A Second Birding Apprentice – and A Village of Hope!

Tags

Backyard Bird Count 2020, Chestnut-headed Oropendola, Manabi Ecuador Birds, poza honda ecuador

“A man needs a little madness, or else… he never dares cut the rope and be free.” ― Nikos Kazantzakis

(Poza Honda Ecuador)  “…As I write while noting the sweet and varied sounds and calls of nature, a not-so-soothing instrument asserts its caustic voice. Incongruent with the morning’s rhythms, a chainsaw slices through the natural harmonies. Compared to the never-ending sounds of the city, the distant chainsaw seems minor and insignificant, yet it grates on my psyche much deeper than the urban distractions…” from: Many Birds at a Time – Sept 2019 – Brunetti

Manabi Province, Ecuador – Approaching quietly on his motorcycle, the guard for the dam (reservoir Poza Honda) stopped and turned off the engine. I expected Antonio to politely ask me to park elsewhere, which I usually do – but had not on that late afternoon. On my way back to the city, I stopped to video the 40 or 50 Chestnut-collared Swallows careening in and out of nests beneath the spillway bridge. Turning off the camera, I stood and smiled. His words took me by surprise and touched me greatly.

Antonio proudly posed yesterday at Poza Honda.

With sensitivity and respect, Antonio asked, “Why did you leave? Where did you move?” (I’d been basically absent for four months after living there for two years.)

With equal respect, I asked if he had time for a ten-minute answer, and if he was serious as to ‘why.‘

“Si,” the clear-eyed Antonio replied.

I said that two years ago the sound of the chain saws was rare, but for the past year it seemed to be almost daily – and most days the sound came from two or three different locations. He nodded and agreed. The rate of deforestation had increased. I mentioned the cutting and run-away fire way too close to my residence (2018) – and he distinctly remembered that fire.

Foto taken from the steps of the house.

I said that some days the sound of the saws made me angry; other days it made me profoundly sad and sometimes it was like a blow to the stomach, and at those times I cried. “It’s a protected forest, yet no one speaks up – and the authorities don’t enforce the law. It’s as if the logging is invisible, including when the loaded trucks drive past the guards, though the gates and out of the protected forest.” I mentioned the times when logs were stacked near the road, yet it wasn’t until dark when the trucks arrived to transport the material out of the area. I asked if it was legal to cut near the water, and we discussed a clear-cut area that increases each year. Higher toward the southern ridge, a new visual wound brands an area near the dam.

Three weeks later a new scar:

This past weekend delivered a new visual blow – a new chunk cleared on the neighbor’s forest.

Antonio, as with all of the locals, observes the ongoing clearing; it’s part of a lifestyle the farming and ranching community has always known.    Does having more knowledge of current events, of climate change, of pesticide dangers, of vanishing species, of the melting glaciers — does it make it more simple or more complicated when trying to live in harmony with these beautiful people?   Our conversation resumed at an easy pace, and we discussed the burning that often follows, leaving strips of parallel scars along the barren hillsides.

“Our planet is sick, and it needs more trees, more canopy – we have to respect the planet. The monkeys need tree bridges – when the area is cleared, the monkeys are forced to leave.” I said that I loved the area, and that I missed everyone – but I also did not want to end up like another Chico Mendes.

Changing the topic, I told him about the just-finished bird census, where ‘Don Jorge,’ Luis and I documented 87 species in one day, and our hopes to share our birding enthusiasm with others in the area.  I squinted toward the water’s edge and stated, “Limpkin?” He asked about the cluster of black and white birds near the Limpkin. “Those are stilts,” I said, “ but look -” and I turned on the camera, which pulled in the image of the brown Limpkin. He laughed and said he would never have seen that bird.

We then checked the field guide index and flipped to the correct page. He quickly grasped the map index for each species, and he repeated the word, “Limpkin” with clear enunciation. We turned to the stilts, and he repeated, “Black-necked Stilt” several times. We discussed the Brown Wood Rail and located its range map in the book, and we discussed extinctions and the endangered Gray-backed Hawk photographed a short distance from the dam. He learned that the Osprey prefers fish over chickens and that Laughing Falcon devours snakes.

Antonio, our second Bird Specialist in training, quickly recalled the names of the birds he had just seen. He enjoyed pronouncing the new words, and I easily imagined a small group of locals – all repeating the names – or answering the question ‘Que Ave?” then seeing which person answered first – and giving little prizes to the person who remembered the most names.

Instead of Bingo gatherings, would the locals embrace Birding gatherings? The creative mind finds many ideas for rewarding the participants: the person who asks the most questions, a new ‘star student’ who reports seeing the most birds – or interesting bird behavior — or acknowledge the person who told the most-encouraging story re: “I placed the papaya scraps on a feeder and the Orange-fronted Barbets were there almost instantly! Those birds have never been so close to our house!’

It’s doubtful they would embrace my invented method of detecting hard-to-find birds:

“…Noting the continued absence of many species (birds, butterflies and the oh-so-important bees) I slowed my pace and wondered how to increase my awareness of what might be lurking nearby. Remembering posture lessons from long ago, I imagined – not a book balanced on my head – but a bowl of clear water. ‘Let the water’s surface mirror the sky and the treetops,’ I silently coached myself. Seeing my mischievous smirk, a voyeur might think that I was tripping on experimental drugs. No drugs are needed when one fine-tunes with nature…

…Every so often my mind wandered, but a quick mental glance to the imaginary bowl on my head steered me back on course. A duet of weak chirpings meandered from deep shadows of the nearby under-story. Rufous-headed Chachalacas chanted from the distance. Careful not to swish the water on top of my head, I fine-tuned my attention to the chirpings. Silhouetted against a sunlit spot on the far side of the thicket, one petite bird flitted from ground level to low branches to 8 or so feet high then back again. The camera focused on tangled vines in the foreground, on the sunlit patch in the background, but repeatedly failed to capture the small bird. The baby birds’ grumblings halted; the adult became equally still.
Perhaps they were practicing the same bowl-balancing exercise?
This species has mastered the art of adaptation. What happens, however, when man removes their home of ‘undesirable’ undergrowth?” – Lisa Brunetti – from “MANY Birds at a Time”

………………..(Warning – this is a long post!)

SHHHH! Bird Specialists in Training!

Tags

Birding |Manabi Province, Ecuador Christmas Bird Count Manabi, poza honda ecuador

SHHHH! Bird Specialists in Training! (Part One)

(Poza Honda Reservoir – Manabi Province, Ecuador)    Just past ten in the morning, our birding party of three peered beyond the rustic bamboo corral in hopes of identifying the raucous oropendolas that had been playing hide and seek with us for the past two hours.  Luis Saltos – bird guide from Chone and Mindo – and I were guests of “Don Jorge” Arnet, owner of a lovingly-tended tract of land at Poza Honda.  (Jorge also owns the house that I rented for the past two years before I moved to Portoviejo.)  The three of us were conducting an all-day census of bird species in the area with hopes of the area being approved for Audubon’s 2020 Christmas Count.  We had been birding since 6 A.M. in intermittent drizzle.

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A few hours earlier that morning, two birds buzzed us, and we exclaimed, “What was THAT?” as I snapped two out-of-focus images of the rapidly-vanishing birds. “Oropendola?” I looked at Luis for confirmation. “That whooshing sound?”

Left: “Jorge” Arnet, owner of Casa Poza Honda and coffee/cacao farm; Right: Luis Saltos, bird guide from Mindo and Chone.

We consulted several books and hoped to see those birds again.   The (McMullan/Navarrete) Fieldbook for the Birds of Ecuador places all species of oropendolas in other areas of the country. This particular elusive group of birds must have taken a holiday vacation to Poza Honda, and we were trying to decide, “Russet-backed or Chestnut-headed.”  Two years ago my friend Xiomara and I saw and photographed one Chestnut headed Oropendola, so my bets were on that species. Photos are oh so important in documenting out-of-range species, even if the photo is a bad one.

I waited at the next curve and watched Oropendolas fly towards my friends. “Did you see them?” I exclaimed later, “Yes!” they replied, “Lots!”

There were fleeting glimpses of ‘a lot’ half an hour later – then another viewing half an hour later near the bamboo corral. The Oropendolas were out of sight, but my drizzle-baptized camera managed to document one Rufous-headed Chachalaca in the distance, one Tropical Gnatcatcher way up high, and a Long-billed Hermit inspecting flowers along the living fence.

‘Don’t forget about me,’ says the Golden-olive Woodpecker!

States the mule: “A year ago there was one lone human staring at the birds. Now there are four!”

The last thing I expected to see was another human on the seldom-traveled road and staring at the three of us. A tall, lean and well-scrubbed young man, he wore an expression of curiosity as if observing Santa Clause placing last-minute gifts beneath a tree – or gnomes and fairies in another realm.

The ElusiveBrown Wood Rail

Tags

brown wood rail, Scarlet Rumped Cacique

“An artist’s eyes ever rest.” Lisa Brunetti

The Scarlet-rumped Caciques’ nest dangles almost-eye level from the corner windows where I sit.

