Monday, November 1, 2010

An Interns Perspective

We have now been on base for a month but everyone agrees it feels like a lot longer. The two weekers who came to just do turtle surveys (Aimee, Heather, Kristen, Brian and Bernardo) have now sadly left us and will be missed! This also marks the end of the turtle night walk season for us at Jalova, so even though the nest checks remain, our much loved night turtle walks will cease at the end of this week. We have now started forest night walks, which is a great opportunity to observe nocturnal behaviour of wildlife like snakes and frogs. There have been several sightings of Costa Rica’s most recognisable frog, the red-eyed or Gaudy’s Treefrog (Agalychnis callidryas) (see photo below) and we spotted an Olive-snouted Treefrog (see photo below) last night which is a really tiny frog, so it was hard to spot! We also spotted one of the largest frogs, a Smokey Jungle Frog (Leptodactylus pentadactylus) (see photo below).

red eyed tree frog


olive snouted tree frog


smokey jungle frog

As part of our BTEC Leadership and BTEC Biological Survey Techniques qualifications we have to start to lead surveys. Everyone has taken this in their stride and enjoyed the new challenge. The surveys that volunteers have been leading include forest night walks, nest check and excavations and also doing the prep for other surveys.
We have to bid farewell to the five weekers (Adam, Sam and Jim) at the end of this week which will bring the number on base down to 13. This means bodies on base will have shrunk by more than a third in the last week! The weather has been uncharacteristically hot and not nearly enough rain for a rainforest! Everyone is looking forward to leading their surveys and enjoying the next 6 weeks of phase!
from Melissa Errington

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1 comments:

Unknown said...

Finally caught up with you, Melissa. Love the frogs. Feel sorry for Drab Frog who must feel inferior. I remember 1991 at Bluefields, Nioaragua watching women buying (green?)turtle meat and the empty shells lying about the place. Have a nice song about Corn Island for when you get back.
If you get this in time - Happy Christmas & love from Mon and me. Canterbury.