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.

Mere sadness does not come close…not close at all…to convey how we feel about the recent passing of long-time friend and San Vito Bird Club member Judith Ippolito.

Our most genuine and profound condolences go out to Judith’s family–especially to our neighbor and very good friend, her loving husband Joe Ippolito.

We all have special memories of Judith, I am sure; her appreciation of nature…her dedication and hard work in many Spay & Neuter clinics…hearing her relay stories about the joys and perils of working on the farm. Most of all, I suspect, we all remember Judith for her unfailing joy of life, her glorious smile, her unequaled, flowing, raven-colored hair and her sense of humor.

Both a secular memorial and a Requiem Mass will be offered. Dates and times of these services will be forthcoming.

Allow me to share a most fond memory in this article (I tend to weep easily and would prefer to share it now). My wife Helen and I were visiting Joe and Judith at their home for lunch. We were quite new down here and our friendship was just blooming. During coffee, Helen started to talk about Ariadna’s little dog Africa (many of you will recall Africa). Helen stated that Africa reminded her of one of the Muppets…Gonzo. Judith was drinking coffee at this point and when she pictured Gonzo the Muppet, she laughed so hard she spit coffee all over Helen. Joe was a bit shocked but Helen and Judith just laughed and laughed and then laughed some more. That coffee proved to be a christening of our love and friendship.

Please enjoy the photos below of our dear, dear friend…Judith Ippolito,

Get up…go outside…breathe deep…sweat…enjoy nature. As you probably are aware that is our mantra here at the San Vito Bird Club, So really…please do that.

But there may be times when, oh…you have the sniffles…a blister on your foot…a bad case of lethargy. If these or similar symptoms hit you, we now offer you a reasonable alternative to the *see above*.

Here are three options that allow you to go birding, from the couch, in your pajamas.

#1: Watch birds in South Africa

Follow this link to see a live streaming bird feeder in Pretoria, South Africa. The sheer number of birds and the diversity of birds is quite astounding. You’ll see Weavers, Hoopoes, Starlings, Lovebirds, old world Barbets, the Mousebird, the Go-Away Bird and much, much more. As a bonus the blogger displays the species names for you on the screen. The live stream continues at night when you might see bats and South African nocturnal mammals.

#2: Hummingbirds of Ecuador

This is place I’ve actually been to; Satchatamia Lodge in Mindo, Ecuador. The hummingbird feeders are kept spotlessly clean. Expect to see close to 20 different hummingbird species including our very own speedy and powerful, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird.

#3: Panama Birds at a Feeder, courtesy of Cornell Lab of Ornithology

You’ll recognize most the birds on these Panama feeders…but not all!

Enjoy these live streams but get off the couch, put on your hiking clothes and GET OUT THERE!

(with acknowledgement, respect and thanks to the speedy and powerful Rudyard Kipling, author of ‘Just So Stories’)

*This story took place not so very long ago.  Not so long ago that is, if you think about how very old our world is. 

Back in the days when this story took place human beings were quite different than they are now.  Back then, human beings were not so brave, not so wise and not so clever as we all are now.  Back then, human beings were a-scared of almost everything.  Back when this story took place human beings were fearful…always and ever fearful.  Human beings reacted with high pitched emotions (like the 5th string of a banjo) to pretty much every new person, place or thing they encountered; and many of the old things too.  Not like us today…no, not like us.  But then…this story has absolutely nothing to do with human beings.  So let us begin.*

The birds of the world held a big meeting to decide who was to be named King of the Birds.  Having a King, the birds thought, would be a very good thing.  A King, they believed…well, he or she would just take charge of things all right, all right, all right…a King would make the tough decisions that the rest of the birds didn’t want to make for themselves.  Better to have a King around to make all those tough decisions.  So they held a big meeting to pick a King..

All of the birds gathered (perhaps flocked is a better word) together.  This must have been a very big and grand place because there were–and still are–so many many birds. When all of the chatter finally died down (no doubt this took some time, you know how birds can be…especially the geese, chickens and turkeys), the Bellbird…by virtue of having the loudest voice of all the birds…flew up to the podium and addressed the throng.

‘Thank you all for coming to this meeting,’ rang the Bellbird.  ‘Especially you flightless birds; I know what a long walk it must have been to get here.  We have come here to pick out…please note I DID NOT say “peck out”…our King!’

My, what a sound came out from the crowd of birds at that point!  Imagine, if you can, the sound of all the birds of the world giving out with their best vocalization all at the same time; but of course you can’t really imagine that.  Take my word for it, that sound was singular and spectacular.

