From SVBC charter member, master bird-bander and generous supporter…Judy Richardson.
As I woke up, listening to the morning chorus, I heard a Yellow-headed Caracara calling. Wait a minute, I am in Fairfield, Connecticut; not San Vito, Costa Rica! What is this???
As I continued to wake, I realized what I was hearing really, was an unusual call from a Mourning Dove! Time to re-boot my internal computer!
This usually happens when I arrive in San Vito; this was a first for me in Connecticut!
From SVBC Charter Member and long-time patron of SVBC projects, Julie Girard-Woolley.
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I thought you’d get a kick out of this…I was on the golf course with Dave this afternoon and a little bird was on the ground. I got closer and realized it was a baby Baltimore Oriole. Next thing I know it is hopping onto my golf bag and had perched itself on the handles of my cart. Mommy was calling it, she had food in her mouth. Poor little thing didn’t have enough energy or I don’t know what to get going. It was my turn to play, so I had to advance my bag. The little guy took a ride with me and never moved. I then put my hand by him (or her) and it hopped on! I gently brought it over to a tree and it got onto a branch. It made my day!!! I had a real birdie on the golf course.
Julie
When I lived in the San Luis Valley in Colorado (before moving to Costa Rica) an annual Festival celebrated the arrival of the Sandhill Cranes on their annual migration. The Cranes soared into the valley for about 10 days…by the thousands. Truly remarkable.
My friend and I were headed to the festival when we spotted a large group of the Cranes in a field next to the road. We pulled in to the parking lot of a shabby, abandoned small white building. We got out of the car and went to sit on a log defining the parking lot to quietly observe.
A guy in what looked like a park service uniform pulled into that parking lot and asked us to leave.
“What? We are just watching the birds!”
“This is government property, you’re not permitted to be here”
“But we just want to see the birds.”
“Ladies, if you don’t move on I’ll have to arrest you for trespassing”.
My friend and I shook our heads incredulously but we left. We still joke about almost being arrested for bird watching.
(from SVBC member Roni Chernin)
I think we’ve all seen baby birds do the ‘feed me-feed me’ shake. Young birds, just out of nest, are old enough to fly about but not quite old enough to feed themselves. And so, the babes are programed to still beg their parents for food like they did when still nestlings. They do this by striking a distinctive pose;
Fluffed up…Wings low and out to the side…Mouth WIDE open…Whole body shaking.
When the parents see this pose, they’re programmed to shove a meal into the offspring’s gaping mouth.
This morning I watched a young Lazuli Bunting do the ‘feed me-feed-me’ shake; only this baby was standing on a pile of millet seeds in my bird feeder! The baby waited for one of its attentive parents to pick up one of those millet seeds and pop it into its mouth. The dutiful parent…probably doing the bird equivalent of an eye-roll…obliged the request and popped in a seed.
I suspect this behavior won’t be tolerated on for very long.
(from SVBC member Benjamin ‘Patch’ Patchett in Mt. Aukum, California)
Hey, SVBC members…send your Tiny Moments to us and we’ll post them! Send to:
eltangaral@gmail.com (Greg Homer)
or
alison.w.olivier@gmail,coim (Alison Olivieri)
This ‘Tiny Moment’ happened in California. It happened in California but the tiny moment involved one of our favorite San Vito birds. Here’s how it happened.
My wife Helen and I, recently returned from Costa Rica, were enjoying the outdoor charms of a nearby public park. From the backyard of a neighboring house came an oddly familiar sound;
‘Hey, that sounds like a White-throated Crake’ said Helen.
‘It sure does.’
After a bit of detective work the call of the White-throated Crake turned into the sound of an electric grass trimmer. Oops; but it was a very pleasant reminder of home.
Listen to the actual call of the White-throated Crake by clicking on the link below:
https://ebird.org/species/whtcra1
Let me know if you think the sound of the Crake is reminiscent of a grass trimmer.
(From Greg Homer)
Please join the San Vito Bird Club for a Bird Walk.
When: Sunday, April 3 at 7:00am-9am.
Where: Meet outside the Wilson Garden Recepcion office. Binoculars available as needed.
We normally have a couple of breakfast options for sale after the walk; not sure that’s going to happen this week. It could happen…stay tuned. If not, coffee and tea will be available following the walk.
April is prime migratory bird season down here. Swainson’s Thrushes, Piratic Flycatchers, Scarlet Tanagers, a variety of warblers and vireos could be out.
There is no charge for this bird walk if you are a San Vito Bird Club member. If you’re not, Sunday might be a good time to join.
Hope to see you there.
Please join the San Vito Bird Club on our next birding walk.
When: Sunday, March 13th at 7am-9am.
Where: Meet at the front gate of Finca Cantaros. We will be escorted through this beautiful and unique property. Part of the walk will include a search for the ‘pato magico/magic duck’ on the lake!
Anything else?: Binoculars and field guides will be available. Please leave your pets at home.
We look forward to seeing you there.
The San Vito Bird Club sends out our congratulations and very best wishes to the town of San Vito on its 70th Anniversary. We encourage you to participate in an entire week’s worth of historical, cultural and dining-related activities, Feb. 21-28.
Attached below is the schedule of activities to commemorate and celebrate this historic milestone
(scroll to see all 3 pages)
On Sunday, Feb. 13th please join the San Vito Bird Club for a Half-and-Half Bird Outing.
(Half-and-Half means this outing is half bird WALK and half bird SIT.)
Meet up near the entrance to the Magic Road (you may contact me…Greg Homer…if you don’t know the location of the Magic Road. eltangaral@gmail.com). 7:00am to 8:30am
Hope to see you there. We’ll have fun and we’ll see some nice birds.
Está cordialmente invitado a participar en el servicio religioso, y/o la reunión social para recordar y celebrar la vida de Judith Ippolito. Por favor, no se sienta obligado a asistir, si no se siente cómodo.
Siéntase libre de compartir esta información, pues no tenemos los contactos de todos.
Misa funeral por Judith Ippolito
Lugar: La Iglesia Católica en San Vito Fecha: jueves 27 de enero de 2022 Hora: 15:00 h.
Recuerdo (reunión social)
Lugar: La Cascata del Bosco Fecha: 29 de enero de 2022 Hora: 9:00 am
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You are cordially invited to participate in the religious service and/or the social gathering to remember the life of Judith Ippolito. Please don’t feel obligated to attend either if you don’t feel comfortable.
Feel free to share this information, we don’t have everyone’s contact information.
Funeral Mass for Judith Ippolito
Place: The Catholic Church in San VitoDate: Thursday January 27, 2022Time: 3:00 p.m.
Remembrance (social gathering)
Place: La Cascata del BoscoDate: Saturday January 29th, 2022Time: 9:00 a.m.
San Vito Bird Club 
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