Toucans, King Vultures & Howler Monkeys - photos from my recent Costa Rica trip

I'm freshly back to cold Ontario after a great trip to Costa Rica. I've been there a couple times before, but it's been many years. It was everything I remembered and more! 

My trip started on the Nicoya Peninsula (Pacific coast) which was extremely hot and dry (drinking plenty of beer in the shade was necessary to stay refreshed). I stayed with friends in a big rental house overlooking the ocean at Playa Ostional, an area well-known for nesting sea turtles and great surfing. There were excellent opportunities to photograph waterbirds along the shoreline (see the brown pelican photo-bomb image below) and Howler Monkeys literally from our deck.  

Brown Pelican photo bomb, Nosara, Costa Rica.
Gear: Canon 1DX & 100-400 IS II

Howler Monkey, Ostional, Costa Rica
Gear: Canon 1DX & 100-400 IS II

After a week of the extreme coastal heat (including a couple down days due to heat/sun stroke), I headed inland to an ecolodge located in lowland Caribbean tropical forest. The place was amazingly well set-up for bird photographers and birders. Fruit feeders around a covered deck attracted a dizzying array of toucans, tanagers, honeycreepers and and other tropical birds. I shot thousands and thousands of photos in the span of only a couple days. At one point, I was thinking 'Come on, not another toucan." It was that good! 

Keel-billed Toucan, Costa Rica
Gear: Canon 1DX & 500/4 IS

Keel-billed Toucan, Costa Rica
Gear: Canon 1DX & 500/4 IS

Collared Aracaris, Costa Rica
Gear: Canon 1DX & 500/4 IS

King Vulture was high on my photographic wish list, so I joined up with another photographer I met at the lodge to rent a blind that was built specifically for shooting King Vultures. Spending 2 hours in there photographing this amazing vulture species up close was one of the all-time highlights in over 20 years as a bird photographer! A face only a mother can love?

King Vulture, Costa Rica
Gear: Canon 1DX & 500/4 IS + 1.34 III

The coastal scenery of Costa Rica never disappoints! San Juanillo was my favourite snorkeling location and great for sunsets too! 

Sunset at San Juanillo, Costa Rica
Gear: Canon 1DX & 24-70/4 L IS 

 I should end with a quick shout-out to the CPS (Canon Pro Servics) gang at Canon Canada, who saved my butt by loaning me a 1DX body after I had a wee accident with another body immediately before the trip. What fun it was to enjoy the blazingly fast frame rate of the 1DX.... a seriously badass camera!