When quiet returned, the Bellbird continued; ‘I now open the meeting to any bird who wishes to be King of the Birds.’

First up to the podium came the Harpy Eagle.

‘I am the most powerful of all the birds.  I should be King.’

Next up came the Ostrich.

‘I am the largest of all the birds.  I should be King.’

Next, came the Raven.

‘I am the smartest of all the birds.  I even use tools!  I should be King.’

Next, the Peregrine Falcon zipped up to the podium.

‘IAMTHEFASTESTBIRD…ISHOULDBEKING.’  And off he zipped.

Next, the Arctic Tern approached the podium.

‘I regularly travel from the North Pole to the South Pole.  I have seen the entire world.  I should be King.’

The Emperor Penguin also had a notion to go to the podium but struggled and stumbled trying to ascend the eight steps that led up to it.  After about a half hour of trying the Emperor Penguin croaked, ‘Ah hell, I didn’t want to be King of the Birds anyway.’ And waddled back to his seat, hearing quite a few partially covered snickers and whispers from the crowd.

‘OK,’ said the Bellbird.  ‘I guess that’s all the nominees.  Now it’s up to all of you to decide…who is to become King of the Birds.’

If you thought that previous cacophony of bird song was singular and spectacular, let me say it was but a whisper-in-church compared to what came next.  Oh my!

Each individual bird, it seemed, had his or her own favorite choice and each individual bird expressed his or her opinion in the most enthusiastic manner possible.  These opinions were then countered by increasingly strident, even operatic, expressions of opinion; then those were countered and so on…and so on.

Some birds, it seemed, clearly believed the Harpy Eagle should be King.  Others robustly supported the Raven, the Ostrich, the Peregrine Falcon and the Arctic Tern.  There was even a small, but dedicated, contingent for the Emperor Penguin.

In effect, each bird at the meeting was saying, ‘You’re wrong.  Why won’t you believe what I believe!!!’

Louder and louder became the debate…more and more entrenched, less and less tolerant became each supporter of their beloved and favorite candidate.  The rhetoric turned purple.  Short-lived skirmishes even broke out, as emotions fairly flooded the venue.  The Bellbird just threw up his wings and sat down.

Finally (most likely due to sheer hunger and thirst), after 7 hours and 43 minutes, a brief quiet broke out in the meeting.

As quick as a flash, the Kingbird flew up to the podium and spoke to the multitude.

‘I humbly and gratefully accept your nomination to be King of the Birds.  As my first and only Royal Proclamation, I give you these words:  Live your best lives.  Now, back to work…all of you.’

The birds somehow instantly recognized the wisdom spoken by their new King.  They recognized that the King who rules best, rules least.  The Kingbird truly was a great King.  The Kingbird continues to rule wisely to this very day.

And that is how the Kingbird became King of the Birds.

It’s true; even we grizzled, hard-nosed, wing-bar counting, crawling through the weeds birders enjoy watching pretty birds more than we enjoy watching plain birds.  It’s just human nature isn’t it, to like bright shiny things.  Tanagers are bright…Tanagers are shiny.  Some folks even call Tanagers ‘the butterflies of the bird world’.  But don’t get me wrong…we grizzled birders also absolutely get off on counting wing bars on the drabbest of our feathered friends.

Think back. How many of us, during that first trip to Costa Rica, can remember our first encounter with a Scarlet-rumped (Cherrie’s/Passerini’s) Tanager?  Remember the thrill? My first spot came in 1979 in a sleepy little two-hostel town called Manuel Antonio.  I still have a dusty 35 millimeter slide of that Scarlet-rump somewhere.  

And now, when your family, your friends come down to visit.  Do these phrases sound familiar?

‘Oooohhh, what’s that black and red bird?’

‘Oh, I just love those sky blue birds!’

‘Oh my god!  That bird on your feeder…it must have seven different colors!  What is it?’

Those comments are directed at Tanagers my friend. Charismatic, those Tanagers are.

I even named my entire property after Tanagers, using the made up name ‘EL TANGARAL’; which means, (because I say so), the place of Tanagers; or more specifically a menagerie of Tanagers.

FYI: If you’re interested in some truly fantastic musings and art on Tanagers, I recommend you find a copy of ‘The Life of the Tanager’ by the speedy and powerful Alexander Skutch (also known as the Audubon of Central America).  https://www.amazon.com/Life-Tanager-Comstock-Alexander-Skutch/dp/0801422264

Here then are my thoughts on a few of our southern zone Tanager species.

