tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37679445212259652682024-03-17T22:01:53.588-05:00Mark & Teri's TravelsMark & Terihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410651360395422840noreply@blogger.comBlogger1227125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767944521225965268.post-64225556551749592352024-03-02T05:00:00.011-06:002024-03-02T05:00:00.344-06:00Costa Rica 2024 - Day 6 continued<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Tuesday, January 23, 2024 (continued)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We met Johan at 2:30 for a walk around the lodge grounds which included a short forest trail. Right at the beginning we saw a group of spider monkeys working through the canopy. They move so easily with their long arms and prehensile tail. Two of them were mothers with babies. They got quite close and the last one hung very low and watched us watching him. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjxKdY_ap3qJcmxfoGMCZf5m13OQqW-j-gX6t0tRMu0rrHEGOxvMvOgkCw52wdN-56xfq0E_NFNX5xnJnsX0zWyH81gH_Cwlt0dprupWBtrt2wjz-od9M9e-mdRtI_Piurg3tKy5gYjCN2T8o05m3xCPT2VE7F1PSvhAtIiBci2jCrD2MSgJgfz0NCbw/s1992/Spider%20Monkey%203%20-%20Natural%20Lodge%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1594" data-original-width="1992" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjxKdY_ap3qJcmxfoGMCZf5m13OQqW-j-gX6t0tRMu0rrHEGOxvMvOgkCw52wdN-56xfq0E_NFNX5xnJnsX0zWyH81gH_Cwlt0dprupWBtrt2wjz-od9M9e-mdRtI_Piurg3tKy5gYjCN2T8o05m3xCPT2VE7F1PSvhAtIiBci2jCrD2MSgJgfz0NCbw/w400-h320/Spider%20Monkey%203%20-%20Natural%20Lodge%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Ou55mE4HHJyAMQ1nq0MHDqDkS9QNxumvpT0EoWMsgCbE8jqq6tL7R1DBW-8rx2Eh56bSxHbvNVSIzg21JSpu3pPUL4XQiPKAY7G6gFnY_-Y1p2i7iPBzsOXjNQa-lIuBfFctnduZgaKVchtQVK3W4MBxmwHlgPdevQHVhQCkTpU0ttAJCpICJp-czdw/s5770/Spider%20Monkey%205%20-%20Natural%20Lodge%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4615" data-original-width="5770" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Ou55mE4HHJyAMQ1nq0MHDqDkS9QNxumvpT0EoWMsgCbE8jqq6tL7R1DBW-8rx2Eh56bSxHbvNVSIzg21JSpu3pPUL4XQiPKAY7G6gFnY_-Y1p2i7iPBzsOXjNQa-lIuBfFctnduZgaKVchtQVK3W4MBxmwHlgPdevQHVhQCkTpU0ttAJCpICJp-czdw/w400-h320/Spider%20Monkey%205%20-%20Natural%20Lodge%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Spider Monkey</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0IgOOfI1bVhK6Fb2DR8kvCRMphnPeF57-LpoAXhWFF_ZRHsHFgpXW8rcVGS2wARSjouF41FhLQskLq5IG3nrYoYyxbEHCJ8SuuMpaniT5vbDEkgSw0289stsGPwzCMb5QzeKYDWQhznd-pJh_GbOh3oiomOQ4zOr66df1veUvi1yNghW4yT3ybd8UUw/s3850/Spider%20Monkey%20with%20baby-%20Natural%20Lodge%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3081" data-original-width="3850" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0IgOOfI1bVhK6Fb2DR8kvCRMphnPeF57-LpoAXhWFF_ZRHsHFgpXW8rcVGS2wARSjouF41FhLQskLq5IG3nrYoYyxbEHCJ8SuuMpaniT5vbDEkgSw0289stsGPwzCMb5QzeKYDWQhznd-pJh_GbOh3oiomOQ4zOr66df1veUvi1yNghW4yT3ybd8UUw/w400-h320/Spider%20Monkey%20with%20baby-%20Natural%20Lodge%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Spider Monkey with baby</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJcm62LkbXNIF81c-Mm2i3WkAWzcFYVxvofPxVoZEQ7FS2uS8iRAxOe2PxoiIoYWTlTJhXLdYHP8qGorSvxe6qZLWol9g66mYjH_OYjZUO4vRhaYc2es0uHhsekY095VjvjKB4ctvAYIAD1ADKLtvy9s5V__TdGatwhUrD3-A1axVapff986ZR9OYTIeQ/s4450/Spider%20Monkey%206%20-%20Natural%20Lodge%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3560" data-original-width="4450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJcm62LkbXNIF81c-Mm2i3WkAWzcFYVxvofPxVoZEQ7FS2uS8iRAxOe2PxoiIoYWTlTJhXLdYHP8qGorSvxe6qZLWol9g66mYjH_OYjZUO4vRhaYc2es0uHhsekY095VjvjKB4ctvAYIAD1ADKLtvy9s5V__TdGatwhUrD3-A1axVapff986ZR9OYTIeQ/w400-h320/Spider%20Monkey%206%20-%20Natural%20Lodge%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Who is watching who?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We also saw a pair of Pied Puffbirds, this time a bit lower than this morning. </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3GwXOeyQ7hFjwesV2koghWgD4Nh6cPSbraEf-l6RKsGqeDdSJpvhKcLQvXtaRM17r8R56_fucw46-U1WtnV_WJEo1JX6Ayy_FtVfwHHoQP4ZvB-S71WiNiGNybsbjg6hrFKG3h2xTnsKYtYIwDXT4uw57Ksk8Q3PNbvZ9Q896cN35KQfDvLw1ZZtpbtQ/s1798/Pied%20Puffbird%20-%20Natural%20Lodge%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1438" data-original-width="1798" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3GwXOeyQ7hFjwesV2koghWgD4Nh6cPSbraEf-l6RKsGqeDdSJpvhKcLQvXtaRM17r8R56_fucw46-U1WtnV_WJEo1JX6Ayy_FtVfwHHoQP4ZvB-S71WiNiGNybsbjg6hrFKG3h2xTnsKYtYIwDXT4uw57Ksk8Q3PNbvZ9Q896cN35KQfDvLw1ZZtpbtQ/w400-h320/Pied%20Puffbird%20-%20Natural%20Lodge%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Pied Puffbird</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We hadn't been out long when Johan got a call from our boat captain telling us that he wouldn’t be able to take us out the following afternoon as planned. But he could take us out now if we wanted. So we jumped in the car and headed down to the dock. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This trip was upriver into several shallow lagoons. The Cano Negro area is a seasonally flooded wetland, where the entire area floods during the rainy season, but drains down during the dry season, leaving the main channels and a lot of shallow lagoons. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXKAHXnSwb-_Qek_MAQoIBjCZZfaMbtIGjGbJVxgv0FEvUgngQ9cWZOkr23K6nsqxBuznpZfyRPOzdc2_dT2Pby96sAvVbXwW6nuaDXPWyqKUvelt5wiqJ-EIzJosNKOalfIwgpphNXYtYAyJV-8FMUEw3Djb0-br_B6CztZ-pgIIij48dhAUs2UAFBW4/s3420/Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%20Lagoons.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3420" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXKAHXnSwb-_Qek_MAQoIBjCZZfaMbtIGjGbJVxgv0FEvUgngQ9cWZOkr23K6nsqxBuznpZfyRPOzdc2_dT2Pby96sAvVbXwW6nuaDXPWyqKUvelt5wiqJ-EIzJosNKOalfIwgpphNXYtYAyJV-8FMUEw3Djb0-br_B6CztZ-pgIIij48dhAUs2UAFBW4/w400-h320/Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%20Lagoons.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">These lagoons are teaming with shorebirds, waders, kingfishers, hawks, and many other species. So full of life!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk94_xWsxwiKo3UjuPiFjX7wi8VNi4FUsfLs5NWvVaYuwX-61Ggfh3rUvvc6nKhl66cu3VLH_rmZkrciMbI-b_xqWCIU6_CmF1tzLktQtpwYhd3LeQBztVbxd1ozZ_2ocmv-eWU9dPoAxuSRNPhVPzA-3Z3PZ2gBxlgabPnhntub2ywiz_jzLSXqvDbDI/s5104/Bare-throated%20Tiger-Heron%205%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4084" data-original-width="5104" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk94_xWsxwiKo3UjuPiFjX7wi8VNi4FUsfLs5NWvVaYuwX-61Ggfh3rUvvc6nKhl66cu3VLH_rmZkrciMbI-b_xqWCIU6_CmF1tzLktQtpwYhd3LeQBztVbxd1ozZ_2ocmv-eWU9dPoAxuSRNPhVPzA-3Z3PZ2gBxlgabPnhntub2ywiz_jzLSXqvDbDI/w400-h320/Bare-throated%20Tiger-Heron%205%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Bare-throated Tiger-Heron</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdEVigXPRYWUkraCIRxZd3a1d9K3TwOcw2GCY8-CLLk-axpUOYqT_R3Almf4UBAn4Jb8idSt9GgKx2fayDMFlF1sfkxCI8QEp7U8MV5-6Llcuveab5QO31t-bMlFt2ASMix-aydugZj_l6dNvdVZA3mT2wlbgrpbvGSbi9lR-_yGdd9MKOK3AUlFqZNwY/s4501/Glossy%20Ibis%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3601" data-original-width="4501" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdEVigXPRYWUkraCIRxZd3a1d9K3TwOcw2GCY8-CLLk-axpUOYqT_R3Almf4UBAn4Jb8idSt9GgKx2fayDMFlF1sfkxCI8QEp7U8MV5-6Llcuveab5QO31t-bMlFt2ASMix-aydugZj_l6dNvdVZA3mT2wlbgrpbvGSbi9lR-_yGdd9MKOK3AUlFqZNwY/w400-h320/Glossy%20Ibis%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Glossy Ibis</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBhaTr9QoZu2e8opSGNDrS_qsLLhMhpDHdPolF1Uys_7qTccB8y5XrNXzki0MoSX9u8EQjtZoUYAnGbAPX0eBAz3l_gvLhQF3XGI1c2OwgyhB73PZLLKPLgHM86EOQLCJKPahvxw8sGEXxB7kMzb7P6r7nWn_LtSPeZesxTJO65Xs7yMqGH52fwViNEFY/s3089/Great%20Blue%20Heron%20with%20Plecostomus%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2471" data-original-width="3089" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBhaTr9QoZu2e8opSGNDrS_qsLLhMhpDHdPolF1Uys_7qTccB8y5XrNXzki0MoSX9u8EQjtZoUYAnGbAPX0eBAz3l_gvLhQF3XGI1c2OwgyhB73PZLLKPLgHM86EOQLCJKPahvxw8sGEXxB7kMzb7P6r7nWn_LtSPeZesxTJO65Xs7yMqGH52fwViNEFY/w400-h320/Great%20Blue%20Heron%20with%20Plecostomus%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Great Blue Heron eating introduced Armored Catfish</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmMmQPGuYzvcCSln74WWQHLBTXP-JLHeCot60z_s8UaL98M2HPFFgDNcr_C0ulj8xOYW_Hq0yiKEizU5dIOYIP4jXpTbtbqoZa70wNZh3_vqv1z42TIHO0ZOhKXAnitaWeY3_NE7QQQlkzj4oUQuhnL1G8feJQSzV4s9i7B4Z7I53UD1PYj5H9Cz3-XGE/s2010/Amazon%20Kingfisher%20female%203%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1608" data-original-width="2010" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmMmQPGuYzvcCSln74WWQHLBTXP-JLHeCot60z_s8UaL98M2HPFFgDNcr_C0ulj8xOYW_Hq0yiKEizU5dIOYIP4jXpTbtbqoZa70wNZh3_vqv1z42TIHO0ZOhKXAnitaWeY3_NE7QQQlkzj4oUQuhnL1G8feJQSzV4s9i7B4Z7I53UD1PYj5H9Cz3-XGE/w400-h320/Amazon%20Kingfisher%20female%203%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Amazon Kingfisher female</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0lik01Ttv35oDv-RSaMHYrvtZk2_Bv8NfCh6coDcGP1cCNW86XCHW6QQOgJ4kiDCZcmI7_ihg2Jap8yGggKOORwwyW7E9ofoj_lShyTjDJaOD0ZsbTUzJxhYJNBui1DOsnwjiTA7_0_pFHHw9-3Gh2B_Zzv0WcZlXWG_Zu-cBb_STawDmi2amdD6IfU/s2216/Amazon%20Kingfisher%20male%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1773" data-original-width="2216" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0lik01Ttv35oDv-RSaMHYrvtZk2_Bv8NfCh6coDcGP1cCNW86XCHW6QQOgJ4kiDCZcmI7_ihg2Jap8yGggKOORwwyW7E9ofoj_lShyTjDJaOD0ZsbTUzJxhYJNBui1DOsnwjiTA7_0_pFHHw9-3Gh2B_Zzv0WcZlXWG_Zu-cBb_STawDmi2amdD6IfU/w400-h320/Amazon%20Kingfisher%20male%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Amazon Kingfisher male with fish</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3dBnSVru6VDp83ld3x0fg6nMxZ9AjBsh60Iyb9ly2GUS4cOHdzd-jkF0YWPEdfMnoIqY_icyeC_8DkxUiAG8fz3bB8WTHIVxYiV8WF1cEqV0jHhY_Ek7l306bPy7OlMTFlvagnwGG6KbWGekLSRK8zZQvf4Wm8z894ldglDICp3SyhVDBvXyd4fM-8Y/s5807/Ringed%20Kingfisher%20male%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4646" data-original-width="5807" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3dBnSVru6VDp83ld3x0fg6nMxZ9AjBsh60Iyb9ly2GUS4cOHdzd-jkF0YWPEdfMnoIqY_icyeC_8DkxUiAG8fz3bB8WTHIVxYiV8WF1cEqV0jHhY_Ek7l306bPy7OlMTFlvagnwGG6KbWGekLSRK8zZQvf4Wm8z894ldglDICp3SyhVDBvXyd4fM-8Y/w400-h320/Ringed%20Kingfisher%20male%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ringed Kingfisher with nesting burrow in background</span></div></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">There are also a huge number of Caiman. They are not considered dangerous to humans, but they certainly look capable of doing some damage!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5wvE5xUhZN13L8kQQRe2-3znYbxBrfc_rcHP3SZASsvofDWAkQdGa9Pfn3k1m4HwczBYuN-_93PIPLgg05VGEne2um9hjPJQ3z27eWfnn-4zYfJocU-P2lDxVKkF-9r_Hj-EIGT5A4Kb8Mdot-1sDjIQEgc5CMmFb1UTnMSWKPEESff6-H4jzZNRvMY/s2603/Spectacled%20Caiman%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2082" data-original-width="2603" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5wvE5xUhZN13L8kQQRe2-3znYbxBrfc_rcHP3SZASsvofDWAkQdGa9Pfn3k1m4HwczBYuN-_93PIPLgg05VGEne2um9hjPJQ3z27eWfnn-4zYfJocU-P2lDxVKkF-9r_Hj-EIGT5A4Kb8Mdot-1sDjIQEgc5CMmFb1UTnMSWKPEESff6-H4jzZNRvMY/w400-h320/Spectacled%20Caiman%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Spectacled Caiman</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We birded until dark seeing some new birds like Sungrebe, Black-collared Hawk, Black-crowned Night-Heron, and Jabiru. Jabiru are huge, prehistoric-looking storks, much larger than any other waders in the area. It was a great way to spend the afternoon. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh06bxWpo1jgdqv-Gc12Kz0vuLpaVDRjaw8yR5G71wEVuDOfqlIZFqxu0qjY8f3z4Ynwe8NjeXY47FH7dpi7DDvJE3mxHrqlUYXxny4I3sIhyphenhyphenttmRSUBbHZfOl4M8BUPBIZu4HS54TnPH0QB6AYZWsIFb17bjKl1H36GDNLF_Oij1a3-vIXpTWJLc747-w/s3257/Black-collared%20Hawk%202%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></a><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh06bxWpo1jgdqv-Gc12Kz0vuLpaVDRjaw8yR5G71wEVuDOfqlIZFqxu0qjY8f3z4Ynwe8NjeXY47FH7dpi7DDvJE3mxHrqlUYXxny4I3sIhyphenhyphenttmRSUBbHZfOl4M8BUPBIZu4HS54TnPH0QB6AYZWsIFb17bjKl1H36GDNLF_Oij1a3-vIXpTWJLc747-w/s3257/Black-collared%20Hawk%202%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqwZ51JUAbrLQOPhf9d80S0trK60lv2A7CNMWlSKlXFxbqyN8BI5OWm0FGnS2LCy9s0zrwxu_EypyxcPGTuSBKMkIKUazNbgQwpHOwS3nI_IzZldxe8PQwgqFkTsM9v3G996fAmh-LY6Ei7qiV-zPNA-xKxKEyNF3IgBkhUMjA40a7cg9KaMZBVkHJntQ/s2715/Black-collared%20Hawk%20flying%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2172" data-original-width="2715" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqwZ51JUAbrLQOPhf9d80S0trK60lv2A7CNMWlSKlXFxbqyN8BI5OWm0FGnS2LCy9s0zrwxu_EypyxcPGTuSBKMkIKUazNbgQwpHOwS3nI_IzZldxe8PQwgqFkTsM9v3G996fAmh-LY6Ei7qiV-zPNA-xKxKEyNF3IgBkhUMjA40a7cg9KaMZBVkHJntQ/w400-h320/Black-collared%20Hawk%20flying%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div> <img border="0" data-original-height="2605" data-original-width="3257" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh06bxWpo1jgdqv-Gc12Kz0vuLpaVDRjaw8yR5G71wEVuDOfqlIZFqxu0qjY8f3z4Ynwe8NjeXY47FH7dpi7DDvJE3mxHrqlUYXxny4I3sIhyphenhyphenttmRSUBbHZfOl4M8BUPBIZu4HS54TnPH0QB6AYZWsIFb17bjKl1H36GDNLF_Oij1a3-vIXpTWJLc747-w/w400-h320/Black-collared%20Hawk%202%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Black-collared Hawk</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf6PzetmYI1HOLwYp0_bW3InRVyNqkXes9XM53jfRhhazm3vpUNlLJv68JAKiTOLih4kzNQb0OaPG2BlR_KrBK8z0kDCyS_qZssKcvJme6-iulEoR_backzEldhZ5RQ4UQdQ8hLE2Q4-GLSxkXVOpi5WoDES25ChlLn21WsY8zOUUoVsyE_SVIQ6PZYbk/s2863/Jabiru%20and%20Wood%20Storks%202%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2290" data-original-width="2863" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf6PzetmYI1HOLwYp0_bW3InRVyNqkXes9XM53jfRhhazm3vpUNlLJv68JAKiTOLih4kzNQb0OaPG2BlR_KrBK8z0kDCyS_qZssKcvJme6-iulEoR_backzEldhZ5RQ4UQdQ8hLE2Q4-GLSxkXVOpi5WoDES25ChlLn21WsY8zOUUoVsyE_SVIQ6PZYbk/w400-h320/Jabiru%20and%20Wood%20Storks%202%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Jabiru with Wood Storks</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6j5fsMCPZgYqh4l8ztTIsHOXtWC2-ErHO8P1Rg5cyiVa0erUia6NGGqG__MmO4uCxA0jIyHy1aADVtXsJh3gcRsP4Fk9reUmJNMQkkExQvDI3TGkbVP2jKrrLucpas0q-JNL7HJ5t73DQ3poh87T49kbr-JTplcbEyZxOTMJ07IufU8FqQTaXGHnp1aI/s4338/Sungrebe%20male%20and%20immature%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3471" data-original-width="4338" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6j5fsMCPZgYqh4l8ztTIsHOXtWC2-ErHO8P1Rg5cyiVa0erUia6NGGqG__MmO4uCxA0jIyHy1aADVtXsJh3gcRsP4Fk9reUmJNMQkkExQvDI3TGkbVP2jKrrLucpas0q-JNL7HJ5t73DQ3poh87T49kbr-JTplcbEyZxOTMJ07IufU8FqQTaXGHnp1aI/w400-h320/Sungrebe%20male%20and%20immature%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Sungrebe male with youngster</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We returned to the lodge about 6:00, where we learned a large group had checked in and would be dining at 7:00. So we decided to get our dinner immediately and beat the rush. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">After dinner we drove several miles down the entrance road, looking for night birds. We found a Great Potoo sitting on a pole and got some pictures. These birds sit on poles or stumps and do a great job of blending in. At night you can see their eyes shine. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFmLlvBQq35kdhcmYOJm4GBive2snOFcFPdYqNjyGcDx8MdjNLsBP3f55dY1FYEoxKTc29tQq13HzsjcVQAe54vy5R7vvFnRXfuZxDlNlRnWiiYMRvYjT2EwIuzFfk8N6_ots6s-Qmvd7I5gEUWVo5YT4QIxO3DRWj2tVZKSkRi4AwOx2I8_Wzse_t3gk/s4779/Great%20Potoo%20-%20Provincia%20de%20Alajuela,%20CR%20(10,926,%20-84,758)%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3824" data-original-width="4779" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFmLlvBQq35kdhcmYOJm4GBive2snOFcFPdYqNjyGcDx8MdjNLsBP3f55dY1FYEoxKTc29tQq13HzsjcVQAe54vy5R7vvFnRXfuZxDlNlRnWiiYMRvYjT2EwIuzFfk8N6_ots6s-Qmvd7I5gEUWVo5YT4QIxO3DRWj2tVZKSkRi4AwOx2I8_Wzse_t3gk/w400-h320/Great%20Potoo%20-%20Provincia%20de%20Alajuela,%20CR%20(10,926,%20-84,758)%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Great Potoo</span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We hadn't gone much farther when Johan heard a Pacific Screech Owl calling. We got out and played it’s song back a few times and it flew in. We got great looks and pictures, and were on our way. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzU_dKloPoXgj579ZtJDpEOgE-IJGJ_r0q4RKUhVFL0LKchtghVhBRnnDq36z-cttpH2x2oS-r1uhfe91jOpUAbvmIsjlZHh4VLwD66hMlRWftqgZ1k-BXtP2W-TxHYa2O8Rcv-Glgc0oFhTcscCSIfVgwiTbTquOgEXkSbATyecOP7JLwsWombKDh6I/s4145/Pacific%20Screech-Owl%20-%20Provincia%20de%20Alajuela,%20CR%20(10,926,%20-84,758)%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3316" data-original-width="4145" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzU_dKloPoXgj579ZtJDpEOgE-IJGJ_r0q4RKUhVFL0LKchtghVhBRnnDq36z-cttpH2x2oS-r1uhfe91jOpUAbvmIsjlZHh4VLwD66hMlRWftqgZ1k-BXtP2W-TxHYa2O8Rcv-Glgc0oFhTcscCSIfVgwiTbTquOgEXkSbATyecOP7JLwsWombKDh6I/w400-h320/Pacific%20Screech-Owl%20-%20Provincia%20de%20Alajuela,%20CR%20(10,926,%20-84,758)%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Pacific Screech-Owl</span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We found a second Great Potoo, and finally a Black-and-white Owl on a powerline as we neared our lodge. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiceyarSO295eNKP-FiDTuJKwrHdY05TYeElg9cVsBK2CqWfC7Nf1d9vWeAt0PGc-rE45D5W_ALvpd_EhbbPD31wk-yFQz_scX5x2PdS9DOu_XzJqS0FNcfRm-unLh4yRH1yA7VgaxDOFDwwkjdHuFKYeeUfalFX8QtMdJTuB6hqzLqkGKFvaHIfr2c4iE/s5234/Great%20Potoo%203%20-%20Provincia%20de%20Alajuela,%20CR%20(10,926,%20-84,758)%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4187" data-original-width="5234" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiceyarSO295eNKP-FiDTuJKwrHdY05TYeElg9cVsBK2CqWfC7Nf1d9vWeAt0PGc-rE45D5W_ALvpd_EhbbPD31wk-yFQz_scX5x2PdS9DOu_XzJqS0FNcfRm-unLh4yRH1yA7VgaxDOFDwwkjdHuFKYeeUfalFX8QtMdJTuB6hqzLqkGKFvaHIfr2c4iE/w400-h320/Great%20Potoo%203%20-%20Provincia%20de%20Alajuela,%20CR%20(10,926,%20-84,758)%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Great Potoo</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKPYEokVXtg5VKB3JNQU9pyV6cngQvpBl925EzyI98IPmCXkun6GJ92efH21fhmrDR9leUE2pYeN4AnoxY8ylNjXLMLhuWvoN7B00Lns94t9UBUO2pB5iY9XLz1c88hQIOGpnsknORSEoJxBxExSpJzDCjDU-YD1LQtGkXajAewByxogigIebSPvobeaA/s4890/Black-and-white%20Owl%20-%20Provincia%20de%20Alajuela,%20CR%20(10,926,%20-84,758)%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3911" data-original-width="4890" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKPYEokVXtg5VKB3JNQU9pyV6cngQvpBl925EzyI98IPmCXkun6GJ92efH21fhmrDR9leUE2pYeN4AnoxY8ylNjXLMLhuWvoN7B00Lns94t9UBUO2pB5iY9XLz1c88hQIOGpnsknORSEoJxBxExSpJzDCjDU-YD1LQtGkXajAewByxogigIebSPvobeaA/w400-h320/Black-and-white%20Owl%20-%20Provincia%20de%20Alajuela,%20CR%20(10,926,%20-84,758)%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Black-and-white Owl</span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It was a great way to end another wonderful day in Costa Rica. </span></p><div><br /></div></div>Mark & Terihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410651360395422840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767944521225965268.post-485290675035249262024-02-16T05:00:00.005-06:002024-02-22T21:03:21.011-06:00Costa Rica 2024 - Day 6<p><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Tuesday, January 23, 2024</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Our main event this morning was a boat ride to look for some specific birds like Kingfishers, Herons, and other water-dependent species. Our boat captain had suggested moving the starting time from 6:00 to 6:30 based on forecast overcast conditions, but we wished we’d left at 6:00 because it was clear. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">While we waited at the dock we saw a few nice birds and a huge iguana in a tree on the other side of the river. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiSsU7Gn8GnE84UHCFMMnbg0nM88jue1SIyww7SpVyqfz1hwcFdSikDMUu5pFFEG-wJPnSABEL0giNMwl7FxAM0T5Z_ubFR7AkN_OQW6CMZVmYbT4T3-NFB40BYXkzdlTobx8hOe79XxIzDI-7J82YKvtSIrh5O9M2X920dQsAfQIkm23rt8958qlDThk/s5701/Bare-throated%20Tiger-Heron%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4561" data-original-width="5701" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiSsU7Gn8GnE84UHCFMMnbg0nM88jue1SIyww7SpVyqfz1hwcFdSikDMUu5pFFEG-wJPnSABEL0giNMwl7FxAM0T5Z_ubFR7AkN_OQW6CMZVmYbT4T3-NFB40BYXkzdlTobx8hOe79XxIzDI-7J82YKvtSIrh5O9M2X920dQsAfQIkm23rt8958qlDThk/w400-h320/Bare-throated%20Tiger-Heron%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Bare-throated Tiger-Heron</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip48k6iQrY8zCtW_p3md9hKBhdnha7BgVlU_qqcpnf2Ch9mnWnq7XuM-FhG5U_9copHdOHJFAuH446tch9Rijw8rBQRcNK48ue6A25PeG55yXNIAYMyy6akNwGqqhtrW9-KR23RgL4NjJabk9nFmWWOCNQvefnsa4MmzZ39mZwycL5UiaxDpuyipFWCpg/s1588/Green%20Iguana%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1270" data-original-width="1588" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip48k6iQrY8zCtW_p3md9hKBhdnha7BgVlU_qqcpnf2Ch9mnWnq7XuM-FhG5U_9copHdOHJFAuH446tch9Rijw8rBQRcNK48ue6A25PeG55yXNIAYMyy6akNwGqqhtrW9-KR23RgL4NjJabk9nFmWWOCNQvefnsa4MmzZ39mZwycL5UiaxDpuyipFWCpg/w400-h320/Green%20Iguana%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Green Iguana</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4fPvT3ebw0VFNNggaF5XI_fWnnYa_9xjf1_9WLYFV1GoOGMZ8E9nI35Tycot6e_OAssd9G5764OAkKJwYkmolYatYR4dx1UCErDkQI8lZvRvqs4IJ754MtbBT4RCcnTctdxkXSbLHOOQEzmheIRWYHAfra6v1kL_0hVdHiOptldD-tuzssYp-gJghAw/s3563/Mangrove%20Swallow%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2850" data-original-width="3563" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4fPvT3ebw0VFNNggaF5XI_fWnnYa_9xjf1_9WLYFV1GoOGMZ8E9nI35Tycot6e_OAssd9G5764OAkKJwYkmolYatYR4dx1UCErDkQI8lZvRvqs4IJ754MtbBT4RCcnTctdxkXSbLHOOQEzmheIRWYHAfra6v1kL_0hVdHiOptldD-tuzssYp-gJghAw/w400-h320/Mangrove%20Swallow%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Mangrove Swallow</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We got underway, and started seeing Egrets, Herons, Cormorants and Anhinga everywhere. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuDZumndxNOh2MX_GK80HGhoketcEi3cFjZ-rU6AT98GTHnneb0LY5XJcMhnQmmYmkVqBKHOewRf6y7SwSAsg48Xo5ptODMRfnmkhs8jzyFLtoZssVZfJJDIBRoYQTLwE220Z4BvGwMTnK75Mwnmm8YQCHNP_jdbaQVFATAI9705WdUXjql7h7FY-RTfc/s4032/Teri%20at%20front%20of%20boat.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuDZumndxNOh2MX_GK80HGhoketcEi3cFjZ-rU6AT98GTHnneb0LY5XJcMhnQmmYmkVqBKHOewRf6y7SwSAsg48Xo5ptODMRfnmkhs8jzyFLtoZssVZfJJDIBRoYQTLwE220Z4BvGwMTnK75Mwnmm8YQCHNP_jdbaQVFATAI9705WdUXjql7h7FY-RTfc/w400-h225/Teri%20at%20front%20of%20boat.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Teri at the front</span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBPI1lo3FVLplhlb7IZPZdl_hiKbTyTiI7D5zRDN8GVys243CmUlDoXsZO-b6_7kvKiMk4QGilzEom8FHBIjNkg8442KX9IxDLbgO7wwb9fXIMVogcgMf956StkZE9l7N5Cqlw1ZZKy2UwoTweagp9eBG6MW0PF-ifCtVC9R2h5qsbG9OIjHaZCeS56I4/s3256/Mark,%20Chambito,%20Johan%20on%20the%20boat.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2605" data-original-width="3256" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBPI1lo3FVLplhlb7IZPZdl_hiKbTyTiI7D5zRDN8GVys243CmUlDoXsZO-b6_7kvKiMk4QGilzEom8FHBIjNkg8442KX9IxDLbgO7wwb9fXIMVogcgMf956StkZE9l7N5Cqlw1ZZKy2UwoTweagp9eBG6MW0PF-ifCtVC9R2h5qsbG9OIjHaZCeS56I4/w400-h320/Mark,%20Chambito,%20Johan%20on%20the%20boat.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Mark, Captain Chambito, Johan</span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This is such a rich area for waders and divers. We saw one of our favorite birds, a Boat-billed Heron. This is a nocturnal heron named for its oversized bill. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkIcGK2jcxfMVquO2WpNONwTfO2FmtF4HpZTlK6UAc1MKvG8n91eb5Y-G673s3tLddId2l7jfl5VGnqzIOapjAaS3a6feygMtBxFM1-DVoUZ4bNFIJWUyLLxrGcjmWitM5eKjfslv-U8frqrr925nSKehlq32EVMm_nQYNQ3CXBYuxcLeiUdpJvFp6k24/s5419/Boat-billed%20Heron%202%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4336" data-original-width="5419" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkIcGK2jcxfMVquO2WpNONwTfO2FmtF4HpZTlK6UAc1MKvG8n91eb5Y-G673s3tLddId2l7jfl5VGnqzIOapjAaS3a6feygMtBxFM1-DVoUZ4bNFIJWUyLLxrGcjmWitM5eKjfslv-U8frqrr925nSKehlq32EVMm_nQYNQ3CXBYuxcLeiUdpJvFp6k24/w400-h320/Boat-billed%20Heron%202%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Boat-billed Heron</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh67MBHUN6AFHbPG-QGa_vjFsci88QR7yTtlNSOZ6HM92fza3HxVLoBuKnd7UgzPpNaOKd2uWbt8_ePTPb6j2hhNrrFFy4fgzmIWPqafrBDcyhBZeWxQVSLDf5RFAYxCkijIjHyftEgwQGZdPDpHT9G-NhDXMR_GOfJ92yRr9xEw0EVDBisFu4mO9w4qVs/s5197/Anhinga%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /><span><img border="0" data-original-height="4158" data-original-width="5197" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh67MBHUN6AFHbPG-QGa_vjFsci88QR7yTtlNSOZ6HM92fza3HxVLoBuKnd7UgzPpNaOKd2uWbt8_ePTPb6j2hhNrrFFy4fgzmIWPqafrBDcyhBZeWxQVSLDf5RFAYxCkijIjHyftEgwQGZdPDpHT9G-NhDXMR_GOfJ92yRr9xEw0EVDBisFu4mO9w4qVs/w400-h320/Anhinga%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Anhinga</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7K-LMhfU39be4DV_KmKLi7-Mmlq3_9HLTiO0oE-NnNeAWz0aBYPfWYOAnEW_dIseU2IwiVJZdajKbHwTcQzsXA-QPy0HUYMVXEyKF0E6JaNTaiNVU82uX4rmWcMmIaltMX7zMc2TpJX9AQfAuhmsdxXsDDha-G8V8nSKz64pSxeyzl2xqbXYIdknghPg/s4566/Neotropic%20Cormorant%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3653" data-original-width="4566" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7K-LMhfU39be4DV_KmKLi7-Mmlq3_9HLTiO0oE-NnNeAWz0aBYPfWYOAnEW_dIseU2IwiVJZdajKbHwTcQzsXA-QPy0HUYMVXEyKF0E6JaNTaiNVU82uX4rmWcMmIaltMX7zMc2TpJX9AQfAuhmsdxXsDDha-G8V8nSKz64pSxeyzl2xqbXYIdknghPg/w400-h320/Neotropic%20Cormorant%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Neotropic Cormorant eating invasive Armored Catfish</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We headed directly to a spot where we left the boat and made a short hike to an inland lagoon where we would look for our first target, the Agami Heron. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9yf8r2bsTrc7q3DcKXozrx1THbhYfF0QKwgkUWiJtjiDWpq6IERaCJWqB6ZnnpHZXzs5pSqqmUbpgA4jLbJ0XEtylCwS39vZL7St7r8AopDiIdZLVkP2svuqQ7fzq06IChmfEetNZAE1Wf0RtGZS3EJXRCI9KthdTTDMDNTkKCyNFfQ_Bk76e7GEsuCE/s3368/Mark%20&%20Johan%20shooting.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2694" data-original-width="3368" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9yf8r2bsTrc7q3DcKXozrx1THbhYfF0QKwgkUWiJtjiDWpq6IERaCJWqB6ZnnpHZXzs5pSqqmUbpgA4jLbJ0XEtylCwS39vZL7St7r8AopDiIdZLVkP2svuqQ7fzq06IChmfEetNZAE1Wf0RtGZS3EJXRCI9KthdTTDMDNTkKCyNFfQ_Bk76e7GEsuCE/w400-h320/Mark%20&%20Johan%20shooting.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Unlike most herons this one lives in forested areas and tends to hide on brushy riverbanks. We located one that was partially concealed in some branches, but eventually it moved out into a more open area before flying off. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNinsPXm4VFQaaAOFYKmKyNQhYr54_B2GYhL_qlxyxPNtLa6ErXlHrSczzuWuWGX108Z49T6i6-mRMVSUKVSaeSddnhM7YCh08suSQvpDi2_uw6zej84MlFwlWo6HKHVjse5EJXZ2lcN1GUtFUKrxe8cp6eixsYBXhhh6ncE4ehyphenhyphen8acL_p_d10PQyEdTY/s2691/Agami%20Heron%203%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2153" data-original-width="2691" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNinsPXm4VFQaaAOFYKmKyNQhYr54_B2GYhL_qlxyxPNtLa6ErXlHrSczzuWuWGX108Z49T6i6-mRMVSUKVSaeSddnhM7YCh08suSQvpDi2_uw6zej84MlFwlWo6HKHVjse5EJXZ2lcN1GUtFUKrxe8cp6eixsYBXhhh6ncE4ehyphenhyphen8acL_p_d10PQyEdTY/w400-h320/Agami%20Heron%203%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNuAuh9RSQDtM1906D7PCpp1UHCOuqHF9HHa1ncGR3ELRpd8vtpblfOtXyt-sIpBmzEOJPTNmuDuTgIRgLPK3HU00cf6noGpxiNLNy0BK_0HKabbArhTWpWClwJ7Aav3r6-hzs6WK6oWDZ2AWQAS-kmw697aiBDoBeDMm0flyIaYp_rRENdD-hVuP_XhY/s3156/Agami%20Heron%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2524" data-original-width="3156" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNuAuh9RSQDtM1906D7PCpp1UHCOuqHF9HHa1ncGR3ELRpd8vtpblfOtXyt-sIpBmzEOJPTNmuDuTgIRgLPK3HU00cf6noGpxiNLNy0BK_0HKabbArhTWpWClwJ7Aav3r6-hzs6WK6oWDZ2AWQAS-kmw697aiBDoBeDMm0flyIaYp_rRENdD-hVuP_XhY/w400-h320/Agami%20Heron%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH2Vn3ZcbmKB4LwcMAE0rKw7ICjlI_aZ8Ka4u0FO47HghV8A2UhkQwxFTF05zrOhXgy22WpFwY-Q1benZGrTuuv67lMq8UHxk1LsMRfxklc3onLgsWexkq_ZGMsAZZG_zCKdfsaRCL8fuvMjdUPX8FaSnSlsPSNXVXOEXxwWDgvEpkjmtcHyfHx7ABIu0/s2468/Agami%20Heron%204%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1975" data-original-width="2468" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH2Vn3ZcbmKB4LwcMAE0rKw7ICjlI_aZ8Ka4u0FO47HghV8A2UhkQwxFTF05zrOhXgy22WpFwY-Q1benZGrTuuv67lMq8UHxk1LsMRfxklc3onLgsWexkq_ZGMsAZZG_zCKdfsaRCL8fuvMjdUPX8FaSnSlsPSNXVXOEXxwWDgvEpkjmtcHyfHx7ABIu0/w400-h320/Agami%20Heron%204%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Agami Heron</span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Many people consider it the most attractive of the herons and we would agree. We’d seen this bird very poorly in Belize in 2005 and hadn't seen it since, so we were very happy to be able to watch it for about 30 minutes and get some really excellent views. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">While viewing the heron we also saw a tiny Pied Puffbird way up in a tree, and a Roseate Spoonbill wading nearby. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaKTblkqKsYmkdZOclQDa69le5q_93Fk0Wo7X5yg-ZF0oenaJeefxVxn5vhiEVzQngmkv1Ykjq2HLArURNM3iWyb7gUqApjnyCnmA_SZ0Y2fbqZYx_z-iX7oOxax02sGYz_gt9jxB5XVKqCOJp6UVgdeP9ffuHBXoqnXXvlugmlpooPxmdgEkTGiUDZTs/s2399/Pied%20Puffbird%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1919" data-original-width="2399" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaKTblkqKsYmkdZOclQDa69le5q_93Fk0Wo7X5yg-ZF0oenaJeefxVxn5vhiEVzQngmkv1Ykjq2HLArURNM3iWyb7gUqApjnyCnmA_SZ0Y2fbqZYx_z-iX7oOxax02sGYz_gt9jxB5XVKqCOJp6UVgdeP9ffuHBXoqnXXvlugmlpooPxmdgEkTGiUDZTs/w400-h320/Pied%20Puffbird%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Pied Puffbird</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKp6zQN5P604mxY-NgI2zGgRPnddWw7L1OIrZSrPEAVFEANTMCE12y87z5rwNDmu-6aQRUhEp6ijUi_4MZN1H4N8jDEvsO4pxhWqzhkiCzEWSBuBdGl1jFfWf11jjnnz9OxLoDEHrOrgZzBlYgn4KuaY_JHHfbsvI-6entXvKkYo55f-JOcEGfn8WqS6U/s3618/Roseate%20Spoonbill%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2895" data-original-width="3618" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKp6zQN5P604mxY-NgI2zGgRPnddWw7L1OIrZSrPEAVFEANTMCE12y87z5rwNDmu-6aQRUhEp6ijUi_4MZN1H4N8jDEvsO4pxhWqzhkiCzEWSBuBdGl1jFfWf11jjnnz9OxLoDEHrOrgZzBlYgn4KuaY_JHHfbsvI-6entXvKkYo55f-JOcEGfn8WqS6U/w400-h320/Roseate%20Spoonbill%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Roseate Spoonbill</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br />We got back into the boat and headed down the river to find our next target, the Green-and-rufous Kingfisher. Of the six species of kingfishers in the Americas, this one is the toughest to find. We saw our first in 2018 in Panama and have not seen one since. We spotted one in some dark branches overhanging the river and our captain maneuvered the boat in for great looks and pictures. </span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYlSZ6xw23_IbzEnvaVQ-_9Y-Wece4Jqy6MzBfSbB-82gp3rjR6V_j4yiMigZvVfCJNZn6vW7x8ZVBhZz9szv1ifX4NYBsT2JV2dfkfZuBQ8s8X3_oJzFFw0DwBmOY44vRyrNAGxnVrCIRMrf4VLOvNOfpcWMh-byr3rNuVDvxcnJ-ihohYK6G5_vzQ9g/s4721/Green-and-rufous%20Kingfisher%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3778" data-original-width="4721" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYlSZ6xw23_IbzEnvaVQ-_9Y-Wece4Jqy6MzBfSbB-82gp3rjR6V_j4yiMigZvVfCJNZn6vW7x8ZVBhZz9szv1ifX4NYBsT2JV2dfkfZuBQ8s8X3_oJzFFw0DwBmOY44vRyrNAGxnVrCIRMrf4VLOvNOfpcWMh-byr3rNuVDvxcnJ-ihohYK6G5_vzQ9g/w400-h320/Green-and-rufous%20Kingfisher%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Green-and-rufous Kingfisher</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We also saw plenty of Ringed, Amazon, and Green Kingfishers along the river, missing only the tiny American Pygmy Kingfisher and the Belted Kingfisher. It is interesting that the Belted Kingfisher is abundant throughout North America and the only kingfisher to be found in most of the United States. But here in Costa Rica it is relatively rare and harder to find than all but the Green-and-rufous. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglv0fZznwDbGQfrzxdrKG3HVWpIF1S0DOlO6W5_TuEny0fq56gRPZCbsW79aiLXg6Rkuoqnrnncl5JrWATZzWa2oU_F9rMNfk3apdGv2U87v_2Tjlz_vm18fdkKwZrJSp2kdHdFsKxBy0vO2vJdqLBX0GPtoggE6JPjF-NVsnRlWj2cSYIuqPzqeYULhA/s5154/Amazon%20Kingfisher%20female%202%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4124" data-original-width="5154" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglv0fZznwDbGQfrzxdrKG3HVWpIF1S0DOlO6W5_TuEny0fq56gRPZCbsW79aiLXg6Rkuoqnrnncl5JrWATZzWa2oU_F9rMNfk3apdGv2U87v_2Tjlz_vm18fdkKwZrJSp2kdHdFsKxBy0vO2vJdqLBX0GPtoggE6JPjF-NVsnRlWj2cSYIuqPzqeYULhA/w400-h320/Amazon%20Kingfisher%20female%202%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Amazon Kingfisher - female</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig9KqZr9rwrCjN8M5Qh6ztbotQxhUG7UIE6efJWiyN99ojfZAnK6tFs5ICklElPSkJtXwMXQ9qsnRDpVix_1Vrepm-6qlUjhA8p20n_HRJFdIwNH0SazEEcCX7O4Tx-0bcgQ3-_U301DEfLLnbInjCvlp28zrr-cQYHkkLFfjtJL95QhzAc10FEluHi5s/s2662/Amazon%20Kingfisher%20male%204%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2130" data-original-width="2662" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig9KqZr9rwrCjN8M5Qh6ztbotQxhUG7UIE6efJWiyN99ojfZAnK6tFs5ICklElPSkJtXwMXQ9qsnRDpVix_1Vrepm-6qlUjhA8p20n_HRJFdIwNH0SazEEcCX7O4Tx-0bcgQ3-_U301DEfLLnbInjCvlp28zrr-cQYHkkLFfjtJL95QhzAc10FEluHi5s/w400-h320/Amazon%20Kingfisher%20male%204%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Amazon Kingfisher - male</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92dmIf2sbvqm3BmHywvDrCOmgntqLMkUwCO0_tSSHtSeBx6_-b22dlleGQmYdD2O2Q72BpHGQr8LNtNw81fcnvCZbRq7Bk_d_6fxI1hqmxz1xziYAbGuYj_IlZVUXcwLVNbRoShweeXrvWLJfrdQk0JiUbeR_L_J-mRFHpyrQfPahnXDZP1RG8rEVxFc/s5442/Ringed%20Kingfisher%20female%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4354" data-original-width="5442" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92dmIf2sbvqm3BmHywvDrCOmgntqLMkUwCO0_tSSHtSeBx6_-b22dlleGQmYdD2O2Q72BpHGQr8LNtNw81fcnvCZbRq7Bk_d_6fxI1hqmxz1xziYAbGuYj_IlZVUXcwLVNbRoShweeXrvWLJfrdQk0JiUbeR_L_J-mRFHpyrQfPahnXDZP1RG8rEVxFc/w400-h320/Ringed%20Kingfisher%20female%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ringed Kingfisher - male</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As we cruised the river we saw dozens of different Egrets, Ibis and Herons. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwyL0Tspk_ovdg-6uUxwSPAUMRcCq-m7pBkb2FsFwx03wJCJZoj5iJWznTypCVIPj2CvDxYDy2lVXhuGXmwYVdRPFGkukzb5urXuqNtXWh-Z2HcdHqRnjSgFGQsZ2SzoREzIgwipe_vXNTq4fEoCa7ZyRWb5z7H0rG6rJkNUz7uTAlCNradxp8yx9FVdk/s5761/Great%20Egret%202%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4609" data-original-width="5761" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwyL0Tspk_ovdg-6uUxwSPAUMRcCq-m7pBkb2FsFwx03wJCJZoj5iJWznTypCVIPj2CvDxYDy2lVXhuGXmwYVdRPFGkukzb5urXuqNtXWh-Z2HcdHqRnjSgFGQsZ2SzoREzIgwipe_vXNTq4fEoCa7ZyRWb5z7H0rG6rJkNUz7uTAlCNradxp8yx9FVdk/w400-h320/Great%20Egret%202%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Great Egret</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVd6aHNjKrtbtqJTfUbF_1SBCxJwkhMEEmRY_DKn0AhpNIJ-aVi9mF0Yf79mJJcG42NIRIXDv21G5QlzQ_F-W7tR9cKq8HBB5Jcwo_KDlJ0TTyRXuqsI553VXu0BHpn3gQT7lcMchmr8qcbP7LN0o55V25CV6_YQ3nk13ukmfSacSmd0yVm15ersuV1g/s5694/Green%20Ibis%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4556" data-original-width="5694" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVd6aHNjKrtbtqJTfUbF_1SBCxJwkhMEEmRY_DKn0AhpNIJ-aVi9mF0Yf79mJJcG42NIRIXDv21G5QlzQ_F-W7tR9cKq8HBB5Jcwo_KDlJ0TTyRXuqsI553VXu0BHpn3gQT7lcMchmr8qcbP7LN0o55V25CV6_YQ3nk13ukmfSacSmd0yVm15ersuV1g/w400-h320/Green%20Ibis%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Green Ibis</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lPQCTsen827p4CDxc20QOtXQbSfbnsY3Yv3TxtnFrIApau4-fOjvg99AKuJvFIKeD_cQzvQrYTsvO6h6VSaQxiOOUcmhylHqTMz619NUWKYdPpMlkwNCLLhzejTvPy36j5MWQunGM6ZP_OjaJoEmkswaZDDHQ-K4EjPjXxqTVtz_pZQWgsovJkc_HgU/s5867/Little%20Blue%20Heron%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4694" data-original-width="5867" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lPQCTsen827p4CDxc20QOtXQbSfbnsY3Yv3TxtnFrIApau4-fOjvg99AKuJvFIKeD_cQzvQrYTsvO6h6VSaQxiOOUcmhylHqTMz619NUWKYdPpMlkwNCLLhzejTvPy36j5MWQunGM6ZP_OjaJoEmkswaZDDHQ-K4EjPjXxqTVtz_pZQWgsovJkc_HgU/w400-h320/Little%20Blue%20Heron%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Little Blue Heron</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYwmGS8s8g-H5Jgq1-0GoAjFnq8HNflMi9nxeo9iHqOkKDeSDoKNycWwfG5USD205Z4JHaAD6nzwUjFaRopXDkNDuQilAismysGQcYgKukimOXA9EsqObljFBOYDQxPmrG1KuO0xl5uvRvnZodhOoUIsN71fL2wFPq9dgbMFy6PFEFwOzgYHJTv6kU0qY/s3429/Snowy%20Egret%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2744" data-original-width="3429" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYwmGS8s8g-H5Jgq1-0GoAjFnq8HNflMi9nxeo9iHqOkKDeSDoKNycWwfG5USD205Z4JHaAD6nzwUjFaRopXDkNDuQilAismysGQcYgKukimOXA9EsqObljFBOYDQxPmrG1KuO0xl5uvRvnZodhOoUIsN71fL2wFPq9dgbMFy6PFEFwOzgYHJTv6kU0qY/w400-h320/Snowy%20Egret%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Snowy Egret</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Our captain located a Common Potoo roosting in a tree, looking just like a dead branch, and later a well-hidden Pacific Screech-Owl, which was a life bird for us. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIi_6kEc0VHQqAnuMBeJyCfIsQ3GyA7Rdh-QMiIBj-tzoO-VP_aQvupHjsn7JgpH0Naej8J8Ip884gREyjWwrvj6qXRr5MmIsTf-hpLeGjoaAJ_K0gaQ38wkubsvvKQTnsuhM3vAfkc4iDA13tYCMeymrmTL4wJlHRM2penreOOq_keL-xtDZpKlrbs5Q/s2168/Common%20Potoo%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1735" data-original-width="2168" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIi_6kEc0VHQqAnuMBeJyCfIsQ3GyA7Rdh-QMiIBj-tzoO-VP_aQvupHjsn7JgpH0Naej8J8Ip884gREyjWwrvj6qXRr5MmIsTf-hpLeGjoaAJ_K0gaQ38wkubsvvKQTnsuhM3vAfkc4iDA13tYCMeymrmTL4wJlHRM2penreOOq_keL-xtDZpKlrbs5Q/w400-h320/Common%20Potoo%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Common Potoo</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhGxDsVgJLivN1Ldas6hyXwixyjEGkjQykbrQwt1PjP3E-EatO06xRtsBnMwoflBru31dxuYL1ycyHVaHb_NNQZuPNoscjiE8SdsRCdKzN7r3i9njTfGntsnNhVf7Pl-N-UutkLlk4ui-RgJa-V4w42WOQdXvUDWnw1HCMBr7NiQpsE8dVWY71WXIOnJo/s4399/Pacific%20Screech-Owl%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3520" data-original-width="4399" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhGxDsVgJLivN1Ldas6hyXwixyjEGkjQykbrQwt1PjP3E-EatO06xRtsBnMwoflBru31dxuYL1ycyHVaHb_NNQZuPNoscjiE8SdsRCdKzN7r3i9njTfGntsnNhVf7Pl-N-UutkLlk4ui-RgJa-V4w42WOQdXvUDWnw1HCMBr7NiQpsE8dVWY71WXIOnJo/w400-h320/Pacific%20Screech-Owl%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Pacific Screech-Owl</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We returned to the dock at 9:30 and headed off to bird a short forest trail and check out some lagoons. The day was heating up quickly, and being out in the open was pretty warm. But there was a good breeze and much of the time we were in the shade of the forest, so it was tolerable. Teri and I posed at a sign urging folks to prevent forest fires. I'm the monkey, she's the sloth, in case you were wondering...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9zrPzzUBYXnVtKL8FG74jOjcwgOJtS32x205hjuyAoAvJk0E5QxbA8BVQBD5hOHN4SFXSyL7dH9HG1a-LaS3gwC2_hUkF7FynAhu6NnaFpWjHKSPjFN1dZo2Kvc-QAZdv5HSvUTqjJ-K_36W_WgpBc7T2TUNiyZVDDC4pAocPgWSFn5u4-qeA5gww9PE/s3420/Mark%20&%20Teri%20in%20forest%20fire%20sign.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3420" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9zrPzzUBYXnVtKL8FG74jOjcwgOJtS32x205hjuyAoAvJk0E5QxbA8BVQBD5hOHN4SFXSyL7dH9HG1a-LaS3gwC2_hUkF7FynAhu6NnaFpWjHKSPjFN1dZo2Kvc-QAZdv5HSvUTqjJ-K_36W_WgpBc7T2TUNiyZVDDC4pAocPgWSFn5u4-qeA5gww9PE/w400-h320/Mark%20&%20Teri%20in%20forest%20fire%20sign.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">On the trail we got good looks at a pair of Black-headed Trogons, as well as a Black-striped Sparrow gathering nesting material. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxh3mRR-mc5dAVuat5deM1ahi79AOPxX9vdQt4GVRuULfaORTLE9M5Z-veB1OZa6s7eHkWp8oRRS8t_4aGweFo_hyphenhyphenlCYSKhx7K66JwN5R79PkRWDYw4ywXPQjB8r3FTNerjt1ZUWh6UI8UgRcDDEGiYF4dk_KM-53C_hFZHixHhuCBqXOytxfcp6aeDxw/s4040/Black-headed%20Trogan%20female%20-%20Sendero%20Centro%20de%20Visitantes%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3232" data-original-width="4040" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxh3mRR-mc5dAVuat5deM1ahi79AOPxX9vdQt4GVRuULfaORTLE9M5Z-veB1OZa6s7eHkWp8oRRS8t_4aGweFo_hyphenhyphenlCYSKhx7K66JwN5R79PkRWDYw4ywXPQjB8r3FTNerjt1ZUWh6UI8UgRcDDEGiYF4dk_KM-53C_hFZHixHhuCBqXOytxfcp6aeDxw/w400-h320/Black-headed%20Trogan%20female%20-%20Sendero%20Centro%20de%20Visitantes%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Black-headed Trogon - female</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvbjMxm4OUMcGqFvtR0kyPAcXMZHJk23gcYtzn0SDcRamdEJa2pZ8dXuMEy9bzLmQN4SIO_5I4IWzW8UvGbpsX20zAyZQAyInReHomgiEd7Tua4bMFADBmugvZWaZroDVxGIkQmV_nBVmIxJ2da0b038u0bxr_Dod6U-7zzcf_DKnAhtMzbkFII-czckY/s4154/Black-headed%20Trogan%20male%20-%20Sendero%20Centro%20de%20Visitantes%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3323" data-original-width="4154" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvbjMxm4OUMcGqFvtR0kyPAcXMZHJk23gcYtzn0SDcRamdEJa2pZ8dXuMEy9bzLmQN4SIO_5I4IWzW8UvGbpsX20zAyZQAyInReHomgiEd7Tua4bMFADBmugvZWaZroDVxGIkQmV_nBVmIxJ2da0b038u0bxr_Dod6U-7zzcf_DKnAhtMzbkFII-czckY/w400-h320/Black-headed%20Trogan%20male%20-%20Sendero%20Centro%20de%20Visitantes%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Black-headed Trogon - male</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXSggDKyL0MOk0IZCGCwHlQhzOjcEnWkEsOs2dSEl3RpeTwLHhJ02GnxMbmqnwl5-3IFtGFfpUM-hc9Z6l4RDep34AY3ysRQ8H1RkH41GEm1qWkYMqsqq1UmvhEl-FelrBHlEhOpxHyqi5hwVR6OaL2A1hXaEkGiaU5BAuHuWznVk5tsqIQU8-OuIw1tE/s3176/Black-striped%20Sparrow%20-%20Sendero%20Centro%20de%20Visitantes%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2541" data-original-width="3176" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXSggDKyL0MOk0IZCGCwHlQhzOjcEnWkEsOs2dSEl3RpeTwLHhJ02GnxMbmqnwl5-3IFtGFfpUM-hc9Z6l4RDep34AY3ysRQ8H1RkH41GEm1qWkYMqsqq1UmvhEl-FelrBHlEhOpxHyqi5hwVR6OaL2A1hXaEkGiaU5BAuHuWznVk5tsqIQU8-OuIw1tE/w400-h320/Black-striped%20Sparrow%20-%20Sendero%20Centro%20de%20Visitantes%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-23-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Black-striped Sparrow</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We returned to the lodge at around 11:00, enjoyed a nice lunch and relaxed in the room until heading out again at 2:30.</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimns-vu-eyzeFZYA1IU9C4QO1XLN4h2t6p3a9d-CAmINz-Gmbz8y_w5gaq3La-jA6czR_5QQ5WGYVDgopiz5YT8-eAYNVH-gDal7Pu6ZktmZRu8A6zzxPOGrnRygrXG6Id_ciVbnPhQUtIaNaHtzF8X-73frE9FAKl4DXrGpF6QpV2gBZNjOQBpUc2M64/s3381/Lunch%20menu.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2705" data-original-width="3381" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimns-vu-eyzeFZYA1IU9C4QO1XLN4h2t6p3a9d-CAmINz-Gmbz8y_w5gaq3La-jA6czR_5QQ5WGYVDgopiz5YT8-eAYNVH-gDal7Pu6ZktmZRu8A6zzxPOGrnRygrXG6Id_ciVbnPhQUtIaNaHtzF8X-73frE9FAKl4DXrGpF6QpV2gBZNjOQBpUc2M64/w400-h320/Lunch%20menu.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFSbYfFZ7zdiWN6LuKt0Fz6oFpomWqgi6rncskmnqVIpiDRdjmRUAr9qY1Z6yBr4uynTp_XPniayXCjPSiyv9_pBEHxyrYkbBiuA9KfxNxSjFpkzUBsQsnri6g4Hce60nNsC0rOMD17fIuiteJTQenmQu4kFDUwX6fKSY8amJSXfEsM-AG8z0jXyyAgck/s3648/Lunch.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFSbYfFZ7zdiWN6LuKt0Fz6oFpomWqgi6rncskmnqVIpiDRdjmRUAr9qY1Z6yBr4uynTp_XPniayXCjPSiyv9_pBEHxyrYkbBiuA9KfxNxSjFpkzUBsQsnri6g4Hce60nNsC0rOMD17fIuiteJTQenmQu4kFDUwX6fKSY8amJSXfEsM-AG8z0jXyyAgck/w400-h300/Lunch.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Next - Back out in the boat.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Mark & Terihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410651360395422840noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767944521225965268.post-68492674361557363832024-02-16T05:00:00.003-06:002024-02-16T05:00:00.162-06:00Costa Rica 2024 - Day5<p><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Monday, January 22, 2024</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Today would be our final day in the Arenal area, and we had
