Vulture | Victoria's Secret Blog

A short one today! Situated on the border of the Central and South Pacific regions of Costa Rica, Carara National Park is a unique reserve that’s a Mecca for avian enthusiasts, boasting a spectacular variety of bird species.

Boarding a small boat to navigate the waterways, I hadn’t appreciated the park is also home to the impressive American crocodiles. One notable – and colossal – croc named Captain Hook stood out due to (yep, you guessed it) the loss of one of its limbs. I felt a tad apprehensive as we passed slowly by the sleeping giant. But the egrets perched on his back seemed pretty non-plussed. Witnessing these ancient reptiles in their natural habitat was quite special.

My eyes were quickly drawn to the skies though, where a symphony of winged wonders greeted us. Perched atop trees and soaring through the skies, we spotted beautiful Ospreys, also known as fish hawks, exhibiting their exceptional fishing skills. With keen eyesight, they hovered above the water before swooping down with talons outstretched to catch their slippery prey. Anhingas, white ibis, mangrove swallows, a variety of egrets and herons, sandpipers, whimbrels and kingfishers were all spotted.

As we continued our exploration, the sky above Carara became a mesmerizing spectacle. Hundreds of Magnificent Frigatebirds (that’s their name, not an effusive adjective) circled overhead, creating a breath-taking aerial ballet. These large seabirds, known for their distinctive forked tails and striking red throat pouches, captivated us with their acrobatic displays. And they shared the coastal vistas with dozens of brown pelicans.

One of the most striking sightings was the elegant Roseate Spoonbill, a captivating wading bird with its pink plumage and distinctively spoon-shaped bill. This majestic bird stood gracefully in the shallow waters, sweeping its bill from side to side in search of its aquatic prey. As avid fans of the board game Wingspan (yes, I’m revealing my not-so-well-hidden dorky side), Paul and I were particularly excited by this one!

We also spotted vultures soaring high above the treetops and picking at bones in the swallows. These efficient scavengers play a crucial role in the ecosystem by cleaning up carrion, making them an essential part of Carara’s natural balance.

Whilst the scenery itself is not as verdant and stunning as some of the other national parks we visited on our trip, I was really pleased we’d visited Carara. The diversity of the bird species is testament to the park’s commitment to preserving its rich biodiversity.

Leatherback marine turtle

Great Egret

Ringed Kingfisher

Captain Hook

Brown Pelicans

Amazon Kingfisher

Neotropic Cormorant

I’ve just returned from a fantastic 17 day trip to South Africa and, as always, my first priority – to the chagrin of my long-suffering boyfriend, who would rather I was emptying my suitcase or helping to clean the flat – has been to edit down my several hundred photos. Here, I present to you: Part I. Yes, that means there will be more to follow.

The trip started with four days on safari in the Mthethomusha game reserve, just outside Kruger National Park. We stayed in Bongani Mountain Lodge, perched high above the valley and enjoying breathtaking views across to the Drakensberg mountain range. Impala and baboons were frequent visitors around the lodge, elephants roamed the hills, and from the lookout you could often see zebra and wildebeest drinking from the watering hole. We even saw two male giraffes fighting whilst relaxing one day by the pool – David Attenborough eat your heart out!

Our regular guide was Johnson, a big, serious guy, who insisted on running through umpteen safety procedures before each drive and yet had no qualms about taking himself off on foot into the bush in search of lions. He was an excellent tracker and got us up close to rhino, buffalo, kudu, giraffe, nyala and a whole host of other animals, as well as spotting much smaller creatures…such as the tiny chameleon he clocked on a tree branch from a fast-moving jeep one evening, after the sun had already set! Yeah, he was impressive. The drives themselves, all off-road on bumpy, dusty tracks at dawn and dusk each day, were fantastic. I never want to forget how it felt to climb to the highest point in the area to stop and stretch our legs, taking in the incredible views and listening to the stillness as the sun rose.

The lions eluded Johnson though, to his frustration. It wasn’t until our trip into Kruger itself that we managed to see them up close: three males and a sleeping female. Seeing them in the wild is actually a little scarier than I was expecting; you realise how exposed you are in a topless jeep! Kruger was mind-blowing. Bigger than Wales (why is it always Wales?), the flat landscape stretching into infinity in all directions and the undergrowth teeming with animals. In addition to what we’d already encountered in Mthethomusha, we saw elands, hyenas, hippos, warthogs, bushbucks, vultures, tortoises, purple starlings, lizards and vervet monkeys. It was such an exciting and memorable experience. And that evening we returned to the lodge for a braai (Afrikaans for ‘barbecue’) in the boma, a large circular eating space with open fire. Perfect!

So, four out of the ‘Big Five’ ain’t bad. Here are a small selection from my ridiculous number of photos…