Poza Honda – Manabi Province – Ecuador —-

After ten days in Portoviejo, I returned to discover a new addition to the natural sountrack – Chirpings of ravenous hatchlings! The parent birds seemed to glare at me with disgust, that ‘Just when we needed you, you vanished, as did the banana buffet. Could there be a connection?”
“Rangewriter Linda” commented on last-week’s post: “Ah Lisa, it is clear. Your purpose for being present in this Garden of Eden is to document the beauty you see around you. Your brilliant illustrations are so much better than Master Audubon’s because no creatures are harmed in your captures.
Those Caciques have captivated me. They are simply stunning with that bright blue eye set against the dramatic black background. Do tell about the scarlet bottom, though…I see only black. 😉 ”   

For Linda!

      
I retrieved almost-ripe platanos from the refrigerator, warmed them slightly in a pan of water, then presented the anemic fruits with token apologies. For the next 24 hours, the pair provided easy entertainment for my daylight hours. Working in synchronized harmony, the pair darted in an out of the nest as they foraged for caterpillars between trips to the banana feeder. They also flashed their scarlet feathers – not easy to capture with the camera without blurred results!  Enjoy the slideshow!

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The Scarlet-rumped Cacique ranges from to Honduras in Central America to southern Ecuador.  “ Within the Scarlet-rumped Cacique there is a clear division between populations in the Andes and those in Central America and the Pacific Lowlands of South America. “ (Neotropical Birds Online)

There is also a Yellow Rumped Cacique which is more bashful/elusive than its red-rumped cousin.

How about ‘Christmas Yellow’ for those with red/green color deficiency?!!!

“Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the prettiest of us all?”

 

As lovely and entertaining as they are, these chatty and handsome birds were not the top act for the day. A quieter show awaited at ground level. This artist’s eyes are forever scanning the visual fields, and at times a new glitch taps at my subconscious. “Pay attention —“

Look near the dragonfruit trellis!

The rails stay close to cover

Here’s one hiding place

At the edge of the yard, they can often be spotted – but one must be quick to see them!

From Neotropical Birds Online:  “The Brown Wood-Rail is a very poorly known species, which is reportedly rare over much of its range, with just one record from Peru, and at least in Ecuador it has apparently declined significantly in response to extensive habitat modification throughout the western lowlands in recent decades. “

Ah! It’s a joy to see the Brown Wood Rails‘ return to the comfort of the back yard. I would like to say that they are comfortable with my presence, but no, their reasons for loitering at ground level are obvious.  Their addiction – ripe bananas – lures them in the same way that their presence glues me to the viewing stage. I too am addicted to observing the Brown Wood Rails and all other inhabitants of the natural world!

Before the bananas ripened, a lone bird circled the perimeters of the back yard. Clinging near draping heliconias and other dense areas, the birds move between predictable hiding places.   An attentive observer will soon learn to predict the birds’ most-used routes, and with camera ready, I glean more images!

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The attentive observer might also be rewarded with other sightings, like another not-easy-to see Little Tinamou!  Sneaking under the Porterweed and Brugmansia, the Tinamou passed just beneath the windows, and I dashed to the kitchen window and waited for a second viewing.   Yay!   It emerged beyond a 5-foot tall boulder then ambled to the dense growth beyond the yard.

When the bananas approach maturity, the Brown Wood Rails check the supply more often. Pumping its tail, one will strut across the close-cropped areas, pass near the bananas, then dart back to safer areas. Once the bananas ripen, the birds provide an all-day performance. I marvel at my luck, at my good fortune and realize how blessed I am to witness and document the behavior and quirks of this elusive species.

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These banana-feeding photos were taken on July 29 and 30. I will return on August 2 and look forward to the next ‘fix’ of immersion in nature!
If you’re interested in photographing these birds, this next week all but guarantees an opportunity to observe this bird in its natural habitat – with extra-easy photo sessions. There is one requirement, however, one has to be ultra quiet, as the birds dart away at the slightest movement or sound! (But you probably knew that already!) Contact the owner, Jorge via jurgarnet@icloud.com, as I will be off line and watching the birds, starting on Friday through Wednesday of next week.

The museo is about to close, and the laptop battery is almost dead.  Tomorrow I will be on line again and look forward to your feedback on both posts.   Thank you all for your support!   Love, Lisa

Can Birds have Addictions?

Tags

brown wood rail, Orange-fronted Barbet, poza honda ecuador

Last month – on our way for Melissa’s checkup…

Forward to post:  One hour’s drive separates Poza Honda and Portoviejo,  the latter also known locally as ‘Rock City.’   I am now dividing my time between the two locations.   My neighbor Melissa lacks one more month before her baby’s delivery date – but the baby is impatient, and Melissa was admitted to the hospital on Saturday night.  (Perhaps ‘Bebe’ wanted to be born under the water sign of Cancer and not the fiery Leo?)  Melissa is doing well, and we all hope that the baby will be patient!

The above statement was written yesterday morning, and in the afternoon ‘little bebe’ was again impatient to be under the zodiac sign of Cancer!  Welcome, Little One, who might need to spend the next two weeks under the hospital’s care.  I will update when possible!

Now for the ‘Addiction’ story, which was written this past weekend  at Poza Honda – when I should have been packing.  There have been many detours and interruptions, so all mistakes are definitely mine!    Enjoy!

 

Poza Honda – July 20/2019

Barely breathing, I watched as the sleek brown bird hurried from one side of the yard to the other. Elusive, this chicken-like visitor has mastered the art of stealth foraging, and I admired its ability to blend with its surroundings.  Without a watchful eye, one could totally miss a rare and fleeting glimpse of the Brown Wood Rail.

Perhaps eons ago its ancestors imprinted the importance of dodging predators. Perhaps its skittish nature is a recent adaptation, triggered by the humans’ intrusion into its habitat. Whatever the reason for their skittish behavior, the birds manage to elude many avian photographers; some of those photographers have stated that my photos are some of the best ever taken. I remain humbled that these sly birds have allowed hundreds of photo ops, and I am equally humbled to have watched their behavior over the past two years.

Brown Wood Rail

There are special times when the neighborhood Brown Wood Rails are easier to observe than other times. These birds have a weakness, and their fondness for ripe bananas clouds their instincts. When the ‘Geneau Platanos’ (a shorter variety of bananas) ripen in the back yard, those Brown Wood Rails seem to lose most of their survival instincts; with addictive nearsighted vision, they see only the bananas and make repeated raids throughout the day.

 

As I type, one Brown Wood Rail circles the back-yard area. Every half hour or so it leaves the unkempt wilder area under the citrus trees and crosses the recently-manicured (almost bare*) area near the house. Other times it emerges from dense natural areas that border the yard – and sometimes it emerges beneath ‘my nose’ from the plantings near the house!

 

A Scarlet-rumped Casique lands at the banana feeder, positioned only a meter or so from the 2nd-floor window, and beyond the feeder its recently-constructed nest dangles from an arching branch of bamboo.  I admire the squawking blue-eyed cacique as it complains about the not-so-ripe plantain I presented for its breakfast.

I whisper, “Well Good Morning to you, lovely Cacique!” – and instantly it darts to the far side of the macadamia tree which cradles the feeder.

Scanning the area below, I note the Brown Wood Rail making an equally-quick departure from the not-quite ripe bananas growing at ground level. An exceptionally-happy Superciliated Wren chirps with top-of-its-lungs volume while another answers from a faraway distance.

I ponder what a small-but-significant role every single living organism plays in this delicate fragile planet we call ‘Earth.’ As if to confirm, the blue-eyed beauty named ‘Scarlet-rumped Cacique’ flies from its nest and lands six feet from my own perch. Exchanging intense eye-to-eye contact, we acknowledge one another before it inspects the just-replaced plantain. Between samples, it peers at me then peers left and then right before it pecks at the not-much-better replacement. I admire its crisp blue eyes and the slight fluff in its crown of feathers.

A year earlier while struggling with grief over the felling of trees – some of them favorites of mine, I concluded that God gave us stewardship of the planet, and our species has done a poor job.  Perhaps we did not deserve this responsibility. We weren’t ready to grasp the importance – and instead of being guardians, we became the most-destructive predator to walk this planet. Perhaps its time we acknowledge that being in charge does not always mean that we have all rights to domineer.

Living in harmony with nature

Presently, I remain all but frozen as I witness the movements of today’s cast of inhabitants. Almost cocooned in this magnificent slice of the Garden of Eden, I too am a part – but what exactly is my reason – my honor – my duty for being here? Perhaps by sharing these experiences, I am a biographer for this GPS point of the planet?

A Southern House Wren chirps from a far corner of the house. In the distance the repeated call of the Gray Hawk overpowers the chattering big-footed water-loving Jacanas as well as the reverberations of the Great Antshrike. Serene doves coo at ground level and illustrate that they appreciate the easy-to-forage areas of a cropped yard.  Even a small plot can become a refuge for nature’s residents, and those spaces also give us peace.

In another week three clumps of bananas will be ripe enough to lure the Brown Wood Rails within easy viewing.  I will return, with camera in hand to document this year’s census of Wood Rails – presently only two, in contrast to seven a year ago. Perhaps the others remain secluded? If so, their cravings for ripe bananas will bring them into easy view. I will be there to witness and be their official biographer and photographer. 

Orange-crowned Barbet

An extremely-handsome member of the feathered population lands in the Nispero tree and vanishes into the dark depths of its branches. The Orange-crowned Barbets recently presented their most-grand performances. Six or seven have foraged, frolicked, hissed and darted from Carambola trees to the Nispero to tall Tamarind, exchanging fruits for caterpillars as they probed and communicated. Seeing them after a too-long absence (four or more months?) I delight in witnessing their return.

