Flashback to San Diego

As promised I want to go back and visit the spectacular birding I had while working the San Diego Bird Festival in February. Despite the numerous habitats that can be explored within 2 hours (as described in the first SD post linked below), I decided to lay a bit low this year and just soak up the excellent birding that can be found near the venue at a more relaxed pace.
http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/leica/2008/02/san-diego-bird-fest-intro.html

male Anna's Hummingbird receives his 1st light of the day in the early AM

I did decide to target one specific bird on this trip though soI got up early to make my way toward Santee Lakes about 30 miles away. There was a bit of a local celebrity up there that I was hoping to see, an overwintering Lewis' Woodpecker. They are stunning birds and I hadn't seen one for a few years (at least) so this definitely seemed like it would be worth the short drive. I had to be back to man the booth by mid morning though, so I got up early and started the day off with a male Anna's Hummingbird displaying in the first rays of morning light right at the hotel.

Grasshopper Sparrow digiscoped at roadside near San Diego 2/08

En route I bumped into some locally uncommon Grasshopper Sparrows. These seemed to be large-billed compared to the birds I see here in FL, but it could have been my imagination as well. Probably worth doing a bit of research to see which is the expected local resident subspecies and see if my impression fits the bill (so to speak).

rufous morph adult Red-tailed Hawk digiscoped at roadside near San Diego

Since I didn't have far to travel, once I got off the main highway I stopped often as the opportunity arose. This interesting adult "rufous morph" Red-tailed Hawk caught my eye, so I snapped a couple quick pics through the spotting scope from the car window. The western sub species of Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis calarus) tends to be the most variable subspecies, so you may run into dark morph, light morph, and these rufous or intermediate birds frequently. This is always a big surprise to Eastern birders coming west for the first time as they are only accustomed to seeing light breasted Red-taileds. It's no wonder David Sibley uses 39 drawings with an additional 6 silhouettes on 2 full pages in his guide to cover the variation of this species. The Red-tailed is to the hawk family what Herring is to the gulls! ;p None-the-less, you can note the brick red tail beneath the folded wings on this individual to clinch the ID.

Western Scrub-Jay digiscoped Santee Lakes, CA w/ Leica APO Televid spotting scope

As I approached the entrance to Santee Lakes, I couldn't resist stopping to admire a close Western Scrub-Jay in good light. The leaves on this tree were very similar the Live Oak trees that the Florida Scrub-Jay like close to my home. Not long ago there was just one "Scrub-Jay" in the US but the distinctive light Florida race and large darker Island Scrub-Jay (found on Santa Cruz Island off the coast of CA) were deemed separate species from the Western Scrub-Jay. Still some suggest that the interior and coastal race of the Western Scrub-Jay should have been separated as well. So I stopped to note the distinctly darker brown back, more vibrant blue tones, better defined collar, and slightly muted call of this bird as compared to those I see in the Rocky Mountains or SE Arizona.

Many times I know I get in a hurry on these trips and forget to really LOOK at the birds I'm seeing. Pressed for time, I identify a bird to species and move on with some distant destination or target in mind. I was really enjoying this day as I had picked a close location and was able to take enough time to really enjoy each bird I was seeing. I was able to study variations that go beyond simply identifying a bird to species and quitting there!

male Wood Duck digiscoped @ Santee Lakes, through Leica APO Televid spotting scope

After a thorough study of the pacific race of Western Scrub-Jay, I continued into the park. I made my way past the various pools heading toward the larger Sycamore trees that the woodpecker preferred. I scanned through the many American Coots & Ring-necked Ducks on the ponds, and finally spotted a handful of Wood Ducks. Once again I felt the need to do some digiscoping, and was not worried about my "target bird" as I'd already seen it in the distance sallying out to chase an insect from the distant Sycamores. I was confident it would wait for me! I digiscoped a few pictures of this male swimming through a sunlit patch, as I listened to the calls of a distant Bushtit flock and the ever present "Audubon's" Yellow-rumped Warbler (their "Chip" note is very muted compared to the eastern "Myrtle" Yellow-rumped, the two were formerly considered different species). The whole while a pair of Western Bluebirds sat silently in the shade nearby watching the whole event.

adult Lewis' Woodpecker, digiscoped through Leica APO Televid scope w/ C-lux 2 camera

