On this episode I talk with Jason Zolle, a birder I know from Washington who recently moved to Colorado. Jason worked for several years as the Washington State Non-partisan counsel, and recently undertook a career change.
Jason’s story is yet another way that the changes to society during the pandemic restrictions led to more birding time for lots of us, and to increased passion for birding in others. Jason’s Art Website is here.
Information about the Rebecca Heisman episode and the book I recommend, Flight Paths is here. I loved this book, and have recently decided to use it as my choice for my book club (not birders) read for the meeting I’ll host in April. I think it is a birding book that will be of interest to non-birders too. I mention in talk with Jason about the use of elemental analysis of a birds primary feathers in determining where that bird bred. Here is an article on that topic.
It’s great to be back after a long break to be with my two kids in Costa Rica for the birth of each of their first child (so my first and second grandchildren) and then shortly after a birding trip to Colombia with Hillstar Nature and Mollee Brown. The time with family was great, both mom’s and babies are healthy and beautiful, and I am glad I took the break. That said, I’ve missed the podcast, and am happy to be back.
This episode was done at my house in Tacoma local birding buddy Bruce LaBar. One of the good things about the pandemic and quarantine is the improved ability to video conference, and I’ve used these exclusively for a while now, so it was fun to sit down in person and record an episode.
Here are lots of links and a few photos from the trip. Hillstar Nature Nighthawk Agency is Mollee Brown’s company. Montezuma Rainforest Lodge is the first lodge we stayed at and the home of Yessenia’s family. Tinamu Hotel was the home base for several trips to great birding spots and is great in and of itself with trails and feeding stations for Gray-headed Dove, a Golden-collared Manakin lek, and more. Doña Dora’s the great roadside restaurant and feeder station. The opening page of this site had a great video. PNN Navados My Trip Report on eBird This has a day by day narrative. Yessenia Ranbow-throated Thornbill (from Jim Hoagland) The group at a feeding station. Chestnut Wood-Quail Rufous-fronted Parakeet, a surprise and rare find on a cliff near PNN Los Nevados Lyre-tailed Nightjar Collared Inca Saffron-crowned Tanager Rainbow throated Thonnbill Common Potoo with chick Blue-headed Parrot Golden-collared Manakin on a lek Little TinamouCrimson-rumped ToucanetRed-headed BarbetWhite-shouldered Tanager
Well, Jean delivered RÃo at 6:57 PM Nov. 19, and I’m a grampa now for the first time. Pretty cool experience. We spent the next week at the Finca Cometa farm where RÃo was born, and came back to Jean and Alan’s primary home near Tinamaste, Costa Rica where I stayed a few more days. We all agreed that it would be great for Jean and Alan to have time with RÃo without grampa, and for me to take a break and go for an adventure. I wanted a place I could drive to, a place with some remotemess and an adventure element, and I chose to go to the Luna Lodge, near the entrance to PN Corcovada on the Oso Peninsula. It is an area I’ve never visited, in the only large low elevation tropical Pacific rain forest left in CR. I left Jean’s on the morning of Nov 29, and drove on a pretty rainy day about 4 hours to Puerto Jiminez. It is a small town where the lodge arranged a driver into the lodge. I opted (wisely IMO) not to try driving in as she they described the road as awful due to recent flooding, and I quickly agreed after at the start of the 2-hour dirt road drive we crossed a significant river (washed out bridge that has been out for 3 years) and subsequently crossed at least 8 more pretty fast and deep rivers in the Toyota Hilux 4WD pickup that was my transport. The drive in was pretty birdy, and the once the driver learned I was a birder was very patient with several stops for birds, including a stakeout of his, a lifer Tropical Screech Owl by the road. Tropical Screech Owl
The lodge is quite nice, though in the rain forest it is really wet at this time of year. There were few guests, one business retreat group from Budapest, one couple from Atlanta, and me at first, and just myself and one of the stayover guests from the Budapest group and me at dinner with the owner and the massage therapist. The story of the lodge is remarkable. See her book Married to Paradise.
I stayed there for 3 nights, and due to low census they upgraded me from the Hacienda rooms to a bungalow. The bungalow is a stand alone place with a two queen beds, a small porch with 2 rocking chairs, and a bath and open air shower in the back. Overall quite nice, but everything always wet from dew/humnidity. Food was excellent, service great.
I took 2-hour guided morning and afternoon birding walks on the first full day, and a 6 your 6-noon “safari” birding trip on day 2, when the guide recommended that vs. a hike to the PN Corcovado which was all in forest and on the beach with a low number and diversity of birds likely.
The second day the rain finally cleared, and we had a great morning. We started going to an estuary, where a pretty cool drive down a river bed to the mouth of the river brought us to a large sandy lagoon with a good number of waders. Almost immediately on scanning the mouth of the estuary I spotted a very distant wader that was acting like a Reddish Egret, stomping in circles and stopping to feed in the disturbed water. I called this to Mauro’s attention and he doubted me as he had never seen a Reddish Egret, and it was really too far to see field marks even with his scope. We looked everything else over, and I studied the bird, and was convinced it was a dark or red morph of a Reddish Egret. Mauro was agrieved at not cementing the ID, so I suggested we take off our shoes, pull up our pant legs, wade across the river, and walk out to see. I think he was a bit taken aback that this old man was up for this, but quickly agreed when I insisted. We walked across and out, water to just above our knees, and sure enough, even back-lit it was a for-sure Reddish Egret. Lifer for Mauro, and fun to get my guide a lifer.
We spent the rest of the morning going a few miles out the road, stopping frequently to try for hoped for lifers for me, Black-cheeked Ant-tanager, White-throated Shrike Tanager, and had no luck. Out luck improved on the drive back towards the resort when Mauro spotted a grayish raptor in a tree, and excitedly called out “Gray-headed Kite”, a bird I had asked about earlier, and he said he hoped so to but had never seen one, essentially his nemesis bird. It was very cooperative, letting us get out of the truck and walk quite close for photos. Took this shot because from out first vantage point I could only get good focus on this zoomed shot. Gray-headed Kite. Lifer for both of us.
We had a few other cool birds that allowed photos. (I just had my small super-zoom as I didn’t bring my long lens camera on this trip focusing on grandbabies not birds, and was bringing a LOT of baby stuff. Bare-tjhroated Tiger Heron Isthmian Wren Pale-breasted Spinetail Gray-headed Tanager.
I left about 8 AM to be driven to Puerta Jiminez today, and on the way out road repairs led to a 20 minute delay. While stopped a troop of possibly 100 Squirril Monkeys casually and playfully cruised past us mostly using a cattle fence wire as a tightrope. See my Instagram post to see this video as I can’t easily add it here.
The ride home was uneventful, Jean, Alan and baby RÃo are all well, and I go to pick up Marian in San Jose on Wednesday. Here is a link
Good birding! A great day today!
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.
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
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
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!
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.
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
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.
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!
