Tag Archives: Birding in San Vito Costa Rica

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/

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.

Where We Bird — Rio Negro

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The trail entrance at Rio Negro. Photo by Alison Olivieri

Walk with us into the tunnel of ‘To-le-do’, the song of the Lance-tailed Manakin. A superstar of San Vito birding, this active and beautiful bird also makes a mewing, catlike call. The red cap, blue back, tiny tail and orange legs make males unmistakeable; females are greenish, as are all the lady manakins, but she does have that tail! Here, they are only found at our southern Pacific border with western Panama but their range extends from Costa Rica to

See the tail? Photo by Pepe Castiblanco

Venezuela. Inhabiting the humid and second growth forests, Chiroxiphia lanceolata males are active at leks from Janury to March. Excellent and acrobatic dancers, you can find them on YouTube but, really, why not come here and see for yourself?

Bicolored Hawks can be found all around Costa Rica but they are categorized as ‘rare’. Luckily for us, they are regularly seen at this site or from the car on the way! The rufous thighs are diagnostic in adults but the juveniles are easily confused with forest-falcon species.

Juvenile Bicolored Hawk, Accipiter bicolor, photo by Jo Davidson

These raptors prey on birds, diving after them from perches at any height in mature, wet forests and tall secondary growth — even forest edges and gardens. They are in the same genus with Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawks in the north.

Finally, we come to a bird found at lower levels of the forest following ant swarms: Bicolored Antbird. Plump and endearing with a big, blue eye-ring, it’s hard not to want to scurry after them. This species is said to have been the favorite of Dr. Alexander Skutch, author of ‘A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica’ with F. Gary Stiles.

Bicolored Antbird, Gymnopithys leucaspis, photo by David A. Rodriguez Arias

Where We Bird — the Wilson Botanical Garden

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Entrance to the Wilson Garden, photo by Alison Olivieri

The San Vito Bird Club’s roots are here in the Robert and Catherine Wilson Botanical Garden at the Organization for Tropical Studies Las Cruces Biological Station — this is a long name for a magical place. Birders come from all over the world to this spot with its list of half of the country’s land birds. We have been offering bi-monthly Bird Walks here, free and open to the public since 2004, binoculars included!

In and around San Vito, we have many ‘specialties’ — birds not easily found elsewhere. Two of the most sought-after are reliably found here where you can stay in comfortable cabins with three meals a day included, a birder’s dream destination.

Ruddy Foliage-gleaner, Clibanornis rubiginosus, photo by Randall Jiménez Borbón, aka Ciccio

The Ruddy Foliage-gleaner can be found in early morning at the beginning of the Rio Java Trail. The best way to find it is to learn the call as it is usually vocalizing as the flock moves along the forest edge.

Another, smaller beauty — the White-crested Coquette — is also here in the Pollinator Garden and can be found at virtually any time of day. It is endemic to southern Costa Rica and western Panama

White-crested Coquette, Lophornis adorabilis, photo by Pepe Castiblanco

from the canopy to forest edge and gardens. You’ll have to be on your game as this exquisite creature is ‘bee-like’ in flight.

We are sure these coquettes are stealing your heart and reminding you to clean your binoculars.

And the female White-crested Coquette in this lovely photograph by Yeimeri Badilla

 

Continue to scroll down from here to see just a few more photos from of this special site. The lovely garden vista was designed by Roberto Burle-Marx, a renowned Brazilian landscape designer who was a board member of the Wilson  Garden in its very early days.

This is followed by the Canopy Tower donated by the SVBC in 2011. If you get lucky up there, you might even see a field mark on a fast-flying swift.

Meeting spot at The Wilson Botanical Garden, photo by Alison Olivieri

The Canopy Tower at Las Cruces, photo by Harry Hull III

The last beauty shot of the Wilson Garden Mirador, photo by Alison Olivieri

Cotinga y el Café — Parte Dos: Entrevista con Cholo, dueño de Mercado Viriteca, Sabalito

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Escrito por Dra. Lilly Briggs

Versión en español

Cholo en el mercado! Foto de Lilly Briggs.