#1: Shark’s Eyes

One of our less brightly-colored Tanagers is the Palm Tanager.  The Palm Tanager looks quite similar to our Blue-Gray Tanager but is colored a soft, dusty olive green with a dark patch on the primary wing.  Appropriately named, the Palm Tanager seems to prefer hanging out in palm trees, usually up rather high.  I start off with Palmy for this reason; I consider the Palm Tanager to be ‘King of the Tanagers’ and I’ll tell you why.  Back when we all had bird feeders and bird feeder contests I noticed there was a distinct bird feeder hierarchy.  Species-A chases off Species-B and is then chased off by yet another, Species-C.  Usually this hierarchy is simply based upon size.  Bigger birds intimidate and chase off smaller birds.  I’ll bet you’ve noticed this.  But I noticed that Palmy…Palmy with those black shark-like eyes, would invariably stand up to bigger birds…like the Clay-colored Thrushes, the Saltators, and even the Woodpeckers; Palmy would just stare down those bigger birds and continue dining on banana.  We all knew a kid in school like this; not the biggest or strongest or smartest kid; but there was something…something deep-down in that kid’s eyes (boy or girl) that made us turn and slowly back away.  That’s who the Palm Tanager is.

#2. The Opportunist

Here’s some good advice.  If you want to succeed in life…learn how to do a variety of things well; things other people can’t or won’t do, be willing to try new things, don’t get stuck in a rut.  Do this and you’ll succeed.  This philosophy describes our previously mentioned Scarlet-rumped Tanager (the black and red one)…(but the female is brown and orange).  You’ll observe that Scarlet-rumped Tanagers have discovered a variety of ways to make ends meet, to bring home the bacon…eating seeds, fruits and insects right off the ground, eating seeds, fruits and insects up in the trees (at all levels), and they are also quite adept at getting a good meal by fly-catching. In many areas of Costa Rica the Scarlet-rumped Tanager is the most commonly seen and numerous Tanager…maybe even bird.  Very strong family values these birds have.  Early hatchling birds have no problem helping out their parents with the feeding and care of late season hatchlings.  Here’s another good skill they’ve developed; they don’t seem to mind living with and around people and if you haven’t noticed we people are damn near everywhere.

#3.  Ooh-Aah

Private and somewhat of a feeding specialist, the Bay-Headed Tanager never fails to elicit a deep-throated ‘Ooohh, aaahh’ from birders and non-birders alike when spotted.  Bright green, bright blue with a brownish/red (bay) head the Bay-headed Tanager just seems to LOVE eating melastome berries and minding its own business.  Bay-heads also glean insects but berries are their dominant food.  Ask any bird bander…if you’ve held many Bay-headed Tanagers in your bare hands, by the end of the day you’ll look like you’re wearing purple gloves.

Of course we have many more Tanagers down here plus some that migrate down from North America. And let us not forget the closely related and spectacularly colored Honeycreepers, Dacnis and the Euphonias.  Easy on the eyes; truly fun to watch.

*Please do me a favor and don’t mention to any Bird Taxonomists that I said Euphonias are closely related to the Tanagers.  Apparently they’re not that closely related and even though most Bird Taxonomists are slight, frail and myopic…they can also be wretched and spiteful when angered.  I’ll bet a lot of Bird Taxonomists have Palm Tanager eyes.*

The San Vito Bird Club sends our congratulations and best wishes to a new neighbor and new player in eco-tourism and habitat restoration in the southern zone neighbor–Cielo Lodge.

https://www.cielolodge.com/

Located about 300 meters ABOVE the town of Golfito, Cielo Lodge is the dream culmination of Nicole and Keith Goldstein. But dreams rarely culminate (if that is even a word) without many hours of planning and even more hours of hard, hard work. Nicole and Keith can attest to this fact and the results are most apparent.

But there is far too much about this remarkable business for me to describe here…so please have a look at their website (above). Be assured…Cielo Lodge, the management and staff, are dedicated to providing a rare variety of nature experiences to their guests and with a minimum of impact (footprint).

How do I know? See photo below (taken by Helen LeVasseur) of Lydia Vogt, Nicole Goldstein (owner/proprietor of Cielo Lodge) and me during a recent visit/chat/lunch.

We, the San Vito Bird Club, will also be pleased to assist Cielo Lodge with their reforestation plans.