Cano Palma- Day 16

Hatchling Green Sea Turtle

This morning we did the long trek down the beach for turtle census. It is the end of turtle season and a few Green Sea Turtle nests are still hatching. We saw a few nests with turtle tracks headed down to the beach. I was sad to see that two turtles didn't reach the beach because of dog footprints surrounding where their tracks ended. Many of the stray dogs are underfed and will dig up turtle nests on the beach.

 On one of the nests scheduled to excavate we found two live hatchlings. Underneath the two live ones we released into the ocean were many dead ones. As depressing as this is, hatchlings do often die in the nest for various reasons.  If they wait to long to leave the nest the amount of oxygen in the nest can run out and they can die. After a few have died the ones below can't get through and also die. Nests can also overheat or flood.

The low success rate of juveniles combined with the long period of time before reaching sexual maturity is one reason why so many turtle species are at risk now.

The morning walk on the beach ended at the lagoona and was a great morning to see shorebirds.
Whimbrel
Stilt- Sandpiper
Sanderlings
Spotted Sandpiper
Black-bellied Plover

On our way back across the canal we saw a Black River Turtle basking on a log.

The station was very exciting today. As I was leaving the bunkhouse I saw movement in a tree. Something redish-brown was up there. A tail pokes out between the branches and eventually I can see the face of the spider monkey, the last monkey species I needed to see in Costa Rica. The monkey wasn't the only one in the trees. A Northern Barred Wood Creeper and White-collared Manikin also revealed themselves in the garden.

Walking around the garden I noticed nine species of flowering orchids which I had passed by before! I was amazed that I had missed some of them, but others had flower buds the size of the head of a pen!