1. ¿Cuándo y por qué abrió Mercado Viriteca?
Hace cuatro años el local estuvo a punto de cerrar porque no funcionaba solamente con laventa de frutas y verduras. Yo soy arrendatario, el dueño del edificio Abinal Rojas, me dió la oportunidad de emprender el proyecto de Mercado Viriteca para reinventarlo. Mi objetivo era crear un lugar que pueda beneficiar a la comunidad y el medioambiente. Compro vegetales, frutas, quesos y huevos de productores locales, y así los consumidores locales tienen acceso a productos frescos sin tener que ir al supermercado. La quebrada atrás estaba llena de basura, entonces yo estaba comprometido a limpiarla. Todavía me comprometo a mantenerla así, y así ayudo el medioambiente y ofrezco un espacio relajante para los clientes que vienen para comer y tomar café.

2. ¿De dónde surgió su ética por la conservación?
En las generaciones previas, como la de mi abuelo, les enseñaron que la tierra era más
valiosa despejada para criar más ganado o cultivar más café. Pero desde niño yo podía
apreciar la belleza y la diversión en la Naturaleza, y nuestra responsabilidad colectiva  de protegerla. También podía apreciar los beneficios tangibles de proteger la Naturaleza; por ejemplo, existe una conexión directa entre la protección de un árbol de naranja, y la capacidad de tener naranjas para cosechar.

3. ¿Cuales son algunos de los desafíos que ha enfrentado desde que abriera el local?
¡Hemos enfrentado un desafío nuevo y diferente cada año! Desde que abrimos nuestras puertas en 2016, nos vimos afectados por el Huracán Nate, una huelga nacional de maestros, y la introducción del IVA y la factura electrónica. Apenas estuvimos agarrando el momento y ritmo nuevamente cuando, en 2020, bueno… todos sabemos que algo muy diferente ocurrió: la pandemia global de Covid-19. Es difícil con un negocio pequeño porque los gastos siempre serán los mismos. Dependemos de nuestros clientes regulares para ganar la vida. Entonces, cuando las reglas cambian cada día, cómo ha estado ocurriendo durante la pandemia, y no podemos abrir el local con consistencia, los clientes empiezan a frustrarse.

4. ¡Y de repente llegó la Cotinga! Nos puede hablar de esta experiencia en el contexto deunos comentarios previamente expresados sobre su ética de conservación y los desafíos de manejar un negocio pequeño durante una pandemia.
Esperaba que al proteger el bosque y la quebrada que están detrás del negocio
atraeríamos aves que los clientes podrían disfrutar, y pensé que iban a llegar especies más comunes como Trogones. ¡Cuando la Cotinga apareció por primera vez ni siquiera sabía lo que era! Mandé una foto a Bley (uno de los Pajareros del Sur), quien me pidió permiso con mucha emoción de compartir la foto en grupos de WhatsApp. Y de repente “bang”, gente empezó a llegar para observar esta ave, ¡no solamente del área local, hasta de tan lejos como San José! Realmente ha dado mucho apoyo al negocio durante un momento tan difícil económicamente.

5. Cuéntanos sobre los comentarios y conversaciones que la Cotinga Turquesa ha inspirado.

Pajareros al Mercado Viriteca de Sabilito. Foto de Lilly Briggs.

