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!