Over the years the San Vito Bird Club has held its Annual Meeting in several different locations, including the beautiful Las Cruces Research Station.
Chef Jairo Alemán and family were thrilled to have us return for our 20th anniversary to his restaurant at Cascata del Bosco.
Cascata has hosted many SVBC meetings over the past 20 years — and they really excelled this year. Jairo and Ligia made delicious Huevos Rancheros, while the whole family prepared accompaniments.
We had a great time Sunday, February 25 at Cascata Del Bosco and wish you could have been there. This year we had two themes: Celebrating 20 Years of Birding in San Vito and the incomparable Resplendent Quetzal.
Our three main speakers — Dr. Lilly Briggs, Alan Poole and Henry Barrantes — were excellent. So that you don’t miss a thing, their talks will be summarized in forthcoming posts.
For now, we begin with a short history outlining our three major achievements. (Eventually, we will add a ‘page’ to this website citing the Club’s accomplishments, small and large.)
In 2004, we began a 10-year Avian Monitoring Study with Principal Investigator Dr. Steve Latta of the National Aviary and Judy Richardson, Master Bander from the Connecticut Audubon Society. The core group included Julie Girard Woolley, Cecilia Sansonetti, Lydia Vogt, Kate Allen Desvenain, Daniel Martinez, Juan Pablo ‘Chespi’ Elizondo and many other local and international volunteers. It was a lot of work and resulted in a published paper and an article in the bulletin of the Asociación Ornitológica de Costa Rica.
In 2011, we cut the ribbon on a Canopy Tower that had taken three years of fundraising to complete. We’re happy to report it is still standing — at the Organization for Tropical Studies Las Cruces Biological Research Station — and attracting visitors from all over the world.
Finally, in 2012-13, we began presenting an environmental education program from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, ‘Detectives de Aves’ (in English: BirdSleuth International), in local elementary schools. This program continues to this day and much more about that will be forthcoming in another post.
From left to right, 20 years ago, Alison Olivieri, Terrie Moss (formerly of Linda Vista, now of St. Louis, MO), Daniel Martinez (former Biologist at Las Cruces, now of the Ornithological Council of Costa Rica) and Julie Girard Woolley (who needs no introduction).
Please join us on Sunday, February 18 at the OTS Las Cruces reception building at 7 am for a Bird Walk lasting about an hour. We will have binoculars to share and guides to help with bird IDs. After the walk, we’ll have a social coffee in the Las Cruces dining room.
Reminder: to qualify for the Bird List Competition at our forthcoming Annual Meeting (on Sunday, February 25 at Cascatas del Bosco, starting at 8:00 am), you must send your list of all birds seen or heard from Feb. 14-16 to Julie Girard Woolley @ julgirar@gmail.com. Hopefully tonight, you will hear an owl or a potoo!
See you Sunday! Please bring friends and family; the Walk is free and open to the public.
Fiery-billed Aracari: we will see one or hear one (with any luck at all).
As promised, we have further information about the upcoming Celebratory Annual Meeting 2024!
Traditionally, we’ve had a lively contest among members as to whose bird feeder hosted the most species. Now that feeding wildlife is prohibited by law in Costa Rica (hip hip hooray!), we have a new race to the top for you.
Following in the footsteps of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology’s Big Backyard Count, please add up all the bird species you see or hear from Feb. 14-16 in your home territory. International Members* are invited to participate but no going far afield! Stay home! Count your birds! (We will know if you locals rush off to Guanacaste.)
Please email your list to Julie Girard: julgirar@gmail.com by Feb. 24. That is plenty of time as the cut-off date is Feb. 16. This contest starts tomorrow — Valentine’s Day — so get cracking. Our Secretary-Treasurer Lydia Vogt has a nice prize in mind for you with the longest list!
PS Gray-headed Chachalacas count…….
We also know where this one lives…………..
*If you are competing from afar, please tell Julie where you live when you submit your list. If you win, we’ll need your address to mail the prize.
Please join us for a Bird Walk at the beautiful Wilson Botanical Garden this Sunday! We will meet at the Reception Building at 7:00 am and have binoculars to share and guides to lead us.
