The difficult part

[View of the Rio Nanay from the 'port' of Por Venir. During my last hour in the field, not counting the boat ride]

Goodbyes are a part of life for me.

It seems I say goodbye more often than I say hello. And with field jobs, it usually is a goodbye. Not a see you later. Not an 'hasta luego' (Spanish for see you later). A goodbye.

It is rare I get to see people from a field job again. Through the wonders of the internet age, I do get to stay in touch a little better - but it is a two way street, and sometimes lives just get so busy, you fail to stay in touch as well as you would like.

I have managed to see some people I have worked with after my first field job with them. My friend Ryan and I managed to work together for a second time in 2009 - through little conscientious planning on our part. I saw my friend Archer that I worked with in 2006, when I worked for her last year in Australia. And my friend Ginger and I, though often separated by oceans (Atlantic or Pacific), have managed to see each other once or twice every year. And I was able to a manage a short visit with a former coworker last year in Colorado, on my way home.

But I've been doing this work for over 10 years now. And have met/worked with probably a couple hundred people, that I have never seen again (though would like to).

Ornithological field jobs bring somewhat random people together who would otherwise probably never have met, except maybe at a bird conference or a bird field trip somewhere. And even then, rarely have I met someone who has the enthusiasm for birdwatching and listing as I have. Our crew this year consisted of a Finn, four Peruvians (or Peruvian born), a Hungarian, a Columbian, an Argentinian, and three Americans, counting myself. As well as two additional Americans that joined us for a brief time in the field. So most definitely, I would not have met many (or any) of these people, except through this field job.

So, yeah, the goodbyes are hard to take.

Field jobs are a different mode of work, I feel. I tell people on field jobs stories and life history that I have told no one else. Perhaps it's the comfort of knowing they don't know your circle of friends and family, so secrets are safe (even in the age of Facebook). But also - you live with these people, on a job like this, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, for weeks to months on end. It's not through boredom, but just through sheer curiosity (that's what makes us scientists!) that we all learn everything and anything about each other. And for the most part, we (field biologists) aren't judgmental.

I love that part. But it makes the goodbyes harder to handle.

I'm the last one left down here, excepting my boss (who currently is in the field). I fly out in a few hours, and the goodbyes are starting to get hard to take. Slowly one by one (and two by two recently), I've been left all alone...

So, to all I have worked with (and this is in no particular order):

Jess: Yay! A hockey fan! That, and the recharge you gave the boss are what I will remember. Having a fresh face, even for a few days, was something we all needed. In addition, we could all tell that you and Judit share a unique friendship. It was great having you aboard.

Katherine: Your odd sense of humor (well, odd to me) was great - and I loved watching you learn how to identify all these wonderful rainforest birds. I hope many more wonderful travels await you. And it was nice to have someone to identify with concerning sibling relationships.

Valentina: Helping you learn your rainforest birds was a real treat. It did help reinforce my desire to be a full time guide. I hope to see you again sometime when I am wandering about Columbia - I know I will get down there, I just don't know when (with 20% of the world's bird species there, it's not an if, but a when).

Stephen, aka Esteban: Just having a guy around after having spent nearly 3 months with mostly women all the time, thanks! Random movie quotes - I love that with crews. And having a non-biologist around for a few days, it helps open fresh eyes. A thirst for knowledge is a great trait to have. Don't lose it.

Jamie: It seems so long ago since you were part of our crew. I appreciated your funny stories. To some degree I envy you switching projects - but I still had fun here. I'll also recall the walk to Nuevo Esperanza, when the four of us were under the weather. At least we weren't suffering alone! And remember collapsing not more than 100 meters from our destination after hiking for an hour?

Percy and Susanna (Peruvian): Thanks for the help with finding new birds. And helping my poor Spanish speaking skills improve, if only slightly. And thanks as well for helping with the identification of those new birds. Susanna, much special appreciation for finding me number 1.300 (and numbers 1.296, 1.297, 1.298, 1.299, and 1.301).

Karina: CHOCOLATE! Chocolate makes everything better. I'm glad for the random special treats we had in the field. Having an extra hand with everything was a huge plus. I look forward to seeing you again, when I make it back to Peru. Someday.

So, these last few people, I will many things of. Lillia ("Lil"), Maru, Judit, and myself formed the crew in the month of October. Oona was with us in the beginning, then came back after a trip to another part of the country to work the tail end of the field season. No knock at all on the rest of the crew - but the trips we took by ourselves were just slightly different.

Oona ("Oon", and half of "Unit"): PUFFBIRD! (That picture is obviously of a bird, not of Oona). Yup. PUFFBIRD. I love your enthusiasm for certain bird groups. And that you have not been afraid to take some chances. You didn't let things slow you down much. I loved that you weren't afraid to speak your mind at times. And your fun questions of the night.

Lillia ("Lil" and at times "Claire"): If you wonder why I chose THAT bird, it's because I remember being very quiet the one day I was banding him. And you were trying to identify it, but were fixated on the flycatchers. And eventually you got it. I appreciate your forthrightness, and I am a better person for having met you (cliche, but true). And it was really fun to watch you grow as a field technician - by the end, you were one of the "experts" in processing a bird. It must have been those days at trente uno, and at San Martin. And I appreciate your concerns about my affairs at home. Stay tuned to my life to know how things turn out.

Maru: Saying goodbye to you was especially difficult, because you left us during our stay in one of the communities. I am glad that you helped me with my Spanish - I am understanding more, especially the written form. As I said during your final question of the night, I will remember randomly communicating with you while I was working in Wyoming. I really enjoyed the long conversations we had during the long walks at km 28. Talking to you helped me think through many of the issues with some of my future adventures. I look forward to seeing you again when I make it to Argentina. Again, it is a when, not if, I make it down there. And thank you as well, for having a sympathetic ear when I was (and still am) concerned about my brother.

Finally, we come to the reason I was able to come down here in the first place:
Judit (rarely "Jud", and the other half of "unit"): I learn something on every job I take. That's my goal. I learned more here than I expected, and more about myself (and how to improve) than I even remotely thought. When I got the job offers from Peru waaaaay back in May (wow!), as soon as you said "bird banding" and "Amazon", you had me. It was no contest.

And I was not disappointed. I learn much about identification skills with birds in the hand, and you gave us the opportunity to band all the birds. And bleed them. I am SO glad I was able to improve (and in the case of taking blood samples, learn) these skills, and you forcing us to do so made it all the better.

But, I will remember your constant energy. And your smile. That day you came out from the community at San Martin, with an ear to ear grin, surrounded by the kids - that's forever fixed in my mind. You manage a crew well, and I hope to be at least half as good as you are at that if I ever need to run one. Thanks for hiring me!

Diversity

[Hylophylax naevius, Spot-backed Antbird]

Diversity (n): the condition of having or being composed of differing elements. Synonym: variety.

Imagine some of the birds you know. Pretty easy when you start to. In the US, some of the following will come to mind: American Robin. Northern Cardinal. Mallard. Canada Goose. Black-capped (or another species of) Chickadee. Bald Eagle. Can you think of more than 20? 50? 100?

If I were to mention, that by current count, there are about 10.000 species (different variety) of birds on the planet, would you really understand what that means? That means of the classic bird "form" you know (wings, two legs, head, tail, etc), there are 10.000 different ways it is put together, and colored. North America has about 750 of these varieties.

Where does one go to see all this diversity? Well, everywhere! But a good place to appreciate the true amount of variety possible is the tropics, where I find myself at the moment. Every day, I see something that makes me go, wow, that's different (birds and other creatures, and plants, and fungi)!

