Author: birdbanter

Fours Days in Uvita, Costa Rica

On Oct 22 I left home on what is planned to be my longest trip away from home to date. Both my daugter and my son are expecting the birth of their first child, so my first grandchildren, in San Isidro de el General during this visit, and I’m excited to be here, be supportive, and to meet my grandchildren.
The trip started with an Uber to Seatac, and a flight to San Jose via Houston on Oct 22. This travel was uneventful, and despite travelling with lots of stuff for grandbabies I got to the Hampton Inn near the San Jose airport with all my luggage, my virtual SIM card working, and got a good sleep. The next morning I got a taxi to the Avis car rental plfor heading to Jean’s place in Tinamaste to await my first grandson’s birth.
Each morning except today (thunder and heavy rain this AM) I got out foor a morning walk and birding, and had fun. The area is near a small river, RIo Uvita, from the foothills into the Pacific, and there are a good number of undeveloped lots and small family farms, so birds of fields and open areas were easier to see and ID. The dirt road leading from the costal highway to the entrance to their dead end street runs beside a river, with several wet fields. There is a short road to look at the river, often with local women washing clothes in the early AM when I visited, and interestingly on rocks in the river good numbers of Black Vulture seemed to roost for the night.
Overall though nothing really unusual sighted, I did manage one new Costa Rica bird, an Eastern meadowlark.
Here are a few photos:

Eastern Meadowlark

Melodious Blackbird

I find pigeons here really tough to ID, but am pretty sure this is a Pale-vented Pigeon

Orange-crowned Parakeets are one of the most common parokeets here, but getting a good look, forget about a photo have been tough. Here is one that cooperated.

Roadside Hawks are very common here.

Today I moved to the guest cabin my daughter Jean and her husband Alan have constructed at their home in Tinamaste, and am pretty much settled in there. I get to christen the cabin, as I’ll be the first person to sleep there. It’s pretty cute and I’m feeling comfortable.
Tomorrow we go to San Isidro to visit the family farm, for Jean’s prenatal visit, for lunch and to get a few things to make the cabin complete. Maybe a little birding in the early AM and at the family farm.

Neah Bay with Buddies Oct 12-14

Lark Sparrow photo by Ken on Monday.

Last weekend Ken Brown, Bruce LaBar and I headed for Neah Bay early Saturday morning, getting there a little before 10 AM. After getting our reservation permit at the Makah Mini-mart (now $20./ year and still a great bargain IMO) we started by birding the town. First stop was at the Wa’adah community area where it was very quiet, almost no passerines. Then to the greenhouse area where we managed to find a single Lapland Longspur and did a bit of a seawatch, without anything unexpected. From there we spent most of the morning around town, and at the jetty area. Neah Bay is a place birders hope for vagrants, and we really struck out in that regard. In the later afternoon we birded Backtrack road, Butlers, and the Wa’atch Valley areas, all without much exciting.
We stayed at the Hobuck Beach cabins. The larger ones have three queen beds, one downstairs in a bedroom, and two upstairs in a loft area up a steep ladder with narrow steps, and a very low ceiling (can’t stand up at all) but otherwise quite comfortable. A good kitchen, and we heated up the meals Marian prepared, Saturday a tortilla casserole, salad, chips and salsa. Appreciated by all. We went back out for some unsuccessful owling, Bruce needed GHOW and Ken and I needed N. Saw-whet Owls for our Clallam County list, but no luck.
Sunday was another sunny very nice day, and we started at the Cape Flattery observation deck, drizzle early, but cleared later. Modest nunbers of distant Sooty type shearwaters, a couple of Humpback whales, lots of Black Oystercatchers, and the expected gulls, cormorants, scoters, Rhinoceros Auklets, etc.
The rest of the day around town with the same low variety of species, and we hiked Hobuck Beach in the afternoon. Overall a dearth of vagrants, but Ken and I added Wood Duck to our county list. Spaghetti for dinner, watched the Dodgers beat San Diego TV, and an early bedtime.
Monday brought rain, news of a Lark Sparrow at Adrianne A’s place in the Hobuck Beach Road housing area at her feeders. Bruce contacted here, got permission, and we staked out her backyard feeders after a late start due to heavy rain, about 8:30. After the owner put out fresh seed on the concrete back entry and a half hour wait, the Lark Sparrow showed up and gave great looks for all of us. A county bird for all 3 of us.
Out one vagrant for the weekend. Lark Sparrow photos by Ken

The rain persisted, and we spent the rest of the day travelling and birding the Sequim area in the rain shadow there, hoping for the Lesser Black-backed gull, but no luck.
Overall a nice trip, good fellowship, but a bit disappointing bird-wise. Here is our eBird trip report

The Bird Banter Podcast #185 with Keith Corliss Additional Info.