a little “cleaning up” to do. We’d heard a couple of life birds but not seen
them well, and we were still missing a target for the area. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We headed out on the trails at Arenal Volcano Observatory
Lodge at 5:45. It was lighter than yesterday morning and not raining, so we
were off to a good start.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Our first siting was a female Spider Monkey carrying her
very young baby through the forest canopy. Spider Monkeys generally move
aggressively through the canopy, making big leaps and crashing from tree to
tree, but this one was moving gently and carefully. It was fun to see.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_eb_CWM3hbNrmoYX-SdQ_yB-jDxXSYoAldebGpzXGK4EKG3y0wUFtEJoys87eWvdtJtju-UCgJ3egNVF2mAoG6MnW4ljWOsZGbM-9liai2DvgGbHLTd0RvBY6y-CnnHdtGPq7ccfJy6TZ3OpTZh6Zw6Z8ut7mo5tRKiJPj2Z1i5jvC-oqpgOem47pfCk/s5005/Spider%20Monkey%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-22-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4004" data-original-width="5005" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_eb_CWM3hbNrmoYX-SdQ_yB-jDxXSYoAldebGpzXGK4EKG3y0wUFtEJoys87eWvdtJtju-UCgJ3egNVF2mAoG6MnW4ljWOsZGbM-9liai2DvgGbHLTd0RvBY6y-CnnHdtGPq7ccfJy6TZ3OpTZh6Zw6Z8ut7mo5tRKiJPj2Z1i5jvC-oqpgOem47pfCk/w400-h320/Spider%20Monkey%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-22-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Spider Monkey</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">One of our goals this morning was to see the small Thicket Antpitta. Antpittas are known for being vocal, but very secretive. We’d heard several but had yet to see one. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Out on the trail we got good looks at a Song Wren, another
often heard but seldom seen bird. And then we started hearing a Thicket
Antpitta. Johan called back to it and it moved closer and closer until he
spotted it in a thicket no more than 10 meters from the edge of the trail. We
watched it call and I got some decent pictures in spite of the gloomy
light in the thicket. Johan was very excited and said that it was the best he’d
ever seen it.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_6MrPH4TADYn9KMaIhisPOHQ811n9b_Q7ohHjyBzdnTZdoyOjLgRpbqXrw24ikLtokDGaKMO556cWfUYSeQ7NTMy7UPVFr47P_sTRD1-cfm9uxxosghrcym3AOeEDGYy-z55vIczaWhlSDsWRfXUjeWW3_84bQfdl_OdtZJOg1ijXs2RL4TnC9bSwJI/s4516/Thicket%20Antpitta%202%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-22-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3613" data-original-width="4516" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_6MrPH4TADYn9KMaIhisPOHQ811n9b_Q7ohHjyBzdnTZdoyOjLgRpbqXrw24ikLtokDGaKMO556cWfUYSeQ7NTMy7UPVFr47P_sTRD1-cfm9uxxosghrcym3AOeEDGYy-z55vIczaWhlSDsWRfXUjeWW3_84bQfdl_OdtZJOg1ijXs2RL4TnC9bSwJI/w400-h320/Thicket%20Antpitta%202%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-22-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELVDU2cjhJ-7WckP6AzojrHjz-GghfUv77q4zL-3mGKw73k-8zc6UqlwgWvqd9ttV21uTMfm11BTcJ8dyNTvV2Dk0nPg5OjCAOidQ8jZAP59NU8SaJsYfRqDIAoOx3MI5ONyImIBVn-RGPD72x00BRinpwbuzQmiDzzKR2lAxjdbrQSKL3WT6p7eFkmc/s3354/Thicket%20Antpitta%203%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-22-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2683" data-original-width="3354" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELVDU2cjhJ-7WckP6AzojrHjz-GghfUv77q4zL-3mGKw73k-8zc6UqlwgWvqd9ttV21uTMfm11BTcJ8dyNTvV2Dk0nPg5OjCAOidQ8jZAP59NU8SaJsYfRqDIAoOx3MI5ONyImIBVn-RGPD72x00BRinpwbuzQmiDzzKR2lAxjdbrQSKL3WT6p7eFkmc/w400-h320/Thicket%20Antpitta%203%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-22-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Thicket Antpitta</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">After breakfast we finished packing up and departed from
Arenal at 8:40. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ4IvD4xuAkBkOnyaCs7wI1i1DOCL7ep6YohwzKpqM2J6WgTH5BVuw71FqSUJeE21onoRLBdxnTH6NgAKr-W-qxKb5h0DIFzoTIB4kkgUIVG5ef3rC8xS1e4CuBG35o52jS9esUrIXTp2iM7dqyXQH0N0LM6J7fIbrXyDOjR5R6Jr1HBX8nxGO3WuvJr0/s2650/Mark%20&%20Johan%20at%20Arenal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2120" data-original-width="2650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ4IvD4xuAkBkOnyaCs7wI1i1DOCL7ep6YohwzKpqM2J6WgTH5BVuw71FqSUJeE21onoRLBdxnTH6NgAKr-W-qxKb5h0DIFzoTIB4kkgUIVG5ef3rC8xS1e4CuBG35o52jS9esUrIXTp2iM7dqyXQH0N0LM6J7fIbrXyDOjR5R6Jr1HBX8nxGO3WuvJr0/w400-h320/Mark%20&%20Johan%20at%20Arenal.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Final morning at Arenal</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We’d decided to return to Bogarin in the hope of seeing the Uniform Crake that we’d heard two days ago, and finally seeing a Keel-billed Motmot. After a lot of effort we finally did get to see the Crake as
it moved through a thick patch of grass and shrubs. Our views were quick as it
passed through openings and breaks in the foliage, but that is typical for the
species and we were satisfied to have seen it at all. We also saw a couple of
three-toed sloths in the canopy. They seem to be smiling at you sometimes!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYa12c3TriYRph-LZkjpD9Q0uscuo2ryN0YKnuR2WhTEY4-6hDrXQz5qHcYvwK_BquxEir-5L-uhSq9iTB_7Ei12ytcWLaSm4UQXDADWGSihsPgbwUgB0KrpVDCzgHTN2H6QPEqZjMErTR7uB0hIkBBeevt5VMpclZ6x07FsQ4PgzmTqq0iCoeMw_Ji0Y/s4664/Three-toed%20Sloth%202%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-22-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3731" data-original-width="4664" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYa12c3TriYRph-LZkjpD9Q0uscuo2ryN0YKnuR2WhTEY4-6hDrXQz5qHcYvwK_BquxEir-5L-uhSq9iTB_7Ei12ytcWLaSm4UQXDADWGSihsPgbwUgB0KrpVDCzgHTN2H6QPEqZjMErTR7uB0hIkBBeevt5VMpclZ6x07FsQ4PgzmTqq0iCoeMw_Ji0Y/w400-h320/Three-toed%20Sloth%202%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-22-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7DpbjIqIFppZspFq1sTiDrMRSGrG_OE_Ivu9OD3JdsAp4hXrfZz6r3aF2vtCa_SjqL4qkhlwkia4xljayGfZWUWOATJa-Whl_s6O07XUOOIwXEjwDK8BcSXOq8e3Qy1NY1hLDEQgJTQxr72hvdZP-2WWITojTlGYZXXIUD1RauJA3__HFAiAIcSasQNc/s2950/Three-toed%20Sloth%203%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-22-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2360" data-original-width="2950" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7DpbjIqIFppZspFq1sTiDrMRSGrG_OE_Ivu9OD3JdsAp4hXrfZz6r3aF2vtCa_SjqL4qkhlwkia4xljayGfZWUWOATJa-Whl_s6O07XUOOIwXEjwDK8BcSXOq8e3Qy1NY1hLDEQgJTQxr72hvdZP-2WWITojTlGYZXXIUD1RauJA3__HFAiAIcSasQNc/w400-h320/Three-toed%20Sloth%203%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-22-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzjCIdmRQoDcSSpDV4uYVGV463oqW_JpconN5oQTKSjXDWb9zDsjzi8h1BvddeyCap6KRBRbCnZ_o65Kh0mzeoTuxfBJ07jTWUNBvy4XBTkfNryYoVRpCj9YzOlOexVzQAzRxQTSobZz8uSZMMe_4Ys5RNt1htTjUDu50xRVaEa4e69k0b3zdgfxvdo74/s5142/Three-toed%20Sloth%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-22-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4114" data-original-width="5142" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzjCIdmRQoDcSSpDV4uYVGV463oqW_JpconN5oQTKSjXDWb9zDsjzi8h1BvddeyCap6KRBRbCnZ_o65Kh0mzeoTuxfBJ07jTWUNBvy4XBTkfNryYoVRpCj9YzOlOexVzQAzRxQTSobZz8uSZMMe_4Ys5RNt1htTjUDu50xRVaEa4e69k0b3zdgfxvdo74/w400-h320/Three-toed%20Sloth%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-22-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Three-toed Sloth</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Sloths are the main reason that about 99 percent
of folks visit here, and many were perplexed by our staring up into the trees,
but not at a sloth! Crazy birders…</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We saw a couple of Strawberry Poison Dart Frogs, also known
as Blue Jeans Poison Frog. They are tiny, no larger than my thumbnail, but fun to find and observe. <o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihx8f3PoBhAuXvI1Yw4xhsIW2k0Zj1Ry1OGklkkjOINKc5PTU-OS9k2guWHlvNiDuBw1ZqCWdxSPyQG-XZGSQKjWmLbCJ6OsNTE7nqMypLI15lXm17Ih4-VMwhUupx8T5ZeGUsqSrHT_wpHaPw_KyS2RYr0oCWChadsfMJj7-2GFSFLc2LGqqALyfiW8g/s3326/Strawberry%20Poison%20Dart%20frog%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-22-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2661" data-original-width="3326" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihx8f3PoBhAuXvI1Yw4xhsIW2k0Zj1Ry1OGklkkjOINKc5PTU-OS9k2guWHlvNiDuBw1ZqCWdxSPyQG-XZGSQKjWmLbCJ6OsNTE7nqMypLI15lXm17Ih4-VMwhUupx8T5ZeGUsqSrHT_wpHaPw_KyS2RYr0oCWChadsfMJj7-2GFSFLc2LGqqALyfiW8g/w400-h320/Strawberry%20Poison%20Dart%20frog%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-22-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Strawberry Poison Dart Frog</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Other non-bird sightings included a Coati and a Common Basilisk Lizard. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPOVkIa26IRnRsSOUjWYbwNThunH9bd-VFwgxeOKSK77SiQahDLDsDL2llPFIxl5UqW1sPWVLmMT27Lv8S_J0R1cqwVqTgDWhQFETLJJink4l4R5wZx3yOIvB77ZQ99GBo7mNoffZD-vDDG9ekNnEQrHJexQpKfumWBWqyPJ3M-6MapNB2A3m-oK6LZ7U/s5674/Coati%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-22-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4540" data-original-width="5674" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPOVkIa26IRnRsSOUjWYbwNThunH9bd-VFwgxeOKSK77SiQahDLDsDL2llPFIxl5UqW1sPWVLmMT27Lv8S_J0R1cqwVqTgDWhQFETLJJink4l4R5wZx3yOIvB77ZQ99GBo7mNoffZD-vDDG9ekNnEQrHJexQpKfumWBWqyPJ3M-6MapNB2A3m-oK6LZ7U/w400-h320/Coati%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-22-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Coati</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmgMrFVGg18AsuTBO16YtlFcPmbuzlJ9wS1H0QnLzXMRn51JOCRg4mw7CfeelLWCOpiHTzn0gcClltgDUoytJrd83jPIlEzjVTI8ERgAjhHNZccatdnkgxW7nym5m2nXBxo1__Fzz1dUwyqwfnkVjxHpdYCLMndE9yB-rCYEUosUgbxVA5M-i299L5U4c/s6219/Common%20basilisk%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-22-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4975" data-original-width="6219" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmgMrFVGg18AsuTBO16YtlFcPmbuzlJ9wS1H0QnLzXMRn51JOCRg4mw7CfeelLWCOpiHTzn0gcClltgDUoytJrd83jPIlEzjVTI8ERgAjhHNZccatdnkgxW7nym5m2nXBxo1__Fzz1dUwyqwfnkVjxHpdYCLMndE9yB-rCYEUosUgbxVA5M-i299L5U4c/w400-h320/Common%20basilisk%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-22-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Common Basilisk</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In spite of our best efforts we struck out on the
Keel-billed Motmot once again, and set off on our drive. We hadn’t been driving
long when Johan swung onto a side street that dead-ended at a stream. He’d been told by a fellow
guide that this was a possible place so see the Motmot. Sure enough, we hadn’t
been there more than a couple of minutes when a Keel-billed Motmot started
calling from a limb over the creek. This
was a lifer for us and we were pleased to get such good looks. So we were
three-for-three on our morning clean-up.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_KPDqBtYMwZB7eKs4G6VXDtmhTGRjYGWtgId-lno9YEppMXjKmdj-1lqkz1agsJL9kKRKHgoy-LsT7qD2N6vTk12I7Y15GUO72FHBu5_pViY8yhl3ZR71AOOmut6TyOM7_K0016t_z-NgFVCAFO8dpHTzJu6rJUcJ0lDI4xIJ-O1Khmc1onkjsb6eEs/s3828/Keel-billed%20Motmot%20-%20Arenal--Villas%20Eco%20Arenal%2001-22-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3063" data-original-width="3828" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_KPDqBtYMwZB7eKs4G6VXDtmhTGRjYGWtgId-lno9YEppMXjKmdj-1lqkz1agsJL9kKRKHgoy-LsT7qD2N6vTk12I7Y15GUO72FHBu5_pViY8yhl3ZR71AOOmut6TyOM7_K0016t_z-NgFVCAFO8dpHTzJu6rJUcJ0lDI4xIJ-O1Khmc1onkjsb6eEs/w400-h320/Keel-billed%20Motmot%20-%20Arenal--Villas%20Eco%20Arenal%2001-22-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Keel-billed Motmot</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We had an excellent lunch in the town of El Tanque and then
headed on toward Caño Negro, a system of rivers and lagoons very near the Nicaraguan
border. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGr5yIBSNBqtcp07r7ih4HVnDwcJqZt9Up-sQ92CoMBbLzP1QqmTYgELJKzHvgTJPtM2uq8DLVILLKUwIwUwfiUvu30A5CsdPB0tg_920YUQzjKnjOet36ZsTu370MGAX03c2va9FUK9WXbe1pQeLbjbbvI_unUFqSiZwpzsOQZnbCIg4o9O7Sxk1aCms/s3323/drink.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2659" data-original-width="3323" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGr5yIBSNBqtcp07r7ih4HVnDwcJqZt9Up-sQ92CoMBbLzP1QqmTYgELJKzHvgTJPtM2uq8DLVILLKUwIwUwfiUvu30A5CsdPB0tg_920YUQzjKnjOet36ZsTu370MGAX03c2va9FUK9WXbe1pQeLbjbbvI_unUFqSiZwpzsOQZnbCIg4o9O7Sxk1aCms/w400-h320/drink.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Icy fruit drink with paper straw</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQE2rNwu5rRheCr4Bf_9dGb0fcMdsvCupAnGtuNGTbXPc0muhqCJYhiRIFTIdIF0_Ho_i5LM9UlWwqdHqDlCNOM_mUKJJHzBWd64VcsmP3qm_J6AA5Hwn5dmSGzzfBPCm3LG6y44yLnq4tVIT1tN_xJ8O2ToCaPFkxMHN7HtPwKBRco2Yp4la8aDkCeZo/s3195/lunch.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2556" data-original-width="3195" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQE2rNwu5rRheCr4Bf_9dGb0fcMdsvCupAnGtuNGTbXPc0muhqCJYhiRIFTIdIF0_Ho_i5LM9UlWwqdHqDlCNOM_mUKJJHzBWd64VcsmP3qm_J6AA5Hwn5dmSGzzfBPCm3LG6y44yLnq4tVIT1tN_xJ8O2ToCaPFkxMHN7HtPwKBRco2Yp4la8aDkCeZo/w400-h320/lunch.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We stopped several times on our drive to view birds like Peregrine
Falcon and later the tiny Bat Falcon. Once we turned off of the main highway
and on to the gravel road to Cano Negro we started to encounter wetlands and
flooded grasslands that we full of birds. Teri and I had visited this area
twice before on day trips from Arenal, but this time we were going deeper into
the area and would stay three nights at a lodge in the area.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrtitQTCRN365FdL0_guOu-Yyxlc8dKWHnJfKqFMPHGIrsnxbInfWOYl2egWp0jHz5qPx8-kb_m3u96RlxePZO1jWcoX56q-f9I5dtP42zjZiqlrx72orOjj2hQ5GmKwcGepacVhC70Vez3EAqEyfAvlk6yxQrJDO2oYtk5ucyvHwVUi1qvM0JBeD5k-g/s2422/Black-crowned%20Tityra%20female%20-%20Entrada%20Los%20Chiles%20(El%20Parque)%20hasta%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-22-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1938" data-original-width="2422" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrtitQTCRN365FdL0_guOu-Yyxlc8dKWHnJfKqFMPHGIrsnxbInfWOYl2egWp0jHz5qPx8-kb_m3u96RlxePZO1jWcoX56q-f9I5dtP42zjZiqlrx72orOjj2hQ5GmKwcGepacVhC70Vez3EAqEyfAvlk6yxQrJDO2oYtk5ucyvHwVUi1qvM0JBeD5k-g/w400-h320/Black-crowned%20Tityra%20female%20-%20Entrada%20Los%20Chiles%20(El%20Parque)%20hasta%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-22-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Black-crowned Tityra - female</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHFgZByqp8stRZ_KksfrN3Pzv7F4DISQqwIXRFdmnhgRh_3b3n11lL4FZhigOI5M_GnwkeNJ9H4OCv9NaK2Lszl6vRpL_1DsAyM-2rH5R2_z_hRWTF8GO0XYguiKRRUpMw1vNfuWOPN3ICDQcxdbYwhQpSggXQ0J-cAyXJ5DjEmDc4ptcGSnmE3kdf52U/s2912/Black-crowned%20Tityra%20male%20-%20Entrada%20Los%20Chiles%20(El%20Parque)%20hasta%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-22-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2330" data-original-width="2912" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHFgZByqp8stRZ_KksfrN3Pzv7F4DISQqwIXRFdmnhgRh_3b3n11lL4FZhigOI5M_GnwkeNJ9H4OCv9NaK2Lszl6vRpL_1DsAyM-2rH5R2_z_hRWTF8GO0XYguiKRRUpMw1vNfuWOPN3ICDQcxdbYwhQpSggXQ0J-cAyXJ5DjEmDc4ptcGSnmE3kdf52U/w400-h320/Black-crowned%20Tityra%20male%20-%20Entrada%20Los%20Chiles%20(El%20Parque)%20hasta%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-22-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Black-crowned Tityra - male</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We were able to see and photograph several Nicaraguan
Seed-Finchs, which just make it south into this area of Costa Rica. The similar Thick-billed Seed-Finch is here as well. The main difference is the color of the bill in the males. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMBF3hEAACDmFvTvzGTtYuXwYaMeJNLw6PBm4q_h4SyiQNKdqDgUfS1PLYFi6JiUUfbjwtZLViqAKoYa-aPByWjsBBO9EbsA9-S6hnhmO_zNTgQoXthhVS8Q6_HKpTrtOrqVJdzAqf9emL8rCDejQFSGKBOeYwXWVS_QDJNpmrSsplVfDov5LFpM6LyCQ/s2495/Nicaraguan%20Seedfinch%20female%20-%20Ruta%20138-_Upala%20-%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-22-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1996" data-original-width="2495" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMBF3hEAACDmFvTvzGTtYuXwYaMeJNLw6PBm4q_h4SyiQNKdqDgUfS1PLYFi6JiUUfbjwtZLViqAKoYa-aPByWjsBBO9EbsA9-S6hnhmO_zNTgQoXthhVS8Q6_HKpTrtOrqVJdzAqf9emL8rCDejQFSGKBOeYwXWVS_QDJNpmrSsplVfDov5LFpM6LyCQ/w400-h320/Nicaraguan%20Seedfinch%20female%20-%20Ruta%20138-_Upala%20-%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-22-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Nicaraguan Seed-Finch female</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0WOyJHnd32Iv3cWqbvJHLkKYSWiJyWEJFaKgLTNGJxYazdwCZjNaEJY6v-yngmuVk3dnimU-1fROxf71qfZL3yCXLBE2r4LfZqALpj-PLA83LwzmANVuMPQNUtUpVx76ZfHek7d-bLkuIpGltvrVG6E0DqRlIw_CyLoAd0TDPXTGZottOyAW3ajE6_6Q/s3313/Nicaraguan%20Seedfinch%20male%20-%20Ruta%20138-_Upala%20-%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-22-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2651" data-original-width="3313" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0WOyJHnd32Iv3cWqbvJHLkKYSWiJyWEJFaKgLTNGJxYazdwCZjNaEJY6v-yngmuVk3dnimU-1fROxf71qfZL3yCXLBE2r4LfZqALpj-PLA83LwzmANVuMPQNUtUpVx76ZfHek7d-bLkuIpGltvrVG6E0DqRlIw_CyLoAd0TDPXTGZottOyAW3ajE6_6Q/w400-h320/Nicaraguan%20Seedfinch%20male%20-%20Ruta%20138-_Upala%20-%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-22-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Nicaraguan Seed-Finch male</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-UTwMOe9muutoIW_kEu8FIdQ7BTyMxWJyz_TgYTr0EAtueEj2a_3OGbJHlrXGQW_Kky9So4O00mq1Rs0bITTzHE-NqciJ9dbyKaUcZFDW2gcJw9hRnuhCYNmNYRB7IfF2i0D1j8TSkDoKnKnIevjp1GNvHDNRE3tfu37HQIstgB9Xk3Vm714g55grb4/s4662/Thick-billed%20Seedfinch%20male%20-%20Ruta%20138-_Upala%20-%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-22-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3730" data-original-width="4662" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-UTwMOe9muutoIW_kEu8FIdQ7BTyMxWJyz_TgYTr0EAtueEj2a_3OGbJHlrXGQW_Kky9So4O00mq1Rs0bITTzHE-NqciJ9dbyKaUcZFDW2gcJw9hRnuhCYNmNYRB7IfF2i0D1j8TSkDoKnKnIevjp1GNvHDNRE3tfu37HQIstgB9Xk3Vm714g55grb4/w400-h320/Thick-billed%20Seedfinch%20male%20-%20Ruta%20138-_Upala%20-%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-22-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Thick-billed Seed-Finch male</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We stopped at a couple of lagoons near our hotel and saw quite a few new waders,
shorebirds, and kingfishers for our trip. We also found a small group of Olive-throated Parakeets along the roadside. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAg7mQy59-sN0Spg2034mlDAnJ6FDDKlfLnuNCeoKcynjcxyOoAUzBEqTsmno7H-Xd3UhqI8AVgPZ_yI25sk2I94Tpt3JDJfILYDI6FxolLF-TV_pN9yui9-SWYdq1nM6lBrr6QQbZS36POrtGpzdt16w-0BPMVqymeg5k-Ww0ahmifZVHIxrV1yWZuv8/s2532/Northern%20Jacana%202%20-%20Entrada%20Los%20Chiles%20(El%20Parque)%20hasta%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-22-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2026" data-original-width="2532" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAg7mQy59-sN0Spg2034mlDAnJ6FDDKlfLnuNCeoKcynjcxyOoAUzBEqTsmno7H-Xd3UhqI8AVgPZ_yI25sk2I94Tpt3JDJfILYDI6FxolLF-TV_pN9yui9-SWYdq1nM6lBrr6QQbZS36POrtGpzdt16w-0BPMVqymeg5k-Ww0ahmifZVHIxrV1yWZuv8/w400-h320/Northern%20Jacana%202%20-%20Entrada%20Los%20Chiles%20(El%20Parque)%20hasta%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-22-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Northern Jacana</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYjq9w0XWhWwSO7Bi5EAJakm2nkmT5i1DSodGrczX3tXInUYJKaL7HeFZDlzuUDuILQ9bxFmcdKcyknMzMIMi38V5sggMcAX7UpIMpBkXkt4Njy5fyWGJk8ywq5_HgeA2KuUQlfUIiUczsVkq1dZ07OqXGzTADhdXIh-nhrO4G1bdTJU_efash26zap58/s3427/Olive-throated%20Parakeet%202%20-%20Ruta%20Nacional%20Secundaria%20138,%20Provincia%20de%20Alajuela%2001-22-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2741" data-original-width="3427" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYjq9w0XWhWwSO7Bi5EAJakm2nkmT5i1DSodGrczX3tXInUYJKaL7HeFZDlzuUDuILQ9bxFmcdKcyknMzMIMi38V5sggMcAX7UpIMpBkXkt4Njy5fyWGJk8ywq5_HgeA2KuUQlfUIiUczsVkq1dZ07OqXGzTADhdXIh-nhrO4G1bdTJU_efash26zap58/w400-h320/Olive-throated%20Parakeet%202%20-%20Ruta%20Nacional%20Secundaria%20138,%20Provincia%20de%20Alajuela%2001-22-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Olive-throated Parakeet</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We encountered this curiously worded warning sign. Are the crocodiles poor swimmers, or??</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTa2CMR8mrEaae7y5F1eykdMUUat8iBinI4ALIA2BTg_2rD45jdlRc1iU7_chGrYawWGEPt_p3fcuBryU41iwZwMLvfvcIp-ti_iJjPuCbLsdOAws0trSUU6Yv4Rxkc8Fn46w_Jrp9NMpmg7FjdlZzjePmV_BgUQA9whX_tnX19gt-5_HVElNhltft2FQ/s5827/Crocodile%20Swimming%20sign.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4662" data-original-width="5827" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTa2CMR8mrEaae7y5F1eykdMUUat8iBinI4ALIA2BTg_2rD45jdlRc1iU7_chGrYawWGEPt_p3fcuBryU41iwZwMLvfvcIp-ti_iJjPuCbLsdOAws0trSUU6Yv4Rxkc8Fn46w_Jrp9NMpmg7FjdlZzjePmV_BgUQA9whX_tnX19gt-5_HVElNhltft2FQ/w400-h320/Crocodile%20Swimming%20sign.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4hsDqQkbMooJczipHJ7586ZbRRnc-VnFgGcOjCa8DVd-PGMmeCrpYvweONiJalx8gLdfhSPdqCLy9GHCBgBxLb9m1wejw6ieNzATwN-9zG6ipDwmVa6qL1CDHNyhx2zlOBuQI4uNCqYMfgIh7hId2s9EXhb3Jv_suTz7harQkO8wUTgZaQ-W9P34TMfM/s5159/Caymen%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-22-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4127" data-original-width="5159" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4hsDqQkbMooJczipHJ7586ZbRRnc-VnFgGcOjCa8DVd-PGMmeCrpYvweONiJalx8gLdfhSPdqCLy9GHCBgBxLb9m1wejw6ieNzATwN-9zG6ipDwmVa6qL1CDHNyhx2zlOBuQI4uNCqYMfgIh7hId2s9EXhb3Jv_suTz7harQkO8wUTgZaQ-W9P34TMfM/w400-h320/Caymen%20-%20Refugio%20mixto%20Ca%C3%B1o%20Negro%2001-22-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Seems to be swimming ok. A Caiman, actually...</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br />We finally headed to our next lodge,
Natural Lodge Caño Negro, where we checked into our (air conditioned!) room and relaxed for an
hour before heading off to dinner.</span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmhNyOU4TRNfxuMiE-32wKkcE-bqPcspGJz6Vo3zD5DSjAJaWVbC1EMmVA8_NWIhSY0VdGQXXBM9ae52Wep6RP_8IgolK7fQsIkgkOtkxQCEt2F5B8uPXMKvqlKUHk4sfaaxZUry5F2HllBk4BabsaWRgYo5Q2DtTAC3m0-uvZT0lg7NrD25QRuILvqxU/s2294/Cano%20Negro%20check-in.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1835" data-original-width="2294" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmhNyOU4TRNfxuMiE-32wKkcE-bqPcspGJz6Vo3zD5DSjAJaWVbC1EMmVA8_NWIhSY0VdGQXXBM9ae52Wep6RP_8IgolK7fQsIkgkOtkxQCEt2F5B8uPXMKvqlKUHk4sfaaxZUry5F2HllBk4BabsaWRgYo5Q2DtTAC3m0-uvZT0lg7NrD25QRuILvqxU/w400-h320/Cano%20Negro%20check-in.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimfoiBv4oYNA2yA3NTL_v5Ok-xHsJ7tmLiB8RfDH-GF9To8OOJeZQyFtXx1ufjvGbQc5FGBaElQI_kBLMGa-iOQhVmnJ_-K7lfKBhqOYfOdjs0cQSzN6K4SDUZBN5YWhfbk5crEbopoPpFgVmxgjTNa3awNN0o5c9WG-5HYXVLnJgsFoa8TVpEQab-SZw/s3648/Cano%20Negro%20room.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimfoiBv4oYNA2yA3NTL_v5Ok-xHsJ7tmLiB8RfDH-GF9To8OOJeZQyFtXx1ufjvGbQc5FGBaElQI_kBLMGa-iOQhVmnJ_-K7lfKBhqOYfOdjs0cQSzN6K4SDUZBN5YWhfbk5crEbopoPpFgVmxgjTNa3awNN0o5c9WG-5HYXVLnJgsFoa8TVpEQab-SZw/w400-h300/Cano%20Negro%20room.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Natural Lodge Caño Negro</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Next - Birding from boats.</span><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Mark & Terihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410651360395422840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767944521225965268.post-62595603683030487672024-02-13T05:00:00.018-06:002024-02-13T05:00:00.141-06:00Costa Rica 2024 - Day 4<p><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Sunday, January 21, 2024</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We met Johan at 5:45 and headed directly for a forest trail. The day was drizzly and overcast, and we were surprised at how little light there was. But we pressed on, eventually seeing some good birds on the gloomy trail, including lifers Middle-American Leaftosser and Chiriqui Quail-Dove. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNTV4Y1vy2ZA5Gos8Tkg4VeBypAsQka_zqsWeEnT26z3kPJijnQLnOWah9pwKyWdmH2qgFYTuh8fUTGT_2tmFgkrAlyIhJO34VWp4Fljv96SvHttsUSdnekqMus0MXHZDQmFc6cUjFN2ftWkso7aNKUXmMuDkaDr1HUDZrOS84Hjz1VxGuSrE3ud-10-U/s1025/Middle%20American%20Leaftosser%204%20tight%20crop%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-21-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="820" data-original-width="1025" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNTV4Y1vy2ZA5Gos8Tkg4VeBypAsQka_zqsWeEnT26z3kPJijnQLnOWah9pwKyWdmH2qgFYTuh8fUTGT_2tmFgkrAlyIhJO34VWp4Fljv96SvHttsUSdnekqMus0MXHZDQmFc6cUjFN2ftWkso7aNKUXmMuDkaDr1HUDZrOS84Hjz1VxGuSrE3ud-10-U/w400-h320/Middle%20American%20Leaftosser%204%20tight%20crop%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-21-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Middle-American Leaftosser</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As we continued birding it began to rain. This would be the theme for the day. We headed back to the lodge, and ate breakfast at 8:45, Americano for Teri and Huevos Rancheros for me. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">After breakfast we drove to “Papa’s Place”, a nearby private home and garden in La Fortuna. Gerald and Priscilla are an </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">entrepreneurial</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> couple that run a variety of tours and classes, and have only recently opened their home to birders. It turns out that we would see Gerald each of the next two days leading bird tours away from his home. They have a cute little dog that liked to be petted. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZVHyeesEuwRiJH3zTmZ9dxZS647YdFqlOyC7_M0Nc7ySbP1VFpHvqkEW1VW4pfPCq36M1IIhNkPAyi9rectfOwGsoesRW9jNxrdToRNlbvbIU-WX4mogAsXMj9ME0V7DrLFhU4xXeKPIXLjba-XBL7cbBzmYtUq4KnxWVEdv9PG7MXT5g_72esmIhU0/s4032/Teri%20with%20dog%20at%20Papa's%20Place.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZVHyeesEuwRiJH3zTmZ9dxZS647YdFqlOyC7_M0Nc7ySbP1VFpHvqkEW1VW4pfPCq36M1IIhNkPAyi9rectfOwGsoesRW9jNxrdToRNlbvbIU-WX4mogAsXMj9ME0V7DrLFhU4xXeKPIXLjba-XBL7cbBzmYtUq4KnxWVEdv9PG7MXT5g_72esmIhU0/w400-h225/Teri%20with%20dog%20at%20Papa's%20Place.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">They have a very nice feeder set-up with good perches for photography, and some nice surrounding acreage for forest birds. The feeders were hopping with various tanagers, euphonias, three toucan species, woodpeckers, etc. Not to mention larger birds like guans and chachalacas. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIm4MVmaJjjLWnD-VchRhCIL4JZoc2KWZK0-LAhSgb1M99-aNAcaoE2vXZPnz62YIJ_uUBuj8TgCYK2V081mHcR9fHL-7ErkaH2FfOIHXUhyphenhyphenSwlmRGry72-jDNY9BOx993WfJvqcnt210k0bpHKmmqyOeU6zXmtssV0-wfWQT2PpOtchqCpfbfwtf44WY/s3134/Collared%20Aracari%203%20-%20Papa's%20Place%2001-21-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2507" data-original-width="3134" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIm4MVmaJjjLWnD-VchRhCIL4JZoc2KWZK0-LAhSgb1M99-aNAcaoE2vXZPnz62YIJ_uUBuj8TgCYK2V081mHcR9fHL-7ErkaH2FfOIHXUhyphenhyphenSwlmRGry72-jDNY9BOx993WfJvqcnt210k0bpHKmmqyOeU6zXmtssV0-wfWQT2PpOtchqCpfbfwtf44WY/w400-h320/Collared%20Aracari%203%20-%20Papa's%20Place%2001-21-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Collared Aracari</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbsAaAs_-awsPJF-YU-ctR6k3-Dcu23AzGuPObmoa1o9SkoC6LKw34v-zIIUYySM6iETOPS_FHXI0MCPtZ5NdW4OZWGdDMIE5oiJ4I9XHcQw-MApTaBBtOmTCqddP02xqyc4_GqAi4q1sGV97EPtQW0ETNYWDUCG73A3LYQMQ1MJDP5A0Dxnbqr02u4M/s3855/Keel-billed%20Toucan%204%20-%20Papa's%20Place%2001-21-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3084" data-original-width="3855" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbsAaAs_-awsPJF-YU-ctR6k3-Dcu23AzGuPObmoa1o9SkoC6LKw34v-zIIUYySM6iETOPS_FHXI0MCPtZ5NdW4OZWGdDMIE5oiJ4I9XHcQw-MApTaBBtOmTCqddP02xqyc4_GqAi4q1sGV97EPtQW0ETNYWDUCG73A3LYQMQ1MJDP5A0Dxnbqr02u4M/w400-h320/Keel-billed%20Toucan%204%20-%20Papa's%20Place%2001-21-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Keel-billed Toucan (the Fruit Loops bird!)</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG6bn8LyMwrABczamsjcMHb4_5OD7k7jQaTpulxZlLn1yMx7dj-YqvvG-7UuN72CxFh8v1Fny2I1nasPiw8Lw00qf8EMWUWJfrIEXo_-3lMn1sHYCI6bDRiBs9gMlkHtBL3DAsFR8isqdNsP5uWMxPn4CZZTWBKQTIqPKyVdGg7pKSzUu5Ola3rIU8nK0/s5556/Yellow-throated%20Toucan%20-%20Papa's%20Place%2001-21-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4445" data-original-width="5556" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG6bn8LyMwrABczamsjcMHb4_5OD7k7jQaTpulxZlLn1yMx7dj-YqvvG-7UuN72CxFh8v1Fny2I1nasPiw8Lw00qf8EMWUWJfrIEXo_-3lMn1sHYCI6bDRiBs9gMlkHtBL3DAsFR8isqdNsP5uWMxPn4CZZTWBKQTIqPKyVdGg7pKSzUu5Ola3rIU8nK0/w400-h320/Yellow-throated%20Toucan%20-%20Papa's%20Place%2001-21-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Yellow-throated Toucan</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFUs28Z7iGptTZbitEwD7GNTkdy49K3hRYRIaVVgxO92ZpV2_T2BJQSmwXhn44tVcw7ZBem_IT9eB8lExHtSqpp_54MTouSMUaGSYv7cwZygAGGeLu5ksjGuDP42PZ5EKvn4I6Y0UqrgHZRyFaUG1iqfWxQedljU1nY7zQWWRTXxczxXz0lSF25YAcYFE/s5318/Crested%20Guan%20-%20Papa's%20Place%2001-21-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4255" data-original-width="5318" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFUs28Z7iGptTZbitEwD7GNTkdy49K3hRYRIaVVgxO92ZpV2_T2BJQSmwXhn44tVcw7ZBem_IT9eB8lExHtSqpp_54MTouSMUaGSYv7cwZygAGGeLu5ksjGuDP42PZ5EKvn4I6Y0UqrgHZRyFaUG1iqfWxQedljU1nY7zQWWRTXxczxXz0lSF25YAcYFE/w400-h320/Crested%20Guan%20-%20Papa's%20Place%2001-21-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Crested Guan</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In some of the Tanager and Euphonia species the males and females look very different. Other than the same bluish bill, the Scarlet-rumped Tanagers look completely different. </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtxSEPYNIpBwhq6_4CgNi7wsd04UPwi8hAr85BolGMiN5ljbL4cI2hkmSHYJjfDGQD38IgUcntnFwOon-UhhTjUF7JNp4g-edxzuQtMk7wZclpNI8xSS2KjRwQLJawjY843YYYJui52R5CnbCSOprR2gShxOCA8amGKcYnp8TEtxCq54mw9icWPdTUL04/s2618/Scarlet-rumped%20Tanager%20female%20-%20Papa's%20Place%2001-21-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2094" data-original-width="2618" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtxSEPYNIpBwhq6_4CgNi7wsd04UPwi8hAr85BolGMiN5ljbL4cI2hkmSHYJjfDGQD38IgUcntnFwOon-UhhTjUF7JNp4g-edxzuQtMk7wZclpNI8xSS2KjRwQLJawjY843YYYJui52R5CnbCSOprR2gShxOCA8amGKcYnp8TEtxCq54mw9icWPdTUL04/w400-h320/Scarlet-rumped%20Tanager%20female%20-%20Papa's%20Place%2001-21-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Scarlet-rumped Tanager - female</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQWloAQO2zkIcGF5zT6HliRHmdrBZZraVOv87IX5RnQCRyUnXEmnCyQfKi5fhf_gN72O1CZuwHGSytj1QvJRlwdN8zD_EQN-w1CMKBhEC0N7-JLYw1YSi9tKO8tIs64q0Fa1CMkhwzoGkCG8YxiujPawykmeJyP2gXr5ltJNL5G2Q7-5ZkJbbBXGzK00w/s2998/Scarlet-rumped%20Tanager%20male%202%20-%20Papa's%20Place%2001-21-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2399" data-original-width="2998" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQWloAQO2zkIcGF5zT6HliRHmdrBZZraVOv87IX5RnQCRyUnXEmnCyQfKi5fhf_gN72O1CZuwHGSytj1QvJRlwdN8zD_EQN-w1CMKBhEC0N7-JLYw1YSi9tKO8tIs64q0Fa1CMkhwzoGkCG8YxiujPawykmeJyP2gXr5ltJNL5G2Q7-5ZkJbbBXGzK00w/w400-h320/Scarlet-rumped%20Tanager%20male%202%20-%20Papa's%20Place%2001-21-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Scarlet-rumped Tanager - male</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-hzyfXD2b_bwZkeG-s-PBxZ9E9Frll3XucaSmo3MLXOzbglZotAk31qYLIyIEcSZ4GmzVyB0P_V5FTF0i82FYI9LzTX9VX7G0Z0zvIgtLdvl9TR7Dlw1YhboOvgKBC5YM0erlv_HHhsiXbh_TOUQn43lJepR4E-4KBIyR0n0kRedXb_xaKWOYnvlQ4JE/s2633/Yellow-throated%20Euphonia%202%20-%20Papa's%20Place%2001-21-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2106" data-original-width="2633" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-hzyfXD2b_bwZkeG-s-PBxZ9E9Frll3XucaSmo3MLXOzbglZotAk31qYLIyIEcSZ4GmzVyB0P_V5FTF0i82FYI9LzTX9VX7G0Z0zvIgtLdvl9TR7Dlw1YhboOvgKBC5YM0erlv_HHhsiXbh_TOUQn43lJepR4E-4KBIyR0n0kRedXb_xaKWOYnvlQ4JE/w400-h320/Yellow-throated%20Euphonia%202%20-%20Papa's%20Place%2001-21-2024.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Yellow-throated Euphonia - male</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimI7QGxRrGU-XNuIh3uV5jzFvkNqkcul1y6ruOlBUQhxJBUfVd0NSKk0hoRPI2dW247H3DtTG0WE0NJIGE_on2dEjazkjh6GzK7W1tWjH3SSCtIMOohG9I1E1RwqfNyJIadEygAR1BwZj0MWpLsF2I61SQ4HwiEkM5AxN3ZOjH8pFsV5ox83tN8S7B87E/s2760/Yellow-throated%20Euphonia%20female%20-%20Papa's%20Place%2001-21-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2208" data-original-width="2760" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimI7QGxRrGU-XNuIh3uV5jzFvkNqkcul1y6ruOlBUQhxJBUfVd0NSKk0hoRPI2dW247H3DtTG0WE0NJIGE_on2dEjazkjh6GzK7W1tWjH3SSCtIMOohG9I1E1RwqfNyJIadEygAR1BwZj0MWpLsF2I61SQ4HwiEkM5AxN3ZOjH8pFsV5ox83tN8S7B87E/w400-h320/Yellow-throated%20Euphonia%20female%20-%20Papa's%20Place%2001-21-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Yellow-throated Euphonia - female</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The difference in the Honeycreepers may not be as dramatic, but they are different as well. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_xbnVolri8VmJOrrCgo0nBbR8KPjR2H8IMkbBs1gY8t_EBomVVTYpIwqQO909HipMsZU8mDTShG82BOwut_O8YvArKF9bGqSyOg7EsdasDdywblpVeDpBDAhKSB7LHkEAHObfvxaBczU6q6qi0xViIw1OHDJv0N3TyZlu-evoasIKaDgoeGHQTb4oxm8/s2561/Green%20Honeycreeper%20female%20-%20Papa's%20Place%2001-21-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2049" data-original-width="2561" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_xbnVolri8VmJOrrCgo0nBbR8KPjR2H8IMkbBs1gY8t_EBomVVTYpIwqQO909HipMsZU8mDTShG82BOwut_O8YvArKF9bGqSyOg7EsdasDdywblpVeDpBDAhKSB7LHkEAHObfvxaBczU6q6qi0xViIw1OHDJv0N3TyZlu-evoasIKaDgoeGHQTb4oxm8/w400-h320/Green%20Honeycreeper%20female%20-%20Papa's%20Place%2001-21-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Green Honeycreeper - female</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWzJ7ZUF1RkaUAqAfFl3rPVX1jef9L5jmdFJ1U2QjeUqfdcwHShXpGHKYtsJvTQ1U7-SMzR6-2Y77R7W0t2tZqajleCjib11xWBEdc0QQXRsUBxRaZD1Hdyms5nKY6T6KK84nIPkCRedTBAcCb2Mjf3U3iC_YRSOdruLLU0CBXJrOwu6rMZri1DQAVcks/s2689/Green%20Honeycreeper%20male%20-%20Papa's%20Place%2001-21-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2151" data-original-width="2689" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWzJ7ZUF1RkaUAqAfFl3rPVX1jef9L5jmdFJ1U2QjeUqfdcwHShXpGHKYtsJvTQ1U7-SMzR6-2Y77R7W0t2tZqajleCjib11xWBEdc0QQXRsUBxRaZD1Hdyms5nKY6T6KK84nIPkCRedTBAcCb2Mjf3U3iC_YRSOdruLLU0CBXJrOwu6rMZri1DQAVcks/w400-h320/Green%20Honeycreeper%20male%20-%20Papa's%20Place%2001-21-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Green Honeycreeper - male</span></div><div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In some Tanager species the male and female are indistinguishable, at least by us! </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJ5JOVbMI1yiSOJTnfYYAASuwd_zKxdeufjl2Q5UrbW5RanGtoQCQcUWYFiv8MHdFK0AH5US_klOg-2arKj0OYCaXMTqkz0ho2ObRkoWP-HlybGZZd5EMazVGLytUNg_tsm4Kdac8hwbo5ZMVwNYxeYMuTrOFrb8h7uBolMOUs7wioFerLArPfpPzkXI/s2559/Golden-hooded%20Tanager%20-%20Papa's%20Place%2001-21-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2047" data-original-width="2559" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJ5JOVbMI1yiSOJTnfYYAASuwd_zKxdeufjl2Q5UrbW5RanGtoQCQcUWYFiv8MHdFK0AH5US_klOg-2arKj0OYCaXMTqkz0ho2ObRkoWP-HlybGZZd5EMazVGLytUNg_tsm4Kdac8hwbo5ZMVwNYxeYMuTrOFrb8h7uBolMOUs7wioFerLArPfpPzkXI/w400-h320/Golden-hooded%20Tanager%20-%20Papa's%20Place%2001-21-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Golden-hooded Tanager</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0U9_G5CfyAQBCRNftTF5EWZ0uSl_N1ab_Tvzh2Bs8E1lrQltnZdiCZU8Rb2tk2zZsNzLa1-a8I9tac_b67gxrS7FjhiKbJeEUtp9evdEP7OFNu6aUEeKcQkH3LmtVBKEgc3u7p46aY80se4tbEHON4NJCCDZoLfq_jxNBznd8dHlguRxDCc58LLhyphenhyphent0/s3579/Palm%20Tanager%20-%20Papa's%20Place%2001-21-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2863" data-original-width="3579" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0U9_G5CfyAQBCRNftTF5EWZ0uSl_N1ab_Tvzh2Bs8E1lrQltnZdiCZU8Rb2tk2zZsNzLa1-a8I9tac_b67gxrS7FjhiKbJeEUtp9evdEP7OFNu6aUEeKcQkH3LmtVBKEgc3u7p46aY80se4tbEHON4NJCCDZoLfq_jxNBznd8dHlguRxDCc58LLhyphenhyphent0/w400-h320/Palm%20Tanager%20-%20Papa's%20Place%2001-21-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Palm Tanager</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Once we’d had our fill of the feeders we walked up into a pasture with scattered trees and a forest edge. We saw five different species of woodpecker, including the scarce Cinnamon and Rufous-winged Woodpeckers. We also saw a White-fronted Nunbird, another hard to find species. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAYqBavIalWnXd2W3ORB1Aml9EkMUzjO2VTDg2DOAqAPX6xqP9uh8Y8vP8Cpvrz2WVY-S9mmV9_xjAiApgrUBv5_zPErzRl9ngPo8S-UVKJVgrFsvUCinG0QoHN2MBYPpd1IvsYCnU9rsrVRzMzQyEZlJ7X0dNvLFTYL3vXAUcEs-aHLDGtjFa7nx7wOs/s2066/Cinnamon%20Woodpecker%20-%20Papa's%20Place%2001-21-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1653" data-original-width="2066" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAYqBavIalWnXd2W3ORB1Aml9EkMUzjO2VTDg2DOAqAPX6xqP9uh8Y8vP8Cpvrz2WVY-S9mmV9_xjAiApgrUBv5_zPErzRl9ngPo8S-UVKJVgrFsvUCinG0QoHN2MBYPpd1IvsYCnU9rsrVRzMzQyEZlJ7X0dNvLFTYL3vXAUcEs-aHLDGtjFa7nx7wOs/w400-h320/Cinnamon%20Woodpecker%20-%20Papa's%20Place%2001-21-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Cinnamon Woodpecker</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzGLcDlJ_niVVeEz6-j5fJEJ3tT-rSxF53zKydnhPBwC_qRRjE7RhpJjr_zxesIFKEssp8GxRF3Ln0emtW_XFhY8Xn4bLeDVmiGC-x1q8QWAZD9EYskkFVM6AvuqSj67QmxE_a5h5byU9qfIB-Sa8zclc9vRdKgYu4ns1dl_ZEdz-X6LPrVbuGaM_Mtzk/s2151/Rufous-winged%20Woodpecker%20female%20-%20Papa's%20Place%2001-21-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1721" data-original-width="2151" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzGLcDlJ_niVVeEz6-j5fJEJ3tT-rSxF53zKydnhPBwC_qRRjE7RhpJjr_zxesIFKEssp8GxRF3Ln0emtW_XFhY8Xn4bLeDVmiGC-x1q8QWAZD9EYskkFVM6AvuqSj67QmxE_a5h5byU9qfIB-Sa8zclc9vRdKgYu4ns1dl_ZEdz-X6LPrVbuGaM_Mtzk/w400-h320/Rufous-winged%20Woodpecker%20female%20-%20Papa's%20Place%2001-21-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Rufous-winged Woodpecker </span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiuybwqGHXtxk-4VQxOXmUDvZRy69v5Ij6JYw4V8CdU6CG-vKTdIRTjLEleBStDdB88GI0anl0e7xYLcGTf_DEgXMWGPN1ZLCV4ILtROXZzUBrPKuczMjzgBszvHlQA1-xEmBmfmMMoF27dpdP8EzguxNel-ayN2SX87jAxTiHnMAxPs3vV9KCs5UoGk4/s2446/White-fronted%20Nunbird%20-%20Papa's%20Place%2001-21-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1957" data-original-width="2446" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiuybwqGHXtxk-4VQxOXmUDvZRy69v5Ij6JYw4V8CdU6CG-vKTdIRTjLEleBStDdB88GI0anl0e7xYLcGTf_DEgXMWGPN1ZLCV4ILtROXZzUBrPKuczMjzgBszvHlQA1-xEmBmfmMMoF27dpdP8EzguxNel-ayN2SX87jAxTiHnMAxPs3vV9KCs5UoGk4/w400-h320/White-fronted%20Nunbird%20-%20Papa's%20Place%2001-21-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">White-fronted Nunbird</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We returned to the house and were served a traditional Costa Rican lunch prepared by Priscilla, her mother, and a visiting niece. We enjoyed chicken, rice, beans, squash, and fried plantain. All were delicious. We had tamarind juice to drink and a simple sweetened pineapple dessert. It was a fine way to end the morning.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwnFk2OhnfFqAPUV0LFyASlgGyCK8e5fadka5RRYFaRjWVDo2R8sZe31F9Nt45mlFiRcHKRba_RfPhE4Mhy-Y7OzSBxPmesZsQGcEiVCkxEwcg2EF9UoSmaYhYTsdtYLUqUugjzxq7RCQZDIQDyi-EKOkLWNpllaSvXclU5BrAHg2tRQiGDPIAJNIlP04/s3648/Lunch%20at%20Papa's%20Place.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwnFk2OhnfFqAPUV0LFyASlgGyCK8e5fadka5RRYFaRjWVDo2R8sZe31F9Nt45mlFiRcHKRba_RfPhE4Mhy-Y7OzSBxPmesZsQGcEiVCkxEwcg2EF9UoSmaYhYTsdtYLUqUugjzxq7RCQZDIQDyi-EKOkLWNpllaSvXclU5BrAHg2tRQiGDPIAJNIlP04/w400-h300/Lunch%20at%20Papa's%20Place.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil5TpxOVfU7Q-1QU7OAI89qL66WxeR5IewHEEBPdXqNbZhRH9Jq0yrjs99EiXOu9XVSSyK_VFX26n2Aflm0uDfldVNW_qO6DbqokgSY3YQYM_uDZ3v2EVhhVc0poKK7ygeckbrQZLcSJofaw_46gk7iec13Jb0ZfVBoFMcrBNIZJZAsz8-1PTAZNvLeWg/s3648/Papa's%20Place%20kitchen%20and%20hosts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil5TpxOVfU7Q-1QU7OAI89qL66WxeR5IewHEEBPdXqNbZhRH9Jq0yrjs99EiXOu9XVSSyK_VFX26n2Aflm0uDfldVNW_qO6DbqokgSY3YQYM_uDZ3v2EVhhVc0poKK7ygeckbrQZLcSJofaw_46gk7iec13Jb0ZfVBoFMcrBNIZJZAsz8-1PTAZNvLeWg/w400-h300/Papa's%20Place%20kitchen%20and%20hosts.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Our hosts in the background</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">After saying goodbye to Gerald and Priscilla we headed out to Peninsula Road, which runs along a peninsula jutting out into Lake Arenal. It was a rough and rocky road and we came across someone who had broken the suspension on their vehicle! We spent a lot of time on the road edge calling for a Keel-billed Motmot, but didn’t have any luck. We were really dealing with start-and-stop showers at this point, so were using our travel umbrellas quite a lot. Birding isn’t as enjoyable in the rain, but we hung in there!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHkKCZZQKE_mFcOHUaDantJwATpMvM2Q8rtxr_iov4FY3PMwWSYTtJewXSe_qG18n4sfg5f62RMBsnJxs75SRfbFSTGaob6hHfonctApbpMd2RakG2b6fUROK1zt3vInBX2peqwq65rsHfaWagEd5IiNFEIqGamucS7nesqDFNUEh0cRhHiymHbhz7fTs/s2268/Red-lored%20Parrot%20-%20Arenal--Peninsula%20road%20(shortcut%20to%20dam)%2001-21-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1814" data-original-width="2268" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHkKCZZQKE_mFcOHUaDantJwATpMvM2Q8rtxr_iov4FY3PMwWSYTtJewXSe_qG18n4sfg5f62RMBsnJxs75SRfbFSTGaob6hHfonctApbpMd2RakG2b6fUROK1zt3vInBX2peqwq65rsHfaWagEd5IiNFEIqGamucS7nesqDFNUEh0cRhHiymHbhz7fTs/w400-h320/Red-lored%20Parrot%20-%20Arenal--Peninsula%20road%20(shortcut%20to%20dam)%2001-21-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Red-lored Parrot eating flowers </span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTPYlE9eMl5Wkr8icwsRIZMLrg4qKhaUHNTM3wrYzwRRLq7uWr7KxXs-48d23piyeIyhd_80wTPEgxWgGFUcsWgsxLTOvZQwcVfoUmvKipWrxtNnxSC6Tmm96ZwU7DAEIEdBbrtUmWfdacS53Yr2oYYLLX-TGFFe4jcpCkBB47MmGxuOqXUII_0gAgB9g/s4025/White-throated%20Magpie-Jay%202%20-%20Arenal--Peninsula%20road%20(shortcut%20to%20dam)%2001-21-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3220" data-original-width="4025" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTPYlE9eMl5Wkr8icwsRIZMLrg4qKhaUHNTM3wrYzwRRLq7uWr7KxXs-48d23piyeIyhd_80wTPEgxWgGFUcsWgsxLTOvZQwcVfoUmvKipWrxtNnxSC6Tmm96ZwU7DAEIEdBbrtUmWfdacS53Yr2oYYLLX-TGFFe4jcpCkBB47MmGxuOqXUII_0gAgB9g/w400-h320/White-throated%20Magpie-Jay%202%20-%20Arenal--Peninsula%20road%20(shortcut%20to%20dam)%2001-21-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">White-throated Magpie-Jay</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We made a couple of stops on our way back to Arenal Observatory Lodge, where the big find was a Green-fronted Lancebill, a difficult to find hummingbird that inhabits stream sides. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEids70HCetXS0rnmmbxpl4ywAt4j2xJeMOE5Yw703cwMb6BfNoiYrRwIvWPgxIhKoajmq2XVGPTYmfTA2yEni8i5zkbt43ZzaqhjeIAlzj4J2KV2eEAMu5MBZ6TPSHANvmeTI9B3NfbDfsRSidMG3VB2X-XOa6SFmzqY_ztQxjg_CtUL7aBqrmBJZhIzCo/s2137/Green-fronted%20Lancebill%20-%20Calle%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-21-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1710" data-original-width="2137" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEids70HCetXS0rnmmbxpl4ywAt4j2xJeMOE5Yw703cwMb6BfNoiYrRwIvWPgxIhKoajmq2XVGPTYmfTA2yEni8i5zkbt43ZzaqhjeIAlzj4J2KV2eEAMu5MBZ6TPSHANvmeTI9B3NfbDfsRSidMG3VB2X-XOa6SFmzqY_ztQxjg_CtUL7aBqrmBJZhIzCo/w400-h320/Green-fronted%20Lancebill%20-%20Calle%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-21-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Green-fronted Lancebill</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It had been a gray, soggy day, but we'd seen a lot of birds and enjoyed our time at Papa's place. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Next - Moving to Caño Negro</span></p></div>Mark & Terihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410651360395422840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767944521225965268.post-76617619883999331302024-02-11T05:00:00.112-06:002024-02-11T13:02:48.900-06:00Costa Rica 2024 - Day 3 continued<p><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Saturday, January 20, 2024 continued</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">After lunch we headed to nearby Sendero Bogarin. This was a location that offered a variety of “eco-activities” like hiking and horseback riding, but most folks visited to take a short nature hike and hopefully see a sloth. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmx_sqk1Aw3zGq7fxogSCQkdi6eYb8gJBBGpFynBxn6_AfA9ETrIknbf84yJFAB7JxWn96JeqG8s6ltSW3xzeDPXubT_tf1qCnq_T73nfgmWOySPDSTEYl-OKhXbJSBzthvJ2SDmkB4gJguwQKstLePP4oDzvccMCEJ8KqS7uwSoL7MfRBCPty8DBb3ZA/s3648/Bogarin%20Trail.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmx_sqk1Aw3zGq7fxogSCQkdi6eYb8gJBBGpFynBxn6_AfA9ETrIknbf84yJFAB7JxWn96JeqG8s6ltSW3xzeDPXubT_tf1qCnq_T73nfgmWOySPDSTEYl-OKhXbJSBzthvJ2SDmkB4gJguwQKstLePP4oDzvccMCEJ8KqS7uwSoL7MfRBCPty8DBb3ZA/w400-h300/Bogarin%20Trail.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We started in a wet area next to the parking lot, where we heard a White-throated Crake. This is my “nemesis” bird, as I missed seeing it almost 20 years ago in Panama, where Teri first saw it. It is a difficult bird to find anywhere, and we've missed it over and over again over the subsequent years. So I was thrilled to get a brief look at it moving through the flooded grass in this spot, but wasn’t able to get a photo. Oh well. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We then paid our entrance fee and watched some very nice feeders with loads of tanagers, honeycreepers, toucans, etc. In addition to adult male Red-legged Honeycreepers, we saw a "teenager" who was just molting into his adult plumage. Like many birds, the young male honeycreepers are colored like females to give them better camouflage. They get their full adult color after about a year. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioffJ-BIshsFmsNi1NzaetlTN_EFXKYtOh5K-nnm-6Vxms_XproNWsnL4BCmT6OZBIXYrC3HWjhym7_5Zt7O32BSdhun7ZNrW3ZAT2JhABLIMeJWTDP80XHf4fpK-5nF0jy-2mS0_TNuJchK9kZup4KOCotR05-YiYCndHaI9_Z_boaxKb5nTRi08T8Bs/s3613/Collared%20Aracari%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2890" data-original-width="3613" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioffJ-BIshsFmsNi1NzaetlTN_EFXKYtOh5K-nnm-6Vxms_XproNWsnL4BCmT6OZBIXYrC3HWjhym7_5Zt7O32BSdhun7ZNrW3ZAT2JhABLIMeJWTDP80XHf4fpK-5nF0jy-2mS0_TNuJchK9kZup4KOCotR05-YiYCndHaI9_Z_boaxKb5nTRi08T8Bs/w400-h320/Collared%20Aracari%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Collared Aracari</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0J4mnqZ1ZN5irh6prQNqEBfb0cZKgMuS5yJE0j4hDunJHGBE0Uagpl5zBBOydgTG9KW1piUgDoFP-URoUYU7vZoF9vC_JMc0BtSFOyUuPTCMHG_xm_9Ox4XfH4aSPMBO_Lxp16yVJeifSbT1_LeitNLQ53vaRFuQcd_y17WW_2RTprCtnqAOaSxtu_64/s4881/Orange-chinned%20Parakeet%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3905" data-original-width="4881" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0J4mnqZ1ZN5irh6prQNqEBfb0cZKgMuS5yJE0j4hDunJHGBE0Uagpl5zBBOydgTG9KW1piUgDoFP-URoUYU7vZoF9vC_JMc0BtSFOyUuPTCMHG_xm_9Ox4XfH4aSPMBO_Lxp16yVJeifSbT1_LeitNLQ53vaRFuQcd_y17WW_2RTprCtnqAOaSxtu_64/w400-h320/Orange-chinned%20Parakeet%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Orange-chinned Parakeet</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCwWN_Kc2lED9hwAXwsR2KZ_d66v9KL8fT-QpZ2ns_CRBSH-kXufikBMdlo0ukU7bhXi1Be92NhI0CeB9Ja8H4qzPG9MRGKIy1nxFIB_xkEwOwE_cfKgVYB5gf2pFbS5cf7uPpALdOHgfBn8NW8UFfMieycIOll8VTj5WDNrNkwpWrIYO7LPGgWfxLENI/s4173/Red-legged%20Honeycreeper%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3338" data-original-width="4173" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCwWN_Kc2lED9hwAXwsR2KZ_d66v9KL8fT-QpZ2ns_CRBSH-kXufikBMdlo0ukU7bhXi1Be92NhI0CeB9Ja8H4qzPG9MRGKIy1nxFIB_xkEwOwE_cfKgVYB5gf2pFbS5cf7uPpALdOHgfBn8NW8UFfMieycIOll8VTj5WDNrNkwpWrIYO7LPGgWfxLENI/w400-h320/Red-legged%20Honeycreeper%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Red-legged Honeycreeper - adult male</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNE4U6qkAdbeTvrX7apPoemtFtd4SRQS7IDJ6CxnKFaigi1mGPcSEB3n-NoWgEcnpkLWFx5UUPk5Sdo7mmK2AR29HUH2enAuMqQZn-Etby1cL4OvtvxFtkzB9IXSo46V4LjSYsWcD15oM3Yfbpa7Ort3QupIWi9wAkXV5dFtVWjSfMiwuI1hEB1MUutTw/s1909/Red-legged%20Honeycreeper%20imm%20male%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1527" data-original-width="1909" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNE4U6qkAdbeTvrX7apPoemtFtd4SRQS7IDJ6CxnKFaigi1mGPcSEB3n-NoWgEcnpkLWFx5UUPk5Sdo7mmK2AR29HUH2enAuMqQZn-Etby1cL4OvtvxFtkzB9IXSo46V4LjSYsWcD15oM3Yfbpa7Ort3QupIWi9wAkXV5dFtVWjSfMiwuI1hEB1MUutTw/w400-h320/Red-legged%20Honeycreeper%20imm%20male%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Red-legged Honeycreeper - immature male</span></div></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRjo7cWKfm_kuqI5mPfy2XWLKSMF9Ub_v6kk4_7Q3LkQVDJkU5rijr0A0fbXttD74F63-rRD53e5sdxsq0VEBbtfYHsZ8gt_z6kUZRL7IQhf-hOIKhzzbpf0P7__LYLlzERkhhrOcOqbWtgdNj8lwyHB-6hNxj2YJbdvxmzpl7idtu4PqNa9QBjKvAVE8/s2788/Yellow-throated%20Euphonia%20male%202%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2230" data-original-width="2788" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRjo7cWKfm_kuqI5mPfy2XWLKSMF9Ub_v6kk4_7Q3LkQVDJkU5rijr0A0fbXttD74F63-rRD53e5sdxsq0VEBbtfYHsZ8gt_z6kUZRL7IQhf-hOIKhzzbpf0P7__LYLlzERkhhrOcOqbWtgdNj8lwyHB-6hNxj2YJbdvxmzpl7idtu4PqNa9QBjKvAVE8/w400-h320/Yellow-throated%20Euphonia%20male%202%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Yellow-throated Euphonia</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We then hiked out onto the forest trails, looking first for a Uniform Crake which called consistently for a while but never revealed itself. The rain was more consistent now so we birded much of the time under our umbrellas, which can be awkward. We found a pair of Black-and-white Owls on their day roosts, which were fun to see. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9_fW23gW_pSzI4DaRkDCbLDKpgmGB5CQ0rzPOUhk7OjV9R1Z4fx3XbfZ1Tda2Cix2KE1jpEn-wsSts4Hxj1lcRAT8EiIUa9flYYWOaJ8qu9-14gIlo1ipr3Qj9ZjVCdXUdOcNX4fNnf6bh7fciXNlUlc2tZJkhANDyW4ak4Fd1CHGgKH3mhwG0GWJ2Y/s3425/Black-and-white%20Owl%202%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2740" data-original-width="3425" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9_fW23gW_pSzI4DaRkDCbLDKpgmGB5CQ0rzPOUhk7OjV9R1Z4fx3XbfZ1Tda2Cix2KE1jpEn-wsSts4Hxj1lcRAT8EiIUa9flYYWOaJ8qu9-14gIlo1ipr3Qj9ZjVCdXUdOcNX4fNnf6bh7fciXNlUlc2tZJkhANDyW4ak4Fd1CHGgKH3mhwG0GWJ2Y/w400-h320/Black-and-white%20Owl%202%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpe8lDkT3NrlK6l95VySyatLMASmX1VGzQS1hpIdKRSyUhauluIgPq6MiqHXywfmhutIajI1vl2get0tLAXV9Ixgk-e4s5Pz4otHOumdEyHTv30P_mjasoDLLibRJyQ_1ngBa-8yvzxktktGSst9Zc_CU4EBnnPdrEYr8VvAx9UAM5A5TenGiwBJRpDI/s3595/Black-and-white%20Owl%203%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2875" data-original-width="3595" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpe8lDkT3NrlK6l95VySyatLMASmX1VGzQS1hpIdKRSyUhauluIgPq6MiqHXywfmhutIajI1vl2get0tLAXV9Ixgk-e4s5Pz4otHOumdEyHTv30P_mjasoDLLibRJyQ_1ngBa-8yvzxktktGSst9Zc_CU4EBnnPdrEYr8VvAx9UAM5A5TenGiwBJRpDI/w400-h320/Black-and-white%20Owl%203%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSNgbSfTBIVSosBo9DgCCpqxH2Ym4khyv4y8ScEH0ld3eaqgiyzzJXkpbT9hPGwF17S8mJCWlNbQIJIpZ5KoOwH85-thRP1WXJlxfmCDYEA0tNMSFWs09kU8tJestEPm2SpFIS9lmM86P8bgoaPbUg6_j4F6jtd1FM8w0tiZRDVLkAggbKFNjxAtAi8Dc/s3635/Black-and-white%20Owl%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2909" data-original-width="3635" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSNgbSfTBIVSosBo9DgCCpqxH2Ym4khyv4y8ScEH0ld3eaqgiyzzJXkpbT9hPGwF17S8mJCWlNbQIJIpZ5KoOwH85-thRP1WXJlxfmCDYEA0tNMSFWs09kU8tJestEPm2SpFIS9lmM86P8bgoaPbUg6_j4F6jtd1FM8w0tiZRDVLkAggbKFNjxAtAi8Dc/w400-h320/Black-and-white%20Owl%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Black-and-white Owl</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We saw a few new species out on the trail, including another hummingbird with an odd name, the Blue-throated Goldentail. The tail doesn't really show up in the picture, but the bright red bill certainly does!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfyb-V4_A25TiL43D6hR7AlrBd0pR2qYR-ImWtP1l1CYWj2xBysQEk0MPFIMpG29m9aVZNZnjSnIOxnvgcLmmSOy3xeJYYDFsuDit4sAN9OYvMj09bBp8WFn0APIsl-qmuxON1-AVgxyvh6O4YSX6QFJm9NgntQgU5VqGKBfNfgr3M49AB9H62lQrSc-4/s2723/Blue-throated%20Goldentail%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2178" data-original-width="2723" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfyb-V4_A25TiL43D6hR7AlrBd0pR2qYR-ImWtP1l1CYWj2xBysQEk0MPFIMpG29m9aVZNZnjSnIOxnvgcLmmSOy3xeJYYDFsuDit4sAN9OYvMj09bBp8WFn0APIsl-qmuxON1-AVgxyvh6O4YSX6QFJm9NgntQgU5VqGKBfNfgr3M49AB9H62lQrSc-4/w400-h320/Blue-throated%20Goldentail%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Blue-throated Goldentail</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We got our only look of the trip at the gorgeous Crimson-collared Tanager.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGcy5CMmXztYBC7wcZKfQ1PEIUvgQb-K1hSP369r44tk1dbBlgAPg7T59Ic05nYAFsTeLAj_hVw2lXuWdT1RGGTBWXSjFDsEDX0nZ-SFcXZS2fXu3ERo7OOVMEnjo4IlV5eRFHjsh-zGub5piHhJ1TYCg_Zq3aBEMpOMAIa6bmMZIlvPJym4ZosV0W-zA/s3446/Crimson-collared%20Tanager%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2757" data-original-width="3446" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGcy5CMmXztYBC7wcZKfQ1PEIUvgQb-K1hSP369r44tk1dbBlgAPg7T59Ic05nYAFsTeLAj_hVw2lXuWdT1RGGTBWXSjFDsEDX0nZ-SFcXZS2fXu3ERo7OOVMEnjo4IlV5eRFHjsh-zGub5piHhJ1TYCg_Zq3aBEMpOMAIa6bmMZIlvPJym4ZosV0W-zA/w400-h320/Crimson-collared%20Tanager%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Crimson-collared Tanager</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">When folks on the trails saw us staring up into trees they usually ask if we had a sloth. When we replied no, we were looking at a bird, they'd shake their heads and walk away. Crazy birders... But we did see one Three-toed Sloth, which we always enjoy. Much easier to get a picture of than birds as they hardly move!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNX2qqd42caM2QDIHPWoeECGOtQp2oQc-EZYGeWfqZTPoFuPEzQY2qbDRYhp559LaUvi-WG-temLhJWoCQbLO6luJPf046NaPK4TmEuwWAKFFrHtH3oj8wg9w2brhH12eesoHOQ62QN8NJm01qXcB6olvQWMMBA1rm5sa3ClzshorqxnldFwTIk7IQFU/s3381/Three-toed%20Sloth%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2704" data-original-width="3381" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNX2qqd42caM2QDIHPWoeECGOtQp2oQc-EZYGeWfqZTPoFuPEzQY2qbDRYhp559LaUvi-WG-temLhJWoCQbLO6luJPf046NaPK4TmEuwWAKFFrHtH3oj8wg9w2brhH12eesoHOQ62QN8NJm01qXcB6olvQWMMBA1rm5sa3ClzshorqxnldFwTIk7IQFU/w400-h320/Three-toed%20Sloth%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Three-toed Sloth</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">After birding the trails we sat and watched the feeding area for a bit. In addition to the fruit feeders there was a small pond that attracted some interesting birds. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELt0Cq4bCrCIHPdBnQ5HHVQmX4bOzAuveIMZnc-pNZMnfx98v8mHLzhjttYMTALjO7VEt2ewgxcW5inRkbjICQPjvIRdzCgdWnAgR31ULK0Bn9cxfSikdLA24QpLkzWR3tr9ZpwJhFTJA0WyF20wg6JZLIc-6Z0VgGS-ZMp4EqaQdNqHS3d3RtNqDY3o/s2868/Bogarin%20feeder%20area.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2294" data-original-width="2868" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELt0Cq4bCrCIHPdBnQ5HHVQmX4bOzAuveIMZnc-pNZMnfx98v8mHLzhjttYMTALjO7VEt2ewgxcW5inRkbjICQPjvIRdzCgdWnAgR31ULK0Bn9cxfSikdLA24QpLkzWR3tr9ZpwJhFTJA0WyF20wg6JZLIc-6Z0VgGS-ZMp4EqaQdNqHS3d3RtNqDY3o/w400-h320/Bogarin%20feeder%20area.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Feeder area</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOyjO8WB3JVRt2ZOuqpNVMCf2gw3n7Cf9MffPIjmFsui2ViO2JAd6h76YEHICcFapC8GA-CRTMSVrRojImdf0ah4TKCDEbwnQ0EpRBwNUzFCtJtPn8SnXF3McHy_gfYNNWKqBJVUt3NUULty16poHDEq0H8_rJBbf9bYjyR4DfjweXDcbnkdrOvzo7OFw/s4882/Green%20Heron%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3906" data-original-width="4882" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOyjO8WB3JVRt2ZOuqpNVMCf2gw3n7Cf9MffPIjmFsui2ViO2JAd6h76YEHICcFapC8GA-CRTMSVrRojImdf0ah4TKCDEbwnQ0EpRBwNUzFCtJtPn8SnXF3McHy_gfYNNWKqBJVUt3NUULty16poHDEq0H8_rJBbf9bYjyR4DfjweXDcbnkdrOvzo7OFw/w400-h320/Green%20Heron%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Green Heron</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NvMAXd8BbS8IwD0hQBWiVk9drT1VUflJqWaoTIuwcP_iFp7DOxkHC7erAvp5I4_RxaYAWtxdxZlN3-bIeSJD4cSr2BW0DeVDlZGdm2bDUIBiL67yp9-Mr0h6ZaQASc5L6MsSyERxSolOb_V6CmyrA9AsdeRmoox8X4W2ds4AZgqKh3wxRAv4FOfWqIs/s4609/Russset-naped%20Wood-Rail%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3687" data-original-width="4609" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NvMAXd8BbS8IwD0hQBWiVk9drT1VUflJqWaoTIuwcP_iFp7DOxkHC7erAvp5I4_RxaYAWtxdxZlN3-bIeSJD4cSr2BW0DeVDlZGdm2bDUIBiL67yp9-Mr0h6ZaQASc5L6MsSyERxSolOb_V6CmyrA9AsdeRmoox8X4W2ds4AZgqKh3wxRAv4FOfWqIs/w400-h320/Russset-naped%20Wood-Rail%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Russet-naped Wood-Rail</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR2ez6tZ2IrXrQvRwRGwwQDK0SN5dP6Kka15jqIbGy7pjYoqUussMUYwi3ufhh5AG8uILlEwhyzFbTmEoQlBbbBfa3BX0lNi0VR6sfHIwKH0YVvgnq5RWTJfcDEYs0iJBz0f1AeljdtLaDyUKUOU7STjHxNk2MQ3YHcN5buzMihcPHwxShopDUgxtBNrA/s3134/Yellow-billed%20Cacique%202%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2507" data-original-width="3134" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR2ez6tZ2IrXrQvRwRGwwQDK0SN5dP6Kka15jqIbGy7pjYoqUussMUYwi3ufhh5AG8uILlEwhyzFbTmEoQlBbbBfa3BX0lNi0VR6sfHIwKH0YVvgnq5RWTJfcDEYs0iJBz0f1AeljdtLaDyUKUOU7STjHxNk2MQ3YHcN5buzMihcPHwxShopDUgxtBNrA/w400-h320/Yellow-billed%20Cacique%202%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Yellow-billed Cacique</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As we were leaving I spotted the White-throated Crake in the wet area next to the parking area, and was able to get excellent shots. It turned out to be a pair with both visible at some times. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVLqeeJzp1je9DofhJOMcHyrFzMHrIPRQ_UKNWT1E-CR-nCmGEXVEdXiiYni7wKojeSY8rUsosSS7SfiTtpNI9JfmpIFqSWCk2y_sKqZLjaem-Yk_tCkZpv4A52DicGV0dbIXyBWgpyPM8BuW9B2NbVUK3ks9Gs5gd4DFwnciTsV-yvuP1jEjrUXGPqnw/s3686/White-throated%20Crake%203%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2949" data-original-width="3686" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVLqeeJzp1je9DofhJOMcHyrFzMHrIPRQ_UKNWT1E-CR-nCmGEXVEdXiiYni7wKojeSY8rUsosSS7SfiTtpNI9JfmpIFqSWCk2y_sKqZLjaem-Yk_tCkZpv4A52DicGV0dbIXyBWgpyPM8BuW9B2NbVUK3ks9Gs5gd4DFwnciTsV-yvuP1jEjrUXGPqnw/w400-h320/White-throated%20Crake%203%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwN8iNy0tJ-hRbI5aEaFsqE8cpygH4XDUHmJ-UynnQ4G-q2EkQEiOM5ps2MsniFz2_hzhok6C0OOQ9z8HCm6Xmxp3KKf59dQyJs_fOm1cAW7Y_itKv-18SLmkkFPpN5OXt455yStYQH62_pUoYxkbaTgFncOVm_hO4grEvB6j4ckLak67B0JLiTXyqt8A/s2768/White-throated%20Crake%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2214" data-original-width="2768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwN8iNy0tJ-hRbI5aEaFsqE8cpygH4XDUHmJ-UynnQ4G-q2EkQEiOM5ps2MsniFz2_hzhok6C0OOQ9z8HCm6Xmxp3KKf59dQyJs_fOm1cAW7Y_itKv-18SLmkkFPpN5OXt455yStYQH62_pUoYxkbaTgFncOVm_hO4grEvB6j4ckLak67B0JLiTXyqt8A/w400-h320/White-throated%20Crake%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">White-throated Crake</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We returned to Arenal in the now constant rain, so instead of attempting any more birding we headed to our rooms to dry out a bit. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Next - More trails at Arenal, and Papa's Place</span></p>Mark & Terihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410651360395422840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767944521225965268.post-24479346694610493242024-02-09T05:00:00.032-06:002024-02-09T05:00:00.254-06:00Costa Rica 2024 - Day 3<p><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Saturday, January 20, 2024</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We met Johan on the raised deck at 5:45 to check out the feeders. The feeders are filled with fruit pieces early in the morning, mostly watermelon and papaya. The biggest birds dominate the feeders first thing, so Great Curassow, Montezuma Oropendola, and Crested Guans fly in early and eat much of the fruit. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT4edRmdEaIYTM1piNYjfVmoAC6qeHhlElews2bbKMO3WA-6elBdTbwVl30yvnGOgplJ5-7GQd-ZkTIkW9DmKplJrOdcug8R-1P8pB7sU-YSBOidUsE4meUnSEObZzBTxhy9QCzgbMf_o7r0X7DrQZUUrR1wJNXVLo2NxD5GYA2vAAD2F4GwHVC1rFJVE/s4620/Great%20Curassow%20female%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-19-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3695" data-original-width="4620" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT4edRmdEaIYTM1piNYjfVmoAC6qeHhlElews2bbKMO3WA-6elBdTbwVl30yvnGOgplJ5-7GQd-ZkTIkW9DmKplJrOdcug8R-1P8pB7sU-YSBOidUsE4meUnSEObZzBTxhy9QCzgbMf_o7r0X7DrQZUUrR1wJNXVLo2NxD5GYA2vAAD2F4GwHVC1rFJVE/w400-h320/Great%20Curassow%20female%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-19-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Great Curassow - female</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_1Z-Mhk4n2tm5zahdW32Hd8fd2iseWYdDZvo84qeHZQF2rgWTkhji8MyK1nz7bbQ4C_bjwUNFfuExhiBqJmlBFNz3-T-3qImG7mZBrpeW05x1yLaEgJiqqx5pEa1RVVBGElsFwq0v0rfhAvBqx77X7Dt6JL_DuT0clK_4TAmz8EJ-mGAaWbOtYVHY12k/s3600/Great%20Curassow%20male%20reduced%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-19-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="3600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_1Z-Mhk4n2tm5zahdW32Hd8fd2iseWYdDZvo84qeHZQF2rgWTkhji8MyK1nz7bbQ4C_bjwUNFfuExhiBqJmlBFNz3-T-3qImG7mZBrpeW05x1yLaEgJiqqx5pEa1RVVBGElsFwq0v0rfhAvBqx77X7Dt6JL_DuT0clK_4TAmz8EJ-mGAaWbOtYVHY12k/w400-h320/Great%20Curassow%20male%20reduced%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-19-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Great Curassow - male</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9q9JqL1cuDWTGbpv5azIEJQzPiWv4GWO-gxymV3IH46tsD6Xe7JRrYVg-fog3zp3xYaj2ZzYZwEyhp7dUhc4Yj9ZzTVEef6eSa9GNSBMTq0OiTbhoZXMGJpwTdMfkeQf8HY62LhwLkt3c5ps_sxUfqQatk6vPYgSfs0J-evLVuLAjgP-j5NIz4RsLDG0/s5202/Crested%20Guan%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-19-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4161" data-original-width="5202" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9q9JqL1cuDWTGbpv5azIEJQzPiWv4GWO-gxymV3IH46tsD6Xe7JRrYVg-fog3zp3xYaj2ZzYZwEyhp7dUhc4Yj9ZzTVEef6eSa9GNSBMTq0OiTbhoZXMGJpwTdMfkeQf8HY62LhwLkt3c5ps_sxUfqQatk6vPYgSfs0J-evLVuLAjgP-j5NIz4RsLDG0/w400-h320/Crested%20Guan%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-19-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Crested Guan</span></div></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It is wild to see the turkey-sized Curassows fly up from the ground and land on the rather slender feeding perches, but they do so fearlessly. About ten Coati gathered below the feeder to feast on the fruit being dropped by the birds. One Coati climbed the adjacent tree and was trying to figure out how to jump onto the feeder, but finally gave up. We were glad, as the fall would have likely seriously injured or killed it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">After watching the feeders for about 15 minutes we headed across a suspension footbridge to check out some large garden areas, hoping for Black-crested Coquette. We did see a female perched in some flowers but not a mature male. We had good looks at Pale-billed Woodpecker as well a Golden-olive Woodpecker. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqK6CzvAdsqwFY21Cv4Gp0Y4eOzb7Ftj6GBmUlzzJk94wuJHyhK7PieGXYJnbh3tkXvSwZnUTBCAI-zIENfev5VPCOANK-vhOiYj6NbbeI6to3vNLgxnIXE63-G-gkFrs7JIuez2UfVzNbl4rWUfRna5COgssDfW3gZqBdD0em5LrAOd8yquRv0NxjSy0/s3135/Black-crested%20Coquette%20female%202%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-19-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2508" data-original-width="3135" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqK6CzvAdsqwFY21Cv4Gp0Y4eOzb7Ftj6GBmUlzzJk94wuJHyhK7PieGXYJnbh3tkXvSwZnUTBCAI-zIENfev5VPCOANK-vhOiYj6NbbeI6to3vNLgxnIXE63-G-gkFrs7JIuez2UfVzNbl4rWUfRna5COgssDfW3gZqBdD0em5LrAOd8yquRv0NxjSy0/w400-h320/Black-crested%20Coquette%20female%202%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-19-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Black-crested Coquette - female</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFnP6k7cLM_19nMD7bNDnCGzSJOJH-kRrmL7Nk2yOeanbig6SCJq7Vx-40M1ynaU-icPyCNbMfTxopNq05OZW60OkiuMirQHT5Ou9ip_A5amRe5zb82u9O_DfOSIaXdKbGn1AwkOKEi1XLz2I9vYcqGsPm-3ODSXtqKGam7HlBSBMxOsXiHgHOrsJgq0/s2373/Pale-billed%20Woodpecker%20female%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-19-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1899" data-original-width="2373" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFnP6k7cLM_19nMD7bNDnCGzSJOJH-kRrmL7Nk2yOeanbig6SCJq7Vx-40M1ynaU-icPyCNbMfTxopNq05OZW60OkiuMirQHT5Ou9ip_A5amRe5zb82u9O_DfOSIaXdKbGn1AwkOKEi1XLz2I9vYcqGsPm-3ODSXtqKGam7HlBSBMxOsXiHgHOrsJgq0/w400-h320/Pale-billed%20Woodpecker%20female%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-19-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Pale-billed Woodpecker - female</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It was foggy/drizzly much of the time, which made it a little difficult for photography and even seeing birds well. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkq8t4p9UNT7U53lvROM_UzO-qpb_FUZbqgFgmULotmOzC2DLpCm7kpf3xrB0zfhdp4d8Eb7cHAPi_H5TMvlkeHq7NNsfAp-VWMAZh5OAvVXKqDUbQN83pxW2gytikATsq1dlm5G4TSmyaxKnlsBbbLyt8FZtuonywpUgk579H0Sn4xF-YFk4B9dU-8Rs/s2440/Mark%20&%20Johan%20on%20bridge%20at%20Arenal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1952" data-original-width="2440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkq8t4p9UNT7U53lvROM_UzO-qpb_FUZbqgFgmULotmOzC2DLpCm7kpf3xrB0zfhdp4d8Eb7cHAPi_H5TMvlkeHq7NNsfAp-VWMAZh5OAvVXKqDUbQN83pxW2gytikATsq1dlm5G4TSmyaxKnlsBbbLyt8FZtuonywpUgk579H0Sn4xF-YFk4B9dU-8Rs/w400-h320/Mark%20&%20Johan%20on%20bridge%20at%20Arenal.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Mark & Johan on the trail at Arenal</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We did see a few hard-to-find forest birds, like Ocellated , Dull-mantled, Zelodon’s and Spotted Antbirds. The pictures aren't great because of the mist and darkness, but you can see what they look like!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhizvJpSaoOCLePvOdSKyPZieQUsJ9pvUAB6ZbUWS6-5KeVekvrdzMg2kbDUevRf-Jv1iEkduXj1tqECnNPZhURIHfGJowa6oaGrytQ-_D1AtbGvN4rqyfYKn_O0uzyMb2doVV9aYn74eA5laXqQ0ZKHIf-7we00Qc4VDESgz54lTgo0pc9piVn4502nsI/s3133/Ocellated%20Antbird%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-20-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2507" data-original-width="3133" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhizvJpSaoOCLePvOdSKyPZieQUsJ9pvUAB6ZbUWS6-5KeVekvrdzMg2kbDUevRf-Jv1iEkduXj1tqECnNPZhURIHfGJowa6oaGrytQ-_D1AtbGvN4rqyfYKn_O0uzyMb2doVV9aYn74eA5laXqQ0ZKHIf-7we00Qc4VDESgz54lTgo0pc9piVn4502nsI/w400-h320/Ocellated%20Antbird%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-20-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ocellated Antbird</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyeWN_-1G4YiqOgxX2yQR3vdsy0lWq_lQhTe4cpLyK9AhwLRvz0PXILnXq6XH8U4QCmiPeM3ZYKeHa2U0h4Bl0CIeRiK9j-ZgrimGAQrAcxFF_9xxrrmgoPN3lWHssx0yZWA35iLLHor5HJxRHJbkybjz_GCy9tzMyQVFnRGv8lvhZx-MOhoUQcHhjjYs/s3233/Spotted%20Antbird%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-20-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2587" data-original-width="3233" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyeWN_-1G4YiqOgxX2yQR3vdsy0lWq_lQhTe4cpLyK9AhwLRvz0PXILnXq6XH8U4QCmiPeM3ZYKeHa2U0h4Bl0CIeRiK9j-ZgrimGAQrAcxFF_9xxrrmgoPN3lWHssx0yZWA35iLLHor5HJxRHJbkybjz_GCy9tzMyQVFnRGv8lvhZx-MOhoUQcHhjjYs/w400-h320/Spotted%20Antbird%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-20-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Spotted Antbird - male</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We came in for breakfast at 8:30, and went back out at 9:00, setting out on the “Los Monos” trail. By now we were seeing a little more rain, so had to break out our umbrellas now and then, and worry about keeping binoculars and cameras dry. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpiT1X_HvxktDNw6Pn5CXe0I697T5SmpmIjOBD1q1fdMDpHpRdgCWJris2PyyGPRRtxFlAQv01EpZ6N1sZ_JviWR85JAng6g3P0IU5vUmDLTQTg_j1vLjCmJLUDMG8HodYjfh9afetSvG-P4e3aHR_IJApfLBx9997TKXf8gPcyxAkbgb7lTi-3WwK7s8/s3648/Mark%20&%20Teri%20under%20umbrellas%20at%20Arenal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpiT1X_HvxktDNw6Pn5CXe0I697T5SmpmIjOBD1q1fdMDpHpRdgCWJris2PyyGPRRtxFlAQv01EpZ6N1sZ_JviWR85JAng6g3P0IU5vUmDLTQTg_j1vLjCmJLUDMG8HodYjfh9afetSvG-P4e3aHR_IJApfLBx9997TKXf8gPcyxAkbgb7lTi-3WwK7s8/w400-h300/Mark%20&%20Teri%20under%20umbrellas%20at%20Arenal.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Staying (mostly...) dry</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span>We saw a nice variety of birds as the morning went on, including both a male and female White-ruffed Manakin,</span> a Wedge-billed Woodcreeper and the National Bird of Costa Rica, the rather plain Clay-colored Thrush. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJotrhvA8Hwm76F4LDdL1xmK-OIPybuUY3KMXZlorEpD76Z0ruJuSZb7tUOCzhRROFGx5CKzgeOmhmopu2IwIYtGKkzSwCnZd7nOoWN_s7vkEw-SngFb7OOE14B6GSXLmqqvGcSFtyUmwnwdFzTF6JUz8cI6vaBDdCvaNFQfwZBNnPwQij5pwhy1OJpg/s2157/White-ruffed%20Manakin%20female%202%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-19-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1726" data-original-width="2157" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJotrhvA8Hwm76F4LDdL1xmK-OIPybuUY3KMXZlorEpD76Z0ruJuSZb7tUOCzhRROFGx5CKzgeOmhmopu2IwIYtGKkzSwCnZd7nOoWN_s7vkEw-SngFb7OOE14B6GSXLmqqvGcSFtyUmwnwdFzTF6JUz8cI6vaBDdCvaNFQfwZBNnPwQij5pwhy1OJpg/w400-h320/White-ruffed%20Manakin%20female%202%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-19-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">White-ruffed Manakin - female</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid07fYIsZNLt2BDQYxoI5lGVWrn9zNEGl3vYTb02AgCO-jE86VJ7gCOMXJLVlmceTTDZpD2elyHlizugoqRu3Quaydc-bwJssXYO779d0gn_Zm76XNO7gRq87psQPf76IHVDWI85GTyf5UP-JpNwCppBU_LBfbeEcW3SwcaP2jCoFFEFBR1pY0K4K4Zy4/s2092/Wedge-billed%20Woodcreeper%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-19-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1673" data-original-width="2092" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid07fYIsZNLt2BDQYxoI5lGVWrn9zNEGl3vYTb02AgCO-jE86VJ7gCOMXJLVlmceTTDZpD2elyHlizugoqRu3Quaydc-bwJssXYO779d0gn_Zm76XNO7gRq87psQPf76IHVDWI85GTyf5UP-JpNwCppBU_LBfbeEcW3SwcaP2jCoFFEFBR1pY0K4K4Zy4/w400-h320/Wedge-billed%20Woodcreeper%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-19-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Wedge-billed Woodcreeper</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVgk77Uld-qENeYixr2vAl_HFGtwXDnGmRECtOt1k7ltUc_ZECCzmZ36rvLRTGna02DZK1NapIuGREJPR9aMxv2Mrsxc8sltl_9KLMH8_SmzBypc172T1_nusf4d51UEIXREHGhRUu4RmljCMh7ML2hjhlP5j6vtaDgozPda8w3oNjD0wXOPdm6R-NYaU/s4977/Clay-colored%20Thrush%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3981" data-original-width="4977" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVgk77Uld-qENeYixr2vAl_HFGtwXDnGmRECtOt1k7ltUc_ZECCzmZ36rvLRTGna02DZK1NapIuGREJPR9aMxv2Mrsxc8sltl_9KLMH8_SmzBypc172T1_nusf4d51UEIXREHGhRUu4RmljCMh7ML2hjhlP5j6vtaDgozPda8w3oNjD0wXOPdm6R-NYaU/w400-h320/Clay-colored%20Thrush%20-%20Sendero%20Bogar%C3%ADn%2001-20-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Clay-colored Thrush</span></div></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">At about 11:00 it started to rain more heavily, so Johan took us to a sheltered spot overlooking a beautiful section of garden. He’d been told that the male Black-crested Coquette had been seen feeding here the past couple of days, so we sat down in some dry chairs and waited. The garden was full of Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds, which can be particularly aggressive towards smaller species like the coquettes. But finally a beautiful mature male showed up and fed on verbena blooms that were directly in front of where we were sitting. These are tiny little hummingbirds that move constantly, but I was able to get some great pictures, and we headed back to the lodge. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz6jehak46AhoUeMmlX81WzEj1ziUk8vUcctQoITMPZAWsIOvoiqBkSKVK_2RvCPLJB3DN0rEpZo87C8rNVWmCN2HcNeliwszzI5uXVsPT7II5uHEWMQUAgHZcuuRyLyTJ4r1dFu8kPm6TDCDB6sk77XJX_88_LK9NsKssdi6tgNGAay0LxwDlfXVwrLo/s2105/Black-crested%20Coquette%20male%203%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-19-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1684" data-original-width="2105" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz6jehak46AhoUeMmlX81WzEj1ziUk8vUcctQoITMPZAWsIOvoiqBkSKVK_2RvCPLJB3DN0rEpZo87C8rNVWmCN2HcNeliwszzI5uXVsPT7II5uHEWMQUAgHZcuuRyLyTJ4r1dFu8kPm6TDCDB6sk77XJX_88_LK9NsKssdi6tgNGAay0LxwDlfXVwrLo/w400-h320/Black-crested%20Coquette%20male%203%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-19-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo4yj04AW4dJdKTgJ_fA0eVIUDEWlhrVpxWG4UPYtd9R33o0gAfm5sPmwS1y5Lxkt8C4LzUbC4kAZVB3M1ZFqf__4X7kRIwlrLkAhUR0YAP-mDlBqchlrRtrA7UVdfrRagoaXt8Osw1s_I8VTXiRFL94tJVwXUvHR_0Z9A2hOUT7uYHWwVrxX9ZAqV4eg/s2582/Black-crested%20Coquette%20male%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-19-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2066" data-original-width="2582" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo4yj04AW4dJdKTgJ_fA0eVIUDEWlhrVpxWG4UPYtd9R33o0gAfm5sPmwS1y5Lxkt8C4LzUbC4kAZVB3M1ZFqf__4X7kRIwlrLkAhUR0YAP-mDlBqchlrRtrA7UVdfrRagoaXt8Osw1s_I8VTXiRFL94tJVwXUvHR_0Z9A2hOUT7uYHWwVrxX9ZAqV4eg/w400-h320/Black-crested%20Coquette%20male%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-19-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Black-crested Coquette - male</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We decided to drive to the nearby town of La Fortuna for lunch as it would put us close to our afternoon birding area. We stopped at La Rana Roja (The Red Frog) and had a good lunch. We're not really sure why the restaurant was named "The Red Frog" but it was catchy and the food was good. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOBeIMmwHFncge1Rt6YxqGLZeYTr7GK5wgkIWa66CuOl6zA-TDkJxFnL-SyziTsQoPMMe6I4sJnBupYD5GU3iHl-Korup4HVcZ8mqpHH5x0g2JYNcntA6DIo8fhWBSKqJ-HnQuf9hFWW1nePOEoLtqaT0p-zz1t_1H5qSIdIG5vMteIqQzAsn_gKLVtrE/s3648/Nachos.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOBeIMmwHFncge1Rt6YxqGLZeYTr7GK5wgkIWa66CuOl6zA-TDkJxFnL-SyziTsQoPMMe6I4sJnBupYD5GU3iHl-Korup4HVcZ8mqpHH5x0g2JYNcntA6DIo8fhWBSKqJ-HnQuf9hFWW1nePOEoLtqaT0p-zz1t_1H5qSIdIG5vMteIqQzAsn_gKLVtrE/s3648/Nachos.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_pTEhQ28lB-IbbL6pF61wryYcppvyxRP0oPHE7t2J1GbvJmexzEdhF7Mhh_TY_AvwITj2sv6OaadTWqceX9yB_9NJHpr4duWCBO30LRnWyZjEd796BlKiFNnWnN2uI6yQFHC6bQmA7j2H4q5_kbTqCcR_ojUlPDJGoC6nKKLL2Zq6CWY98FN55s8zI_Y/s3648/Rana%20Roja.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_pTEhQ28lB-IbbL6pF61wryYcppvyxRP0oPHE7t2J1GbvJmexzEdhF7Mhh_TY_AvwITj2sv6OaadTWqceX9yB_9NJHpr4duWCBO30LRnWyZjEd796BlKiFNnWnN2uI6yQFHC6bQmA7j2H4q5_kbTqCcR_ojUlPDJGoC6nKKLL2Zq6CWY98FN55s8zI_Y/w400-h300/Rana%20Roja.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOBeIMmwHFncge1Rt6YxqGLZeYTr7GK5wgkIWa66CuOl6zA-TDkJxFnL-SyziTsQoPMMe6I4sJnBupYD5GU3iHl-Korup4HVcZ8mqpHH5x0g2JYNcntA6DIo8fhWBSKqJ-HnQuf9hFWW1nePOEoLtqaT0p-zz1t_1H5qSIdIG5vMteIqQzAsn_gKLVtrE/w400-h300/Nachos.jpg" width="400" /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Nachos - Messy but delicious</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br />Next - Sendero Bogarin</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Mark & Terihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410651360395422840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767944521225965268.post-41205309600407196312024-02-07T05:00:00.014-06:002024-02-07T05:00:00.332-06:00Costa Rica 2024 - Day 2 continued<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We left Cocora Cloud Forest at 12:30 and headed to our next birding site and lunch spot, San Luis Canopy, arriving at 12:45.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This was a combination restaurant, zip-line, adventure hiking, and bird feeding spot. There were a couple of big buses that had hauled cruise ship passengers inland for their Costa Rican shore activity, and the place was absolutely mobbed with folks. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqI4MQjBTO-8f6uBtmDjwmi_OGcSsZQtBj7IrbS0r4O_4l_c6XuBt5QXleuHNyT58S3tPURsvnpLFXgXjfSsjDdtz_moZN49eMtEvJUyj5TYntceOW7AG-Xy82ygoPTCyV4boXGdl5lPBa-tq9uE52dx09fjQZD_l7TjYg3A-dHyLGn6zT547AbM8hYiw/s3648/Restaurant.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqI4MQjBTO-8f6uBtmDjwmi_OGcSsZQtBj7IrbS0r4O_4l_c6XuBt5QXleuHNyT58S3tPURsvnpLFXgXjfSsjDdtz_moZN49eMtEvJUyj5TYntceOW7AG-Xy82ygoPTCyV4boXGdl5lPBa-tq9uE52dx09fjQZD_l7TjYg3A-dHyLGn6zT547AbM8hYiw/w400-h300/Restaurant.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We sat down for lunch immediately as the area around the feeders was crazy crowded. We could see the feeders from our lunch table, and did spot some good birds. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLx4ux4FwmutyerTob7YcJWmulQFU5U_PiO1gbh5S-vqBabMGZaE9XUq4KWxaR3LLFfRMEqmHoWj9ZN1-uTzU25ecys21yWRvlC7yovbi1i6dTa9rHDcw_WjdR7yn6MoNKjCOqJ9rTJD9bHG0eP90oVfJyBgX3d6VqqgXIAt_Q-Gg7ISnEJFzTTcX9oV8/s3648/Teri's%20Lunch.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLx4ux4FwmutyerTob7YcJWmulQFU5U_PiO1gbh5S-vqBabMGZaE9XUq4KWxaR3LLFfRMEqmHoWj9ZN1-uTzU25ecys21yWRvlC7yovbi1i6dTa9rHDcw_WjdR7yn6MoNKjCOqJ9rTJD9bHG0eP90oVfJyBgX3d6VqqgXIAt_Q-Gg7ISnEJFzTTcX9oV8/w400-h300/Teri's%20Lunch.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Lunch served on a banana leaf</span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH4KGvVZ2W2UCbrSrrUbksGLB-hJlcENtRbvoEK9wLSLtpxkR_F2uSt-appRe-s4U2nH4UnbSdPPT0F1rSNwvTNbjj-BWrfO7p1C-wR-1kQOVHHvQKO0tR2I7Ix6p2YJl6nqC07IJUrG2eJBMUYlnUBjx8rZEi88DrevHeSbcIEWOsAXQsX3kwVG2OJiY/s3648/Coke%20sin%20azucar.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH4KGvVZ2W2UCbrSrrUbksGLB-hJlcENtRbvoEK9wLSLtpxkR_F2uSt-appRe-s4U2nH4UnbSdPPT0F1rSNwvTNbjj-BWrfO7p1C-wR-1kQOVHHvQKO0tR2I7Ix6p2YJl6nqC07IJUrG2eJBMUYlnUBjx8rZEi88DrevHeSbcIEWOsAXQsX3kwVG2OJiY/w400-h300/Coke%20sin%20azucar.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Coke sin azucar (without sugar)</span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The cruise folks left pretty quickly so after lunch we headed over to the feeders where we saw some great birds. Collared Trogons, Black-cheeked Woodpeckers, and lots of tanagers including the Emerald and Speckled. Best bird was the rare Blue-and-gold Tanager, a lifer for us. We got great looks and pictures. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6QcPm2eoKQvLrVyDqvzjdMjUd-WYYSXgfN4sK5uhCQKwvFG4ci2UHHF4LrVqL8U-MRjLG75nFT0MT2W9aETN0mZgJy4PiA8J1AM8IwER7p6tOZvM3Sp2NuvpDty7LSX3qrrhvc_yex6h2qNkKpjHbFYWP5UEy7Fd5aGAkF04oGQlhQ3ChhcESyAPFKZ0/s5217/Collared%20Trogan%20female%202%20-%20San%20Luis%20Canopy%2001-19-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4174" data-original-width="5217" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6QcPm2eoKQvLrVyDqvzjdMjUd-WYYSXgfN4sK5uhCQKwvFG4ci2UHHF4LrVqL8U-MRjLG75nFT0MT2W9aETN0mZgJy4PiA8J1AM8IwER7p6tOZvM3Sp2NuvpDty7LSX3qrrhvc_yex6h2qNkKpjHbFYWP5UEy7Fd5aGAkF04oGQlhQ3ChhcESyAPFKZ0/w400-h320/Collared%20Trogan%20female%202%20-%20San%20Luis%20Canopy%2001-19-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Collared Trogon female</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzO7tWOB3WDE0ywZb0of7pk8Q8uNTKZryvdJvxKwGz4S8VRWaXaCepgmYSdV97utLxNIic_8mxsj8gJxsG90mhfjw3KFFPQlgOq2AleVLcYraasNjH0WShJE0V5re7r3NVE6JxCW4qePyfIkH5oV3ek6_lP70284W7BhYF8S0iSl_a39MsseQYCerWNhc/s5336/Collared%20Trogan%20male%20-%20San%20Luis%20Canopy%2001-19-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4269" data-original-width="5336" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzO7tWOB3WDE0ywZb0of7pk8Q8uNTKZryvdJvxKwGz4S8VRWaXaCepgmYSdV97utLxNIic_8mxsj8gJxsG90mhfjw3KFFPQlgOq2AleVLcYraasNjH0WShJE0V5re7r3NVE6JxCW4qePyfIkH5oV3ek6_lP70284W7BhYF8S0iSl_a39MsseQYCerWNhc/w400-h320/Collared%20Trogan%20male%20-%20San%20Luis%20Canopy%2001-19-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Collared Trogon male</span></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjreyutWn75Jr__1hVFTAjNBEQzCPBqWVk7SrG-6mgBCCP-EyKH2ctx777xpk_xI3JcX-FF96tHQA9s47zYZEa_kbe4_xPOXuT2AK_iijVsRC0-49kCM_38dch44nrkWplAMqz5USF8Sb9yAT7TamGnTbS5h1T-2WCPCMcj_7fSGxjxY4HChj7u82u3P8/s4386/Black-cheeked%20Woodpecker%203%20-%20San%20Luis%20Canopy%2001-19-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3508" data-original-width="4386" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjreyutWn75Jr__1hVFTAjNBEQzCPBqWVk7SrG-6mgBCCP-EyKH2ctx777xpk_xI3JcX-FF96tHQA9s47zYZEa_kbe4_xPOXuT2AK_iijVsRC0-49kCM_38dch44nrkWplAMqz5USF8Sb9yAT7TamGnTbS5h1T-2WCPCMcj_7fSGxjxY4HChj7u82u3P8/w400-h320/Black-cheeked%20Woodpecker%203%20-%20San%20Luis%20Canopy%2001-19-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Black-cheeked Woodpecker</span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPRpwbhDDNLycWRNEMc1rIrVPhRJj_0hDdEsncH9sPChVRyf8iv_Uo2dBXfMqN9aP4YW_jE2QNAjkw-mdkI37YiKImcd7qFBW8ZQcFIs4wj2VvHRGzs5lw8rsvlUSMOTqYvpqHLKfsADITwbkDqU76naNHlyoY-mckoo7gpEPMZ9BTUCf7nPD36PNaWIM/s4202/Bay-headed%20Tanager%203%20-%20San%20Luis%20Canopy%2001-19-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3362" data-original-width="4202" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPRpwbhDDNLycWRNEMc1rIrVPhRJj_0hDdEsncH9sPChVRyf8iv_Uo2dBXfMqN9aP4YW_jE2QNAjkw-mdkI37YiKImcd7qFBW8ZQcFIs4wj2VvHRGzs5lw8rsvlUSMOTqYvpqHLKfsADITwbkDqU76naNHlyoY-mckoo7gpEPMZ9BTUCf7nPD36PNaWIM/w400-h320/Bay-headed%20Tanager%203%20-%20San%20Luis%20Canopy%2001-19-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Bay-headed Tanager</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVic3axdO6vbBq1kfdTaUuQdeD_JPus94hLNLk48CNJKkPQrGHjFlCoMVATdO2WUvdArm9Ql-Xz7meKpIUjiSI0oV48ymKhY5llquONIPNLcVPtQw80OyZJ-EdteREnMikDAjdg9GCZL1eOaVE6iwNvQ1JdCPNbStCmRmDScTgSphKpTV7MvbvnM_2qSg/s4580/Blue-and-gold%20Tanager%20-%20San%20Luis%20Canopy%2001-19-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3664" data-original-width="4580" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVic3axdO6vbBq1kfdTaUuQdeD_JPus94hLNLk48CNJKkPQrGHjFlCoMVATdO2WUvdArm9Ql-Xz7meKpIUjiSI0oV48ymKhY5llquONIPNLcVPtQw80OyZJ-EdteREnMikDAjdg9GCZL1eOaVE6iwNvQ1JdCPNbStCmRmDScTgSphKpTV7MvbvnM_2qSg/w400-h320/Blue-and-gold%20Tanager%20-%20San%20Luis%20Canopy%2001-19-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Blue-and-gold Tanager</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpeDqVSF5PP5OnO_fqaxArbsn3XP98OwVzoEczyGo93FBtPd9CrJ8YkmVatue6wN5Mvxc2zIrJtW02rk1czwc6r1V3DWUmzvT3NLMWOJNlrBkjfNSy5lTgjDtWAoXcHwnBR0k9BUmrcfcdfT6uS1Xbc_UtRqDsEgZD3o4ild5md43C1APRCV4hLz4a-_8/s4020/Speckled%20Tanager%20-%20San%20Luis%20Canopy%2001-19-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3216" data-original-width="4020" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpeDqVSF5PP5OnO_fqaxArbsn3XP98OwVzoEczyGo93FBtPd9CrJ8YkmVatue6wN5Mvxc2zIrJtW02rk1czwc6r1V3DWUmzvT3NLMWOJNlrBkjfNSy5lTgjDtWAoXcHwnBR0k9BUmrcfcdfT6uS1Xbc_UtRqDsEgZD3o4ild5md43C1APRCV4hLz4a-_8/w400-h320/Speckled%20Tanager%20-%20San%20Luis%20Canopy%2001-19-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Speckled Tanager</span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We left about 2:00 and headed for Arenal Observatory Lodge.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As we neared the lodge we saw a group of birders at a bridge looking at the river below. We quickly spotted the Fasciated Tiger-Heron that they were seeing, as well as a Spotted Sandpiper and Black Phoebe. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeCrDNApxk43lJxXFDVV80GOCk3Lwc5FVqK5sqwD_vaR2fWCOtyuK4_AEH7MYrwrLNJyQaaQRQytagYW9tNiGctXpQjTRuZ-wBUapcHMQdU1MkcmrI369lZCMpVxtAS_WOp16d2ackbZjtXidVZWcI4N8IarG_oQ4QaG4QnHOSXwIoKj8iH7Nw0gnQYu4/s3019/Fasciated%20Tiger-Heron%20La%20Fortuna%20-%20El%20Castillo,%20Provincia%20de%20Alajuela,%20CR%20(10.438,%20-84.73)%2001-19-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2416" data-original-width="3019" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeCrDNApxk43lJxXFDVV80GOCk3Lwc5FVqK5sqwD_vaR2fWCOtyuK4_AEH7MYrwrLNJyQaaQRQytagYW9tNiGctXpQjTRuZ-wBUapcHMQdU1MkcmrI369lZCMpVxtAS_WOp16d2ackbZjtXidVZWcI4N8IarG_oQ4QaG4QnHOSXwIoKj8iH7Nw0gnQYu4/w400-h320/Fasciated%20Tiger-Heron%20La%20Fortuna%20-%20El%20Castillo,%20Provincia%20de%20Alajuela,%20CR%20(10.438,%20-84.73)%2001-19-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Fasciated Tiger-Heron</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We made a couple of stops on the road just below the lodge to call for Keel-billed Motmot, but no luck. </span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">At the lodge we headed right for the deck overlooking the feeding area. Things were pretty picked over from earlier in the day, but we still saw plenty of birds. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXxcW8N3sEzxtJj5cLRNOayD4dAzb2ujUw-0zA8opR3kG2pb8XFrdBOIWPKsXxCnRpvtJ7srNgTGxHw3QUPvbiKREsUtoI6mM5V9Oo50V8UGQ6RbqdihxwywcEeiB9sThQVQW4qgVQYhtP2n3YnY0qKGbfIK8cv1KgkhpdXaiCscLbiVrJPRQ_ze5PJlk/s3648/Mark%20&%20Johan%20on%20Arenal%20Deck.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXxcW8N3sEzxtJj5cLRNOayD4dAzb2ujUw-0zA8opR3kG2pb8XFrdBOIWPKsXxCnRpvtJ7srNgTGxHw3QUPvbiKREsUtoI6mM5V9Oo50V8UGQ6RbqdihxwywcEeiB9sThQVQW4qgVQYhtP2n3YnY0qKGbfIK8cv1KgkhpdXaiCscLbiVrJPRQ_ze5PJlk/w400-h300/Mark%20&%20Johan%20on%20Arenal%20Deck.