It took a while but I finally managed to complete the thirty some odd miles and pulled up at the back side of the Santee Lakes driving loop (about 3 hours later). I knew where I was heading thanks to the birds helpful waving me in. So it took mere moments before, I was staring at the local celebrity hiding on the shadowed sides of the bare branches. Lewis' Woodpeckers are not only extremely colorful, but fairly unique because they are so aerial and do a lot of flycatching on the wing. When not in direct sunlight they appear all dark though, so I waited a while for it to finally land in the sun. In flight they actually remind me a bit of a small crow or raven when they slowly flap their long pointed wings to stay aloft (it seems distinctly un-woodpecker like). I spent a while longer with this wonderful bird, and then it was time to turn tail and head south once again to be at the booth as the vending hours started. It was amazing at how quick the ride back went as compared to the trip out! ;0

A Birding Day in Ruins

The hype over the historic and scenic wonders of Tikal National Park in Guatemala are nearly the stuff of legend. Moreover, this is also one of the best known birding areas in Guatemala. So all were more than a bit excited to get under way and start soaking up as much of this natural treasure as we possibly could as our buses pulled to a stop in the parking area. From the moment we got off the bus we were bombarded by birds. Fruiting trees overhead hosted numerous Keel-billed Toucans, Collared Aracaris, and an assortment of Parrots including: Mealy, White-crowned, White-fronted, Brown-hooded, and Red-lored Parrots, plus Olive-fronted Parakeets. Throw in a mix of Euphonias, Melodius Blackbirds, Giant Cowbirds, Indigo Buntings, Tanagers, Warblers, Blue Grosbeaks, and Orioles for fun and you start to get the idea..... and this was all before taking a single step! There is A LOT to be said about preserving habitats!

Ocellated Turkey, digiscoped @ Tikal NP, w/Leica Televid scope 3/5/08

Moments later, a flock of very unwary Ocellated Turkeys trotted past with a pair of habituated Gray-necked Wood-Rails trailing behind. Clearly, hunting has been prohibited here for a while, and these birds have definitely gotten used to crowds and buses! It may not be the most natural occurrence to see these birds like this, but for a birder who rarely gets to see these creatures this was a spectacular treat.

immature Bare-throated Tiger Heron digiscoped @ Tikal NP, Guatemala 3/5/08

Within 100 feet from our starting point we found a whole different group of birds to admire. A Chestnut-colored Woodpecker fed in tree over the path, while more Gray-necked Wood-Rails fed alongside Green & Little-Blue Herons and Northern Jacanas at the pond's edge "Anhinga here!", someone called. A White-tipped Dove "Whoo"ed to one side and there was the constant squawking of Parrots all around.

A nearby series of dry, stacatto notes echoed from the reeds, and we were able to coax a beautiful little Ruddy Crake into view. In the secluded back section of the pond a Limpkin, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, and a Bare-throated Tiger Heron tried to catch some rest as a light spitting rain began to fall. "Breakfast is served!" so we all begrudgingly left the avian treasure trove for a bit of sustenance (we knew we'd be back as soon as possible though).

a Mayan temple as we reach the famed courtyard at Tikal NP

We ate quickly and then raced back out to enjoy as much of Tikal as humanly possible in the time we had left in this magical spot. The hype was very much real, and we hadn't even gotten to any of the park's fantastic archaeological treasures either! There was a bit of a stir about an Orange-breasted Falcon and most of us hot foot it out to the main courtyard in hopes of finding this spectacular bird. As a booby prize, you have to simply endure views of the amazing palace and temple ruins found here though.

As a long-time raptor fan who'd spent years studying Peregrine Falcons, I'd be lying if I didn't admit that the Orange-breasted Falcon was a bird I'd dreamt about seeing for some time. I'd seen them in captivity at the Peregrine Fund's breeding facility near Boise, Idaho years earlier, and may have drooled on the picture in the book a time or two since. At any rate, as we drew closer to the courtyard, Bill Thompson (BT3) and I sped ahead of the group heading toward a spot he'd seen them the previous year. As we approached I heard the definitive "kek" calls of a falcon and spun to see a male Orange-breasted Falcon coming in over my right shoulder carrying prey. "HERE HE COMES.." I shouted to everyone and no one in particular, "CARRYING PREY!"

adult female Orange-breasted Falcon digiscoped @ Tikal NP, 3/5/08

As I watched him course over, I noted the female sweeping off the back of the temple ahead of me. Like Bat Falcons on steroids, the larger, more muscular OBF's had a distinctly, attenuated look compared to their stubby cousins. Don't get me wrong, Bat Falcon's are spectacular, but take one give it a bit more color, a bit more muscle, and make a whole lot harder to find and you have yourself an Orange-breasted Falcon!

