Author Archives: AWOlivieri

Bird Walk This Sunday, November 2

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Since it’s Halloween you might be forgiven for thinking these people are in costumes, pretending to be birders — hah! But you would be WRONG — they are enjoying a fruiting tree full of hungry colorful migrants including Summer Tanagers; Chestnut-sided, Tennessee and Black-and-White-Warblers; Swainson’s Thrushes and more that have arrived here for the winter.

Terry Farling and Kate Desvenain (left to right above), longtime members and supporters, joined us two weeks ago for a super birdy stroll through the Wilson Botantical Garden. Also with us: Tim Christopher, SVBC Bigwig Peter Wendell and two new members: Gabriel Ortiz and Dra. Lilliana Rivas Morales.

We are due for another one this Sunday so please mark your calendars and join us! Bring friends and neighbors — it’s free, open to the public and we always have binoculars to share.

Meet at the Reception Building at Las Cruces Biological Station at 7 am; I’m looking at YOU!

Top photo by Gabriel Ortiz, bottom photo by Alison Olivieri

Detectives de Aves Had a Great Year!

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As you can see by the exciting video below (just click on the image to play!), elementary and secondary students in San Vito and Sabalito had a banner year with Detectives de Aves classes taught by the wonderful people of Finca Cántaros.

The Finca Cántaros Environmental Association team reached 184 students: 81 primary students and 103 secondary students! This was accomplished by weekly visits to schools and through a pilot collaboration with the Sabalito Natural Reserve that funded site visits for several high school classes with mornings of ‘mini-modules’ and birding. Plans are in the works for continuing this successful model next year.

We’re sure we don’t need to tell you that costs are going up — even here in San Vito — and we want to help the FCEA continue teaching this amazing education program from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

You can send a donation directly to Cántaros. If you prefer to send it to us, we will make sure it gets into the Cántaros coffers immediately and will be earmarked for Detectives de Aves. Thank you, as always, for your generous support.

Bird Walk Sunday, October 19 — Hope to See You There!

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Please join us for a free guided Bird Walk at the Wilson Botanical Garden, aka OTS Las Cruces next Sunday, October 19.

We will meet at the Reception Building at 7:00 am and have binoculars to share.

After the walk, we will have a coffee/tea Social Hour in the dining room and make a bird list.

This beautiful photograph — of an even more beautiful bird — was taken by Eugenio Garcia, a longtime friend of the SVBC, natural history guide and nature photographer. If you can identify this bird, tell us at the Bird Walk and you might win a prize!

Name That Red: a New Birding Challenge!

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Introducing a Brand New Contest

You send us a list of all the birds you can think of with red-related names.

Rule #1: have to be real birds

Rule #2: doesn’t matter how weird the color sounds as long as it’s kinda red

Ready? Set? GO!

We will wait a week from the first submission and then announce the winner. A local winner will be treated to a fancy barista-type coffee; an international winner will receive some local coffee in the mail.

HONORABLE MENTION: The Bird FKA Cherrie’s Tanager — don’t even try this one; let us introduce you to George Kruck Cherrie (1865-1948) who endured upwards of 40 Central and South American expeditions, including Theodore Roosevelt’s South American Expedition of 1913-14. From 1889-1897, he worked as a bird curator at the Costa Rica National Museum in San Jose (!) and the Field Museum in Chicago . . . there’s more — he was busy.

Reminder: Bird Walk Tomorrow!

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Don’t forget to join us for a Bird Walk at the Wilson Botanical Garden tomorrow — Sunday, June 22 at 7 am.

We will meet at the Reception Building and have binoculars to lend you and your friends.

The walk will take at least an hour; after that we’ll have coffee and a ‘social hour’ at the Las Cruces Dining Room. You never know — there might be cake!

Hope to see you there!

We’ll probably see one of these amazing birds — a Fiery-billed Aracari, endemic to southern Costa Rica and Panama.

Come for a Bird Walk on Sunday, June 22!

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We will wait for you at the Las Cruces Biological Station Reception Building at 7:00 am.

As usual, we’ll have binoculars to lend plus birds to see and hear.

After the walk — about an hour — we’ll have coffee and a social hour in the Dining Room.

Cake may appear — you never know!

If you would like to join the Bird Club for 2025, please bring $40 or C 20,000 for an individual or $50 (C 25,000) for a family. Thank you in advance for your support!

Bird Walk! Sunday, May 25!

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Join us for another May Bird Walk next Sunday, the 25th! Fingers crossed we will see this beauty while we look around for an hour of natural history:

Brown-hooded Parrot, photo by Alison Olivieri.

As usual, we will meet at the Reception Building at 7:00 am and have binoculars to lend.

The Walk is free and open to the public, so bring all your friends and neighbors. We’ll have a social chat after the walk with coffee and (maybe) some cake!

Hope to see you there!

Quiz Bird!

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Well, well, it has been some time since we have put up a Quiz Bird for you!

It is hard to resist this one as it is: 1) too far away, 2) unlikely positioning and 3) a terrible view. Nonetheless, please send your guesses to: alison.w.olivieri@gmail.com — you might win something!

Here’s a hint: these birds were found on the grounds of the Colegio CTP Umberto Melloni in San Vito about two weeks ago.

Watch this spot for a Bird Walk announcement later this week. It will be Sunday morning, as usual, and we hope to see you there.

Sunday Morning Bird Walk!

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Take advantage of the morning sun and join us for a guided Bird Walk this Sunday, May 11, at Las Cruces/Wilson Botanical Garden.

We will meet at the Reception Building at 7:00 am and have binoculars to share.

This walk is free and open to the public, so please bring your friends, neighbors and family.

We have an excellent chance to see AND hear the beautiful Streak-headed Woodcreeper while we are there.

This photo was taken by Helen LeVasseur.

Coffee and social hour follow the Bird Walk — come one, come all!

Spring Holiday Walk!

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Please join us for a Bird Walk this Sunday, April 20, at 7 am — we’ll meet at the Reception Building at OTS/Las Cruces/ Wilson Botanical Garden.

The weather is and has been amazingly beautiful for several weeks and we can’t believe our luck. Birds are in breeding plumage — some are feeding young — and butterflies are skittering along from one flower to the next in all their glory! In fact, bring your butterfly book, why not?

The Walk is free, open to the public and we have binoculars to lend.

Hope to see you there.

And no, despite this image we are not going to peer into birds’ nests, just watch them coming and going…….