Scarlet-rumped Cacique inspecting heliconias for caterpillars. Poza Honda – Manabi Province- Ecuador

As if to retort, ‘What about us?’ the cacique returns, chirps several times then darts away. The handsome pair works in harmony while taking numerous banana breaks. (It will be fun to witness the incubation and feeding of the next generation!)

April 2019 – Limpkin forages in water hyacinths below house.

Not wanting to be overlooked in today’s census, a Limpkin barks from the cove of water below the house. After half a year of quite-high levels, the reservoir now lowers rapidly. I ponder the volume of water and wonder what source drains it so rapidly?  Human’s need for electricity? The need for irrigation of crops of citrus and papaya –  or routing water to cities that also tap this source for human survival?  How many months of an extended drought would lower this reservoir to critical levels?  How often do the masses of men consider the source of their water when turning on the faucets?  Is the original source of water being tainted by trickle-down effects of man’s presence?  How pure is our air? The fragile balance affects us all, one day at a time.

Whooping Motmot on water hydrant

It is no longer ‘enough’ to strictly witness and admire this slice of heaven on earth. Today the area remains quiet – void of sounds of human’s encroachment, yet I know that all too soon the sounds of chain saws will return.  Aroma of fires will announce another area successfully cleared, wiped clean of original vegetation so that man can again state, “This is mine – with tiny respect to what once thrived here.’

Late May 2019 – 2 weeks of felling Balsas near the house. Do you see the one tree that had just fallen?

It is time to find ways to better protect these rightful heirs to this environment – to be stewards and guardians – making sure there are enough bananas not only for man, but also the birds.  Our future depends on acknowledging that the old ways are not always the best, and it’s time to find new ways – if we intend to be worthy guardians of this planet.

Like the Brown Wood Rails, I also have an addiction; my weakness is for nature, and I hope to find ways to help save what’s left of the Brown Wood Rail’s habitat.  A new file folder on my computer is named, ‘I have a Dream‘ – and it contains images of the neighboring pasture and forest that continues to be altered by chain saws and pesticides.

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In my mind’s eye, it has been replanted and designed with life-giving plantings – short term ICU options intermingled with long-term slower-growing selections.  It would be filled with poetic trails, places to sit, reflect and observe nature.   Of course the low-growing bananas would be planted in many areas so that the Brown Wood Rails were never denied their favorite food!

This slice of Eden deserves to be preserved so that the rails and the barbets and the chachalacas thrive in a protected forest that nurtures them.  Perhaps other land owners around the reservoir would notice that one can live in harmony with nature.  The dream is pending, and I can continue visiting and checking the status of this slice of Eden.

If anyone wants to observe and photograph the Brown Wood Rail, the odds are in favor of success in the next two weeks.  You’ll arrive with expectations of seeing the Brown Wood Rail, but will most likely leave with warm memories of many other bird sightings!   Contact Jurg Arnet for overnight accommodations: Casa Swiss – Poza Honda Ecuador  jurgarnet@icloud.com

https://casa-poza-honda-honorato-vasquez.hotelmix.fr

* The owner ‘Jorge’ respects the citizens of the natural world; however, there are times when one must make an attempt to reclaim what has returned to its natural state, which in this area, occurs once or twice during the rainy season.

When the Big Creek Rises…

September 2018 – The Swollen Mississippi River at Memphis Tennessee

“On the morning of Good Friday, April 15, 1927, Seguine Allen, the chief engineer of the Mississippi Levee Board in Greenville, Mississippi, woke up to the sound of running water. Rain was lashing the tall windows of his home near the great river with such intensity that the gutters were overflowing and a small waterfall poured past his bedroom. It worried him. He was hosting a party that day, but his concern was not that the weather might keep guests away. Indeed, he knew that the heavy rain, far from decreasing attendance, would bring out all of the community’s men of consequence, all as anxious as he for the latest word on the river.”
Prologue/Rising Tide – The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 & How It Changed America – by John M. Barry
…………

2018 View of Mississippi River oxbow lake from my friends’ home near Clarksdale Mississippi…

In January of this year, a friend wrote from Clarksdale, Mississippi and said that they had temporarily moved out of their home ‘behind the levee’ because the Mississippi River was over the road. I immediately thought of John Barry’s book, The Rising Tide, and the weather history that led to that great flood. Last September the river was exceptionally high for ‘the end of summer,’ and news of high water in January made me instantly concerned.

Rising Tide and Lanterns on the Levee – Both books give a glimpse into the history – not only of the river but also of the culture – and we are still struggling to reconcile the differences and live in harmony.

It was time to read  Rising Tide for a third time and refresh my memory. After finishing the 426-page book, I then switched to William Alexander Percy’s Lanterns on the Levee, his personal memoir that includes recollections of that Great Flood of 1927. His book opens with this often-quoted paragraph:

” My country is the Mississippi Delta, the river country. It lies flat, like a badly drawn half oval, with Memphis at its northern and Vicksburg at its southern tip. Its western boundary is the Mississippi River, which coils and returns on itself in great loops and crescents, though from the map you would think it ran in a straight line north and south. Every few years it rises like a monster from its bed and pushes over its banks to vex and sweeten the land it has made. For our soil, very dark brown, creamy and sweet-smelling, without substrata of rock or shale, was built up slowly, century after century, but the sediment gathered by the river in its solemn task of cleansing the continent and deposited in annual layers of silt on what must once have been the vast depression between itself and the hills. This ancient depression, now filled in and level, is what we call the Delta. Some say it was the floor of the sea itself. Now it seems to still be a floor, being smooth from one end to the other, without rise or dip or hill, unless the mysterious scattered monuments of the mound-builders may be called hills. The land does not drain into the river as most riparian lands do, but tilts back from it towards the hills of the south and east. Across this wide flat alluvial stretch – north and south it measures one hundred and ninety-six miles, east and west at the widest point ffty miles- run slowly and circuitously other rivers and creeks, also high-banked with names pleasant to remember – Rattlesnake Bayou, Quiver River, the Bogue Phalia, the Tallahatchie, the Sunflower – pouring their tawny waters finally into the Yazoo, which in turn loses itself just above Vicksburg in the river. With us when you speak of ‘the river,’ though there are many, you mean always the same one, the great river, the shifting unappeasable god of the country, feared and loved, the Mississippi.” Lanterns on the Levee –‘The Delta’- William Alexander Percy

Now several days before June 2019, my Clarksdale friends have not returned – except by boat – to their home, still untouched by floodwaters, gracias a-Dios.  For the river to have been above flood stage for over four months in many areas – that is sobering and spooky news. After all, I am a self-confessed ‘River Rat’ and proud that I grew up a child of nature along the Mississippi River.

Mississippi River at Memphis 2018

Anyone who has lived along the Mississippi river has witnessed its many moods. How well I recall a summer of drought when stranded towboats and their barges anchored in various bends and deeper waters and waited for rains – and for the river to rise. I also remember the “Flood of 1973” when I witnessed the impressive power of the river well above flood stage.

Endangered Species Day – May 17

Tags

Ecuador, Endangered species day, Grey-backed Hawk

Where is the VIP bird?

Poza Honda Ecuador – I will forever treasure the moment I saw this bird.   Minding its own business, it perched on a branch of Cecropria in a small switch-back area between the reservoir and a small waterfall.   My eyes were on the gravel road, the downhill route and the upcoming curve.  Beside me and in the back of the truck were paintings to be delivered to Museo Portoviejo.  I was an hour late, yet when I saw that raptor, I braked to a stop, fumbled for my camera and took several faraway photos.  The bird had presence.  A strong presence.  Perhaps I ‘felt’ the bird more than I first saw it?

I drove a little closer, took more photos and wondered what magnificent raptor was peering back at me.    Satisfied with the photos, I resumed my journey and forgot about the bird.

A day later in another area of the country, I remembered the hawk and searched for its identification.   Grey-backed Hawk.  Endangered Species.    Range:  Western Ecuador and Northern Peru.  Reading the stats brought tears to my eyes.  From the IUCN RED LIST:   250-999 Mature Individuals.

Coming Soon – Another Global BIG Day

Tags

bird decline, global bid day 2019, poza honda ecuador birds

Global Big Day 2019:  May 04 —-   Nature enthusiasts look forward to the annual Global Big Day, where birders around the world document the bird species in their area.  Cornel Lab/Ebird hosts this event, and the bird-sighting information helps scientists track changes in the birds’ habits and numbers.

The elusive Brown Wood Rail – 2018 – Parent (with yellow bill) teaches the juvenile how to select the perfect banana!

I’ve noted a great change in the most-common birds near my house since last year’s bird census.   The  carambolas, plantains and oranges – favorite fruits for the Barbets, Motmots and Caciques – often go untouched until they eventually drop to the ground.

2018 – Scarlet-rumped Caciques. Oranges, Starfruit or Bananas? (They prefer the oranges!)

Where oh where have the caciques gone?

July 2 2018 – Whooping Motmot

October 2018 – Lovely Garden Ornaments

The Black-cheeked Woodpecker continues to drop in for banana feasts.

At times the fruit feeder remains untouched, and the ripe plantains rot.   After last year’s abundance of birds at the feeder, this year brings a sobering concern about the changes.