I guess it's like anything, Rock Pigeons, a breeding European Starling, even the male House Sparrow... All are beautiful birds, but they are so common and easily seen, that they are often taken for granted. I suppose if the OBF was more widespread and Bat Falcons were rare and local, the scale could easily tip the other way, but that's not the way it is. I believe I've actually seen Bat Falcons on every birding trip to the tropics (be it Costa Rica, Panama, and now Guatemala) and I've been jazzed to see each and every one. However, I'd be lying if I didn't suggest this was a different level of excitement for me!

male Orange-breasted Falcon w/ prey, digiscoped @ Tikal 3/5/08

The male swung into the same tree the female had settled into and I took quick glimpses of both in my scope. Then I took off like a shot to the stairs and up to the top of the Temple for a closer view and better angle. The hazy sky, and remnants of the recent mist hung heavy in the air, reeking havoc with my digiscoping, but I didn't care. What these shots lacked in overall clarity, they made up for in rarity points in my book! I stood transfixed imaging and viewing until the adrenaline finally subsided, and I slowly came back to the present. Happy high-fives were exchanged throughout the group and I went straight over to BT3 and thanked him for "keeping his promise"! Trust me he had the harder part of the deal, I'd much rather promise someone views of Bat Falcon than the rare OBF!

part of the happy crew after viewing the OBF at length!

With the pressure of the fabled falcons of Tikal over, we resumed business as usual and began enjoying everything else around us. The amazing cultural ruins upon which we stood, the history, and of course the birds. Hook-billed Kites soared over with King Vultures, and Lesser Swallow-tailed Swifts spun high above. A female Black-capped Tityra perched on a dead snag near some of the more common Masked Tityras for a great comparison.

Crested Guan adult, digiscoped w/ Leica APO Televid scope & C-Lux 2 camera 3/5/08

A pair of Crested Guans with at least one chick provided the perfect opportunity for outreach, and since so many of our crew were involved with education, tour leading, and similar it was only natural that we would share our finds (and GREAT optics) with the many tourists passing by. We enjoyed Plumbeous Kites building a nest on a high epiphyte, and saw a female Great Curassow on a nest.

Slaty-tailed Trogon male, Tikal, 3/5/08

A softly croaking male Slaty-tailed Trogon sat guarding a nest hollow in a termite mound while Royal Flycatchers "Pee-dunk"ed from nearby trees. Everywhere we looked there was yet a new bird mixed in: Green-breasted Mango, Long-tailed Hermit, Eye-ringed Flatbill, Black-throated Shrike-Tanager... the calls and birds continued even through the heat of the day until our time was up. Reluctantly we left this gem of a spot, but our hearts and heads were happy from a great day of birding and we all knew that we'd try to come back and we'd bring more of our friends and families when we did!

Not that we needed any more treats, but a Laughing Falcon was perched at roadside in perfect sunlight as one final reminder to stop back to see more some other time. We could only stop for a moment and then it was off to Flores where we would all catch planes to carry us to our next adventure!

A B-day present for BT3

Tawny-winged Woodcreeper, digiscoped in Peten, Guatemala, 03/03/08

We spent a glorious morning birding the Cerro Cahuí reserve in Peten, Guatemala. It was a wonderful place and we enjoyed views of tropical specialties like Red-throated Ant-Tanagers, Gray-headed Tanagers, Royal Flycatchers, Sepia-capped Flycatchers, and Golden-crowned Warblers, occurring side-by-side with more familiar neotropical migrants like Magnolia, Worm-eating, & Kentucky Warblers, and Yellow-bellied & Great Crested Flycatchers. At one point we ran into an amazing feeding flock and we were picking out new birds left and right. "Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher over the path.... Smoky-brown Woodpecker over here... Tawny-crowned Greenlet 2 feet off the ground... Tawny-winged Woodcreeper behind..." Whenever you see lots of bird activity like this you always suspect there might be an ant swarm nearby. Every small invertebrate in the leaf litter will break from cover when the Army Ants come through, and many birds will follow the ants and take advantage of the easy pickings. The Tawny-crowned Greenlet and Tawny-winged Woodcreeper are two specialists that are known to always follow these swarms in this area, so even though we couldn't see them it was a better than fair bet the ants were there.

shuttling across Lago Peten Itza, on a sunny day 3/3/08

Of course, this isn't a post about the great birding this morning. This is a post about how my good buddy, Bill Thompson (affectionately known as BT3), got another year older on this sunny day in Guatemala. After lunch, Bill and others enjoyed a quick dip in the crystalline waters of the lake (Lago Peten Itza), then we all boarded various launches and took a ride back across the water to meet our buses.

There was a quiet murmur going through the group about this being Bill's birthday and all. I felt bad that I didn't know in advance or I would have gotten him something special. Bill's shuttle was the first back to terra firma and while we tooled along serpentine looking at Ring-necked Ducks, Grebes, and Black-necked Stilts. One of the keen-eyed birders on our boat picked out a tiny compact raptor perched atop a radio tower on an island. Distant view, but given the compact falcon shaped body, big head, and overall darkness, we all agreed this was a Bat Falcon. "Oh man, Bill needs that!" someone on the boat commented.