Why come? To spend a tranquil free hour, walking leisurely through the plant collections, all the while looking for colorful and fascinating local birds. If you are a Spanish speaker, you can practise your English at the coffee hour that follows the Walk. If you are an English speaker, you can learn some new words in Spanish!
Please bring a small donation for the ladies who make the coffe and wash the cups.
All our Bird Walks are free and open to the public; hope to see you there!
This is a Yellow-throated Toucan, the largest species of the Costa Rican toucan group. They are often seen on our walks and can be heard calling for a very long distance.
Please join us for a Bird Walk at the Wilson Botanical Garden (aka the OTS Las Cruces Biological Station) this Sunday, November 5, at 7:00 am.
We will meet at the Reception Building and have binoculars and field guides to share. As always, the Walk is free and open to the public so bring your friends and neighbors!
We will walk for about an hour after which we will have coffee in the dining room.
Maybe we will see a Common Tody-Flycatcher!
Northern Waterthrush: a migrant to watch for! Photo by Gail Hull
Or one of these tail-bobbing migrants………….you never know!
Time for an SVBC Bird Walk at the Wilson Botanical Garden, aka Las Cruces Biological Station.
Please join us this Sunday, October 22, at 7:30 am, meeting at the Reception Building. We’ll keep sharp eyes out for the beauty below and, as usual, have binoculars and field guides to share.
The Walk will take about an hour after which we’ll go to the dining room for coffee and socializing.
Summer Tanager: a stunning neotropical migrant. Photo by Julie Girard.
Please join us this Sunday for a Bird Walk at the beautiful Finca Cantaros. We will meet you at the entrance gate at 7:00 am and will have binoculars to share.
The Walk is free and open to the public, so invite your friends and neighbors!
A signature bird of FC is the boisterous and dancing Buff-rumped Warbler — we will undoubtedly hear one or two and, with some luck, see them waggling their buffy rumps!
This is nesting season so we will be on the lookout for birds carrying nesting material or food for their young. It is a glorious time of year so come enjoy it with us!
After the walk, we can head to the Mottola Bakery for coffee and a social visit. Hope to see you there.
Another signature bird of FC: the infamous Hybrid Teal!
(From San Vito Bird Club founder and President Emeritus, Alison Olivieri)
Just in case you’ve been thinking about breakfast, we have a suggestion: come to San Vito for some Gallo Pinto!
‘What is that?’, we hear you asking. It is a scrumptious Costa Rican breakfast staple (and it is close to being birdy because the literal translation is ‘Spotted Rooster’ and we like to eat it with eggs).
Recently, we’ve embarked upon a survey of Gallo Pintos all over town. As subjective as it may be, we have a clear winner.
The Number One Most Delicious Gallo Pinto is served every day at the Mottola Bakery and Cafeteria which is close to the hospital and has a newly-expanded eight-table restaurant with additional counter seating.
Is there a Runner Up? Yes! The Soda Rio Java also dishes out a yummy Gallo Pinto and is conveniently found next to the large BM Supermarket so you could stop there first and cut down hunger-induced, impulsive grocery purchases.
The criteria involved in these designations included seasoning excellence, constant effort, portion size and price.
If you have any other Tico culinary specialty items you’d like us to investigate, send your suggestions to alison.w.olivieri@gmail.com and watch this space for a Survey Result.
In early June, OTS Las Cruces Biological Station and Wilson Botanical Garden held its ‘Annual Dia de las Puertas Abiertas’. This event offers activities for all ages, tours, food and fun — and a chance to collaborate with other, like-minded groups.
Traditionally, the SVBC offers up a Bake Sale (with profits going to Las Cruces, of course) and this year was no exception.
Hugethanks to our volunteer bakers:
Tina Esquer Christopher
Roni Chernin
Peter Wendell
Joe Ippolito
Along with ‘Lemon Bars From Connecticut’ (thank you, Cathy O’Donnell), offerings included Banana Bread, Oatmeal Cookies, Peanut Butter Cookies, Spice Cookies, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies and last year’s favorite, Chocolate Ganache Cake.
San Vito Bird Club 
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