Our good friend Karina Lopez and her staff at Los Chocuacos Tourist Center are hosting an informative and important lecture from author Maria Alejandra Maglianesi. Information included below:
https://forms.gle/dZtmsYx1uPAZKeur9
Attached below is a link to an eBird article listing name changes to several Costa Rican birds.
https://ebird.org/region/CR/post/taxonomy-update-2024-is-here
Remember a while back…a lengthy article we posted about taxonomic name changes involving getting rid of bird names that were named after people–people who might be flawed? Remember that?
This ain’t it.
But hey…the House Wren getting turned in to seven different species is rather cunning.
The title of this article is also a multiple choice question.
WHY DO BIRDS SUDDENLY APPEAR?
a. Just like me, they long to be close to you.
b . They get sucked into a mini-black hole and are deposited at random locations.
c. They just get lost sometimes.
It is possible any of the three answers above is the correct answer but the MOST likely answer is ‘c’. They just get lost sometime.
An American Flamingo got lost out over the Gulf of Mexico or the Caribbean Sea recently and showed up on a beach in Costa Rica.
This American Flamingo showed up on a Caribbean beach, near Cahuita, about two and a half weeks ago. Since that time almost every birder in Costa Rica has made the trek out to see it. (A Cahuita entrepreneur has become Costa Rica’s latest millionaire, selling hot dogs, soda, those little camera batteries and sunscreen to the throng.)
Any ‘first time ever’ bird showing up in Costa Rica becomes a big event; but when that bird is massive and bright PINK!!!! Well, you can imagine the excitement.
Why did this American Flamingo get lost? Maybe it just made a wrong turn somewhere but most likely those massive tropical storms and hurricanes out in the Gulf had a lot to do with it.
The Flamingo has been with us for over two weeks and seems quite content feeding along our Caribbean mudflat beaches. If you want to give it a look, I suggest you drive to the Cahuita area and look for a pod of people all carrying binoculars and cameras…eating hot dogs and drinking soda. Tell them hi.
American Flamingo, photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
Author John Boorman’s great book ‘Deliverance’ gives us some wonderful advice:
“Sometimes you’ve got to lose yourself before you find anything.
Well, I didn’t get lost this morning, exactly–but I did take a walk along a stretch of road that I’ve zipped past in my car no doubt hundreds of times before…and so have you, I’ll bet. On that stretch of road grows an epic Ceiba tree. This tree lives in a small patch of greenery near a jolly little stream with a burbling cascade. Fruiting trees grows there, as do Cecropia trees, ferns, vines and epiphytes. As you’re heading down to Sabalito, you’ll see this spot (see below) on the left side of the road about 40 meters past the Pali and Frio Sur..
Photos courtesy of Greg Homer. Oct. 2, 2024
There are no signs announcing this place; no benches…no trails. But the hour I spent birding there this morning proved to be one of the better birding experiences I’ve had.
My point? We have great birding spots ALL OVER Coto Brus; and not limited to the well known National Parks, Gardens and Reserves. These diamond-in-the-rough spots can be most enjoyable and may give you some never-to-forget natural history moments.
If you have the time, check out the spot I have just described. You know what? We should get some benches put out there and give it a name.
Please share with me any Diamond in the Rough spots you enjoy.
Greg Homer
eltangaral@gmail.com.
Please join the San Vito Bird Club for our regular Sunday Bird Walk on Oct. 6th. Meet Greg and Helen at their place, El Tangaral, at 7:00am. Park alongside either of the two gates or just inside the property.
A comfortable walk going down and back up the driveway should bring a number of charismatic local and migrant bird species (and possibly monkeys). Time and weather permitting, we will then proceed across the El Tangaral upper garden to the renowned Magic Road for a short walk.
This walk should conclude about 9:00am. Binoculars and guides are available and as always…there is no charge.
Hope to see you at El Tangaral.
White-faced Monkey and Silver-throated Tanager; photos courtesy of Helen LeVasseur
Please join the San Vito Bird Club for a very special guided Bird Walk at Finca Cantaros (Finca Cantaros Environmental Association). Meet outside the green gate at 7:00am, on Sunday, Sept 22. There is no charge for this walk but donations to Cantaros are always welcome.
If you have walked the trails of Finca Cantaros before, you already know…it’s spectacular.
If this walk will be your first visit, you will find:
*Great biodiversity–bird life, plant life and butterflies.
*Laguna Zoncho–a picturesque lake. Water birds are often seen.
*Easy walking trails…custom pollinator gardens…panoramic views.
As always, binoculars available as needed. Hope you can join us.
Blue-winged/Green-winged Teal hybrid (aka ‘The Magic Duck’). Photo courtesy of David A. Rodriguez.
Please join us, the San Vito Bird Club, for another Sunday birdwalk at the Wilson Botanical Garden on Sept. 8th. Meet up at the Recepcion office at 7am. As always, these walks are free-free-free. First timers are welcome. Binoculars, guide books and actual naturalists are available for your use.
Southern migrant birds are now trickling back to their southern home! And by ‘trickling’ I’m not referring to those pesky spots you see on your car…JA-JA-JA.
Rendering of some northern migrant bird, courtesy of Greg Homer
Please join the San Vito Bird Club, at 7:00am on Sunday, Aug. 25 for our regular Wilson Garden Bird Walk. Meet up at the recepcion office where our odyssey will begin. Need binoculars? We’ll provide them.
This Sunday is the last Sunday in August, which doesn’t mean a damn thing…I’m just making small talk. But the northern migrant birds traditionally start to arrive in Sept, so…
Coffee and social time will follow in the Comedor. Hope to see you there; everyone welcome.
Bird drawing, courtesy of Greg Homer
A sizable wire cage containing 206 white doves, with each of the doves representing a country competing in the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, was prepared for the Opening Ceremonies. At a given signal all 206 of the white doves were to burst out of the cage and majestically fly around.
‘Hey,’ said one of the doves to the other 205 of his colleagues. ‘My father-in-law had this gig four years ago at the Olympics in Tokyo.’
‘What did he have to say?’ queried another white dove.
‘He said, it’s horrible! Apparently, Peregrin Falcons, Merlins and other birds of prey have figured out that the opening ceremony of the Olympics is like a full-course buffet.’
‘A what?’
‘Us, don’t you get it! We fly out of this cage and they just pick us off.’
The thought of this sent shivers down the snow-white spines of the doves.
And so, when it came time for the doves to burst out of the cage and majestically fly around, they all just..sat still.
The world viewed this as an omen of great import; and collectively decided to stop all aggression, fighting, meanness and even harsh language…which was good. (unlike this joke which doesn’t even have a punchline)
Please join the San Vito Bird Club this Sunday at 7:00am for a bird walk through the world renown Wilson Botanical Garden (OTS Las Cruces).
Meet at the Recepcion office. Coffee to follow.
Binoculars available as requested.
And please…NO RUNNING!
San Vito Bird Club 
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