A

Costa Rica is known to initiates for its eco-tourism. Most people who come to Costa Rica, rent a 4-wheel drive vehicle and drive from national park to national park paying steep entry fees and what to us is a hefty price to take tours. However, we do think they are rewarded by seeing more than we did with the help of their guide. But just by walking along country roads and mountain paths and being attentive we did see quite a few wild animals and birds that we'd never seen before. The photos here give you some idea of what we saw.

There wasn't much unusual about the wildlife we saw at Bahia Salinas, although there were some cute little yellow-breasted birds that had never seen before, but what was unusual was that the place was almost deserted except for us.

Egret, Bahia Salinas

The egret here, visited the resort every morning and every evening almost like clockwork, but wouldn't let us get too close. You can see from the picture how dry it was. Everyone was talking about the coming rainy season, but in Bahia Salinas rain seemed a lifetime away. We were in the middle of what the Costa Ricans called a "temporal", an unusual weather pattern typified by high winds that whipped the bay into whitecaps, brought the temperature in the shade down to very tolerable levels.

Pelicans, Playa Manzanillo

These pelicans were fat and happy. Just out of sight was a fishing boat, whose crew were cleaning their catch and throwing the leftovers overboard to a waiting horde of pelicans and other smaller seabirds.

Crab, Bahia Salinas

This handsome fellow was found on the narrow beach just in front of our hotel. We did go bathing here once, but the storm had stirred up lots of mud and debris in the water, so we didn't find it too appealing and much preferred the swimming pool.

Inexperienced Gecko - it got caught

Iguana, Rincon Viejo N. P.

You can often see people showing off iguanas to tourists and offering to let them be photographed with one for a small fee. It's much more exciting to see them in the wild. This critter crossed our picnic area at Rincon de la Vieja national park and then climbed a nearby tree. Maybe he wanted to be fed.

Capuchin Monkey, Rincon de la Vieja N. P.

Rincon de la Vieja national park was for us the one place where we didn't mind paying the $6.00 entry fee each because of the wildlife we saw there. The white-faced monkeys were playing around in the trees just above the trail we were following to get to a waterfall. We never got to the waterfall.

Toucan, Rincon Viejo N. P.

On that same walk through the forest, Jan suddenly heard a rustling sound near the trail, looked in that direction, and there, right on the edge of the trail on a branch about six feet off the ground was perched this little fellow almost begging to be photographed.

White Throated Jay, Rincon Viejo N. P.

As if the day had not already been exciting enough, on our way out of the forest we were greeted by a half dozen of these white-throated jays cavorting in the trees scattered in a more open area.

Worm, Santa Elena

Fly Catcher, Santa Elena

Eggs in Nest, Heredia

Hatchling, La Fortuna

Humming Bird, slopes of Volcan Poas

Butterfly, Chirripo

Fly Catcher?, Chirripo