The next day, we headed for the Caño Negro National Wildlife Preserve. The day started out to be quite cloudy, but as it went on the sun came out and the weather became quite cheerful. Having arrived at the NWP, we boarded one of the canvas-covered pontoon vessels used to ferry guests around the place.

Initially, there really was not very much to see. There was the muddy river, there was the quite extensive wooded area which lined the river, and there was the other boat which had left a few minutes prior to our departure. I suppose, since the guides on both vessels were essentially doing the same thing - i.e. looking for wildlife and then trying to get close to whatever animal or bird they had spotted, the helmsman of either vessel having spotted the same creature, were constantly on potential collision courses.

Luckily, our guide and helmsman decided that we would meet as many animals if we made a 180 degree turn and headed in the opposite direction. It is of course possible that having done so, we headed into an area of the preserve that may have been somewhat less populated by wildlife. Still we saw many, many birds as well as other creatures, and for me at least it was a perfectly sensible solution to an annoying problem.

What did we see? I am afraid my mind was overloaded with the mention of this, that or the other bird. I tried to take as many photos as I could, but taking wildlife photos is not an easy thing to do. For one thing, my camera is programmed to turn itself off whenever for some 30 or 45 seconds no photos have been taken. As a result, whenever a new bird species was announced and pointed out as being in one of the neighhbouring trees, I had to go through a procedure that could last as long as 4 to 5 seconds. By the time I was ready to take a photo of yet another cololourful or otherwise interesting bird, I had missed the guide's pointing of where to find the bird, or, the bird had decided that it really was not interested in promoting Costa Rica's tourism industry by sitting still until even I would get its photograph.

The result? I had missed yet another chance!

So, dear reader, you'll have to forgive me, but honestly, I did the best I was able to do!