2018 – Orange-fronted Barbet

The butterflies, however, enjoy their now-private fruit feasts.

..

While marveling at the beauty in front of our eyes, we often forget the ones that are absent.  This happened when I was searching for Seedeaters and Grassquits, but I overlooked the absence of the Scarlet-rumped Caciques, the Orange-fronted Barbets and the Whooping Motmots.  The Snail Kites no longer dotted the treetops.   Are their numbers dwindling, or have they moved – and if so, why?  Devoting one day to study the local birds might help decipher these mysteries, especially when scientists compare data from around the globe.

Below are a few birds that have recently dropped in for a photo op:

Scarlet-backed Woodpecker

Rufous-browed Peppershrike

Yay-yay-yay!!!!  Orange-fronted Barbet

Great Antshrike (Male)

Yellow-tailed Oriole

 

Peruvian Pygmy Owl – Between Rains

Take a timeout on Saturday May 4 and spend time with your feathered neighbors.  If possible, share your sightings with eBird.

An Appreciation for Nature

Tags

climate change, Earth Day, extinctions

“The least I can do is speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves.”
― Jane Goodall

Male Variable Seedeater

“Nature doesn’t need people – people need nature; nature would survive the extinction of the human being and go on just fine, but human culture, human beings, cannot survive without nature.”  Harrison Ford

‘Seeds! Yum, yum!” – Female Variable Seedeater

“Hundreds of species are facing extinction due to human impacts on the environment.” – Elizabeth Marshall Thomas

“Yum Yum!

“If we pollute the air, water and soil that keep us alive and well, and destroy the biodiversity that allows natural systems to function, no amount of money will save us.” –David Suzuki

2018 – Variable Seedeaters

“Humans regard animals as worthy of protection only when they are on the verge of extinction.” – Paul Craig Roberts

“This seedeater is a common to abundant bird in lowlands and foothills up to 1,500 m (4,900 ft) altitude in semi-open areas such as forest edges, roadsides, low scrub and gardens. It also flocks with other species of seedeaters in pasture, weedy fields and other grassland…This species feeds mainly on grass seeds but also takes other seeds, berries and some insects.”  Wilkipedia

Poza Honda Ecuador – Last year while participating in the bird census for Global Big Day, friends and I noted the strong aroma of 2,4-D pesticide that had recently been sprayed on the pasture by the road.  The aroma lingered for months, and sensitive broad-leaved plants continued to die or curl for several more months.  The young balsa trees showed lingering effects half a year later.

I’m not sure when I noted the Variable Seedeaters’ absence, but their numbers declined rapidly – and have been almost absent until recently.   It’s been sobering to note the perfect seed heads on the pasture grasses, and to listen for the birds’ sweet songs but find there were none.

Yay! A March 2019 sighting of a Grassquit!

I rationalized: “Perhaps they are nesting.  Perhaps they went elsewhere for seeds.  Or they are molting.”

Month after month, I rarely spotted a seedeater or grassquit.

The cutting of trees, bamboo, the fire that morphed into a larger one – surely all played into the disappearance of those precious little birds.    I wondered if the hotter climate pushed them to cooler areas.  We’ve not had as many cool days/nights as the year before.

I began actively searching for the missing birds, but no. They remained MIA.  Month after month after month I hoped for their return; I was thrilled to spot one or two.

Sometimes it takes a while to notice what’s absent from the normal scene.  Another species was often missing: the Ecuadorian Ground Doves. (featured below and in the header image.)

The Lovely Masked Water-Tyrant

Tags

Ecuador art, Masked Water Tyrant, One Bird At A Time, poza honda ecuador, Watercolor of birds

Masked Water-Tyrant – Fluvicola nengeta

“I never for a day gave up listening to the songs of our birds, or watching their peculiar habits, or delineating them in the best way I could. ” John James Audubon

Poza Honda Ecuador – These highly-active and perpetually-happy Masked Water-Tyrants served as good-will ambassadors in every location I’ve lived in Ecuador.  Attired year ’round in crisp white and black/brown, they chirp, chatter, dance and build nests – always near the water.   At Casa Loca along Rio Jama, they foraged along the mud flats at low tide;  in Mindo they nested in locations just above the water, and now at Poza Honda they thrive in an ever-changing playground of water hyacinths.

While I worked on the Common Tody Flycatcher study, the Water-Tyrants tolerated my presence;  ignoring the artist, they frolicked and provided ample poses for my growing collection of photos.      Painting these birds would be challenging yet rewarding.

Masked Water Tyrants – Watercolor in progress by Lisa Brunetti

Working at night from reference photos, I also worked during the day by the water’s edge.    The bi-polar moods of the weather often sent me scampering up the hill to protect the painting!

Just as I began the watercolor wash, the skies began to baptize the painting!

Within a week, water levels leaped to maximum levels, which brought those handsome birds (and the invasive water hyacinths) closer and closer to the human’s turf.  They provided a grand assortment of poses – as if to benefit no one except the human that studied them! 

Trust vs Self Doubt

Tags

painting birds in watercolor, poza honda ecuador, self doubt, smooth-billed anis ecuador, southern house wren ecuador, watercolor art of ecuador birds

Smooth-billed Ani in Calabash Tree – Poza Honda/Manabi/Ecuador

“… If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you – and make allowance for their doubting too…” from the poem If by Rudyard Kipling (for the complete poem go HERE)

Self doubt can sabotage one’s concentration. How well I remember standing at the free-throw line and hoping that I would not miss the final shot for a Jr.-high basketball game.  Aware of my teammates, of the coach, of offensive/defensive choices if the ball missed the basket, of the next team waiting for the buzzer and warm ups; I also considered the home-town fans and strangers in the packed gym. Would my team win, would we lose, or would we go into overtime? The possibilities provided many distractions for an inexperienced young-teen! * That moment taught me an important life lesson: block out the conflicting variables and focus on the goal.

The same self doubt inflicts the creative process. When I painted the watercolor study of Smooth-billed Anis, I used an ultra-smooth Bristol Board which is very unforgiving. Once applied, the dark pigments required for the Anis could not be lifted without staining(ruining?) the paper.

Smooth-billed Anis – Watercolor in progress (Black and white image)

“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.” Elbert Hubbard

Quite social and affectionate with each other, Anis stay in family clusters. Sometimes while foraging they are scattered but remain in sight of one another; they also huddle – and even cuddle – during periods of rest.  The Smooth-billed and the Groove-billed Anis prepared a little slide show introduction:

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Painting just one bird would not illustrate the true behavior of the flock.

The painting advanced one bird at a time, and with each bird – self doubt peered over my shoulder and whispered, “Are you sure you want to add another bird? What if you make a mistake? The painting might be ruined.”

Chocolate and Manabi and Jama and Saving Precious Remnants of Bosque — AND— National Geographic!

Tags

deforestation ecuador, ecuador chocolate, manabi province ecuador, third millennium alliance, to'ak chocolate

Near Jama – How many species lost their homes when this area was scalped?

Manabi Province/Ecuador  — Parked in Ayacucho with a load of plastic-wrapped paintings from the Museo, I am passing along great news about the Third Millennium Alliance.  (“Who?” – you might ask?!) I intended to write a few stories about this group in the future, but an email sent from the Alliance today prompted me to write AHORA/NOW!

Why so sudden; why NOW?  ( I am writing from the park, half an hour from home.)

If you have an interest in chocolate and its origins, and if you enjoy reading/hearing about people doing good things and making things happen – especially in Manabi Province, and if you respect anything that National Geographic publishes, then you’ll appreciate this hurried notification!

Tomorrow, January 28th,2019 – National Geographic TV will place the spotlight on this just-south of the equator group.   They wrote, “National Geographic sent a team down to Ecuador to shoot an episode of their “Explorer” series. The story is supposed to be about our efforts to save Ancient Nacional cacao from extinction—a project we’re doing in partnership with To’ak Chocolate, which was co-founded by one of our co-founders.”

For the rest of that story, it’s easier for you to visit  the To’ak Chocolate Website – HERE… .

…..

And the National Geographic Explorer TV site HERE...

…..

Golden Olive Woodpecker, Cassia Trees near my home in the The ‘Not-so-Protected’ Protected Forest of Poza Honda

As for the Third Millenium Alliance, I remain baffled at how I could have been living so near this area and never crossed paths with anyone from this group! You all know my concerns about the rapidly-vanishing landscape, and I am so relieved to know that this amazing group of people are saving precious remnants of my beloved Manabi Province.

They express my same concerns via this very-short introduction video from 2017:

 

and their New Year’s 2019 video gives a great update with startling statistics and will hopefully attract new supporters for the Alliance:…

Please pass this to anyone who might be interested in helping save what’s left – before it’s sold to others who will most-likely destroy it.  The Third Millennium Alliance website is HERE:  Third Millennium Alliance

Thanks in advance for giving them your support, and if possible, enjoy the National Geographic story!

Now I will dash home and hopefully unload the truck before it’s too dark to see!  The skies have been kind this afternoon!