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Mark & Johan on the Arenal Observation Deck</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Both male and female Great Curassows were picking up scraps below the feeders, and we got great looks at a female Black-crested Coquette. The male is on our target list for this location, so hopefully he’s around. </span></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0TO_cRZE8FBRfYStEM7hcs5yv2vjF6xX-NTZ_bYeCQs7KmdMIzbJ6yIJF777KjjmTaVe7k3ZELPpFBeReEiwehOpcns2iv2j9VeD5Z-ORjBK65jnIKKoXx5JNGaXQJx2ile6nsBvNE0Nea3vgSI0K7Ic8LtNwbQCVm_uzj9q510oa5Z_yYtBMwx5rYUM/s2386/Black-crested%20Coquette%20female%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-19-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1909" data-original-width="2386" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0TO_cRZE8FBRfYStEM7hcs5yv2vjF6xX-NTZ_bYeCQs7KmdMIzbJ6yIJF777KjjmTaVe7k3ZELPpFBeReEiwehOpcns2iv2j9VeD5Z-ORjBK65jnIKKoXx5JNGaXQJx2ile6nsBvNE0Nea3vgSI0K7Ic8LtNwbQCVm_uzj9q510oa5Z_yYtBMwx5rYUM/w400-h320/Black-crested%20Coquette%20female%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-19-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Black-crested Coquette - female</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHnnGSZA4LhR5CV2rKTGp96v4ZoRD3QE7frzlYQ-st8OKsOawpN81cPAfjcuUrRHvky5w6KM14qhk2l5huE40po0mB7FMQwJsdON_bVXskFLZQIyCA-uhkt9WwYu8jAOipX2YLI2WkhDCbtDaQP9pSDhQlsAVYKjsUB-cfG8pzEfpK_t-wQdMA7LOumJc/s4446/Great%20Curassow%20female%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-19-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3556" data-original-width="4446" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHnnGSZA4LhR5CV2rKTGp96v4ZoRD3QE7frzlYQ-st8OKsOawpN81cPAfjcuUrRHvky5w6KM14qhk2l5huE40po0mB7FMQwJsdON_bVXskFLZQIyCA-uhkt9WwYu8jAOipX2YLI2WkhDCbtDaQP9pSDhQlsAVYKjsUB-cfG8pzEfpK_t-wQdMA7LOumJc/w400-h320/Great%20Curassow%20female%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-19-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Great Curassow - female</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We got checked into our room and had dinner at 6:30. Then caught up on some lists, the journal, etc. and a good nights sleep. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBbRdQn_AKS07zcwNiJQZ6ZtX3B9hy7D_K_85wqo2tnuJbDZCcXYw_6PB1V3-ScLPTI90AKgwUj6KtAGpg-we9EtwqEsfizBIvWj1lOqeqw6e0_AECEJ0oFk_mgv20FxnQXPnoyXawPVvhySwSES28Wazr8G-l7pCzaViNnN4nyWOzicfIxgCcobxMxk/s3648/Arenal%20Room.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBbRdQn_AKS07zcwNiJQZ6ZtX3B9hy7D_K_85wqo2tnuJbDZCcXYw_6PB1V3-ScLPTI90AKgwUj6KtAGpg-we9EtwqEsfizBIvWj1lOqeqw6e0_AECEJ0oFk_mgv20FxnQXPnoyXawPVvhySwSES28Wazr8G-l7pCzaViNnN4nyWOzicfIxgCcobxMxk/w400-h300/Arenal%20Room.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Next - Birding at Arenal, La Rana Roja (The Red Frog), and Sendero Bogarin. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>Mark & Terihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410651360395422840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767944521225965268.post-8073224146345009982024-02-05T14:00:00.029-06:002024-02-05T14:00:00.140-06:00Costa Rica 2024 - Day 2<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Friday, January 19, 2024 </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We met Johan in the hotel gardens at 5:45. It was just light enough to see birds. We picked up a bunch of common species quickly, like Great Kiskadee, Hoffman’s Woodpecker, Brown Jay and Clay-colored Thrush.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Johan had heard a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl earlier, so we set out to locate it. It was responding only sporadically to calls, but then we saw a group of birds mobbing a branch of a tree and sure enough that led us to the owl. These little owls prey on small birds, so when they find one in the daylight they try to harass it out of their area. The owl stayed hidden for a while, but finally perched out in the open. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7PotMp1G7sKDzD6d0chXQyIB0FR9hu1gzys-3fFi11wpicigmEhWv8Uz7N6QmymXpita7dO3vEkrG4LVKWA8oxFHO1vrZ3avuOMcHQ2dRSZ7oVVf6Vn0EP-yo5c1jX_KQz4ne5kBERQmcgSfqF5d40E0p2Ixmjb9LdVTBK6gaaq2pXsxVWT_J5F8BVM/s2218/Ferruginous%20Pygmy-Owl%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-19-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1774" data-original-width="2218" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7PotMp1G7sKDzD6d0chXQyIB0FR9hu1gzys-3fFi11wpicigmEhWv8Uz7N6QmymXpita7dO3vEkrG4LVKWA8oxFHO1vrZ3avuOMcHQ2dRSZ7oVVf6Vn0EP-yo5c1jX_KQz4ne5kBERQmcgSfqF5d40E0p2Ixmjb9LdVTBK6gaaq2pXsxVWT_J5F8BVM/w400-h320/Ferruginous%20Pygmy-Owl%20-%20Arenal%20Observatory%20Lodge%2001-19-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl</span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We headed in for the breakfast buffet at around 7:15, ate, and then left the hotel around 8:00. We drove thru Heredia where there was a surprising amount of traffic and a back-up do to a minor accident, and then out toward Arenal.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We stopped at Cocora Cloud Forest at 10:00. This is a private property with a small restaurant, gift shop and some lodging. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilSWDr7vW8x_vVnSPMKBxdfFWMzA53wLwAkOa23ygjScK8bsz8Ay4t68Do0T0Oi1z_VwubVeLrGiBV0sTCxsrf_LrkzVHZzo5Cb3E7UUQoFD-f_Nk7eZivJ_Pi0vXRO3ho8sj1Dps9-mnSWKwVfseFTwqKX2F1jr_ECohl1PZpeegPS4dbw3f06osMnfk/s3648/Teri%20and%20Mark%20faces%20in%20sign.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilSWDr7vW8x_vVnSPMKBxdfFWMzA53wLwAkOa23ygjScK8bsz8Ay4t68Do0T0Oi1z_VwubVeLrGiBV0sTCxsrf_LrkzVHZzo5Cb3E7UUQoFD-f_Nk7eZivJ_Pi0vXRO3ho8sj1Dps9-mnSWKwVfseFTwqKX2F1jr_ECohl1PZpeegPS4dbw3f06osMnfk/w400-h300/Teri%20and%20Mark%20faces%20in%20sign.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">They maintain a hummingbird feeder set-up and that was the reason we’d stopped. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjx9SKb_xM68jgde-yOVhdWzs3opma5VhFbOzXQUKjC2BfdY_e_Mmmw9e_zUNNWZ4SVhVgvVw_haNd8qgGABOYsvJKKPlq2v8I8BF1EpS1oWCv_XxGMcxeBmPUFsqdg6pKZM9p71-KwKh_RViQ7kInxHk492o4rs00IZCBlBpHWVSX-GnGOQ-zopNm6zc/s3648/Cocora%20Cloud%20Forest.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjx9SKb_xM68jgde-yOVhdWzs3opma5VhFbOzXQUKjC2BfdY_e_Mmmw9e_zUNNWZ4SVhVgvVw_haNd8qgGABOYsvJKKPlq2v8I8BF1EpS1oWCv_XxGMcxeBmPUFsqdg6pKZM9p71-KwKh_RViQ7kInxHk492o4rs00IZCBlBpHWVSX-GnGOQ-zopNm6zc/w400-h300/Cocora%20Cloud%20Forest.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRSLFqXvTCyai0Si-hFgu7pjn-CLEBrdc292kAfKT6S0MKF7txyn8XYHSKn04p4FCs7_msQv7q1gNV8cZDQ8dzrwzvUzbmOHifNYQYl842msGb_UsppMcTXO95qAR9V5rZKHFtpaZ5rEzUp5SSF6W2neFDzXXodARQ4Ie5EXru6I6vlYnAEr68jgp1EJM/s2715/Cocora%20Cloud%20Forest%20hummingbird%20setup.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2172" data-original-width="2715" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRSLFqXvTCyai0Si-hFgu7pjn-CLEBrdc292kAfKT6S0MKF7txyn8XYHSKn04p4FCs7_msQv7q1gNV8cZDQ8dzrwzvUzbmOHifNYQYl842msGb_UsppMcTXO95qAR9V5rZKHFtpaZ5rEzUp5SSF6W2neFDzXXodARQ4Ie5EXru6I6vlYnAEr68jgp1EJM/w400-h320/Cocora%20Cloud%20Forest%20hummingbird%20setup.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWdqZMwP3FFAbF93hTi7wuwtaS_7MI6U1XRcVCuNx8BMnl_KVbBDt-Y_Jb-BsgJU-Ie7AnXhMsliRF72k2PBJ2he3pis-0YBTcqxZZgjtPp2vs2WUNup307fzRhj7ev1LDs55n736I_GQ0b6Mu8UcH1aoB70Ke9vdqQf8Ha_Rwp5hbX1u5e8U7UT-1CpQ/s3648/Orchids.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWdqZMwP3FFAbF93hTi7wuwtaS_7MI6U1XRcVCuNx8BMnl_KVbBDt-Y_Jb-BsgJU-Ie7AnXhMsliRF72k2PBJ2he3pis-0YBTcqxZZgjtPp2vs2WUNup307fzRhj7ev1LDs55n736I_GQ0b6Mu8UcH1aoB70Ke9vdqQf8Ha_Rwp5hbX1u5e8U7UT-1CpQ/w400-h300/Orchids.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Orchid</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We immediately started seeing Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds, Crowned Woodnymph, Green Hermits (unusual for them to be coming to feeders), Brown Violetear, and a Costa Rica endemic, the Coppery-headed Emerald. It was a nice set-up for viewing and photography. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho9vEgxHyFECW_sQJfqeCSjbNOLq3Mx2ZE1oHjx4cQY08WgLH7aQ_1CSqS2cWp8mBFrnml0lAaKAJlT11HhtW60CemTW-IEkuCSvYG8wSbIX92yxdSd11oPmSXCShk0UNsiI_WuZlyIsqSDQz7K-79IOEz_sRUHD7I17udTgMKENWo6LT9Y6Nr-fiQ7nc/s3075/Coppery-headed%20Emerald%20male%202%20-%20Cocora%20Cloud%20Forest%2001-19-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2459" data-original-width="3075" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho9vEgxHyFECW_sQJfqeCSjbNOLq3Mx2ZE1oHjx4cQY08WgLH7aQ_1CSqS2cWp8mBFrnml0lAaKAJlT11HhtW60CemTW-IEkuCSvYG8wSbIX92yxdSd11oPmSXCShk0UNsiI_WuZlyIsqSDQz7K-79IOEz_sRUHD7I17udTgMKENWo6LT9Y6Nr-fiQ7nc/w400-h320/Coppery-headed%20Emerald%20male%202%20-%20Cocora%20Cloud%20Forest%2001-19-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Coppery-headed Emerald</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizsOkbXK6Gm5EIMZ5WUpbDVZZbdH09kBimiodyfyzbt_aq1r43_tOkAKGqngpzJKRVB8t8ISUZYhJ5RPIY9QtCRblIBxCZtFcJsJKNLokERt8XHjVu1FyfQ7Ghnlc-Hk369tbWMJc0RaIfWzPVvzd7cauyPTMnbg2WUMfCW4GpGDbE4gWPVt0dmRLXLY4/s3292/Crowned%20Woodnymph%20male%202%20-%20Cocora%20Cloud%20Forest%2001-19-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2634" data-original-width="3292" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizsOkbXK6Gm5EIMZ5WUpbDVZZbdH09kBimiodyfyzbt_aq1r43_tOkAKGqngpzJKRVB8t8ISUZYhJ5RPIY9QtCRblIBxCZtFcJsJKNLokERt8XHjVu1FyfQ7Ghnlc-Hk369tbWMJc0RaIfWzPVvzd7cauyPTMnbg2WUMfCW4GpGDbE4gWPVt0dmRLXLY4/w400-h320/Crowned%20Woodnymph%20male%202%20-%20Cocora%20Cloud%20Forest%2001-19-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Crowned Woodnymph</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPiY1cRXiwHeX9BcJpfepC-ge4xAxxvXGf5n22-MYxEkEXVCrUTUCQTXZpLsR6nVgLHC9A-dxqBaPq4D7Pn58qb7IDW3lP0jn0Bgl8BRXzMgILa0YCa2pUaAXZ3Hw-Y42F0-H3MKLA9oERTpS1whmv7NeFJ5xwEo5d2mRw5AbMmWZFzWz8TB40UwKM6bU/s4003/Green%20Hermit%20male%202%20-%20Cocora%20Cloud%20Forest%2001-19-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3203" data-original-width="4003" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPiY1cRXiwHeX9BcJpfepC-ge4xAxxvXGf5n22-MYxEkEXVCrUTUCQTXZpLsR6nVgLHC9A-dxqBaPq4D7Pn58qb7IDW3lP0jn0Bgl8BRXzMgILa0YCa2pUaAXZ3Hw-Y42F0-H3MKLA9oERTpS1whmv7NeFJ5xwEo5d2mRw5AbMmWZFzWz8TB40UwKM6bU/w400-h320/Green%20Hermit%20male%202%20-%20Cocora%20Cloud%20Forest%2001-19-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Green Hermit</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGSf_i_nuDSkOJpY7AWtpfaX2vo2PWfmngNpTYZ71rGr217BiRnk_LktNJBE7c60ezegLqcarA8CuO1ak6Mtav2QDpbL-KgmVCyYg2FsKLodnwBd4xGW-WN6tOKOja775UILFxatvI76RK3d2ruguConVLuQdE08gOTKEOPLXQFClbT1rWoLRXaxzf7jM/s3955/Green-crowned%20Brilliant%20male%202%20-%20Cocora%20Cloud%20Forest%2001-19-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3164" data-original-width="3955" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGSf_i_nuDSkOJpY7AWtpfaX2vo2PWfmngNpTYZ71rGr217BiRnk_LktNJBE7c60ezegLqcarA8CuO1ak6Mtav2QDpbL-KgmVCyYg2FsKLodnwBd4xGW-WN6tOKOja775UILFxatvI76RK3d2ruguConVLuQdE08gOTKEOPLXQFClbT1rWoLRXaxzf7jM/w400-h320/Green-crowned%20Brilliant%20male%202%20-%20Cocora%20Cloud%20Forest%2001-19-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Green-crowned Brilliant</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8N0IRT2Eja2umKBZ-SeMvXGbGXAnYzZd5ylvQ8mc5TASTkih2TBkq0hlufuydAAUzFldrPGnq14ucFwFhLU0Hu8f5AcwHDbI4qYZxwN68MAze0UYzJi5_OtUufXkAF-AWTm2lGa3fyAjO8mIJzXT1a7HW1DDbrNssYVsQ1IqVq99zDMLmUXLbtOiWd90/s5633/Brown%20Violetear%20-%20Cocora%20Cloud%20Forest%2001-19-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4506" data-original-width="5633" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8N0IRT2Eja2umKBZ-SeMvXGbGXAnYzZd5ylvQ8mc5TASTkih2TBkq0hlufuydAAUzFldrPGnq14ucFwFhLU0Hu8f5AcwHDbI4qYZxwN68MAze0UYzJi5_OtUufXkAF-AWTm2lGa3fyAjO8mIJzXT1a7HW1DDbrNssYVsQ1IqVq99zDMLmUXLbtOiWd90/w400-h320/Brown%20Violetear%20-%20Cocora%20Cloud%20Forest%2001-19-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Brown Violetear</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As I labelled the pictures, I am reminded of how few tropical hummingbirds actually have the word "hummingbird" in their name!</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We also saw a few non-hummingbirds. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij9yWsxw7tOE93YxXhpdoCe4K01-y0Ss-A9SFkDXv9G0yA3c0Q6gv3-6M63v3adFERnBkgvSFIwOMHtiy1CHWRoET8u4tIXLo9GSVfkMsOWCKtUwRpn-T4-fje_kWlNnhMIyyC-RH2gCOQ552XL-CgqIaqp5x8RWTGvsYYFP7hGNvzT0FLZSTLrHlPkms/s4288/Bananaquit%202%20-%20Cocora%20Cloud%20Forest%2001-19-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3431" data-original-width="4288" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij9yWsxw7tOE93YxXhpdoCe4K01-y0Ss-A9SFkDXv9G0yA3c0Q6gv3-6M63v3adFERnBkgvSFIwOMHtiy1CHWRoET8u4tIXLo9GSVfkMsOWCKtUwRpn-T4-fje_kWlNnhMIyyC-RH2gCOQ552XL-CgqIaqp5x8RWTGvsYYFP7hGNvzT0FLZSTLrHlPkms/w400-h320/Bananaquit%202%20-%20Cocora%20Cloud%20Forest%2001-19-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Bananaquit</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIxAXG2S6dVf_jXCl6RPDsBD8SSwHMxeXi3RFfAb_eV4ntHixDnYuNlN-scKdMXdmN1MkL5UruF4BLCeGvKLje7X_uWI4P0aJSuzqPm-uVwIjNddigjWVcmtsFzPUudTeecebY6_8jicy_XWEDq8jzncbp50dxe0QL88fPwDwE7JoPBIQrRJl9doQsbMk/s2974/Blue-black%20Grosbeak%20male%20-%20Cocora%20Cloud%20Forest%2001-19-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2379" data-original-width="2974" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIxAXG2S6dVf_jXCl6RPDsBD8SSwHMxeXi3RFfAb_eV4ntHixDnYuNlN-scKdMXdmN1MkL5UruF4BLCeGvKLje7X_uWI4P0aJSuzqPm-uVwIjNddigjWVcmtsFzPUudTeecebY6_8jicy_XWEDq8jzncbp50dxe0QL88fPwDwE7JoPBIQrRJl9doQsbMk/w400-h320/Blue-black%20Grosbeak%20male%20-%20Cocora%20Cloud%20Forest%2001-19-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Blue-black Grosbeak</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">One of the workers there was interested in butterflies and moths, and showed us a pair of moths that he'd found on a nearby building. They were from the silk moth family, and adults like these live only a few days, only long enough to mate and lay eggs. He was going to take the eggs and raise the caterpillars. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg57FlikQ4DVgi3v2PawFrrbriT1431iyl-lc-3cLrOOPo3JeFK4pJdvkw_IG80BKveCzsNugm44dpUKh6z3B3w1ADrXD8EdXVBZxAIvY-W_Zo9Me7mWKlfAYDMQHtAHndv0400G20Zcp_anEzk986j0rxMDItwHmaqNetwjZ_cZjxsIfd0che4RCx26bk/s3648/Large%20moths.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg57FlikQ4DVgi3v2PawFrrbriT1431iyl-lc-3cLrOOPo3JeFK4pJdvkw_IG80BKveCzsNugm44dpUKh6z3B3w1ADrXD8EdXVBZxAIvY-W_Zo9Me7mWKlfAYDMQHtAHndv0400G20Zcp_anEzk986j0rxMDItwHmaqNetwjZ_cZjxsIfd0che4RCx26bk/w400-h300/Large%20moths.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Automeris postalbida</i></div><br />We moved over to an area where some Heliconia were blooming, and where the staff had seen a White-tipped Sicklebill the previous day. We staked it out for about 30 minutes, getting a quick glimpse of it flying by but not stopping. We did watch a beautiful Coral Snake cross the path. We had a Purple-crowned Fairy feeding on some nearby flowers. These don’t use hummingbird feeders so it was a nice find. </span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdo_2zl_WjQy2sjQYC1k3ahxD9meBkwcYbnc-ux6md98y1xBjYUxn9U2JbaFjvtT3JEtsc0rebJ0D-VqHynGKZwKMeorDVmqVUXjonUxcVb5Ad0qXnJaxCx-AjnAjxeaDrYrocvqWKfLh0Nzbz4Huim2-bPZB05V8V6UO_tnQ7GCN8ZP5nvuxUsOJSwVk/s5850/Coral%20Snake%20-%20Cocora%20Cloud%20Forest%2001-19-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4680" data-original-width="5850" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdo_2zl_WjQy2sjQYC1k3ahxD9meBkwcYbnc-ux6md98y1xBjYUxn9U2JbaFjvtT3JEtsc0rebJ0D-VqHynGKZwKMeorDVmqVUXjonUxcVb5Ad0qXnJaxCx-AjnAjxeaDrYrocvqWKfLh0Nzbz4Huim2-bPZB05V8V6UO_tnQ7GCN8ZP5nvuxUsOJSwVk/w400-h320/Coral%20Snake%20-%20Cocora%20Cloud%20Forest%2001-19-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Coral Snake</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ulGsHugMjFbUQDOb_8OcCqpXa0oze_GVxqBqV-NN2WswJSzj77DqYxRlv_SW04oOGJxRCEDjPMTjQO5o0VQRWZiu_AILSrbuoSTattjKml5JSbRE1zra0U-pBuvLjstWyk1C2jpGJR7yU2ifWfWl8EAX5EkNrdc4b-s5qE9wkghCBQVyNdj4XFCnsdA/s3266/Purple-crowned%20Fairy%20-%20Cocora%20Cloud%20Forest%2001-19-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2613" data-original-width="3266" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ulGsHugMjFbUQDOb_8OcCqpXa0oze_GVxqBqV-NN2WswJSzj77DqYxRlv_SW04oOGJxRCEDjPMTjQO5o0VQRWZiu_AILSrbuoSTattjKml5JSbRE1zra0U-pBuvLjstWyk1C2jpGJR7yU2ifWfWl8EAX5EkNrdc4b-s5qE9wkghCBQVyNdj4XFCnsdA/w400-h320/Purple-crowned%20Fairy%20-%20Cocora%20Cloud%20Forest%2001-19-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Purple-crowned Fairy feeding on Heliconia</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Next: San Luis Canopy</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Mark & Terihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410651360395422840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767944521225965268.post-18697457093172489702024-02-03T10:00:00.006-06:002024-02-03T10:00:00.152-06:00Costa Rica 2024<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Thursday, January 18, 2024 </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We had a 5:30 a.m. flight this morning, so were at the San Antonio airport by 4:00 and at the gate by 4:15. Early morning check-ins go fast! The flight was on time, and we spent most of our 3 hour Miami layover in the American Airlines Lounge which was nice. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We landed in San Jose, Costa Rica at about 2:00, spent 30 minutes in line at immigration, grabbed our luggage and headed outside. We wondered if we could spot our friend Johan in the crowd of folks waiting on passengers before he spotted us in the line of people exiting the building. But Johan is a very good spotter and found us first! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We drove to the nearby Hotel Bougainvillea and checked in. We've stayed at this hotel many times and our room overlooking the extensive gardens was familiar.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_U78KcBTrHpqWluf9L1kvfbcBjB0m7t4ZZMbOvQ0PeFhJC3G3eYLFWnYdUA15ipcUfXRv7Jpno5zVi6xf3zmT09Z2us4HLnS3FYUuBf1_QAqaMEWXmbgTnUTI5Vfjv7zfMNM46Edk6ttf_BVYoiB_-k9JI6aavSPPeMbWyckSH-kLGwcy1EtIr48HElA/s3648/Hotel%20Bougainvillia%20Room.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_U78KcBTrHpqWluf9L1kvfbcBjB0m7t4ZZMbOvQ0PeFhJC3G3eYLFWnYdUA15ipcUfXRv7Jpno5zVi6xf3zmT09Z2us4HLnS3FYUuBf1_QAqaMEWXmbgTnUTI5Vfjv7zfMNM46Edk6ttf_BVYoiB_-k9JI6aavSPPeMbWyckSH-kLGwcy1EtIr48HElA/w400-h300/Hotel%20Bougainvillia%20Room.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1boHHXgmAFKbL88xZXM1omOK0qNEB09s1E85nFH6YVV6QPzkkZ4_jwvTBBKBsPnedw007SZMkvNw3j1wdAh8HTbwVzjGVEaamn73LcH29TXBKAzX6a4I7M-C56iXXdlI146TAnAlHCQ8hyphenhyphenptqYsdX27j0zUsDSHWvK4hOi0lFQV5HAT0Dq-c2B5QCnco/s3648/Hotel%20Bougainvillia%20Room%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1boHHXgmAFKbL88xZXM1omOK0qNEB09s1E85nFH6YVV6QPzkkZ4_jwvTBBKBsPnedw007SZMkvNw3j1wdAh8HTbwVzjGVEaamn73LcH29TXBKAzX6a4I7M-C56iXXdlI146TAnAlHCQ8hyphenhyphenptqYsdX27j0zUsDSHWvK4hOi0lFQV5HAT0Dq-c2B5QCnco/w400-h300/Hotel%20Bougainvillia%20Room%202.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We headed out to the gardens to see what we could find. The hotel has ten acres of gardens that are full of beautiful tropical plants. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH9D7C8ptMuKopnBkXVYMUzm0ahcnUlLJyCZIlrWHLWJ1p7SUtxs6B-SbiIE7lN0xCEiDR_xMeG8oDXQUdVWCsjvC5ifEeXVoNuYumsd-OskUUe8GSwe1-3eoC5-KF6hPkkx-qkOYLXjMgqxom6_yha0IPTJGHQN67c8smmpRX0R524OCowwZDlC9cjiM/s3648/DSC05945.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH9D7C8ptMuKopnBkXVYMUzm0ahcnUlLJyCZIlrWHLWJ1p7SUtxs6B-SbiIE7lN0xCEiDR_xMeG8oDXQUdVWCsjvC5ifEeXVoNuYumsd-OskUUe8GSwe1-3eoC5-KF6hPkkx-qkOYLXjMgqxom6_yha0IPTJGHQN67c8smmpRX0R524OCowwZDlC9cjiM/w400-h300/DSC05945.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJaHnib7dc-bV3QjB5QD0Bi2Zi2fUQfEWKZyl2LstzvlgqqCbvEoIyBApxj3PLPC23JJQTZiZBpndAz-7zo3AA_1qoT_jvZYae3B2CZF9ryHlvT_aQixnaZTAmgfjZSq1ikUSbSLKPIWv2PK8P-XXQf4mJKVd6k30ZXVsz0bx6IFBcdDqBhp-0ctTP0J8/s3648/DSC05946.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJaHnib7dc-bV3QjB5QD0Bi2Zi2fUQfEWKZyl2LstzvlgqqCbvEoIyBApxj3PLPC23JJQTZiZBpndAz-7zo3AA_1qoT_jvZYae3B2CZF9ryHlvT_aQixnaZTAmgfjZSq1ikUSbSLKPIWv2PK8P-XXQf4mJKVd6k30ZXVsz0bx6IFBcdDqBhp-0ctTP0J8/w400-h300/DSC05946.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiplJKl9M-yN01YVsJw2_5b70Bhu8xbenw8huwSgoV0KuULpBA6j4JQwUjxxUrW0AR_biqrP4T7syN-B7XbhKH5SothQhBJBx3H24yZgVl_jlCbRiVOGujmq-ScEOgengSmN27mteXllqeJw6COCaXsu2t5l-ZTn3yDkuyq09aQW6ELcDFNHOToK-BiEBQ/s3648/Mark%20in%20garden.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiplJKl9M-yN01YVsJw2_5b70Bhu8xbenw8huwSgoV0KuULpBA6j4JQwUjxxUrW0AR_biqrP4T7syN-B7XbhKH5SothQhBJBx3H24yZgVl_jlCbRiVOGujmq-ScEOgengSmN27mteXllqeJw6COCaXsu2t5l-ZTn3yDkuyq09aQW6ELcDFNHOToK-BiEBQ/w400-h300/Mark%20in%20garden.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3d2vUrLTAKMX2iIVGwlm-tZyNcCMUVnZR01IiFXnPlM4k_zoMzuL9QF0rLGWf8t2shKWPa8p3T_FNiAd-MEKAZF3qqQZDX0RZMPGxRh2ZVTUKEL6ZOHSqCpuhP00D5nfoHPMy_HKpTME_mmaK-Ri77MJCPkSGYyYGWBQPyBXGzuxHrWXNWBdN6vW-U4k/s3648/Teri%20in%20garden.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3d2vUrLTAKMX2iIVGwlm-tZyNcCMUVnZR01IiFXnPlM4k_zoMzuL9QF0rLGWf8t2shKWPa8p3T_FNiAd-MEKAZF3qqQZDX0RZMPGxRh2ZVTUKEL6ZOHSqCpuhP00D5nfoHPMy_HKpTME_mmaK-Ri77MJCPkSGYyYGWBQPyBXGzuxHrWXNWBdN6vW-U4k/w400-h300/Teri%20in%20garden.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br />Our first birds were a pair of Lineated Woodpeckers, followed by a group of screeching Crimson-fronted Parakeets flying over. There were plenty of plump Red-billed Pigeons "woooing" as well. </span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmerSCcI9FsGHRLAM7ybHWaavaKkQX8pRlmyAhtgoGN7wJQ4kxkkQjjLcEPTzJJJ9lhWvSIaoDAYLBGIvRiathoch0xBWWnleVRBG31QcsBmFLn_4K2ct9JyMw6SRsUcolnPaOQq4lZTtVNyTC6pMAtxadT8QOZ8JOVFReE2moyJFoBL7HzbdCUK6xBic/s2303/Lineated%20Woodpecker%20male%20-%20Hotel%20Bougainvillea%2001-18-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1842" data-original-width="2303" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmerSCcI9FsGHRLAM7ybHWaavaKkQX8pRlmyAhtgoGN7wJQ4kxkkQjjLcEPTzJJJ9lhWvSIaoDAYLBGIvRiathoch0xBWWnleVRBG31QcsBmFLn_4K2ct9JyMw6SRsUcolnPaOQq4lZTtVNyTC6pMAtxadT8QOZ8JOVFReE2moyJFoBL7HzbdCUK6xBic/w400-h320/Lineated%20Woodpecker%20male%20-%20Hotel%20Bougainvillea%2001-18-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Lineated Woodpecker - male</span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUmBL64ygZK23yuRbSnQxbiPHJa0zNq6onCJWlxRiVvO7aGir9sX7t6PYlt2s0O36lHNuWSjMHrYR0vC7QzafOnsBFZ2FMrqmJaqBzuoXyvly6XIPvVlAjqyp2oBz4XpKSDBgh1ifudcY1xe0YUHZ0DG583eZel8SZu55VAJRwkviGcxZFgnyuVvsPk0/s2799/Crimson-fronted%20Parakeets%20flying%20-%20Hotel%20Bougainvillea%2001-18-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2239" data-original-width="2799" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUmBL64ygZK23yuRbSnQxbiPHJa0zNq6onCJWlxRiVvO7aGir9sX7t6PYlt2s0O36lHNuWSjMHrYR0vC7QzafOnsBFZ2FMrqmJaqBzuoXyvly6XIPvVlAjqyp2oBz4XpKSDBgh1ifudcY1xe0YUHZ0DG583eZel8SZu55VAJRwkviGcxZFgnyuVvsPk0/w400-h320/Crimson-fronted%20Parakeets%20flying%20-%20Hotel%20Bougainvillea%2001-18-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Crimson-fronted Parakeets</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKx9etDPqhq84sl8q8UPtTm_N9zjUDPlNRBximcW2faziCCg__n1hnXE0-7raZMDg8mU58YKh1GeINDyWlAtMWfwcl5rBO6p1BU2vUcKeScIG6rasKTvn0zmxZVTLCXtTLdGnXaiMn005LphIxTrQCRCM9M_lMwVXGtdwLtc94UF6Ipsa3qgto1NU4T2Q/s1775/Red-billed%20Pigeon%20-%20Calle%20Ang%C3%A9lica,%20Heredia,%20CR%2001-18-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1420" data-original-width="1775" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKx9etDPqhq84sl8q8UPtTm_N9zjUDPlNRBximcW2faziCCg__n1hnXE0-7raZMDg8mU58YKh1GeINDyWlAtMWfwcl5rBO6p1BU2vUcKeScIG6rasKTvn0zmxZVTLCXtTLdGnXaiMn005LphIxTrQCRCM9M_lMwVXGtdwLtc94UF6Ipsa3qgto1NU4T2Q/w400-h320/Red-billed%20Pigeon%20-%20Calle%20Ang%C3%A9lica,%20Heredia,%20CR%2001-18-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Red-billed Pigeon</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Our target bird for this location was the endemic (found only in Costa Rica) Cabanis's Ground-Sparrow. We'd stayed at this hotel six times since 2008 and had failed to find this bird every single time. Johan told us that while it could occasionally be found in the hotel gardens, it was better to go to a nearby coffee plantation. So off we went. We walked a narrow gravel road separating two plots of coffee plants, playing the bird's song. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85zGg1dCNehaFWEg7z3GA74vkW9uhlMb3ujHPAhE6v8pPzmXMSICRkSe14d1FAC105s-4LVmUVOStQSwACX5wKMVeV_Xrb53vbHTn4NinLe7lBE4ppH1vMT5KuYnxqoXf-uV1aPpvIzANaX_5zv-ZehkK5z_aBxLHQwCmAU3_nphzJoBiNExegax50v0/s3648/Coffee%20Plants.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85zGg1dCNehaFWEg7z3GA74vkW9uhlMb3ujHPAhE6v8pPzmXMSICRkSe14d1FAC105s-4LVmUVOStQSwACX5wKMVeV_Xrb53vbHTn4NinLe7lBE4ppH1vMT5KuYnxqoXf-uV1aPpvIzANaX_5zv-ZehkK5z_aBxLHQwCmAU3_nphzJoBiNExegax50v0/w400-h300/Coffee%20Plants.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Coffee Plants</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Shortly one popped up on a fencepost, giving us great looks. We also saw a group of Brown Jays, along with a few Hoffman’s Woodpeckers and a Baltimore Oriole. One of the great advantages of an experienced local guide is their knowledge of where to find specific birds like this. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipeibetydhKZtPjhPQ506jLCyifpwMyBKW6BgauR728zq9ul9bfr5s6eVbvfvJ3J8El2TvG6oqsiTCzc6Ka95r0AAvV13P33U0gS5ZMsYCaJ1PwNHYL2IchvBm0hiVkIMuyU-A3HUqmZw9Q2OUvymyTrwUinE88faqHLd_FbxRIEhSE7dj4wKwpQyHK6Q/s2438/Cabanis's%20Ground-Sparrow%203%20-%20Calle%20Ang%C3%A9lica,%20Heredia,%20CR%2001-18-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1950" data-original-width="2438" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipeibetydhKZtPjhPQ506jLCyifpwMyBKW6BgauR728zq9ul9bfr5s6eVbvfvJ3J8El2TvG6oqsiTCzc6Ka95r0AAvV13P33U0gS5ZMsYCaJ1PwNHYL2IchvBm0hiVkIMuyU-A3HUqmZw9Q2OUvymyTrwUinE88faqHLd_FbxRIEhSE7dj4wKwpQyHK6Q/w400-h320/Cabanis's%20Ground-Sparrow%203%20-%20Calle%20Ang%C3%A9lica,%20Heredia,%20CR%2001-18-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguG6Q4_A831tRzOpeEK3MCjvw2JSCQ8YYycwV7xuZuXdsmtExiPsJt0lLLZXwBDVQAToyzD-HaOFp7W_4cVKewAsiWPMJ_zWGR6keqg_32O5iFSdsF0z0G3zA4AIzZr79V9c0jOKwl04euF0P66Q5BNUp8wIMLj_7Fc4WEcW8jboRUGu4do3lySe-EQLQ/s2984/Cabanis's%20Ground-Sparrow%20-%20Calle%20Ang%C3%A9lica,%20Heredia,%20CR%2001-18-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2388" data-original-width="2984" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguG6Q4_A831tRzOpeEK3MCjvw2JSCQ8YYycwV7xuZuXdsmtExiPsJt0lLLZXwBDVQAToyzD-HaOFp7W_4cVKewAsiWPMJ_zWGR6keqg_32O5iFSdsF0z0G3zA4AIzZr79V9c0jOKwl04euF0P66Q5BNUp8wIMLj_7Fc4WEcW8jboRUGu4do3lySe-EQLQ/w400-h320/Cabanis's%20Ground-Sparrow%20-%20Calle%20Ang%C3%A9lica,%20Heredia,%20CR%2001-18-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Cabanis's Ground-Sparrow</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We returned to Hotel Bougainvillea and birded the grounds till about 5:40. Johan found a pair of Mottled Owls well hidden in the giant stand of bamboo. This is another advantage of birding with a good guide. They are so adept at spotting birds embedded in shadowy, thick vegetation. We also saw a Lesson’s Motmot and a pair of Rufous-naped Wrens. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgViLdROgf-HOE9ExXbCaL7Q5a7DPOzpNhutW5uszZxASDhvML4FtdE6ORLESbbN_rlC3dVoz4MrhZyY2euTTdPUZohSb2C4XV6VRA92Q0heAytaQsqwEEDNT9_mwTekKoGUshJi_HUf4qtQVsAKeXSCrtItQql4DQBXaIXP2Y-UigZAEakvR12i5acgcE/s3648/DSC05951.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgViLdROgf-HOE9ExXbCaL7Q5a7DPOzpNhutW5uszZxASDhvML4FtdE6ORLESbbN_rlC3dVoz4MrhZyY2euTTdPUZohSb2C4XV6VRA92Q0heAytaQsqwEEDNT9_mwTekKoGUshJi_HUf4qtQVsAKeXSCrtItQql4DQBXaIXP2Y-UigZAEakvR12i5acgcE/w400-h300/DSC05951.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">There are owls in there somewhere...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ7h6_wPGnD612OoT5nh-TbndemoPC9rYrAv8gHg0W11W_3cFZL-4s_GwBEyZdYg4495G_OGpNKIm1j-ejmjIzlhQHb1BqyfzvvtV06nujFTC1EM2ZgwGh3qOvZp8BCQ81tvCvZrzkHVeglzC5aEkufDWOaqiGKvLKUwKl-FMA2YXuc8xUBl29YNduCCE/s5140/Mottled%20Owl%20-%20Hotel%20Bougainvillea%2001-18-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4112" data-original-width="5140" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ7h6_wPGnD612OoT5nh-TbndemoPC9rYrAv8gHg0W11W_3cFZL-4s_GwBEyZdYg4495G_OGpNKIm1j-ejmjIzlhQHb1BqyfzvvtV06nujFTC1EM2ZgwGh3qOvZp8BCQ81tvCvZrzkHVeglzC5aEkufDWOaqiGKvLKUwKl-FMA2YXuc8xUBl29YNduCCE/w400-h320/Mottled%20Owl%20-%20Hotel%20Bougainvillea%2001-18-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Mottled Owl</span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEQ9AJR2m5_nRj1i3kBDsUG8vk4qaveES8bsjBXl1uHyLDBv53jLcP__KCAOz26jxsLxiX0veLseQAbjLVzoOxsH4TSFDdiIXKeC4Pei02_X-L2Q1UfzJyJ0x7lI7mZHGCrwKKddBnUMkSSWiwPSsbUKCXql_JhOG9ht9dkTMGacIKzZ2TOYEgQHCOnis/s4090/Lesson's%20Motmot%20-%20Hotel%20Bougainvillea%2001-18-2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3272" data-original-width="4090" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEQ9AJR2m5_nRj1i3kBDsUG8vk4qaveES8bsjBXl1uHyLDBv53jLcP__KCAOz26jxsLxiX0veLseQAbjLVzoOxsH4TSFDdiIXKeC4Pei02_X-L2Q1UfzJyJ0x7lI7mZHGCrwKKddBnUMkSSWiwPSsbUKCXql_JhOG9ht9dkTMGacIKzZ2TOYEgQHCOnis/w400-h320/Lesson's%20Motmot%20-%20Hotel%20Bougainvillea%2001-18-2024.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Lesson's Motmot</span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We enjoyed a nice dinner in the hotel restaurant. It was a traditional Costa Rican meal of grilled chicken, rice, black beans, fried plantain, and a small salad. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEBH2lQuvWC3PxWf8jaRUm5W2LGumNmOoSAji53ywhKu85HRxGH-MCYl9RTnC5iQpbNoPBmbPOgmzXoOWyBBI65ueqS2JBzD9-_nfhb7La2jzdxrRZf7NYkMGTnWx8wG7TcNZIstlEvMoWMS2lxEDrkkaqy0KM8waptQrXQq7dphhpj29EwnSCq3f8l2M/s3648/dinner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEBH2lQuvWC3PxWf8jaRUm5W2LGumNmOoSAji53ywhKu85HRxGH-MCYl9RTnC5iQpbNoPBmbPOgmzXoOWyBBI65ueqS2JBzD9-_nfhb7La2jzdxrRZf7NYkMGTnWx8wG7TcNZIstlEvMoWMS2lxEDrkkaqy0KM8waptQrXQq7dphhpj29EwnSCq3f8l2M/w400-h300/dinner.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">After dinner we went out listening and searching for Tropical Screech-Owl and Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl. No luck on these. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We were back to our room at about 8:00, and asleep shortly after a long travel day.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Next - Off to Arenal Volcano Observatory Lodge</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>Mark & Terihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410651360395422840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767944521225965268.post-59103790266538141152024-01-03T13:00:00.010-06:002024-01-03T14:45:17.703-06:00Colombia 2023 - Souvenirs<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I forgot to include pictures of our souvenirs from the Colombia Trip. Since we didn't spend much time in touristy kind of places, opportunities for souvenirs were few and far between. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The nicest keepsakes were two small crocheted/needlepointed dolls that Daniel bought for Teri at Convent of Santa Clara la Real in Tunja. These were in a case near the entry and Teri admired them. Local artists create them to raise funds for the convent. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGsLAns1Snh2MORc03yKTsvf5_J5IYcYcjEK_EVKj1iYQoM4Pv_5B6MFPmXH2QmI0u9cmg-ycwNJ8cSCt4GxrQyP51-ojyRah3-w1SYRACqmSs1oN9Hkqhiok_FQf02WBM7n0LZKXLfCg0cNuD2IX0BrO3td-RLDUcc5hnQDHj_gqnc9Hx-GG8OR03WQQ/s3648/DSC05482.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGsLAns1Snh2MORc03yKTsvf5_J5IYcYcjEK_EVKj1iYQoM4Pv_5B6MFPmXH2QmI0u9cmg-ycwNJ8cSCt4GxrQyP51-ojyRah3-w1SYRACqmSs1oN9Hkqhiok_FQf02WBM7n0LZKXLfCg0cNuD2IX0BrO3td-RLDUcc5hnQDHj_gqnc9Hx-GG8OR03WQQ/w400-h300/DSC05482.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">At the airport Teri found a simple "Colombia" magnet to commemorate the trip as well. The Keel-billed Toucan (the Fruit Loops bird!) is always a fun bird to see, so it seemed a fitting subject for our Colombia 2023 magnet!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6e_8-cOt0zSuQCZ2p1bvhRuY_fWj2Kf6UNhgEqLwcreAudInnTtoyyvobVym3jTriXK3v_azk8IulBDnHvtxH-v8fKy6h6mt956O6S6fURhP2Pa62Ie7mixoqiAIrbwpsQitWK6eKEX1iHbsvDg3oVV9WgIb1Hlw4yQyhJRGkHTGeXdooOmBPQCkw1M/s3648/DSC05477.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6e_8-cOt0zSuQCZ2p1bvhRuY_fWj2Kf6UNhgEqLwcreAudInnTtoyyvobVym3jTriXK3v_azk8IulBDnHvtxH-v8fKy6h6mt956O6S6fURhP2Pa62Ie7mixoqiAIrbwpsQitWK6eKEX1iHbsvDg3oVV9WgIb1Hlw4yQyhJRGkHTGeXdooOmBPQCkw1M/w400-h300/DSC05477.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p><br /></p>Mark & Terihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410651360395422840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767944521225965268.post-76323237804869078482024-01-02T05:00:00.014-06:002024-01-02T05:00:00.242-06:00Colombia 2023 - Day 10<p><b> <span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">8/31/2023 Thursday</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We had breakfast at 5:30 and headed off to Laguna de Tabacal for a second morning. We once again started in the parking/camping area. At this point we were hoping to see a few species that we'd missed the previous day. We saw a couple of very small birds, the Common Tody-Flycatcher and the Scrub Greenlet. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6eLDHkuutfgPZa2D9eSK6WMt2AWeO98HAXk60lOhORGqu6Ko08sazwKuGqo8Nzydl1q7m1oyyqxvwwTNzAACtjJhvNEn_9Azkacli8CUomWWIrOCaPd0i5X8fD1OcO8AB6cTowQUvb1Zem6PwkBxmy7gH13J7FOZFY-t61UMMl10_Q9O60nKLU4PE6LY/s1952/Common%20Tody-Flycatcher%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1562" data-original-width="1952" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6eLDHkuutfgPZa2D9eSK6WMt2AWeO98HAXk60lOhORGqu6Ko08sazwKuGqo8Nzydl1q7m1oyyqxvwwTNzAACtjJhvNEn_9Azkacli8CUomWWIrOCaPd0i5X8fD1OcO8AB6cTowQUvb1Zem6PwkBxmy7gH13J7FOZFY-t61UMMl10_Q9O60nKLU4PE6LY/w400-h320/Common%20Tody-Flycatcher%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Common Tody-Flycatcher</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg38-aSEFxhR9jWd_HBNJYW-1qlglJDuTpK90snk6gY3feVMVjLetu4g6Ney5nAvg9LgAhMT0pgl-Ck_aAD28KDtD9itHaqeaS3eHFDyii-Z96_NXwynpgRnSNBmTCfiMvSsH1BoNg-1ialoRvqZQRQGwRThKk2BRV-3q8U1Q-rWh_sRLYLVfM4VGpxHKo/s2411/Scrub%20Greenlet%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1929" data-original-width="2411" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg38-aSEFxhR9jWd_HBNJYW-1qlglJDuTpK90snk6gY3feVMVjLetu4g6Ney5nAvg9LgAhMT0pgl-Ck_aAD28KDtD9itHaqeaS3eHFDyii-Z96_NXwynpgRnSNBmTCfiMvSsH1BoNg-1ialoRvqZQRQGwRThKk2BRV-3q8U1Q-rWh_sRLYLVfM4VGpxHKo/w400-h320/Scrub%20Greenlet%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Scrub Greenlet</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">A Bar-crested Antshrike called from the bushes, and we finally got a look at him. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3coTps8EAZD-rwcIb8qbd8eTS9UWes6P90-95FXQ5_plPfl-9A3oNXak2UGMsbk4nle0O64rOtAiiLmRvEdiSbkx32io8_B4w8FNWoxYgPNDBvq6wReppPzDwxx7sVhRikjssoySACWworj0k_1Z0PT93FBYeHa2e5y7jbTe1tBTncKfIwi1W517v63g/s4371/Bar-crested%20Antshrike%20male%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3497" data-original-width="4371" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3coTps8EAZD-rwcIb8qbd8eTS9UWes6P90-95FXQ5_plPfl-9A3oNXak2UGMsbk4nle0O64rOtAiiLmRvEdiSbkx32io8_B4w8FNWoxYgPNDBvq6wReppPzDwxx7sVhRikjssoySACWworj0k_1Z0PT93FBYeHa2e5y7jbTe1tBTncKfIwi1W517v63g/w400-h320/Bar-crested%20Antshrike%20male%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Bar-crested Antshrike</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We were hoping to find Velvet-fronted Euphonia and Rosy Thrush-tanager but had no luck. Before we crossed the road to the "lagoon side" we took a coffee/juice break and had a Chestnut-capped Warbler hoping around practically at our feet. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj01XAmPPy_iEIlsLqXxj50dPB5rt5xYRqmmVniNBWKOhw8aew0O8xWDlWb7hOt5BwuMbbLbjmz6JJ30R9TzZWfxyJDhdqh2ZXMlF0m2Dq5aLouuEkJp_jzq6WQ3oRHjZWEOgymXFflm0x7JkVuV1bVGXLsymgFhjuM7OS5oe7pavMmlcMRdiZrgVmPIL8/s4554/Chestnut-capped%20Warbler%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3643" data-original-width="4554" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj01XAmPPy_iEIlsLqXxj50dPB5rt5xYRqmmVniNBWKOhw8aew0O8xWDlWb7hOt5BwuMbbLbjmz6JJ30R9TzZWfxyJDhdqh2ZXMlF0m2Dq5aLouuEkJp_jzq6WQ3oRHjZWEOgymXFflm0x7JkVuV1bVGXLsymgFhjuM7OS5oe7pavMmlcMRdiZrgVmPIL8/w400-h320/Chestnut-capped%20Warbler%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Chestnut-capped Warbler</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br />We crossed the road and headed onto the woods trails where things were pretty quiet, but we did get good looks at a female Velvet-fronted Euphonia. The bird was directly overhead in the treetops. Tough to look at and even tougher to photograph!</span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie-umDvbCHaQ9MwXy1VBzJNbbfLAuov7UOszqCnvWKgS9UOBV8QBUI1GLb4vYgdVhjVGB-Kr0VrWnqWQeHOkxVC0OfNWshX1NP8Wp0bPnlkXlOGt2T5jlLofXEP1QL_trwmHn8ZKSbuZ_8-sFT6PRsob43EDjkLAhEaM5OURLVcTQQTc-j1ZtnJhYAZGc/s3575/Velvet-fronted%20Euphonia%20female%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2860" data-original-width="3575" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie-umDvbCHaQ9MwXy1VBzJNbbfLAuov7UOszqCnvWKgS9UOBV8QBUI1GLb4vYgdVhjVGB-Kr0VrWnqWQeHOkxVC0OfNWshX1NP8Wp0bPnlkXlOGt2T5jlLofXEP1QL_trwmHn8ZKSbuZ_8-sFT6PRsob43EDjkLAhEaM5OURLVcTQQTc-j1ZtnJhYAZGc/w400-h320/Velvet-fronted%20Euphonia%20female%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Velvet-fronted Euphonia - female</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">At the lagoon we saw Least Grebes, a Solitary Sandpiper, and Green Kingfisher. Interestingly, all three of these birds can be found in South Texas if you are in the right spot!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvwda07zoDokOS-sSSQfu7lxeVUqp_8zdo1lf0QVbaSWSBUOU9V7jJhdYDcVN-dE3i3uy_AqlVbx-1fQZ29PrzadIhsrwhPoXLitTAyncwc2gU9cxRJpeK_voGhW4krm4Tp5yceopegi0Fp3XHkPxblwmfTSNBcXqK-xitHRkXBY3LVT1YIC1XUXqJ6rg/s1817/Green%20Kingfisher%20female%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1454" data-original-width="1817" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvwda07zoDokOS-sSSQfu7lxeVUqp_8zdo1lf0QVbaSWSBUOU9V7jJhdYDcVN-dE3i3uy_AqlVbx-1fQZ29PrzadIhsrwhPoXLitTAyncwc2gU9cxRJpeK_voGhW4krm4Tp5yceopegi0Fp3XHkPxblwmfTSNBcXqK-xitHRkXBY3LVT1YIC1XUXqJ6rg/w400-h320/Green%20Kingfisher%20female%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Green Kingfisher - female</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEETf8sScSyJWSM57mZHL0il5kvAzCrbaeuMT5D_6Ywdv0PWyW6bxjy6OKT5vfiSI81PNmzWnWSp5SWEZS-A_9HQ4v_KzqyrEgh1OjY5WCbuPv2k3D1K5BHMxLbH9R_aJ4ze01-q0HbCDtLBOJBUpgl334WJzVKOxb5j_IAxhm2jQaOIkWhD1xpM72Yzo/s2687/Least%20Grebe%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2149" data-original-width="2687" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEETf8sScSyJWSM57mZHL0il5kvAzCrbaeuMT5D_6Ywdv0PWyW6bxjy6OKT5vfiSI81PNmzWnWSp5SWEZS-A_9HQ4v_KzqyrEgh1OjY5WCbuPv2k3D1K5BHMxLbH9R_aJ4ze01-q0HbCDtLBOJBUpgl334WJzVKOxb5j_IAxhm2jQaOIkWhD1xpM72Yzo/w400-h320/Least%20Grebe%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Least Grebe</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAvG8InKnny8jv6_ZYNI_PLzUxKrvydU9UOpOIl6cSrpm14vaxSQdSF3VAFkYF7vbpY79rzXuxB-cf8D2y3uQ5P0-r9xZ2A_dDHQYCr3hfoZFmNa6otkl11RsHOQ_COWCgHqBMPuNroKoMRBWy5PiPO1Ib0tg5bVc9fdypskfajZm9C_dkmdOlrPW0Seg/s2376/Solitary%20Sandpiper%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1901" data-original-width="2376" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAvG8InKnny8jv6_ZYNI_PLzUxKrvydU9UOpOIl6cSrpm14vaxSQdSF3VAFkYF7vbpY79rzXuxB-cf8D2y3uQ5P0-r9xZ2A_dDHQYCr3hfoZFmNa6otkl11RsHOQ_COWCgHqBMPuNroKoMRBWy5PiPO1Ib0tg5bVc9fdypskfajZm9C_dkmdOlrPW0Seg/w400-h320/Solitary%20Sandpiper%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Solitary Sandpiper</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">White-throated Crakes called several times and we tried different locations to see it, but no luck. This is becoming a nemesis bird for me. Teri saw it way back in 2008 in Panama, but I missed it. We've heard it dozens of times since, but I've never actually seen one. I joked with Daniel that I wasn't sure they actually exist, but he assured me that they do...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">There was a large colorful "La Vega" sign next to the lagoon and Daniel took our picture next to it. La Vega is the name of the nearby town. You can barely see us on the left side.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ0SqRLFI-AbX-7A4WTkBtTFswdxNb6BcIan9fDADuotl-omEwMSlS_IP3mtFpnzryodMIHrayCb5oiGfKhLHckbe6_grSziLRD8ZC04y84ir-CpKr71vGlKJRMwNpXCswQj9JlYZDknYKOCAz5WMxQ4n1hHZor8sEXwakOZXZnU87gnyzkhVtX152-ms/s3323/Teri%20and%20Mark%20by%20the%20La%20Vega%20sign.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2658" data-original-width="3323" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ0SqRLFI-AbX-7A4WTkBtTFswdxNb6BcIan9fDADuotl-omEwMSlS_IP3mtFpnzryodMIHrayCb5oiGfKhLHckbe6_grSziLRD8ZC04y84ir-CpKr71vGlKJRMwNpXCswQj9JlYZDknYKOCAz5WMxQ4n1hHZor8sEXwakOZXZnU87gnyzkhVtX152-ms/w400-h320/Teri%20and%20Mark%20by%20the%20La%20Vega%20sign.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We headed back at 11:00, stopping at a fancy roadside restaurant for (what else??) grilled chicken breast, this time with melted cheese. Grilled chicken breast (Pechuga a la Plancha) is quite a staple in Colombia. Sometimes offered with melted cheese (Pechuga Gratinada) or mushroom sauce (Pechuga con salsa de champiñones). It was always tasty. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCgfqGz48fv_xGSK11KPF4zgVsQtVR689osn1AoJaQyfKMvRB86l3KtoXAJd0aqkDK3fvrmLWCEbYrIKXbXimTZvYffIZAAVkQ4MTYcq7xc4kvINBYC_iMJKGLne-AEcks7DuvqBhkLKIrpbXe8KABEZ_wrXcDefRO8SSsIL84gN1gxZltbxbueBa3qm4/s2812/Restaurant%20menu.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="2812" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCgfqGz48fv_xGSK11KPF4zgVsQtVR689osn1AoJaQyfKMvRB86l3KtoXAJd0aqkDK3fvrmLWCEbYrIKXbXimTZvYffIZAAVkQ4MTYcq7xc4kvINBYC_iMJKGLne-AEcks7DuvqBhkLKIrpbXe8KABEZ_wrXcDefRO8SSsIL84gN1gxZltbxbueBa3qm4/w400-h320/Restaurant%20menu.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">After lunch we headed back to Cabañas Aire Libre, arriving about 12:45. We finished packing, said farewell to Daniel, and caught our taxi back to Bogota. In order to reduce traffic congestion Colombia enforces "Plate Restrictions" in major cities. This means that one day a week vehicles with plates ending in a certain number are not allowed to enter the city. This is strictly enforced and the fines are steep. Plate restrictions forbid Daniel from driving in Bogota today, so he made arrangements for a taxi to take us back to our Bogota hotel. This worked well for him as his home was in the opposite direction anyway. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It was an easy 1.5 hour drive to the hotel, and I was able to check in totally in Spanish. We got a nice room on the top (tenth) floor and showered and relaxed. It was nice to have some downtime before tomorrow’s long travel day. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUNu5mlqthUpKJ5nYb_lwnkUfhLNMLkn9AdnxZEvsYF35T69aaWLAPen_GUafhdl9qMYOySzIP5hvLAwEYo9LaTCkcpCTQo711sHOoAfo6vJwFp32UZLUsH9jFWTvitmFR8BJuMpN8PkE84l9gIvz3uOJVpSxnkEo-DuGjHtCWTFayJGUrTC56xpaRgEU/s3648/Bogota%20Hotel.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUNu5mlqthUpKJ5nYb_lwnkUfhLNMLkn9AdnxZEvsYF35T69aaWLAPen_GUafhdl9qMYOySzIP5hvLAwEYo9LaTCkcpCTQo711sHOoAfo6vJwFp32UZLUsH9jFWTvitmFR8BJuMpN8PkE84l9gIvz3uOJVpSxnkEo-DuGjHtCWTFayJGUrTC56xpaRgEU/w400-h300/Bogota%20Hotel.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The return home was uneventful. We flew Bogota to Atlanta, and then Atlanta to San Antonio, arriving about 10:00 p.m.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Final Thoughts</b> – Our first trip to Columbia was to the
Western and Central Andes along with the Cauca Valley between them. That was definitely the best
that Colombia has to offer in terms of developed birding lodges. Birds were numerous and
easy to come by.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This trip was more focused on the specialties of the Eastern
Andes, where there are few dedicated ecolodges. So we used
hotels in Bogota and other much smaller towns as bases to explore specific
locations. This led to a considerable amount of driving, sometimes over poor and/or dusty roads.
