2008 Costa Rica Southern Skies Fiesta, Volcanos & Rainforest

Feb 11, 2008 – Monday – La Selva Preserve, Sarapiqui Rain Forest, Heredia, Costa Rica

We visit the nearby La Selva Preserve this morning, which is a biological research station focused on the rain forest. Our guide is a bird nesting researcher, so he is very knowledgeable about the many birds we encounter on our nature walk. He also has interesting stories to tell about La Selva itself, as well as the flora and fauna in the preserve. He catches a Blue-black Grassquit to show us the feathers, and we also see a poison dart frog on the forest floor (Oophaga). He calls the birds to us using a portable speaker he drives with a bird song database from Cornell.

Our guide Diego conducts a walking tour near the hotel this afternoon, but I just want some down time, so I don’t go. It is wonderful to just sit on the deck overlooking the lagoon; watching and listening to the rain come down in showers, and observing the interesting wildlife, which is so close. As I explore the hotel grounds, I also discover some unique features of Sueño Azul Hotel, including high wire acrobatic apparatus, and a horse barn with a riding ring. Then there’s the previously mentioned pedestrian foot bridge across the river, providing guests with their main access to the hotel.

My wildlife spotting list from this amazing tropical area just for yesterday and today reveals an abundant diversity!