I am fascinated every day by all the different forms life takes. I appreciate the variety of birds, of course, but everything else as well (check out my flickr sets to see everything). And every time I see a new bird, I wonder about what species I might see next. And where the next adventure could bring me.

Now, let's go back to the bird species of North America again. There are about 750 species or so found there. My world checklist now has about 1.350 species of birds on it, that I have seen. I have nearly seen twice as many species in the world than there are in North America. My list for North America is 430 birds or so; so in reality, I have seen two times as many species outside North America as I have in North America. And all because of the tropics.

I have traveled a nice variety of tropical areas the past few years. Costa Rica (with a trip to Panama thrown in). Australia. Ecuador. And now Peru. In Costa Rica, I have done some extensive travel (though the country is quite small), while in Australia, Ecuador, and Peru, my travels have been limited, while my time in one area has been long.

And I really get to appreciate the diversity of those places. Every time I think I have seen much of what there is to see, BAM!, I get something new. Whether it be a bird, a new flower, some wild looking insect, it's fascinating no matter what.

Here in Peru, though, I really am appreciating the variety I am seeing. Lets take one small group of birds, for example: Woodpeckers. Most of us are familiar with the type of bird these are. Thick strong bill. Round head. Powerful neck to hammer at wood. In North America, many of us would be familiar with the Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers in our backyard, as well as perhaps the Pileated Woodpecker. There are also four species of sapsuckers (Williamson's, Red-breasted, Red-naped, and Yellow-bellied). The Northern Flicker. Lewis's, Acorn, White-headed, Red-headed, Black-backed, American Three-toed, Golden-fronted, Ladder-backed, and Strickland's Woodpeckers. I have seen all these. Did you know there were so many (and that there are a few more in North America)?

During my trip here, I have seen the Red-necked Woodpecker (Campephilus ruficauda), Lineated Woodpecker (Dryocopus lineatus), Crimson-crested Woodpecker (Campephilus melanoleucos), Scale-breasted Woodpecker (Celeus grammicus), Chestnut-woodpecker (Celeus elegans [only in the hand]), Yellow-tufted Woodpecker (Melanerpes cruentatus), and Red-stained Woodpecker (Veniliornis affinis [only in the hand]). Pretty good variety.

During our walk out last trip, we walked through some fine forest, with oodles of bird activity. And wouldn't you know it, I still found a new species of woodpecker for my list, the Ringed Woodpecker (Celeus torquatus). Listed as "rare but widespread." Widespread, but rare would be right, knowing that I had been here, in ONE small area of the Amazon, for nearly 90 days at that point, and I hadn't seen it yet.

And still, there are numerous woodpeckers still to see here. Not to mention piculets as well, which are small diminutive woodpeckers. So all this begs the question.

When will I be back?

My trip here is drawing to a close. I finished my last field trip yesterday. Have I "birded" this area out? I got 2 new world species this past trip, and one more new species for Peru. But it's not birded out, not by a long shot. I have been in an area that is 58.000 hectares (143.000 acres). Comparisons to the US National Parks: twice the size of Crater Lake National Park, about three times the size of Acadia National Park, half the size of Grand Teton National Park, and about the same size as Zion. So big, but not by many standards.

And I still need to get some of the birds I have seen in the hand, but have not been able to sight flying freely. Like that lovely bird above, the Spot-backed Antbird. A couple of those woodpeckers (though I have searched often for them!). And numerous others. And I have not even really birded extensive Amazon rainforest yet.

So, yeah, I will be back.

Sometime.

Trogons

If you pull out a North American field guide that covers the western United States, there are some, well, "different" looking birds in it. The United States and Canada have about 750 regular occurring bird species. Many non birders are familiar with the common birds. Woodpeckers, American Robins, cardinals, sparrows, chickadees, ducks. The two countries cover a lot of area. When you look at the field guide, go to the sections that include hummingbirds, swifts, and kingfishers.

Somewhere in that section, you will see two birds labeled trogons. Depending on the version/edition, one may be referrred to as a quetzal. These barely reach into the United States. One has to travel to one particular area, of one particular state, to have just a chance to see these birds. That area is in Arizona.

Why that area? As warm as Florida is, and southern California, and south Texas, only that little part of Arizona is connected to rainforest or montane forest habitat in Mexico that is suitable to trogons. And so, birders flock there (like that little pun?) to find this bird, among other specialty species, so that they can "count" the bird in North America. Yes, eventually, I will get there, too.

So, lets look into my past. In 2007, I had yet to really travel into what I consider Latin America: any area south of the United States and Mexico border. I had taken a brief winter trip, for work, to follow birds on the Mexican Plateau. Fun work, but all the work was in grasslands. So, the birds I was seeing were sparrows, pipits, and various raptors and some limited shorebirds. In short, no birds I would truly consider tropical. All the species we looked at (save one) could be found in the United States or Canada. And since that trip, I have seen most of them in the United States.

I was working in Hawaii when I was offered an opportunity to work as a volunteer for a conservation organization in Ecuador. I jumped at the chance: I did not consider myself a strong applicant, but apparently I was. My birding bug was just starting to take hold at this point, and after I got my field guide, I was very anxious to see many of the species (especially the hummingbirds) illustrated in the field guide.

So, in mid-August, I jumped on an early morning plane to Ecuador. After my arrival, I relaxed and slept. I had another full day of travel afterward. So, from Quito, I got on another plane, flew to Loja, got onto a taxi, then took a bus to the station. I did not get to the station until the late evening (around 6:30, 7 pm or so), so it was dark when I arrived (equatorial time: sunrise around 6 am every day, sunset around 6 pm every day). In other words, even though I had spent about 36 hours in the country at that point, I hadn't seen much except scenery. Our station was at around 2.400 meters elevation (about 7.900 feet).

This was my first time traveling in a foreign country, alone, not being able to speak the native language very well. Hence the lack of birding at that point. I really didn't know what to do (and I hadn't discovered travel guides yet).

I coordinated my first days schedule with my trainer/coworker Leigh. Then rested, and woke up the next morning. Had my breakfast, and headed to the field area.

I walked the road to the trail head, and just relished where I was. I turned onto the trail, and saw a bird run across/along the trail. I had NO IDEA what it was. I later learned it was an antpitta, a group of birds I would become familiar with over the next two months (and since). There is nothing like that in North America. A shorter distance down the trail, a bird flew over my head, and landed on an exposed branch about 10 meters away.

And when I looked at that bird, I recall thinking to myself, welcome to the tropics. I knew I was about to see lots of wonderful things. Though I could not identify the bird to species at the moment (silly me, I wasn't carrying a field guide), it was my first (of many) trogon and quetzal species, the Masked Trogon (picture above). And I got to stare at it until I was tired. So for me, the quintessential tropical bird will always be trogons. I was in awe enough that I didn't get my camera out.

And we come to 19 November, 2010, during my most recent field site trip here in Peru. I knew coming down here, that I would see many new birds. One goal was at least 100 new species, and if I could, 169 species (to get me to 1.400 for the world). We were at our banding station, and during a moment that I was there getting ready to target net down the trail, we heard a deep calling trogon over our heads. Jess called out, "found it," while looking straight over her head.

New bird species number 100 for Peru for me was the Black-tailed Trogon (Trogon melanurus). How nice for that. It was my second new species of trogon for my life list from this trip to Peru, the first being Trogon viridis, or Green-backed (or White-tailed) Trogon. I love these birds colors.

