(Detail/Burrowing Owl/watercolor/gouache by L. Brunetti) The Burrowing Owl design graces a Defensor de la Naturaleza tshirt shared with friends this past week. Several days after I began work on the design, the ABA named the Burrowing Owl as the 2022 Bird of the Year. The bird continues to pop up as if to say, ‘Yeah, I know I’m special!’
Dec. 27/2021/’San Antonio’ Ecuador – Peter Manzaba and Luis Andrade – ready to compile CBC (Christmas Bird Count) data for the Humedal La Segua, (Chone, Manabi, Ecuador) Circle ID: 60074
Burrowing Owl – Parque las Vegas – Dec 2021
Manabi Province/Ecuador – December 2021 was filled with birding moments. From visitors to the exposition to art classes to the first Christmas Bird Count (Dec 25, 26, 27) for the Chone/Segua area, to random bird moments in various locations, there’s a lot to share. You’ll understand why I’ve been so quiet…
Sr. Ludovico, may we have some quiet music to start this new year?
Parque las Vegas hosts the feathered residents as well as migratory species.
Tropical Kingbird, Saffron Finches, Blue-gray Tanagers
The rare migrant to this side of the country returned – one of about a dozen Eastern Kingbirds. Welcome back, Rey!
Scrubbier than the mockingbirds I remember from the Deep South USA, the Long-tailed Mockingbird has a song just as sweet.
Locals call this ‘Tierra Espina’ – and the birds gorge on its fruits! https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/166920-Pithecellobium-dulce
I mis-identified this as a Common Pauraque, but eBird moderator Daniel Arias politely informed me it’s the not-often photographed Scrub Nightjar, found only in Ecuador and Peru. Carrrrramba!
The quiet and handsome Striated Heron.
Helping out at Museo Portoviejo in November and December, these tourism students from Manta agreed to pick up trash along Rio Portoviejo.
What a way to spend their last day at the museo, and we will always look at tiny mint wrappers and plastic cups with a bit more scorn!
Neotropic Cormorant
What was THAT?
Quarreling Purple Gallinules!
A mystery bird appeared in mid December and continues to mystify this observer. Drab in color, is it an immature Yellow Warbler?
Several trips to Poza Honda provided heart-warming observations of many species celebrating the arrival of the rainy season.
Guayaquil Woodpecker (Male)
Guayaquil Woodpecker (female)
Collared Aracari nesting where Pygmy Owls previously nested.
“Teamwork” — One flies in, the other flies out!
Yellow-tailed Oriole
Using borrowed binoculars (Thanks ‘Don Jorge’/Jurg) Melissa Sanchez has been documenting the Oropendolas’ nesting, as well as the Aracaris. She writes me at night and shares when there has been entertaining activity. I am so proud of her!
(From a Global Big Day 2019 – Melissa shows Peter part of the Poza Honda trails while Jorge/Jurg waits for us to catch up.
She was so excited one evening, that I thought, ‘OK. I’ll go there tomorrow,’ and she was shocked to see me arrive! A drizzly day made for difficult photo ops, but the Chestnut-Headed Oropendolas seem to claim this area as theirs – though they are out of their normal range.
The museum art students produced some great work this month – not bad for beginners:
Practicing washes and color combinations…
Drawing and painting from life – feathers, leaves, flowers… most selected feathers:
One day – when the museum was ultra quiet at the end of the day, I was the benefactor of a Christmas serenade that drifted up from the floor below. Starting with Cohen’s Alleluia, Katy practiced with Carlos Wellington for an upcoming series of Christmas concerts in the province. After about the third song, I put down my work and quietly descended the stairs, tip toed into the auditorium, and wordlessly thanked them by placing a quarter on the chair beside them. They burst out laughing.
I wish that Katy’s version could go here, but this precious young lady provides a lovely alternative:
I will forever cherish the beauty of that private concert.
A visitor to the exposition witnesses the magic of augmented reality.
Now we tweak our setting to an area not often mentioned; San Antonio/Chone and its first Christmas Bird Count.
Juan Carlos Cevallos – organizing data for the CBC species count…
Birders from different sections of Ecuador traveled to Chone to help with the Humedal La Segua’s first Christmas Bird Count. Eight teams covered a 15-mile circle that radiated from the eBird hotspot and included wetlands, shrimp farms, pastures, agricultural areas, rolling hills and river estuaries. Our combined total was 198 species. (Circle ID: 60074)
The Royal Poinciana makes a good anchor for one end of Route #5
Dec. 25 = Blue-winged Teal, Fulvous Whistling ducks and an immature White Ibis – waiting to be counted…
Dec. 25 = Golden eyed Lesser Grebes
The raucous Ringed Kingfisher announcing its latest catch…
Dec. 26 – Showtime!
