The tree planting event today was a great success. All 450 trees were planted, along with Vetiver grass and new fencing. It was a community event to which Club members contributed admirably. Thank you all!
La sembra de árboles hoy era un gran éxito. Todos los 450 árboles ya están creciendo, ojalá. También sembramos zacate Vetiver, y construimos cercas adicionales. Fue un trabajo comunitario de verdad, y los miembros del Club contribuyeron mucho. ¡Muchas gracias a todas y todos!
For the very special tree planting event this Sunday, June 30th, we will be meeting in front of the Reception at the Wilson Botanical Gardens at 7:30 AM. Transportation to the planting site in Paraguas will be provided for all who want it. In addition, lunch at Los Jilgueros will be provided for all volunteers from the Bird Club who attend. Please dress appropriately for outdoor work: boots, hat, etc. and bring water, snacks, or whatever else you might need. If you have a shovel, please bring it, too. This is a really exciting opportunity to help make a difference in our own backyard. I hope to see a lot of you there!
Para el evento de la sembra de árboles el próximo domingo, 30 de junio, nos encontraremos frente a la recepción al jardín botánico Wilson a las 7:30 AM. Habrá transporte al Paraguas para todos que lo quieren, y también almuerzo a Los Jilgueros para todos que vendrán con el Club de aves para trabajar. Por favor, vístanse en una manera comoda para trabajar afuera: botas, sombrero, etc., y lleven agua, una marienda, o otra cosa que ustedes podrían ocupar. Los que tienen palas, por favor llévanlas. Esta es una oportunidad muy emocianante para marcar una diferencia en nuestro propio vencindario. ¡Espero ver muchos de ustedes allá!
Please join the San Vito Bird Club this Sunday for a special event! Rodrigo, an expert in reforestation at the Wilson Botanical Garden, has been working very hard for the last year on a project to use donated private land to create a biological corridor between the primary forest next to the WBG, and the primary forest at Cerro Paraguas, This will not only allow the free passage of birds and animals, but will also help to protect and improve the water supply for the Concepción ASADA. Everything is now in place, except for the trees! He needs our help to plant 450 of them near the lake next to the cell tower near to the restaurant Los Jilgüeros on the road from Concepción to Cerro Paraguas. Please join me this Sunday in helping Rodrigo to create a healthier environment for the animals and birds of Coto Brus, and the people too. Details to follow.
Por favor júntese al Club de aves de San Vito para un evento my importante el próximo domingo. Rodrigo, un experto en la reforestación al jardín botánico, trabaja ya por más de un año sobre un proyecto para aprovechar de tierra privada donada para creer un corredor biológico entre el bosque primario del jardín botántico y lo del Cerro Paraguas. Este corredor no solamente proveerá pasaje libre para los animales silvestres y las aves, pero también protegerá y mejorará el fuente de agua de la ASADA de Concepción. Ahorita, todo está listo, ¡excepto los árboles! Él ocupa a nosotros para sembrar unos 450 árboles cerca de la lagunilla en los alrededores del restaurante Los Jilgüeros sobre la ruta desde Concepción hasta Cerro Paraguas.. Por favor ayude el Club de aves y Rodrigo crear un ambiente más saludable para todos los animales y los pájaros de Coto Brus, y para la gente también. Más detalles siguen.
A most welcome letter from Jean-Philippe Thelliez (“JP”) and Christopher Stamp who visited us in April: among the most accomplished and energetic birders and photographers we’ve ever encountered:
Jean-Philippe Thelliez and Christopher Stamp, our bon amis de France
What a wonderful chance or was it destiny that put JP (Jean-Philippe) in touch with Peter?
Whatever it was, thanks to that contact one Frenchmen and his Franglais sidekick, Christopher, had the pleasure of meeting Peter and joining the San Vito Bird Club for its Sunday visit to the Wilson Botanical Gardens on the 6th of April.
What a wonderful experience it was. First, the warm welcome by members of the group, most of whose names are remembered (more than can be said for the names of the birds! Thankfully, others have recorded the names for us). We have never been to a place where so many birds could be seen at the same time. It was impossible to capture them all on celluloid as they whizzed here and there and at the end we felt veritably shell shocked – rather like small children being let loose in a sweets factory. But we went back for second helpings!