And that wasn't the last of the trogon adventures here. After banding for our 500 net hours at site one, we picked up the nets and station, and moved further away into another area of the same white sand patch. We set up, and prepared for day 1 the next day.

Bird. After bird. After bird. Was caught. At one point, we ran out of bird bags. It was a busy morning. Murphy's law: when the boss can't be there, we get lots of work! During a net run, my coworker Oona came back with bird bags, and told us which were priority birds (hummingbirds and small birds get processed first), and told us that one bag was a fun surprise. No one thought much on it, except that we were anxious to find out what it was (we had many birds to process first).

When we got to the bird: a TROGON! The project had never caught one to this point, since they are usually flying around too high to be caught in a mist net.
[Photo courtesy of Judit Ungvari-Martin's work camera]

The awkward pose is because the birds have very short legs.

So, those two days were definitely highlights of my trip to Peru.

I continue to add new species to my life list here in Peru. I got 13 new species on our last 15 day trip, so I have slowed down a little, but I think part of that was how busy this last location is. I have gotten some of the white sand specialists that I have hoped to see, but wasn't counting on. Birds here are hard to detect and find, after all. Those two were Allpahuayo Antbird, and the Gray Legged Tinamou. Both offered wonderful looks, and the only time have gotten a better look at ANY tinamou species, was in Costa Rica, when the Little Tinamou came to our bird feeder. I am spending more time wandering around to find birds to target net, which has allowed me to spend more time photographing things other than birds, and to search for birds when I hear them singing or calling.

I don't expect to get to 1.400 bird species. But if I do, I will be tremendously happy. I have some free time here in the Amazon after this last trip is done, and I will use it as wisely and effectively as possible.

And during our last river boat ride, I reflected upon how lucky I am. I have been in Peruvian Amazon rainforest for the past three months. I will have seen, on average, more than one new species a day. Since first learning about the rainforest way back to I don't know when, I have thought it would be an awesome place to visit. And I have not been disappointed. I am very lucky to have had all these opportunities, and I look forward to having more.

Carpe diem. Try not to have regrets. Our lives are short, take every opportunity to do things you want to do. Remember to have fun.

Thanks - the 2010 version

[Floating back to Iquitos from the community of San Martin on the River Nanay - ahhhhhhh!]

I will be in the field during the upcoming American Thanksgiving holiday. So what am I thankful for?

First and foremost - I am thankful I have such a supportive and encouraging family, both immediate and extended. The e-mails, however brief, I get from home make the long distances easier to deal with, and the long communication gaps. It is taking me a long time to figure out where I want my life to go, but certain events of the past 16 months have definitely made me realize I need to take my opportunities to travel now. Thank you all so much.

I am thankful that though I don't have anyone (except my sister) I consider my best friend, I have a small circle of very close friends that I can talk to about everything I need. In no particular order, they are Ryan, Kristina W, Ginger, Archer, Cat and Ben, and Leslie.

I am thankful that I have been so blessed and lucky in these field excursions, that I find some way to make it work for now, and that I have been able to travel so extensively. When I look back on the past 16 months, it seems so unreal. Missouri and Maine; Australia and New Zealand; Wyoming and now Peru. Wow.

So in that regard, I'm thankful I have had the privilege to work for and with some of the best people ever. In no particular order: Judit, Adrienne, Jennifer, Hannah, George, Ken, Pauline, Liz and Abraham, Heather, Archer and Reimi, and Ryan.

Thanks again to all of you. You mean more to me than you can possibly know.

Ants, Forest Falcons, and Puffbirds

Yup, life is still fun down here in Peru. That's me with a Yellow-browed Antwren that we caught in the net. Only the 4th capture of that species for the season. As you can tell by the beard growth - it was near the end of our trip in the field (I shave each time we are in Iquitos).

It's hard to say what group of birds I love the most, here in Peru and throughout the world. Perhaps the birds I enjoy watching the most, though, are antbirds and their relations.

In the New World Tropics, army ants play a unique role in the lives of birds. Army ants do not make a nest, like most species we are familiar with, but rather behave like an army. For a few weeks, as they are raising pupae into young ants, the ants themselves make a nest with their bodies, and make small foraging bouts every day to search for mites and other small prey. After the pupae hatch, the ants go on the move as an entire horde, making a 'bivouac' every night after wandering the forest floor. Larger insects, their camouflage made moot by the HORDES of ants that wander over the ground and the plant material, will jump, crawl, and/or fly away.

Which is where the birds come in, including species like the one I am holding in the photo. With the camouflage made moot, birds have a "free" meal. Or at least one that is easy to find! And the common birds on this swarms? Antbirds.

I've gotten various species this way - including some here. In Costa Rica, I got numerous ones (I was good at finding swarms there). For that reason, I enjoy the antbirds.

This recent trip, we didn't have a swarm at the nets themselves. But there was one near enough that we kept very busy. And so it was good that our crew expanded from the four of us, to a whopping eight! And we had plenty of work for all of us, especially since we had to train some of the new folks in what we were doing.

But what was the bird highlight of that day? A bird not associated with the ants - but may take the birds following the ants! And yes, I'm being goofy in this photo. You hold these birds in what is referred to as the ice cream cone grip.
A Lined Forest Falcon! The face and eyes are wild: all that orange, and the irises are nearly white.

Our first banding location at this site was very productive for captures. Numerous individuals of many species - having the army ant swarm nearby definitely helped in that regard.

One of the harder groups of birds to see in the tropics are a group referred to as puffbirds, in the family Bucconidae. They are midstory to canopy level birds, that sit still while they look for food. And don't call much. In other words, it will probably be by sheer luck one would ever see one (well, of most species in the group).

But, that is one advantage of netting! You will see birds that you may not easily have a chance to see. And so, we also caught a puffbird on one of our days at the station. You can understand how the name "puffbird" came about when you look at the head size (with feathers fluffed) in relation to body.
Of course, most of you know I don't count birds "in the hand" on my life list. Where's the search challenge? Though I do keep track of birds I have handled. So, for now, I was settling on seeing puffbirds in the hand. And enjoying them as such. But a benefit for me of bird banding is that I get to learn the species very well for identification purposes, and so when it comes time to looking for and seeing them in the forest, I know what field marks I'm looking for.

And so, on our last day of work in the field, while we were walking between plots to do vegetation, what should call (!) and fly in front of me - but the White-chested Puffbird (same as the bird above)! My day was complete, at that point. It was my second life bird of that day.

This last trip remained very enjoyable, with only one bittersweet moment. Our crew was at it's largest (eight) than it had been all season - and now, one by one, members will leave to continue their lives and travels independently. And so, on Tuesday last, we said goodbye (actually, ciao or hasta luego, since she is Argentinian) to one of our members, who is traveling on her own throughout more of South America (and perhaps Central America as well). We already miss Maru - but we are continuing to build happy, funny, and exciting memories.

I am continuing to add to my list, and not even little by little. This past trip provided me with even more species than San Martin did - Seventeen! I added a couple of hummingbirds, including the spectacular Gould's Jewelfront, which perched right next to us at the banding station for about five seconds, and those of us there got awesome views of the bird and it's colors. I also added my second puffbird species of the trip (the one above), and various flycatchers. The flycatchers: I had to chase down most of them! I am getting familiar with all the bird songs and calls down here, so now, I know which calls to follow/chase down. Plus, that is the best way for me to learn new songs and calls, anyway.