At 7 in the morning, my teammates and I were admiring the water birds in a small pond along a busy highway. We would turn ‘left’ just past the pond.
The road less traveled offered a slower pace for the day:
Greater Yellowlegs allowed a brief viewing, as did White-cheeked Pintails and Blue-winged teal…
The Cocoi Heron
We ambled along to the next hill and were captivated by a family of Burrowing Owls.
Adorable Burrowing Owls
Pacific Parrotlet
Tipping along that same rural highway, we seemed to have found a jackpot of the ABA’s mascot for 2022!
Five or six more Burrowing Owls, most of them young ones, entertained us for another ten or so minutes.
Down even less-traveled roads we found Peruvian Meadowlarks in a field of corn stubble while we took a watermelon break. (Thanks Jorge/Jurg!)
My three birding companions Jurg, Giovanni and Eduardo appreciated the striking beauty of the Peruvian Meadowlark, a ‘life bird’ for all three!
Perched in a calabash tree was a White-tailed Kite.
Asking for directions often results in special memories. A man on a motorcycle escorted us to a private entrance to rolling pastures that flanked a large wetland.
We spent the remainder of our time roaming the pastures and crawling through a maze of tight-stretched barbed-wire fences. A White-throated crake buzzed its alarm only a few feet from where I walked, yet it remained hidden in the thick grasses. Two Ospreys scouted from above. Limpkins shrieked and Black-bellied Whistling Ducks moved between areas of thick cattails while we struggled to count the ever-changing cast of gallinules, jacanas and grebes.
My camera battery stated, ‘Enough!’ and refused to take another image. Our own personal batteries were quite weary as well! After nine hours of birding, we happily returned to the headquarters and swapped stories with the rest of the group. There is surely a group photo floating around social media, but here’s one partial view:
The next day blended a sunrise canoe trip with serious data compilation after breakfast.
White (left) and Glossy (right) Ibis
Snail Kites
Anhinga
Anhingas
Roseate Spoonbills
A mid afternoon surprise finale prompted us to ‘Come see the Common Potoo!’Across the highway, through a barbed-wire gate, down a path, through a shaded garden, and — I asked Luis and Juan Carlos to imitate the pose of a Common Potoo:
It’s quite difficult to spot the motionless bird that holds the same post all day long…
After hours of compiling data, we enjoyed the chuckle.
One more surprise awaited me – an orphaned Howler Monkey:
Isabella Arteaga and the orphaned monkey – along Rio Chone.
Recalling my years with Howler Monkeys as my closest neighbors, I replicated the sounds they taught me years ago. Perhaps this little one was homesick for its native language – we weren’t expecting it to have such a dramatic reaction:
Isabella’s photo session makes my heart smile.
Back in Portoviejo, basking in great birding memories, I was blessed with one more end-of-year encounter with the Burrowing Owl:
The Blue-gray Tanagers were not as pleased to see it as I was!
“Verdad” – it’s been a month full of birding memories, which justifies a Feliz AVE Nuevo start to 2022.
Sending love to all of you,
Lisa
Zeebra Designs & Destinations 
I love everything about this post, Lisa: your beautiful photos, wondrous birds, class work, music choices…you’ve warmed my heart! Happy, happy New Year to you!
Thank you Cindy – we would have a fun time creating and enjoying nature if we lived closer. Our lives are often similar, but you don’ t have the bonus of unexpected animal moments like a monkey leaping upon your head…. and I don’t have to suffer through cold winters – my body doesn’t do well in cold weather. May 2022 be good to you! Love, Lisa
You made my New Year look happier than ever expected, Liza! Thank you, and cheers to you and your positive work!
You are so sweet, thank you! While your climate and sunlight hours ebb from one extreme to the other, ours remain constant. It’s my pleasure to be able to transfer a little of the equator into your world! Happy New Year! Love, Lisa
Wishing you all the best for 2022! Thank you for being there for us!
Happy New Year, Lisa. I never cease to be awed by your talents. Here’s to a better 2022.
