(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.

(Photos courtesy of the author, Alison Olivieri)

Things to see and do galore!

A new program called Caminata Matutina (Morning Walk) is being offered twice a month on Saturdays by the Finca Cantaros Environmental Association. These walks are free and open to the public, announced in advance on social media.

Recently, we were on one of these with Executive Director Lilly Briggs and Regent Biologist David Arias Rodrigues. While enjoying the sights and sounds of birds around us everywhere (*see a partial list below*), we were startled by one of the huge Caligo butterflies that display big ‘owl eyes’ on their closed wings. This astonishing creature rested obligingly on a tree trunk for several minutes, allowing the ‘Matutineers’ a chance to see it well in the telescope.

We also had great good fortune to observe two of the country’s squirrel species: Variegated and Red-tailed Squirrels, seen below in an old version of the invaluable Guide to the Mammals of Costa Rica by Fiona Reid. Drawings 1-6 are variations on the Variegated version, more commonly seen in Guanacaste than Coto Brus, and the little one at bottom right is the Red-tailed.

An environmental art project created by the FCEA’s Women Caring for the Earth program has beautified and informed a rancho next to Laguna Zoncho. In the foreground below, one of the artists, Karla ‘Lita’ Esquivel, discusses the representative water birds painted onto the table tops with members of our group from Santa Teresa de Sabalito.

Just before we tap out our impressive bird list, we pay homage to the fascinating plant group called Costus, closely allied with heliconias, gingers, marantas and bananas.

And now finally to the birds — unusually busy at this time of year engaged as they are in local courting, nesting and caring for young OR eating as much as they can for the impending long migration to northern nesting grounds.

The morning chorus was in full voice and we were happy to hear Roadside Hawk, Tropical Parula, Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Green Hermit, Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush, Buff-rumped Warbler, Common Tody-Flycatcher, Gray-capped Flycatcher, Social Flycatcher and a newly-fledged White- throated Thrush with attending adults!

Please make a point of following the FCEA at https://fincacantaros.org and learning more about its many programs.

We have exciting news to share with all our members from last Sunday’s Annual Meeting 2023. A unanimous vote cast by attending members forged a strategic alliance with the Finca Cantaros Environmental Association (FCEA) to present the ongoing Detectives de Aves education course in local schools.

It is a happy and natural fit. The sole mission of the FCEA is environmental education and, as you will see in the video below, they are coming at it in many different and innovative ways.

Your restricted gifts over the years to support this effort will be — as always — channelled directly to teachers, transportation and supplies.

Meanwhile, the San Vito Bird Club will remain involved and work closely with the team at FCEA. Please contact us if you have any questions or comments; we always want to hear from you.

Here is a message from Dr. Lilly Briggs, the Director of the Finca Cántaros Environmental Association:

Finca Cántaros Environmental Association (FCEA) considers the San Vito Bird Club (SVBC) one of its most important allies, and we are grateful for all the ways that SVBC members have supported our work. Learn more about how FCEA got started thanks to connections through the Club in the following video, and about how we are fulfilling our environmental education goals through the themes of forest restoration and birds.

HERE is a link to the video!

We are very excited about the positive changes that this collaboration will bring to the Cantón of Coto Brus, and to all of us as well who have had the pleasure and honor to work together to build a better community.