Unos de mis clientes regulares empezaron a preguntarme: “¿quiénes son estas personas? ¡Parecen que son de National Geographic!” por causa de todo el equipo—binoculares, telescópicos, y cámaras. Es emocionante de ver cómo la gente sin mucho interés mostrado antes en las aves, están haciendo muchas preguntas ahora. Por ejemplo, uno de los vendedores de queso me preguntó si podía enseñarle la Cotinga. Unos miembros de la comunidad me han comentado que veían más Cotingas en el pasado cuando todavía habían más Aguacatillos, porque las Cotingas aman sus frutos. He tenido la oportunidad de hablar con personas de diferentes sectores sobre la conexión entre la conservación de la Naturaleza y el apoyo a la economía local. Hay gente que saludaba casualmente en el pasado, y a través de esta nueva experiencia hemos desarrollado una conexión más profunda. Finalmente, creo que muchas personas han cambiado su perspectiva sobre la accesibilidad de pajarear como una actividad que todos puedan disfrutar—no necesariamente hay que viajar muy lejos, ni tener todo el equipo que lo haga a uno parecer como un explorador/a de National Geographic!

6. ¿Tiene algún comentario final?
El dinero es importante porque todos lo ocupamos para vivir, pero para mí es de igual
importancia el objetivo de ayudar a dejar el medioambiente en mejor condición de que lo encontré. Quiero que las próximas generaciones tengan las mismas oportunidades de aprender más sobre las maravillas de la Naturaleza, incluyendo un ave tan especial como la Cotinga Turquesa. Este objetivo es especialmente importante el día de hoy, dado que muchas personas de la actual generación están muy pegadas a sus teléfonos y a las redes sociales. Experiencias significativas con la Naturaleza y sus especies pueden inspirarles a cuidar nuestro planeta.

Lilly Briggs, PhD, Director of Finca Cántaros Environmental Association

San Vito de Coto Brus, Costa Rica

Facebook and Instagram: Finca Cántaros

Two of the Country’s Five Jays Have Hit Our Patch!

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Brown Jay, photo by Jo Davidson.

Suddenly we have two species of jays to be pursued in San Vito: the garrulous Brown Jay and the far more flamboyant Black-chested Jay.

Brown Jays have been with us for some time now – not in great numbers as in the rest of the country but every so often one or two pop up, giving their “piyah, piyah” call. This usually brings us up short and, as we struggle to place it, this unmistakeable fellow glides into view.  Traveling in “Boisterous parties” is how they are described in the second edition of The Birds of Costa Rica by Garrigues and Dean.

Black-chested Jay. Photo by Pepe Castiblanco.

Meanwhile, Black-chested Jays are far less common with a range formerly restricted to southern Caribbean lowlands. They have been seen sporadically over time in and around Coto Brus; for example near the Panama border at Canas Gordas.  In contrast to their brown cousins, they are described as “. . . a bit more furtive.” But now we have a small flock up in Concepcion, above the Wilson Botanical Garden/Las Cruces, that can often be seen in early morning near the open-on-weekends restaurant Los Jilgueros. In fact, Sr. Gamboa, the owner, is quite attuned to these handsome birds and can often point a hopeful birder in the right direction.

Jays fascinate us for many reasons. They are loud and have a big presence — when you are near a jay you know it. They have personalities with definite likes and dislikes, complex social systems, tight family bonds and some species are good mimics. They’re smart and can solve problems posed by researchers like their fellow corvids, crows and ravens. Often Costa Rican birders who visit the United States come back with the North American Blue Jay at the top of their Favorite Bird list.

October Big Day: Join Us in the Field on Saturday the 19th!

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How to participate

  • Get an eBird account: eBird is a worldwide bird checklist program used by millions of birders. It’s what allows us to compile everyone’s sightings into a single massive October Big Day list—while at the same time collecting the data for scientists to use to better understand birds. Sign up here. It’s 100% free.
  • Watch birds on 19 October: It’s that simple. You don’t need to be a bird expert, or go out all day long. Even 10 minutes in your backyard will help. October Big Day runs from midnight to midnight in your local time zone. You can report birds from anywhere in the world.
  • Enter what you see and hear on eBird: You can enter your sightings via our website or—even easier—download the free eBird Mobile app. You can enter and submit lists while you’re still out birding, and the app will even keep track of how far you’ve walked, so you can focus on watching birds. While you’re downloading free apps, try out the Cornell Lab’s Merlin Bird ID app for help with identification. Please enter sightings before 23 October to be included in our initial results announcement.
  • Watch the sightings roll in: During the day, keep an eye on how the lists are growing in different parts of the world. Follow along with sightings from more than 150 countries. Stats will be updated in real-time on our October Big Day page.