Thanks for following The Bird Banter Podcast. I’ve had a lot of fun, learned tons, and overall feel like I’ve grown as a birder by doing this podcast. My guest on this episode is Keith Corliss, a North Dakota birder living in eastern N.D in Fargo. I marvelled at our shared experiences, and had fun sharing stories. I hope you enjoyed it too.
Keith’s email is on his eBird profile here.
Check out the Big Sit organizers site and info here.
Here is information on the San Diego Birding Festival, which I misnamed on the recording.
Check out the 5-Day pelagic trip on the Searcher our to San Diego in September here.
Here are some of the other podcast episodes I reference in the intro:
Jim Kettelkamp #151

Dan Casey #133

Michael Todd 124

Zach Poland #114

Darren Clark #80

Mike Resch #33

As I mentioned in the wrap to this episode, I think it is time for me to take a break, enjoy and support my family, and decide where to go with The Bird Banter Podcast in the future. For now, and always, good birding and good day!

A Late Morning Walk at Swan Creek County Park

HUtton’s Vireo

After hanging at home this morning, helping Marian get off to visit friends and family to the north for the weekend while I go to Neah Bay with Bruce and Ken, I got out for a morning walk and some birding at Swan Creek County Park about 11 AM. It was starting to clear, after a foggy early morning, and though not terribly birdy was a nice walk. I was trying to get a photo or two to try to sketch a bird from. I read Amy Tan’s book THe Backyard Bird Chronicles, and was impressed by her sketches and journaling. I decided to by the book by her sketching mentor, John Muir Laws, and give sketching a try on my upcoming trip to visit Jean and Brett. While I’m waiting for grandbabies to be born in Costa Rica I expect to be spending a lot of time on decks with great close up and repeated views of some cool birds, so what better way to pass the time than trying my hand at sketching. Anyway, my hope was to get a photo from which to try my first sketch. The Hutton’s Vireo above was my best to try. Other cool things were stumbling on a Cooper’s Hawk so close I didn’t fit it all in the frame, and if flew before I could zoom out of adjust the exposure properly.
Cooper’s Hawk

Jean called while I was walking and she is doing great, having a food prep day with a close friend to prepare some freezer meals for after the baby comes, and to get ready for a gathering of friends in a baby shower like event they call a blessing. Sounds cool.
Dark-eyed Juncos

Overall a nice morning walk.

The Bird Banter Podcast #184 with Alex Sowers Additional Info.


Alex talks about how he has been enjoying birding in Eastern Washington since enrolling at Washington State University last year. Here is a link to Alex’s eBird profile where you can find his telephone number, or you can reach him by e-mail sowersalexander1 – at- gmail – dot- com I enjoyed talking with Alex, and hope you enjoy hearing from Alex too.
In the introduction I talk a bit about the differences between the two sides of the state, and looking at this topographical map of the state shows this graphically.

Here is a link to the Washington Birder website where some Washington birders submit their state and county life lists as well as big years, big days, etc.
Here are links to the eBird and Birding Hotspot sites for some of the sites Alex mentioned.
Washtucna on Birding Hotspots site.
Washtucna on eBird

Lyon’s Ferry on Birding Hotspots
Lyons Ferry on eBird

Asotin County Regional Landfill on Birding Hotspots
Asotin County Regional Landfill on eBird

Swallows Park on Birding Hotspots
Swallows Park on eBird

We talk about Jacob Miller, Alex’s roommate at WSU and a previous guest on the podcast, as well as Liam Hutcheson, also a prior guest. Links on their names take you to the Bird Banter Blog post about their episodes were you can also hear the episode if you’re interested.

To hear more about birding in the Blue Mountains, check out the episode with Mike Denny, an incredibly knowledgible expert on the area as well as the birding there. Doing the recording with Mike and my good birding buddy Ken Brown, while sitting on the side of a logging road and watching three Great Gray Owl fledglings branching and being fed was one of the highlights for me of doing this podcast.
Thanks for listening, please subscribe on your favorite podcast feed, and let me know if you have guests you’d like to here from using the contact page.

The Bird Banter Podcast #183 with Dr. Joan Strassmann Additional Info.


Reading the book, Slow Birding: The Art and Science of Enjoying the Birds in Your Own Back Yard was a pleasure. I loved learning lots of detailed behavioral details of birds I thought I knew pretty well. I didn’t know that House Sparrows are a species of concern in parts of Europe, and that their maximum numbers in many areas here was in the days of horse and carraige travel, though it certainly makes sense.
Talking with Joan was fun too. Hearing her talk about how her teaching led her to write this book was cool. Her new publication due out soon, The Slow Birding Journal: A Field Diary for Watching Birds Whereever You Are should be a good exercise in observation and note taking.
There have been a lot of interest in birding closer to home. The 5-mile radius list interest has become very popular. Here is a link to a resource on how to keep a 5-mile radius list on eBird.
I enjoyed the layout of the book too. Joan writes about several local birding spots she birds regularly, and then goes into detail about several of the species seen in each of these spots. She gives suggestions for questions about each species a birder may want to investigate for themselves.
To see other podcast episodes on topics related to birding and the benefits of slowing down and really seeing the birds, along with other benefits, check out these episodes:


Thanks for listening. Until next time, good birding and good day!

