Our Sloth Walk At A Sloth’s Pace In La Fortuna

arenal volcano, la fortuna, costa rica

Waking up at 5:45 a.m. was becoming a habit when staying in Costa Rica.  The abundant bird calls tugged me from sleep easily as I was always excited for another day of exploration in La Fortuna.  Our first view every morning was that of Arenal Volcano seen in the near distance.

fruits of a bamboo palm, la fortuna, costa rica

Even on the short walk to breakfast, Bob and I admired a variety of tropical vegetation such as the fruits on this Bamboo Palm.

social flycatcher with nesting material, costa rica

Several minutes were spent observing a Social Flycatcher as it flew back and forth to its nest with building materials.

sign for sloth walk, la fortuna, costa rica

Then, it was on to The Sloth Walk.  Being our first time in Costa Rica, we were giddy at the prospect of seeing new animals, birds and flora.

zorek ramirez and jean, sloth walk, la fortuna, costa rica

No time was wasted after a guide, Zorek Ramirez, was assigned to us.

sloth walk trail, la fortuna, costa rica

It was into the intriguing shady interior of the small woodlot led by Zorek, otherwise known as Brian.  He was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable.

flowers of expanded lobsterclaw, la fortuna, costa rica

Brian spent many long minutes informing us about the native plants, animals and birds that inhabit and grow in that patch of secondary rainforest.  I was particularly interested in this bract supporting several Expanded Lobster claw flowers.

black-and-white owl, sloth walk, la fortuna, costa rica

One of the first birds to delight us was a Black-and-white Owl, a species of owl that ranges from central Mexico through Central America to the western region of Colombia.

jean with huge leaf, sloth walk, la fortuna, costa rica

After marveling at some over-sized fallen leaves, I was encouraged to look deep into the shadows of another furled leaf.  Caution was recommended for therein was a poisonous Strawberry Poison-Dart Frog.

blue jeans poison dart frog, la fortuna, costa rica

Also called Blue Jeans Poison Dart Frog because of its bright blue legs, it is one of 100 species of poison dart frogs.

strawberry poison dart frog, sloth walk, la fortuna, costa rica

Their poison results from the types of insects that are ingested.

rainforest trail, sloth walk, la fortuna, costa rica

The reserve covers a 20-hectare area with several trails that crisscross the small patch of rainforest.  It was Giovanni Bogarin Solano who, in 2000, decided to preserve and re-naturalize the property so that wildlife around La Fortuna would have a place to go.

barred antshrike, sloth walk, la fortuna, costa rica

Meandering the quiet trails, Bob, Brian and I listened intently for the telltale chirps of birds, a bouncing twig, or the rustle of leaves.  A Barred Antshrike blended in well with the shadows owing to the white speckles on its black plumage.

barred antshrike with nesting material, la fortuna, costa rica

This male Barred Antshrike, showing the white base of his raised crest, had a mouthful of moss destined for the lining of a cup-shaped nest.

barred antshrike, sloth walk, la fortuna, costa rica

Antshrikes do, indeed, eat ants and arthropods.

jean tasting termites, sloth walk, la fortuna, costa rica

While on the topic of ants, it was soon after observing this bird that Brian tempted me to try eating some fresh termites plucked straight from a nest.  Although preferably eaten in a cooked state, the raw termites tasted rather like pineapple.

spiral ginger, sloth walk, la fortuna, costa rica

shell ginger, sloth walk, la fortuna, costa rica

A couple of colourful flowers caught my eye.  A type of Spiral Ginger and Shell Ginger were striking with their contrasting structures.

perfumed passionflower, sloth walk, la fortuna, costa rica

The pièce de résistance was the vibrant red bloom of the Perfumed Passionflower.

three-toed sloth, sloth walk, la fortuna, costa rica

It wasn’t long before Brian spotted a Three-toed Sloth where it was well camouflaged in a tree.

three-toed sloth, sloth walk, la fortuna, costa rica

Only a couple of decades ago, this patch of rainforest was farmland used for pasturing cows.  Giovanni worked from the ground up planting native trees and plants that soon attracted the local wildlife.  Initially, there was only one resident Sloth.

three-toed sloth, sloth walk, la fortuna, costa rica

Now, within this small patch of naturalized rainforest, there are at least a dozen Sloths that make their home.  Bob and I were fortunate to see 3 of them.

rainforest trail, sloth walk, la fortuna, costa rica

Damp and muddy sections make up a portion of this woodlot especially during the rainy season.  Most trails are smooth and hard-packed with the occasional bridge to span wet areas.

russet-naped wood-rail, sloth walk, la fortuna, costa rica

Moist tropical lowland forests, mangrove forests and tropical swamps are the preferred habitat for birds such as this Russet-naped Wood-Rail.

russet-naped wood-rail, sloth walk, la fortuna, costa rica

Given the deep shade, it was very difficult to spot this individual as it meandered along a thin stream of water through the undergrowth.

rufous-tailed jacamars, sloth walk, la fortuna, costa rica

Also taking comfort in the shelter of the low bushes was a pair of Rufous-tailed Jacamars.

rufous-tailed jacamars, sloth walk, la fortuna, costa rica

Given their remarkable camouflage, at first we only noticed one.

rufous-tailed jacamars, sloth walk, la fortuna, costa rica

An opportunity arose for us to see the brilliant orange underparts when this male Jacamar moved slightly closer.

gnatwren, sloth walk, la fortuna, costa rica

Another bird sporting a very long bill and tail was a Long-billed Gnatwren.  In actual fact, this Gnatwren is a very small bird.

bob, sloth walk, la fortuna, costa rica

The interconnecting trails at The Sloth Walk require about 1.5 hours to fully explore. When going at a Sloth’s Pace as we did when plying Brian with questions, it took a full 3 hours.

common basilisk, sloth walk, la fortuna, costa rica

Brian took delight in testing our skills of observation.  Peering into a tangled collection of branches, Brian asked us if we could see anything.

common basilisk, sloth walk, la fortuna, costa rica

Our untrained eyes required a lot of prompting before we could discern a Common Basilisk.

common basilisk, sloth walk, la fortuna, costa rica

Bob and I had a good view of the Basilisk’s feet that are equipped with flaps of skin between the toes.  These are the characteristic of this species of lizard that allows it to run on water.  Hence, its other name Jesus Christ Lizard.

yellow-bellied sapsucker, sloth walk, la fortuna, costa rica

Nearing the end of our tour, Bob and I were unexpectedly reminded of home when a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker appeared on the side of a tree.  A fairly common bird at our home in Ontario, Canada, we were able to confirm the id for Brian who was thrilled to see it.

Related:

Guided Tour In Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge

Among the Wildlife at Hotel Kokoro in Costa Rica

A Bird’s Eye View At Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges

Resplendent Quetzals Prepare Their Nest

Frame To Frame – Bob and Jean

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