My friend, and I am the same for you and your talents – and the way you light up a room just by being present. It’s a blessing to know you. I hope that 2022 brings the sun back to the world’s psyche… If you’re in Tennessee right now, you probably could use a little sunshine right now – it looks cold up there! Love, Lisa
Happy New Year, Lisa. A virtual rainbow of colors. I love that flowering shrub Tierra Espina, so beautiful it is. Also, is that owl winking at us? Does she know something we don’t? We get the occasional owl here and had one the other night. I shut the door to make sure he stayed out. Have a great 2022 my friend. Keep on teaching and coaxing the artistic nature to come out. Keith
That owl does indeed hold a funny expression! It was so funny when those two birds dive bombed it – but they had good reason!
You make me chuckle about the owl at your house! Maybe it was hoping for holiday leftovers?!!
The museum is really quiet today, so I’m catching up – but yes , tomorrow is art day. There is another class each Friday, and they’re all doing really well.
May 2022 be a good year for you and your loved ones. Love, Lisa
I know you love your birds, but I was glad for the photo of the ‘Tierra Espina.’ What a beautiful plant. I hope the coming year is as colorful and pleasing for you!
Thanks, Linda! I often think of you when there are unusual plants and flowers. This particular one has sweet little flowers, and I remembered that they had a lovely sweet aroma when I lived at Casa Loca… but these have never emitted anything – nada – maybe it’s in the wee hours of the morning or at dusk, when I am normally not there at the park. It’s perpetually green, but also drops leaves a lot, so it builds lovely humus.
Many times there is a long wait between inspiration and creating the art/study. Last week I took a little branch with the colorful seedpods – especially since the Eastern Kingbird feasts on this when it arrives. After a few days it was still there in the little bottle – not one pencil line to document its existence, but I retrieved its seeds and planted them! The study is already drawn in my mind, so soon —
With one eye on about 12G of photos and the other on the weather, I see that south Texas and New Orleans had freeze warnings. No, I don’t miss that weather – especially don’t miss the ice storms.
What a new year’s treat- Thanks!love lee
Feathered eye candy for the bird lovers! Thanks for your support, and hopefully 2022 will open a door for your next Ecuador birding experience!
Wow! What a great collection of fantastic photos and fine illustration of the natural beauty of Ecuador Lisa! Done after many hikes through those lush forests of coarse. We are all blessed to hear from you! and to see these incredible photos! It seems to me that these animals and birds are faring well in their home. So good to see!
You’re doing well too, I’m sure. Enjoy the best life has to offer dear friend!
Hi Eddie, and thanks as aways. Your ‘Wow’ made me smile! Just now I was sketching a ‘mystery bird’ that’s been eluding identification for about three weeks. It wasn’t a ‘formal’ drawing – but when finished, it has such a sensitive feel to it. It’s those close observations of drawing/painting that really etch a species into my psyche, and of course viewing them all in their natural settings. After a lifetime of practice, I think that some of us feel as if ‘out there’ is our real home, and of course that makes the entire planet/nature our home!
With the present weather system sweeping thru the country, will freezing temperatures reach you? I see where New Orleans had a ‘hard freeze’ warning – which means there will be a lot of ‘busted’ pipes… I don’t miss the cold weather at all!
Haven’t seen freezing temp’s for years. (maybe I should not have said that!) Maybe low 50’s tonight, will be our one cool night. Everything still very green and blooming! I don’t miss cold weather either! Nature is our home.
Take care dear friend!
You ‘triggered’ an unexpected burst of laughter, re: “Maybe I should not have said that!” Lows in the 50s is fine, and sometimes that seems to pull out the colors of the flowers. I think that your temps are probably much like Cuenca Ecuador’s – but sometimes rain there at night would be quite cold – if one got caught in a downpour! The lows where I live are usually around 75, and the highs around 85.. sometimes it might swing higher and lower, but basically perfect for me.
I’m serious about freezing temperatures! It’s been a long time since we had any! however, we do have ‘chilly’ temps, less and less anymore. Which I don’t mind seeing. Sounds like we’re a happy bunch!
Wonderful pictures, Miss Z. Although I could do without the anhingas,
You certainly keep busy. So please stay safe and have a hopeful Happy New Year.
Hi Don! You made me laugh about the anhinga!
Yes, the last month of the year was a little too busy for the rhythms of my life, but they are all positive and beautiful moments. I realize how blessed I am.
Looks like another swath of bad weather has just moved through, or is moving through. I hope that all’s good there at your GPS point ‘arriba.’ Happy New Year to you as well!
Happy New Year, Lisa. Thank you for always taking us to places only you can convey in all their beauty. Looking forward to another year with you. Be blessed!