Some days seemed like more driving then birding, but there really was no other
way to cover the areas. We did enjoy seeing amazing scenery as we travelled though the area, especially in the high elevation Paramo. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Daniel did a great job once again, and was a pleasure to travel and bird with. We enjoyed the
trip, saw a lot of good birds (224 species total), and got 36 lifers (birds we'd never seen before), many of which were rare
endemics. We experienced a lot of Colombian culture with the different hotels and
lodging, small town and roadside restaurants, and our Colonial Tunja tour. In this regard we certainly "saw" more of the country and culture than we had on our previous trip. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Most of the trip was at high elevations (6000 – 10000 feet)
and so we had cool, pleasant weather. Not a drop of rain fell on us while we
were out birding which was great. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We're not sure if we’ll return to Colombia anytime soon as the
logical third trip for us would be the Santa Marta Mountains near the Caribean coast which involves a
lot of logistics and some tough transportation, as well as being in a warm,
humid region. We’ll see!<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Next - Off to Ecuador just three week later!!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Mark & Terihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410651360395422840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767944521225965268.post-79412560012956799622024-01-01T05:00:00.011-06:002024-01-01T05:00:00.252-06:00Colombia 2023 - Day 9<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>8/30/2023 Wednesday</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We ate a light breakfast in the main house at 5:30 (eggs, white cheese, bread) and then headed off to Laguna de Tabacal. It was about an hour drive to this regional park. We started in the parking area and moved down into an open camping area with scattered trees and good brushy edges. We saw quite a lot of birds, many common but also a few uncommon ones. We got great looks at one of my favorite woodpeckers, the Spot-breasted Woodpecker. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQu9VbDjAr_76SU_n0lkIHNWZI6TwXee_5Y1k1iSgh9Jm_oJJppHJLD0pgc9lbMF8NGiuZW1_VyTw2kiN25WtViz6fSYu6crBF8kx4jElfX2yf1LnQ_8LNlUiLjlFNW2JFhegDNGBCxHo0_uPlEGOG-68AXTh7AxRnXaXHPckyJ6w4qUj-ukWq3pVE5g/s2180/Spot-breasted%20Woodpecker%204%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1744" data-original-width="2180" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQu9VbDjAr_76SU_n0lkIHNWZI6TwXee_5Y1k1iSgh9Jm_oJJppHJLD0pgc9lbMF8NGiuZW1_VyTw2kiN25WtViz6fSYu6crBF8kx4jElfX2yf1LnQ_8LNlUiLjlFNW2JFhegDNGBCxHo0_uPlEGOG-68AXTh7AxRnXaXHPckyJ6w4qUj-ukWq3pVE5g/w400-h320/Spot-breasted%20Woodpecker%204%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6IrLF3y0lXvQVO-Bjjaktr4ieFONFYV6JJ_7tH4ia8eWj84_DroS__-OafaELevhNVeSk5OdnQHQM6YhUtpafwhbZGdXdd3HPt0Agaq9hSAOjqAKmkPNfPxcN0m3vDjldsYfhMGhCgnIvZ_hLq2GPxQk6tKwJB-2GXo3_pA-giwB9IbCExElkAuDggdI/s2216/Spot-breasted%20Woodpecker%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1772" data-original-width="2216" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6IrLF3y0lXvQVO-Bjjaktr4ieFONFYV6JJ_7tH4ia8eWj84_DroS__-OafaELevhNVeSk5OdnQHQM6YhUtpafwhbZGdXdd3HPt0Agaq9hSAOjqAKmkPNfPxcN0m3vDjldsYfhMGhCgnIvZ_hLq2GPxQk6tKwJB-2GXo3_pA-giwB9IbCExElkAuDggdI/w400-h320/Spot-breasted%20Woodpecker%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Spot-breasted Woodpecker</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We saw several different tanager species. Some very bright, like the Blue-necked Tanager, and others not so much, like the Plain-colored Tanager. We also saw the well-named Gray-headed Tanager, although this one was a bit immature and still retained a few yellow head feathers. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhypoaZ2hW_rThjGlPem2dlRdpegGvb1qTXzsVwl_9HtP0g0FCDpSMhsZRuUjEHrIf52VBf2G82itoOfbvVX3SqhdhBrmp4SoicGLEX438r4KeDllHGWVtVh4umroKF3oBiV8mA6_kxVxlE4P5A_1pAeL4jNDszBHHVUTCPy1vx1J2iGbJuLBjNKJEeHPE/s2460/Blue-necked%20Tanager%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1968" data-original-width="2460" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhypoaZ2hW_rThjGlPem2dlRdpegGvb1qTXzsVwl_9HtP0g0FCDpSMhsZRuUjEHrIf52VBf2G82itoOfbvVX3SqhdhBrmp4SoicGLEX438r4KeDllHGWVtVh4umroKF3oBiV8mA6_kxVxlE4P5A_1pAeL4jNDszBHHVUTCPy1vx1J2iGbJuLBjNKJEeHPE/w400-h320/Blue-necked%20Tanager%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Blue-necked Tanager</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLGDpwGP4YGGIC3RV8zwS9hyphenhyphen_Uehv5ElfxS5tQQRNNKUi3IJ0OAhMdIdpTe2EVbcWL3SgD1pJAazkMk7nRNey7KofIRjtc02CjkGODOH_QWNS-pDQ1kXMxA87XrvPUpXdnZ203sV8NG5yFgW0bmKUl4jZGMJq3fNbH7buHCBGQ958B4jr_IfLULkP6vJs/s2254/Plain-colored%20Tanager%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1803" data-original-width="2254" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLGDpwGP4YGGIC3RV8zwS9hyphenhyphen_Uehv5ElfxS5tQQRNNKUi3IJ0OAhMdIdpTe2EVbcWL3SgD1pJAazkMk7nRNey7KofIRjtc02CjkGODOH_QWNS-pDQ1kXMxA87XrvPUpXdnZ203sV8NG5yFgW0bmKUl4jZGMJq3fNbH7buHCBGQ958B4jr_IfLULkP6vJs/w400-h320/Plain-colored%20Tanager%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Plain-colored Tanager</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg38pXCjaOl2gAO24unnYGdpGktygO40eZaqds4LWmAokp5HnZip9FN95jSqiuj9yfJPF2R5ZWWLvWIt111HDWfdO5O973ry1GejYxYLRdGgL0JtJ4GM1J2CJzbR_UW4-qrRZoUN3wZ9UG-J97Ub3N7qLams5jWN89p3pHc3UUesdHD158qA_tisKO-Z0U/s3450/Gray-headed%20Tanager%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2761" data-original-width="3450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg38pXCjaOl2gAO24unnYGdpGktygO40eZaqds4LWmAokp5HnZip9FN95jSqiuj9yfJPF2R5ZWWLvWIt111HDWfdO5O973ry1GejYxYLRdGgL0JtJ4GM1J2CJzbR_UW4-qrRZoUN3wZ9UG-J97Ub3N7qLams5jWN89p3pHc3UUesdHD158qA_tisKO-Z0U/w400-h320/Gray-headed%20Tanager%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Gray-headed Tanager</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">One of the most common mammals in the tropics is the Agouti, which look like big Guinea Pigs. They were prowling the campground looking for food scraps, no doubt. </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjKkO0Hv9f-0MnmozHUC-A34P7Wl1hcly1-hU_vrSrwVEFXMFpjgKI1bNcHKJEl_NBJGehsVR1nHJqjj7LxSZkE0XZ-lN0zxCtlZBFUgBwuigK_KJy3HbsQRtPT1VteQHcbxzhletZduJ4zkfjRH-vwQFeuFfn6jcpSRmwiu00bSplThyhugfnAxEuDzI/s2683/Agouti%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2147" data-original-width="2683" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjKkO0Hv9f-0MnmozHUC-A34P7Wl1hcly1-hU_vrSrwVEFXMFpjgKI1bNcHKJEl_NBJGehsVR1nHJqjj7LxSZkE0XZ-lN0zxCtlZBFUgBwuigK_KJy3HbsQRtPT1VteQHcbxzhletZduJ4zkfjRH-vwQFeuFfn6jcpSRmwiu00bSplThyhugfnAxEuDzI/w400-h320/Agouti%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Central American Agouti</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We had a few birds that really didn't want to show themselves, including a small group of Spectacled Parrotlets. We played hide and seek with them for a while, and I think the Parrotlets won! Can you see the blue "spectacles" on this one?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRdP_ogpFic4gKj3zsUuvkZUMidIkD_VkwZl1j8uRD5XxQb8SLOHnKUgk_GUBXd7Qmsw8DtgmmkgHZn3U92aUWmL57W8_GU5ruIUd_EI2eSLeUWwC_WyEnzM9jbGSugJcu5dbjMlB4iGPD5Z3FXvLrZzsVcKHfcerLjBScmmixeTDeemZF_vx4KVvDuE/s2192/Spectacled%20Parrotlet%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1754" data-original-width="2192" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRdP_ogpFic4gKj3zsUuvkZUMidIkD_VkwZl1j8uRD5XxQb8SLOHnKUgk_GUBXd7Qmsw8DtgmmkgHZn3U92aUWmL57W8_GU5ruIUd_EI2eSLeUWwC_WyEnzM9jbGSugJcu5dbjMlB4iGPD5Z3FXvLrZzsVcKHfcerLjBScmmixeTDeemZF_vx4KVvDuE/w400-h320/Spectacled%20Parrotlet%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We had a little better luck with a Speckle-breasted Wren that was hiding in the bushes.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBU3oIfNphlDLTC7ynhb-wgQkxghi701-iEp0cL8-Emo-KgiRAxDAlw7q0pVaDU6BGNbiQFU_TC6zO2MjuSQWMkJrAuopzVfz_RYR27oL0KPmFK5jIcQGyArL48y485fBxmq2MkE9pXgmu848g-0Nrn1O49bTZWRRs7ZWOBaaylod2JIelx3H0ny3EUwo/s2897/Speckle-breasted%20Wren%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2318" data-original-width="2897" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBU3oIfNphlDLTC7ynhb-wgQkxghi701-iEp0cL8-Emo-KgiRAxDAlw7q0pVaDU6BGNbiQFU_TC6zO2MjuSQWMkJrAuopzVfz_RYR27oL0KPmFK5jIcQGyArL48y485fBxmq2MkE9pXgmu848g-0Nrn1O49bTZWRRs7ZWOBaaylod2JIelx3H0ny3EUwo/w400-h320/Speckle-breasted%20Wren%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We heard so many Rosy Thrush Tanagers calling. Some were quite close but we never got a look which is too bad because we'd really hoped to see them. </span><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">There were a couple of small food concessions next to the parking lot, so we took a short break for coffee/Gatorade and then went onto the forest trails across the road. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgXEIuhw2RyE9S6CJypAD490st97QFcct5gcrTqkRtijPN84HATc1BOzNFIGtqFcpv8M3_BS1zUcLCNq1LsvSBtwSIESc0kVkQKEVguRX4oAYPmGpddgIakYL39dwpr2PRsNWeEe4vV-d1S_jFgVoerOrlvItXAdjGeN-hdbpjG2obMdF5-g74lreLaM/s3356/Mark%20and%20Daniel%20taking%20a%20break%20at%20El%20Tabacal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2685" data-original-width="3356" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgXEIuhw2RyE9S6CJypAD490st97QFcct5gcrTqkRtijPN84HATc1BOzNFIGtqFcpv8M3_BS1zUcLCNq1LsvSBtwSIESc0kVkQKEVguRX4oAYPmGpddgIakYL39dwpr2PRsNWeEe4vV-d1S_jFgVoerOrlvItXAdjGeN-hdbpjG2obMdF5-g74lreLaM/w400-h320/Mark%20and%20Daniel%20taking%20a%20break%20at%20El%20Tabacal.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhquQZEDFoE6UOaMOgRQXHlWzmE-gp8fm9LCAI7citnzqd3BBW2Ad34uVwIrgatEK8KSXqLEHVo8md2T2jVgSyPq6wKffyyLti0irRHQTIhsDlk9w1itXX7bgjNc2n4F8DDh40tGO0AMYhNCLSJuUpmww6JzXpdmgJuIV0ZfshAunlUixQUPN8I3W0SA/s2661/Mark%20and%20Danielon%20the%20trails%20at%20El%20Tabacal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2129" data-original-width="2661" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhquQZEDFoE6UOaMOgRQXHlWzmE-gp8fm9LCAI7citnzqd3BBW2Ad34uVwIrgatEK8KSXqLEHVo8md2T2jVgSyPq6wKffyyLti0irRHQTIhsDlk9w1itXX7bgjNc2n4F8DDh40tGO0AMYhNCLSJuUpmww6JzXpdmgJuIV0ZfshAunlUixQUPN8I3W0SA/w400-h320/Mark%20and%20Danielon%20the%20trails%20at%20El%20Tabacal.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">There were a bunch of different trails, most eventually leading to the “lagoon” (lake) where we saw Green Kingfisher, Least Grebes and a nice Striated Heron. Not to mention a few turtles sunning themselves on logs. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE65J0u_CGGAQ9TMuZUhXwIhAmN0Zq_g-BHZ2-XSfTjSUJnIE1NBs9IcofSO_nAEoCKz9BItz-gCcG4gMAHOJiPmIV14ZkGeRLeu9H8nW5fhZc3FC3N4ERYw8SShnQMj1IJtCuqsw-1HCx_RyVH9CrhWuW5eC6uiis-blwDxgZuGI5S_JcM6edR7HxucY/s2872/Lagoon%20at%20El%20Tabacal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2298" data-original-width="2872" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE65J0u_CGGAQ9TMuZUhXwIhAmN0Zq_g-BHZ2-XSfTjSUJnIE1NBs9IcofSO_nAEoCKz9BItz-gCcG4gMAHOJiPmIV14ZkGeRLeu9H8nW5fhZc3FC3N4ERYw8SShnQMj1IJtCuqsw-1HCx_RyVH9CrhWuW5eC6uiis-blwDxgZuGI5S_JcM6edR7HxucY/w400-h320/Lagoon%20at%20El%20Tabacal.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3H3DuM75b5wzLXKsMy1g2KAjTVdUK7lQ3LfZhRtXabTfThCWvAZxywnoGjfxbMmdyCM8eVUm9O2_Y41RBFSsoGs5lIeuyY0_M3AfXUjhX1ymxCteMT7W2bthkqxUs0gwQtYktNm0HY4MWwp9fGCfWJUgEN3qMl8AYu45fdYVcnyDy32ATbtQr-K5yWfE/s2556/Least%20Grebe%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2045" data-original-width="2556" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3H3DuM75b5wzLXKsMy1g2KAjTVdUK7lQ3LfZhRtXabTfThCWvAZxywnoGjfxbMmdyCM8eVUm9O2_Y41RBFSsoGs5lIeuyY0_M3AfXUjhX1ymxCteMT7W2bthkqxUs0gwQtYktNm0HY4MWwp9fGCfWJUgEN3qMl8AYu45fdYVcnyDy32ATbtQr-K5yWfE/w400-h320/Least%20Grebe%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Least Grebe</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixz7HhONXoSfg2GLGpN3SxPE-VUd5l80IeL5cK27gDIuiH-Vzfwos8ZgwdL1dGOEXNlEHEYH0SfNJpRJ_M4qnaPY7qHWB2ein6mfn964R9GwNi9yzIxzNSrQyTIos0a2nz0P-pRRgMPzp8zoqZ3nYsiJ7C8vTvHmJdp-QCQbRdX1HmYwT4dX123u2PbGE/s3258/Striated%20Heron%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2606" data-original-width="3258" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixz7HhONXoSfg2GLGpN3SxPE-VUd5l80IeL5cK27gDIuiH-Vzfwos8ZgwdL1dGOEXNlEHEYH0SfNJpRJ_M4qnaPY7qHWB2ein6mfn964R9GwNi9yzIxzNSrQyTIos0a2nz0P-pRRgMPzp8zoqZ3nYsiJ7C8vTvHmJdp-QCQbRdX1HmYwT4dX123u2PbGE/w400-h320/Striated%20Heron%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Striated Heron</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimqjwmip854ZPKaQL3XR3D-40zssCuXIx9oZevCYetOpywDwnuIB9mOhPcizVM8xS3lEXSHOxx9v2SxweWxSu8suf7WQe7BKY5RF-bQ0rZvGD_vFx0pJf6YUhkPQK24p8Vx9TsdiO9ucCHSCA5yd2w6KQDDx2yBIrx979PQA22P3hNEyO8wM5GC8QD9Ck/s3615/Turtle%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2892" data-original-width="3615" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimqjwmip854ZPKaQL3XR3D-40zssCuXIx9oZevCYetOpywDwnuIB9mOhPcizVM8xS3lEXSHOxx9v2SxweWxSu8suf7WQe7BKY5RF-bQ0rZvGD_vFx0pJf6YUhkPQK24p8Vx9TsdiO9ucCHSCA5yd2w6KQDDx2yBIrx979PQA22P3hNEyO8wM5GC8QD9Ck/w400-h320/Turtle%20-%20Laguna%20El%20Tabacal%2008-30-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We were at our lowest elevation of the trip (1300m, about 4250 feet) and it was getting warm by the time we left around noon. We had lunch at a restaurant in a nearby resort and it was good. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We returned to the cabins and decided to take a break until 3:45. It gave me a chance to get caught up on the trip journal and enjoy the beautiful view out of the windows of our cabin. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTKgQUASsSWuVh7HV5jnddgcagkFJazJojO0139zBki7q1GiQ_iGirltEmuhQ_ED2s3CScM3D8LnLynOuYix3vBBl0hu7d1smtia_WSGTdmckU5TqIpH79z9ubujTY3xivSY7S85CTpXqbH9hVKy98xrWAYtObOgzC9vM8o1rz8ZSP9PnMgl6mFqthU64/s3534/Mark%20in%20room%20at%20Caba%C3%B1as%20Aire%20Libre.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3534" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTKgQUASsSWuVh7HV5jnddgcagkFJazJojO0139zBki7q1GiQ_iGirltEmuhQ_ED2s3CScM3D8LnLynOuYix3vBBl0hu7d1smtia_WSGTdmckU5TqIpH79z9ubujTY3xivSY7S85CTpXqbH9hVKy98xrWAYtObOgzC9vM8o1rz8ZSP9PnMgl6mFqthU64/w400-h310/Mark%20in%20room%20at%20Caba%C3%B1as%20Aire%20Libre.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We headed back to Enchanted Gardens, hoping to see the Gorgeted Woodstar that the owner had told us comes in earlier than we’d visited the previous evening. Sure enough, we got nice looks at both a male and a female, as well as the similar, more common White-bellied Woodstar. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHpM6SALIS2XCJBTaa9Ykwu2dgjKUJpm1xB1sTo_J1Zn1mVYMyFTZjVZrgIAQsF6xCB49ZBtD0fvs_R2EJ4Pp4aCXVRgDezhVInptpUsy-w8t7iwp0HL_vrcRTsvu9O4MCFjup4EdNrOxHLYFYVgao_XpKVUvFrl3HWDglAcZ2ZbrlQPjUCxr65LJpis/s2460/Gorgeted%20Woodstar%20male%20-%20Jardin%20Encantado,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-30-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1968" data-original-width="2460" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHpM6SALIS2XCJBTaa9Ykwu2dgjKUJpm1xB1sTo_J1Zn1mVYMyFTZjVZrgIAQsF6xCB49ZBtD0fvs_R2EJ4Pp4aCXVRgDezhVInptpUsy-w8t7iwp0HL_vrcRTsvu9O4MCFjup4EdNrOxHLYFYVgao_XpKVUvFrl3HWDglAcZ2ZbrlQPjUCxr65LJpis/w400-h320/Gorgeted%20Woodstar%20male%20-%20Jardin%20Encantado,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-30-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Gorgeted Woodstar - male</span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUw0B_4dp0Dt3Iig_vezNs_Dv3GVBxQ-yqLV6VROE34-dIEkEgePmLrF34UUgpwPkec1ZTxwFyBlJnSljWBkSLuEPaanIJW1hQw7Z777xY1nByomWiXUBOaRsgnZjtfeeaduMtOtflQ8OVuYASlGo27o8wS0fhBZ7iMLw6xVRIpCLguJyCDrqn59Vu4ok/s3703/Gorgeted%20Woodstar%20female%20-%20Jardin%20Encantado,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-30-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2963" data-original-width="3703" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUw0B_4dp0Dt3Iig_vezNs_Dv3GVBxQ-yqLV6VROE34-dIEkEgePmLrF34UUgpwPkec1ZTxwFyBlJnSljWBkSLuEPaanIJW1hQw7Z777xY1nByomWiXUBOaRsgnZjtfeeaduMtOtflQ8OVuYASlGo27o8wS0fhBZ7iMLw6xVRIpCLguJyCDrqn59Vu4ok/w400-h320/Gorgeted%20Woodstar%20female%20-%20Jardin%20Encantado,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-30-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Gorgeted Woodstar - female</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQOObFPG5Jo14pF5TkkLHgcBzT5CGAvJjnQIEkEniwzxjgQi_crRLUTXRIakz-vB90kGMYPNkNaYUyNIjT5idxC9bsYBNlLhyoHROsIlb9co_A1Bw11XeZWIsrlzMyEJb3CYkUL4EmyOyjhEftSQ-nIOX6ElOzFPeLzLZfL5k9hc5Mc2YLQJO1RjWgzbA/s4996/White-bellied%20Woodstar%20male%202%20-%20Jardin%20Encantado,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-30-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3997" data-original-width="4996" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQOObFPG5Jo14pF5TkkLHgcBzT5CGAvJjnQIEkEniwzxjgQi_crRLUTXRIakz-vB90kGMYPNkNaYUyNIjT5idxC9bsYBNlLhyoHROsIlb9co_A1Bw11XeZWIsrlzMyEJb3CYkUL4EmyOyjhEftSQ-nIOX6ElOzFPeLzLZfL5k9hc5Mc2YLQJO1RjWgzbA/w400-h320/White-bellied%20Woodstar%20male%202%20-%20Jardin%20Encantado,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-30-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">White-bellied Woodstar - male</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We also saw our first White-necked Jacobins of the trip, Sparkling Violetears, and a large White-vented Plumeleteer. </span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWN-Z5_8-y4tRQJM2ZnLP4GjR-OxtL5icCh2lqDwFd_lhWZrIs69yQX76XO3ehpEubxMnNKFbr9YgvWQ4qeiXeAh_ZzP-mVjwRrf0wHznnENmAdctAldR1TgTZAdFpz6-t7XuW0Nav-OFDxQZqwuVhTsPN4yVeSt7usbymXdcdpKUVcxfIG9kj-Wt6tB4/s4090/White-necked%20Jacobin%20male%202%20-%20Jardin%20Encantado,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-30-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3272" data-original-width="4090" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWN-Z5_8-y4tRQJM2ZnLP4GjR-OxtL5icCh2lqDwFd_lhWZrIs69yQX76XO3ehpEubxMnNKFbr9YgvWQ4qeiXeAh_ZzP-mVjwRrf0wHznnENmAdctAldR1TgTZAdFpz6-t7XuW0Nav-OFDxQZqwuVhTsPN4yVeSt7usbymXdcdpKUVcxfIG9kj-Wt6tB4/w400-h320/White-necked%20Jacobin%20male%202%20-%20Jardin%20Encantado,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-30-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">White-necked Jacobin</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSarWiY36KlD03h8qa_aGuMk0PPMSbS3yTEuGsE3QcYtQhGQEE7-oWKJ1qJCUfAMrYof_9SF_tuNalEttCVNVPNsuVYHceaFIRdzSrDgATY05_Kdb_UkyFu4WFkPXduKfKiE4JCpA_z-iHO24RlgMNp54Aj2vrnkp3t_VtDBaeKJk34lybatu5TDnRbTY/s4652/Sparkling%20Violetear%20-%20Jardin%20Encantado,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-30-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3722" data-original-width="4652" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSarWiY36KlD03h8qa_aGuMk0PPMSbS3yTEuGsE3QcYtQhGQEE7-oWKJ1qJCUfAMrYof_9SF_tuNalEttCVNVPNsuVYHceaFIRdzSrDgATY05_Kdb_UkyFu4WFkPXduKfKiE4JCpA_z-iHO24RlgMNp54Aj2vrnkp3t_VtDBaeKJk34lybatu5TDnRbTY/w400-h320/Sparkling%20Violetear%20-%20Jardin%20Encantado,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-30-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Sparkling Violtear</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcD6xdpN36cSGgOKQuhaBZMv_lWPW6vIdIWsWq9-NPtwiqvq8J7hS4wxtjBqzBT_z0YkoHJqBSZ59i5AuEn8KnbtqSvN2YBpv_Kc68GhcWOyLPPTCv3FMqh9-FX8LfP8_g1E7NG5JI5JY3vvCwDgLUxkdEWr11gsj24zCZhtz2IsWFpsZjQLnkxRXuZhg/s4943/White-vented%20Plumleteer%20male%20-%20Jardin%20Encantado,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-30-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3954" data-original-width="4943" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcD6xdpN36cSGgOKQuhaBZMv_lWPW6vIdIWsWq9-NPtwiqvq8J7hS4wxtjBqzBT_z0YkoHJqBSZ59i5AuEn8KnbtqSvN2YBpv_Kc68GhcWOyLPPTCv3FMqh9-FX8LfP8_g1E7NG5JI5JY3vvCwDgLUxkdEWr11gsj24zCZhtz2IsWFpsZjQLnkxRXuZhg/w400-h320/White-vented%20Plumleteer%20male%20-%20Jardin%20Encantado,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-30-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">White-vented Plumeleteer</span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In addition to the many hummingbirds, we saw a few other birds using the feeders, like Saffron Finches, Ruddy Ground Doves and Bananaquits. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZscQtpnktPWKl-tMUE34yr9_cOupT1eEuRKIztc8Zlei2vX8rBs1suJGLFAzfSNVQ4bHTs4ELC0UI_5ifUbiNabINxywuKaeuTVz3IgB5k_4oFUmkfxHw2BY-ubtQ3zVpdPPbXg3smY5weGCgD4sMTVZcfqOY5yj361mrUsZexYKh6z0kRigRu_yBw1w/s4666/Saffron%20Finch%20-%20Jardin%20Encantado,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-30-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3733" data-original-width="4666" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZscQtpnktPWKl-tMUE34yr9_cOupT1eEuRKIztc8Zlei2vX8rBs1suJGLFAzfSNVQ4bHTs4ELC0UI_5ifUbiNabINxywuKaeuTVz3IgB5k_4oFUmkfxHw2BY-ubtQ3zVpdPPbXg3smY5weGCgD4sMTVZcfqOY5yj361mrUsZexYKh6z0kRigRu_yBw1w/w400-h320/Saffron%20Finch%20-%20Jardin%20Encantado,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-30-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Saffron Finch male</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-H9TkwhXIrfFaE4IkWW-n0MIX_7PtQSf7IQXd4WEYg1g2YG3sVz-Vi-9SMoDTKWulAVzLmGyZN4v4lEqHGxjqXXQLGA0PXHp-dt4RuNDyT3PeBWacZ8umyQM3ln35XzrTl-a2iYBZ9IXW84TDQeZAH55UQSttYjM7xnKTuiQOM8nSvIKpxwSksVEg3mg/s5340/Saffron%20Finch%20female%20-%20Jardin%20Encantado,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-30-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="5340" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-H9TkwhXIrfFaE4IkWW-n0MIX_7PtQSf7IQXd4WEYg1g2YG3sVz-Vi-9SMoDTKWulAVzLmGyZN4v4lEqHGxjqXXQLGA0PXHp-dt4RuNDyT3PeBWacZ8umyQM3ln35XzrTl-a2iYBZ9IXW84TDQeZAH55UQSttYjM7xnKTuiQOM8nSvIKpxwSksVEg3mg/w400-h320/Saffron%20Finch%20female%20-%20Jardin%20Encantado,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-30-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Saffron Finch female</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA15jS-W0hSFMMHpwH3v4zL1Eb-MA4xB1UsS_n5J0g6YGPTXHYJ0oTMg28KuoytxK5HllajjIJVtz_QUgvzfgUmFqoJ3RwL8f79T2LsYJyzc1rRf80TMCUMUzxw-fjtJsXTsB5zurdnG2-P8ClW1Z-9S4ANHogHCBz5LQQqVQx2K8CNk2meEdfU_SFwAQ/s3867/Banaquit%20-%20Jardin%20Encantado,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-30-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3094" data-original-width="3867" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA15jS-W0hSFMMHpwH3v4zL1Eb-MA4xB1UsS_n5J0g6YGPTXHYJ0oTMg28KuoytxK5HllajjIJVtz_QUgvzfgUmFqoJ3RwL8f79T2LsYJyzc1rRf80TMCUMUzxw-fjtJsXTsB5zurdnG2-P8ClW1Z-9S4ANHogHCBz5LQQqVQx2K8CNk2meEdfU_SFwAQ/w400-h320/Banaquit%20-%20Jardin%20Encantado,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-30-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Bananaquit</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8tT3fAMduN5BimO5rCi3mGFYJ0oCvtq5dUED5cvh-JYJZTjOPlooPPHBk3iJ3kPyxelJpGbwDKz8oMYw0AN7dVnzveAAOZRES3jSfyLvcIVop6GoK0fhXD61X4IsDsFghHRGFzIHbgN672GbGzowTPzMmfI9CW0n29hChndUNtEC3Cc6WceLAegeJJvY/s4193/Ruddy%20Ground%20Dove%20-%20Jardin%20Encantado,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-30-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3354" data-original-width="4193" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8tT3fAMduN5BimO5rCi3mGFYJ0oCvtq5dUED5cvh-JYJZTjOPlooPPHBk3iJ3kPyxelJpGbwDKz8oMYw0AN7dVnzveAAOZRES3jSfyLvcIVop6GoK0fhXD61X4IsDsFghHRGFzIHbgN672GbGzowTPzMmfI9CW0n29hChndUNtEC3Cc6WceLAegeJJvY/w400-h320/Ruddy%20Ground%20Dove%20-%20Jardin%20Encantado,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-30-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ruddy Ground Dove</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Before we left Daniel had suggested we pre-order our dinner from an Italian Food place in town, with delivery to the cabins at 6:30. This worked out great as Teri and I enjoyed a good chicken and mushroom pizza without having to go back out. A nice relaxing way to finish a great day. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Next - Back to Laguna de Tabacal, and wrapping up our trip</span></p><div><br /></div></div></div>Mark & Terihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410651360395422840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767944521225965268.post-2912420963401486612023-12-31T05:00:00.073-06:002023-12-31T05:00:00.242-06:002023 – Year-In-Review<p><u><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">January</span></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;">We started the new year celebrating our 40</span><sup style="color: #222222;">th</sup><span style="color: #222222;">
anniversary.</span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span><span style="color: #222222;">For us, a great way to
celebrate any milestone is a trip!</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We made our 6<sup>th</sup> trip to Costa Rica.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a little trouble getting there due to
a nationwide failure of the FAA NOTAM (Notice to Airman) system that had
grounded all US flights. But eventually we made it and amazingly so did all our
luggage.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbBlotg-ftoXmMAcBH1tuBmfA8uN8iJKsHNlxeFEtNu8SGy3_8rAPY1I7L5of0E1a_b56YT88KkloWU8ezGWUuYtm5flz6-gq0yXaConTF6HZjdpMWequ8Zidrr_yz_meBm5YhcWupbVm6Ln6_IKKJsvqLfZ2bOYeDD8csBAm5KJXUY_q9tkfRTyC9ebg/s3248/4180.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2108" data-original-width="3248" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbBlotg-ftoXmMAcBH1tuBmfA8uN8iJKsHNlxeFEtNu8SGy3_8rAPY1I7L5of0E1a_b56YT88KkloWU8ezGWUuYtm5flz6-gq0yXaConTF6HZjdpMWequ8Zidrr_yz_meBm5YhcWupbVm6Ln6_IKKJsvqLfZ2bOYeDD8csBAm5KJXUY_q9tkfRTyC9ebg/w400-h260/4180.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrgZ0BIRhpq9FauDD87rtw7c4puMeRPCNnkJWQJJ7OWDBWGTdF23-r3gFPPNQ-SIq73_6rBqvibzp5iKe_zXLPv9M7H-n6v-XAHDvcs5gibJMpYEuy_r92kGaQMizTLMiQS9mCJ8U_R7yIPfVuXWImNJTvzljyvvH7cJl0YN-4oIRa4B-JssscfLNqNEM/s2130/Scarlet%20Macaw%20head%20-%20Cerro%20Lodge%2001-12-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1704" data-original-width="2130" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrgZ0BIRhpq9FauDD87rtw7c4puMeRPCNnkJWQJJ7OWDBWGTdF23-r3gFPPNQ-SIq73_6rBqvibzp5iKe_zXLPv9M7H-n6v-XAHDvcs5gibJMpYEuy_r92kGaQMizTLMiQS9mCJ8U_R7yIPfVuXWImNJTvzljyvvH7cJl0YN-4oIRa4B-JssscfLNqNEM/w400-h320/Scarlet%20Macaw%20head%20-%20Cerro%20Lodge%2001-12-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Scarlet Macaw</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><u><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">February<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">We have a wonderful Nature Preserve close to our house where we
volunteer regularly.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">The Preserve is not open to
the public except for special occasions but since we volunteer there we are able to
go out when ever we want.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">It’s a
beautiful area with lots of birds.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We spent February visiting all our favorite birding spots, including Hill Country State Natural Area where we saw this beautiful Red-shouldered Hawk.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1m4pKi3Vb0CdqSOSVkTc-K7v3EnYD2tXVTK8TkIe-SbBRDX4i6FO3QUk7vxuBG3hMnEqAWJZazHMwevcKPp3ufPgkaJZWLVjaWHYNbhHa0yLSFIdqqh7YQh84alzJweFPMeORdF8mBaYa4KmPRaXKkyP44YG_0HlmlZ97-Ao-OB-ZHCNnocQxwIDG6I/s2858/Red-shouldered%20Hawk%20-%20Hill%20Country%20SNA%2002-23-2023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2286" data-original-width="2858" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1m4pKi3Vb0CdqSOSVkTc-K7v3EnYD2tXVTK8TkIe-SbBRDX4i6FO3QUk7vxuBG3hMnEqAWJZazHMwevcKPp3ufPgkaJZWLVjaWHYNbhHa0yLSFIdqqh7YQh84alzJweFPMeORdF8mBaYa4KmPRaXKkyP44YG_0HlmlZ97-Ao-OB-ZHCNnocQxwIDG6I/w400-h320/Red-shouldered%20Hawk%20-%20Hill%20Country%20SNA%2002-23-2023.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Red-shouldered Hawk</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><span style="color: #222222;"><u style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;">March</span></u></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We took our first camping trip of the year in our travel trailer
to S. Llano River State Park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a
very nice park that is only about a 2 hour drive from our house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We both came to the conclusion that camping
was not as much fun as it used to be with crowded parks, unable to get
reservations, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We returned home and
put our trailer up for sale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have
never regretted it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">After we took our trailer to a consignment shop, we
realized we didn’t need a F350 diesel anymore either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We headed to our favorite Ford dealer and
picked up a little something to take home.</span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQHhua7NWdKu4Drfk5KBn1QEfslCsrdo525ZL6CclG8aWW2aHVLXv2JLmwNCmmg0JaFn1iXGDwVEhvG1FLeeQzL6W0F_0apyNUz18_mWBi9OKtWiDQIrHOyCZ99_FjNGOQCAbOyljY-IgzpZ-TjmJxr-7fuZ2SgyHpS6gKW1lyLYJgkItjv1KYytJAxw/s3648/DSC04319.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQHhua7NWdKu4Drfk5KBn1QEfslCsrdo525ZL6CclG8aWW2aHVLXv2JLmwNCmmg0JaFn1iXGDwVEhvG1FLeeQzL6W0F_0apyNUz18_mWBi9OKtWiDQIrHOyCZ99_FjNGOQCAbOyljY-IgzpZ-TjmJxr-7fuZ2SgyHpS6gKW1lyLYJgkItjv1KYytJAxw/w400-h300/DSC04319.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ford F150</span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Another milestone was celebrating 13 years of retirement (for both of us).</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><u><span style="color: #222222;">April</span></u><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">No trailer? No problem! AirBnb’s are everywhere and we found a
fabulous place to stay in Rockport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
stayed in a cute, very comfortable cottage in Rockport and found it was
more convenient than staying in Goose Island State Park.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We hit all our favorite birding hotspots and restaurants and had a wonderful time. We got to see the final group of Whooping Cranes as they headed north for the summer, as well as the arrival of migrant birds from the south. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxUHq8TyzdBnHMI6OQDHIRl8S2OLWd4p0548joJ6cZ7jidUx0CHtIAvw9ISdGbSekh1sSDEGMfKRHdTyUQ4aCDw6VN6XSx_3H0omCNUhrRywS0Qz89yCp50XfzqEg20vAxtwah_63eMLRkeuy01bgZsDWNbozy2NYHd8Zm3fv4eIydqybkaEQXSMIxl8/s3408/Whooping%20Cranes%20-%20Aransas%20NWR%2004-11-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2727" data-original-width="3408" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxUHq8TyzdBnHMI6OQDHIRl8S2OLWd4p0548joJ6cZ7jidUx0CHtIAvw9ISdGbSekh1sSDEGMfKRHdTyUQ4aCDw6VN6XSx_3H0omCNUhrRywS0Qz89yCp50XfzqEg20vAxtwah_63eMLRkeuy01bgZsDWNbozy2NYHd8Zm3fv4eIydqybkaEQXSMIxl8/w400-h320/Whooping%20Cranes%20-%20Aransas%20NWR%2004-11-2023.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Whooping Cranes</span></div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gwgBM4VjG44xquqW6tCNCKB_66alLbHtYBqUW9KoY6BhqxDR99mFKRU6BdNiKnyuI-pNKaEhV2cHkT88vJYtDDUp61Am8NBlvL1EdhlcEhT-4L21Ko-9_t8v-uUhydQsaM6kX5mK8r5fA8RNAlbU-IpsY6EjUtvAvKKMraZJCn1RBacX75FQ1f58O68/s3138/Kentucky%20Warbler%20-%20Goose%20Island%20SP%2004-11-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2510" data-original-width="3138" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gwgBM4VjG44xquqW6tCNCKB_66alLbHtYBqUW9KoY6BhqxDR99mFKRU6BdNiKnyuI-pNKaEhV2cHkT88vJYtDDUp61Am8NBlvL1EdhlcEhT-4L21Ko-9_t8v-uUhydQsaM6kX5mK8r5fA8RNAlbU-IpsY6EjUtvAvKKMraZJCn1RBacX75FQ1f58O68/w400-h320/Kentucky%20Warbler%20-%20Goose%20Island%20SP%2004-11-2023.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Kentucky Warbler</div></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><u><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">May</span></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In May we celebrated Mark’s birthday in beautiful Alaska.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had perfect weather and both thought it
was our best trip to Alaska, so far.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGtCYfZcFs6Ku8zmsHOWXQ3xqJeftuKZH3pZ53TciIQyg8fc9dQJgTXjPdlwF0edjcM7iptYVqZN0AQTgNPjXil6rT8Rcb2QSdCRgIXwhyRZu6BZK-RGfLbQVgvUsbAUK48VdbCoXzEsean2f8Y8EOHuIqckbeHjOLCixKNrjEj5085spl2fmHfbhNRLE/s3648/DSC04728.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGtCYfZcFs6Ku8zmsHOWXQ3xqJeftuKZH3pZ53TciIQyg8fc9dQJgTXjPdlwF0edjcM7iptYVqZN0AQTgNPjXil6rT8Rcb2QSdCRgIXwhyRZu6BZK-RGfLbQVgvUsbAUK48VdbCoXzEsean2f8Y8EOHuIqckbeHjOLCixKNrjEj5085spl2fmHfbhNRLE/w400-h300/DSC04728.JPG" width="400" /></a><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxDWYZ7iP3ru7EifWsuI5kP3l_Ufq67I2BTagncGWR-HFtWzCi05yfOBLzUPUOvyEDN9BdzlckU3MvZ_EMH2PjTFZdyLwSLjzcX9L5QOPkdQ1s7k5s_vFnmRvPyutCRCNQq3MYrXyx9rYFlrxO6HDroGUvlzGEVGLHPx6rBIru7cH3CfgbSWdo9TtJJh0/s3648/DSC04752.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxDWYZ7iP3ru7EifWsuI5kP3l_Ufq67I2BTagncGWR-HFtWzCi05yfOBLzUPUOvyEDN9BdzlckU3MvZ_EMH2PjTFZdyLwSLjzcX9L5QOPkdQ1s7k5s_vFnmRvPyutCRCNQq3MYrXyx9rYFlrxO6HDroGUvlzGEVGLHPx6rBIru7cH3CfgbSWdo9TtJJh0/w400-h300/DSC04752.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><u><span style="color: #222222;">June</span></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We decided to make a trip to Wisconsin this summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a great time visiting factory tours
and birding.</span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgaM_36Wpoczky1cpP5fMMGE3SR2ImbBXOrjXVbt2tdVbZBs54lmGg36FUXK6LrNOk59rl3oJ7CqgqrNh1IV3o5jC9vGY_z9VT-UQcHvcP3v5idTNd6HkMiGECgBrhfuroG0zs8j_bbyxb4V0WK7lQNGvpnrDATQIFB0GuTr-JP2gBmEMf6vxG2Yxydj4/s3648/DSC04896.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgaM_36Wpoczky1cpP5fMMGE3SR2ImbBXOrjXVbt2tdVbZBs54lmGg36FUXK6LrNOk59rl3oJ7CqgqrNh1IV3o5jC9vGY_z9VT-UQcHvcP3v5idTNd6HkMiGECgBrhfuroG0zs8j_bbyxb4V0WK7lQNGvpnrDATQIFB0GuTr-JP2gBmEMf6vxG2Yxydj4/w400-h300/DSC04896.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkcxUpbnfDtmTBBqMIQ8beEFqJMPrumF1VVXC9OglOyMZQT9A_nvP0fx2sJiKRqH_WHc0POJFw9EUAca9kT6bGppVZoa-9xajNnQ7R-LN5KSkob2PDHC4M-wXJwYwLOCIctPgFbnBLkvDccm2SL_s5214_KuKfK7fjkTmZQ255JqpmfhrIrqS9Eqq9N2I/s3648/DSC04889.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkcxUpbnfDtmTBBqMIQ8beEFqJMPrumF1VVXC9OglOyMZQT9A_nvP0fx2sJiKRqH_WHc0POJFw9EUAca9kT6bGppVZoa-9xajNnQ7R-LN5KSkob2PDHC4M-wXJwYwLOCIctPgFbnBLkvDccm2SL_s5214_KuKfK7fjkTmZQ255JqpmfhrIrqS9Eqq9N2I/w400-h300/DSC04889.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPM82j23Fte9CngaUt7sWzt9QOTqIVTMHWRMvznpXiUSvQntMQoRAKHPxVbSEqkLxktChaqP1BXd0aD9vB8rbOyeLygcXa7eQI1gJhJnyycCMurlJFM_tlHlxBUJP7eoMGn_CC_cf-CKyBPjO4sOUpDtZeL3kl6kBxJJOLQy5d2djz60gn3kUj80ta138/s4364/Trumpeter%20Swan%20-%20George%20W.%20Mead%20SWA-Visitor%20Center%2006-07-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3363" data-original-width="4364" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPM82j23Fte9CngaUt7sWzt9QOTqIVTMHWRMvznpXiUSvQntMQoRAKHPxVbSEqkLxktChaqP1BXd0aD9vB8rbOyeLygcXa7eQI1gJhJnyycCMurlJFM_tlHlxBUJP7eoMGn_CC_cf-CKyBPjO4sOUpDtZeL3kl6kBxJJOLQy5d2djz60gn3kUj80ta138/w400-h309/Trumpeter%20Swan%20-%20George%20W.%20Mead%20SWA-Visitor%20Center%2006-07-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Trumpeter Swan</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><u style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">July</span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">With no plans for my birthday this year we
spent the month enjoying being home. Mark gave a bird talk at our local library
and we spent many hours birding at all our favorite spots close to home.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">With my birthday gift card I treated myself to a little yarn shopping.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RVECD3JcAZMDkv4UmnUjwLIWxd_dlsuNeYm7_uHMrFaQPnUI17es05mO1r85ZH10oqno0Q1kw_yxN_bqdU2sZDIgsIJioDWejxvmz987TharDGZGAlg8XjU4pOGULJaX3N6xexl_2sbgLgAUVrcu4l0KPe7MBXzyJJSigN40VPoawiD76Nkg9avM9tA/s3648/DSC05134.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RVECD3JcAZMDkv4UmnUjwLIWxd_dlsuNeYm7_uHMrFaQPnUI17es05mO1r85ZH10oqno0Q1kw_yxN_bqdU2sZDIgsIJioDWejxvmz987TharDGZGAlg8XjU4pOGULJaX3N6xexl_2sbgLgAUVrcu4l0KPe7MBXzyJJSigN40VPoawiD76Nkg9avM9tA/w400-h300/DSC05134.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u><span style="color: #222222;">August</span></u></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We took our second trip to Colombia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Our first trip to Colombia was in February of last year.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Everything went smoothly and we saw plenty of
birds.</span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbydE9wnyZcBEa4YTghyDpFca3_Fxo4DU9Hizu1XOh5S6PBIUDzdRuxi-88mGIdO94jIGDVofMJU9moxTqMVJCZDgiKOPmvjHemXX8Toz6ylcyKuVl0seikW4YSNaN1Spyh9XOL4CvJPyL1dNWhcWEt-2_Fjf3wWaKwbp66QgeqC2smbW5btcYZkCJFA/s3648/DSC05231.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbydE9wnyZcBEa4YTghyDpFca3_Fxo4DU9Hizu1XOh5S6PBIUDzdRuxi-88mGIdO94jIGDVofMJU9moxTqMVJCZDgiKOPmvjHemXX8Toz6ylcyKuVl0seikW4YSNaN1Spyh9XOL4CvJPyL1dNWhcWEt-2_Fjf3wWaKwbp66QgeqC2smbW5btcYZkCJFA/w400-h300/DSC05231.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipE75XYsCQ7ApygY-fbgToI-xXRyJqJtUQYS7U2lFf-XMIZaC2ywOK7yHBv1DNxk2-DiN-2-0KTy4ITY06zb_vPtRJXK8-gfnJhNANNQN-Ww12qoR_yLFJfOSmzAU2Yu2qRdp55GCt2qTqZo16oyddRdMXeBlMiG22wyrSef3j_Ggj9nid4G-CJPlru_M/s3648/DSC05255.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipE75XYsCQ7ApygY-fbgToI-xXRyJqJtUQYS7U2lFf-XMIZaC2ywOK7yHBv1DNxk2-DiN-2-0KTy4ITY06zb_vPtRJXK8-gfnJhNANNQN-Ww12qoR_yLFJfOSmzAU2Yu2qRdp55GCt2qTqZo16oyddRdMXeBlMiG22wyrSef3j_Ggj9nid4G-CJPlru_M/w400-h300/DSC05255.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1BV97fntsRtyHK0L41sL80H00eorab0s6aYrdzCRyqGe5U2gwTb8fwmLFacRC0lLBc3JVb-gYBdj3uozykLT8GMg-UiFu0Q8njSDEM5rK-3w5XpblclWq7UqCBQEv8DB9jO7h0_a3HTt6BGY0prVny3sroa5cFHox5gACjjNPV4UqY4r8ZTyC4JE4vTQ/s3420/Line%20of%20hummingbird%20feeders.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3420" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1BV97fntsRtyHK0L41sL80H00eorab0s6aYrdzCRyqGe5U2gwTb8fwmLFacRC0lLBc3JVb-gYBdj3uozykLT8GMg-UiFu0Q8njSDEM5rK-3w5XpblclWq7UqCBQEv8DB9jO7h0_a3HTt6BGY0prVny3sroa5cFHox5gACjjNPV4UqY4r8ZTyC4JE4vTQ/w400-h320/Line%20of%20hummingbird%20feeders.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><u><span style="color: #222222;">September</span></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We were home from Colombia for only a couple of
weeks before heading to Ecuador.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
was our third trip to Ecuador.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqCfljkX6v6jxiCcEgL3AAJvCcMV-p4uAfEyNoT5bspLPc-o2R_g0OrkiZEbGynLkq54G_oJuukfc-hG35O4n3LBSRL7QyFd6rs7xJR7N91D_0Ew6_d9Cn5FbVwz82noWeE9s39ySI4AXwjcB5uiKv2sgbM8ZE1bq7whG2Mxb4-fwZvleEnT7Iq8iZVM/s3648/DSC05637.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqCfljkX6v6jxiCcEgL3AAJvCcMV-p4uAfEyNoT5bspLPc-o2R_g0OrkiZEbGynLkq54G_oJuukfc-hG35O4n3LBSRL7QyFd6rs7xJR7N91D_0Ew6_d9Cn5FbVwz82noWeE9s39ySI4AXwjcB5uiKv2sgbM8ZE1bq7whG2Mxb4-fwZvleEnT7Iq8iZVM/w400-h300/DSC05637.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmnPurqm9d3vjLEzxW6qvVsx2de-rZQXaoLdGHIoBAgl5gm4yknnQT2fjgH4iOrZ6L-K_vyWY4elY-jyy5phMiWHDvDM4D-LaM0tMeM0OnjjM1KaBSLkBfNK15cSHdJX8dpmLTMBpnjtLOFqHnkCzcU2YPKQ_RSBcnP7bCThKzuPS9lplsovWUuD4KJpU/s2576/Andean%20Condor%20-%20Reserva%20Chakana-Hacienda%20Antisanilla%2009-23-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2061" data-original-width="2576" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmnPurqm9d3vjLEzxW6qvVsx2de-rZQXaoLdGHIoBAgl5gm4yknnQT2fjgH4iOrZ6L-K_vyWY4elY-jyy5phMiWHDvDM4D-LaM0tMeM0OnjjM1KaBSLkBfNK15cSHdJX8dpmLTMBpnjtLOFqHnkCzcU2YPKQ_RSBcnP7bCThKzuPS9lplsovWUuD4KJpU/w400-h320/Andean%20Condor%20-%20Reserva%20Chakana-Hacienda%20Antisanilla%2009-23-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Andean Condor</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdJB1L53EwtO2Z11isagj7owqhYhxbgu9P4w2GpX8WMe9ESSSVHfKz_NArH5IDd9H-QarC8xslyvE63BiFiW3woUIk59Nnr5vAe6kSJgVMILJVaZK1ZeG9i8tDPlzgnsNVVM5lGzw_DlY9E-VnFGKUVp3VQcJ5mHiGa8S-9MVHZFvZ539iLjGE9OLWShA/s1870/Andean%20Hillstar%20-%20Reserva%20Chakana-Hacienda%20Antisanilla%2009-23-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1496" data-original-width="1870" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdJB1L53EwtO2Z11isagj7owqhYhxbgu9P4w2GpX8WMe9ESSSVHfKz_NArH5IDd9H-QarC8xslyvE63BiFiW3woUIk59Nnr5vAe6kSJgVMILJVaZK1ZeG9i8tDPlzgnsNVVM5lGzw_DlY9E-VnFGKUVp3VQcJ5mHiGa8S-9MVHZFvZ539iLjGE9OLWShA/w400-h320/Andean%20Hillstar%20-%20Reserva%20Chakana-Hacienda%20Antisanilla%2009-23-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Andean Hillstar</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQQryNw8-as3-DjnFkE0MKrXE9mM-P4syymaq574gvVbIxp-DozMgnyW2192eNHXhl51Gz8bLXUX2vHHtfZxOlDtzogQIRj4HH2_zlxhN3bVPnxz0XZslNYfaGNAmZJmCCt-5CHB-jDETMI1Mp6cw3MoAp4JMcgf5KJgnHvojtyxro0NOKby7NsLDvRc/s3806/Yellow-tufted%20Woodpecker%20-%20Ama%20Ecolodge%20&%20Reserve%2009-29-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3045" data-original-width="3806" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQQryNw8-as3-DjnFkE0MKrXE9mM-P4syymaq574gvVbIxp-DozMgnyW2192eNHXhl51Gz8bLXUX2vHHtfZxOlDtzogQIRj4HH2_zlxhN3bVPnxz0XZslNYfaGNAmZJmCCt-5CHB-jDETMI1Mp6cw3MoAp4JMcgf5KJgnHvojtyxro0NOKby7NsLDvRc/w400-h320/Yellow-tufted%20Woodpecker%20-%20Ama%20Ecolodge%20&%20Reserve%2009-29-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Yellow-tufted Woodpecker</span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><u><span style="color: #222222;">October</span></u><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">After back-to-back trips we were happy to stay
home for a little while. With nice weather we enjoyed hiking and birding a
little closer to home.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><u><span style="color: #222222;">November</span></u><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">Well, I guess it was bound to happen
sometime.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana;">After 13 years living in the
hill country it finally happened.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjULk7VQdD6sYbgT6g9BRoq1iKgugCvUVSEaBGcwRMbzEmrvltrRgXwdXOEmqBrckTCQJ3Ik7bzGgzSjkVBCjf9tvnus33FEZtoggShS2HQ43AeKpQqwxS6TK3UARuSX6xGR78nIkFNTKij8vwk-1UZWECdMM3yk2DGLASI85Wbg3dFwKwLZJlrulZF26o/s4080/Truck.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjULk7VQdD6sYbgT6g9BRoq1iKgugCvUVSEaBGcwRMbzEmrvltrRgXwdXOEmqBrckTCQJ3Ik7bzGgzSjkVBCjf9tvnus33FEZtoggShS2HQ43AeKpQqwxS6TK3UARuSX6xGR78nIkFNTKij8vwk-1UZWECdMM3yk2DGLASI85Wbg3dFwKwLZJlrulZF26o/w400-h301/Truck.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Yep, that is the airbag on top of the dash.</span></span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We hit our first deer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And not just any deer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A very large non-native Axis deer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> About $25,000 of damage, and we don't have the truck back yet!</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><u><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Dec</span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Our last trip of the year was to Rockport. We stayed in a different AirBnb. It was very nice. </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Unfortunately, our favorite seafood restaurant closed this year due to the owner retiring (Shempy's). We still had other favorite restaurants and didn't go hungry!</span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Birding was a little slow but we went to our favorite birding hotspots and had great looks at some wonderful birds. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAZZ8VtyPpoWPizuWo6uWMDNRcX3YwrhpvyjHBy1I3SQBKAnHx02GvjSARCeSxvR9DPd1n53Yl1JDrYUwzqWF50WlebFMHoRIYxxssCeD0feUqb6FK8nZlAm9XlLxEIE7B3trzUCDNsAW1BR10p2CAQ5oXtSrNZbGrA9uuyKMH-6c6_KqmAKDzJZ93SQ/s5242/Great%20Blue%20Heron%20displaying%202%20-%20Leonabelle%20Turnbull%20Birding%20Ctr%2012-05-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4193" data-original-width="5242" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAZZ8VtyPpoWPizuWo6uWMDNRcX3YwrhpvyjHBy1I3SQBKAnHx02GvjSARCeSxvR9DPd1n53Yl1JDrYUwzqWF50WlebFMHoRIYxxssCeD0feUqb6FK8nZlAm9XlLxEIE7B3trzUCDNsAW1BR10p2CAQ5oXtSrNZbGrA9uuyKMH-6c6_KqmAKDzJZ93SQ/w400-h320/Great%20Blue%20Heron%20displaying%202%20-%20Leonabelle%20Turnbull%20Birding%20Ctr%2012-05-2023.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Great Blue Heron displaying</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMArhsRYyrJcIzZ7Pw9Sa8iNtzk1olW9y7YowhSdAPxLX46W5qqRqGoG6YYEfkeDaYrT2rPCa99LFAJXTQXm6uIHjLZkaT_mV_riVt_eGuEYoo45FPRpD9LhLWAuYoyp4nhu8oSSmfGMVzEp_szxTuyoyxpJyURaBwdWyru-WceN_2rf6NrqzcjzgDcs0/s5233/Least%20Bittern%202%20-%20Leonabelle%20Turnbull%20Birding%20Ctr%2012-05-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4186" data-original-width="5233" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMArhsRYyrJcIzZ7Pw9Sa8iNtzk1olW9y7YowhSdAPxLX46W5qqRqGoG6YYEfkeDaYrT2rPCa99LFAJXTQXm6uIHjLZkaT_mV_riVt_eGuEYoo45FPRpD9LhLWAuYoyp4nhu8oSSmfGMVzEp_szxTuyoyxpJyURaBwdWyru-WceN_2rf6NrqzcjzgDcs0/w400-h320/Least%20Bittern%202%20-%20Leonabelle%20Turnbull%20Birding%20Ctr%2012-05-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Least Bittern</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Rockport was a great trip to end our 40th anniversary year.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">After seven weeks and still not getting our new truck back, we decided to replace our older Ford Escape, with a new one. We had been enjoying some of the features on the new truck and got even more advanced with the Escape. It almost drives itself (under certain circumstances)!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_vXVqDstBk4S_HB7uJqrKF1YhhZd7smHOeB1fPfExp5wwM1cpmM_ZuX7BInllPNS7nWQWAnpSGzZJh0PqZZN8wHx6rgqRitck5hT8p5F2PGzU65pa-iAYF5jLMAFjO9an1lEVsPFDI-oU4nQMpLtvZC0F4B9t-9LuWteOFKCsDiWdj3GZedsAD7j2B5U/s3290/Car.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1921" data-original-width="3290" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_vXVqDstBk4S_HB7uJqrKF1YhhZd7smHOeB1fPfExp5wwM1cpmM_ZuX7BInllPNS7nWQWAnpSGzZJh0PqZZN8wHx6rgqRitck5hT8p5F2PGzU65pa-iAYF5jLMAFjO9an1lEVsPFDI-oU4nQMpLtvZC0F4B9t-9LuWteOFKCsDiWdj3GZedsAD7j2B5U/w400-h234/Car.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ford Escape</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdNlXHTg_RniFSOleSRUkxkwNix1vXhp2775tex5fsOUnmAXZEIm5sthCtARxdzrzTqP-t3HhkDhyphenhyphenQrFyN2znY1QbnUdgZarPebUpB9hk3EA_QLzDdRHeQKs3PfdJp1SIxI7CjQpGhssD7D7b-I1PA8hbgoUdAoJfIRrGn-PFetsNdykRA_mYJdUYNrjg/s4080/Hands%20Off.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdNlXHTg_RniFSOleSRUkxkwNix1vXhp2775tex5fsOUnmAXZEIm5sthCtARxdzrzTqP-t3HhkDhyphenhyphenQrFyN2znY1QbnUdgZarPebUpB9hk3EA_QLzDdRHeQKs3PfdJp1SIxI7CjQpGhssD7D7b-I1PA8hbgoUdAoJfIRrGn-PFetsNdykRA_mYJdUYNrjg/w400-h300/Hands%20Off.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Mark says the "driver assist" is a little weird!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">He seemed to get used to it pretty fast.</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We had a very fun, busy year and are not slowing down next year!</span></p>Mark & Terihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410651360395422840noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767944521225965268.post-67023309129700118812023-12-30T05:00:00.014-06:002023-12-31T14:08:28.812-06:00Colombia 2023 - Day 8<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">8/29/2023 Tuesday</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We met our guide, Flor Alba, at 7:00 for a Colonial
Tunja tour. She was a lovely Colombian native, very energetic and informative. She spoke only Spanish so I
