Category Archives: Articles

Bird Banding Training Workshop: help us send students!

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During the past 20 years, the SVBC has gradually and naturally changed. We still lead Bird Walks and regular forays to birdy spots like the rice fields near Cuidad Neilly and the Tres Ríos River. But we also have a ‘How Can We Help You?” sensibility, especially if your concern will help birds and people of the local community.

Along those lines, we have some history of contributing to educaton and project enhancement for our volunteer mist netters — many of you will remember the Avian Monitoring Project that ran from 2003-2013. Back then we encouraged — and financially supported — participants to travel to other countries to take part in a bird banding training workshop in Peru and an international bird conference in El Salvador.

Now Finca Cántaros Environmental Association (FCEA) has begun a new bird banding program which combines nicely with projects that emerged as a result of installing Costa Rica’s second Motus Station on site in 2020 (motus.org).

Coming up this year, we have an exciting opportunity to help fund travel and education for two young women who are being trained as banders at Finca Cántaros.

Meet María Sandí and Alisson Vargas, dedicated naturalists who have also been trained to teach Detectives de Aves classes and want to do more — and know more.

In February 2025, NABC certified bander and ornithologist Holly Garrod (who has been leading the banding trainings at FCEA this year) will offer intensive training in the Dominican Republic — this is our chance to help María and Alisson. If we can provide a stipend of $1,000 each, they are off — off to a world of ornitholgical collaboration, new colleagues, international sensibility and professional skills enhancement.

Academics and practicitioners in the field of conservation have repeatedly highlighted the importance of engaging young people in the local community and creating jobs for rural youth. Longtime loyal SVBC (and Detectives de Aves) supporters can feel proud that our investment is really achieving this goal. María Sandí was one of the first students in the Detectives de Aves classes when we launched the program in 2013 — she credits this experience with inspiring her interest in nature and her motivation to pursue this path, personally and professionally. Flash forward 10 years and she is actively involved in many programs at FECA in additional to the bird banding and Women Committed to the Earth.

Are you reaching for your wallet? Before you make your contribution, please know that Finca Cántaros now has tax deductible status in the US. To make a tax deductible donation, please visit their website: http://fincacantaros.org/donate/

Taxonomy Changes for 2024

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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.

Why Do Birds Suddenly Appear?

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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.

A Diamond, in the Rough

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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.

Just When You Thought It Was Safe…a new BIRD JOKE!

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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)

Bakers Take a Bow!

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At the Annual Dia de Las Puertas Abiertas last Sunday at OTS Las Cruces, the SVBC Bake Sale was a grand success — we surpassed last year’s revenue by 25% thanks to the efforts of these industrious and generous people:

Tina Esquer Christopher

Caroljo Papac

Roni Chernin

Molly Rae

Joe Ippolito

Peter Wendell

Alison Olivieri

If we didn’t run bi-monthly Bird Walks at Las Cruces and occasional forays to local ‘birdy’ spots, we might be tempted to rename the group “San Vito Bakers’ Club”. But we will stick with our walks for now and are happy to welcome any newcomers with binoculars and bonhomie.

Speaking of which, the next walk will be Sunday, June 16. Please join us at 7:00 am at the Las Cruces Reception Building. We will walk through the Wilson Botanic Garden looking for birds and will happily help you find them. The walks are always free and open to the public. One of the guides, Peter Wendell, is fluent in Spanish so if that concerns you don’t give it another thought!

It’s a lttle early to tout the Sunday Walk so we will post a brief remnder later this week. We just couldn’t wait to thank our bakers for the cakes, cookies and breads.

SPACE…Where No Thrush Has Gone Before

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I like to watch TV.

Having a lazy, lounging late morning on my hands, I queued up an episode of the old ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ TV show and stretched out to enjoy it.

During the narrative, a couple of the Enterprise crew members are investigating some serious space problem on some strange planet (this happens in almost EVERY Star Trek episode). The crew member and an alien planet guy are discussing how to solve the serious space problem. The two of them are chatting together while relaxing in stylish and modernistic space patio chairs in a lovely outdoor space garden.

*As you birders know, Coto Brus is currently inundated with literally thousands of migratory Swainson’s Thrushes. These Thrushes give out with a distinctive and most pleasant song during their stay.*

So, I’m watching the show with one ear and listening to the Swainson’s Thrushes just outside my window with the other ear (or so I thought). I pause the show for just a bit…and the Thrush song stops too! What the…! I start the show again and you guessed it! The Swainson’s Thrushes started back with their singing.

How Swainson’s Thrushes ever got to this weird alien planet out in the final frontier…I don’t know. But they did. I guess nature finds a way.

Do you have any reminiscences of identifying bird songs from a movie or TV show? If so, share them with me and I’ll share them with our readers. Send to Greg Homer:

eltangaral@gmail.com

And the Winners From the Annual Meeting 2024 Are . . . .

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Written by Lydia Vogt

Fun and Games!

Following in Co-President Greg Homer’s footsteps, we had three opportunities for members to show off their bird expertise at the recent Annual Meeting and I think we were all pleasantly surprised. All members were invited to participate in the Cornell eBird annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). The GBBC was one of the first online projects to collect information on wild birds and was also instrumental in the creation of eBird back in 2002. Our local winner was Anna Bilberry with 68 species!

Anna and her adorable dog, photo by Lydia Vogt

At the meeting, attendees participated in two challenging bird games: the Bird Call Contest required sharp hearing and quick recall as the vocalizations of 14 local birds were played, and answes had to be written down.

The second game of Bird Trivia required mostly general bird knowledge (members were warned before the meeting to bone-up on eBird facts), and ten questions separated the casual contestants from the eager.

In both of these games our members did very well, and Anna was again at the top, with Nancy Warshawer only a point behind! But one fairly new member exceeded the score of everyone — Rodney Briggs, of the Finca Cantaros Environmental Association (and Lilly’s dad). He has obviously spent the last two years doing more than planting trees.

Missing only one bird call (the tough Rufous-breasted Wren), he had a total on both games of 21 points.

Rodney Briggs, photo by Alison Olivieri

Congratulations to all the members who gave it a try — and especially to Anna and Rodney!

Annual Meeting 2024 = One Huge ‘Thank You’!

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Coming Home — written by Lydia Vogt

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.

Many thanks to all of them!

Annual Meeting 2024 Report — for Far-Flung Members and Supporters

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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).