So, the lasting images I will have of this past trip? The Lined Forest Falcon, of course. The "countable" puffbird on the last day. The Gould's Jewelfront at the banding station. Day 1 at the second banding site, where for the first 2.5 hours of so, I was continually walking the net lanes, extracting birds and bringing them to the banding station. The sunsets over the river. Bathing in the river Nanay. Having the Nanay River at our front step. The return of the rains (it rained nearly every night). Using myself as a stepladder to check the inside of a trogon nest.

So, yes, it was a productive trip. Our next excursion brings us the farthest we will be from Iquitos, with a one hour bus ride to the river port, followed by a four hour (approximately) boat ride up river to the next community. And then, the crew will shrink in size again, drastically. And I will be thinking about going home again...and what the future will bring.

Xiphorhynchus obsoletus

[Morning on the Rio Nanay, near the community of San Martin]

I will try to make sure I label the blog pictures from now on. [and videos, when applicable].

So, on 18 October 2010, the crew of six headed on our first boat ride to one of our field sites. First, it was a short (1 hour) autobus ride, fully loaded with us and gear (including the roof!) to the port of Bujurci, where we transferred us, and our gear, to the pekepeke (pronounced peKApeKa), the type of boat used on the Rio Nanay. Pretty much, think of a canoe with a motor (the pekepeke is the sound the engine makes). Shallow draft. But the roof is useful to keep the sun, and ever threatening rain, off one's head. And thus, we headed up river.

The Rio Nanay is a tributary of the Amazon. Our areas are north of the Amazon River - the Amazon River is actually more east of us here than south, but for biogeographic purposes (ranges of animal species) we are "north" of the Amazon. A short distance downriver from us, the Nanay enters the Amazon. From that junction, going upriver the Amazon is Nauta, where the Maranon joins the Ucayali to form the Amazon river. It is hard to describe in words, but if you find a geographic map of Peru, you can determine what I mean.

We journey up the Nanay. No matter the height of the river, it's speed is pretty consistent, slow, since the elevation gradient from here to the ocean is very gentle. We are about 2.000 river kilometers from the Atlantic ocean, and our elevation is only about 400 meters. So, the pekepeke doesn't have to fight a strong current, but there is a current. We travel by boat about an hour and half up river, taking some much needed rest along the way (it was a busy weekend in Iquitos).
[photo courtesy of Maru Lacoretz. I'm on the left, Lillia on the right, and Judit, my boss, is the legs you see in front of Lillia. That's most of our gear between us all. The roof is interwoven palm fronds].

After an hour and half, we arrive at the "port" for San Martin. The port is a sand beach. We muddily unload ourselves and our gear, arrange for the return ride in 12 days time (and one days time for two of our crew), and say goodbye to our outside contact. Then, most of us wait on the beach and in the shade while the boss and our Peruvian crew go to the community (a 15 minute walk) to introduce ourselves and arrange our stay and living conditions.

So, we had some time to pass. Gazing over the river is nice. For me, I really enjoy looking over the river and forest, and thinking of all the animals and critters there, and really how small we are in this grand world (and universe, for that matter).

When we first disembarked, I heard a hawk over our head. And after we made arrangements and relaxed a little, I saw the hawk. Near our head was an adult Black-collared Hawk, a common bird at river edge forest. It had a young bird nearby, that was persistently begging. Bird number 1.296!

Bird number 1.297 was more awesome - though I think all birds are awesome (well, maybe excepting house sparrows, rock doves, and starlings, but I digress). After gazing at the hawk, I noticed a black bird, quietly calling, about 100m away up a dried quebrada (stream). Using the binoculars, I notice there is no white in the face, and the bill is red, and the entire bird is a dark blue, almost black. Black-fronted Nunbird! WOO HOO!

So, San Martin was already a great place for me. I felt I could relax - that new birds would come to me there. I had no idea....

After watching the Nunbird for a while, I returned to the beach, to gaze over the river and rest (as I said, the weekend was busy, plus the sun was pretty intense). Then Suzanna, the other Peruvian, called me over to some birds calling by the forest (plus, I had my binoculars; she hadn't brought hers since she was returning to Iquitos the next day).

On the ground was a very drab bird, acting and looking like a flycatcher. There were two adults and couple of youngsters, making lots of noise. Later identification confirmed these as Drab Water-tyrants. A drab bird with a drab name - how appropriate. Bird number 1.298!

And more noise was heard. A consistent "turl turl turl url url url url urlurlee'ee". Eventually, the bird popped into view. Black-crested Antshrike! Bird number 1.299! I'm becoming quite fond of the various antbird groups.

At this point, I KNEW that I had seen new birds. I didn't have my field guide on me (it was buried in my one bag). I also had seen a small flycatcher-like bird in the tree (later identified as Spotted Tody-flycatcher) that I thought was new, but wasn't (I saw it about 3 weeks prior in the garden at the hostel). Then, we spied a woodcreeper.

Woodcreepers are difficult to identify. They are brown birds, with various forms of spots and streaks (and sometimes bars) on the back, head, and chest. Or lack them. They are similar to woodpeckers, and spend most of their time on tree trunks and limbs. Meaning it is hard to see field marks on the front of the bird. From my experiences in the tropics, I knew what to look for. First, I noticed the fairly straight, thickish, and shortish, creamy colored bill. Since I saw that, I took note of the birds relative size, and confirmed shape of the bill (I knew there were only two birds I had to choose from). When I could, I looked at the chin.

I did not know it at the time that it was number 1.300. I didn't even know for sure that the bird was new (as I said, I didn't have the guide handy).

But the next bird helped me know I was there. Cause I wasn't finished with new birds in this little spot! We had heard a wren sporadically sing here and there in that area, so I was anxious to see it show itself. And eventually, it did. Very well, in fact, for a brief (but intensive scrutinizing) 5 seconds. I guess I really know what to look for in identifying certain birds down here; I was able to keep images of all these birds in my head! Bars on wings. Striping in the head. Small. Buff underneath. Buff-breasted Wren!

So, at this point, I KNEW I had to have gotten 1.300 (the woodcreeper was the only 'not sure if it's new' species). So yeah, I did a little bird dance (it will be filmed tonight at the bar - I am keeping to my word of buying a round of beer for the crew).

When we got to the community and settled in a little, I pulled out my guidebook and checked on all the birds we saw. Bird number 1.300 turned out to be Xiphorhynchus obsoletus, the Striped Woodcreeper.

That was a good day. A very good day. I felt relieved that I finally passed 1.300 (a goal of mine, and actually also a New Year's resolution that was phrased as being 'if given the opportunity').

But San Martin decided to procure even more gifts for me, along the line of new birds. And photo opportunities. And of exciting things.

This site was the most diverse, and had the highest quantity of captures, of birds so far this season. All this with the smallest crew - four - of the season. It was great! I got to see Ringed Antpipit in the hand, along with Allpahuayo Antbird (endemic to our habitat), Zimmer's Antbird, Yellow-browed Antbird (quite colorful for an antbird), and Black-faced Antbird. But the highlight of our captures?
We caught a toucanet! The Golden-collared Toucanet! What a catch!

I don't count captured birds in my life list, but in the listing phase, I was not disappointed. I saw another species of hummingbird (Gray-breasted Sabrewing) when we discovered a nest of one next to the trail. I saw my first cotinga of the area on afternoon when walking home, the Plum-throated Cotinga. I saw my second COUNTABLE toucan of the season, when I saw the Many-banded Aracari in the trees on morning on the way to work. But for spectacular looking birds, nothing quite beat the Paradise Tanager: gold head, purple throat, light blue belly, black wings, red rump, black tail. It's like you give a kid a picture of a bird and tell him/her to color it how they want!

