovers out there, I will try to keep a running list of what is seen or heard, though it will be a casual list, nothing exhaustive. I am also including short video clips to share some of the bird calls and songs that I have been hearing on the trails; I could really use some help with some of the identifications of these calls too!

What do you all think? Countless times people have said how they need to live vicariously through me while they finish their essay, work shift, dissertation. Well, here's your chance. “Follow” this non-monetary blog to keep up to date with what's moving in the highlands of Costa Rica's Talamanca cloudforest- ~1800 meters above sea level.  

If I know you're continually reading along I'll try to give you a "shout out" and focus at least part of the day on something particular that you like (I know Daniel likes spiders, Mo and Atilla like vipers, and a whole slew of you like birds). I'll also take requests for photos or videos of something specific if at all possible (I know there'll be at least one funny guy who asks for a bushmaster :-)

Photos with Nikon D7000 and Olympus Tough

Videos with Olympus Tough and iPhone 4

I am open for all discussion, questions, and suggestions!

Pura Vida

-Don