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.

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.

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! 

Water Runs Downhill

Tags

Lluvia 2019 Ecuador, poza honda ecuador

 

March 08, 2019 – Currents of strong water over the Poza Honda dam. The water reached the 108 mark yesterday.

Poza Honda/Manabi/Ecuador —   With a meter of water over the dam, four inches of rainfall sent Poza Honda’s waters rising another meter.  Not only did Wednesday night’s rainfall send floodwaters downstream, it also sent another mass of water hyacinths downriver as well.

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Several landslides blocked the road on the  far side of the dam, but that was a very minor annoyance compared to what the folks downriver are experiencing.

In front of Melissa’s House

Big landslides, no – trees and bamboo down, yes!

If this weather pattern continues, and the flooding makes international news, remember that the little neighborhood where I live is fine.

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I’ll be off line until Tuesday, weather permitting!

Have a good weekend!

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.”

Timeout for Nature – and for Art!

Tags

art of ecuador birds, Common Tody Flycatcher, ospreys, poza honda ecuador

“Relatively few people know why an artist acts in this way or that . . . . A peasant who sees me draw an old tree-trunk, and sees me sitting there for an hour, thinks that I have gone made, and of course laughs at me.” (Van Gogh letter to brother Theo)

The Ospreys were calling! How could I ignore their distinct aerial cries? A decision awaited – continue dicing the onion or dash to the window? Trading knife for camera, I dashed to the window!

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

Global Big Day – 2018

Tags

birding in manabi ecuador, brown wood rail, chone ecuador, global big day 2018, la segua ecuador, Orange-fronted Barbet, poza honda ecuador, Slaty Becard

 

Manabi Province/Ecuador –  What are your plans for May 5th?   Your local birds deserve a voice! Add their names to Global Big Day’s Bird Census! (Birds of Manabi Ecuador – Ink drawing by Lisa Brunetti)

Ink drawing by Lisa Brunetti

Voice? These Brown Wood Rails give a shrieking end-of-day chorus!

Five fast-growing juveniles now join their parents in the end-of-day foraging in the secluded yard!

(For Linda! Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks- la Segua)

On Saturday, friends and I will divide our time between Poza Honda and la Segua/near Chone.

I’d never seen a Snail Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis)until last year’s trip to the Segua. I’d lived in Manabi for years and never stopped to enjoy this amazing ecosystem!

They definitely live up to their name!

How well do you know the birds of the Segua? Here are some images from last year’s Global Big Day outing – see if you can spot the illegal alien – ‘American Bullfrog.’

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La Segua/Chone/Manabi/Ecuador

For more information on Global Big Day, start here:

Ebird GLOBAL BIG DAY 2018 – MAY 5

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. 

Subtle Nudges and Alignments

Tags

Casa Poza Honda, Challenges, Moving, poza honda ecuador

“When a person really desires something, all the universe conspires to help that person to realize his dream.”  -Paulo Coelho

Manabi Province, Ecuador –   Years ago when making the commuter flight from Quito in the Andes to Portoviejo on the Pacific coast, I often studied the landscape below.  After marveling at the beauty of Chimborazo poking through the clouds, I wondered about the lower elevations as the plane prepared to land.   A large body of water always intrigued me, and I assumed it was ‘never-never land’ – perhaps like the Darien Gap swamp between Panama and Colombia.

Or like a cypress swamp in the Southern USA….

“A man will be imprisoned in a room with a door that’s unlocked and opens inwards; as long as it does not occur to him to pull rather than push.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein

Several months ago, my friend Xiomara helped rekindled that interest when she mentioned she’d be working upriver from Portoviejo.  Deciding to close the chapter of ‘Casa Loca,’  it was time to move forward, and many places held my interest.  I had been combing the Province via Google maps in search of a quiet area with a good source of pure water – away from pollution and surrounded by natural forests.   I did not want to make a temporary move, and I suspected that patience would be rewarded.

Scouting via Google Maps, I was disenchanted – and shocked – at the continued deforestation.  Out of curiosity, I zoomed to the little hamlets where Xio would be working and was delighted to see that large body of water!     We coordinated meeting when she traveled to the area, and while she was working, I scouted around, loved the extremely-peaceful vibe, and returned for a second day of exploring the area.    The locals pointed me to the ‘Swiss cabanas’ which turned out to be so much more than simple structures!

Shhhhh! The Birds Also Live Here

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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!

Spanish 101 – Please Pronounce “Santa Ana”

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cultural immersion, portoviejo ecuador, poza honda ecuador, santa ana ecuador, speaking spanish

Santa Ana, Manabi Province, Ecuador – The maps and online information spell this small city’s name with two words.  Last week at high noon in the very-busy city of Portoviejo when I asked directions for Santa Ana, the locals asked back, “Donde?”

I repeated as clearly as possible, “Santa. Ana.”

You won’t find Santa Ana on this tourism map…

“Arrrrrrriba Rio Portoviejo,” I described with hands and body English illustrating ‘up the Portoviejo River.’

“Oh!” one nice guard outside a bank smiled, “Santana!” and then walked me to the street, pointed left, told me to drive two blocks, take another left, then drive ‘muy largo’ —a long distance and —

A bus might have been the better choice!

I made an unspoken decision to drive that far and stop again to ask for directions.