“The Muir Tree” with John Muir’s quote in English and Spanish . (Thank you again Steve Swartzman for the translation!)  (“Any fool can destroy trees.. they cannot run away… and if they could…”_

 

One Bird at a Time

Tags

audubon, birds of ecuador, Lisa Brunetti art, Watercolors of birds

“April 10, 1824. I was introduced to the son of Lucien Bonaparte, nephew of Napoleon, a great ornithologist, I was told. He remained two hours, went out, and returned with two Italian gentlemen, and their comments made me very contented.” That evening he was taken to the Philosophical Academy[32] where the drawings were greatly admired…” –  (from AUDUBON AND HIS JOURNALS – 1897)

Ecuador – The Museo Portoviejo exposition nears the end and presents a new challenge; what will I do with all of these children?!!!!

For a last-minute tour, here’s a slideshow:

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Alas, nature beckons and prompts me to continue, so I observe – and I paint!  Unlike Audubon, I have an advantage of a camera – but with most every study I wish to have a live (or preserved) bird for more-precise reference material.

“July 19th (1824) – Young Harris, God bless him, looked at the drawings I had for sale, and said he would take them all, at my prices. I would have kissed him, but that it is not the custom in this icy city.” (Audubon and His Journals)

The Gift of Sight

Tags

Common Tody Flycatcher, Ecuador Jan 2019, Manabi Province, Watercolors of birds

“After I’d drawn the grasses, I started seeing them. Whereas if you’d just photographed them, you wouldn’t be looking as intently as you do when you are drawing, so it wouldn’t affect you that much.” ― Martin Gayford, A Bigger Message: Conversations with David Hockney

Poza Honda/Manabi/Ecuador — Lluvia! Rain!   The statement, You’d better watch what you wish for, comes to mind when I share that almost daily – or nightly – the rains continue to fall!  Yesterday the nearby stream built enough confidence to roar – a comforting sound to one who lives slightly uphill from it!     A between-rains inspection revealed several fast-growing trees that had sloughed downhill, and a small part of the gravel road showed new erosion.  My camera chip and computer are not on speaking terms, so your imagination is required for the above scene! (Could the most-recent update have caused this new conflict?)

Birds are happy, trees and flowers are happy – and the aroma of the orange blossoms reminded me of a springtime aroma from Mississippi.  What – could – that- be? I wondered, and then grinned.  “Mock Orange.”   Of course that’s why it has that name!

Between rains, I usually take my art bag and spend time near the Common Tody Flycatchers’ nest.  Let’s go down to the water and see what’s happening!

 

Shhhh – artista at work!

Wood Rails, Floor Coths & Tinamous

Tags

brown wood rail, Laurel's Floor Cloths Costa Rica, Little Tinamou, poza honda ecuador

Playa San Miguel, Costa Rica

Years and years ago, my friend Dan Wise (Rio Colorado Lodge/Costa Rica Outdoors Magazine – Costa Rica) told me about a high-energy woman who made beautiful floor cloths in Costa Rica. “You should meet her, Lisa,” he urged.

Hand-painted Concrete floors by Lisa!

Although we never met, I subscribed to Laurel’s Originals Newsletter and always look forward to seeing new designs and projects. Her June newsletter brought a jolt of a surprise; sometimes Life does indeed grant us very-personal gifts. See if you can spot what placed a huge smile in my heart:

Laurel’s Originals June 2018 Newsletter

Now enjoy some of her designs:

Laurel’s Originals Designs

Here in Ecuador, Museo Portoviejo pushed back the date for the Nomadas en Ecuador Exposition; most likely it will open on July 5, although the showdates are coordinated through the Museum’s home base in Quito.  That’s fine with me, as it gives me more time to work on paintings – or to give an old one a new look!

One night I worked until 5 in the morning and was so absorbed in my work that I did not notice the light-loving insects that were just over my shoulder!

The work area now has blue curtains to deter the nocturnal insects, but that night they found their way to the source!

Stepping out of my ‘tent’ area, I was greeted by thousands and thousands and thousands of those wispy little insects.    Outside the windows, however, were that many ‘more’ to the 100th power!       These ‘hatches’ (?) have happened twice in the past ten months I’ve lived here, and now the numbers have returned to normal!

The flora and fauna continue to grant lovely moments; the squirrels continue to raid the bananas!  One has now earned my respect and compassion, as it seems to have a deformed front left foot.

Brown Wood Rail at ground level view!

The natural supply of bananas attracts the Brown Wood Rails for some very-easy photo ops, though the rails are pretty predictable to spot during the final half hour of each day. The forage briefly before crossing the yard and entering their private domain of thick cover.

They are funny when they prepare to jump into the bananas!

When I first ‘discovered’ that the rarely seen or photographed Brown Wood Rails were my closest neighbors, I thought they were chickens! They often forage near the chickens – the same way that cattle and horses occupy the same tract of pasture. At times the sometimes-territorial chickens chase the Wood Rails, which dart from zero to lightning speed, which always gives me a chuckle! Other times the Wood Rails strut across the yard while pumping their stumpy tails, as if practicing for a parade performance! This area is home to the Brown Wood Rail and five other VIP bird species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Two Wood Rails and one Chicken!

Last week while watching the end-of-day activities of the Wood Rails, I suddenly realized that one small brown bird in the cast was not a Wood Rail! Camera – quick! – I managed three not-too-clear images, but good enough for identification.

The Little Tinamou, which often graces the area with its perfect-pitch and projected whistle; several mornings earlier it called from what seemed to be right outside the window.  Usually a second one answers, and sometimes a third.  About every 45 seconds it repeats the same tune, and several minutes later they go mute. Let’s close this post with the audio of of an ultra-strong whistle from a very-timid little bird:

(Tinamou-Sound Cloud)

 

After I listened to the Tinamou upload, Sound Cloud rolled me to an artist I follow.  Enjoy some of the music that often plays when I paint late at night – if you feel exceptionally creative, start the Maassen tune on the Sound Cloud page, and then add the Tinamou from this one!  Now THAT’s a sample of my work environment!

May your week be a good one!  Thank you all for your support!   Lisa

What Happened to Google Earth?

Tags

ecuador butterflies, google map where are the images in google maps, Lisa Brunetti art, Museo Portoviejo

Google Earth has sent ‘congratulations’ notices to say that a few of my images – like this one of Poza Honda – were very popular.

Poza Honda/ManabiProvince Ecuador – Have any of you ever added images to Google Earth-Maps?   It’s always been interesting to peruse those images and explore areas that we know well or to ‘cyber travel’ to new destinations without leaving home!  The Satellite Image option helped me fine-tune my search for a new place to live, and reference images were very helpful.

This past week on Google Earth, I entered some GPS points for where I live –  before passing them along for scientific reasons; almost immediately I hit a glitch.  I could not find a place to type the coordinates.  Perhaps that option is somewhere on the page, but I did not find it.     Next I looked for my pinned images, and they were gone!  In fact, there were no pinned images to anything on the map.  Towns and places of interest were marked by name only.  The letters were small and difficult to see – and my laptop has a large screen!

Google Chrome browser… note how tiny the bottom right options appear. That’s where one finds the photo options.

Eventually I found the image option, which on my windows browser showed in a long horizontal strip at the bottom of the page.   There were photos from different areas, and mine could not be accessed until scrolling east on the map, leaving the house site out of view.  After I selected and enlarged one of my ‘popular’ images, a little arrow-type bar zipped from the photo and pointed into the middle of the lake!  Ha, I had to laugh – it was several kilometers from the right location and was obviously submerged at the bottom of the reservoir!

Opera browser provided slightly-easier to view options.

The Dec 3rd earthquake, which rattled the house for almost a minute, must have nudged this particular GPS point into the lake!

Unable to drag it back in place via the old system that worked well, I opened a new window and did a search which took me to a Google Earth/Maps forum.  Oh my, demons must have firmly attached themselves to those who make decisions for Google Earth/Maps, and they have made a lovely mess of what was once a well-managed site.

I moved to another quadrant that I know well – the area around Jama, and I remembered that someone had posted a picture of a Royal Poinciana/Flamboyant.  I was curious to see if it still marked the correct spot.  In real life, the tree was within view of where I once lived near the mouth of Rio Jama.

Royal Poinciana (Delonix regia)still stands, though the nearby farmhouse was destroyed in the April 16, 2016 earthquake.

Flamboyant/Royal Poinciana paired with the Green Kingfisher for a great photo op –  The rear balcony of Casa Loca. 2013

There were zero photos of that area, but there were new ones from 2018 of the community of La Division.   Checking various photos in the town a few kilometers inland, I discovered that the lovely flaming Poinciana tree had been magically transplanted to Jama!  (Jama, still recovering from the earthquake, could actually use several dozen of those lovely trees!)

Slightly Off Balanced on the Equinox

Tags

cayambe inti raymi, equinox 2018, shadows, solar calendar, Solstice

(Merriam-Webster Dictionary) Off-Balanced – 3b: Into a state of surprise from the unexpected 

Poza Honda Ecuador – Four times each year, the alignments of the earth and sun prompt me to reserve the day – or strategic hours – to observe the sun’s placement. These dates are more important to me than the first day of the new year.

Cayambe Ecuador – Peaceful cultural gatherings in honor of Mother Earth during the equinox and solstice dates.

Being attentive to the subtle rhythms and movements of our planet reminds me of how things change yet remain the same.  It also reminds me of the importance of our planet, our own lives, and our responsibility to be good stewards of this amazing planet.  In many areas, we are failing in the latter category.