San Martin was very productive. It even felt almost cozy, with only the four of us there after the first night. We had adventurous stream crossings (sometimes boot free, sometimes over a log), an all day rainstorm, volleyball games, stream playing, lots of fresh fish, lots of birds, various nests found, and only mild illness (probably just sheer exhaustion, but who knows).

And the day we left rounded off the trip for me beautifully. While waiting for the boat, I saw a Capped Heron while taking a trip to water the bushes. A perfect end to the trip. So my list now stands at 1.311 species. And I already wonder - what will the next trip bring (aside from even MORE gear in the pekepeke. We have added 3 more people to our crew!).

Please see my flickr page for more photos I took.

A Listing History...

Australian King Parrot (so, obviously, not a Peruvian bird. Which will be understood in a moment).

Numbers 1 to 100 [Prior to 1997]

I was only a casual birder, but the 'listing bug' was there. Most of the birds were the common ones seen at a backyard feeder, including my favorite bird the Northern Cardinal, as well as Black-capped Chickadee, American Robin, and Mourning Dove. I do recall seeing an Baltimore Oriole sometime when I was young, as well as an American Goldfinch. When I was in college, the 'bug' was born. I was introduced to birds I had seen but never knew the name of: White-throated Sparrow, Downy Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch. I was also introduced to birds I had never heard of: Black-billed Magpie (a trip to Colorado), American Coot, and Horned Grebe.

100 to 200 [1997]

Already in this stage I began my international listing, during my first field job and the work we did on the Mexican Plateau in 1997. During the road trip from Colorado to there, I also got new birds. Many, in fact. In the US, I got Spotted Sandpiper, Western Screech Owl, Sandhill Cranes, and numerous duck species. In Mexico, the highlights for me were Greater Roadrunner, Aplomado Falcon, and 5-Striped Sparrow (the first bird I ever saw not found in the US [I may have the name wrong]).

200 to 300 [1997 - 1998]

My list continued to grow in the US, working that same first field job, only this time in the Middle Park area of Colorado. Sagebrush dominant habitat, but I also had opportunities to go to Rocky Mountain National Park, and Colorado National Monument. Even now, I can recall so many of the situations around certain birds, like the Pine Grosbeak in Rocky Mountain National Park, Flammulated and Boreal Owls in Colorado National Monument, and Sage Thrashers in the sagebrush in our work sites. As well as the flamboyantly colored Western Tanager, the first really colorful bird I ever saw. I also still rounded out my list in New York, while going to college. I was already refining my bird skills when I could. I also began to grow the list internationally again, across the pacific ocean, in Australia.

300 to 400 [1998]

Australia dominates this portion. My first trip there, if I recollect correctly, I saw 135 new species of birds. Including my first parrots (oodles of parrots). The bird life was so different there, it was AWESOME. I was so happy I "broke the bank" and went on that trip. I really began to learn what the world had to offer. My highlight of Australia at this point? Was, and will always will be, Rainbow Lorikeets, Kookaburras, and Fairy-wrens.

400 to 500 [1998-2000]

Australia numbers continued to be added, including some from the Great Barrier Reef! I saw my first birds I consider true "sea birds", the Brown Booby and Australasian Gannet. I added more birds from another country as well: New Zealand. Though I was only there for a few days, I saw a few native birds, including my e-mail tag line bird the New Zealand Dotterel, and the Tui. As well as numerous introduced species from Europe. After a short time in New York adding a few birds here and there, I headed to another field season in Iowa. Followed by Mississippi.

And added oodles of birds again, since I had birded in the East, and birded in the western mountains, but not in the great plains. So, grassland birds galore, like Upland Sandpiper, Common Yellowthroat, Grasshopper Sparrow, and American Woodcock, among others. Mississippi gave me an endangered bird (Red-cockaded Woodpecker), as well as some southern specialties, like Brown-headed Nuthatch. And I took some coastal trips to admire migrants, where I added many waders like Reddish Egret and Tricolored Heron, and shorebirds like Black-necked Stilt.

400 to 500 [2000-2003]

My numbers slowed down somewhat, as I remained in the US. But where I went helped add little clusters of numbers here and there. I worked in California, in the Sierra Nevada, where I added numerous far western birds, including the Yellow-billed Magpie, a species only found in California. Other birds during my time there included the Hermit Warbler, Hermit Thrush, Swainson's Thrush, Townsend's Solitaire, and Lazuli Bunting. Another field job in Texas added numerous birds, as I discovered migrants passing through during my work on the special birds of the Edwards Plateau: the Golden-cheeked Warbler and Black-capped Vireo. Magnolia Warbler, Ovenbird, and Cuckoos were among my highlights there. But the Scissor-tail Flycatchers will REALLY stick in my mind, for their gaudily long tails.

500 to 600 [2004-2006]

I took my first job in the eastern United States, and I was well rewarded. Wood-warblers galore! Northern Parula, Golden-winged Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, and more. Whip-poor-wills (though I never got a good luck till years later in Missouri). Chimney Swifts. All the birds I had been "missing" since I hadn't been in the east actively birding, well, ever. I also achieved species number 300 while working in TN. I knew at this point my numbers in the US would slow down a little.

I returned to California again for a couple of field seasons, as well as to Texas as well. I added a few scattered birds here and there while working, but a big jump occurred with my first neotropical experience (kind of) with a weekend trip to south Texas. 2 days, 35 birds, but it was the species of birds that really blew my mind. Two additional kingfisher species, a couple of kingbird species, the Altamira Oriole, Great Kiskadee, Least Grebe, and that gaudy of gaudy birds (for the US), the Green Jay.

600 to 700 [2007 - also known as the year the addiction begins to take serious hold]

And now, the list grows fast! I rounded out my numbers on the mainland US a bit, when I wrapped up 2006 in Louisiana on a very brief field job (but which provided contacts for more jobs with many more new birds in the Pacific Northwest and Australia). Then, I traveled over an ocean in March of 2007, to Hawaii. And got some fantastic and wild looking native Hawaiian birds. Just the names are wild. Puaiohi. Apapane. I'iwi. Elepaio. Nene. Akikiki. Akeke'e. And some non-native birds from there as well.

And then - my first truly neotropical experience, where I realized what I had been missing. August of 2007 found me on a plane to Ecuador, to work in a cloud forest on a species only known for 10 years, and whose numbers were in the double digits. So, not only did I see the Jocotoco Antpitta, but also the Shining Puffleg, Amethyst-throated and Flame-throated Sunangels, Long-tailed Sylph, other Antpittas, and tanagers galore. I was in bird heaven, as a friend described.

700 to 800 [2007]

I remained in bird heaven in Ecuador. Ecuador gave me nearly 210 species for the country, nearly all of them new. I added birds from Paramo (high altitude habitat), and low-elevation cloudforest as well. Lots of new world flycatchers. Lots of hummingbirds. And birds in other groups I had only read about to that point: Antbirds, antshrikes, antwrens, spinetails, woodcreepers, thistletails, and more. As I said, I was in bird heaven.

800 to 900 [2007-2008]

I got my 400th US life bird in this stage, and continued to add international birds. I worked in Tennessee for a while, adding numerous waterfowl species I hadn't seen. Then I worked in the Pacific Northwest, a job I got through my contacts in Louisiana. I was able to add some boreal birds, that were spending the winter in that area.

