Esther's photos

Collared Aracari, Sarapiqui rainforest, Costa Rica AxMG_1837

Collared Aracari are social toucans that nest in natural cavities or deserted nests of other birds. The lower bird is tending to its young in the tree cavity. Photographed in the Sarapiqui rainforest, Costa Rica AxMG_1838

Ginger Lily at the Sarapiqui Rainforest Lodge in Costa Rica. Ginger lilies grow in tropical and subtropical climates. They are native to Asia and the Pacific but are frequently planted as ornamentals because of their colorful, showy flowers. They grow from large rhizomes. The flowers grown on long racemes and the structure of the stem consists of closely folded blades. AxMG_1823

The Sarapiqui rainforest in Costa Rica hosts a variety of plants from palms to tropical vines. AxMG_1818

Bouganvilleas were named after the famous French explorer, Admiral Louis de Bougainville, who "discovered" them in 1768 when he and his crew became the first Frenchmen to circumnavigate the globe. The salmon pink "blooms" are not true flowers, but instead are papery bracts that encircle the small, white, tubular flower. This Bougainvillea was found at Sarapiqui, Costa Rica. AxMG_1816

A common tent-making bat (Uroderma bilobatum) which was just captured as part of the Tirimbina Rainforest Center's educational program. The bat was set free after the demonstration. There are 113 species of bats in Costa Rica. ODT: creepy, body parts AxMG_1810

Dense palms curve and form a ceiling in the Sarapiqui Rainforest AxMG_1789

A potter at the Sarapiqui Rainforest Lodge AxMG_1800

Banded peacock butterfly seen at Sarapiqui Rainforest Lodge in Costa Rica. AxMG_1751