Thank you, as well Erika! And you have the gift of keeping us positive – the happiness coach! Sending you smiles and warm wishes for a great year as we learn to get beyond (conquer) the challenges that these past two years have given us. Love, Lisa
Thank you for your lovely words, Lisa. I join in to your wishes for the new year totally. We will make it through the crisis and through the dividing walls it built up only to make us throw them down again. Thank you and much love to you, Lisa!
Some will recall these times as a negative period, but it has helped bring forward the various issues where we can see our problems in strong light.. I am lucky to realize that if it’s something we don’t have the power to change, we’re best if we find positive things to do and wait til th bad passes… Others, however, are kicking and spitting and cursing – so perhaps it’s healing for them too – they’re purging whatever it is that makes them easily irritated?
You surely have helped those close to you – to find the positive and treasure it!
I see it exactly the same way. This all is like a healing fire. Everything needs to come to the surface before it can fly away or drift off. So, the pandemic broke all the walls and opened gaps that made us look deeper into ourselves and each other. I agree, even those who only look at the dark side of it all will have a deep insight. I always believed that Corona will bring this planet closer together… in the end…
Thank you so much, Lisa. A blessing to be connected to you.
I replied to this but it must be soaring past the sun and chasing comets! Thank you, dear Erika, it’s a blessing to be connected with you as well!
Oh, gosh, those lost comments. Sorry about that. But that way it will be with us forever… lol. Thank you, dear Lisa 💖
Great storytelling through photos. I’m so impressed by artists who can recreate nature with paint.
Too bad you’re not here and could join us for a few classes. You’d be surprised — the biggest challenge it switching gears in the brain – and learning to see what is really there… I’d bet you would surprise yourself! Have you ever seen Betty Edwards’ books? https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/680042.Drawing_on_the_Artist_Within
What an embarrassment of riches you have in this post! I was trying to keep track of things to comment on specifically but there were so many I enjoyed that I’ll stick with “the students were doing amazing work” and “love, love, love the burrowing owls.” For several years when we homeschooled, we’d go out once a week with a garbage bag and gloves and pick up garbage on both sides of our four-block street. It was very satisfying. In Illinois, my husband and I picked up garbage and recycling around the little lake near our house. People would come by and give up kudos for doing that but we never saw anyone else doing it.
A happy, healthy, and blessed 2022 to you, Lisa.
janet
Thanks, Janet, and happy 2022 to you as well. ‘Stooping’ to pick up trash has strange associations; people can be quick to scowl about the trash, yet they often have trouble reaching over and picking up even the ‘cleanest’ of trash. The other day I dropped a penny, and people were so kind to find and retrieve it for me.
The Burrowing Owls are precious, aren’t they? Those big eyes and intense stares – they demand that we pay attention. There is one in particular that often comes near, but a few days ago I think I might have spotted a burrow – if so, that explains – it’s keeping one eye on a possible predator!
The students are doing amazing work, but what is so nice is that each one goes into his/her own zone, so there is usually at least an hour of total silence. I often feel as if I’m intruding when offering a pointer.
Although the world is still adapting to the virus, grasping the concept that climate change is real, I feel a surge of hope for the future. So many sensitive young people are stepping forward and doing great things – and people are finding each other. I tell the young ones that I’m here to help when needed, but otherwise I’m getting out of their way and watching them soar!
Happy New Year, Lisa! One thing you did not mention about the Burrowing Ground Owls is just how noisy they generally are in the mornings. Their call and the descending notes of the Hornero birds are my natural alarm clock each morning! I was thinking as I read through your post just how blessed and lucky I am to have had just about all of the birds you mention either visit my yard (many live here) or to be withing a short bike ride down to the Boca. It is one of many blessings that we could take for granted without care. Thank you for the “Feliz Ave” reminder. Love and peace to you, my friend!
Hi John! You are the one who is blessed to have their natural greetings as part of your morning soundtrack. I’ve never heard them as part of the wake-up call – lucky you! The park is so loud with man-made noises, it would be hard to hear, but I do hear them at night — as well as the Peregrine Falcon. The Horneros do have a special sound – they sound happy, and my favorite has always been the sweet sound of the Tropical Kingbird – a dawn carefree whistle.
“It is one of the many blessings that we could take for granted without care.’ — how true. Thank YOU for that reminder!
Dear Lisa,
Thank you for sharing so many lovely photos which I admired while listening to Ludovico’s beautiful music.