And then, since I had some free time, I took a birding pleasure trip to Costa Rica. I was not disappointed. Amazing to me now is how quickly that trip came together for me. I added fewer new birds than I expected, but I did not travel as much, and instead birded the heck out of the few areas I visited. My highlights here? The first bird I saw in country was the Resplendant Quetzal (and wow, what a bird!). As well as the Orange-bellied Trogon. Silky-flycatchers. Volcano Hummingbird. Scarlet Macaw (second favorite bird ever!). I was happy.

900 to 1000 [2008-2009]

I returned stateside for a brief field season during migration in the desert southwest. I was now into the "specialized habitat" of my US list. So part of the reason I took that field job was the opportunity to see new species. Verdin, Abert's Towhee, Costa's Hummingbird were the highlights there, as well as the Scott's Oriole.

Then, I returned to Costa Rica, and got to work in an area I hadn't visited, and stay there for a good length of time. Not only did I add numerous species at my work site (like Stripe-headed Sparrow, Black-bellied Trogon, and various hummingbird species), I took some trips to other areas in the country when I was done, to check out birds there. Like Bare-throated Tiger Heron. Jabiru. Saltators. Hummingbirds (again!). I was still happy.

And these two trips provided me with the opportunity to nail number 1.000 for the world. Something I could not believe had happened, and made me realize I really was getting serious about this. I was able to procure an opportunity to work as a guide in Costa Rica, on the Osa Peninsula, in "the most biodiverse region on the planet" [National Geographic's words]. I added oodles of species in the first few days, like White Hawk, White-tipped Sicklebill, Band-tailed Barbthroat, Black-cheeded Ant-tanager, Yellow-billed Cotinga, Turquise Cotinga, and Red-capped and Orange-crowned Mannakins, and Laughing Falcon.

1000 to 1100 [2008-2009]

I was still in Costa Rica! And went through birds like mad. I got number 1100 during a personal trip to Rara Avis in Costa Rica, but not until after a short side trip to Panama. Panama didn't give me many, but I did get a few there. Every bird counts, no matter where I see it.

Green-fronted Lancebill. Black-throated Trogon. Baird's Trogon. Black-faced Antthrush. So many birds, so many.

1100 to 1200 [2009]

And the dividends of numerous field jobs and my contacts pay off. After rounding out a few birds in Missouri in May, June, July, and August, I went to Maine for 2 months. Not many new birds, but those I got, were great! Common Eider. Black Guillemot. Parasitic Jaeger. Wilson's Storm Petrel.

And then...my other Louisiana contact had me come to Australia. And I continued to add numbers, and the dance to when I saw a new bird. Variegated Fairy Wren. Buff-banded Rail. Pacific Baza. Did I mention how much I love bird names?

And then...I knew EXACTLY where I was...and I went to New Zealand. Where, on "Boxing Day", December 26th, I got species number 1200 in a wildlife sanctuary. The Kaka, a type of Parrot. Other species that day were the Stitchbird (Hihi), New Zealand Scaup, New Zealand Falcon, and Paradise Shelduck, among others.

1200 to 1231 [2009 to 2010]

New Zealand is not very diverse, currently, for bird life. But those I saw were fantastic. My last new bird of 2009 was the Tomtit (or the Brown Creeper, I can't fully recall). During the end of my trip to New Zealand, I got my first flightless birds: PENGUINS! Two species, as a matter of fact. And I added the complete opposite of flightless, masters of flight, in two Albatross species.

And then I headed back stateside. And worked in Wyoming. Where I added to my US list, and my world list, with American Three-toed Woodpecker, Red-necked Phalarope, Clay-colored Sparrow, and Harris's Sparrow.

And then, in August, I came to Peru. And as diverse as a rainforest is, it is actually hard to find, and see, the birds down here. So I slowwwwly added birds one by one (and sometimes two or three). Stipple-throated Antwren. Saffron-crested Pygmy Tyrant. Long-tailed Hermit. Fork-tailed Woodnymph. White-tailed (or Green-backed) Trogon. And we come to 19 October, 2010, and the day we arrived in San Martin, with my list at 1.295.

Time is a flyin' by...

Pun intended.

For whatever reason, I felt October was going to feel like a long month. For better or worse, it hasn't felt that way at all. The past 10 day trip seemed to fly by! I think it has to do with the reduced crew size - we each have to do a little bit more. We have had to walk just a little further than before. We have caught just a few more birds than before as well, it seems. It occurred to me that today I have only a mere two months left before I "have" to head back stateside.

First, for those interested in the list count. I had a minor let down this past trip when checking my list totals. Due to the vagaries of how I wrote down my bird lists here, I was farther away than I thought on how many new birds I had to see to get to 1.300. As it stands now, I am 5 away. The last new bird was a Pearly Antshrike, that I saw while taking her mate out of the net.

I'm not worried about getting to 1.300. There is plenty of time left, and I also know that sometime soon, I will be spending more time able to bird watch than I have been. During the best times right now (from 5:30 to about 7:00 am), we are very busy on the banding station, taking birds out of nets and taking data on the birds. Normally it is around 9 AM or so by the time things slow down enough we can all take some drinks of water, eat some food, and take a breath. Which is fine by me. We have been catching a wonderful variety of birds.

Including some friends from North America! We caught our first migrants this past trip, and the only species we can reasonably expect to catch (other migrants may be present, but they would be canopy birds, where we don't have nets). We have caught both Swainson's and Gray-cheeked Thrushes. The latter is a good catch - it is the first time that bird has been caught on this project. So, I guess fall and winter really are arriving for home.

Another new bird we caught was the Buff-rumped Warbler. Related to the migratory warblers I know back home, but this one is non-migratory, and stays in the rainforest year round. When I took the bird out of the net, I knew right away the bird looked familiar. But, since it was the first time we had caught one, we double checked it against other birds in the field guide. But my experience with birds was such that everything about the bird screamed "warbler" at me.

Another highlight? A Roadside Hawk (Buteo magnirostris)! We hear them with some frequency in our netting areas, but to catch one is somewhat unusual. I have handled smaller raptors before (Accipiter striatus, or Sharp-shinned Hawk) from nets, but this was another size up entirely - I am glad it was my boss who took the bird out (and she has some wounds to prove it).

We especially admired the Golden-tailed Sapphire (hummingbird) as well, and I am so disappointed that it escaped (what do you expect from holding a bird 3 inches long?) before we were able to get its picture. This, again, was a first capture for the project - it is a bird that spends more time in the canopy than down low.

And we are still getting oodles of antbirds, and though I saw my first army ant swarm this past trip, it was not as good for bird variety as ones I have seen in the past. I am patient though - I know sooner or later I will see an awesome flock, and be going crazy with new birds! I still haven't gotten Pithys albifrons (White-plumed Antbird), which is weird because it may be the third most common species we catch!

And in other good/not as good news: the rains have returned! We are back into the rainy season now, and we have seen more rain in the past 4 days than the previous month I was here. Which is good for bird activity. And helping the days stay a little more cooler. But is not good for mosquito activity - I have yet to apply bug dope, but that may change now that the rains have come. I will say I am suffering the least (heck, I'm barely suffering!) from bug bites and the like. Very few mosquito bites. Little to no chiggers. No "awful pox," as we call it. I have been attacked by a few horseflies (annoying buggers), sweat bees (I'm fine as long as they don't bite), and wasps (hurts like the dickens for about 5 minutes). But I knew I would get that coming down here. So, it's all part of the tropical experience.

What do I expect from the next part of the trip? It's always hard to say in the tropics. We head up river tomorrow - so there may be some different birds to see during the trip. This trip is a little longer than before (12 days), but when we return, our crew will grow in size again. And I really really hope to be over 1.300 by the end of this trip. Every trip brings some surprises; I can't wait to see what they will be this time!