The Bird Banter Podcast #182 with Melissa Hafting Additional Info.


Thanks for listening. I hope you enjoyed hearing from Melissa again (see episode #105) , and hope you feel the urge to check out her new book.

Find it on Buteo Books here.
On the podcast we talk about Melissa leading trips on Avocet Birding. You can see their website here.
The BC Birding Hotline Melissa runs is here.
See Melissa on Instagram here.
On the introduction I talk about birding at Dune Peninsula in Tacoma. Here is a link to the eBird hotspot summary page.
Here is a link to the BirdingHotspots.org page for Dune.
You can contact Melissa by email at BCbirdergirl-at-gmail-dot-com
Thanks for listening. Until next time. Good birding and good day!

The Bird Banter Podcast #181 with David Lindo- The Urban Birder- additional info.


David may be the only birder I know who may be more well known in the birding community by his business moniker, The Urban Birder, than by his real name. For sure I had heard about The Urban Birder, but wouldn’t have known David’s name until Diane Yorgenson-Quinn announced at our last ABC Birding Club meeting that after another member, Faye McAdams-Hand, read our annual book club book What an Owl Knows by Jennifer Ackermann,had contacted David to arrange a field trip to see the famous Kikinda, Serbia Long-eared Owl urban roosts this winter. This link is to a winter trip this year, but I’m not sure if it’s the one Diane and Faye are doing with David. If not, I’ll correct this link later.
We talk about the city day trip leader service David has set up. If you want a local birder to take you on an urban birding experience as you travel abroad, this service may be just what you want. Check it out here.
Next episode is going to feature Joan Straussmann talking about the Slow Birding phenomenon she has championed. Don’t miss it.
Thanks for listening. Until next time good birding and good day!

The Bird Banter Podcast #180 with Ezekiel Dobson Additional Info.


On this episode Ezekiel and I talk while he Zooms in from his car somewhere near San Diego, California where he was continuing his lower-48 U.S. big year. He saw #700, a Flame-colored Tanager in SE Arizona, and is in SoCal awaiting a pelagic trip. HE is currently at 702 for the year, adding the provisional species Burrowing Parakeet while awaiting the pelagic trip.
I love San Diego as a base for birding the area as well as the place for great pelagic birding. I’ve had an episode about the Searcher 5-Day pelagic which I highly recommend.
Follow Ezekiel on his Instagram page and support him on Go Fund Me if you feel motivated.
I’ve had lots of big year and life list birders on as guests.
Liam Hutcheson and his recent record Washington State big year

Peter Kaestner and his lifelong quest to see birds of the world.

Victor and Ruben Stoll on their record breaking Lower-48 big year.

Doug Hitchcock and his record breaking 400th species in the state of Maine (now much higher)

Raphael Fennamore and his King County WA big year.

Tiffany Keersten and her at the time record Lower-48 big year.

Matt Bartels and his quest for finding 200+ species of birds in every Washington State county.

Lynn Barber talks about record big years in the biggest states of Alaska and Texas.

And the craziest of all, Dorian Anderson’s bicycle big year story.

Thanks for listening, stay tuned to learn about Slow Birding and more.
Good birding and good day!

The Bird Banter Podcast #179 with Dr. Abby Darrah Additional Info.


Thanks for listening. I had a blast talking with Abby, and learning about her work with Black Skimmers and Least Terns in the gulf beaches of Mississippi.

Here are some Black Skimmers Ken Brown and I saw after our trip on the Searcher, the trip I recommend to Abby.

You can read about the trip on the Searcher on my trip report on the BirdBanter.com site in my birding notes section.
Least Terns are the other species Abby talks about in detail on the episode. This photo was from a beach near Cape Hatteras N.C.

You can follow Abby on Facebook and contact her at the Audubon Delta contact page.
Black Skimmer Rynchops niger is an incredibly cool bird, one of my favorites. This is an excerpt from the Birds of the World monograph.

“The buoyant flight of this bird, coupled with its dog-like barks, prompted R. C. Murphy (1) to describe Black Skimmers as “unworldly…aerial beagles hot on the scent of aerial rabbits.”

Its elongated wings and graceful flight pattern are captivating: the bird appears to almost flutter, languidly, yet is simultaneously agile and efficient. This long has captured the notice of naturalists, even of Charles Darwin, who, in observing skimmers foraging on a lake in Uruguay, described their flight as “dexterously managed” while they “ploughed up small fish with their projecting lower mandibles, and secured them with the upper half of their scissor-like bills”( Gould 1841).”
Here are links to some of the podcast episodes I mention on the podcast intro.

The Bird Banter Podcast #170 with Holly Garrod
The Bird Banter Podcast #129 with Jackie Lindsey and Charlie Wright of COASST
The Bird Banter Podcast #70 with Peter Hodum
The Bird Banter Podcast #26 wioth Tim Larson

Thanks for listening. Until next time, good birding and good day!