High noon shadow – uh-oh, this shadow suggests that the photo was not taken in March or September, but probably inJune or December. (It was the June solstice 2015)

Ah-ha!  This shadow suggests that the photo was taken at high noon during an equinox!  (High noon March 20 2014)

In today’s quickly-changing world, it’s comforting to confirm that the sun is directly overhead at high noon during the March and September equinox dates.   Just like a precisely-tuned clock, the sun continues its daily march until it reaches its June or December solstice date, pauses, then begins back-tracking toward the other hemisphere.  Only twice a year does it visit the same spot, and I enjoy confirming that some things remain the same – no matter what else is happening on our planet!

Quitsato Sundial – near Cayambe Ecuado- The equator and the lines of the solstice and equinox.

Hacienda Guachala’s ancient sundial, located very near Quitsato’s solar calendar near Cayambe Ecuador.

Cayambe’s very-special Solstice Ceremony 2017

Those noon shadows teach easy lessons, especially when someone asks,  ‘Isn’t it always in the same place?”   

“No,” I smile, and demonstrate the natural rhythms between our sun and planet.

The solar calendar at Casa Loca often puzzled first-time visitors, until they witnessed the sun’s ever-changing position on the western horizon.

Marking the equinox – 2013

Recording the sun’s shadow. March 20 and a week later – March 28, 2013 – Casa Loca

Some days the sun hid behind the clouds.

And some days the shadows were strong..

This past week Melissa dropped in for a visit where I now live at Poza Honda. After swapping a few stories, she grew serious and gestured to the floor and asked what was the significance of the items on the floor. I had forgotten about the floor!

Inward Reflections and Retrospections

Tags

"The Muir Tree", deforestation, incubation time for growth, our sick planet, retrospection

Costa Rica aerial image from 2012 – View of Playas San Miguel, Bejuco, Corazalito and Islita.

“TO go into solitude, a man needs to retire as much from his chamber as from society. I am not solitary whilst I read and write, though nobody is with me. But if a man would be alone, let him look at the stars. The rays that come from those heavenly worlds, will separate between him and what he touches.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson – from Nature

Today a friend shared news of a New-Year’s Day airline commuter crash in Costa Rica. The Corazalito airstrip was near where I once lived, and there are many great memories of that unique little welcome center, complete with thatched-roof ‘reception shack’ with original art on its facade. I’ve experienced those turbulent winds that often announce the change of the seasons, winds that grasp a pilot’s attention as well as the passengers’ attentions.   Although I did not know any of the 12 people who died this past week, the news makes me reflect on the shattered lives of the families and loved ones – while reminding us that we only have this moment.

That news put me in a deeper reflective mood than normal, one that prompted this poor attempt to explain what’s been percolating in my psyche over the past few months.

(You have the right to excuse yourself from this reading room; those who choose to hang with me, I hope that the following makes sense…)
..

Channeling da Vinci – Timeout for Art

Tags

art and society, getting quiet, Leonardo da Vinci Thoughts on Art and Life, The psyche of an artist

45. – “The painter should be solitary, and take note of what he sees and
reason with himself, making a choice of the more excellent details of
the character of any object he sees; he should be like unto the mirror,
which takes the colours of the objects it reflects. And this proceeding will seem to him to be a second nature.” – Leonardi da Vinci  Thoughts on Art and Life – Translator/Maurice Baring via Gutenberg.org

Manabi Province- Ecuador – The past few weeks have been physically demanding as I’ve worked on renewing my passport and getting it ‘in hand’ (10 more years – yes!) and also finished the move from Casa Loca.   Since the Dengue/chikungunya illness, my body needs more attentive time for recovering from these trips – as well as unpacking and resuming projects.  Of course it could also be that I am not as young as I once was, and it’s part of the cycle of growing older!

My new home offers an amazing immersion in nature – with wrap-around windows with tree-top views like this:

Yellow-rumped Cacique

Scarlet-rumped Cacique

Look who raids the feeder!

First to feed at dawn and the last to feed at dusk… Whooping Motmot

The Slaty Becards are listed as Endangered, but they are the little starlets at Casa Poza Honda. (female)

Male Slaty Becard – “Howdy!”

Great Antshrike

Staining frames, painting ‘mats’ – there are always tasks to fill each day.

There are always tasks at hand, so every day or so I take a timeout and walk the very-short distance to a little roadside pond.  Sitting there, I quickly merge with nature and leave all thoughts behind… I do not think of the past or of tasks in the future.  The surroundings bestow me with an acute attention to what’s in front of me – and behind me – and overhead!

Rufous-headed Chachalaca

The Chachalacas often lure me away from the house with their raucous calls that sometimes last for hours!   There at the pond I often illustrate Leonardo’s approach (see above quote) for observing nature.  I sit on one of two rocks and observe the subtle changes from day to day.    Not only is my body recharging its batteries, but I am also engaging in a task that Leonardo describes as essential to the seriousness of an artist’s work.  It’s also essential to the health of my soul!

What WAS that flash of red – and blue – and yellow?

The lovely Ecuadorian Trogon, attired in bold colors as well as a fashionable circle of red eyeliner!

Do you see two birds?

The Ecuadorian Trogon and the Whooping Motmot provide eye-candy rewards for my quiet disconnect at the pond.  They are two of a revolving cast of unique birds that visit this pond.

Detail of Motmot’s tail feathers – Photo taken from a more-convenient ‘perch’ from the house….

One can work from photos and capture a strong likeness to the birds, but when one studies the birds in their natural surroundings, it’s easier to capture the true essence.  This is true for any slice of nature… only through hours of observation will one grasp the nuances of each subject.

There are nuggets of discovery everywhere, even underfoot.

Recently, through the gift of the online Gutenberg.org site, I downloaded and enjoyed reading Leonardo da Vinci’s “Thoughts on Art and Life” — it was as if I had been channeling his advice during my visits to the nearby pond!   Here are more of Leonardo’s words paired with images from the little ‘healing pond’ at Casa Poza Honda.

Merging with Nature

Tags

adubon, artist in nature, brown wood rail, observing wildlife, orange-fronted wood rail, poza honda ecuador, Solitude, thoreau

Peruvian Pygmy Owl – 4B Pencil & a Splash of Watercolor

The worse my drawings were, the more beautiful did the originals appear. – John James Audubon

The above sketch, left in Casa Poza Honda’s guest book, seemed appropriate since the owl dropped in to say, “Welcome!” on my first visit to what would become my new home.  This area has yet to be invaded by the snaking tentacles of telephone and broadband cables, which is a blessing, yet it has altered my ability to stay in touch with the outside world.

Pacific Pygmy Owl – Casa Posa Honda – Manabi Province

Since I take great comfort in complete immersion and solitude in nature, I have appreciated the opportunity to apply Thoreau’s attitude, ‘…to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach…’ 

Almost dark, view from the end of the trail…

This beautiful forest, a place to connect deeply with nature, supplies a perfect environment to study the flora and fauna.  As soon as I am settled, I hope to present what affects me strongest via drawings and studies.    That is not easily done when interacting with the world on a daily basis, so I am grateful to reclaim a life that gives me total focus without distractions.

Morning Squirrel

Almost every morning is spent in complete silence as I merge with the rhythms of the natural surroundings.  Before the daylight has wiped all traces of night from the scene, the Whooping Motmots can often be seen perched near the house.   By 6:15, the Brown Wood Rails tip-toe into the yard on their predictable paths.  Photos in such low light are always lacking, so I now watch quietly and appreciate their unique beauty.

After the first hour of absorbing, watching, listening, I usually venture outside and take an extremely-slow amble downhill. 

Ambling Along —

Tags

azul plata cumbia, brown wood rail, costa rica, Ecuador, living with nature, Panama, Slow Internet

A frustrated Long-tailed Mockingbird – near Portoviejo, Ecuador

A very contented Toucan in Panama…

A deer in my friends’ yard in Costa Rica…

A very-rare Brown Wood Rail in the yard at the Poza Honda Ecuador house!

From Dictionary.com : Amble “verb (used without object), ambled, ambling.
1.    to go at a slow, easy pace; stroll; saunter:
He ambled around the town.

2.   (of a horse) to go at a slow pace with the legs moving in lateral pairs and usually having a four-beat rhythm.
noun
3.an ambling gait.
4.a slow, easy walk or gentle pace.
5.a stroll.

Ambling along a shady road with Marie in Costa Rica….

“We ought to take outdoor walks, to refresh and raise our spirits by deep breathing in the open air.” — Seneca

Don’t forget to look up when walking! – Costa Rica

Variegated Squirrel in the park near the Municipality Office – Nandayure Costa Rica

In the past three weeks I’ve been from Ecuador to Costa Rica and back via a stopover in Panama to visit my friend Barb.   These were quick-but-very rewarding  visits that combined ‘business’ with pleasure.  Comparing the three countries, I definitely give Costa Rica and Panama the top scores for quality of internet!

Panama wins on shopping opportunities as well as the dramatic skyline contest… 

Storms

Tags

Hurricane Irma, Mexico Earthquake, NW Wildfires, Oregon Fires

Balancing at the top of a palm tree…

“And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.” -Haruki Murakami

Thinking of all of you affected by storms, fires, floods and earthquakes… There’s a lot of universal concern and empathy pouring out in your behalf.    Z

Photo taken from Barb’s condo window – Republic of Panama – Sept 06/2017

Eclipse, Inspiration & An Appreciative Mind

Tags

birdlife deforestion, eclipse and birds, living with nature, skutch quotations

A Bird Watcher’s Adventures in Tropical America – Alexander F. Skutch: 1977

Poza Honda/Manabi Province/Ecuador – Searching random books to confirm a bird identification, I appreciated Alexander Skutch’s description of the Streaked Flycatcher.