This wonderful life

[Photo courtesy of Jamie Miller, 2nd from the right]

There are so many things I could talk about regarding this past trip, I don't know where to begin. We finally seem to be settling into our routines here, with the minor hiccup of multiple people in 'sick bay' during the last trip. No big deal, just "flu season", but still. Annoying.

So the trip started with two of us suffering from the flu, and having to hike about 3 km into our next site. With full packs. In the mid day sun. In the tropics. I think we sweated all the ills out of our system about 20 minutes into the hike.

But once at camp, we settled in quite quickly. Our normal routine is to get camp set up, meaning set up our tents, get our gear organized, and get some food as well. We recruit someone from each community that we stay in to be our 'tenant' (land to set up our tents on), as well as our camp cook. Which, I have learned, makes life a bit easier for us. When we come back from our time in the field, we don't have to spend time preparing meals, but rather it is ready every day about the same time. It allows for a little bit of relaxation in camp. And then while those of us suffering from the flu rested, the boss and others went to find our first banding area, and trim some mist net lanes.

So, not much else to report from there. Life gets to be kind of routine here. We are a little tired of crackers as snacks. I never tire of yogurt though. Or salads. And I am beginning to FULLY appreciate bucket showers! I have decided Peru is hotter than Australia, but only because it never cools here, even at night. While Australia, it at least got cool enough at night to need a sleeping bag.

But of course, many of you might be interested in the bird highlights of the trip. I am currently JUST shy of 1.300 species for the world. How shy? Three, count'em (not quite yet!), THREE shy.

So, the bird highlights?

We caught a Royal Flycatcher, which is a wild bird to handle. Not frisky, but it has this big red crest. Think Dilophosorus in the movie Jurassic Park. And it opens it's bill, and opens the crest, and slowwwwly moves its head back and forth. One wild looking bird.

We caught a Red-necked Woodpecker, which is in the same genus as the (presumed) extinct Ivory-billed Woodpecker. HUGE bird to handle. I did not envy my boss, who suffered some pecking from it.

Oodles of different antbirds, for me one of the quintessential rainforest birds. Our first net area was probably near an army ant swarm, that many of these species follow. So I got good looks (a great way to learn new birds!) at the different species we caught.

But for me, it is always a highlight to see new species of bird, NOT in the hand. My list, my rules. Anyway, I entered this past trip at 1.268 species. I left there having seen 23 more, well above my intended average per day. The highlight day for me was day 6 or so, when Jamie, Percy, Suzanna, and I walked a little slower than the rest. And we found this nice area, at just the right time, that I got 5 new birds in 5 minutes. Which does not happen often here. Just one of those things, that after a long, somewhat boring, hot day at the banding area, makes you forget all about the sweat, the heat, the funny shirt smell (also referred to as rancid hobo), and the lack of cold ANYTHING.

Another highlight? Birdwatching from the porch of the Nicoro Bar today in Iquitos. 6 new birds, while gazing across the Amazonian Rainforest. With a beer in hand.

Life doesn't get much better than that.

Preguntas de la noche

I won't share everything here, but I thought some of you might be interested in the kind of things we talk about here to keep camp lively.

The stupidest thing we've ever done. Strangely, most did not involve alcohol.

The biggest challenge we have (or are trying to overcome). For me, it is/was my speech impediment.

Highlight of the day (done various times). Yesterday, on our trip to the conservation center, for me was seeing a squirrel monkey. I never saw them in Costa Rica.

Bravest thing we have ever done. For me, I felt it was taking the solo backpack trip through Yellowstone this past year. Though I have backpacked alone before, that was the first time I had to be VERY aware of my surroundings.

When we stopped believing in Santa Clause, the Tooth Fairy, that sort of thing.

So, yeah, we have lots of fun conversations.

Most definitely not in Kansas anymore!

Well, gee, where to begin? With the 12 hours of plane rides? BORING. With the craziness that is Iquitos? BORING. How about the birding and work? Sure, that sounds good!

I am in Peru, safe and (generally) sound. As I had written in my journal (and later put on here), I could not have predicted at all what it would be like down here. It is an el nino year, which means we are seeing much less rain than is normal. As in, nearly none. So, though I am in a rainforest, I have hardly seen much rain. We had a pretty ferocious storm about a week ago. And the rivers are s l o w l y beginning to rise again (they about 4-5 meters below normal height). Everyone is trying to manage down here, both the Peruvians and the tourists and researchers.

So, some quick facts about where I am. Duh, I'm in Peru (in South America, on planet Earth, in the Milky Way Galaxy). The town we are based out of is Iquitos, the largest city in the world (400.000) that you cannot drive to! The only access is by river, or by plane. It is near the junctions of the Nanay and Maranon, which form the Amazon river. Peru is shaped like a backwards facing block letter 'L', and we are in the top of the L. And for some more geography: the Amazon river has the equivalent water volume of the 5 largest rivers in the world COMBINED: Congo, Nile, Yang-tze, Ganges, and Mississippi. I haven't seen the actual Amazon yet, but I will.

My work down here involves examining the species composition of bird communities on white sand forest patches. These white sand patches appear in various areas in the 'jungle'. They are never flooded (terra firme) and have their own unique plant species that grow on them. And as a result, some of the birds are unique to these patches. The trees don't grow much higher than 15-25 meters, while in the clay forests, the trees grow upwards of 35-45 meters tall, or higher.

Our job involves setting up mist nets and banding the birds in the region. A good day will have us catch around 35 to 45 individuals, of various species. Above is a picture of me holding a chestnut woodpecker. We take blood samples of all the birds we can for population genetics, so that our boss can evaluate gene flow between the forest patches.

It's lots of fun! The crew will shift in size here and there (and we already lost one technician for personal reasons), but right now there are two Peruvians, one Argentinian, and four Americans. Plus our boss. So yes, my spanish, for the first time, is noticeably improving.

So it is hard to say what I love best about the job. I love that we have group meals every night and sit down 'family style' to eat dinner. Every night we have a 'pregunta de la noche', or question of the night, to help with conversation and learn more about each other. Right now, we all work together, all day, every day. We catch a wide variety of birds, many of which I have never seen before (so it makes for a great way to learn these new species, for when I see them free flying later). And of course, the rain forest being the rain forest, there are so many different and wonderful things to see, especially in the invertebrate (insects, spiders, etc) realm.

Of course, all this comes with a flip side, which I am dealing quite well with. We live in tents (though sheltered ones) in the field. No running water. No electricity. Egad, no internet! But of course I am used to all these things, so it's not that hard on me. I do miss the running water, or a decent stream to bathe in. I keep going back and forth on what place was hotter, Australia or here. I think here, if only because it's humid, and because the air does not really cool down at night (it drops to around 25 C at night, or high 70s) while in Australia I had much cooler nights.

And I am keeping to my resolution, of writing in my journal every night, and writing the highlight of the day for each day. And depending on the question of the night, I often write about that too, if only for some introspective. So, the highlights so far:

-I have added 38 new birds to my life list for the world (though I have seen more species, that just aren't new for the world). I do NOT count birds in the hand. I have others helping me find more now. I gave them the incentive of beer that I would buy when I get to 1.300 (31 birds away now), as well as beer when I get to 1.400. It is going kind of slow with the new birds, but I have yet to see a good mixed flock of birds, or find an army ant swarm with birds around it.