I also love Burrowing Owls and your images made me smile. So many (most, as a matter of fact) of your birds would be “lifers” for me, too, and I can only dream of seeing some of South America’s rich avifauna.
Wishing good health, happiness, more fulfilling art projects as well as rewarding encounters with wildlife.
Tanja
Ludovico is such a gift; that particular tract is so mellow that I merge with it almost like breathing..
It would be wonderful to one day introduce you to a bounty of lifers!!! thank you, kindred spirit!
Thank you, Lisa. I really appreciate that your posts always focus on the things that make life livable for all creatures.
That’s a funny picture of the howler monkey covering Isabella’s face. Having one on your head must have felt strange, too.
I’d never come across the word humedal till this post of yours. Obviously it comes from húmedo but I had to check a dictionary to find out that it means ‘wetland.’ I never could track down a meaning for the segua in La Segua.
Buenos dias! Wow; you’ve given me a great trivia question to present to friends (and students – today is art class day)… I look forward to the answers – most likely the word comes from an indian word from the area. Thanks for the prompt!
I’ve sent out the query to a good friend —- then a quick search – connecting the preColombian history to the word – started here for me:
https://citytosagua.wordpress.com/history/
and this one amused me:
https://vamzzz.com/blog/la-cegua-segua-or-tzegua-a-central-american-horse-headed-lamia/
but the folklore of duendes is very strong in that area….
thanks for the prompt!
Now we both know more about the indigenous Central American belief in a beautiful woman who transforms into a monster with a rotting horse’s head than we knew before. Perhaps you’ll be enticed to draw or paint her.
What a lovely entrance into the new year. All those birds!
Happy new year Lisa. May it be all you could wish for.
Alison 💕
Thank you so much, and I hope that we all find our way to less-challenging hurdles in this new year. Most of the country returned to ‘red’ protocols – which is fine with me. Less people driving, less pollution, a more serene city. I’ve been taking some extended timeouts in nature which is a blessing – and such a healthy option – vs spending time indoors. As you know, staying active with camera in hand results in many hours of sorting through and editing photos. But it’s worth the time!
When I think of you, my heart smiles and knows that the world is a better place – and you’re out there uplifting the vibes of all around you — ‘somewhere’ — each day.
xox 💕
So many birds–so little time. I can’t even document the limited number of backyard birds in Michigan!
Hey! I was just scrolling down the ‘inbox’ and looking at your ‘just published’ sky pad post – and here you are! Ha, so many birds.. so many options with paintings… I’ll hold my reply to your post and place it where it belongs! Heading there now!
Happy New Year, Lisa! You’ve had some incredible bird sightings lately. I’m particularly fond of the burrowing owls. We had them when we lived in Florida and they were a constant source of curiosity and entertainment.
James and I want to wish you a happy, healthy 2022 filled with joy and adventure. ~Terri
Happy New Year to both of you as well. Looks like some nasty weather is sweeping through a large area of the USA – hope the both of you are enduring this bipolar weather – and hopefully not in the path of the winter storm. I am SO GLAD to live in the Neotropics – and not where temps dip even below 60!
New Year Greetings, Lisa! Every good wish for 2022. Sorry not to have been much in evidence in recent months.My new book “Postcards to the Future” was published last autumn and has been taking up a great deal of time ever since as well as everything else. So I’ve been neglecting my WordPress friends. Hope you are well!! All best from Scotland Anne W X
You never neglect us, Anne, and even when we are silent, there’s still a strong invisible thread between you and many others. The Mercury Retrograde is a very interesting post, and I hope to be there soon to ‘sign’ the guest book! This week finds me in pursuit of birds in several new locations – a nice alternative to being in the museum with higher risks of Covid exposure. Stay safe and well and warm! Love, Lisa
OMG. These are exciting experiences and adventure. I miss being in the tropics. The climate, the nature outdoors , the birds and animals, the plants and flowers. Thank you for sharing these and for the beautiful comment of support and kindness. Stay safe my Friend. Take care.
Yes, the images are surely a comfort to your eyes, especially in these challenging times. Thank you for what you do with your life, and for finding compassion for the sick. You’re a light for many.
Thank you too and what you do.
We’ll Lisa, I am late to the party but happy to have found you! The chorus of admirers was a great read, as, of course, was your amazing post! We have amazing bird life here as well and an annual bird count that is always exciting but your world is really incredible. Thanks so much for sharing your adventure and a belated happy new year to you!