interpreted about 40% of the content while Daniel handled the other 60%.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqHHWSST3VMqNl5bYDJer9Go0ZhFfjvvteqkzhkcupUdtOuvx3I7-1cRu8HtGYV7HUOISvnq3HRyq-OijbQ_GDF6UJrlPKF7koBNGE4tv3n_v4ob9aje_8pXIN6Lg_zd2TjewTwBx8q8k_WPtSmnEMalbKCP2BupmX-u_WXMTODrU9dGIyg7mcBaiM_mY/s3368/Flor%20Alba.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2694" data-original-width="3368" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqHHWSST3VMqNl5bYDJer9Go0ZhFfjvvteqkzhkcupUdtOuvx3I7-1cRu8HtGYV7HUOISvnq3HRyq-OijbQ_GDF6UJrlPKF7koBNGE4tv3n_v4ob9aje_8pXIN6Lg_zd2TjewTwBx8q8k_WPtSmnEMalbKCP2BupmX-u_WXMTODrU9dGIyg7mcBaiM_mY/w400-h320/Flor%20Alba.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Our guide, Flor Alba<span style="text-align: left;"> </span></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Our first stop was the Convent of Santa Clara la Real. This convent was the first established by the Spanish Empire in the New World, and dates back to 1571. Much of the original structure is intact, including the massive stone walls and some of the wooden doors. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0fF-oOFEXk5VB4dL4LP0dNtZNc7APWwO9_NBPEUiL_yqMLYmqyGnsicKYElsOEupIBkgnaxjhNgFqZrIBysG7Pqzx8Sy_EZaWR0_cB1ZuH7K8kPp6QX6cgYao91OHejR2A6BtSUPDalPZTxKw-ODxFopFEcYQAU2-e5Z-X3uD-Tey4NIS1HlGVvsd62g/s3648/Convent%20walls%20and%20door.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0fF-oOFEXk5VB4dL4LP0dNtZNc7APWwO9_NBPEUiL_yqMLYmqyGnsicKYElsOEupIBkgnaxjhNgFqZrIBysG7Pqzx8Sy_EZaWR0_cB1ZuH7K8kPp6QX6cgYao91OHejR2A6BtSUPDalPZTxKw-ODxFopFEcYQAU2-e5Z-X3uD-Tey4NIS1HlGVvsd62g/w400-h300/Convent%20walls%20and%20door.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We learned that when young women entered the convent they never again stepped outside of its walls, never seeing family or friends again. The best known resident of the convent was Francisca Josefa del Castillo who became known for her spiritual visions and writing. Her most famous work is the 753 page "Spiritual Affections". </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheDl509ycISg9po3ohPYKSjVGsfOUNvXhhEI8qlwQVWaZ9tbNNtWkIz4RYlOyTFRJiL-aA1C6Ycqz0SFpT2Ne61rFaRwYLN8J6SSgrnNwyJgegauPdiOj3xLptuSS7hsUky1e8FXFlzIkuEc3yne2ou5h44qH8ZRZdSAaF_VOVMzS6vy7UKdOcgEHbVqs/s3658/Madre%20Francisca.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3658" data-original-width="2628" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheDl509ycISg9po3ohPYKSjVGsfOUNvXhhEI8qlwQVWaZ9tbNNtWkIz4RYlOyTFRJiL-aA1C6Ycqz0SFpT2Ne61rFaRwYLN8J6SSgrnNwyJgegauPdiOj3xLptuSS7hsUky1e8FXFlzIkuEc3yne2ou5h44qH8ZRZdSAaF_VOVMzS6vy7UKdOcgEHbVqs/w288-h400/Madre%20Francisca.jpg" width="288" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We were shown her sleeping room, which was incredibly small. Most of it is taken up by her bed on the left. We were told that this was the largest such space in the Convent. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqQIOGqDmf6DGs53quSeA6eEpin3G7DyuBvvr9mpFgqY19ZU2IHfkRSoLIg3VVawx55_H8W1lkJMCxpsNfMXr4lWrLUKZzmunyOJtajRGyipRfDHwZ9VwbNOIse0Ef84ABLPsxDJr_TJ0AwiQdfv5ShWpeNlQ6EpqDUZ4XNuhduhWQjQXGew0HFbc2cGE/s4000/Convent%20Room.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqQIOGqDmf6DGs53quSeA6eEpin3G7DyuBvvr9mpFgqY19ZU2IHfkRSoLIg3VVawx55_H8W1lkJMCxpsNfMXr4lWrLUKZzmunyOJtajRGyipRfDHwZ9VwbNOIse0Ef84ABLPsxDJr_TJ0AwiQdfv5ShWpeNlQ6EpqDUZ4XNuhduhWQjQXGew0HFbc2cGE/w300-h400/Convent%20Room.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br />We were also shown her office, with an original desk and chair, and a small chest that would have been used to store writings. </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86CvVzaVzxSfL5KjtRPT5AEHe6rg9KO7FDIG4fZy0ikmVlw2-XvD8mrONAdkJdhrarnjJe-o4T3pX8YaFo9Rr34EsI2f2POtyfLe4eGnEMImWKMhyphenhyphenaZVtXU9r72gY_8p8JH7qBn3Hdq-LgKKAwerbtnskPCFNtEFgvWByhjcceFBKLaSbFrWP09dtGeU/s4000/Desk%20Chair.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86CvVzaVzxSfL5KjtRPT5AEHe6rg9KO7FDIG4fZy0ikmVlw2-XvD8mrONAdkJdhrarnjJe-o4T3pX8YaFo9Rr34EsI2f2POtyfLe4eGnEMImWKMhyphenhyphenaZVtXU9r72gY_8p8JH7qBn3Hdq-LgKKAwerbtnskPCFNtEFgvWByhjcceFBKLaSbFrWP09dtGeU/w400-h300/Desk%20Chair.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">While much of the Convent is now closed off as a museum, the church within the structure continues to be used for services. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSy7Dp2Aw_KiyGtBWjyOcc9BX6sZjXsFeOhi1AqAjLMhpsUPyGhfrTcNOlrJFcOW2dqDpDU7cQBRvPk9xqD5haSYVN04YFClcwZpBJCQrDqDdpx_o6J7w27p4GCy_qq9EiuYQmvhYRCzknE8iB4j5TFCEaSRhyqzSWo4mB_m8eLou5irTnryGhKbMW1Uo/s4000/Church.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSy7Dp2Aw_KiyGtBWjyOcc9BX6sZjXsFeOhi1AqAjLMhpsUPyGhfrTcNOlrJFcOW2dqDpDU7cQBRvPk9xqD5haSYVN04YFClcwZpBJCQrDqDdpx_o6J7w27p4GCy_qq9EiuYQmvhYRCzknE8iB4j5TFCEaSRhyqzSWo4mB_m8eLou5irTnryGhKbMW1Uo/w300-h400/Church.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br />Our second stop was Casa del Fundador (House of the Founder). This was the home of Gonzalo Suárez Rendón, the founder of Tunja. It is considered one of the finest examples of a 16th century home of a Spanish aristocrat. Construction on the home began in 1540.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The home is very large, and built around a courtyard garden. This was common for these estates as the garden provided food as well as a beautiful place to relax or entertain. It was also used as the bathroom!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwo-4KynANbk_G_bhRXlaQS0i_BXywPeognrxAJHwGgd4Fjz_Kx_9_1rDUfzuB0pDW3cMI4_PDKAjFDIOUeKGuIyUk69W6muHDz6U_KLGCengvF-q_n7cOd6AjWJjSTuH_EHcrX4q2lAgSQNJ-4kqpgTzbZ_uo8WnuKscBfaBUpwOS5d5tnVAAIPlc3oY/s3210/Courtyard%20gardens%20of%20Casa%20del%20Fundador.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2568" data-original-width="3210" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwo-4KynANbk_G_bhRXlaQS0i_BXywPeognrxAJHwGgd4Fjz_Kx_9_1rDUfzuB0pDW3cMI4_PDKAjFDIOUeKGuIyUk69W6muHDz6U_KLGCengvF-q_n7cOd6AjWJjSTuH_EHcrX4q2lAgSQNJ-4kqpgTzbZ_uo8WnuKscBfaBUpwOS5d5tnVAAIPlc3oY/w400-h320/Courtyard%20gardens%20of%20Casa%20del%20Fundador.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The walls and ceilings of the home were covered with various drawings, painting and murals. Most were covered with a white lime plaster at one time. Many of the paints utilized animal blood or other substances that were thought to cause illness or disease, so covering them with lime plaster was considered preventative. Some of the drawings and murals have been restored by removal of the plaster, but other areas have been left covered because of fear of damage during removal. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoUG6Okf56QLhvU3VJ8ifYSK6WXcs3iFdNlUBpugcuMiOdXFRoQLLFBjJuAeo7XBsMcb393TsGGImt_yAyvdVptxnc5OxJAhR76DI43PGV028c8UjPTGELHt3YCxUYw33-zZRpzwi3ri94GF3dHJi-v28IoCCe0p_U3qLXz4r_TtW13BrqCnJ9efCdJvI/s3648/Partially%20uncovered%20mural%20of%20Casa%20del%20Fundador.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoUG6Okf56QLhvU3VJ8ifYSK6WXcs3iFdNlUBpugcuMiOdXFRoQLLFBjJuAeo7XBsMcb393TsGGImt_yAyvdVptxnc5OxJAhR76DI43PGV028c8UjPTGELHt3YCxUYw33-zZRpzwi3ri94GF3dHJi-v28IoCCe0p_U3qLXz4r_TtW13BrqCnJ9efCdJvI/w400-h300/Partially%20uncovered%20mural%20of%20Casa%20del%20Fundador.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The ceilings were particularly bright and ornate. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdsqEi8FWpoZt-bpZAHoMkY8z0eR2WVA8vWIZcVIug5liy7jRe_3rTVLtp5Kj6_vxZ4fvxqvGCRsoO_U5Tl_kFIhBQU-pIFn9UrDn7Ixd5ePgoJ1396Lx7AptW3Ln7kz6Amq6K799gTg2ssRVbsleaYIgqEprEQy9C9aiIALjP5PdcMpT7fKgvwigIgRw/s3315/ceiling%20of%20Casa%20del%20Fundador.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2346" data-original-width="3315" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdsqEi8FWpoZt-bpZAHoMkY8z0eR2WVA8vWIZcVIug5liy7jRe_3rTVLtp5Kj6_vxZ4fvxqvGCRsoO_U5Tl_kFIhBQU-pIFn9UrDn7Ixd5ePgoJ1396Lx7AptW3Ln7kz6Amq6K799gTg2ssRVbsleaYIgqEprEQy9C9aiIALjP5PdcMpT7fKgvwigIgRw/s320/ceiling%20of%20Casa%20del%20Fundador.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We found it interesting that many of the murals included animals not native to South America. The local artists who painted the murals were working only from sketches or descriptions, so some of the animals were not particularly accurate!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlgZOjphmXoQ9ybiaoQuQKyl8QSdalumP6smu-ZV2oGB-8hyQRFC1lbbydI_HjfrDVnlWEbY9vE143W84ad4HYD-_98CQ90wxz4oOG3r2hLuKKaqqpQkYZq6rHe7dKNidUoaoMo-U2joli4ZNHCy3GfaKajNXYH2Nux5RoVMDcsJyH0wc0GXbC0I3vx4/s3648/Elephant%20on%20ceiling%20of%20Casa%20del%20Fundador.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlgZOjphmXoQ9ybiaoQuQKyl8QSdalumP6smu-ZV2oGB-8hyQRFC1lbbydI_HjfrDVnlWEbY9vE143W84ad4HYD-_98CQ90wxz4oOG3r2hLuKKaqqpQkYZq6rHe7dKNidUoaoMo-U2joli4ZNHCy3GfaKajNXYH2Nux5RoVMDcsJyH0wc0GXbC0I3vx4/w400-h300/Elephant%20on%20ceiling%20of%20Casa%20del%20Fundador.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2vZhUEf30ZGiFkEoB91DcmHg-L86t2jOTqII39AKyHQjappTSGTmanlpgKdGYsRbRKiX_s2Y0sU3Lsb32KBH4m_7DM_iLsLPjMVp7UwXh-1d88VV-KRzWShsqgV7C8hIXGw3GaxMgHF6TYqivdXN4oSjTefXnAo7Ko14SvDoc_xWVc5Z0hbWfgMrIcT8/s2037/Rhino.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1630" data-original-width="2037" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2vZhUEf30ZGiFkEoB91DcmHg-L86t2jOTqII39AKyHQjappTSGTmanlpgKdGYsRbRKiX_s2Y0sU3Lsb32KBH4m_7DM_iLsLPjMVp7UwXh-1d88VV-KRzWShsqgV7C8hIXGw3GaxMgHF6TYqivdXN4oSjTefXnAo7Ko14SvDoc_xWVc5Z0hbWfgMrIcT8/w400-h320/Rhino.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The bedrooms were large and ornate, and there were several displays of historical items. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatK4yx4mTsYapxw5a8-5mkQ2_i4f5WaDPhqkpoJogLNqPtQyVRTzMi1-dyUhCunFkoq38kZsr0O8QFacrUmCMruq6xq270XlLA1oB2a8c4B9M2UDw7jxDj4u_qoKuolfAQCeBcLGf8Ujd87CIPY5DJddJGQ0uZjSn01nVvAXlMfTzBVdVgdSd58xrwL0/s3648/Bedroom%20of%20Casa%20del%20Fundador.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatK4yx4mTsYapxw5a8-5mkQ2_i4f5WaDPhqkpoJogLNqPtQyVRTzMi1-dyUhCunFkoq38kZsr0O8QFacrUmCMruq6xq270XlLA1oB2a8c4B9M2UDw7jxDj4u_qoKuolfAQCeBcLGf8Ujd87CIPY5DJddJGQ0uZjSn01nVvAXlMfTzBVdVgdSd58xrwL0/w400-h300/Bedroom%20of%20Casa%20del%20Fundador.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGe2tM2MXO14pqMXnOK1IaLI40p8-ba7-rA5796tQ_jjmTA3XxQFLaOpMCrkJpInPbXiSSWKjutkW-Cp0ZJazr48Eg_CYI26xJaIhkmsI2pMKJmRCPn8K2I5AFWbGIFRQzPRMzJuJjrr69FUqPyS3PwrNymItMhQuuZ9paz6aW2-5zy8d2nvIXHz9Uzwo/s3648/Old%20clothing%20Casa%20del%20Fundador.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="2736" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGe2tM2MXO14pqMXnOK1IaLI40p8-ba7-rA5796tQ_jjmTA3XxQFLaOpMCrkJpInPbXiSSWKjutkW-Cp0ZJazr48Eg_CYI26xJaIhkmsI2pMKJmRCPn8K2I5AFWbGIFRQzPRMzJuJjrr69FUqPyS3PwrNymItMhQuuZ9paz6aW2-5zy8d2nvIXHz9Uzwo/w300-h400/Old%20clothing%20Casa%20del%20Fundador.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The home was built on the main square of Tunja and had a marvelous view. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfdRiNh-cldMOW7-QfDLy7Ej57NhHqDPZ2EyE7JR4-qpJBwG-BSneYjLGVVaTVN0BbWP_ua9VRz_omEsiuYuZf1HymXp1z5uE4Midl2frWs9puTzgt2g47HUqyRVTD4xPw5fNj9CCSIHYfp4fmW84cdyKqUTebUtbqv7pnVU5va3SbKzdPqAOKt4Qvsk/s3420/View%20out%20window%20onto%20Tunja%20Square.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3420" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfdRiNh-cldMOW7-QfDLy7Ej57NhHqDPZ2EyE7JR4-qpJBwG-BSneYjLGVVaTVN0BbWP_ua9VRz_omEsiuYuZf1HymXp1z5uE4Midl2frWs9puTzgt2g47HUqyRVTD4xPw5fNj9CCSIHYfp4fmW84cdyKqUTebUtbqv7pnVU5va3SbKzdPqAOKt4Qvsk/w400-h320/View%20out%20window%20onto%20Tunja%20Square.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Our tour lasted about three hours, and ended at a small café where we enjoyed coffee, hot chocolate and various pastries with our guide Flor. Many of the pastries in Colombia are cornmeal based rather than flour based. Apparently corn is a more successful crop in the Andes. Each of the wicker baskets in the picture below contains a different pastry, but all are essentially baked or fried cornmeal. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Z4iR-Zxi2LGXcbCAcYxT7Uamm8kfbJ_qGaaMLWSHljlkpj3ljuZUBrzzqMMNW1u5_46fCWumoJx5bts5eDkIXe-4R5vwSdkt8w3L60wLOy-phifsYVvfFKdWQZdnaeNacAZBwRhENL06HFYKJg-4Kicx01CmxpvFmkRr8UtpmB7SMTgY0ldUt5kzh0I/s3529/Cornmeal%20pastries.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2646" data-original-width="3529" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Z4iR-Zxi2LGXcbCAcYxT7Uamm8kfbJ_qGaaMLWSHljlkpj3ljuZUBrzzqMMNW1u5_46fCWumoJx5bts5eDkIXe-4R5vwSdkt8w3L60wLOy-phifsYVvfFKdWQZdnaeNacAZBwRhENL06HFYKJg-4Kicx01CmxpvFmkRr8UtpmB7SMTgY0ldUt5kzh0I/w400-h300/Cornmeal%20pastries.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In the café I tried on a Colombian Ruana, a thick wool garment that we'd seen many of, especially in the colder high elevations. Tunja is at 9200 feet elevation, so definitely qualifies. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Daniel recalled fondly the several Ruanas that he owned as a child. They were used not only as warm garments but also as blankets, sleeping pads, and various other things. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywXwk-Z4HtwzA7fzFfPDtFVkOj2K_QX6t4rlrCc1jQEYwj32gyeYySrBURnT-Aj20IFc7Wq2cUECcRmvIBD6wM0jeYH7gaMfAvmT-4ajbL-xArkmZrJA3kf9tq-tbkY-V6QI_uaS_ZBTKbfH9jKdRvLyRV48rTVK6Zppi42ijxOd2_sbtcrRbM8rnPdg/s3648/Mark%20in%20wool%20ruana.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywXwk-Z4HtwzA7fzFfPDtFVkOj2K_QX6t4rlrCc1jQEYwj32gyeYySrBURnT-Aj20IFc7Wq2cUECcRmvIBD6wM0jeYH7gaMfAvmT-4ajbL-xArkmZrJA3kf9tq-tbkY-V6QI_uaS_ZBTKbfH9jKdRvLyRV48rTVK6Zppi42ijxOd2_sbtcrRbM8rnPdg/w400-h300/Mark%20in%20wool%20ruana.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Mark wearing a heavy wool Ruana</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We thanked Flor for a wonderful tour and returned to our hotel. We checked out and hit the road around 10:30, stopping around 11:30 for the best
Arapenas in Colombia. Arapenas are a traditional Colombian dish (or snack) that are found throughout the country. They are like thick corn tortillas with cheese and sometimes other items baked in. They were very good.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ZjVkUbBupJOKHBxWH7qBD2XP7Lnk4DHT4OKZcfevhwTnYlLiBiFyzVQxCuH0E4UzT2jBc2S5U8WcBdSgkFI5KxVCz6NmowTdRu7uA51WLuwnUoDaXaqWMmMMYPDwNlmdRhc4nBINppAGjY5618brOWaz5GnEX1hOuhc3YY1aBAuHzOXYD5b-Y8uhOWs/s3282/Arapena.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2514" data-original-width="3282" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ZjVkUbBupJOKHBxWH7qBD2XP7Lnk4DHT4OKZcfevhwTnYlLiBiFyzVQxCuH0E4UzT2jBc2S5U8WcBdSgkFI5KxVCz6NmowTdRu7uA51WLuwnUoDaXaqWMmMMYPDwNlmdRhc4nBINppAGjY5618brOWaz5GnEX1hOuhc3YY1aBAuHzOXYD5b-Y8uhOWs/w400-h306/Arapena.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Arapena</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We were changing lodging again today, and headed for the town of San Francisco. We had a long drive, and stopped at around 2:30 for lunch. Rural Colombia is really not set up for tourism, and we found it useful to be able to read and speak at least a little Spanish. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrfFQ-PeE3duTVq3mplu08dVFcXx41pMIhdjCEQAGzoBAvGvuvI52t90PnspP1qUt9KU4PuSz3noU1IL3TzULJ5t8LAVtha6XHN8GsjwEShEU8S0HMG3yboV3_RIQdHryXEl3lP2Cy_gcVtl_MOoQUTDspxH5E9uL0rMVlThleUV_1iv3ysGiMJG-zQvU/s3648/Restaurant%20menu.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrfFQ-PeE3duTVq3mplu08dVFcXx41pMIhdjCEQAGzoBAvGvuvI52t90PnspP1qUt9KU4PuSz3noU1IL3TzULJ5t8LAVtha6XHN8GsjwEShEU8S0HMG3yboV3_RIQdHryXEl3lP2Cy_gcVtl_MOoQUTDspxH5E9uL0rMVlThleUV_1iv3ysGiMJG-zQvU/w400-h300/Restaurant%20menu.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As we approached San Francisco we found the main road
closed due to landslide. Daniel was surprised that the lodge owner hadn’t
mentioned it as he had just spoken with her the previous day! He called her and after her profuse apologies for not mentioning the closure, she gave instructions for taking the old road to town. However we ended up following two men in a jeep down a steep, narrow one-lane road with incredibly tight curves. We finally made it into town but Daniel was not amused. We later found the correct "old route" and it was much better!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We stopped into a private residence called The Enchanted Garden for an hour. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNMlCDeSWm6bsj9jArKUGe6L2BveVwvJBowOln8JQt-EAM6dK9xMpo7oyGEX4Tu3o_FeWFOF9OFYXMkuvQCFdakA94xHlupz9CUfimDuFt_VYJyz11I7ryxZy2Jz8Y5lEqcR1_T0vkNcKaY8-weMqMgGtgzm_Rby7KHQPMUIenwHekXhyBKsFZkEZp_lo/s3648/Enchanted%20Garden%20sign.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNMlCDeSWm6bsj9jArKUGe6L2BveVwvJBowOln8JQt-EAM6dK9xMpo7oyGEX4Tu3o_FeWFOF9OFYXMkuvQCFdakA94xHlupz9CUfimDuFt_VYJyz11I7ryxZy2Jz8Y5lEqcR1_T0vkNcKaY8-weMqMgGtgzm_Rby7KHQPMUIenwHekXhyBKsFZkEZp_lo/w400-h300/Enchanted%20Garden%20sign.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It was a small garden with
dozens of feeder, mostly for hummingbirds. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw8VBP9VEyDV35d9V5m_26zNif2bdThJdWfnYwHHWc-FbtRyyIz5ieCk27M8RGl3A1jsXQ7Zjmx9ZevfRiWae__-XHx0q1iLvSulC2fjQ5kedNBgmhu2mMCwUDs9jnscCxR2GQk6b_0GVShuKuXkJA0XBmkLxYGWsluLNxJ4CXAh9miigCn_qXi_DmXCs/s3648/Mark%20at%20Enchanted%20Garden.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw8VBP9VEyDV35d9V5m_26zNif2bdThJdWfnYwHHWc-FbtRyyIz5ieCk27M8RGl3A1jsXQ7Zjmx9ZevfRiWae__-XHx0q1iLvSulC2fjQ5kedNBgmhu2mMCwUDs9jnscCxR2GQk6b_0GVShuKuXkJA0XBmkLxYGWsluLNxJ4CXAh9miigCn_qXi_DmXCs/w400-h300/Mark%20at%20Enchanted%20Garden.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We saw a lot of Black-throated Mangos with some Rufous-tailed and Indigo-capped Hummingbirds, and a White-vented Plumlateer (also a type of hummingbird). The sun was in our face so not optimal for picture taking, but a beautiful garden and nice place to spend some time. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Rqf1rutF0s96FgoOJ9fnaNNxsUr2WyEyZVot0hPU2XgNdDf2n1j4w7on5u_LlWLCVWBrvPBx-zaiZofRLywdHZFlOzFEfxhh1mAT7lQQJFnceQRLEnpad8p7RxCKHP3qkK1SF_eLT-B-uQW13TFXe-CZNuWbKyWkpWIQk3iPl737Q4CuQglgaDCgYIU/s5753/Black-throated%20Mango%20imm%20male%20-%20Jardin%20Encantado,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-29-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4602" data-original-width="5753" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Rqf1rutF0s96FgoOJ9fnaNNxsUr2WyEyZVot0hPU2XgNdDf2n1j4w7on5u_LlWLCVWBrvPBx-zaiZofRLywdHZFlOzFEfxhh1mAT7lQQJFnceQRLEnpad8p7RxCKHP3qkK1SF_eLT-B-uQW13TFXe-CZNuWbKyWkpWIQk3iPl737Q4CuQglgaDCgYIU/w400-h320/Black-throated%20Mango%20imm%20male%20-%20Jardin%20Encantado,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-29-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Black-throated Mango</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIvcV7vT8kGZu4Y8XW_-uBamTQ0FhCwEShJxduj0w30IoT_EP9Vc201bWDk6ob5wdMg7nHyhAVYJ56WP9bkt9IMfsLn8Glujn9DrAZrsTuqePa_LECh1NWNBFzL_cKntsBplUMJ4otOjxVfMeDheU1I1GqBksoAX7ZEWhSBBUD19HEe1Fp7CmOghMDgVQ/s3589/Rufous-tailed%20Hummingbird%20-%20Jardin%20Encantado,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-29-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2871" data-original-width="3589" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIvcV7vT8kGZu4Y8XW_-uBamTQ0FhCwEShJxduj0w30IoT_EP9Vc201bWDk6ob5wdMg7nHyhAVYJ56WP9bkt9IMfsLn8Glujn9DrAZrsTuqePa_LECh1NWNBFzL_cKntsBplUMJ4otOjxVfMeDheU1I1GqBksoAX7ZEWhSBBUD19HEe1Fp7CmOghMDgVQ/w400-h320/Rufous-tailed%20Hummingbird%20-%20Jardin%20Encantado,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-29-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Rufous-tailed Hummingbird</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90Gmuy3SPiVMP_SJVoJZcOWXNKO3RAykbcGWk0Uytc6djzWi7yhpwP63q4B5A308f6bfKmQ44LAseXc21bYZHr4YLljrgXW7cqe-SxWs6bSVjq66ihnYwzJkxRZbTm9aMISSB-W_ZffBHKneAToitKPRx1ItokFKHNLK4gMNddxsJvUwP5Gs_YHIV3yQ/s4069/Indigo-capped%20Hummingbird%20-%20Jardin%20Encantado,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-29-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3256" data-original-width="4069" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90Gmuy3SPiVMP_SJVoJZcOWXNKO3RAykbcGWk0Uytc6djzWi7yhpwP63q4B5A308f6bfKmQ44LAseXc21bYZHr4YLljrgXW7cqe-SxWs6bSVjq66ihnYwzJkxRZbTm9aMISSB-W_ZffBHKneAToitKPRx1ItokFKHNLK4gMNddxsJvUwP5Gs_YHIV3yQ/w400-h320/Indigo-capped%20Hummingbird%20-%20Jardin%20Encantado,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-29-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Indigo-capped Hummingbird</span></div></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We arrived at our next lodge, Cabañas Aire Libre at around 6:15. They were very nice separate
cabins with the main house used for breakfast. The owner was a very nice lady
who was so apologetic to Daniel for not warning him about the closed road. We relaxed, had dinner, and got caught up on two days worth of bird lists.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg14_KoCEcYqG5blTgXX9_DNCeqkWwZRJSZL-vbKe2GYpIxKlJ1ZXO-Xat7sPDZNcAs2onlK2ODFLH-W8lmpVuucvuVbRJPW3UiJPpqE4Tv8G0OfRt2AD13Dw3XTZyYTiXfO-HN4sdDDDAr0hXaAUY0GAt4YJhJhhpl-fYnsvvpWHzPzszs9hBrExblcTs/s3648/Cabana%20Aire%20Libre%20room.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg14_KoCEcYqG5blTgXX9_DNCeqkWwZRJSZL-vbKe2GYpIxKlJ1ZXO-Xat7sPDZNcAs2onlK2ODFLH-W8lmpVuucvuVbRJPW3UiJPpqE4Tv8G0OfRt2AD13Dw3XTZyYTiXfO-HN4sdDDDAr0hXaAUY0GAt4YJhJhhpl-fYnsvvpWHzPzszs9hBrExblcTs/w400-h300/Cabana%20Aire%20Libre%20room.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Cabañas Aire Libre room</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Next - Laguna de Tabacal</span></p><p><br /></p><p></p></div>Mark & Terihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410651360395422840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767944521225965268.post-25224060299119939702023-12-29T05:00:00.029-06:002023-12-29T05:00:00.127-06:00Colombia 2023 - Day 7<p><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">8/28/2023 Monday</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">First of all, I want to apologize for the long gap between posts. I've lost my mojo with regards to getting the blogs written, but I'm going to try to get Colombia finished up ASAP! I still have Ecuador to do, and we've got a lot of trips planned in the first half of 2024, so wish me luck! Mark</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We left our hotel at 5:30 to drive up into the beautiful mountains above Soata. These mountains are not as high as the mountains we'd visited previously and were covered with oak forests. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRn-wnyPZBaKVC8H4eQSoi1cM2xytFldaG0qU_shJkhosP4kAjFahISC68Jl7jRBk0L1M9KWvsa8Rkwsrx2v_CB6IafDgyhHXE46lzi3oVLqngffbWy1SuxN-SRaWewKy990PNDNwuwBWpT5NFA6YBYDk3U4dAcM-qeixqOBjszwKgzBYAOn5gLK7icoo/s4000/20230828_083502.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRn-wnyPZBaKVC8H4eQSoi1cM2xytFldaG0qU_shJkhosP4kAjFahISC68Jl7jRBk0L1M9KWvsa8Rkwsrx2v_CB6IafDgyhHXE46lzi3oVLqngffbWy1SuxN-SRaWewKy990PNDNwuwBWpT5NFA6YBYDk3U4dAcM-qeixqOBjszwKgzBYAOn5gLK7icoo/w400-h300/20230828_083502.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br />One of the first birds we saw was a Sharp-shinned Hawk. This is a species that we have in the US, but it looks somewhat different here and may eventually be declared a different species. We'll see. </span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHtDJalHfZsMAvzvIOTuFaaY7s7ro2KYS7EBk_nCUt5eyGftByX14q2wNiywiu7e1i_jGhIY1rfRT-OGqQZ2KQ3Lkcqu2dVnGM8Dwd-bUEYcYGsUSyLZuIUP1h3YgyL-JqS0PfnyJmjFtZk3Hg6GFlkNQ3O4xaTRyD9rD8Zi6kJ9jHepbROOrVA-bi_AQ/s3765/Sharp-shinned%20Hawk%20(Plain-breasted)%20-%20V%C3%ADa%20Soat%C3%A1%20Onzaga,%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.351,%20-72.741)%2008-28-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3012" data-original-width="3765" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHtDJalHfZsMAvzvIOTuFaaY7s7ro2KYS7EBk_nCUt5eyGftByX14q2wNiywiu7e1i_jGhIY1rfRT-OGqQZ2KQ3Lkcqu2dVnGM8Dwd-bUEYcYGsUSyLZuIUP1h3YgyL-JqS0PfnyJmjFtZk3Hg6GFlkNQ3O4xaTRyD9rD8Zi6kJ9jHepbROOrVA-bi_AQ/w400-h320/Sharp-shinned%20Hawk%20(Plain-breasted)%20-%20V%C3%ADa%20Soat%C3%A1%20Onzaga,%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.351,%20-72.741)%2008-28-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Sharp-shinned Hawk (Plain-breasted)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We also saw several Golden-fronted Redstarts. In the area north of Bogota they have white faces, which makes them look old to me. In most other areas their face is entirely yellow/gold. Some authorities consider the varieties to be two different species, but for now they are still officially considered one. </span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS3tjN7SqsmQ13m-poSDwHIltuTQkfgPEnE8o-X1bdpAOWBsIdrCdTBZwtlefeqSD7cP9RlmydW4hssDl_0MvvyZRCH99KqJusgSGEBjlw3Tc28xTUrEbJaq-STm32OJqu84IIfpaGpKZH3Q1-FGTHCrkJmANioIOPQpNzrg15uruCLC1yaHckBaGBkWA/s2259/Golden-fronted%20Redstart%20-%20V%C3%ADa%20Soat%C3%A1%20Onzaga,%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.351,%20-72.741)%2008-28-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1807" data-original-width="2259" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS3tjN7SqsmQ13m-poSDwHIltuTQkfgPEnE8o-X1bdpAOWBsIdrCdTBZwtlefeqSD7cP9RlmydW4hssDl_0MvvyZRCH99KqJusgSGEBjlw3Tc28xTUrEbJaq-STm32OJqu84IIfpaGpKZH3Q1-FGTHCrkJmANioIOPQpNzrg15uruCLC1yaHckBaGBkWA/w400-h320/Golden-fronted%20Redstart%20-%20V%C3%ADa%20Soat%C3%A1%20Onzaga,%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.351,%20-72.741)%2008-28-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Golden-fronted Redstart</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br />In one location a group of Green Jays worked through the trees. We have Green Jays in South Texas, but they look a little different than these South American Green Jays. Again, some authorities believe that there are two different species. I am sensing a trend here...</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJZSR2bc_LFWUs-3-3BcbuWz0cjEJlhKnqvuwXLAQMFkGeW51DbwiEFyPcQbBp-LqcwbfK9NPS_AYUoH0poaLXq83UqlDqMoN11rVR81GZNbNebXraLiSlHuqt_7_3ZvpMdU7qAxPFGSogki51W3hViixBIGM_9rlgAoRLL99cWB1VlbVKtKs34ahq7g/s2474/Green%20Jays%20-%20V%C3%ADa%20Soat%C3%A1%20Onzaga,%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.351,%20-72.741)%2008-28-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1979" data-original-width="2474" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJZSR2bc_LFWUs-3-3BcbuWz0cjEJlhKnqvuwXLAQMFkGeW51DbwiEFyPcQbBp-LqcwbfK9NPS_AYUoH0poaLXq83UqlDqMoN11rVR81GZNbNebXraLiSlHuqt_7_3ZvpMdU7qAxPFGSogki51W3hViixBIGM_9rlgAoRLL99cWB1VlbVKtKs34ahq7g/w400-h320/Green%20Jays%20-%20V%C3%ADa%20Soat%C3%A1%20Onzaga,%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.351,%20-72.741)%2008-28-2023.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Green Jays (Inca)</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The weather was cool and the forest healthy and beautiful. While not technically a Cloud Forest, the area was moist and the trees covered with moss, ferns and bromeliads. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj23CKAqDHNlyr4wsRZ3zJ87ERxoaltsrJyqFV8rdUZeg0CMEnqQH_dkpLgAKBnSwhU1xkwxBMGQ4kjeKYO6Nfn02veOoJ0uuSGVm870JgphWagCRYjx5MYVKIhyphenhyphen4Rj4G9bROb71OQD92_ujvy37sBC6XEv8YBh6c-uX7l695dcUEjA_3XJKDqkHyVTuWE/s6784/Bromeliads%20-%20V%C3%ADa%20Soat%C3%A1%20Onzaga,%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.351,%20-72.741)%2008-28-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5428" data-original-width="6784" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj23CKAqDHNlyr4wsRZ3zJ87ERxoaltsrJyqFV8rdUZeg0CMEnqQH_dkpLgAKBnSwhU1xkwxBMGQ4kjeKYO6Nfn02veOoJ0uuSGVm870JgphWagCRYjx5MYVKIhyphenhyphen4Rj4G9bROb71OQD92_ujvy37sBC6XEv8YBh6c-uX7l695dcUEjA_3XJKDqkHyVTuWE/w400-h320/Bromeliads%20-%20V%C3%ADa%20Soat%C3%A1%20Onzaga,%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.351,%20-72.741)%2008-28-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Our primary target for the morning was the Mountain Grackle. In Texas we think of grackles (Great-tailed Grackles primarily) as pesky nuisance birds that congregate in large noisy flocks and make terrible messes in parking lots. However, most of the worlds' grackles are better behaved. And in the case of Mountain Grackle, shy and hard to locate!</span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We made numerous stops along the mountain roads calling and listening for the grackles. In one place we had a strong response and could tell that they were moving in the forest below us, but ultimately they slipped away without us seeing them. Such is the challenge of birding. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We saw several other good birds, including a Capped Conebill eating mistletoe berries, a Cinnamon Flycatcher, and a Mountain Cacique, not to be confused with the similar size and color Mountain Grackle!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2DM8QllOu7lk5bRpGtMTF0vfIdafn_rpV3jQGPD-me7mR8VzpSs2gAcxSIXQdTU3lV1Jv0O24XvpMOhJyYSUAsBdOgWWNjobDewUjE-YUjd4MZmxbeKRzXgpYNYj-3JR13WpLA7ZqNORqDCnaht3p2YETShh8yRz3YgK9gyec_QUgcApt5NG92mZBuSM/s2076/Capped%20Conebill%20-%20V%C3%ADa%20Soat%C3%A1%20Onzaga,%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.351,%20-72.741)%2008-28-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1661" data-original-width="2076" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2DM8QllOu7lk5bRpGtMTF0vfIdafn_rpV3jQGPD-me7mR8VzpSs2gAcxSIXQdTU3lV1Jv0O24XvpMOhJyYSUAsBdOgWWNjobDewUjE-YUjd4MZmxbeKRzXgpYNYj-3JR13WpLA7ZqNORqDCnaht3p2YETShh8yRz3YgK9gyec_QUgcApt5NG92mZBuSM/w400-h320/Capped%20Conebill%20-%20V%C3%ADa%20Soat%C3%A1%20Onzaga,%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.351,%20-72.741)%2008-28-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Capped Conebill</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7g5w_Ph77HF4cYNtXVQZWbP8iFbj3duc3WOkw6ifuCIYWnrVrNnzROqfDqYFhF2wbD-Wos897OflGPdfTT1jdZuT5XxhvdVtGyoyohoPj4i1AD7lfJn2wGC5IzEH2v7coaRkX20j0NS1qjnk9iBiVsZmXpl6QcEo0DLA_jmNtqCQUZkHSUZjrbOkXY0/s1948/Cinnamon%20Flycatcher%20-%20V%C3%ADa%20Soat%C3%A1%20Onzaga,%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.351,%20-72.741)%2008-28-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1559" data-original-width="1948" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7g5w_Ph77HF4cYNtXVQZWbP8iFbj3duc3WOkw6ifuCIYWnrVrNnzROqfDqYFhF2wbD-Wos897OflGPdfTT1jdZuT5XxhvdVtGyoyohoPj4i1AD7lfJn2wGC5IzEH2v7coaRkX20j0NS1qjnk9iBiVsZmXpl6QcEo0DLA_jmNtqCQUZkHSUZjrbOkXY0/w400-h320/Cinnamon%20Flycatcher%20-%20V%C3%ADa%20Soat%C3%A1%20Onzaga,%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.351,%20-72.741)%2008-28-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Cinnamon Flycatcher</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRp1rn3nfZSq5d7pNRpS5YsvZEc0qdIezacgr54L37Q_2nR1eP_AL8yxrM0JLX8nAn4Ruh6pegfGniRD3dCUby05wj0okhe4jTOoALDzo6-ZqgPsKKx_-20Zbv1d5Xg9JMPDYpsMtNSYCrTL95dOGbgQcDVHg4GLmfvU46L3qw-7rTuCMZ7AcsAHYImn8/s2394/Mountain%20Cacique%20-%20V%C3%ADa%20Soat%C3%A1%20Onzaga,%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.351,%20-72.741)%2008-28-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1916" data-original-width="2394" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRp1rn3nfZSq5d7pNRpS5YsvZEc0qdIezacgr54L37Q_2nR1eP_AL8yxrM0JLX8nAn4Ruh6pegfGniRD3dCUby05wj0okhe4jTOoALDzo6-ZqgPsKKx_-20Zbv1d5Xg9JMPDYpsMtNSYCrTL95dOGbgQcDVHg4GLmfvU46L3qw-7rTuCMZ7AcsAHYImn8/w400-h320/Mountain%20Cacique%20-%20V%C3%ADa%20Soat%C3%A1%20Onzaga,%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.351,%20-72.741)%2008-28-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Mountain Cacique</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We returned to our hotel about noon, checked out, had lunch at the same place as yesterday. This time Teri and I split the chicken breast with mushroom sauce and it was still a lot of food. They don't let you go hungry in Colombia! We were on the road at 1:15. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We traveled high up into the Paramo (above tree line) once again, making many stops hoping for
Green-bearded Helmetcrest but had no luck. We did observe many Andean Siskins and
Brown-backed Chat Tyrants, and also had good looks at Andean Tit Spinetail.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXrsRgWwWXo98drQlckHulrR_9jU9xvwiwOvTi4dGv-NOQ3MZlfoGkCm6o4z_j5AR9eyeqGmpP0DTgZoMbQNkZA6iBdyd57_J15V_gDKfln0cfEZHHeOCaKdBF2AxmZPfsX9-Xy01Q7gKYmuXLIjjSgSuznTMBay0-pENvO0cWukVEU_ToORHXzmxNfYU/s2425/Andean%20Siskin%20male%20-%20V%C3%ADa%20a%20Onzaga,%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.178,%20-72.768)%2008-28-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1940" data-original-width="2425" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXrsRgWwWXo98drQlckHulrR_9jU9xvwiwOvTi4dGv-NOQ3MZlfoGkCm6o4z_j5AR9eyeqGmpP0DTgZoMbQNkZA6iBdyd57_J15V_gDKfln0cfEZHHeOCaKdBF2AxmZPfsX9-Xy01Q7gKYmuXLIjjSgSuznTMBay0-pENvO0cWukVEU_ToORHXzmxNfYU/w400-h320/Andean%20Siskin%20male%20-%20V%C3%ADa%20a%20Onzaga,%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.178,%20-72.768)%2008-28-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Andean Siskin - male</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxybHL-UoGSuHSqL_dLsDWy2NMJyQqOZQ0K06QAaJzNFTezusU6cQvhHkpcTfju0I5j2-HLKlpX2JG3A6gyW3HqJvMDp8Q1ClnSTp5InkvnGr-vh9Z19CeHbepKE4lYhFvxguyW_w1OniMS_0yqlq4u6VUIxepob4dSWHHy5WMkJnGis-NxOlC41Fdabo/s3005/Brown-backed%20Chat-Tyrant%20-%20V%C3%ADa%20a%20Onzaga,%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.178,%20-72.768)%2008-28-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2404" data-original-width="3005" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxybHL-UoGSuHSqL_dLsDWy2NMJyQqOZQ0K06QAaJzNFTezusU6cQvhHkpcTfju0I5j2-HLKlpX2JG3A6gyW3HqJvMDp8Q1ClnSTp5InkvnGr-vh9Z19CeHbepKE4lYhFvxguyW_w1OniMS_0yqlq4u6VUIxepob4dSWHHy5WMkJnGis-NxOlC41Fdabo/w400-h320/Brown-backed%20Chat-Tyrant%20-%20V%C3%ADa%20a%20Onzaga,%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.178,%20-72.768)%2008-28-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWRSvwc9pTJIceOOkfHdIVYl8fqYiUqhvRSZhzNKuiENOJlXcG2LGdHI45USNWhRFtjiGI41aopnX0iECQYcvYwUoFhI61apKUwwOqgyTn5viGVZ-yb77oWYOaozMk_AZ-tB2DNgBKwFJ98cJPrIxDk3-Ys_vuAQfdR_p9N1c6x7UfAbLpA8VjaM95q6s/s1784/Andean%20Tit-Spinetail%202%20-%20V%C3%ADa%20a%20Onzaga,%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.178,%20-72.768)%2008-28-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1428" data-original-width="1784" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWRSvwc9pTJIceOOkfHdIVYl8fqYiUqhvRSZhzNKuiENOJlXcG2LGdHI45USNWhRFtjiGI41aopnX0iECQYcvYwUoFhI61apKUwwOqgyTn5viGVZ-yb77oWYOaozMk_AZ-tB2DNgBKwFJ98cJPrIxDk3-Ys_vuAQfdR_p9N1c6x7UfAbLpA8VjaM95q6s/w400-h320/Andean%20Tit-Spinetail%202%20-%20V%C3%ADa%20a%20Onzaga,%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.178,%20-72.768)%2008-28-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Andean Tit-Spinetail</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We were a little surprised to find Carib Grackles on a farm fence at this high elevation. These grackles originate in the Caribbean Ocean and only recently have expanded their range into Colombia. The habitat in the high elevation of the Paramo could hardly be more different than their native Caribbean islands!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXW5YAfe6cSEjHsfij8pVZSH5Q-0wLJPjvqbnuYN1rT2VlhvmFwPffpfPOiPal3TKcYFyJfAC4uCQdKMz7ki8Lxj8LIQqmzbuurExxaucjT63orAN4muKUY3VpD9-7HOUIASWCn1tJJfOpuvE0CzsIbrA3zEkHHfHvPRdVCJ2b5XmmaeOqgteUxM9gpV8/s4423/Carib%20Grackle%20female%20-%20V%C3%ADa%20a%20Onzaga,%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.178,%20-72.768)%2008-28-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3539" data-original-width="4423" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXW5YAfe6cSEjHsfij8pVZSH5Q-0wLJPjvqbnuYN1rT2VlhvmFwPffpfPOiPal3TKcYFyJfAC4uCQdKMz7ki8Lxj8LIQqmzbuurExxaucjT63orAN4muKUY3VpD9-7HOUIASWCn1tJJfOpuvE0CzsIbrA3zEkHHfHvPRdVCJ2b5XmmaeOqgteUxM9gpV8/w400-h320/Carib%20Grackle%20female%20-%20V%C3%ADa%20a%20Onzaga,%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.178,%20-72.768)%2008-28-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Carib Grackle - female</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY4pFbiKLO6Z_Sy8-bWf_CCrkfYGSkrBcIyQYtW56JIwHac_UqNO_uiiPgXSdZk6By9kDhOotey_o_r96j8T4btEcfZX8Zth0PfgEBZlEVGCNBbyOb05Rm7g0-c9M-1m6QrVsk9sbwRoHgJzH8eBd1m2Kh7UrIHRjGRiWja9-HVDs_U2avRsOoVMKRJsY/s3350/Carib%20Grackle%20male%20-%20V%C3%ADa%20a%20Onzaga,%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.178,%20-72.768)%2008-28-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2680" data-original-width="3350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY4pFbiKLO6Z_Sy8-bWf_CCrkfYGSkrBcIyQYtW56JIwHac_UqNO_uiiPgXSdZk6By9kDhOotey_o_r96j8T4btEcfZX8Zth0PfgEBZlEVGCNBbyOb05Rm7g0-c9M-1m6QrVsk9sbwRoHgJzH8eBd1m2Kh7UrIHRjGRiWja9-HVDs_U2avRsOoVMKRJsY/w400-h320/Carib%20Grackle%20male%20-%20V%C3%ADa%20a%20Onzaga,%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.178,%20-72.768)%2008-28-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Carib Grackle - male</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It was a long drive to the town of Tunja. We arrived about 7:30, and decided to skip dinner as we'd had a big lunch. We did stop at a bakery/cheese shop to buy breakfast for the next morning. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRGMJ27NMpQTBU2ZpwwtQdNrG1C0h-UzrFnj4vGJtgSu2St80jTWTB3srZFF1WWWIKDcrfiPHqq29WHcOR5_wvnNKaXkAt2WsqntVgmwUlQLZWagpnt3dBCaWG5miKcSLMvUiYdNiGP5DAG1jfwfCV69hdysFxju8P1zqkI-K2cLaL7Msl65oLSkCwUgs/s3546/Tunja%20Shop.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2529" data-original-width="3546" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRGMJ27NMpQTBU2ZpwwtQdNrG1C0h-UzrFnj4vGJtgSu2St80jTWTB3srZFF1WWWIKDcrfiPHqq29WHcOR5_wvnNKaXkAt2WsqntVgmwUlQLZWagpnt3dBCaWG5miKcSLMvUiYdNiGP5DAG1jfwfCV69hdysFxju8P1zqkI-K2cLaL7Msl65oLSkCwUgs/w400-h285/Tunja%20Shop.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The hotel room was clean and comfortable and we got ourselves cleaned up and went to bed. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_5SPdbwVlaf_MnMfT798s5j9fgioAOxe6nDpn0X-S42xmGFbVFrsrQP29xxQfS12ytNVV_1UY8mbM0wEg4NxzqhZYU0yDrylpbaek_85U2j3Cxc4ZuQLXIN2FZPWQ2pbzvx-JMCtK_bcIB-yy5ABCmHRI7hOJDHFXWWFjPXV5VMZ-4ghXQBmTrFlWSP8/s3648/Tunja%20Hotel%20Room.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_5SPdbwVlaf_MnMfT798s5j9fgioAOxe6nDpn0X-S42xmGFbVFrsrQP29xxQfS12ytNVV_1UY8mbM0wEg4NxzqhZYU0yDrylpbaek_85U2j3Cxc4ZuQLXIN2FZPWQ2pbzvx-JMCtK_bcIB-yy5ABCmHRI7hOJDHFXWWFjPXV5VMZ-4ghXQBmTrFlWSP8/w400-h300/Tunja%20Hotel%20Room.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /> Next - A Colonial Tour and Enchanted Garden!</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><b style="background-color: #e0e0e0; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></b><p></p></div>Mark & Terihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410651360395422840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767944521225965268.post-74985518569582662462023-11-03T06:00:00.018-05:002023-11-03T06:00:00.134-05:00Colombia 2023 - Day 6<p><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">8/27/2023 Sunday</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We headed out at 6:00 to bird the dirt roads below Soatá.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> It was nice to be birding only five minutes from the hotel for a change! This area was at a lower elevation than we'd been previously, and was warmer and drier. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh07TR_FoZ0V0o9BIS0PWK9mZNsP5E2fisShzLyTc2q-APmcW6b1D840IxIc8Ez8iC6IhrjzWAbQ5DK-3OeplrsejOJHKi5UsNa86CrL2-FqtldBoNkPN5Xrd4-Ly26INEnMwNGUZ8lNpapiuIQjAgM5miv7E6YygQt1zdhqaGUVphwMYbpsqzbUWitoxA/s3420/Spanish%20moss%20draped%20trees%20over%20road.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3420" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh07TR_FoZ0V0o9BIS0PWK9mZNsP5E2fisShzLyTc2q-APmcW6b1D840IxIc8Ez8iC6IhrjzWAbQ5DK-3OeplrsejOJHKi5UsNa86CrL2-FqtldBoNkPN5Xrd4-Ly26INEnMwNGUZ8lNpapiuIQjAgM5miv7E6YygQt1zdhqaGUVphwMYbpsqzbUWitoxA/w400-h320/Spanish%20moss%20draped%20trees%20over%20road.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium; mso-spacerun: yes;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">This area had a few endemic species that were our targets for the morning. We found the </span>Apical Flycatcher,
Chestnut-bellied Hummingbird and Niceforo’s Wren pretty easily, though all views
of the Chestnut-Bellied Hummingbird were fleeting. </div></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4D-0ULFQmCU4GMxlL7YxOgCw_JyBE5en9IaH7pYt3jkWenphWT1ol5tZFx0PVKV1kr7oUbhoIl2eNxpguRX_iUBLWPIVMmQOhOXkQfcZDUyEl2cHDDaqdEkOrMch3O9K13R678xoXqIxDFLyp39XNRc9URkIPFRMI-iMGH20OROnJCdmr3p0Uuf5CcoQ/s2513/Apical%20Flycatcher%20-%20Soata%20(pueblo)%2008-27-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2011" data-original-width="2513" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4D-0ULFQmCU4GMxlL7YxOgCw_JyBE5en9IaH7pYt3jkWenphWT1ol5tZFx0PVKV1kr7oUbhoIl2eNxpguRX_iUBLWPIVMmQOhOXkQfcZDUyEl2cHDDaqdEkOrMch3O9K13R678xoXqIxDFLyp39XNRc9URkIPFRMI-iMGH20OROnJCdmr3p0Uuf5CcoQ/w400-h320/Apical%20Flycatcher%20-%20Soata%20(pueblo)%2008-27-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Apical Flycatcher</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsFctczltcEVrY2rvjIhyphenhyphenfOL-pci6BH2qA8FndRwrHbmOHR-ZlO_wdR2LiGbWP7TDh59ytVDsiid03uhucmA1SQeIjYz6IfW7LRK79U7qv7XxeBQfRdSmzUizNY2ao1hSMLkmij8ncjtpwm4TSrwARJKEJ4Rj2gxtsJ9J5inoJFx-QzjfwGaJ_evninE/s2922/Niceforo's%20Wren%202%20-%20Soata%20(pueblo)%2008-27-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2338" data-original-width="2922" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsFctczltcEVrY2rvjIhyphenhyphenfOL-pci6BH2qA8FndRwrHbmOHR-ZlO_wdR2LiGbWP7TDh59ytVDsiid03uhucmA1SQeIjYz6IfW7LRK79U7qv7XxeBQfRdSmzUizNY2ao1hSMLkmij8ncjtpwm4TSrwARJKEJ4Rj2gxtsJ9J5inoJFx-QzjfwGaJ_evninE/w400-h320/Niceforo's%20Wren%202%20-%20Soata%20(pueblo)%2008-27-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Niceforo's Wren</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiErxT8au7zlAE66aOeXhITAAPrAkA1SNfXhORy94wfw2Ybt8ksLm1wc0gK_MQrujCbJyBDveqp9FKaSBIVCmxD3CrKjVx2Cx8af3jVFu1UU0G_cd1JxqQujIdlFSL9OFlOFfBXa1dkzDsCMvT1eB8R-XjM_ALvdBBpAyZilTuCFN0vOXjrw-t-N1jWx7c/s2500/Niceforo's%20Wren%20-%20Soata%20(pueblo)%2008-27-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiErxT8au7zlAE66aOeXhITAAPrAkA1SNfXhORy94wfw2Ybt8ksLm1wc0gK_MQrujCbJyBDveqp9FKaSBIVCmxD3CrKjVx2Cx8af3jVFu1UU0G_cd1JxqQujIdlFSL9OFlOFfBXa1dkzDsCMvT1eB8R-XjM_ALvdBBpAyZilTuCFN0vOXjrw-t-N1jWx7c/w400-h320/Niceforo's%20Wren%20-%20Soata%20(pueblo)%2008-27-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Niceforo's Wren</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As we stopped and birded on the rural roadways, it was interesting to see the locals going about their daily lives. I wonder what they thought of us, as tourism is quite rare in these areas.</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYGuc5h9WJlV4IjJru5zLEBkni8TrcctVkm0pkrgztVluqogoTRY9s2zTpiJmoalHHoABPr_RQMX7iAdSFBrLgkG25t7r-tKJPNGRZ3ov4I0g-oFWB-oUK6bHR6F8xH-R2E47mVUgm27dI8kcRBRfE2kLfmhVW3OshQSh4Hx5c61NjQDWQ6eVygQyA5hc/s3420/Man%20with%20cow%20on%20road.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3420" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYGuc5h9WJlV4IjJru5zLEBkni8TrcctVkm0pkrgztVluqogoTRY9s2zTpiJmoalHHoABPr_RQMX7iAdSFBrLgkG25t7r-tKJPNGRZ3ov4I0g-oFWB-oUK6bHR6F8xH-R2E47mVUgm27dI8kcRBRfE2kLfmhVW3OshQSh4Hx5c61NjQDWQ6eVygQyA5hc/w400-h320/Man%20with%20cow%20on%20road.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We also enjoyed looks at larger and flashier wren, the Bicolored Wren as well as Black-faced Grassquit, the very long-tailed Squirrel Cuckoo, and a hovering White-tailed Kite. </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIy7omaC5hXjYwtbjVyMrVN4suqeTP_R6RXWBJPbr46JbbbBRB07EdC0fQ9fmJLxolQPFO8znF9HLhN38ad2XtnktR9qfLmpndCpcp0vhZjp0EOG5fwMKB2EiMRlRxAcuQUjuwU8SvtiYHAuoE5L4XsHSCWuGRuyhyphenhyphenbNnBk3-97WzsebB1xzQaf8-FxIw/s3854/Bicolored%20Wren%202%20-%20Soata%20(pueblo)%2008-27-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3083" data-original-width="3854" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIy7omaC5hXjYwtbjVyMrVN4suqeTP_R6RXWBJPbr46JbbbBRB07EdC0fQ9fmJLxolQPFO8znF9HLhN38ad2XtnktR9qfLmpndCpcp0vhZjp0EOG5fwMKB2EiMRlRxAcuQUjuwU8SvtiYHAuoE5L4XsHSCWuGRuyhyphenhyphenbNnBk3-97WzsebB1xzQaf8-FxIw/w400-h320/Bicolored%20Wren%202%20-%20Soata%20(pueblo)%2008-27-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Bicolored Wren</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEdIe_BTNXe7xynkgMZWknyba9Cyp50_yeWdS93uLZeCo6aUn7YkxdBY7C_QStseALiB7Gfwx3FhSSsYtLkdntKi1pnSIAHP-ZEx5TzPXD97Y_KzrD8_px5nur3BzggU8o9mZbAIQf5GTwEWe_OKrTvhJvX_JrksR-APHOkWsjHGHt-Ygmd_s8qMMq8bs/s2476/Black-faced%20Grassquit%20male%20-%20Soata%20(pueblo)%2008-27-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1981" data-original-width="2476" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEdIe_BTNXe7xynkgMZWknyba9Cyp50_yeWdS93uLZeCo6aUn7YkxdBY7C_QStseALiB7Gfwx3FhSSsYtLkdntKi1pnSIAHP-ZEx5TzPXD97Y_KzrD8_px5nur3BzggU8o9mZbAIQf5GTwEWe_OKrTvhJvX_JrksR-APHOkWsjHGHt-Ygmd_s8qMMq8bs/w400-h320/Black-faced%20Grassquit%20male%20-%20Soata%20(pueblo)%2008-27-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Black-faced Grassquit</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifmiFNXQygIdckppnlHjOqgrTEp-jwPbv9lClFLkRKT4KNcHublq1kSG8WMVlHyOe_qrWk_n7DYoQJ93a9VAHDS2_Wyp2mSv9p9ZQnGu7iBbYkS2VZ0qVDI5xU0kK_4Gs4mnirMexi_SwIp9CqJH7hbsjkH-9S6FVq8DIbgtxwY4rkGDrx7HJYkCt6dgE/s3453/Squirrel%20Cuckoo%202%20-%20Soata%20(pueblo)%2008-27-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2763" data-original-width="3453" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifmiFNXQygIdckppnlHjOqgrTEp-jwPbv9lClFLkRKT4KNcHublq1kSG8WMVlHyOe_qrWk_n7DYoQJ93a9VAHDS2_Wyp2mSv9p9ZQnGu7iBbYkS2VZ0qVDI5xU0kK_4Gs4mnirMexi_SwIp9CqJH7hbsjkH-9S6FVq8DIbgtxwY4rkGDrx7HJYkCt6dgE/w400-h320/Squirrel%20Cuckoo%202%20-%20Soata%20(pueblo)%2008-27-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Squirrel Cuckoo</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcI79_Et7F1YRHvnYnu_TBbP9XXE1ziDCHYABcA_OtQtPqXH5i6YbMIm4S-2eJvh5Fyio5uIYoLlNCOJhgtGCK2n0cpT0Ejm6TSjXYXEFEx_tigb6m-UX9VUB1avDgNZ1UkH79huFni9bw6FSF5uHls1dGcmOUYHA1hNJoBgOxsaUBk0n6Yep_B6sjnGU/s2993/White-tailed%20Kite%20-%20Soata%20(pueblo)%2008-27-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2394" data-original-width="2993" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcI79_Et7F1YRHvnYnu_TBbP9XXE1ziDCHYABcA_OtQtPqXH5i6YbMIm4S-2eJvh5Fyio5uIYoLlNCOJhgtGCK2n0cpT0Ejm6TSjXYXEFEx_tigb6m-UX9VUB1avDgNZ1UkH79huFni9bw6FSF5uHls1dGcmOUYHA1hNJoBgOxsaUBk0n6Yep_B6sjnGU/w400-h320/White-tailed%20Kite%20-%20Soata%20(pueblo)%2008-27-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">White-tailed Kite</span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It was quite sunny and warm so we returned to the hotel at
10:30 for a break, and headed off for lunch at 12:30.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Had an outstanding lunch at a local restaurant. Teri had a
grilled chicken breast, while I had the same with mushrooms. But mine came in a
delicious white cream sauce and was by far the best meal of the trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium; mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjfLzuZtY0cNZ3G_yFxAw87ZAUuXrKoyUFAeap3O_hyphenhyphen5YJJWdErePXoKp2CLK-KN370wDHvEc2yEOdWsATkxqHp0D2iMN56t1RFYPM6Zv_h5I36gJFFA8vjKI7gSQuiV7nO7YbeI6M0O3f9cljkJjGsAbmEl1MwcWcLiXkz0Fw2YEAGTNVsGR4V6fdTD4/s3359/Mark's%20Lunch.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2687" data-original-width="3359" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjfLzuZtY0cNZ3G_yFxAw87ZAUuXrKoyUFAeap3O_hyphenhyphen5YJJWdErePXoKp2CLK-KN370wDHvEc2yEOdWsATkxqHp0D2iMN56t1RFYPM6Zv_h5I36gJFFA8vjKI7gSQuiV7nO7YbeI6M0O3f9cljkJjGsAbmEl1MwcWcLiXkz0Fw2YEAGTNVsGR4V6fdTD4/w400-h320/Mark's%20Lunch.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">At 2:00 we went to a private garden called Mango Matcho. The owner wasn't there, but Daniel knew the local lady who looked after the residence and arranged entry for us. The gardens were lovely, but the main draw was a line of 34 hummingbird feeders! </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_jpgEPr3iazUsCIsbARfhNOpMa2VnwpwaYNufSkZ-GnVvULK_WSfNqKX5tGMI8ebp1ZkvHw0zlNIrMjve3SSEXUoZguvjKgjZgd3YXPLE8hZv5zg_rv_5mG65xvYmafNmT2q6DrW9moGxqBQALJ03vxbaRyALClWecZKSCaNR3rxB3VvgvKlyTbCGfI/s3420/Line%20of%20hummingbird%20feeders.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3420" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_jpgEPr3iazUsCIsbARfhNOpMa2VnwpwaYNufSkZ-GnVvULK_WSfNqKX5tGMI8ebp1ZkvHw0zlNIrMjve3SSEXUoZguvjKgjZgd3YXPLE8hZv5zg_rv_5mG65xvYmafNmT2q6DrW9moGxqBQALJ03vxbaRyALClWecZKSCaNR3rxB3VvgvKlyTbCGfI/w400-h320/Line%20of%20hummingbird%20feeders.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">And they were covered with
Chestnut-bellied Hummingbirds and Indigo-capped Hummingbirds, both endemic to the area. The setup provided great opportunities for photos. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvY50dvmgAv3MSpcIOBQClTeOBxDp1jEeOGbrZG5cBac2zugFskBmHQ9DQIwKidVUq4QU38yM5MLN5aGcQG7E7sk1yiY2XsiwmWNY1ZrxF5J2vYWYdAMtRl0X4YoUkn6E8rVT6IW1bWH7YpevTCIGYiB9Gk7ltm2oe6ou-iYCSxJZYG_v2pOFV7TCvVQg/s3418/Chestnut-bellied%20Hummingbird%20-%20Finca%20Mangomacho%2008-27-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2734" data-original-width="3418" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvY50dvmgAv3MSpcIOBQClTeOBxDp1jEeOGbrZG5cBac2zugFskBmHQ9DQIwKidVUq4QU38yM5MLN5aGcQG7E7sk1yiY2XsiwmWNY1ZrxF5J2vYWYdAMtRl0X4YoUkn6E8rVT6IW1bWH7YpevTCIGYiB9Gk7ltm2oe6ou-iYCSxJZYG_v2pOFV7TCvVQg/w400-h320/Chestnut-bellied%20Hummingbird%20-%20Finca%20Mangomacho%2008-27-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Chestnut-bellied Hummingbird</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcV3X5RCGjTFCpNp9plbF6anas43I-AzFqrVXO8hiV8RdfQM3NT4H6XKue6V69f2wVFP8MjYQ42FGsendOQGlV8-z9hUsiY11NG6Ig98Rbyv_gRqLIMyjmbA-vAEfBLaEgK_SZiWrMZMPHB4VYKq8D1W9vXsUC82WCXaC50UvL1xZgVfY5qmRw1SuNy7I/s4389/Chestnut-bellied%20Hummingbird%202%20-%20Finca%20Mangomacho%2008-27-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3511" data-original-width="4389" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcV3X5RCGjTFCpNp9plbF6anas43I-AzFqrVXO8hiV8RdfQM3NT4H6XKue6V69f2wVFP8MjYQ42FGsendOQGlV8-z9hUsiY11NG6Ig98Rbyv_gRqLIMyjmbA-vAEfBLaEgK_SZiWrMZMPHB4VYKq8D1W9vXsUC82WCXaC50UvL1xZgVfY5qmRw1SuNy7I/w400-h320/Chestnut-bellied%20Hummingbird%202%20-%20Finca%20Mangomacho%2008-27-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Chestnut-bellied Hummingbird</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOan4pxYJqDL3A36KSY6G8hc8EJ0kBEby_LmfuK9AZ3ncjZNfGOqihaFUd2E7jbjHAcs_bwjoDps6uJ2AGbF4MmDiYohhoefS7O1fyxfMtuc7BLVCe28c8pYQY710v_F_AMMxnPxVWF5p6PNTSgN2-6zDBoJrALRf4q2j3qcmBafADdKSvx1X98t87QEc/s3607/Indigo-capped%20Hummingbird%202%20-%20Finca%20Mangomacho%2008-27-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2885" data-original-width="3607" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOan4pxYJqDL3A36KSY6G8hc8EJ0kBEby_LmfuK9AZ3ncjZNfGOqihaFUd2E7jbjHAcs_bwjoDps6uJ2AGbF4MmDiYohhoefS7O1fyxfMtuc7BLVCe28c8pYQY710v_F_AMMxnPxVWF5p6PNTSgN2-6zDBoJrALRf4q2j3qcmBafADdKSvx1X98t87QEc/w400-h320/Indigo-capped%20Hummingbird%202%20-%20Finca%20Mangomacho%2008-27-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Indigo-capped Hummingbird</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pquM-XdyCwwvfH7yrPrjYMCuEJ7ruZANF0axBUN7G8uKCF3hbkHj-2jE00g3Wy603TBFvhY05OdFFuuAgpXM8wGtxPJ664wbYCkFPqfJ4J1H-zu13NxoBwaGM967QWNXMMqbI-JL1ngdTUQxFcnOzKkZsz4HcuY79LNBs4EkHWdcwQc9RbOr78LxUB0/s5101/Indigo-capped%20Hummingbird%20-%20Finca%20Mangomacho%2008-27-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="5101" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pquM-XdyCwwvfH7yrPrjYMCuEJ7ruZANF0axBUN7G8uKCF3hbkHj-2jE00g3Wy603TBFvhY05OdFFuuAgpXM8wGtxPJ664wbYCkFPqfJ4J1H-zu13NxoBwaGM967QWNXMMqbI-JL1ngdTUQxFcnOzKkZsz4HcuY79LNBs4EkHWdcwQc9RbOr78LxUB0/w400-h320/Indigo-capped%20Hummingbird%20-%20Finca%20Mangomacho%2008-27-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Indigo-capped Hummingbird</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Less common at the feeders were Sparkling Violetear, Black-breasted Mango, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird and the tiny White-bellied Woodstar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_4hb_pfGioAudEsZ6ueFz1hLpIk4xTHhAQDUOJgATcNEPJyVK-H1MTSBhJpglXNy78sq48U4XFNFSbabvgJ45n2E_uAMJZV4ahFK-hwrmZWLFfORCpenU8zULrl3PHiBjLY28r1UMqiBfDlsKrCvaVBQgooazFxMEdKGGqox80oQnqgJUcUku4KUYKds/s3149/Sparkling%20Violetear%20-%20Finca%20Mangomacho%2008-27-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2519" data-original-width="3149" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_4hb_pfGioAudEsZ6ueFz1hLpIk4xTHhAQDUOJgATcNEPJyVK-H1MTSBhJpglXNy78sq48U4XFNFSbabvgJ45n2E_uAMJZV4ahFK-hwrmZWLFfORCpenU8zULrl3PHiBjLY28r1UMqiBfDlsKrCvaVBQgooazFxMEdKGGqox80oQnqgJUcUku4KUYKds/w400-h320/Sparkling%20Violetear%20-%20Finca%20Mangomacho%2008-27-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Sparkling Violetear</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkQ4RDbIDlGB-LE8ejisvUovNZFDdPoNyO1dJCKgETvpii6CQAhoGsJE1r-NfWQ4sk78zNV8ZGbRl_JeFtxgLy3JO_NBhQPLcvjLkCfi0vp4Of8nrX_NL-jgThVT5fnFZsOzsl8AbzUxdN3uS240uWY0TKhVbh5V9MxV0tuA-5zkdN65QzBfdM46mhcE/s5136/Black-throated%20Mango%20female%20-%20Finca%20Mangomacho%2008-27-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4109" data-original-width="5136" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkQ4RDbIDlGB-LE8ejisvUovNZFDdPoNyO1dJCKgETvpii6CQAhoGsJE1r-NfWQ4sk78zNV8ZGbRl_JeFtxgLy3JO_NBhQPLcvjLkCfi0vp4Of8nrX_NL-jgThVT5fnFZsOzsl8AbzUxdN3uS240uWY0TKhVbh5V9MxV0tuA-5zkdN65QzBfdM46mhcE/w400-h320/Black-throated%20Mango%20female%20-%20Finca%20Mangomacho%2008-27-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Black-breasted Mango - female</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQiWU8_VnZ3kbN2MQ6rn0VjwqdrVFLko4oLxLHkJ7LXt73bjOtHq4L5Bini5osQ09q18S5amdx30AKBQm6k9TmV_uogWHo-nmkeH3oy1sCRMgYBGKsrSWUm0f8C1fIuG-PDeqeh8o4qSY7qAnS-1BthuTFANiBbWNB1VN7yFGLtqyGzDOd_Ujk2yF4fhI/s4855/Rufous-tailed%20Hummingbird%20-%20Finca%20Mangomacho%2008-27-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3884" data-original-width="4855" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQiWU8_VnZ3kbN2MQ6rn0VjwqdrVFLko4oLxLHkJ7LXt73bjOtHq4L5Bini5osQ09q18S5amdx30AKBQm6k9TmV_uogWHo-nmkeH3oy1sCRMgYBGKsrSWUm0f8C1fIuG-PDeqeh8o4qSY7qAnS-1BthuTFANiBbWNB1VN7yFGLtqyGzDOd_Ujk2yF4fhI/w400-h320/Rufous-tailed%20Hummingbird%20-%20Finca%20Mangomacho%2008-27-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Rufous-tailed Hummingbird</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-pY1PfxxcWyWDOspmyPzyZh6U-oQ6b2Mvs-ZvNqPsu_Tuo2w9ZVAFNr68vWBCq8fgoFNQ6C194ZhatSRrxdwrr8v_ie2qSSTJjtQRrC82df9kfclMltChMWIkazxCX1GwKDAiaBp2Ry_ZAfIebqq-3nGHi64eSnuSCVEJKcM1ZMjcYz7JEKsGQTdu6_w/s2648/White-bellied%20Woodstar%20male%202%20-%20Finca%20Mangomacho%2008-27-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2119" data-original-width="2648" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-pY1PfxxcWyWDOspmyPzyZh6U-oQ6b2Mvs-ZvNqPsu_Tuo2w9ZVAFNr68vWBCq8fgoFNQ6C194ZhatSRrxdwrr8v_ie2qSSTJjtQRrC82df9kfclMltChMWIkazxCX1GwKDAiaBp2Ry_ZAfIebqq-3nGHi64eSnuSCVEJKcM1ZMjcYz7JEKsGQTdu6_w/w400-h320/White-bellied%20Woodstar%20male%202%20-%20Finca%20Mangomacho%2008-27-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">White-bellied Woodstar - male</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">After an hour at the feeders we took a road toward the town of Boavita, but birding was slow. We made several stops looking for Striped Cuckoo and got some return calls and one brief look by Mark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We ended up in the small town of Boavita