-My favorite new bird species so far? It's kind of hard, but I love all the different antbirds. Perhaps the Scale-breasted Woodpecker, or the White-tailed Trogon.

-We took a river trip up the Nanay River yesterday, to visit a conservation center. The work they do there (breeding certain butterfly species, and rehabbing and sheltering confiscated animals) is incredible. She had both an ocelot and a Jaguar that she was keeping. The Jaguar was stunted, because it was kept in a box when the person was trying to sell it. So, though it was about 100 kilos and 'full grown', it was still about 50 kilos smaller than it would have been! And seeing the animal, you realize how massive and strong it is. Oh, we were able to get much closer than you would in any zoo (and she had a nice large enclosure for it). Plus these animals should never be released in the wild anyway, for they have lost their fear of humans.

-walking through the Amazon rainforest.

-the wide variety of insects and other invertebrates.

-getting better (slowly but surely) at understanding spanish

So we leave for the field in another day or two, we expect. For photos of some of the things I have seen, please see the flickr link on the blog, and go to the Peru photo album.

I miss all of you, and though I am so glad I'm down here, I look forward to seeing and talking to many of you when I eventually get back stateside.

Thoughts entering Peru

I have arrived in Peru safe and sound. I have a welcome couple of days off with the crew, while our boss takes care off different paperwork things for the project. We go back into the forest (Selva) tomorrow (well, back for the crew, first time for me). Iquitos is definitely a frontier type town. It will take some getting used to when I am here.

Anyway, I thought I would post (most) of my journal entry that I wrote on the plane on the way here.

6-7 September 2010.

Somewhere over the Atlantic/Gulf regions. On the way to Peru!

I feel much more relaxed about this than I expected. Perhaps I haven't had time to get jittery. Perhaps it is because this is the 4th time I've entered (well, 5th with the Aussie reentry) a foreign country in the past 16 months. Or maybe I'm too excited. Or because it sounds like my future boss helped put the entry at ease.

Whatever the reason, I have mixed feelings now about many things. I wonder how warm/hot it will really feel like. I am in disbelief I will be in the Amazon - the Amazon! - in about 12 hours. And my mind still hasn't wrapped itself around the fact I'll be seeing oodles of new birds soon. The goal is 1.400 world total before I leave - a "mere" 169 birds away.

I rarely have problems with coworkers, but I wonder what the crew will be like. I expect I'll be the oldest - but that no longer bothers me. I attribute that to having worked with Ryan twice - it is nothing to be ashamed of doing something you love. And my recent past employers have like my maturity.

I am glad for how off the grid we will be, save for one aspect. I spend far entirely too much time online when I have it - and this trip wreally will force long breaks. As always, I will be glad for no T.V. It really does seem to be too much of a distraction.

As much as I try to imagine what this job will be like - I can't. I have spent time in rainforests in Ecuador, in Costa Rica, in Australia. I look forward to my first view of the river. To the wildlife. To the heat, even. To just the experience.

I finally feel my typical writing skills are back. Maybe I need to stop being "photo heavy" in my blog. This is what the flickr site is for.

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So, what birds and other wildlife do I expect? Well, I'm sure I'll see a new species of monkey. Some kind of toucan. Lots of antbirds and mannakins. A few hummers - not many, being the rainforest. Hopefully a new raptor or two. I would love a sungrebe or sunbittern.

So, lots of excitement to come. I will try very hard to be diligent, and write every day. Also to shoot a little video every week.

Wild Wyoming!

Well, August became quite the busy month after my bird project was finished in Wyoming. When I was hired for the bird project, I had also been hired for some vegetation work, in Lodgepole Pine stands, for the remainder of the summer. This work was a combination of American Lynx habitat work, required by the US Forest Service under the endangered species act, and to examine the extent of pine beetle kill in the southern Wyoming and northern Colorado Lodgepole Pine Forests.

So, I, in other words, wasn't doing bird work. Which was fine by me. A new kind of work meant I would learn new things. Which always makes life interesting.

It was fun work, in it's way. It was very nice to work with people again! As much as I enjoyed the bird work and all the time I had to myself...after a while, I realized I wanted company again. Corny jokes, shorter drives, and funny stories were the order of the day, to help pass the time on the project.

And then I did a switcheroo...
For various reasons, I switched projects from the lodgepole project to a wetland delineation one. This project would involve backpacking, getting our feet wet (literally), remote areas, grizzly country, and great scenery. All the plots were around the Grand Teton National Park area, and I got to work with my "roommate" from the summer (though we rarely were at home base at the same time). I loved it!

Our first plots involved a boat ride across Jackson Lake, to the Moran Bay area. The photos above were of our first plot there, a marsh. It was sometimes hard to get work done, with such a wonderful backdrop! We got our plots done a little faster than we expected, so even did a bonus plot on the last day for extra data. Very wet feet were involved the whole time, as well as some Great Horned Owls calling and flying around camp, Bald Eagles, Ospreys, and various songbirds as well.

After we were finished, the boat came back to pick us up at our pre-arranged time and location. The weather was very pleasant, and offered some unparalleled views of the Teton range. This first is a view of the moon setting behind the Tetons the night we listened to and watched the owls:
The following is a composite image of the first marsh:
And the view of the Tetons from the boat on the way out:
From these plots, we spent a much deserved day restocking our larder and resting in beds! A strange thing for my field partner, who could count on two hands the number of nights he wasn't camping during the summer. Then, it was off to our first actual backpack (well, for me) to some plots near Survey Peak, on the west side of Grand Teton National Park.

We were more worn out more than we thought...it took much longer to walk the 10 miles than we thought it would. But nevertheless, we got to our plots fine, with only about a half mile of off trail walking. We saw some signs of bears, but nothing that made us too concerned. We made plenty of noise to make sure they knew we were coming. The plots up in that area went smoothly...well, the first three anyway (a marsh [photo 1], a fen [photo 2], and a wet meadow).
Then, we walked down to our last plot for the area. And we thought, uh oh. Moose or bear danger. The shrubs were too tall to see over, and too dense to see through. But after a short time, we realized that it was so dense, a bear or moose wouldn't even walk in it (and we never saw any sign that they did), and they would hear us and all the noise we made without any problem.
Then we walked out the next day. As difficult as the shrubland was, it wasn't nearly as bad as Ken's brilliant idea of a shortcut to avoid a short climb up a mountain, and instead going across the contour straight across the slopes. Yeah, I'm being sarcastic - it took us just as long. The reward was great scenery though.
Once we got back on the trail, we made PLENTY of noise. We had done so on the way up too. The reason? Bear bait. Also known as huckleberries. Though we enjoyed plenty as well.
From here, it was off to a single, lone plot next to lost lake. And then some much needed rest and relaxation in a bed again, in Jackson Hole this time. And then some fun.

In the interest of saving space on this blog, please check out photos on my flickr page, link on the right. We took a couple of days of "rest" in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, checking out different sites in the parks. Then, it was the final push, for me. We had a few short days to get the "wildcat peak" plots done. This area is east of Teton National Park, and south of Yellowstone National Park, in the Teton Wilderness. This was prime grizzly country, and though we never saw one, we saw plenty of signs. This is Ken next to a clawed tree...with a worried expression (on Ken, not the tree):
We finished our plots, and walked out. And I was finally done with my summer in Wyoming. For this year, anyway.
And so, from here, I embark on the next great adventure. PERU! I'm starting...um, no, that's not right. I've been excited for this for months. I'm just getting more and more amped up for the trip. There will be lots of new birds to see, and lots of adventures to be had.