The Ojos de Lalla and Mid-Summer Update 2014

A Curassow hen enters the frame.

The Ojos de Lalla camera was one of the older Scoutguard cameras.  It has an incandescent flash for color night time images.  For daylight, it was set to record 10 second color videos.  The batteries lasted from July until early October.  We recorded over 776 activations over that period of time.  

We have sorted through and condensed them into a three minute video with ocelots, tayra, coati, a capuchin monkey, and a feeding white hawk.   
Here is the video.  I suggest that you maximize the screen size.

We replaced the batteries and in January.  The camera continued to function, but began to video and flash capabilities.  Since we were still able to get some daytime images, we left the camera in hopes of having at least a few photos.

One of the last  great images that we got from this camera is this one of an erect cappuchin monkey staring at the camera.

"I'm cool"

We have been patiently tucking small contributions away in hopes that we could get a wireless cellular camera set up.  Those cameras are expensive and the technology is improving.  I reached out to Scoutguard last week after reading on their website that they are involved in conservation projects.   Word came back late Saturday afternoon that they would sponsor camera and help with the wireless set-up.  We are extremely excited to be able to get email images in real time.  Scoutguard has been one our favorite preforming cameras and has delivered us many great videos and beautiful images. 

HCO Scoutguard's newest wireless camera.

UPDATE 7/8/14--The new camera, shown above, did not arrive at Scoutguard in time for them to ship one to us before we left.  We won't be able to deploy it until early 2015. 

We leave for Costa Rica in the middle of the week with new and replaced cameras, batteries and memory cards.  I'll be reporting back with what we hope will be some great images that were captured over the last 4 months.
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Camera Trap Project Update- "Camera Gaea"

The Gaea Camera March 2014 Update

The Gaea camera was arguably in the most beautiful setting of all the cameras.  It was situated atop of a waterfall and looked across the creek at a fallen tree.  I hoped that this fallen tree would be a natural passage for animals.

Unfortunately, there was a lot of humidity and it caused this camera to fail prematurely.  The same model cameras clicked off 300-500 shots during the same period of time in other locations while the Gaea Camera only took only 30 shots.  At first I was immensely disapointed, but when I looked through the images I discovered the Gaea cam's failure to be a blessing in disguise as you will discover in the images near the end of this post.

First the cool stuff:

The Crab Eating Raccoon(Procyon cancrivorus)

 The beautiful image of the Crab Eating Raccoon was taken at 2 am.  The black tube is actually our waterline that connects the house and pool to springs up in the mountains.  It provides all of our delicious drinking water and feeds our pristine creek.

The Ocelot(Leopardus pardalis)

 This ocelot image was taken around 6am.  In Costa Rica, it is usually light by then.  We have only seen one other ocelot image in daylight at that was at noon in May of last year.

The Jaguarundi(Puma yagouarondi)

By now you have probably seen our video of the 3 Jaguarundis (if not, here is the link:Jaguarundis).  It is hard to tell if this is one of them, but I'd say that it is very likely as they all appeared on different cameras during the month of September.  Notice it's striking red head.  This is a very interesting wild cat and we look forward to seeing them again on the cameras. 

Poacher with rifle on right shoulder

Same Poacher with rifle on left shoulder

 Hmmmm....Yes, that is a poacher...twice.  Thanks to the Gaea camera for alerting us to his presence.  Of course, what he is doing is illegal.  He is trespassing.  He is hunting on protected land by law.  His rifle is likely to be without a permit.  He is also believed to be trapping Pacas and crayfish.  

Slashes in one of our vaca trees(cow tree)

 He is also responsible for the deep slashes in the above tree.  The Vaca tree's latex sap is used to soothe stomach ailments.

The good news is that the camera stopped working before he was alerted to it.  He was not seen on any other cameras, so his poaching is not wide ranging on the property.  We know exactly who he is and where he lives.  He is also in a precarious position in that he is not even a Costa Rican.

We opted to keep a wary eye out for him as being the 'devil you know'.  If his trespassing has not ended in the next few months he will be reported.

The Gaea camera was replaced in that location with a non flash camera.  It has been sent away for repairs and we have a surrogate camera snapping away as you read this. 

Thanks for reading.  See you soon. 

Did you see what the "Bella Rex" Camera got?

Bella Rex Camera Trap Video 

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