The mention of an eclipse seemed timely for today’s post:

“…The big Streaked Flycatcher, which closely resembles the Sulphur-bellied in plumage, likewise seeks a high, conspicuous station to deliver his soft, sweet, clear-toned kawe teedly wink, which he may repeat with scarcely a pause for nearly half an hour. Like the Eastern Wood-Pewee, he often sings after sunset in the same pleasant strain, and at times more briefly, in a more subdued voice, in full daylight. One March, a partial eclipse of the sun caused a Streaked Flycatcher to begin his crepuscular song soon after four o’clock in the afternoon.” Alexander F Skutch: 1977 A Bird Watcher’s Adventures in Tropical America “The Dawn Songs of Tropical Birds”
…….

As what often happens when I reach for a favorite book, my attention veers to random samples of those beloved pages. In the epilogue, The Appreciative Mind, Skutch shares a story about sensory overload when migrating birds filled the Costa Rica forest with sights and sounds.

“As I stood enjoying the incomparable spectacle of tropical nature in its blithest mood, my spirit, soaring upward toward the high treetops and the birds that flitted through them, lived and felt with rare intensity. In this exalted state, I began to reflect upon the immensity, in space and in time, of the forces and processes to which I owed my presence here, the multiplicity of circumstances that contributed to my enjoyment. A star that can contain a million earths was sending its rays through ninety three million miles of space to illuminate the woodland for me….without prompting or aid by me, the trees that soared above me had been slowly growing for hundreds of years before I took them under my protection. Some of the birds around me had made long and perilous journeys in order, I could almost believe, to grace my woodland by their presence… – More than this, sunshine, trees, birds – the whole great spectacle of nature – would have meant no more to me than a stone or clod of earth had I not been prepared by a long evolution to perceive and respond to them…”
…………

Shhhhh! The Birds Also Live Here

Tags

Casa Poza Honda, Manabi Province Birds, Orange-fronted Barbet, poza honda ecuador, santa ana ecuador

Pacific Pygmy Owl – Casa Posa Honda/ owner’s garden – Manabi Province

“I think the most important quality in a birdwatcher is a willingness to stand quietly and see what comes. Our everyday lives obscure a truth about existence – that at the heart of everything there lies a stillness and a light.”
― Lynn Thomson, Birding with Yeats: A Mother’s Memoir

My new home offers a serene immersion in nature; the birds – many of them new to me – stop by often, as if to pay proper respect to the newcomer. This post shares some of those birds – one species, if the ID is correct, appears to be quite special!

Calling all birders! Is this an Orange-fronted Barbet?

The RED LIST states:
Population: This is a poorly known species and no population estimates are available. It is considered generally uncommon.

Trend Justification: A moderately rapid and on-going population decline is suspected owing to habitat loss.”
And here is its range map: EBIRD-Orange Fronted Barbet

If you like birds, then scroll on down and meet more of the feathered members of the neighborhood!

“The Neighborhood’ is pictured below:

With the truck loaded with large frames, paintings and rolled canvases, I stopped on the dam to photograph the ‘Reservoir Poza Honda.” “Home” is straight across, tucked near the base of the slope.

Home sweet home; this is the yen to Casa Loca, yet it also represents a total immersion in nature.   It provides a perfect setting for the next chapter.

La Casa

Look up…

Look down!

Look out the window:

6:30 am

“There is nothing in which the birds differ more from man than the way in which they can build and yet leave a landscape as it was before.” – Robert Lynd, The Blue Lion and Other Essays

There is an impressive buffer of natural and planted vegetation between the house and the lake.  Would you like to walk down to explore the grounds with me?  Perhaps we’ll see a few birds!

Visual Hiccups from the Past Month

Tags

imags of ecuador, jama ecuador, mindo cuador

Ofelia Bus terminal – Quito Ecuador

“There are always flowers for those who want to see them.” – Henri Matisse

Casa Loca – Wildflowers – Rio Jama/

“Happiness, not in another place but this place… not for another hour, but this hour.” – Walt Whitman

Andrea – Playa El Matal – Ecuador

“Today: Soak in what’s real and what’s real is unhurried. The ground. The air. The exhale. The planted seed. The shift. The season.” – Victoria Erickson

• Manabi Ecuador – “Poco a poco” – little by little, I have been weaning away from Casa Loca. Last year’s earthquake altered the lives of many, and my choices and opportunities have been more abundant than many of the locals’ options. With no sense of urgency, I allowed my own internal GPS system to guide me to a new place to call home.

About a month ago, after first scouting an area via Google Maps, I drove along various country roads, exploring with an artist’s curiosity. Great impromptu moments greeted me at each stop, and though I cherished the moments, I knew there was a jewel of a place waiting to be discovered.

This tiny community met almost every “wished for”criteria onmy list. but Life nudged me forward…

Yes, I am in the process of moving,  poco a poco, and I will spend most of this week moving the more difficult-to-transport items. I will not be online often, but will be writing offline to share more information about the new area I will call “Home.” I look forward to sharing the stories!

A pure and abundance source of water was part of that criteria…

Enjoy the random images taken in the past month.  I should be back online tonight.

“…To be Sure of Tomorrow’s Tomorrow…”

Tags

Glacier Melting, National Parks, Seismic Blasting, Speaking up for our Planet

Enrique Males shares his concerns for Mother Earth via musical & theater presentations.

“…Don’t they know that there’s something going on?
What they’re harming with their indecision
But who will be left standing when I’m gone?
There’ll be nothing left but a vision

It’s too easy to turn a blind eye to the light
It’s too easy to bow your head and pray

But there are some times
When you should try to find your voice
This is one voice that you must find today..”

– Lyrics from Above & Beyond’s  song, ‘Miracle,” featured at the end of this post.

This song touches my heart in many ways.  There are times when prayer alone isn’t enough; we have to become proactive, to learn to find our voice – to speak up, especially to speak up for those who have no voice – like our planet…  There’s a July 10th deadline approaching for feedback about some of the USA’s National Monuments.

Just like adding a few cents to a piggy bank, our voice doesn’t seem like much, but when combined with a much-larger pool, our comments make important contributions.

Here’s one friend who has no problem finding her voice.  Follow Rangewriter’s example:  Throwing a Bomb at the Heart of a Nation.

Speak up and personalize your concerns here… Monuments for All

and here:  Regulations.gov   

Touch the Sky!

Tags

Ayahuma, Ayauma, Cayambe Ecuador, Cayambe IntiRaymi 2017, IntiRaymi, San Pedro Celebration June Solstice

Cayambe Ecuador – From one side of the country to the other and halfway back again, I’ve been in transit a lot and online a little. On June 21, I reached Cayambe Ecuador after dark and decided to stay in the city instead of my normal stopover at Hacienda Guachala.

Map from Flor de Valle “Ofelia’ bus terminal-Quito.

This alignment of choices placed me square in the middle of a June Solstice event, where the locals still honor Pachamama, known to others as our dear Mother Earth.

This event is part of a month-long celebration called the Fiestas de San Pedro* y del Sol, which bridges the Catholic religion with the ancient Indigenous customs.  –  *This year’s festivities will continue until July 8, but the San Pedro customs are observed throughout the country, sometimes for several more months.  On June 28, I will be attending Jama’s on the coast.

San Pedro/Inti Raymi

Hostal Cayambe, between the main square and Cayambe’s most-famous Bizcochos cafe.

The night manager of Hostal Cayambe told me of a ‘children’s parade’ that would start at nine in the morning. Her description was quite modest, and the extremely-colorful parade lasted several hours!

Timeout for Art: Imagination vs Scientific Seriousness

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"The Muir Tree", Acrylic paintings of trees, palo santo tree, scientific illustration

“I spread out my map under a tree and made up my mind to go through Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia to Florida, thence to Cuba, thence to some part of South America; but it will be only a hasty walk…

I wandered away on a glorious botanical and geological excursion, which has lasted nearly fifty years and is not yet completed, always happy and free, poor and rich, without thought of a diploma or of making a name, urged on and on through endless, inspiring Godful beauty.John Muir — The Story of My Boyhood and Youth (1913),

Like John Muir, I had a childhood dream,  but mine was to live in Argentina’s pastoral Pampas region, painted so lovely in my fifth-grade geography book.  I wanted to raise quarter horses and ride the pampas like those gaucho cowboys!

Those Mississippi-childhood dreams faded, though every so often I was wistful to live in the Neotropics, home to exotic botanical specimens I thirsted to see in person, where locals conveniently used large tropical leaves for impromptu umbrellas and where heliconias soared to the moon.

The road less traveled eventually delivered me to Central America and then Ecuador, places where the temperatures never dipped below freezing – unless I desired to visit the peaks of Chimborazo, Cotopaxi or other high-altitude landmarks that dot South America’s Andean spine.

There are times when I enjoy an eye-to-eye inspection of those exotic plants, and by capturing their likeness with pencil or water media, I discover minute details that otherwise might be missed. I always walk away with deeper respect for the plant and its support cast of companions.