The following day Peter took us up to Las Tablas with Marco Mora, one of the SVBC Detectives de Aves teachers. The Resplendant Quetzal and Three-wattled Bellbird were on the menu, among others, and we had good weather until the heavens opened on the trip back down but — fortunately, according to Peter — not until after we had already negotiated the slippery bits.
Great Green Macaws in Ara Manzanillo on the Caribbean coast. Photo by Jean-Philippe Thelliez
We enjoyed a couple of days exploring the Coto Brus area following Peter’s advice and met up again with Jeimiry Badilla from Finca Cantaros. He proposed a trip to his home near Cuidad Neilly on a holiday Thursday. So us two, Jei, his wife Marylin Saldana and their daughter Georgea were jimmied into our rented “Jimmy” for an exciting road trip. What a trip! Jei and his wife are formidable birders; highlights of the trip were a Savannah Hawk, Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, a nighthawk, three trogons and three manakins (we told you we couldn’t remember all the names…).
On the social side we apéroed chez Judy and chez Jo and Peter, where the latter kindly introduced us to their pet armadillo! We ate at Rancho Amigos with Alison, Jo and Peter; Peter then joined us at Liliana’s for a final meal and helped us plan the rest of the trip.
We thank you all — and especially Peter, who helped us with initial planning and without whom our Costa Rica safari would have been much less memorable and colourful in both human and avian terms.
Oh! and the San Vito Bird Club now has two new French members who would be delighted to welcome visiting SVBC members to share the French birding experience. I think the only bird that we have in common is the House Sparrow — Moineau domestique — but WHAT are you waiting for?
Many thanks
JP and Christopher
Jo Davidson, Terri Peterson and Alison Olivieri all correctly identified our June 7th Quiz Bird as the…
Wrenthrush!
Well done. And Ms. Peterson also chipped in with a very good point; not too long ago the Wrenthrush had a MUCH prettier name–the Zeledonia. So look for the beautiful Wrenthrush next time you’re up in the higher altitudes.
FYI: Send your photos that may serve as a challenging Quiz Bird to:
eltangaral@gmail.com
Unlike most of our Quiz Bird photos, this photo is perfectly composed, lighted and framed. You can clearly see every aspect of this Quiz Bird!
However, to see this bird you must leave San Vito and go up, up, up into higher altitudes. Look around stands of bamboo, fairly close to the ground and you may spot the beautiful…???
Send your answers to:
eltangaral@gmail.com
(photo courtesy of John Missing, forwarded from Gail Hull)
We will be having a bird walk this Sunday, May 9th, at the Wilson Botanical Garden. We will meet at the Reception at 7:30 AM. There will be binoculars and guides available. Please join us and enjoy the Gardens in all their glory!
Habrá una caminata para ver aves el próximo domingo el 9 de mayo al jardín botánico Wilson. Reuniremos a las 7:30 AM frente a la recepción. Binoculares y guías estarán disponibles. ¡Por favor vengan y disfruten el jardín en toda su belleza de invierno!
The SVBC activities at the Annual OTS/Las Cruces Dia de Las Puertas Abiertas were better than ever this year due to our stellar volunteers.
Here, for example, is the Bake Sale table that brought in more than $100 — the most we’ve ever made in more than five years of rustling up muffins, cookies, bird nest delicacies, cakes, cinnamon rolls and more!
Kathy Bauer, Karen Kennedy and Betty Peterson enhanced the day with painting activities including the ever-popular face painting so that by the end of the day we saw butterflies, puppies, parakeets and hummingbirds running around the trails.
Bird Walks and a mini-course on bird bill evolution were conducted by our own SVBC President Peter Wendell and Detectives de Aves Instructor Marco Mora, seen below preparing to push off with a family group. Thanks to one and all for volunteering your time and expertise.
Marco Mora, second from right, Peter on right. Photo by Jo Davidson
San Vito Bird Club 
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