Cell phones were produced and finally someone was able to get a hold of Bill. There was a series of calls back and forth to get more details, but try that they might Bill and the others on shore were not able to see the tiny falcon on the back side of the very distant tower.

Bat Falcon, digiscoped w/Leica APO Televid scope & C-Lux 2 camera, Peten, Guatemala

As our boat pulled in and I prepared to hop ashore with scope in hand, I noticed a curious dark shape over the heads of those looking for the falcon. I raised my binoculars to confirm and then quickly stated, "Heck, forget that one here's a Bat Falcon teed up right behind you!" It sat as bold as can be on a TV aerial on the building immediately adjacent to the cantina where those ashore were enjoying celebratory libations. Bill enjoyed the view through my scope that I captured above and we shared a "high-five".

BT3 takes some images of his birthday falcon!

Then one of the locals showed us we could get at eye level with the bird on the balcony above the cantina. So we all climbed up and enjoyed even better views.

Shutter releases and motor drives whirred as Bill soaked up his birthday present properly. he only stopped to take advantage of his celebratory ice-cream cone!.... All the good birders celebrate with ice cream. Roger Tory Peterson loved to stop for ice cream while birding (that's RTP BTW)!

Did you write about that Bill?!?...

Bat Falcon at eye level, digiscoped w/ Leica APO spottting scope & C-Lux 2 camera 3/3/08

But like all good things this too had to come to an end and we reluctantly left our prize and shuffled back to the bus. En route, I jokingly told Bill that he was perhaps the only birder I knew to have seen the rare, localized Orange-breasted Falcon (I bird I desperately hoped to see) on 2 occasions without running into the more wide spread Bat Falcon. However, that had now been straightened out, and he promised that we'd try hard to see an Orange-breasted Falcon (or OBF) when we visited Tikal. "I only wish!", I thought as we boarded the bus.

Birding in Guatemala

I could hardly believe my good fortune when I was asked to participate in the 4th annual International Bird Watching Encounter in Guatemala. My answer here was an immediate and enthusiastic, "Yes!"

beautiful decor at the Vista Real Hotel in Guatemala City

We'd come from all corners of the globe to take part in this unique and wonderful program sponsored by INGUAT (Instituto Guatemalteco de Tourismo) and their partners. Birders all united by a common avian thread!

I arrived too late to really appreciate any birds that first night. All I was able to muster in the failing light was a couple Great-tailed Grackles as we were shuttled to the luxurious Vista Real Hotel in Guatemala City. I still appreciated the glorious accommodations, and was thrilled to meet some of the participants I hadn't met, and reacquaint myself with others I'd met in the past. However, as the logo at top implies it was really all about the birds for me! So I'd have to wait a bit longer for my personal highlights to begin.....

Jeff & Liz Gordon, and Keith Hansen aboard our small plane to Flores

The following morning we awoke at 0-dark thirty and boarded one of three flights to Flores in the state of Peten in northern Guatemala to begin our first official segment of the trip. It was overcast and Guatemala's natural beauty still lay hidden from me as we flew north through the clouds and mist. As surely as some wish to be pinched to prove they are truly awake, I eagerly awaited some proof that I'd ACTUALLY arrived in Guatemala.

"cocodrillo" pastry

We arrived at Flores and were immediately shuffled to a grand breakfast at a nearby hotel with a marsh behind. They'd put out an amazing spread for breakfast including the "fantastico" crocodile pastry above, but in typical birder fashion we all shot past the food and were drawn immediately to the marshy edges behind. It was then that I knew I was clearly with kindred spirits, despite the international boundaries and miles that typically separated us!

adult Purple Gallinule digiscoped w/ Leica APO Televid scope and C-Lux 2 camera Guatemala 03/08

Upon entering the courtyard surrounding the pool a Yellow-throated Warbler chipped from the ornamental palms here. Green & Little-blue Herons, fed at the marsh edge alongside Common Moorhens and Purple Gallinules. I admittedly had not ever seen one using those big toes to cling to a chain link fence, but otherwise there was nothing new. Nothing that would definitively tell me that I "wasn't in Kansas anymore" (or Florida as the case may be). So, I continued to look for my sure fire proof, something I wouldn't see at home. Something to let me be sure I'd truly arrived south of the border.... and then it was there. Someone called out "Northern Jacana at the edge of the close mud!"

Northern Jacana digiscoped with Leica scope, Peten, Guatemala 03/02/08

Sure enough there it was the first hint of something undeniably different, and sure fire proof that I'd finally arrived. The first of many with more to come. So stay tuned!