Brugmansia leaf detail – acrylic

Detail: Brugmansia y Ginger – Acrylic

Wildflowers facing north! (Acrylic)

While painting this Thunbergia study, I noticed monarch caterpillars nibbling the leaves of a nearby milkweed!

There are times when I toss the scientific seriousness aside and allow the personality of the subject to emerge. These always bring great mischievous joy, as if freeing a personality that was trapped by a long-ago wicked spell.  Most people can easily spot the human spirit in Ecuador’s Ceibo trees Ceiba trichistandra.

Presently I’m in the tropical dry forest, where for half a year the climate is humid with bi-polar rainfall, depending on moods of the nearby Pacific waters.   The rainy season weans into the dry season, and many trees go into a dormant stage.

It is in this section of Ecuador’s coast where the gigantic Ceibo trees join forces with the much-smaller Palo Santo.   These two trees leave lasting imprints on those who bond with the flora and fauna of the area.

‘What is that unique sweet smell?’ people might ask.   Many times it’s the subtle aroma of a just-bruised branch of Palo Santo.    The dried ‘holy’ wood is burned to repel mosquitoes as well as to clean a room of heavy energies or bad spirits.

Palo Santo tree

Recently my friend Luchi and I began work on a painting of a Palo Santo tree, which grows along Ecuador’s Pacific coast.  He presented some photos he hoped to work with, and we inspected two trees growing in the hostal gardens.  I began the painting as he watched, and then he joined the painting session!

How Long Can You Hold Your Breath?

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climate change, Earth Day, earth week, march for science, peoples climate march

 

 

‘If you really think the environment is less important than the economy, try holding your breath while you count your money.’ – Dr. Guy McPherson

Manabi Ecuador –  About eight years ago the climate on Ecuador’s coast seemed to be almost perfect.  I could work outside for hours and never feel over heated, yet the sun would burn my skin quite fast.    Many times in the night we needed long sleeves and/or jackets.

Now it seems that the cloud forest, which I remembered being much cooler,  has the ideal temperatures, and the coastal weather – on a cloudless day – is stifling!

June Solstice 2016

Today I asked an older lady if she thought the coastal climate was warmer than in earlier years.   “Yes,” she said, “It is much hotter now.”

“Why do you think it has changed?”  I asked.

Timeout for Wanderlust, Accidental Experiences – and a Little Art!

Tags

baeze ecuador, costnga ecuador, rio napo ecuador, Timeout for Art, yachana lodge ecuador

Between Yachana Lodge and Loretto…

“Please be a traveler, not a tourist. Try new things, meet new people, and look beyond what’s right in front of you. Those are the keys to understanding this amazing world we live in.”   Andrew Zimmern

Ecuador – As a child growing up in the Misssippi Delta, I was painfully shy and dreaded interactions with strangers.  A loner, I thrived when roaming the outdoors, inspecting wildflowers along ditch banks or immersed in the dense canopy of the woodlands, where I might sit for hours in hushed tranquility.

My favored destination on my childhood roamings were big trees in dense areas.  – Ceiba tree Near Rio Napo – Ecuador

I am grateful for  young-adult opportunities of teaching art as well as speaking to groups as ‘A Gardening Artist.’   I realized that we all have strengths and weaknesses, and that unique threads connect us all.    Slowly I grew comfortable with interacting with strangers, and now I embrace those opportunities to know my fellow man.

After leaving Yachana Lodge on Good Friday,  friends Stephen and Xiomara and I embarked on a journey that presented many unique experiences which almost always included the locals.

Honoring our Planet

Tags

climate change, earth day 2017

The El Lechero Tree – Sacred Site overlooking Lago San Pablo, Ecuador

“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.” – Rachel Carson

When the health of our planet suffers, we suffer as well.   May we all take time to appreciate our natural resources and work together to be guardians of Mother Earth. She will might survive without us, but how much longer can we survive if the delicate balance is tipped too far?

Join me via cyber visit to check on some of my favorite locations.

Vicunas near Chimborazo

Chimborazo – Brrrrrrrr!

Between Otavalo and Volcano Imbabura (Ecuador)

Quinoa – near Otavalo Ecuador.

Lago San Pablo 0 Near Otavalo Ecuador

Shrimp pond – Jama Ecuador

Amtrack – somewhere between New Orleans and the Mississippi Delta…

Atmosphere

Tags

Ecuador Amazon, rio napo, yachana lodge

Yachana Lodge, Rio Napo, Eastern Ecuador

“What are you all looking at?” Douglas, the owner of Yachana Lodge asked Xiomara and me.

I smiled and replied, “Atmosphere.”

Timeout for Art – The Muir Tree

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"The Muir Tree", acrylic paintings, John Muir Quotes, Painting trees, Timeout for Art

The trees are watching!  Near Rio Cinto-Mindo Ecuador

“Any fool can destroy trees. They cannot run away; and if they could, they would still be destroyed — chased and hunted down as long as fun or a dollar could be got out of their bark hides, branching horns, or magnificent bole backbones. .” — John Muir

Sometimes a work of art ‘just happens’ as if some invisible hand guides the process.  Everything aligns as if magically orchestrated.

Watercolor  by Lisa Brunetti –  With no pencil prep, I focused on one part of the flower then went straight to painting; the initials strokes of paint slowly evolved into the study of the Thunbergia flowers.

Othertimes a work of art requires preparation and homework, which starts as a spacial gathering of information and honing that data until clarity guides the artist forward.

The Muir quote has always fired my imagination, and I pictured trees frowning in disgust or wide-eyed with fear of being felled or even timidly hiding and peering from behind rocky facades. While pondering ways to illustrate the quote, I began seeking out and studying the twisted growth of mature guava trees – cousins to crepe myrtles – to merge the illusion of limbs and antlers.

Yachana Bound!

Tags

amazon lodges in ecuador, eco travel, geotourism, napo river ecudor, rio napo, yachana lodge

Photo courtesy of Yachana Lodge – Napo Province – Ecuador

“Yachana?”

With painting supplies, boots and flashlight already tucked into my bag, I’ll be Yachana bound soon!

“Boots? Raincoat? Flashlight?”

Yes, because I am a seasoned ‘Girl Scout’ and know to be prepared, especially if I’m returning to the gateway to the Amazon.  This time I’ll be even closer than I was on last month’s trip to Cosanga!

I’ll be taking trusted travel ‘needs’ AND a new pad of Canson Watercolor Paper AND very-special brushes! Thanks Pachamamas!

You must be wonderning, “What is Yachana; where is Yachana?”

Don’t worry for even one second that I will be treading in uncharted or unsafe territories!

In Celebration of Trees

Tags

admiring trees, Mindo Ecuador, protecting trees, rio bravo reserve, tree quotes, trees

The other creatures with which we share this world have their rights too, but not speaking our language, they have no voice, no vote; it is our moral duty to take care of them. –  Roger Tory Peterson

Mindo Ecuador –    Sentinels of our communties, trees posses a strong power.   They plant their feet firmly and stretch their arms toward the heavens as if tickling the sky.  Horizontal branches provide support for a child’s  dreamy afternoon respite or a house cat or even a jaguar! In the Neotropics, trees provide a unique ecosytem, where bromeliads, orchids, vines and ferns provide food and shelter for insects, birds, reptiles, mammals, etc.    The dense shade cloaks the ground with welcome relief from extreme heat.  Ah, who hasn’t expressed gratitude when stepping beneath the canopy of a large tree on a sultry day?

The people in the tree had the best seats for the game!  The ones on the ground clustered beneath any shade! Jama Ecuador

One friend long ago mentioned ‘custom harvesting’ a tract of land, and he knew that it bothered me.    He explained, “But the trees are going to die anyway, so we might as well harvest them while the wood can be used. ”

I mentioned the dead trees’ importance and reminded him that dead trees were important habitat for the presumed-extinct Ivory-billed Woodpecker.  “Where will YOUR chidren take their children to see a really-big tree?”  

This past week while sorthing through old drawings and sketches, I paused when reviewing three or four pages of attempts to illustrate a quote.    Then Rebecca Budd /Clanmother shared a quote about trees, which nudged me into bringing that sketch to life.

Those lovely sentinels watch over us, yet many times we forget to acknowledge their presence or worth.

Join me in this celebration of trees!

Exploring New Horizons

When setting out on a journey, do not seek advice from those who have never left home. ~ Rumi

Ecuador’s Andes:  Eastern Slope – Cosanga – Western Slope -Mindo — Having just returned from a ten-day trip to the eastern side of Ecuador, I chuckled when I read Judy Edwards‘ Thought For the Day, shared above.

My friend Susana had often mentioned their ‘little cabaña’ tucked in a quiet area somewhere on the ‘Eastern Slope” of the Andes in the Napo Province, gateway to the Amazon.  Over the past year, she’s been fine-tuning details for a birding tour for a group of ladies from the USA and had asked if I’d help during their time at their Cabana El Aliso.  The tour would start on March 1st in Quito, end on March 10th in Mindo, with lots of great experiences in between.

Cosanga area landscape

Of course!  I would love to help!  I looked forward to seeing their cabaña and the surrounding landscape, but first needed to take care of my life on the Pacific side.  While in Jama, I received an email from Susana regarding plans for the week before the birding tour.

“…hopefully we can travel to la Cabaña El Aliso. How about Friday, Feb. 24th? This weekend (25-28) is Carnaval and I would like to spend these days in the Cabaña. Can you come with us.”  –