Hello and Goodbye: Please Welcome Dr. Lilly Briggs!

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Most of our readers are familiar with the beautiful Finca Cantaros, a public center of activity in San Vito that until recently was owned and operated by Gail Hewson Hull and Harry Hull. This magical place has hosted many of our bird walks, research projects by international scientists, educational opportunities and other events that SVBC-ers cherish and, yes, we all cried at the Hull’s Farewell Party.

In her element. Photo by Michael Olivieri

But please join us in welcoming the new owner of Cantaros, Dr. Lilly Briggs from the Cornell University Laboratory of Ornithology. With Jennifer Fee, of the Laboratory of Ornithology Education Department, Lilly is the co-author of the BirdSleuth-International (aka Detectives de Aves) curriculum with which SVBC members work daily and happily!

After earning her PhD in 2016 at the Department of Natural Resources at Cornell, Lilly now works as a Postdoctoral Associate in Education and Citizen Science Programs. To learn more about Lilly’s career and see her publication list, visit this page.

Their legacy lives on in San Vito; we send every good wish to the Hulls.

‘Goodbyes’ are hard — sob, sniff — we miss the Hulls and wish them well in their new desert habitat in New Mexico.

‘Hellos’ are fun — whoo hoo! — please join us in a warm welcome and a huge hello to Lilly!

 

 

Please Join Us for 2019/Afiliarse con nosotros 2019!

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Birding with the Pajareros Del Sur at the Wilson Botanical Garden. Photo by Jo Davidson

It is time to join the San Vito Bird Club for the first time OR to renew your membership for 2019!

Benefits of membership include bi-monthly Bird Walks at the Wilson Garden/OTS Las Cruces Biological Station, invites to the members-only Annual Meeting at Cascatas Del Bosque, day trips in and around the Coto Brus Valley and occasional overnight jaunts throughout Costa Rica in search of rarities like the Lanceolated Monklet. Plus your membership support helps us bring BirdSleuth-International, an environmental education program from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, to local schools as “Detectives de Aves”. Please read President Wendell’s post about the Detectives de Aves year 2018 here.

Detectives de Aves teachers Carla Azofeifa and Paula Mesen with SVBC President Peter Wendell. Photo by Alison Olivieri

Part of your membership dues will be donated to the Organization for Tropical Studies Las Cruces Biological Station that provides us with an exciting place to bird and free coffee and camaraderie after the walks.

We are keeping dues at 2018 rates: C11,000 or $20 per person for International Members and C14,000 or $25 per person for residents of Costa Rica. Family membership are priced for two people but always include children.

Without you, we are nothing so please join today! You can give your dues to Peter at the Bird Walk on December 9 or to Randall Bourbon Jimenez or to any other executive committee member: Greg Homer, Alison Olivieri or Harry Hull.

Quiz Bird #7 = Yellow Tyrannulet!/Mosquerito Amarillo!

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Photographed in Linda Vista by Jo Davidson, here is our Yellow Tyrannulet

Photographed in Linda Vista by Jo Davidson, here is our Yellow Tyrannulet.

Congratulations to Mike Judd of North Carolina for promptly and correctly identifying our Yellow Tyrannulet. He will receive an original Liz Allen design greeting card in person in March when he arrives in San Vito!

Thanks to everyone for submitting their guesses: we received four this time of which three were correct.

 

 

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Felicidades a Mike Judd de el estado North Caroline por identificar de forma pronta y correcta nuestro Mosquerito Amarillo. El recibirá una tarjeta original diseñada por la miembro Liz Allen cuando llegará a San Vito en marzo.

Muchas gracias a todos por enviar sus estimaciones: Recibimos cuatro en esta ocasión, tres de las cuales fueron correctas.