where Daniel wanted to have an ice cream in the town square. But the square was
completely fenced off and looked torn up from what we could see. We bought a
couple of ice cream bars and sat near an enormous church overlooking the square.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Saw a tame Cattle Tyrant picking up whatever
food scraps it could, along with Carib Grackles which have only recently
colonized some of these towns. Best birds of the afternoon!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Staying in and visiting these small Colombian towns was interesting, and a great way to get the true feel of the country and the culture. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWaHWaDs5LkJCE2vr3PzV-4ayhIQajKN1fSL9QNRWxhsczfiliw7dlTLOd66VKMCGAlRUPVABct7IQ653sUkPaFM1voWArzXuQG2vWXah2pkUEB6WBL-FY_3JHLynMYbPoaQOilmQL5IzApgwZMTXL3XmEQRD5syjJp_-TLrWVfNEVMLxBdY_LEV1VReA/s3648/Boavita%20street.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWaHWaDs5LkJCE2vr3PzV-4ayhIQajKN1fSL9QNRWxhsczfiliw7dlTLOd66VKMCGAlRUPVABct7IQ653sUkPaFM1voWArzXuQG2vWXah2pkUEB6WBL-FY_3JHLynMYbPoaQOilmQL5IzApgwZMTXL3XmEQRD5syjJp_-TLrWVfNEVMLxBdY_LEV1VReA/w400-h300/Boavita%20street.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">After returning to Soatá we had dinner at same place as the previous evening. With our late afternoon ice cream we weren't too hungry, so I had a ham and cheese sandwich and Teri snacked on some of my fries. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Next: Up into the mountains and a new hotel. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div></div>Mark & Terihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410651360395422840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767944521225965268.post-35597700871784646672023-10-12T05:00:00.011-05:002023-10-12T05:00:00.145-05:00Colombia 2023 - Day 5<p><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">8/26/2023 Saturday</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We were out on the balconies at 6:00 to check out the dozen or so hummingbird
feeders hanging from the eaves. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibj0CcEGCgmB4nlyZ2d0AmEfPMkAHY2M-KuCI6aST1imn9m_IChk6vkl5Rxu_z9K6U9Et6vLyBXHG4v_kmdyoePkWuZR4sU4WJGLdvcZVCaUJKk_EfXvpBmpcS-kpek9JaKAZobTXMBISGqWb5vLfGaYXLqsmxy95tOH11biaILJjRGws9kLDSY1sXrqk/s3648/Lodge%20Patio.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibj0CcEGCgmB4nlyZ2d0AmEfPMkAHY2M-KuCI6aST1imn9m_IChk6vkl5Rxu_z9K6U9Et6vLyBXHG4v_kmdyoePkWuZR4sU4WJGLdvcZVCaUJKk_EfXvpBmpcS-kpek9JaKAZobTXMBISGqWb5vLfGaYXLqsmxy95tOH11biaILJjRGws9kLDSY1sXrqk/w400-h300/Lodge%20Patio.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br />They were busy and we quickly picked up Black Inca
and Lazuline Sabrewing, both lifers. </span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbbeJLX7wrJO8iyFXt5-UD-hz_H8_QMAFKC5XOafnUa6G4lMhzREPknD2zLakJMI-vJonOewMzUASqhh43aM2i-iPHyXqfy1sTob32eURX3tO9a9KrDcCIZNsh_JEPMSyR35C6xIgD3wcz1htFJ3H_8FW5QONqnXhT18zm9CwvZ0Y6nwLPGl9LJ61qGho/s5186/Black%20Inca%20-%20Reserva%20Privada%20Rogitama%2008-26-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4149" data-original-width="5186" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbbeJLX7wrJO8iyFXt5-UD-hz_H8_QMAFKC5XOafnUa6G4lMhzREPknD2zLakJMI-vJonOewMzUASqhh43aM2i-iPHyXqfy1sTob32eURX3tO9a9KrDcCIZNsh_JEPMSyR35C6xIgD3wcz1htFJ3H_8FW5QONqnXhT18zm9CwvZ0Y6nwLPGl9LJ61qGho/w400-h320/Black%20Inca%20-%20Reserva%20Privada%20Rogitama%2008-26-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Black Inca</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOtNr7y-U_lMCyHBC-ALzGSXBq-JglRk_m-9I0sDsTscfPi4eezb6Ydx6dnqyakDNxU8S6vngWPk2DmfLkn2FdZppxNMgEs9IDHSSt7BuFwu1S_hzW5fpXi2CGpmlwrWdTmuAlplF6V-Xom_Ry2NCj0VsYBs80otV6kSmRNUYjVf8jEQVpafCYDJIvzBg/s2996/Lazuline%20Sabrewing%20-%20Reserva%20Privada%20Rogitama%2008-26-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2397" data-original-width="2996" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOtNr7y-U_lMCyHBC-ALzGSXBq-JglRk_m-9I0sDsTscfPi4eezb6Ydx6dnqyakDNxU8S6vngWPk2DmfLkn2FdZppxNMgEs9IDHSSt7BuFwu1S_hzW5fpXi2CGpmlwrWdTmuAlplF6V-Xom_Ry2NCj0VsYBs80otV6kSmRNUYjVf8jEQVpafCYDJIvzBg/w400-h320/Lazuline%20Sabrewing%20-%20Reserva%20Privada%20Rogitama%2008-26-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Lazuline Sabrewing</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It took a bit longer to see the Short-tailed
Emerald, another lifer. But that one didn't cooperate for a picture!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">
After a quick breakfast we walked down the entrance road, calling for a Mustached
Brushfinch which is supposed to be very reliable here. But it was strangely quiet and we didn't get an answer. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZxiZ46K9lJ8SnkxCvpOX9LfwZBEHnsHnp-vQQXg7qcYY-LwHC8iWd8KwzFfRyNPkW5QyTTVmJQZWM3abHJo2rE0L0ZPJDKReYA6cIkkBlum_EqIrmPfrW_i1DzC5MGdDz7_XZ4LrIgRlTBaKLIkdzj8tajV1t9GQlwA0NretS2n6t5RBu5SZtrODTI8/s3648/Mark%20&%20Daniel%20on%20Rogitama%20Trail.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZxiZ46K9lJ8SnkxCvpOX9LfwZBEHnsHnp-vQQXg7qcYY-LwHC8iWd8KwzFfRyNPkW5QyTTVmJQZWM3abHJo2rE0L0ZPJDKReYA6cIkkBlum_EqIrmPfrW_i1DzC5MGdDz7_XZ4LrIgRlTBaKLIkdzj8tajV1t9GQlwA0NretS2n6t5RBu5SZtrODTI8/w400-h300/Mark%20&%20Daniel%20on%20Rogitama%20Trail.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We walked out to the main road and tried again with the same result. This looked like very nice forest but the birds just didn't seem to be around. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We did get to see a few
Grassland Yellow-Finches in the more open grassland on the other side of the road. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh__x5Armhq_9CAsrg1kZr7YKRTAwWjRYqMg4ZEE1ecMpi0QV6dzpMKVampkWRaximMDQTx1sAx1aGxngO2HT7k7PCDIFGk6EI9ZvrqPVc07syXrSgi7VvzZEG6xF5KsSfjhrWgu1ja2weY0yrfnfD2vPhA-1Cn4LSif5TMLnsUUkmhyytVAgIQj-v5-sQ/s2242/Grassland%20Yellow-Finch%20-%20Reserva%20Privada%20Rogitama%2008-26-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1794" data-original-width="2242" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh__x5Armhq_9CAsrg1kZr7YKRTAwWjRYqMg4ZEE1ecMpi0QV6dzpMKVampkWRaximMDQTx1sAx1aGxngO2HT7k7PCDIFGk6EI9ZvrqPVc07syXrSgi7VvzZEG6xF5KsSfjhrWgu1ja2weY0yrfnfD2vPhA-1Cn4LSif5TMLnsUUkmhyytVAgIQj-v5-sQ/w400-h320/Grassland%20Yellow-Finch%20-%20Reserva%20Privada%20Rogitama%2008-26-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Grassland Yellow-Finch</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We returned to the lodge and hiked a few forest trails. They too were quiet, though I did spot another Black Inca sitting in a bush. I always prefer hummingbird pictures on natural perches rather than at feeders. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Gu2F28RtgDL0dMYbsh25m8rxdvuFgVgMFeCyvgcCh-2B0EiAZOp5Je6J-72jV4MIjKvxRsz2lFYw_DlQS-qW1RwLZA3ghatfBnkXJScO6L8IvnXk1a1exy9Suh2dFDf0qYtnGW6JFreXSS_OpcD8G0MytGPeP334STQB02gLlEcWbAULbtRH4mxgwIY/s6497/Black%20Inca%203%20-%20Reserva%20Privada%20Rogitama%2008-26-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5198" data-original-width="6497" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Gu2F28RtgDL0dMYbsh25m8rxdvuFgVgMFeCyvgcCh-2B0EiAZOp5Je6J-72jV4MIjKvxRsz2lFYw_DlQS-qW1RwLZA3ghatfBnkXJScO6L8IvnXk1a1exy9Suh2dFDf0qYtnGW6JFreXSS_OpcD8G0MytGPeP334STQB02gLlEcWbAULbtRH4mxgwIY/w400-h320/Black%20Inca%203%20-%20Reserva%20Privada%20Rogitama%2008-26-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Black Inca</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We departed the lodge at 10:30, with the host giving Teri a magnet with the
lodge name and a Black Inca on it. That will go onto the refrigerator at home. On the drive out Daniel stopped on a bridge over a small stream and we found a Torrent Tyrannulet, a small flycatcher that lives beside rivers and streams. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgFF3mix1SYclYOEXgYCZeQd_HPQLCbhX7n3vh0EvfqCA8yBQzvR6iBFGBE-knT9aUo3uVZWCchdOX0l90sReKKImf6hPHRS0UzQTpyYumHVaDU064XegTNKBusYwxekz-8mYR77I_IlpjSDw_46saHS9T02oHcG8b2hwIal8gtCZ6H347ecQhIFOyVPE/s2168/Torrent%20Tyrannulet%20-%20Reserva%20Privada%20Rogitama%2008-26-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1734" data-original-width="2168" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgFF3mix1SYclYOEXgYCZeQd_HPQLCbhX7n3vh0EvfqCA8yBQzvR6iBFGBE-knT9aUo3uVZWCchdOX0l90sReKKImf6hPHRS0UzQTpyYumHVaDU064XegTNKBusYwxekz-8mYR77I_IlpjSDw_46saHS9T02oHcG8b2hwIal8gtCZ6H347ecQhIFOyVPE/w400-h320/Torrent%20Tyrannulet%20-%20Reserva%20Privada%20Rogitama%2008-26-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Torrent Tyrannulet</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We had lunch at 12:30 at a place that serves traditional
East Llano food, a country soup and grilled meats. As we entered a huge
vertical rotisserie over an open fire was loaded with different meats. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvnWBcEiKBPJ5PQ21y479Wa1cz-icgbQClMMOvBIE64R5GjjV6A7uUYeJv6oi8eTyNXcwtbxPETiyBXOK5B6bHm7yMSI59_qlUtJBv55ie2kEIzsBUsiwMfsd3EIA6Jjg59hZzz5TB9vInQtXZLvXll8m4qdLDS8zT2b5Ju5sad4lf_ewRpbcoBCq4Ab8/s2996/Meat%20on%20rotiserrie.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2396" data-original-width="2996" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvnWBcEiKBPJ5PQ21y479Wa1cz-icgbQClMMOvBIE64R5GjjV6A7uUYeJv6oi8eTyNXcwtbxPETiyBXOK5B6bHm7yMSI59_qlUtJBv55ie2kEIzsBUsiwMfsd3EIA6Jjg59hZzz5TB9vInQtXZLvXll8m4qdLDS8zT2b5Ju5sad4lf_ewRpbcoBCq4Ab8/w400-h320/Meat%20on%20rotiserrie.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We each had a big bowl of the soup and then they delivered a platter with about 3 pounds of grilled meat, sausage, potatoes, Yuca, etc. It was a lot! Some of the meat was very good but some was pretty dried out. Our heaviest lunch so far by a long shot.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3zy9U7pVK2D_dLp4Cqdol9XMR3WIyYxhO4YttHybL7UAm9gBdS6FnQlcEF1T_PlL7syHey-VFs57eggXAIXDuvLpCYR9V3267GfAr7EdND_2cP8ppNK_a31L5PTS1a07lVOyvfwYtqygKM-uJilhPvC2h3G44d6WTXNpUdHQ_EVi4q8G4molPkNLvoro/s3420/Meat.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3zy9U7pVK2D_dLp4Cqdol9XMR3WIyYxhO4YttHybL7UAm9gBdS6FnQlcEF1T_PlL7syHey-VFs57eggXAIXDuvLpCYR9V3267GfAr7EdND_2cP8ppNK_a31L5PTS1a07lVOyvfwYtqygKM-uJilhPvC2h3G44d6WTXNpUdHQ_EVi4q8G4molPkNLvoro/s3420/Meat.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqCYz2VC_3nNXZeHi_-QDZZOAA8ta5kHfidaDBg-qGlyM04e6reuq66slQMp_6KZUgGphpSnkeYY0HHovh-FE1_2X_XW9f11NUC8WQosFf56dW0Q8-3w4rXfmGWDARLcBKKt9eiW30dM-51fS-S8edoByLMcOjtWbidbi4U3tVM5jqOUQl-zaAKIMcEY0/s3396/Soup.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2716" data-original-width="3396" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqCYz2VC_3nNXZeHi_-QDZZOAA8ta5kHfidaDBg-qGlyM04e6reuq66slQMp_6KZUgGphpSnkeYY0HHovh-FE1_2X_XW9f11NUC8WQosFf56dW0Q8-3w4rXfmGWDARLcBKKt9eiW30dM-51fS-S8edoByLMcOjtWbidbi4U3tVM5jqOUQl-zaAKIMcEY0/w400-h320/Soup.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3420" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3zy9U7pVK2D_dLp4Cqdol9XMR3WIyYxhO4YttHybL7UAm9gBdS6FnQlcEF1T_PlL7syHey-VFs57eggXAIXDuvLpCYR9V3267GfAr7EdND_2cP8ppNK_a31L5PTS1a07lVOyvfwYtqygKM-uJilhPvC2h3G44d6WTXNpUdHQ_EVi4q8G4molPkNLvoro/w400-h320/Meat.jpg" width="400" /></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We then headed toward Soatá, a several hour drive. We broke
it up by stopping at a few places up on the Paramo. We found many different species, but never managed to find the rare hummingbird called the Green-bearded Helmetcrest.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQlAVVGTO2BNLqVPZRcrs2HZIabHuiqU12qxDG8mBk0NjkuRq9yc6YbdLuYigkKC1HPXiE-x3aYayNa9HEtqy14SaNMnXOdl9dBkhBLeC0lmfNRNdWKOGgv_6EnL2gHky_cRYrSVxubVzhXXx11hXSUE3kBaJyHlfszRz6Ry6-88-pUbApbNEvNPV5k4/s2527/Black-tailed%20Trainbearer%20male%20-%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.137,%20-72.767)%2008-26-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2022" data-original-width="2527" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQlAVVGTO2BNLqVPZRcrs2HZIabHuiqU12qxDG8mBk0NjkuRq9yc6YbdLuYigkKC1HPXiE-x3aYayNa9HEtqy14SaNMnXOdl9dBkhBLeC0lmfNRNdWKOGgv_6EnL2gHky_cRYrSVxubVzhXXx11hXSUE3kBaJyHlfszRz6Ry6-88-pUbApbNEvNPV5k4/w400-h320/Black-tailed%20Trainbearer%20male%20-%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.137,%20-72.767)%2008-26-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Black-tailed Trainbearer - male</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXmDKfiqlqTq4z0NnjglCo7dkzFYGBfcq0Q0mEKAaDagwo0HwAfX3JuoJxWaZYEZrtTOy6fvjxygSb5TMTjypgzXaBvgD1JnYzY0Sl6D6iheqAI9P3NbSOntFrciGZjQhx6AJFqx9oGyFlVRGyZoAqq8nl64wbXz5v0lsK_yipmlBDrNAqf2Oh8OTUuuM/s2543/Grass%20Wren%20-%20Belen-Susacon,%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.121,%20-72.828)%2008-26-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2035" data-original-width="2543" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXmDKfiqlqTq4z0NnjglCo7dkzFYGBfcq0Q0mEKAaDagwo0HwAfX3JuoJxWaZYEZrtTOy6fvjxygSb5TMTjypgzXaBvgD1JnYzY0Sl6D6iheqAI9P3NbSOntFrciGZjQhx6AJFqx9oGyFlVRGyZoAqq8nl64wbXz5v0lsK_yipmlBDrNAqf2Oh8OTUuuM/w400-h320/Grass%20Wren%20-%20Belen-Susacon,%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.121,%20-72.828)%2008-26-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Grass Wren</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRPAnVabcONInrJjNo_T7olDVVDhhmeURyAK02MOnX4iYduO6orpxCkBUDDXd-vRH7GUY0EfYfZKw-SzTCLk29M0Zt8I12GD2Op-P4D8vAlbCZWCN__V8gqAebPVyX6DNZCn-naw1E0efSfWlTruqBZWJS1sXjmLF0KTTWpKL3pOSZ9aTf3Ff1mR4RfSM/s2465/Plain-colored%20Seedeater%20female%20&%20male%20-%20Belen-Susacon,%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.121,%20-72.828)%2008-26-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1972" data-original-width="2465" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRPAnVabcONInrJjNo_T7olDVVDhhmeURyAK02MOnX4iYduO6orpxCkBUDDXd-vRH7GUY0EfYfZKw-SzTCLk29M0Zt8I12GD2Op-P4D8vAlbCZWCN__V8gqAebPVyX6DNZCn-naw1E0efSfWlTruqBZWJS1sXjmLF0KTTWpKL3pOSZ9aTf3Ff1mR4RfSM/w400-h320/Plain-colored%20Seedeater%20female%20&%20male%20-%20Belen-Susacon,%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.121,%20-72.828)%2008-26-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Plain-colored Seedeaters - female & male</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYQuLq3LuMVHZ6mw8wlCU1DXKmBnFM5KjCYPNFn0h4DtuEerT7i9L0S762nKPZKctHKmIhVq6D6n-etM8Yr3ECAf9qHoPtkj8ueRgqyPM9IOTxlJiEAcQRPiVj9_3SidZ2DteFvPe_HcDMtdl07X8QcxB3PRfYPRnK1hgnxQZa5o7kJyHpxHrZuzCuN6s/s2734/Rufous-browed%20Conebill%20-%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.137,%20-72.767)%2008-26-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2187" data-original-width="2734" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYQuLq3LuMVHZ6mw8wlCU1DXKmBnFM5KjCYPNFn0h4DtuEerT7i9L0S762nKPZKctHKmIhVq6D6n-etM8Yr3ECAf9qHoPtkj8ueRgqyPM9IOTxlJiEAcQRPiVj9_3SidZ2DteFvPe_HcDMtdl07X8QcxB3PRfYPRnK1hgnxQZa5o7kJyHpxHrZuzCuN6s/w400-h320/Rufous-browed%20Conebill%20-%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.137,%20-72.767)%2008-26-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Rufous-browed Conebill</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCOSmZTOaLZ-buW2CBkkVAg0IgOIoKxZVjh02ebMK5FOF9jrGzWPUgsp_laq6Us_JlvjNgfrs14nkjV64vQpZgn-FOiB4IujvqmM_T49gVh4buteh0xAXGlaNJkH-mB-Cezj07Dln7X0aCE-s6aFQIRTEGtoPDScC7M8jLRPQaRlKd8TOWjNS9IREhJwE/s3674/Andean%20Siskins%20female%20&%20male%20-%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.137,%20-72.767)%2008-26-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2940" data-original-width="3674" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCOSmZTOaLZ-buW2CBkkVAg0IgOIoKxZVjh02ebMK5FOF9jrGzWPUgsp_laq6Us_JlvjNgfrs14nkjV64vQpZgn-FOiB4IujvqmM_T49gVh4buteh0xAXGlaNJkH-mB-Cezj07Dln7X0aCE-s6aFQIRTEGtoPDScC7M8jLRPQaRlKd8TOWjNS9IREhJwE/w400-h320/Andean%20Siskins%20female%20&%20male%20-%20Boyac%C3%A1,%20CO%20(6.137,%20-72.767)%2008-26-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Andean Siskins</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As we were exploring back roads in the highlands, we saw several large potato fields. One was being harvested. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEziWzyL57jPUif1eKOcV5Bbc6m2yJihSiwc5Eg7gZf1i0QiHGCoriXZEIdERf2ZPlrWru0fjqZu1A-niRawqnaEejswPNzngujE2SSCpwwrK3ofb1r9jmTCRimB2F38iqNrvFg602xDvQzZe1zh6eL_FAObZrdz24OzJGNlJu1XBeh1776hLOReiu2bE/s8192/Harvesting.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE3Ls10QGjK7w7DB1nQw0kF0PitZP9TYzcLIMsWoxKEwvVoHGlE8TNNzMw8gkDu4gEvIOHblGjdmlXquRoIvgXIszrRElmnfDCKtVSsql6Lz-Yck7hKKytT4Zqd8uhg4h0CWdgIYizF6jwjTEJAz8UFrbPS1Xe8_bq-cAzBOL34L63twegCAx7l0gmVBE/s8192/Potato%20field.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5464" data-original-width="8192" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE3Ls10QGjK7w7DB1nQw0kF0PitZP9TYzcLIMsWoxKEwvVoHGlE8TNNzMw8gkDu4gEvIOHblGjdmlXquRoIvgXIszrRElmnfDCKtVSsql6Lz-Yck7hKKytT4Zqd8uhg4h0CWdgIYizF6jwjTEJAz8UFrbPS1Xe8_bq-cAzBOL34L63twegCAx7l0gmVBE/w400-h266/Potato%20field.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaeHDPqiZ-p8IHcwI-r9MUQ4u6mXj5MXwhiwbDDfMxPqC04fv6s_jZaonQXL1IxIPeY59BnuRagJN4JTsvRzyCgm32nRA8JzxUeOwqFLt9qmknzvvc-B73E5mCYvXVF7VsB2_C1GTVvYYZZ9JOnDyFjc5mvN8NmbtBfXEhT_WM2t7Z3uWZ-6gb-j1eWcI/s8192/Harvesting.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5464" data-original-width="8192" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaeHDPqiZ-p8IHcwI-r9MUQ4u6mXj5MXwhiwbDDfMxPqC04fv6s_jZaonQXL1IxIPeY59BnuRagJN4JTsvRzyCgm32nRA8JzxUeOwqFLt9qmknzvvc-B73E5mCYvXVF7VsB2_C1GTVvYYZZ9JOnDyFjc5mvN8NmbtBfXEhT_WM2t7Z3uWZ-6gb-j1eWcI/w400-h266/Harvesting.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7RqebdRmctwr1tI74AB_-C8OYuJEQwvlvrh-T8b1a3QYKqflvMzUPvWgQXBEeB2trBxXZ-grv7-8zhWuYz2P_EBFwBs0DLHZaUI9d_uZ7KjJNoNNRZmELt0sb4wZwYRh8AuM1kL2CayC_nTrUGIbYlIocWVUUzE2cP8JU_nK5yWKj7unUcrSzwEeH0ng/s5088/Harvesting%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3392" data-original-width="5088" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7RqebdRmctwr1tI74AB_-C8OYuJEQwvlvrh-T8b1a3QYKqflvMzUPvWgQXBEeB2trBxXZ-grv7-8zhWuYz2P_EBFwBs0DLHZaUI9d_uZ7KjJNoNNRZmELt0sb4wZwYRh8AuM1kL2CayC_nTrUGIbYlIocWVUUzE2cP8JU_nK5yWKj7unUcrSzwEeH0ng/w400-h266/Harvesting%202.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We arrived in the town of Soatá about 6:00 to find that the electricity was out! It was still light enough to check into our nice hotel mid-town and get
our bags up to the room. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoBaHIQVEc6PPufB8kA3-mZ3L9WX5b4qwfw6wBya_kGDxK7xzBdF7AFNj7A8chX0p6OaAoZ54Ln_xvNu7lXG0Gx5UDT2QGFSwNzsu7Vm4QAbUhRFrhjVIY0t1LsEbdoodwMhvoa0prHfnep4PsnYd6mFo8vQS8xIZU5rJZuFiprn9xvjXwNRO57QkRliE/s3648/Hotel%20Room.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoBaHIQVEc6PPufB8kA3-mZ3L9WX5b4qwfw6wBya_kGDxK7xzBdF7AFNj7A8chX0p6OaAoZ54Ln_xvNu7lXG0Gx5UDT2QGFSwNzsu7Vm4QAbUhRFrhjVIY0t1LsEbdoodwMhvoa0prHfnep4PsnYd6mFo8vQS8xIZU5rJZuFiprn9xvjXwNRO57QkRliE/w400-h300/Hotel%20Room.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The power came back on at about 6:30. We headed out to dinner, also stopping for fruit and bread for tomorrow's breakfast as these small hotels don't have restaurants or any type of food. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Next - Birding around town and a private hummingbird garden. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>Mark & Terihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410651360395422840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767944521225965268.post-24176651909167285482023-10-06T05:00:00.012-05:002023-10-06T05:00:00.153-05:00Colombia 2023 - Day 4<p><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">8/25/2023 Friday</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We enjoyed breakfast at the same local café as yesterday, and then headed to Parque Puente Sopo, a nice mixed
activity municipal park. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Our main target was the endemic Bogota Rail. Rails are notoriously secretive marsh birds, and this one is found in only a few locations around Bogota. The previous "go-to" spot on
private land had a new owner and visitors were no longer welcomed. Daniel had heard
that this public park might have them and so we were here to give it a try. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKPHF2ps_WDto6-kFr81J-jxMscVM8l4DheuVawXntP_ymTjIsmdhsXtYbID8X50-ECRe6vL0vvomUFTW0ITD90ogF0DF0IoHIrdBcDf6AAv39FEaEPa-TX94AbiTJG9MTexdeFwXmkfsq946gi-P-1AMsVaeXmooNinpTNFzzfE7H078rHAariwNr9I/s2555/Parque%20Puente%20Sop%C3%B3%20sign.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2184" data-original-width="2555" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKPHF2ps_WDto6-kFr81J-jxMscVM8l4DheuVawXntP_ymTjIsmdhsXtYbID8X50-ECRe6vL0vvomUFTW0ITD90ogF0DF0IoHIrdBcDf6AAv39FEaEPa-TX94AbiTJG9MTexdeFwXmkfsq946gi-P-1AMsVaeXmooNinpTNFzzfE7H078rHAariwNr9I/w400-h343/Parque%20Puente%20Sop%C3%B3%20sign.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">There was a walking trail that circled a marshy pond area, and we set off along this trail. Within just a few minutes we spotted a rail making its way through the marshy grass, and sure enough it was a Bogota Rail. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWktpoR2GwUa5u6xS0D2VQrzapkQD0xIwGBVGMYlGJ9UgJS6TnNJ71GmO7NMm7fceg9UF3mfMYBtL-RAWVonfbA4KMVJbKa-cY0HujOtKukNF7T8rKdjlXcnOuLskcUnL8fJXh3H-fHNUDESwVuA_4dOdkzv5ZFr4gI_Khy0Pek4l9GxNngQiLOLFp6qU/s2615/Bogota%20Rail%202%20-%20Rio%20Teusac%C3%A1--Parque%20del%20Sop%C3%B3%2008-25-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2092" data-original-width="2615" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWktpoR2GwUa5u6xS0D2VQrzapkQD0xIwGBVGMYlGJ9UgJS6TnNJ71GmO7NMm7fceg9UF3mfMYBtL-RAWVonfbA4KMVJbKa-cY0HujOtKukNF7T8rKdjlXcnOuLskcUnL8fJXh3H-fHNUDESwVuA_4dOdkzv5ZFr4gI_Khy0Pek4l9GxNngQiLOLFp6qU/w400-h320/Bogota%20Rail%202%20-%20Rio%20Teusac%C3%A1--Parque%20del%20Sop%C3%B3%2008-25-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDFOvp1ZrDF6Vh_PJS1sBg5okodsbzQmqbWEkcYYGYByJycJlXAPefmP4k0ibbIlEGv3nnJkPrQpn0IYft0S8zlWIUWXbgh9_-kZFq68qKG_4I1G_E3PGfT29sRsvWTvEG2bF29eWJLdzuFQWQLAKZtBbfyfwSrpRXD8panOFC_521Xhrqs7Kb5FOUD0/s2270/Bogota%20Rail%203%20-%20Rio%20Teusac%C3%A1--Parque%20del%20Sop%C3%B3%2008-25-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1816" data-original-width="2270" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDFOvp1ZrDF6Vh_PJS1sBg5okodsbzQmqbWEkcYYGYByJycJlXAPefmP4k0ibbIlEGv3nnJkPrQpn0IYft0S8zlWIUWXbgh9_-kZFq68qKG_4I1G_E3PGfT29sRsvWTvEG2bF29eWJLdzuFQWQLAKZtBbfyfwSrpRXD8panOFC_521Xhrqs7Kb5FOUD0/w400-h320/Bogota%20Rail%203%20-%20Rio%20Teusac%C3%A1--Parque%20del%20Sop%C3%B3%2008-25-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Bogota Rail</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">There were several Bared-faced Ibis working the same area as the Rail, and a couple of Silver-throated Spinetails (another endemic) in the shrubs next to the water. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSzGDHHjK-Yq9GUzsouMUclg79TemHhtdaFQItKjRI-Mjvg61vBZUtZkHU8Z04_EuYwqf1DB1VCXR0Z8RAOfghwd3NrIr64Xd1XMFCpZ3nLKpoCSSQMFl9Ez3QzMm-vTWoHdZQrSFEQK1lNsilmA4SlNfxAgRcHtIRwn7p0YVfSyBEJuUKp_S-xUHqDEs/s2937/Bare-faced%20Ibis%202%20-%20Rio%20Teusac%C3%A1--Parque%20del%20Sop%C3%B3%2008-25-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2349" data-original-width="2937" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSzGDHHjK-Yq9GUzsouMUclg79TemHhtdaFQItKjRI-Mjvg61vBZUtZkHU8Z04_EuYwqf1DB1VCXR0Z8RAOfghwd3NrIr64Xd1XMFCpZ3nLKpoCSSQMFl9Ez3QzMm-vTWoHdZQrSFEQK1lNsilmA4SlNfxAgRcHtIRwn7p0YVfSyBEJuUKp_S-xUHqDEs/w400-h320/Bare-faced%20Ibis%202%20-%20Rio%20Teusac%C3%A1--Parque%20del%20Sop%C3%B3%2008-25-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Bare-faced Ibis</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWcSKZqUrywat9W0WvI2v-y9oFaHi-XpCbcN72jxDwNTJCyIsojYFpIuVQ5QKOOeg4WpEtE-9XfkPA0TTWZQwa_GGOsptX0U0ca7N2le98skEhpgG__2mpXyikkzrLKxDlz2fv4kuUfS2WnB-TTj8q16xIBZKqrJ5VUXy7ORY4Pip35Wb6cQj5EDMBuc8/s2437/Silvery-throated%20Spinetail%20-%20Rio%20Teusac%C3%A1--Parque%20del%20Sop%C3%B3%2008-25-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1950" data-original-width="2437" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWcSKZqUrywat9W0WvI2v-y9oFaHi-XpCbcN72jxDwNTJCyIsojYFpIuVQ5QKOOeg4WpEtE-9XfkPA0TTWZQwa_GGOsptX0U0ca7N2le98skEhpgG__2mpXyikkzrLKxDlz2fv4kuUfS2WnB-TTj8q16xIBZKqrJ5VUXy7ORY4Pip35Wb6cQj5EDMBuc8/w400-h320/Silvery-throated%20Spinetail%20-%20Rio%20Teusac%C3%A1--Parque%20del%20Sop%C3%B3%2008-25-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Silvery-throated Spinetail</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Another section of the park had a large open pond where we saw Andean Ducks, which are very similar to the Ruddy Ducks found in the US. At one time they were considered to be the same species. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2_SP_BDhzXjbIT4_cf0hTRcDpNZ8ZjAEDj2upIluJg7UfHnfWn_GS9zj-NqZRHwLzGeYwVlzhtE7RuGvTX9lscB9VhIZ9xYfOO_C1ZGEH-K14oYdJODjnN9_pwwJHF1jrhc27uQLGId01cFEhyDlvoIvo0R3JU08q3KAR984WTd_aruXTdZh_r5KwLQ/s1669/Andean%20Duck%20-%20Parque%20del%20Sop%C3%B3%2008-25-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1336" data-original-width="1669" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2_SP_BDhzXjbIT4_cf0hTRcDpNZ8ZjAEDj2upIluJg7UfHnfWn_GS9zj-NqZRHwLzGeYwVlzhtE7RuGvTX9lscB9VhIZ9xYfOO_C1ZGEH-K14oYdJODjnN9_pwwJHF1jrhc27uQLGId01cFEhyDlvoIvo0R3JU08q3KAR984WTd_aruXTdZh_r5KwLQ/w400-h320/Andean%20Duck%20-%20Parque%20del%20Sop%C3%B3%2008-25-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Andean Duck - male</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2VSZevwgOnaY0twEwPhzdp1P0ouKPF3B5s_wgRKroPmF3E_U0_V4qWH4Xw6gszJqFrdT0TmKU7D-XTZeEjZFy4m1h2lln8STwG8oM75ccufFyaZ2mKjgnivLg6PJwocVQtv8icT3V29BOaCHRR41SVuCn1BUxEe0pRpvtGPwjCI3-ZwB0J8NRiFTDkac/s2974/Andean%20Duck%20female%20-%20Parque%20del%20Sop%C3%B3%2008-25-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2379" data-original-width="2974" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2VSZevwgOnaY0twEwPhzdp1P0ouKPF3B5s_wgRKroPmF3E_U0_V4qWH4Xw6gszJqFrdT0TmKU7D-XTZeEjZFy4m1h2lln8STwG8oM75ccufFyaZ2mKjgnivLg6PJwocVQtv8icT3V29BOaCHRR41SVuCn1BUxEe0pRpvtGPwjCI3-ZwB0J8NRiFTDkac/w400-h320/Andean%20Duck%20female%20-%20Parque%20del%20Sop%C3%B3%2008-25-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Andean Duck - female</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Once we finished at the park we headed to a place called Laguna de Fuquene, arriving around noon. The target for this location was a small brown bird called the Apolinar's Wren, an endemic with a small distribution in Central Colombia. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1yFdjl-lbBmvma-DyQhD-31HfO7ey0ZbyOwoniJBRpIq4cwh0JDwm0NGYhHUzQC5LeTTuwlHb-B2_b6CajWFaSZ_Pkw-_Ugh51D-9x32RKHUJCMXX4Cu2KNMPSQhA7RMTE-wzdefnnlWIq69VUR445PTerey-DnWieg6XtriPIyOTPN-0A5iz5dox-fY/s2593/Laguna%20de%20Fuquene%20sign.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2074" data-original-width="2593" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1yFdjl-lbBmvma-DyQhD-31HfO7ey0ZbyOwoniJBRpIq4cwh0JDwm0NGYhHUzQC5LeTTuwlHb-B2_b6CajWFaSZ_Pkw-_Ugh51D-9x32RKHUJCMXX4Cu2KNMPSQhA7RMTE-wzdefnnlWIq69VUR445PTerey-DnWieg6XtriPIyOTPN-0A5iz5dox-fY/w400-h320/Laguna%20de%20Fuquene%20sign.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Daniel mentioned the possibility of trying to find this bird from shore, but when we arrived we saw that a program to remove invasive Water Hyacinth had really torn up the shoreline. So Daniel went to Plan B, hiring a boat to take us out to less disturbed areas. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpnlzzeuK0c10TCnNcw7BWAABdaScMTOcr9YF3bt5WyKGC9gVTaopIJjAJzMjK0ZNi0VWSd5ot8iIXEPCldb9aJOvZc7D-1wvC-Y2Zyo3rGJdtWd12OHqEFi8tRjfWEMGdX_sKQsSYxjhcEFZ0FnvtQJ0GYgYRWUOpCMrgZS2jLoNT8jMrhyivLLYmxs/s3648/Boat%20and%20captain%20at%20the%20dock.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpnlzzeuK0c10TCnNcw7BWAABdaScMTOcr9YF3bt5WyKGC9gVTaopIJjAJzMjK0ZNi0VWSd5ot8iIXEPCldb9aJOvZc7D-1wvC-Y2Zyo3rGJdtWd12OHqEFi8tRjfWEMGdX_sKQsSYxjhcEFZ0FnvtQJ0GYgYRWUOpCMrgZS2jLoNT8jMrhyivLLYmxs/w400-h300/Boat%20and%20captain%20at%20the%20dock.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As we waited near the dock we spotted a rare Spot-flanked Gallinule, a bird commonly found in Chile, Argentina and Southern Brazil, but with a small presence in Colombia. We were lucky to see it.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-h2NGOIeep-4Pmedsinb6crG4WzyPy3X7t13j_B8D34HqWeHGbLkZOjH-Sxv0lY3i8GmMyOUGdHRdpKA1fINTN-DzBDJmufJReRBgClHfDVdliUgq-GjrjE8YQ8-WoAKZY3cyiGcmwMmad7lAi14EI019UpTXxCoOyk186wBYncg1ovephYBsuxUeG40/s3548/Spot-flanked%20Gallinule%202%20-%20Laguna%20de%20Fuquene%2008-25-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2838" data-original-width="3548" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-h2NGOIeep-4Pmedsinb6crG4WzyPy3X7t13j_B8D34HqWeHGbLkZOjH-Sxv0lY3i8GmMyOUGdHRdpKA1fINTN-DzBDJmufJReRBgClHfDVdliUgq-GjrjE8YQ8-WoAKZY3cyiGcmwMmad7lAi14EI019UpTXxCoOyk186wBYncg1ovephYBsuxUeG40/w400-h320/Spot-flanked%20Gallinule%202%20-%20Laguna%20de%20Fuquene%2008-25-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqBwcbaXC92yiv2ssxeVHhxjzNtFcYvOdWx7CPVgfliIqAiJ2CxFM8pP1AqP6dBIoohheXqF0BrsWd_3AEzu7TEyUh1xljAW6m1m5Bzo_mMYZUDlFHLhE7rFIvpq5C-B3wgXBjKauT_MAzsSqIlJ333TfWjL7Ow1BZJ9Hn_pSbrMtNAWEmawECN2Ko8lg/s3111/Spot-flanked%20Gallinule%203%20-%20Laguna%20de%20Fuquene%2008-25-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2489" data-original-width="3111" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqBwcbaXC92yiv2ssxeVHhxjzNtFcYvOdWx7CPVgfliIqAiJ2CxFM8pP1AqP6dBIoohheXqF0BrsWd_3AEzu7TEyUh1xljAW6m1m5Bzo_mMYZUDlFHLhE7rFIvpq5C-B3wgXBjKauT_MAzsSqIlJ333TfWjL7Ow1BZJ9Hn_pSbrMtNAWEmawECN2Ko8lg/w400-h320/Spot-flanked%20Gallinule%203%20-%20Laguna%20de%20Fuquene%2008-25-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Spot-flanked Gallinule</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We headed out in the boat, finding that it was very windy which made birding tough. We did a lot of trolling alongside reeds, playing calls. </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCVIKrfLO7KEQI1fPje5POKparjwu8A0ybGvzyd-lbd79UMr2SKQz0JuG0-BmOlkbaDJPClbU83nJ3n0dkyKRZXdzgX5cYZXy99OCx7_Pxk1CyfeMsFkXmXfLbs80Fkon1zmJ1mnM1IKivncI9lMnHX0b6UOjYdnQd5YbVaIumEj_PGa7HL8U795FiTyI/s3648/Boat%20in%20reed%20beds.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCVIKrfLO7KEQI1fPje5POKparjwu8A0ybGvzyd-lbd79UMr2SKQz0JuG0-BmOlkbaDJPClbU83nJ3n0dkyKRZXdzgX5cYZXy99OCx7_Pxk1CyfeMsFkXmXfLbs80Fkon1zmJ1mnM1IKivncI9lMnHX0b6UOjYdnQd5YbVaIumEj_PGa7HL8U795FiTyI/w400-h300/Boat%20in%20reed%20beds.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Here birdy, birdy...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We heard a couple of birds answering back, but
no sighting. We did finally get short glimpses of two different birds, but no pictures. </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">While we were out we found a few Yellow-hooded Blackbirds, which are virtually identical to our Yellow-headed Blackbirds. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKfFHmcnbic8jfBtze17oED90QeKmaB5TRPZCdIexOW_wn-UwbNSMRYPEpsMlJEd4iSgrlqF1RVwQ-_seRjuK9VmORAJ-Ppr2xmTvK_V33dfdN8lWF59FfI9EWdZHXsMbepjGv78gvZ5EwszeGitw-Y7-WIQPuZxMA612OGykkYSbICCjKo1Kg31H252M/s2145/Yellow-hooded%20Blackbird%20male%20-%20Laguna%20de%20Fuquene%2008-25-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1716" data-original-width="2145" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKfFHmcnbic8jfBtze17oED90QeKmaB5TRPZCdIexOW_wn-UwbNSMRYPEpsMlJEd4iSgrlqF1RVwQ-_seRjuK9VmORAJ-Ppr2xmTvK_V33dfdN8lWF59FfI9EWdZHXsMbepjGv78gvZ5EwszeGitw-Y7-WIQPuZxMA612OGykkYSbICCjKo1Kg31H252M/w400-h320/Yellow-hooded%20Blackbird%20male%20-%20Laguna%20de%20Fuquene%2008-25-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Yellow-hooded Blackbird - male</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">On the other hand, we also saw American Coots, which are the same species we have in the US, but these look a little different with a yellow area on their bill.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4hGrvtgN_ougNOgwq3XBHg1YOXuzoGXp4uFzp6QKeLremSlJHs_ENJNBuas03c7dnShkGmcA1BpNY9SMC1_Jym9kPU3NosHexJgl6Di8CoANP7cKfKQu8YBCgGrmAxNFU3U8yYPQApdV0mMoXmU7HfL8SrtwR6rwgjl2i_lTiFTudMcZaElRQ6NCsyg4/s3044/American%20Coot%20-%20Laguna%20de%20Fuquene%2008-25-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2436" data-original-width="3044" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4hGrvtgN_ougNOgwq3XBHg1YOXuzoGXp4uFzp6QKeLremSlJHs_ENJNBuas03c7dnShkGmcA1BpNY9SMC1_Jym9kPU3NosHexJgl6Di8CoANP7cKfKQu8YBCgGrmAxNFU3U8yYPQApdV0mMoXmU7HfL8SrtwR6rwgjl2i_lTiFTudMcZaElRQ6NCsyg4/w400-h320/American%20Coot%20-%20Laguna%20de%20Fuquene%2008-25-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">American Coot</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We had some driving to do after finishing up at the lagoon. We stopped at 2:00 for lunch at a roadside sandwich stand, and then at 4:30 in the Villa de Leyva town plaza for
coffee/hot chocolate at a sidewalk café. The 3.5 acre plaza is the largest in Colombia and one of the largest in South America. Most town squares are more parklike with grass and trees, but this one was entirely stone. Perhaps the high elevation here was a factor?</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtCwmeFUtQtfD1MaRmLYizVRdm_-5JyYcysx1zXwOtt2z34FFGyuoKWcpdsQtMPCz-cYOOYR2iGSZVVwhhAibj5RDz1tbS3DlTQXgjkv56D3tiOyBX1KvNu4g_o9s4detIGJmE0P-3WGkW7nFb8T8RrGOkCT9yYH3lS4jogFn-eJXtW3wgTBpqm5fmYJ8/s3648/Mark%20&%20Daniel%20at%20cafe.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtCwmeFUtQtfD1MaRmLYizVRdm_-5JyYcysx1zXwOtt2z34FFGyuoKWcpdsQtMPCz-cYOOYR2iGSZVVwhhAibj5RDz1tbS3DlTQXgjkv56D3tiOyBX1KvNu4g_o9s4detIGJmE0P-3WGkW7nFb8T8RrGOkCT9yYH3lS4jogFn-eJXtW3wgTBpqm5fmYJ8/w400-h300/Mark%20&%20Daniel%20at%20cafe.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9fWdtwtjweF5L-1U7gpWnmXfyaHOOQMVpz7lPATbe57u-oozaGfc35ZwH7egckN69E1Y7rEhLgyPdn55GAS8YAhckC5p03mEifQWj5ww1POfm1jxZuEZQXJPNTwt2JoZE4h8V_BFm0exZ8AFQaduJXldsmLgW0X3NJGHOiT99TmNi0m130-02ir91ZbA/s3648/Town%20Square.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9fWdtwtjweF5L-1U7gpWnmXfyaHOOQMVpz7lPATbe57u-oozaGfc35ZwH7egckN69E1Y7rEhLgyPdn55GAS8YAhckC5p03mEifQWj5ww1POfm1jxZuEZQXJPNTwt2JoZE4h8V_BFm0exZ8AFQaduJXldsmLgW0X3NJGHOiT99TmNi0m130-02ir91ZbA/w400-h300/Town%20Square.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We finally arrived at Rogitama Lodge at 6:00. This is a property owned by a retired doctor who has taken what was originally a cow pasture and restored it to forest over the past forty years. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It had been a long day with a lot of driving, so we were happy to get into our warm, comfortable beds. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxc_Svo4kK7K1mkCwU54O2-jKV5iKckj_4MuOLuVUNZ4sW-aj9EqddBprHlOO92BVWLv8yBM_XhurG4532EB7Q2zgVCfiLbvAiyheS7RhRO_K6NG_3B5Mo47iclcGrOeOkm8IiTxR9EyJJAOIkk_MXlLD9rGPUjZ9nwfA-aYLD-xw4PKMC8g1Id3QoTQQ/s3648/Hotel%20Room.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxc_Svo4kK7K1mkCwU54O2-jKV5iKckj_4MuOLuVUNZ4sW-aj9EqddBprHlOO92BVWLv8yBM_XhurG4532EB7Q2zgVCfiLbvAiyheS7RhRO_K6NG_3B5Mo47iclcGrOeOkm8IiTxR9EyJJAOIkk_MXlLD9rGPUjZ9nwfA-aYLD-xw4PKMC8g1Id3QoTQQ/w400-h300/Hotel%20Room.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Next - Two new hummingbirds and another new hotel.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Mark & Terihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410651360395422840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767944521225965268.post-81532425648871022252023-09-28T05:00:00.011-05:002023-09-28T05:00:00.147-05:00Colombia 2023 - Day 3<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>8/24/2023 Thursday</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We had breakfast at a nearby café that was very nice. I had a breakfast tamal which had chicken, pork, carrot, peas and was wrapped in a banana leaf rather than corn husk. Quite different than the Mexican style tamales that we eat in Texas, but very good. We also picked up some sandwiches for our lunch in the field today.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We drove up the mountains to Paramo de Guasca. Paramo is a word used to describe the alpine tundra and the Andes. It is above the tree line with a specific community of plants and animals. It is generally cool and often misty.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNxDLoPYIdHMIm_CoAOGCQsxq8eJdqMs8DhR_O8sUl6U1ZD8uaLWRl0ARG_Xd63sqgXqH9SzNGc1OJsU2c0NKIAubg25xLt5XMWxqGgn2GD87UUpQXKG7XBSf7_scyg3B0AD9Yqla_o4qFuoYir6FIR1__joxrs0z3TyauiqO-2PSVYw2hNw0FAIi9NE/s3648/Mark%20&%20Daniel%20bundled%20up%20in%20the%20fog.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNxDLoPYIdHMIm_CoAOGCQsxq8eJdqMs8DhR_O8sUl6U1ZD8uaLWRl0ARG_Xd63sqgXqH9SzNGc1OJsU2c0NKIAubg25xLt5XMWxqGgn2GD87UUpQXKG7XBSf7_scyg3B0AD9Yqla_o4qFuoYir6FIR1__joxrs0z3TyauiqO-2PSVYw2hNw0FAIi9NE/w400-h300/Mark%20&%20Daniel%20bundled%20up%20in%20the%20fog.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Our first stop along the road was great with excellent looks at Black-chested Mountain Tanager and Golden-crowned Tanager. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhriA4ZXOLhM_xp72XyRZI-8DexRzLALBM8IHkdO9pKW-ByREHVl-T2SyVE-3_EfAcj0zae2Xtq_79mU7mVoPWjI2pANl1wt6SzNO91p-LFa6BUA9vKQJEzHGUhHxn3wIOnWSK7RweRwWaf3vzP5WalXn9ZlkqiE0t0Nv3hq0ykcVdSzgQnIbXCARq5cYI/s2649/Black-chested%20Mountain-Tanager%205%20-%20Guasca-Sueva,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-24-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2119" data-original-width="2649" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhriA4ZXOLhM_xp72XyRZI-8DexRzLALBM8IHkdO9pKW-ByREHVl-T2SyVE-3_EfAcj0zae2Xtq_79mU7mVoPWjI2pANl1wt6SzNO91p-LFa6BUA9vKQJEzHGUhHxn3wIOnWSK7RweRwWaf3vzP5WalXn9ZlkqiE0t0Nv3hq0ykcVdSzgQnIbXCARq5cYI/w400-h320/Black-chested%20Mountain-Tanager%205%20-%20Guasca-Sueva,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-24-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI2_7skZA4GCA4IVQlXDGWpOo5HdR3jQIovcAgizTq8Bbfgh7PVgg9MEBw1R3023Z2_O6KPNzge7IYiUPz6hb0EPCfskI8We2sO54Vvl-05U1WBGH4_x9KTxbUdO4Hpzec7wHhCv1ffiGBZ6EgoxfoHR2ViS_ZtiqnJ07u_wXTgR9c2phkWGr81MIsWrA/s2729/Black-chested%20Mountain-Tanager%20-%20Guasca-Sueva,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-24-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2184" data-original-width="2729" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI2_7skZA4GCA4IVQlXDGWpOo5HdR3jQIovcAgizTq8Bbfgh7PVgg9MEBw1R3023Z2_O6KPNzge7IYiUPz6hb0EPCfskI8We2sO54Vvl-05U1WBGH4_x9KTxbUdO4Hpzec7wHhCv1ffiGBZ6EgoxfoHR2ViS_ZtiqnJ07u_wXTgR9c2phkWGr81MIsWrA/w400-h320/Black-chested%20Mountain-Tanager%20-%20Guasca-Sueva,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-24-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Black-chested Mountain-Tanager</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEMQzxj9dMotVpHTKRFFthyKe83pQ_i77yvg204f5FQD-SmvcUUEH91gCd7orNtHJbZj-14J72hu21ztFD3MV1X_y-4WR2mtRnBM7CcpvOgvPY1aWYugmBcvgl7bhK2Wf4xBkx2Cm2mQbLiICvvMsAHYpk-p7_7zQeKf1VXyeAbjdk-lMFLabBbOigvaE/s2658/Golden-crowned%20Tanager%203%20-%20Guasca-Sueva,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-24-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2126" data-original-width="2658" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEMQzxj9dMotVpHTKRFFthyKe83pQ_i77yvg204f5FQD-SmvcUUEH91gCd7orNtHJbZj-14J72hu21ztFD3MV1X_y-4WR2mtRnBM7CcpvOgvPY1aWYugmBcvgl7bhK2Wf4xBkx2Cm2mQbLiICvvMsAHYpk-p7_7zQeKf1VXyeAbjdk-lMFLabBbOigvaE/w400-h320/Golden-crowned%20Tanager%203%20-%20Guasca-Sueva,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-24-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUWlQKAnVsLlA-8w4nzB26sHPqxIw5PYbY1bR-yB8zfXzebZg2gwd5CanLpHCoLDzb10E1ixuz7XqWNMufm8oDnbu70IBeyHV0cOhAPbZlk0EHcFGRCtjnx5PWER4H6_kUWp8LqTEEPHcKNLY6sQGbu249qK-IPV-2odD9bg78hzAPWztWr08UJcJzanI/s2929/Golden-crowned%20Tanager%20-%20Guasca-Sueva,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-24-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2344" data-original-width="2929" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUWlQKAnVsLlA-8w4nzB26sHPqxIw5PYbY1bR-yB8zfXzebZg2gwd5CanLpHCoLDzb10E1ixuz7XqWNMufm8oDnbu70IBeyHV0cOhAPbZlk0EHcFGRCtjnx5PWER4H6_kUWp8LqTEEPHcKNLY6sQGbu249qK-IPV-2odD9bg78hzAPWztWr08UJcJzanI/w400-h320/Golden-crowned%20Tanager%20-%20Guasca-Sueva,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-24-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Golden-crowned Tanager</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We also saw the endemic Bronze-tailed Thornbill, a high elevation hummingbird with a green and pink gorget. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibR8beTfrhdXW7awob2JzRi4qlrVHNVlNTNPTQm8ZnU0OvFIgUJnICwSjsnVdUX27FOyX8JNH3RxteQ8wnZ3fFLKPbs6ybE8Euiz24qxXRqWiJzPjrJjHuf-HuB5QddsoZT6JEgwcND3Ud3YxTDTjeS-ipgLZC3haw3o67wc8j7aYVSPMPhsNVh8Tefyg/s2289/Bronze-tailed%20Thornbill%202%20-%20Guasca-Sueva,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-24-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1831" data-original-width="2289" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibR8beTfrhdXW7awob2JzRi4qlrVHNVlNTNPTQm8ZnU0OvFIgUJnICwSjsnVdUX27FOyX8JNH3RxteQ8wnZ3fFLKPbs6ybE8Euiz24qxXRqWiJzPjrJjHuf-HuB5QddsoZT6JEgwcND3Ud3YxTDTjeS-ipgLZC3haw3o67wc8j7aYVSPMPhsNVh8Tefyg/w400-h320/Bronze-tailed%20Thornbill%202%20-%20Guasca-Sueva,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-24-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHcDurvu6HIyPHaEa71yKVeOpawDjEasHoO-dTfMP1apUqnUQuTKI0cgrjH7wY6HLJtsgiWHRFxOJBxB51DYnPFP4KRY8VqPpPI1HMleGBLBoBuFXAmuTLPUqmy5OD1-Kv_1TVCHxuxFVVqWRQNuWaY0IHDpjKso1bJRT1pYvFsYdAJ8-YWlNDPJFda1o/s2373/Bronze-tailed%20Thornbill%20-%20Guasca-Sueva,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-24-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1899" data-original-width="2373" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHcDurvu6HIyPHaEa71yKVeOpawDjEasHoO-dTfMP1apUqnUQuTKI0cgrjH7wY6HLJtsgiWHRFxOJBxB51DYnPFP4KRY8VqPpPI1HMleGBLBoBuFXAmuTLPUqmy5OD1-Kv_1TVCHxuxFVVqWRQNuWaY0IHDpjKso1bJRT1pYvFsYdAJ8-YWlNDPJFda1o/w400-h320/Bronze-tailed%20Thornbill%20-%20Guasca-Sueva,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-24-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Bronze-tailed Thornbill</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">A colorful Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager made an appearance, along with some less flashy birds. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMMC2uCa9lzSz7xvgk-klQUJjZHQFbHXcvSoshPuAePh4o3zaELMsM5ufb6TC5G2BNZYwTF4b3lPCl-rQAZFZEQUIrW_I67pebyH7tBE-zcQ-nZcJlJGV8uLSxGGz52yK7bCo1MnLSHPoN6MsNAh945QzCs9mnCv1S1pyrBYViHR84OZdDcb1DV1mSxTU/s2200/Scarlet-bellied%20Mountain-Tanager%20-%20Guasca-Sueva,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-24-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1760" data-original-width="2200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMMC2uCa9lzSz7xvgk-klQUJjZHQFbHXcvSoshPuAePh4o3zaELMsM5ufb6TC5G2BNZYwTF4b3lPCl-rQAZFZEQUIrW_I67pebyH7tBE-zcQ-nZcJlJGV8uLSxGGz52yK7bCo1MnLSHPoN6MsNAh945QzCs9mnCv1S1pyrBYViHR84OZdDcb1DV1mSxTU/w400-h320/Scarlet-bellied%20Mountain-Tanager%20-%20Guasca-Sueva,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-24-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBaJuwbTVuLRCEWU3wthToSWE3RRd_yutQF4cYHFA0U0sP4l6PnxG-3EgtljsMYIaON2372YuvKgV-8lCcDeTBaKqqIUx8ab7DpV556vOJIOfh2_XJVE8COMyz7YMxQjbJYlV8zboqVsro5DwPD4FXFuUfhs-TIvDVom-pOmlgbmqf31y-WSxaPCV9Ppg/s3300/Black-capped%20Tyrannulet%20-%20CO-Cundinamarca-Guasca-Unnamed%20Road%2008-24-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="3300" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBaJuwbTVuLRCEWU3wthToSWE3RRd_yutQF4cYHFA0U0sP4l6PnxG-3EgtljsMYIaON2372YuvKgV-8lCcDeTBaKqqIUx8ab7DpV556vOJIOfh2_XJVE8COMyz7YMxQjbJYlV8zboqVsro5DwPD4FXFuUfhs-TIvDVom-pOmlgbmqf31y-WSxaPCV9Ppg/w400-h309/Black-capped%20Tyrannulet%20-%20CO-Cundinamarca-Guasca-Unnamed%20Road%2008-24-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Black-capped Tyrannulet</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_2IEE_PjDrucGwIX68mOhDlfSUudeDXEtORxcRTuQtyOeWMi5hSDlcLn2tWQkGhU3yhZAgdMXsBQzQB97SafN3Sq8gbOEqZ1sHbLOF9OTpmWCn2eo-wIOWoHwURKuXcNVn26WRdiEm2i_2t3SFqOmpnQ-4QlA7rYKMIYIVKbwFSNqQIBN48LnZYKxdV4/s2679/Slaty%20Brushfinch%20-%20Guasca-Sueva,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-24-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2143" data-original-width="2679" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_2IEE_PjDrucGwIX68mOhDlfSUudeDXEtORxcRTuQtyOeWMi5hSDlcLn2tWQkGhU3yhZAgdMXsBQzQB97SafN3Sq8gbOEqZ1sHbLOF9OTpmWCn2eo-wIOWoHwURKuXcNVn26WRdiEm2i_2t3SFqOmpnQ-4QlA7rYKMIYIVKbwFSNqQIBN48LnZYKxdV4/w400-h320/Slaty%20Brushfinch%20-%20Guasca-Sueva,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-24-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Slaty Brushfinch</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfuTDSL0mscHc3mulWnWcA7FlhQqYyk6lp3cO3cLu5NbqFlbYiS8-4JsoFzLiyPmjwip3qzmzbobkM9qsK3n-q1pR9VYFFB_RdT1AOOsnmYnjUkqtZiRWfWjTfTNdvQiAjZIILSzycHfPi0mGENHbndeDuaTxnX-xUH58B9yYHxP3WM8touDyW-AyKaF8/s2394/White-chinned%20Thistletail%203%20-%20Guasca-Sueva,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-24-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1916" data-original-width="2394" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfuTDSL0mscHc3mulWnWcA7FlhQqYyk6lp3cO3cLu5NbqFlbYiS8-4JsoFzLiyPmjwip3qzmzbobkM9qsK3n-q1pR9VYFFB_RdT1AOOsnmYnjUkqtZiRWfWjTfTNdvQiAjZIILSzycHfPi0mGENHbndeDuaTxnX-xUH58B9yYHxP3WM8touDyW-AyKaF8/w400-h320/White-chinned%20Thistletail%203%20-%20Guasca-Sueva,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-24-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">White-chinned Thistletail</span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As we continued up into the paramo we entered a thick fog layer which made it difficult to see, let alone bird. So we drove over the top, and headed down the other side to what was planned to be our after-lunch birding area. This was at a lower elevation and out of the fog. It was a very pretty area.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRXouq9SpZVRl5fN6Zl4LW4hg3_qRjEA-7v6MhsEzfuvsECNU6a_lObr78abewm0F49o3kSICs7Sa-9QEwhR2vQUT_LQIZGwv2pVsRiyQi9vnO3jaqjUJCb1F8WdNbzKLSDqDSH8lusR_Q1qo8kdpaSA7RpCe3cVInFRBf5uOCcwO-Pfi_f3P6KwCx-aM/s3648/stream.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRXouq9SpZVRl5fN6Zl4LW4hg3_qRjEA-7v6MhsEzfuvsECNU6a_lObr78abewm0F49o3kSICs7Sa-9QEwhR2vQUT_LQIZGwv2pVsRiyQi9vnO3jaqjUJCb1F8WdNbzKLSDqDSH8lusR_Q1qo8kdpaSA7RpCe3cVInFRBf5uOCcwO-Pfi_f3P6KwCx-aM/w400-h300/stream.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As we were driving along Teri spotted a bird in a roadside tree. Daniel had to drive on a couple of hundred yards to find a parking place on the narrow road, and as we started to walk back we found a Black-billed Mountain-Toucan! It turned out to be the only one we'd see on the trip. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwA2xTGgdEAyeTlegKKIwXIJH9Qb2cuuE3HI12_eCr8rH4pf2QAvFRBCo9bkCGukH9GFrXJgqMJ9pbWYdnaLFZsx90bmqZyiZOOcWcm8egq8woTEwPJ9HWEo7gq6eaR4ZoH3OcfYRWob8tNLxBgPWqj7L2Fi0B9FS5j_MPVgS0pM3qoUVxAZMCj5CXaRk/s3300/Black-billed%20Mountain-Toucan%202%20-%20CO-Cundinamarca-Guasca-Unnamed%20Road%2008-24-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="3300" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwA2xTGgdEAyeTlegKKIwXIJH9Qb2cuuE3HI12_eCr8rH4pf2QAvFRBCo9bkCGukH9GFrXJgqMJ9pbWYdnaLFZsx90bmqZyiZOOcWcm8egq8woTEwPJ9HWEo7gq6eaR4ZoH3OcfYRWob8tNLxBgPWqj7L2Fi0B9FS5j_MPVgS0pM3qoUVxAZMCj5CXaRk/w400-h309/Black-billed%20Mountain-Toucan%202%20-%20CO-Cundinamarca-Guasca-Unnamed%20Road%2008-24-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdPLg7TTIAuZYUnF27XoOqQG-fATNEIJ22_NoQXEQfardIEzrDE3nXKbNYxnvbBOV8I8G_ARLKNqADPaCUgQkdS4TTnjVE16N6u0QN-MEEIourRxi5wVz9-Enxq71aJN5-zU0Dpl29ZcZIHNLbtekzJx09PWeSduj2x3zYBXE5Dp_M92BVRa0RcLItTWs/s3300/Black-billed%20Mountain-Toucan%20-%20CO-Cundinamarca-Guasca-Unnamed%20Road%2008-24-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="3300" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdPLg7TTIAuZYUnF27XoOqQG-fATNEIJ22_NoQXEQfardIEzrDE3nXKbNYxnvbBOV8I8G_ARLKNqADPaCUgQkdS4TTnjVE16N6u0QN-MEEIourRxi5wVz9-Enxq71aJN5-zU0Dpl29ZcZIHNLbtekzJx09PWeSduj2x3zYBXE5Dp_M92BVRa0RcLItTWs/w400-h309/Black-billed%20Mountain-Toucan%20-%20CO-Cundinamarca-Guasca-Unnamed%20Road%2008-24-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Black-billed Mountain-Toucan</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">One of our target birds at this location was the difficult to find Brown-breasted Parakeet. This endemic is found in only a few mountainous areas around Bogota. Daniel said that we'd likely hear them before we saw them, if we saw them at all. We'd been in the area for a couple of hours when we heard a noisy racket, and sure enough a group of eight flew into a treetop a couple of hundred meters away. We never got to see them any closer than that. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQMjhRli3PDHc0oMlb0pSDlgH0IEWcElvd1B305upt_fQhol6wKNHpFbiqMsnIxtUx0muLbX7CDgSFkoCGQoz8pkzX5WyyIo5WKU-GIVqe_ChPX7-cyLiU7eNc2LtP_hilsfwzWqiP-Ay5Y7DvEllgbnbrAyYS26m3Uoh0WYFxaTwTueKUmWQIdQJ6ovE/s3300/Brown-breasted%20Parakeet%20-%20V%C3%ADa%20sin%20nombre,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-24-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="3300" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQMjhRli3PDHc0oMlb0pSDlgH0IEWcElvd1B305upt_fQhol6wKNHpFbiqMsnIxtUx0muLbX7CDgSFkoCGQoz8pkzX5WyyIo5WKU-GIVqe_ChPX7-cyLiU7eNc2LtP_hilsfwzWqiP-Ay5Y7DvEllgbnbrAyYS26m3Uoh0WYFxaTwTueKUmWQIdQJ6ovE/w400-h309/Brown-breasted%20Parakeet%20-%20V%C3%ADa%20sin%20nombre,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%2008-24-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Brown-breasted Parakeets</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Around noon we moved on to La Guajira Nature Preserve, a small property that Daniel knew of with active hummingbird feeders. We enjoyed our lunch on the porch of the house and watched a variety of birds at the feeders and in the garden. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudtLIFEUdoIjYmj_ZrM46rT2VWV8V9Ajk3fQfgX1REmD6H6_rl3_jKlPN6LA8KyLxkm82Bhl-3VF45sGnoHMvCyMYssf2rnoyYDK6AfLgHMyTcY87NePwvI9AM1Ma3LKxlyzfGOu7J3YlBPOIau3EHdZPrTtdWqwHZD3lzLtLVQqMpTIcEOTLKkQG5Ws/s3648/lunch.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudtLIFEUdoIjYmj_ZrM46rT2VWV8V9Ajk3fQfgX1REmD6H6_rl3_jKlPN6LA8KyLxkm82Bhl-3VF45sGnoHMvCyMYssf2rnoyYDK6AfLgHMyTcY87NePwvI9AM1Ma3LKxlyzfGOu7J3YlBPOIau3EHdZPrTtdWqwHZD3lzLtLVQqMpTIcEOTLKkQG5Ws/w400-h300/lunch.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br />We saw our first Mountain Velvetbreast, a hummingbird with a downcurved bill. </span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUu6_V9dBUC-QYbDHzERAj35342-I9-7puKjyjciQ1FpHLz4cTTVgvaKiokIU3Ndi02xmzRVdLEC_3bNha3IialI4QRZVv1TIOJ1N7soUW6qPivP_vBEtjnUUYXUrIzZp2P4Q5XNV0Ix0PUuffphDYYYZ3KuSctofvMyJX0kPX_AuJodpm1km8LMn4ok4/s3300/Mountain%20Velvetbreast%20male%20-%20Reserva%20Bosque%20Guajira%2008-24-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="3300" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUu6_V9dBUC-QYbDHzERAj35342-I9-7puKjyjciQ1FpHLz4cTTVgvaKiokIU3Ndi02xmzRVdLEC_3bNha3IialI4QRZVv1TIOJ1N7soUW6qPivP_vBEtjnUUYXUrIzZp2P4Q5XNV0Ix0PUuffphDYYYZ3KuSctofvMyJX0kPX_AuJodpm1km8LMn4ok4/w400-h309/Mountain%20Velvetbreast%20male%20-%20Reserva%20Bosque%20Guajira%2008-24-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Mountain Velvetbreast - male</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhREEQpK4BKLRDtOxadL218klY_-Qpf0ly1uwIzl4wj5Rgv8_K8NlbklCQEt4RvmXs-ikcWluUgfXJXkzMHT6O5ApjT5yAUjOAITBMGcB3OqwFZrUt2f29otbqusohJEJDQMEmFF6NnQvzFoFvDdfx3wsEC9C54p1-PAz98XHkGyVhvsC7DooMHg_Wyses/s3300/Mountain%20Velvetbreast%20male%202%20-%20Reserva%20Bosque%20Guajira%2008-24-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="3300" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhREEQpK4BKLRDtOxadL218klY_-Qpf0ly1uwIzl4wj5Rgv8_K8NlbklCQEt4RvmXs-ikcWluUgfXJXkzMHT6O5ApjT5yAUjOAITBMGcB3OqwFZrUt2f29otbqusohJEJDQMEmFF6NnQvzFoFvDdfx3wsEC9C54p1-PAz98XHkGyVhvsC7DooMHg_Wyses/w400-h309/Mountain%20Velvetbreast%20male%202%20-%20Reserva%20Bosque%20Guajira%2008-24-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Mountain Velvetbreast - male</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcHQnB_0zHBPTRH7OJxj2DRzOSfMBi7-HTylOl1YK9Vcfp6F0d5gnTur6fYJtRcDlMzy2Hpw-lYYPldo62ocR6tUa32-6FtRw5afIzECAIgDID8M7kZv7Ltwtp7Mkr3du3-vl5tVwiod31QOGTshNTh3BcL0FrR5HsJM8lXaa9lf6Z0J8r4VBg_rQSxNQ/s4005/Mountain%20Velvetbreast%20female%20-%20Reserva%20Bosque%20Guajira%2008-24-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3204" data-original-width="4005" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcHQnB_0zHBPTRH7OJxj2DRzOSfMBi7-HTylOl1YK9Vcfp6F0d5gnTur6fYJtRcDlMzy2Hpw-lYYPldo62ocR6tUa32-6FtRw5afIzECAIgDID8M7kZv7Ltwtp7Mkr3du3-vl5tVwiod31QOGTshNTh3BcL0FrR5HsJM8lXaa9lf6Z0J8r4VBg_rQSxNQ/w400-h320/Mountain%20Velvetbreast%20female%20-%20Reserva%20Bosque%20Guajira%2008-24-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Mountain Velvetbreast - female</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We got much better looks at Sword-billed Hummingbirds than we'd had the previous day. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-uOTS8Zr2kP6rBl3JFoitWQFkfo2rULOfMeqt1kaLQMuF8CDindt1-rIgFPIrGIQcFDxXHdyWMnii1u0F7yRe3BfR5rGVce-BlDu6KDy6AiYXgsP2aEN2Ee42Juz0Q-q2ZxZe2hT10MH8a6DJpyqtIXxAjyYESvsFwuDnaXHtEJ7r8jGl5OVB5qji-mo/s3300/Sword-billed%20Hummingbird%20male%20-%20Reserva%20Bosque%20Guajira%2008-24-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="3300" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-uOTS8Zr2kP6rBl3JFoitWQFkfo2rULOfMeqt1kaLQMuF8CDindt1-rIgFPIrGIQcFDxXHdyWMnii1u0F7yRe3BfR5rGVce-BlDu6KDy6AiYXgsP2aEN2Ee42Juz0Q-q2ZxZe2hT10MH8a6DJpyqtIXxAjyYESvsFwuDnaXHtEJ7r8jGl5OVB5qji-mo/w400-h309/Sword-billed%20Hummingbird%20male%20-%20Reserva%20Bosque%20Guajira%2008-24-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Sword-billed Hummingbird - male</span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg87TIPIzlAWj1sPMRUyEJ7PvG2PxX8T_ytI2P2JFEcVN1oQr2MMNxW4-LRmKEB6wb1vnaB4XmsUsp2mXoMiAskxvwPRktt2WFFNpgZYNlxUqmNiOAiKT0WNocSE24cvRCCzCv7b6weTHiD4VHzI71ukMU4sU1eCxWclDsos93DUZvwsSGgKvRlXxbU8us/s6032/Sword-billed%20Hummingbird%20female%20-%20Reserva%20Bosque%20Guajira%2008-24-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4825" data-original-width="6032" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg87TIPIzlAWj1sPMRUyEJ7PvG2PxX8T_ytI2P2JFEcVN1oQr2MMNxW4-LRmKEB6wb1vnaB4XmsUsp2mXoMiAskxvwPRktt2WFFNpgZYNlxUqmNiOAiKT0WNocSE24cvRCCzCv7b6weTHiD4VHzI71ukMU4sU1eCxWclDsos93DUZvwsSGgKvRlXxbU8us/w400-h320/Sword-billed%20Hummingbird%20female%20-%20Reserva%20Bosque%20Guajira%2008-24-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Sword-billed Hummingbird - female</span></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We had a visit by a Pale-naped Brushfinch that was eating ground corn that had been put out. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLEDDVZxoy6hyUMyckhVxDLp-0OUIL8zgIbSJQ69bBENFrx0iH6pMX-sz5EAAdYCvhogAGyg28kht9AKo-MnQEyvY95GiKudhgdAmu28ooDbJghnuog3QOxOQxg4ykj-2TzgS1zPYZo7FqLUBK7ZpD5s49kErVVP8Sy6Wbx-ikUfX0lP998zW9q0q6UI/s5777/Pale-naped%20Brushfinch%20-%20Reserva%20Bosque%20Guajira%2008-24-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4621" data-original-width="5777" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLEDDVZxoy6hyUMyckhVxDLp-0OUIL8zgIbSJQ69bBENFrx0iH6pMX-sz5EAAdYCvhogAGyg28kht9AKo-MnQEyvY95GiKudhgdAmu28ooDbJghnuog3QOxOQxg4ykj-2TzgS1zPYZo7FqLUBK7ZpD5s49kErVVP8Sy6Wbx-ikUfX0lP998zW9q0q6UI/w400-h320/Pale-naped%20Brushfinch%20-%20Reserva%20Bosque%20Guajira%2008-24-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzUjVoeE9H-uUq_ysTO9VAHmLnCreQs5rPb61lGlsA_MsEbAiiVUulqAbGrdxD1CpZ4qczxz_gsWppX64u93t1nSoDQyvizR-4Jgp_GJp9oFmwyMn2d5-bt_Wlhv-9IQogOpyxa59gb7K33-3OxV9pNDF6z3trA-4n3wf1Tu4Q4o38__R8g8CzIKE6nM/s6176/Pale-naped%20Brushfinch%203%20-%20Reserva%20Bosque%20Guajira%2008-24-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4941" data-original-width="6176" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzUjVoeE9H-uUq_ysTO9VAHmLnCreQs5rPb61lGlsA_MsEbAiiVUulqAbGrdxD1CpZ4qczxz_gsWppX64u93t1nSoDQyvizR-4Jgp_GJp9oFmwyMn2d5-bt_Wlhv-9IQogOpyxa59gb7K33-3OxV9pNDF6z3trA-4n3wf1Tu4Q4o38__R8g8CzIKE6nM/w400-h320/Pale-naped%20Brushfinch%203%20-%20Reserva%20Bosque%20Guajira%2008-24-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Pale-naped Brushfinch</span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">In all we saw eleven different hummingbird species. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGq-RDIo4yWL-kj3pX4t-ODiwz_4mKAYSDzjpFw4QRVFDMWpyhAk5gxcnwan5J8GhzD2r5RUcetALXmDP8hYEJMRPbu89yXdYoZBg42y2s0WCWytUI1IQo6-JN-Cwu8z0yNmTOLq3JQjw4TQufFBvVQh_zvlOfgFjrKVPPu_ObmTBI7UxVHxCrdGw6tdg/s4969/Blue-throated%20Starfrontlet%20female%20-%20Reserva%20Bosque%20Guajira%2008-24-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3976" data-original-width="4969" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGq-RDIo4yWL-kj3pX4t-ODiwz_4mKAYSDzjpFw4QRVFDMWpyhAk5gxcnwan5J8GhzD2r5RUcetALXmDP8hYEJMRPbu89yXdYoZBg42y2s0WCWytUI1IQo6-JN-Cwu8z0yNmTOLq3JQjw4TQufFBvVQh_zvlOfgFjrKVPPu_ObmTBI7UxVHxCrdGw6tdg/w400-h320/Blue-throated%20Starfrontlet%20female%20-%20Reserva%20Bosque%20Guajira%2008-24-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Blue-throated Starfrontlet - female</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8T2YtmNWH58mvekgjEDXol_ZHzoosdUtO2wXomVN_QwFLjDIl-2-wotNQQaLkr7qgfXqH6M6IzNckG6VhPiSzMUja4f_D6asUqNPU_7ocKlMHVoGj-yxqJ9uhDCCobfBw_6HOCAYFwNd6dvaHvgd4ktD9CxaJ_sl2U2grdXmy2GUWl94-CvUdaEB1piA/s4499/Blue-throated%20Starfrontlet%20male%203%20-%20Reserva%20Bosque%20Guajira%2008-24-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3599" data-original-width="4499" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8T2YtmNWH58mvekgjEDXol_ZHzoosdUtO2wXomVN_QwFLjDIl-2-wotNQQaLkr7qgfXqH6M6IzNckG6VhPiSzMUja4f_D6asUqNPU_7ocKlMHVoGj-yxqJ9uhDCCobfBw_6HOCAYFwNd6dvaHvgd4ktD9CxaJ_sl2U2grdXmy2GUWl94-CvUdaEB1piA/w400-h320/Blue-throated%20Starfrontlet%20male%203%20-%20Reserva%20Bosque%20Guajira%2008-24-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Blue-throated Starfrontlet - male</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL8B5QPOenSdm0YAIWtzJWmhFSgBhS1ntRiySASvhkw3AT_p6oDYDZ70krvVk8HEJKqVhj3WvyFMRKxKaJi4Xkg-JqMW_a7RnKUxQG3WW4lBkk_QVNFT0ZOZabcZws_afaPRlEXHVBaLB30CzSBUZQbQPUFMLOZSI124WZGJs2LmS1ktpC68iErIMBOLc/s3300/Longuemare's%20Sunangel%20-%20CO-Cundinamarca-Guasca-Unnamed%20Road%2008-24-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="3300" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL8B5QPOenSdm0YAIWtzJWmhFSgBhS1ntRiySASvhkw3AT_p6oDYDZ70krvVk8HEJKqVhj3WvyFMRKxKaJi4Xkg-JqMW_a7RnKUxQG3WW4lBkk_QVNFT0ZOZabcZws_afaPRlEXHVBaLB30CzSBUZQbQPUFMLOZSI124WZGJs2LmS1ktpC68iErIMBOLc/w400-h309/Longuemare's%20Sunangel%20-%20CO-Cundinamarca-Guasca-Unnamed%20Road%2008-24-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Longuemare's Sunangel</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLzg2z5_oxgolxaY_YKmsnsMJ7WPEZ0DcdjlrBxMd6cTWxnmkNSPpqi9mX88Ev3vpiytIKWq9W9bZseYNgPR7GORiQXUXylgXOVBAFOXiM1Dt1YaGkarZficj3v4O5qhOD7YvW0Z2ms5WgmHHalQ41btYY3Uf1SoZRiT412z7MiMHw2spm_cMylzCy9_8/s5260/Sparkling%20Violetear%20-%20Reserva%20Bosque%20Guajira%2008-24-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4207" data-original-width="5260" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLzg2z5_oxgolxaY_YKmsnsMJ7WPEZ0DcdjlrBxMd6cTWxnmkNSPpqi9mX88Ev3vpiytIKWq9W9bZseYNgPR7GORiQXUXylgXOVBAFOXiM1Dt1YaGkarZficj3v4O5qhOD7YvW0Z2ms5WgmHHalQ41btYY3Uf1SoZRiT412z7MiMHw2spm_cMylzCy9_8/w400-h320/Sparkling%20Violetear%20-%20Reserva%20Bosque%20Guajira%2008-24-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Sparkling Violetear</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAPH77fhYxjO0MYwSUJ1mCSceCTs6fjgw6r84LI8LDUGWQcBpS9FmnSBURSGo898BqhXVlEWMLgIxcWtZqAxxqFah6ozC-_J1jDa5kIS67d4y3XDnjq6EYMA8Q127HDME1h300DNcIN49tXxaGP0B6vGXB15OvbzE0qfKzLg3lNAhDFIshQh4TKj5c4gE/s3300/Tyrian%20Metaltail%20male%20-%20Reserva%20Bosque%20Guajira%2008-24-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="3300" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAPH77fhYxjO0MYwSUJ1mCSceCTs6fjgw6r84LI8LDUGWQcBpS9FmnSBURSGo898BqhXVlEWMLgIxcWtZqAxxqFah6ozC-_J1jDa5kIS67d4y3XDnjq6EYMA8Q127HDME1h300DNcIN49tXxaGP0B6vGXB15OvbzE0qfKzLg3lNAhDFIshQh4TKj5c4gE/w400-h309/Tyrian%20Metaltail%20male%20-%20Reserva%20Bosque%20Guajira%2008-24-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Tyrian Metaltail</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We left at 1:20, did some birding along the road. Our best find was a pair of Powerful Woodpeckers. They are over a foot tall and really striking. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKByqY9_lq3XDHkOUIF7Y_IPMOwTRAxVqApTi8EoF_AOpsAL83iYPrXa1ElPk4RzAWbUf8guZfiT2hNUNA6hX0QSqvs84sA_pVZsCK7VZxdM8dB9zsn2eshAkmBYcpwB5UTljQtULX-txU7AUZ1OGZ33jkz4eL0FupCH1Wx4FWwB6GHxtGnr_HQwtH78/s2904/Powerful%20Woodpecker%20female%20-%20Unnamed%20Road,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%20(4.825,%20-73.767)%2008-24-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2324" data-original-width="2904" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKByqY9_lq3XDHkOUIF7Y_IPMOwTRAxVqApTi8EoF_AOpsAL83iYPrXa1ElPk4RzAWbUf8guZfiT2hNUNA6hX0QSqvs84sA_pVZsCK7VZxdM8dB9zsn2eshAkmBYcpwB5UTljQtULX-txU7AUZ1OGZ33jkz4eL0FupCH1Wx4FWwB6GHxtGnr_HQwtH78/w400-h320/Powerful%20Woodpecker%20female%20-%20Unnamed%20Road,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%20(4.825,%20-73.767)%2008-24-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Powerful Woodpecker - female</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF0LyqH1nLk_cJwG1lIWlQSIV4FFjyBtcp8Zq40wOGEBDlRClJ1IvC62B3zx73l50tnkBJFQcc9skTlpoxfz7NwhUt9f87Af1hEPS4KdEbukgZqp9xl8DBPNMHi6m-Z8WI9w_75AFRfrLA4fpGerRH_JMOCdHf6qf0wkHrT3tgM6vwKbpLLDyukN34ZXY/s2724/Powerful%20Woodpecker%20male%20-%20Unnamed%20Road,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%20(4.825,%20-73.767)%2008-24-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2179" data-original-width="2724" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF0LyqH1nLk_cJwG1lIWlQSIV4FFjyBtcp8Zq40wOGEBDlRClJ1IvC62B3zx73l50tnkBJFQcc9skTlpoxfz7NwhUt9f87Af1hEPS4KdEbukgZqp9xl8DBPNMHi6m-Z8WI9w_75AFRfrLA4fpGerRH_JMOCdHf6qf0wkHrT3tgM6vwKbpLLDyukN34ZXY/w400-h320/Powerful%20Woodpecker%20male%20-%20Unnamed%20Road,%20Cundinamarca,%20CO%20(4.825,%20-73.767)%2008-24-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Powerful Woodpecker - male</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The plan was to return to the Paramo and continue birding, but it was still fogged in. We stopped at a wetland overlook for a variety of common wetland birds, as well as the only Black-backed Grosbeak of the trip. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOgFQpJLv1rAq2hDsIMOV2DLpPmBAF5IZrRqyuDdRyoiI2Dky8JXdkYFZ_0eI8nEf3sNFPCL5ZQBc-ufCyJAuVCxnKflXwhbK9lcymFSNGYKMEYiK2b2QnpJnoxNzcfgnX-44V5iLtA6QFATH_qluCPx6efom72yxpgJLxZOgYJEcbTAR4r1KgiWC319U/s3104/Black-backed%20Grosbeak%202%2008-24-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2484" data-original-width="3104" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOgFQpJLv1rAq2hDsIMOV2DLpPmBAF5IZrRqyuDdRyoiI2Dky8JXdkYFZ_0eI8nEf3sNFPCL5ZQBc-ufCyJAuVCxnKflXwhbK9lcymFSNGYKMEYiK2b2QnpJnoxNzcfgnX-44V5iLtA6QFATH_qluCPx6efom72yxpgJLxZOgYJEcbTAR4r1KgiWC319U/w400-h320/Black-backed%20Grosbeak%202%2008-24-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Black-backed Grosbeak</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As we approached Guatavita we checked out a tourist attraction that we noticed on our way out this morning. It is an upside down house with a little restaurant and ice-cream booth alongside. There was no real explanation for how it came to be there, but it was interesting, and the ice-cream was refreshing!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidAeRJa3U8FdgIKNaAaH0ssfkxNtQFwzugnJsaXOHeCQH49vVd82q2qX5JG1Jlo2afFv2n-CJgPbaMQVwPZXF5mWZkht09MbmxJR_oc5mvvyCLX_8NKuo8wR6-VA-JHYXsBov_vPpd_uFtYndzldzaietiMPuRaWDHL47kd3FooQB0eeDfYFudhJjub1c/s3648/Mark%20at%20upside%20down%20house.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidAeRJa3U8FdgIKNaAaH0ssfkxNtQFwzugnJsaXOHeCQH49vVd82q2qX5JG1Jlo2afFv2n-CJgPbaMQVwPZXF5mWZkht09MbmxJR_oc5mvvyCLX_8NKuo8wR6-VA-JHYXsBov_vPpd_uFtYndzldzaietiMPuRaWDHL47kd3FooQB0eeDfYFudhJjub1c/s320/Mark%20at%20upside%20down%20house.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxEzpJqn_KnYl682yaIEL-5_dYHEJewCTduuYKypovpDDp4NhrixOIc74yUndvXrnqq0KStPAhvNelRbQkONpYbRFB49NIGeKRtUZSE_S7XHVXHBtkuuFhnha4CcYYMn6msoPAQCNmCeoFnQJDEbfCvF3319QWFHBV-uc-Qqon6UZ9X3_zjnpukHxv5Nk/s3648/Helado.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxEzpJqn_KnYl682yaIEL-5_dYHEJewCTduuYKypovpDDp4NhrixOIc74yUndvXrnqq0KStPAhvNelRbQkONpYbRFB49NIGeKRtUZSE_S7XHVXHBtkuuFhnha4CcYYMn6msoPAQCNmCeoFnQJDEbfCvF3319QWFHBV-uc-Qqon6UZ9X3_zjnpukHxv5Nk/s320/Helado.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p></p><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We returned to the hotel about 5:00. The “early” finish was a welcome treat as we were pretty pooped. We ate at the same little restaurant as the previous night, once again enjoying fresh pizza. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Next - Search for the Bogota Rail and a boat ride. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Mark & Terihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410651360395422840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767944521225965268.post-51261145506346111412023-09-23T05:00:00.000-05:002023-09-23T05:00:00.141-05:00Colombia 2023 - Day 2<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> <b>8/23/2023 Wednesday</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We had another 5:00 start, but this time with packed bags as we were heading to a new town and hotel. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Getting out of Bogota was once again a task. We headed east up and over some significant mountains. Apparently this highway is a popular and challenging road biking course, so in addition to the cars, heavy trucks, and motorcycles, there were hundreds of bicyclists testing themselves on the ascent. Some were in organized groups with trailing vehicles to block for them, while others seemed to be going it alone. Just a bit more chaos on an already chaotic road!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We stopped at a gas station/market to pick up sandwiches for lunch, along with big bottles of water and a few snacks for the next couple of days. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We arrived at Chingaza National Park at 6:40. This was high altitude, roadside birding. It was cool and breezy, but unlike the previous day sunny. The sun is really intense on the equator at this altitude of 11,000+ feet!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGRjODJfAyEmiBN9-JBU1i4UuCIgF0QMmzFGYEdRmjr9DdCar4gtvbcK2tNAzTwbcR89xFtpWMuDHFKQNKwyYDJ8HqnxGASf58wKm5NlrClAkqvUHZSDTcdafgTe-yS2Mkcpu5DuKiOfk-kILSr1bP3XkMMZBkaFTe8pm21mgUrxfglI2TrMvoaN6tQNg/s3648/Chingaza%20NP%20sign.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGRjODJfAyEmiBN9-JBU1i4UuCIgF0QMmzFGYEdRmjr9DdCar4gtvbcK2tNAzTwbcR89xFtpWMuDHFKQNKwyYDJ8HqnxGASf58wKm5NlrClAkqvUHZSDTcdafgTe-yS2Mkcpu5DuKiOfk-kILSr1bP3XkMMZBkaFTe8pm21mgUrxfglI2TrMvoaN6tQNg/w400-h300/Chingaza%20NP%20sign.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4wwtyra_-O2pQn1sBW87a08WAvAji-X_9500Lxqh0r8gZ4nL9U8wCxsum6ihm5kFrO-fCM5FCxDbcRz4MVpRQoQl1Vliv9ZYaGzeFd3IKj4LjpS5kSfWKUWbHRNTJXuoYQmaDPniOEQmLu1aBibsa3q_8QWPzz-i69pz1_QuDDGK4dnRMjYZfzfJhPMs/s3648/Mark%20on%20the%20paramo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4wwtyra_-O2pQn1sBW87a08WAvAji-X_9500Lxqh0r8gZ4nL9U8wCxsum6ihm5kFrO-fCM5FCxDbcRz4MVpRQoQl1Vliv9ZYaGzeFd3IKj4LjpS5kSfWKUWbHRNTJXuoYQmaDPniOEQmLu1aBibsa3q_8QWPzz-i69pz1_QuDDGK4dnRMjYZfzfJhPMs/w400-h300/Mark%20on%20the%20paramo.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We started out with some very nice birds. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJHk2VwQR7SEWMZ_EkcaVxs5fdHTi-q6cIbHrgaWmpXRLCYYPtzcPoJD4Q1TQ35upRA9YUcJEdPdpVnSkGNBe0DmJ9U8thdenhd0uGhthOREgq9V2Zj44bKbMq4woZzoAceGbgkgTfxGb4RJ6skj4c2HEiEp9w2GVfS4BPCxDS4iFRcu7om1oCc6BtZg/s4631/Bluish%20Flowerpiercer%20-%20Via%20Santa%20Elena%20y%20Chingaza,%20Cundinamarca%2008-23-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3705" data-original-width="4631" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJHk2VwQR7SEWMZ_EkcaVxs5fdHTi-q6cIbHrgaWmpXRLCYYPtzcPoJD4Q1TQ35upRA9YUcJEdPdpVnSkGNBe0DmJ9U8thdenhd0uGhthOREgq9V2Zj44bKbMq4woZzoAceGbgkgTfxGb4RJ6skj4c2HEiEp9w2GVfS4BPCxDS4iFRcu7om1oCc6BtZg/w400-h320/Bluish%20Flowerpiercer%20-%20Via%20Santa%20Elena%20y%20Chingaza,%20Cundinamarca%2008-23-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Bluish Flowerpiercer</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2eHik846gOcbTX5-EoNSFJjLV_ndw312jkTy8MttBNLcVU8CGbJyyvdP18B5n5QDX-l8G1EsjHs6Rb9lwKGounqSMrK-94C8XmSWD3FzxodyCYuhN2iUZhaV6POI5t73bK9MylNjxrks0H7kV1ec0frhdNKX5xC7-NLmWpxQnG_fhelneTBPiWdK8i-U/s3495/Great%20Thrush%20male%20-%20Via%20Santa%20Elena%20y%20Chingaza,%20Cundinamarca%2008-23-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2797" data-original-width="3495" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2eHik846gOcbTX5-EoNSFJjLV_ndw312jkTy8MttBNLcVU8CGbJyyvdP18B5n5QDX-l8G1EsjHs6Rb9lwKGounqSMrK-94C8XmSWD3FzxodyCYuhN2iUZhaV6POI5t73bK9MylNjxrks0H7kV1ec0frhdNKX5xC7-NLmWpxQnG_fhelneTBPiWdK8i-U/w400-h320/Great%20Thrush%20male%20-%20Via%20Santa%20Elena%20y%20Chingaza,%20Cundinamarca%2008-23-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Great Thrush - male</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_lO3SkYgaotLnlHlTg0HD8k4ry2gAQhtOIjZsVs7rypOWBVzYYdDrZqBcexUSP7MZVi2qJ6YSpT6-nRGLQnR13uaSe-VQJWlY4Nez_OLUUgNWf383kZA3k48LsxvZhptXeR9aN1MAsWMFHfLSXdwYZw_QzCBh0a9jkvhxkU4x3jUEDxLx9W73EkyRYA/s4884/Black-crested%20Warbler%202%20-%20Via%20Santa%20Elena%20y%20Chingaza,%20Cundinamarca%2008-23-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3906" data-original-width="4884" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_lO3SkYgaotLnlHlTg0HD8k4ry2gAQhtOIjZsVs7rypOWBVzYYdDrZqBcexUSP7MZVi2qJ6YSpT6-nRGLQnR13uaSe-VQJWlY4Nez_OLUUgNWf383kZA3k48LsxvZhptXeR9aN1MAsWMFHfLSXdwYZw_QzCBh0a9jkvhxkU4x3jUEDxLx9W73EkyRYA/w400-h320/Black-crested%20Warbler%202%20-%20Via%20Santa%20Elena%20y%20Chingaza,%20Cundinamarca%2008-23-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Black-crested Warbler</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpqKNNBA-q9v7UHoOH45jNiy3fbJuE86khLbPELaY80IQacg_JoQSwHKfEVdOxJxu-i06FuWKBKilfOb42xbtf-KIfw6zyZ7udglr0fOmJHEaoSIASjEtUzflEEnrOfWbJ-MUTSTXkbRWyBFaF7ty_lPTZdcIAPU6ns9XW8L8SUAlcCAZu_AMA8OgLlU/s3676/Black-crested%20Warbler%203%20-%20Via%20Santa%20Elena%20y%20Chingaza,%20Cundinamarca%2008-23-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2941" data-original-width="3676" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpqKNNBA-q9v7UHoOH45jNiy3fbJuE86khLbPELaY80IQacg_JoQSwHKfEVdOxJxu-i06FuWKBKilfOb42xbtf-KIfw6zyZ7udglr0fOmJHEaoSIASjEtUzflEEnrOfWbJ-MUTSTXkbRWyBFaF7ty_lPTZdcIAPU6ns9XW8L8SUAlcCAZu_AMA8OgLlU/w400-h320/Black-crested%20Warbler%203%20-%20Via%20Santa%20Elena%20y%20Chingaza,%20Cundinamarca%2008-23-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Black-crested Warbler</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It is amazing that at these high elevations we still find hummingbirds. In fact, some species are found only in these zones. The Glowing Puffleg male was especially nice and you can see the big white leg "puffs" that give it part of its name. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrwKB1fZ2kJH9pX72IM36zPznVkYu6ssKyY4gwEQc0j_lHqGfwQztcKuQjmD25E7P8XKT-y6IKCrJOEZHa02RYzGwfdw4uOoJzD2_7eTno5PWlC2rZST-dRjgnL4XNS8zhcjPBj7zNcmOxG86-n8NyAcS3XczfNWtsZAM-OnjDeXGiWui9Lzy8USHLdMM/s2555/Glowing%20Puffleg%20male%202%20-%20Via%20Santa%20Elena%20y%20Chingaza,%20Cundinamarca%2008-23-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2043" data-original-width="2555" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrwKB1fZ2kJH9pX72IM36zPznVkYu6ssKyY4gwEQc0j_lHqGfwQztcKuQjmD25E7P8XKT-y6IKCrJOEZHa02RYzGwfdw4uOoJzD2_7eTno5PWlC2rZST-dRjgnL4XNS8zhcjPBj7zNcmOxG86-n8NyAcS3XczfNWtsZAM-OnjDeXGiWui9Lzy8USHLdMM/w400-h320/Glowing%20Puffleg%20male%202%20-%20Via%20Santa%20Elena%20y%20Chingaza,%20Cundinamarca%2008-23-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Glowing Puffleg</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhkvhnUDiIsNa9NylR90v3ASy_ES7oI1A6uUDYDqhL7dgrn-vTEQSIxPXiG5ES2uIt0LAUNVqByEYVoeVEgWzgG6ari9_Tqa3yB4Fuw3qAx9P5uFXV-7JOR_Azl4i-NIdCmp79qk1L1c69T7Ec3lllgFnl02JznpYEIpToqws82F1HTlXMNN9rRHLvqpQ/s2453/Glowing%20Puffleg%20male%20-%20Via%20Santa%20Elena%20y%20Chingaza,%20Cundinamarca%2008-23-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1962" data-original-width="2453" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhkvhnUDiIsNa9NylR90v3ASy_ES7oI1A6uUDYDqhL7dgrn-vTEQSIxPXiG5ES2uIt0LAUNVqByEYVoeVEgWzgG6ari9_Tqa3yB4Fuw3qAx9P5uFXV-7JOR_Azl4i-NIdCmp79qk1L1c69T7Ec3lllgFnl02JznpYEIpToqws82F1HTlXMNN9rRHLvqpQ/w400-h320/Glowing%20Puffleg%20male%20-%20Via%20Santa%20Elena%20y%20Chingaza,%20Cundinamarca%2008-23-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Glowing puffleg</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As we moved up in the elevation and the day warmed it got quiet, and Daniel decided that the sunny, windy conditions were not in our favor at these high elevations. So we backtracked a bit down to a lower elevation road to explore some more sheltered areas. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">On our way down we spotted a Tawny Antpitta. Antpittas are generally secretive and hard to see, but this one cooperated nicely. Perhaps because it was carrying a nice breakfast?</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir2wUSiFSxheKPqifX-zO_cw2kHyv3D1z6B1QLbb5aCo5i7PwiIERoDpSqZkUIoKuXZtB9Jag67S1vuRsUkPal_Qoeb_vxmG7nzs2n9fHrpkCeJG1IKtKnEVoUpW7P42fUS0tE3AswGM6tDJmzUG9YtJB7q3Ff5TDG7P0M54S4EkB2ALjJG1DQgg2UqYk/s3312/Tawny%20Antpitta%202%20-%20PNN%20Chingaza--entrance%20road%20Piedras%20Gordas%2008-23-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2650" data-original-width="3312" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir2wUSiFSxheKPqifX-zO_cw2kHyv3D1z6B1QLbb5aCo5i7PwiIERoDpSqZkUIoKuXZtB9Jag67S1vuRsUkPal_Qoeb_vxmG7nzs2n9fHrpkCeJG1IKtKnEVoUpW7P42fUS0tE3AswGM6tDJmzUG9YtJB7q3Ff5TDG7P0M54S4EkB2ALjJG1DQgg2UqYk/w400-h320/Tawny%20Antpitta%202%20-%20PNN%20Chingaza--entrance%20road%20Piedras%20Gordas%2008-23-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Tawny Antpitta</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As Daniel had predicted birding was better down out of the wind, and we started seeing good birds once again. </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFALm4FiIMpp2TcI4uO2yM1BHcEPrwfys0fu-kWRvjvWV1uaRDUQdmVRO0ScClN6MwfFxDYC1UFcr54Cw3Xgmyc_LO5fP3Z6e0BsvHpkWcso6eHJvZSvbncpjOn1hB0hvqPYErkuyCpQLeAslvurucV9qwKi-eNhGMXtpEJhBpJJTRoq8-dYczS9LgcFU/s2854/Brown-backed%20Chat-Tyrant%20-%20PNN%20Chingaza--entrance%20road%20Piedras%20Gordas%2008-23-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2283" data-original-width="2854" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFALm4FiIMpp2TcI4uO2yM1BHcEPrwfys0fu-kWRvjvWV1uaRDUQdmVRO0ScClN6MwfFxDYC1UFcr54Cw3Xgmyc_LO5fP3Z6e0BsvHpkWcso6eHJvZSvbncpjOn1hB0hvqPYErkuyCpQLeAslvurucV9qwKi-eNhGMXtpEJhBpJJTRoq8-dYczS9LgcFU/w400-h320/Brown-backed%20Chat-Tyrant%20-%20PNN%20Chingaza--entrance%20road%20Piedras%20Gordas%2008-23-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4bF5O9dMsluEB3u1u445x8CQX22ANEi3X1wje3HzMl8y4SWfLSLNde_fI4qlJ575fPhyntcMrHAyHgK08cu0WpjZL8d5iRagYpvPh3cC0sTkq7brUkZJSFKLSp_y05zOVG6HBOStcs7I5xL_FjbgWl77CJKXehbBx7VTsZFWl2L_ZKRuaFg3n5rOnTWg/s2848/Rufous-breasted%20Chat-Tyrant%20-%20PNN%20Chingaza--entrance%20road%20Piedras%20Gordas%2008-23-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2278" data-original-width="2848" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4bF5O9dMsluEB3u1u445x8CQX22ANEi3X1wje3HzMl8y4SWfLSLNde_fI4qlJ575fPhyntcMrHAyHgK08cu0WpjZL8d5iRagYpvPh3cC0sTkq7brUkZJSFKLSp_y05zOVG6HBOStcs7I5xL_FjbgWl77CJKXehbBx7VTsZFWl2L_ZKRuaFg3n5rOnTWg/w400-h320/Rufous-breasted%20Chat-Tyrant%20-%20PNN%20Chingaza--entrance%20road%20Piedras%20Gordas%2008-23-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqzdhT8sMb-Qwvyz-b5AlLkDnSEJy4bmSWDsuDbMOee-cKTc3QwTYl5aRHlDMWPE_Fd9Al-KfVKlj9QG0aBiNHz0AkNULmp2IqYPIlaNOcC7qaltw_8feDneghnx5T-jiDH700WjbJFIdWFowhH_IImZcD-SV3oJVmm-bXyByZYxyz07NKmGkuAN-CHqk/s2943/Red-crested%20Cotinga%20-%20PNN%20Chingaza--entrance%20road%20Piedras%20Gordas%2008-23-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2354" data-original-width="2943" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqzdhT8sMb-Qwvyz-b5AlLkDnSEJy4bmSWDsuDbMOee-cKTc3QwTYl5aRHlDMWPE_Fd9Al-KfVKlj9QG0aBiNHz0AkNULmp2IqYPIlaNOcC7qaltw_8feDneghnx5T-jiDH700WjbJFIdWFowhH_IImZcD-SV3oJVmm-bXyByZYxyz07NKmGkuAN-CHqk/w400-h320/Red-crested%20Cotinga%20-%20PNN%20Chingaza--entrance%20road%20Piedras%20Gordas%2008-23-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Red-crested Cotinga</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Guides sometimes play a Pygmy-Owl call as a way to attract birds. The other birds don't want the owl in their area as it is a predator, and will come to chase the owl away. But sometimes, you end up attracting the real thing, which is always a treat!</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_8SAhohTbJlZGfcIL5ZIk-6PDuR-DjKkhO8ygl3Dv9Mexyu5TgwgGVEesd-4X2iWLXNmkTn6wh6kX9TSZm0hcnYoLLymEqc_O7JVwuydA8y2myG9-9m_OSdKYL8PN9bW6lDYpFPzj3bz-2gr92PTMyKvYeKbKkt4Xwb0PdN79asBrbH_nBpSotQMfXnU/s2340/Andean%20Pygmy-Owl%203%20-%20PNN%20Chingaza--entrance%20road%20Piedras%20Gordas%2008-23-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1872" data-original-width="2340" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_8SAhohTbJlZGfcIL5ZIk-6PDuR-DjKkhO8ygl3Dv9Mexyu5TgwgGVEesd-4X2iWLXNmkTn6wh6kX9TSZm0hcnYoLLymEqc_O7JVwuydA8y2myG9-9m_OSdKYL8PN9bW6lDYpFPzj3bz-2gr92PTMyKvYeKbKkt4Xwb0PdN79asBrbH_nBpSotQMfXnU/w400-h320/Andean%20Pygmy-Owl%203%20-%20PNN%20Chingaza--entrance%20road%20Piedras%20Gordas%2008-23-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Andean Pygmy-Owl</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeY-3MPEBsW1oVwtihuaWRR-1KuWVXvE3RWORtSdS9FXtEURcUaPIzVhypAVVw9XhAL5kBIVgopw0Ruh4NMx-ALuhqG4yZmAHskm4V0peon8dzXOByODafaKBexkzp1mS2OrYDzynMrCKPitCLfUdCM9zArVTDV5NhVEiRV8SPxD2Dv2JjHn56yV4Okt8/s2295/Andean%20Pygmy-Owl%202%20-%20PNN%20Chingaza--entrance%20road%20Piedras%20Gordas%2008-23-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1835" data-original-width="2295" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeY-3MPEBsW1oVwtihuaWRR-1KuWVXvE3RWORtSdS9FXtEURcUaPIzVhypAVVw9XhAL5kBIVgopw0Ruh4NMx-ALuhqG4yZmAHskm4V0peon8dzXOByODafaKBexkzp1mS2OrYDzynMrCKPitCLfUdCM9zArVTDV5NhVEiRV8SPxD2Dv2JjHn56yV4Okt8/w400-h320/Andean%20Pygmy-Owl%202%20-%20PNN%20Chingaza--entrance%20road%20Piedras%20Gordas%2008-23-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Andean Pygmy-Owl</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">All Pygmy-Owls (there are many species) feature a pair of "eye spots" in the back of their heads. It is thought that these protect the small owls from attacks from behind. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCrFjTfffxqRxydRSKVXVgBX61ZAOHPBsOR3YE5z63Ai21lRWzMnzNAnIIuIE0A_5_dluzDY0RXSIg165fampw1PFrSQnjUfwAS57gnw0vAgTOkffcwUE9eg89VFQOkiqgV-YyKDaiH3Gw21_KH5MZcJuEQ8F8p4WXnQlT-mHJ-_mc2kZ2CwtTk2hJAYk/s2110/Andean%20Pygmy-Owl%204%20-%20PNN%20Chingaza--entrance%20road%20Piedras%20Gordas%2008-23-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1688" data-original-width="2110" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCrFjTfffxqRxydRSKVXVgBX61ZAOHPBsOR3YE5z63Ai21lRWzMnzNAnIIuIE0A_5_dluzDY0RXSIg165fampw1PFrSQnjUfwAS57gnw0vAgTOkffcwUE9eg89VFQOkiqgV-YyKDaiH3Gw21_KH5MZcJuEQ8F8p4WXnQlT-mHJ-_mc2kZ2CwtTk2hJAYk/w400-h320/Andean%20Pygmy-Owl%204%20-%20PNN%20Chingaza--entrance%20road%20Piedras%20Gordas%2008-23-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Andean Pygmy-Owl</span></div><div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As planned we ate our lunch in the field. It was cool, sunny, green and a lovely spot to enjoy. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoSvyr9mHcTtlWoKl9hBbmRw-dULJtCOrXIQHU5v66TQ3TG8fl9Rj8WBNab1e2HZGxJv878OWWwgUjhTAzMkYYjX7yuaZ0hhauTQYe1tsDtPAgynhWSrlfhed_hEz7nEW0vT5tp4h265l8-h2NUYWXHk-pDkyPEKHsthZKRrVHBPr2dqWk2KwpncJBSBg/s3648/Lunchtime.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoSvyr9mHcTtlWoKl9hBbmRw-dULJtCOrXIQHU5v66TQ3TG8fl9Rj8WBNab1e2HZGxJv878OWWwgUjhTAzMkYYjX7yuaZ0hhauTQYe1tsDtPAgynhWSrlfhed_hEz7nEW0vT5tp4h265l8-h2NUYWXHk-pDkyPEKHsthZKRrVHBPr2dqWk2KwpncJBSBg/w400-h300/Lunchtime.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We always look for plantain chips when we're in Central or South America, and we'd picked some up for lunch. Daniel had picked up some of his favorite, chicken-flavored potato chips! We each tried them. Teri liked them ok, but I wasn't a fan.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpOvlhz089oiwujVwjj4HN_p6QfpXsfF6QzKpcvtyQg-sbQ7EXcp9v3UqSiV68m80IKQcvl3qyN0AJ_dpSrbGj8m_DNduKV_ByKYsg1OYK3l4L8b-nBGjhDQJyUSx25yTyuoL2Mfcsd_NEseQ8UBn4RHywbkDYKM61ScjR6ZeKU6GXzQXgWe3w1WK1kcY/s3648/Chicken%20flavored%20potato%20chips.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpOvlhz089oiwujVwjj4HN_p6QfpXsfF6QzKpcvtyQg-sbQ7EXcp9v3UqSiV68m80IKQcvl3qyN0AJ_dpSrbGj8m_DNduKV_ByKYsg1OYK3l4L8b-nBGjhDQJyUSx25yTyuoL2Mfcsd_NEseQ8UBn4RHywbkDYKM61ScjR6ZeKU6GXzQXgWe3w1WK1kcY/w400-h300/Chicken%20flavored%20potato%20chips.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS5H6toEbuk22zk85HhFN2DN6KQZe1yBGyOJyXYQX4M3rBjSWQ5ITl5LBwD104NYKI8TZDVk0WzdR6ZdJ5SqZG3rJWV2Ebj9NwgmB4iIgEnrwkjzMYB62c3G7zTsQ5xa7x2pqWi34o5pzvO-tukbnMKonbXgBxW_YNyc-WJBhhtZl5VQiOJRh9vEoWe1I/s3648/Plantain%20chips.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS5H6toEbuk22zk85HhFN2DN6KQZe1yBGyOJyXYQX4M3rBjSWQ5ITl5LBwD104NYKI8TZDVk0WzdR6ZdJ5SqZG3rJWV2Ebj9NwgmB4iIgEnrwkjzMYB62c3G7zTsQ5xa7x2pqWi34o5pzvO-tukbnMKonbXgBxW_YNyc-WJBhhtZl5VQiOJRh9vEoWe1I/w400-h300/Plantain%20chips.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">And for dessert, Happy Black cookies. High in sugar, high in sodium, and high in saturated fat! They were good...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNTlWDUtiFvxJNB_wFYkPJEdoZZmcFcfvjw8bvNvDr0HTkVu4LPsizSpH_uUJVk5bwTm3s328QoIJG0qkBLDEXJWniErWbILkk7V5RvrjjwkeTc3vVJiY1O2dWDzhg86rmXtsVIUOCaNgv5JPRAsVMRo-LjKlrGdPmUIeSpjXGc_831K3JEVH3lBBepF4/s3420/Cookie%20package.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3420" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNTlWDUtiFvxJNB_wFYkPJEdoZZmcFcfvjw8bvNvDr0HTkVu4LPsizSpH_uUJVk5bwTm3s328QoIJG0qkBLDEXJWniErWbILkk7V5RvrjjwkeTc3vVJiY1O2dWDzhg86rmXtsVIUOCaNgv5JPRAsVMRo-LjKlrGdPmUIeSpjXGc_831K3JEVH3lBBepF4/w400-h320/Cookie%20package.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">After lunch we headed to Observatorio de Colibres (Hummingbird Observatory) at Finca Muchareja, arriving at 3:30. This was the home and gardens of a successful local artist. She has hummingbird feeders hanging throughout the garden, and allows visitors (for a fee!). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">There was a warning sign regarding the dog that got our attention!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilf-3YY2UDPJYfemq-hgcImvm9KvmFYIQ4Wtrqu-kDIADVSA1V6QVsU2xel9oBwA8NrAoerm6zBye6GJEXbg-1GkJ_T-vzaOkfQZS0cZ3OGKbnVK9sDMb8SjIgnecBFhaut6i70-0ERggBMWDpSIgMbDXv-73ksfWh2CBolpy6qfkltrM_1zGZOEZtBPQ/s3648/Dog%20sign.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilf-3YY2UDPJYfemq-hgcImvm9KvmFYIQ4Wtrqu-kDIADVSA1V6QVsU2xel9oBwA8NrAoerm6zBye6GJEXbg-1GkJ_T-vzaOkfQZS0cZ3OGKbnVK9sDMb8SjIgnecBFhaut6i70-0ERggBMWDpSIgMbDXv-73ksfWh2CBolpy6qfkltrM_1zGZOEZtBPQ/w400-h300/Dog%20sign.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Avoid physical, eye, or voice contact with the dogs. Yikes! We never saw a dog, so we were safe...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Our main target here was the Blue-throated Starfrontlet, a species of hummingbird. It seemed that every part of their body showed some color of iridescence. Just amazing. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoXUvNYDC09jsXuv2Cr8A3Ar8NhFkpBmZE5keT8QvM4ZDA5BnIcpbdOFIS90b507gCCMMtQP_U3ZhgAI-n62eX69WR24d3HGEuXfMHtum9jMvqTA14xUM9_Ky9VY-9kI4Q74ugOu8DNLv6reXnGwoyjSxwN3KoTeZySYw1kuo1Y-RN30zaHSRBP0VbYAw/s6830/Blue-throated%20Starfrontlet%202%20-%20Finca%20La%20Muchareja%20-%20Observatorio%20de%20Colibr%C3%ADes%2008-23-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5464" data-original-width="6830" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoXUvNYDC09jsXuv2Cr8A3Ar8NhFkpBmZE5keT8QvM4ZDA5BnIcpbdOFIS90b507gCCMMtQP_U3ZhgAI-n62eX69WR24d3HGEuXfMHtum9jMvqTA14xUM9_Ky9VY-9kI4Q74ugOu8DNLv6reXnGwoyjSxwN3KoTeZySYw1kuo1Y-RN30zaHSRBP0VbYAw/w400-h320/Blue-throated%20Starfrontlet%202%20-%20Finca%20La%20Muchareja%20-%20Observatorio%20de%20Colibr%C3%ADes%2008-23-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDj6gYFRT51tsHLaMP_t4_vu8WVpG2cDt-GjN_QThTmnZQsN-7NHVqFaaacIbMFV8_nZUQwZb4IQ-t4j3ibbRu9QUGXoSD4ECaZdqZUjFh9uFgUCY8nFMJZxSWCcIQWZWH8qr05f35RaGr9vPBPmsbsmDyOVWc4U2t9KGHGSo78ZG8UdyFkV-1QF-ZuVE/s6521/Blue-throated%20Starfrontlet%203%20-%20Finca%20La%20Muchareja%20-%20Observatorio%20de%20Colibr%C3%ADes%2008-23-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5217" data-original-width="6521" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDj6gYFRT51tsHLaMP_t4_vu8WVpG2cDt-GjN_QThTmnZQsN-7NHVqFaaacIbMFV8_nZUQwZb4IQ-t4j3ibbRu9QUGXoSD4ECaZdqZUjFh9uFgUCY8nFMJZxSWCcIQWZWH8qr05f35RaGr9vPBPmsbsmDyOVWc4U2t9KGHGSo78ZG8UdyFkV-1QF-ZuVE/w400-h320/Blue-throated%20Starfrontlet%203%20-%20Finca%20La%20Muchareja%20-%20Observatorio%20de%20Colibr%C3%ADes%2008-23-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Blue-throated Starfrontlet - male</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The gardens were very nice, with plenty of different hummingbird species to see.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEingyBJLicsHKwFqWnlm93YK21fbCsgCkqcU6AIs6dRBflR2uwGrzUYieuqbPRlSzhWw5-9-Vlaorw9EObXxEv2NjCPbCZMqdh9d9YGEyccDMuvDGGxZYneK3SWPw-k_1foVP4F4o3BpdP04k-KVV39KnYh3b7Lnw_25gRoVPX7YtBqMMwVr-7q2AlSD24/s3648/MArk%20&%20Daniel%20in%20garden.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEingyBJLicsHKwFqWnlm93YK21fbCsgCkqcU6AIs6dRBflR2uwGrzUYieuqbPRlSzhWw5-9-Vlaorw9EObXxEv2NjCPbCZMqdh9d9YGEyccDMuvDGGxZYneK3SWPw-k_1foVP4F4o3BpdP04k-KVV39KnYh3b7Lnw_25gRoVPX7YtBqMMwVr-7q2AlSD24/w400-h300/MArk%20&%20Daniel%20in%20garden.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Some had long tails, others long bills. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUS2ObeYua5w-niinmjK7udtNoJ03OEeolFft_h1xoCiPcCyC9IKvuKjHwXAb7A-GKI0v4FfsEx2m8Vb4RwEGb2RVgRmi6f8PTo9ZNAqNpNdYrize4yxBz3POWa1I3mW90egQHgJz0YANR6eFWvEU1c8GepyeAimDwSVV16e-OjQxDAT6tDJBgXH20xVs/s4819/Black-tailed%20Trainbearer%20female%20-%20Finca%20La%20Muchareja%20-%20Observatorio%20de%20Colibr%C3%ADes%2008-22-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3855" data-original-width="4819" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUS2ObeYua5w-niinmjK7udtNoJ03OEeolFft_h1xoCiPcCyC9IKvuKjHwXAb7A-GKI0v4FfsEx2m8Vb4RwEGb2RVgRmi6f8PTo9ZNAqNpNdYrize4yxBz3POWa1I3mW90egQHgJz0YANR6eFWvEU1c8GepyeAimDwSVV16e-OjQxDAT6tDJBgXH20xVs/w400-h320/Black-tailed%20Trainbearer%20female%20-%20Finca%20La%20Muchareja%20-%20Observatorio%20de%20Colibr%C3%ADes%2008-22-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Black-tailed Trainbearer - female</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg52ZesEEdr24kjx-PglzI3v3ZJx--uTNusfSt9LNMzqK03m_Vt6gKAPXJVFic85-jkJlW9FQG8YXRP1wrCOC_WLyTWa-s1oXXapMPUefEo9I5wPvXlLDa8jRQF3CeinYcltAQafkK5DkTL8JFr-MYWznHU5ayfcoHo492at8-sXFvEjfsJ7MbW-X4WGWc/s5273/Black-tailed%20Trainbearer%20male%20-%20Finca%20La%20Muchareja%20-%20Observatorio%20de%20Colibr%C3%ADes%2008-22-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4218" data-original-width="5273" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg52ZesEEdr24kjx-PglzI3v3ZJx--uTNusfSt9LNMzqK03m_Vt6gKAPXJVFic85-jkJlW9FQG8YXRP1wrCOC_WLyTWa-s1oXXapMPUefEo9I5wPvXlLDa8jRQF3CeinYcltAQafkK5DkTL8JFr-MYWznHU5ayfcoHo492at8-sXFvEjfsJ7MbW-X4WGWc/w400-h320/Black-tailed%20Trainbearer%20male%20-%20Finca%20La%20Muchareja%20-%20Observatorio%20de%20Colibr%C3%ADes%2008-22-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Black-tailed Trainbearer - male<span style="text-align: left;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5tPjfcpMifEHPqFXkZO5ytTvPKigsILQGmuCvFoaOH14SswdN09CTKeFu6GNA_IWNkAi4dGYGn-IwD0zarqq5EsUfJYvH3QGgaRwXZWgRGEgysSIzqD2fOq00kFP1FrsWywzolzQKNzamb5wozIRLztafn1Qpy_BLqYB2AJOWVAwohJRPAq5ApQddCxw/s2457/Sword-billed%20Hummingbird%20-%20Finca%20La%20Muchareja%20-%20Observatorio%20de%20Colibr%C3%ADes%2008-23-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1965" data-original-width="2457" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5tPjfcpMifEHPqFXkZO5ytTvPKigsILQGmuCvFoaOH14SswdN09CTKeFu6GNA_IWNkAi4dGYGn-IwD0zarqq5EsUfJYvH3QGgaRwXZWgRGEgysSIzqD2fOq00kFP1FrsWywzolzQKNzamb5wozIRLztafn1Qpy_BLqYB2AJOWVAwohJRPAq5ApQddCxw/w400-h320/Sword-billed%20Hummingbird%20-%20Finca%20La%20Muchareja%20-%20Observatorio%20de%20Colibr%C3%ADes%2008-23-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Sword-billed Hummingbird</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We saw the second largest hummingbird in South America, the Great Sapphirewing, which is about 7" long. And we saw the tiny White-bellied Woodstar, which is only 2.5" long.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzfNgytYuzx_qtZmOaOKow7M5f-blZ5ZSx3LDFzNAd0ysanxsQRw-TWE-U3JhRICXSTbZI3WkhvEEaKKAwlHTjeW8YCwKkZVCDhZVzZLOpv23NtuilT2lNUc8yMJ6g4JvufOkuIDuxw1VrQLWBBEsTNUSjCv4yQsaXPy-dcyV0BGrsBIbCWLi6Iv63hDA/s5834/Great%20Sapphirewing%20male%202%20-%20Finca%20La%20Muchareja%20-%20Observatorio%20de%20Colibr%C3%ADes%2008-23-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4668" data-original-width="5834" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzfNgytYuzx_qtZmOaOKow7M5f-blZ5ZSx3LDFzNAd0ysanxsQRw-TWE-U3JhRICXSTbZI3WkhvEEaKKAwlHTjeW8YCwKkZVCDhZVzZLOpv23NtuilT2lNUc8yMJ6g4JvufOkuIDuxw1VrQLWBBEsTNUSjCv4yQsaXPy-dcyV0BGrsBIbCWLi6Iv63hDA/w400-h320/Great%20Sapphirewing%20male%202%20-%20Finca%20La%20Muchareja%20-%20Observatorio%20de%20Colibr%C3%ADes%2008-23-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Great Sapphirewing - male</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihlM5ZIFLoNh94cZw0Paee-gPbpA-KOBtZbcewKl7RTgQHzJfUzne3XyTRkNCnxpzomtt-yRJ20EHMmJl6KicQiy9swykE_lRoko1nww0CpurwcU_eU99wPWDWFv8s8gQzhlmn63iTTa51tTdA4cjjkfPe-hjbQIP1dqbVXMzh6e1---woPeH6PtYsKEQ/s4170/White-bellied%20Woodstar%20female%20-%20Finca%20La%20Muchareja%20-%20Observatorio%20de%20Colibr%C3%ADes%2008-23-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3336" data-original-width="4170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihlM5ZIFLoNh94cZw0Paee-gPbpA-KOBtZbcewKl7RTgQHzJfUzne3XyTRkNCnxpzomtt-yRJ20EHMmJl6KicQiy9swykE_lRoko1nww0CpurwcU_eU99wPWDWFv8s8gQzhlmn63iTTa51tTdA4cjjkfPe-hjbQIP1dqbVXMzh6e1---woPeH6PtYsKEQ/w400-h320/White-bellied%20Woodstar%20female%20-%20Finca%20La%20Muchareja%20-%20Observatorio%20de%20Colibr%C3%ADes%2008-23-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">White-bellied Woodstar - female</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnCSzVUIWYWrDS52d7LfLBgd2VWYx8opwYW9Bi66mwTex1oMzOzpYV7rTdHqnDS8qPAvbTahDBwBkmLi_d7Gpy23VDaCiEhDj-8IMx5YCzpv1260HGJV4xyn4bMTeNvYIXIHtbTkzzKWUb-wGGhx78rl-VnjoHb3oFeB7k4XVHJQ0njKQOpaUDJgry_PI/s4328/White-bellied%20Woodstar%20male%20-%20Finca%20La%20Muchareja%20-%20Observatorio%20de%20Colibr%C3%ADes%2008-23-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3462" data-original-width="4328" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnCSzVUIWYWrDS52d7LfLBgd2VWYx8opwYW9Bi66mwTex1oMzOzpYV7rTdHqnDS8qPAvbTahDBwBkmLi_d7Gpy23VDaCiEhDj-8IMx5YCzpv1260HGJV4xyn4bMTeNvYIXIHtbTkzzKWUb-wGGhx78rl-VnjoHb3oFeB7k4XVHJQ0njKQOpaUDJgry_PI/w400-h320/White-bellied%20Woodstar%20male%20-%20Finca%20La%20Muchareja%20-%20Observatorio%20de%20Colibr%C3%ADes%2008-23-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">White-bellied Woodstar - male</span></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">And a few more "ordinary" hummers as well. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinjvcl7Yq2RMDwe74WspmODGNejE96BHGZO2WGYm0jBBg1RxpWLoE0mBZjDJHjD_tnrNDaK9Brpke-Xsg3btcvzpnGVfHX1H6BN8492-Yhh4XZQRatHYZ-DNfWI87OBtAJZ4q2zj0su6DpB7-ZVogsVEoa-L1uUg73qpVRxSviTN4s3mgjBNGDCYADMYA/s3689/Sparkling%20Violetear%20-%20Finca%20La%20Muchareja%20-%20Observatorio%20de%20Colibr%C3%ADes%2008-23-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2951" data-original-width="3689" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinjvcl7Yq2RMDwe74WspmODGNejE96BHGZO2WGYm0jBBg1RxpWLoE0mBZjDJHjD_tnrNDaK9Brpke-Xsg3btcvzpnGVfHX1H6BN8492-Yhh4XZQRatHYZ-DNfWI87OBtAJZ4q2zj0su6DpB7-ZVogsVEoa-L1uUg73qpVRxSviTN4s3mgjBNGDCYADMYA/w400-h320/Sparkling%20Violetear%20-%20Finca%20La%20Muchareja%20-%20Observatorio%20de%20Colibr%C3%ADes%2008-23-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Sparkling Violetear</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7-NKbqbzA8fepIJTedjpJhp1rL1xcD1GCskO9QsmKaaOUONeJUl0E1LL-K2x5GG9ZXVzfg9YBFKPRpC-wF266rhzTgw42UzzL7Cf1VAikp9Cv_dyDzNp8tfy3tws1udSvAq51lASC2l96wtmgbxYU2FNmjhjQYgHhVuBsgKkWhO053Gc3w5rnyggACs/s4970/Tyrian%20Metaltail%20male%20-%20Finca%20La%20Muchareja%20-%20Observatorio%20de%20Colibr%C3%ADes%2008-23-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3976" data-original-width="4970" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7-NKbqbzA8fepIJTedjpJhp1rL1xcD1GCskO9QsmKaaOUONeJUl0E1LL-K2x5GG9ZXVzfg9YBFKPRpC-wF266rhzTgw42UzzL7Cf1VAikp9Cv_dyDzNp8tfy3tws1udSvAq51lASC2l96wtmgbxYU2FNmjhjQYgHhVuBsgKkWhO053Gc3w5rnyggACs/w400-h320/Tyrian%20Metaltail%20male%20-%20Finca%20La%20Muchareja%20-%20Observatorio%20de%20Colibr%C3%ADes%2008-23-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Tyrian Metaltail</span></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We saw lots of great hummers and got plenty of pictures, finishing up around 5:00.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We then drove to the small town of Guatavita and checked in to Hotel El Dorado. Small and simple, but nice. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif828-EBKIsN5YH-6LhE2O9M19zFC7bNWlD_3S_wArHfg75sJNjrU1Fl9NzbNc-DLJ4ginQy4RbMOt-Y7wynA9hZ63I_eAWKdCnsD77rlRbgcKjIgf8_JJDaAbKNp6zTc5-R_qAKQ3SXO9ZCjbIDrieIEli9R0ertpar1_dGEF1kAWsn8Uy7Fr3Gi9x8o/s3648/Hotel.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif828-EBKIsN5YH-6LhE2O9M19zFC7bNWlD_3S_wArHfg75sJNjrU1Fl9NzbNc-DLJ4ginQy4RbMOt-Y7wynA9hZ63I_eAWKdCnsD77rlRbgcKjIgf8_JJDaAbKNp6zTc5-R_qAKQ3SXO9ZCjbIDrieIEli9R0ertpar1_dGEF1kAWsn8Uy7Fr3Gi9x8o/w400-h300/Hotel.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Our room</span></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The hotel restaurant had closed down since Daniels last visit, so we ended up walking a couple of blocks to one of the few open places. It advertised itself as being a “fast food” hamburger and pizza place. Teri and I each ordered a personal pizza thinking that it would likely be a frozen one, but it was fresh and surprisingly good. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The elevation was quite high (8800') and the night was very cool. There was no heat in the room but good blankets and we slept fine after our busy day.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Next - Up, up we go.</span></p></div></div></div>Mark & Terihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410651360395422840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767944521225965268.post-42841189672449213822023-09-18T06:00:00.007-05:002023-09-18T06:00:00.141-05:00Colombia 2023<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">After a wonderful first trip to Colombia in February 2022, we decided that we'd like to go back and explore a different area of the country. Our first trip had been to the Western and Central Andes, and our blog describing that trip begins <a href="http://markteri.blogspot.com/2022/03/colombia-2022-day-1-journal.html">HERE.</a> Or guide from our previous trip, Daniel Uribe Restrepo of Birding Tours Colombia suggested that we visit the Eastern Andes, in the general vicinity of Bogota. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Our travel day went smoothly and we landed in Bogota, Colombia at around 7:30 p.m. The lines for immigration were long, and we were surprised when an official waved us into the "Colombian Citizens" line. I told him "No somos Colombianos" (we're not Colombian) but he replied "No importa" (it doesn't matter). The entire time we were in line with hundreds of Colombians I was worried that we'd get turned away and sent back to the other line. But when we arrived at the counter the official was friendly, stamped our passports, and sent us on our way.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Daniel picked us up and we all went to the Garden Inn, Bogota Airport for our first night. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMD0QX04HljdUtElfbpfUFFDErLobA5gJqw8oUBbaTVPOS9J0f2KuliPFE2l6ospVT1Di_TiQx9kPeckWxSWC6lhoapzVvykmAktYmkomhSdGES7n0hccpyEbbe5SdvwiheAos_H3v5gajYkzyHZ39tpjagH-joVCIautK39FuKlkm-pNaf9z2dwSpmM/s3648/Hotel%20Room.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMD0QX04HljdUtElfbpfUFFDErLobA5gJqw8oUBbaTVPOS9J0f2KuliPFE2l6ospVT1Di_TiQx9kPeckWxSWC6lhoapzVvykmAktYmkomhSdGES7n0hccpyEbbe5SdvwiheAos_H3v5gajYkzyHZ39tpjagH-joVCIautK39FuKlkm-pNaf9z2dwSpmM/w400-h300/Hotel%20Room.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>8/22/2023 Tuesday</b> – We were on the road at
5:00. Daniel said that we needed to
cross Bogota this morning to get to our birding spot, and that traffic in
Bogota was horrible. The population of the Bogota metropolitan area is over eleven million people, which is close to that of Los Angeles. We had no idea it was that large. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">And he wasn’t kidding about the traffic!
An incredible mixture of trucks, motorcycles, cars, more motorcycles,
bicycles, and you guessed it, more motorcycles. The motorcycles drive on the lanes between all of the cars and trucks. How there aren’t hundreds of
accidents every day escapes me, but they make it work. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Once we got out of the center of Bogota things opened up a
bit, and we arrived at the Laguna Pedro Palo area at around 6:30. Birding was along a gravel road on the way to the lagoon, rather than at the lagoon itself. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-TSiPR7Fsf3uLjCpLBUFwZCPE4Fk6NKE1e4DdKRIldGQ6VtBOzrrsUB49aczA6QWYDpdmmIv61buSkRmbMrJUwSldwkEVdw71q-A22yinOIgjHIBtXqypzACiYBMZGUrORMZ4S9y6m5-HIwRaK0oYlmZHuIuvrWtrQTYhnB6XpgzxooFR3xho7Xnoaw/s3648/Daniel%20and%20Mark%20on%20Road.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-TSiPR7Fsf3uLjCpLBUFwZCPE4Fk6NKE1e4DdKRIldGQ6VtBOzrrsUB49aczA6QWYDpdmmIv61buSkRmbMrJUwSldwkEVdw71q-A22yinOIgjHIBtXqypzACiYBMZGUrORMZ4S9y6m5-HIwRaK0oYlmZHuIuvrWtrQTYhnB6XpgzxooFR3xho7Xnoaw/w400-h300/Daniel%20and%20Mark%20on%20Road.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">There were good mixed flocks of birds along the road, and we
spent most of the time walking along various stretches. The weather was cool,
foggy and sometimes a bit misty. Very much like cloud-forest birding in
Ecuador. Daniel said that the weather was not usually like this here. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Z-ml6FIukdPpIhw7XuJ8vOq-XnqWNUV-TCn4vxWxXkDwvbj247JYaFVz2MMl-wc53sshdyNYTf2F_J_u3w1loK6_QymPrDfJ_gK6KMSw18976PyyL1_eRWLtI0tqo6KxEukPGqtj1W6br4pIJMcVLYiHPTy3iRNa8kJr8nDmDpZpn6gERDKNIw19T-Q/s3648/Foggy%20Road.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Z-ml6FIukdPpIhw7XuJ8vOq-XnqWNUV-TCn4vxWxXkDwvbj247JYaFVz2MMl-wc53sshdyNYTf2F_J_u3w1loK6_QymPrDfJ_gK6KMSw18976PyyL1_eRWLtI0tqo6KxEukPGqtj1W6br4pIJMcVLYiHPTy3iRNa8kJr8nDmDpZpn6gERDKNIw19T-Q/w400-h300/Foggy%20Road.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We saw a nice variety of tanagers, including Bay-headed,
Fawn-breasted, Black-capped, Golden, Blue-necked, Scrub, and Beryl-spangled.
Mark won our “first bird” contest for the first time in several trips.
He had guessed Scrub Tanager which was seen just seconds before Teri’s guess of
Band-tailed Pigeon. Blizzard time!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibn0moByPasYHgavCUSzAQQa1YUvoPRNcW1a2VGfsvD7WNJuhh5D7kOf4I9W0S9lOfeAKYHpu8m2DlL02IOL73obGhrA-9F8-mXKImaoEn4J9tId-W4v2Jd14GhTbQisZR9w4YaAS4ZKK84GdQQJOnZENykdMcVm4sietj3ZMNPkYsD_5rRAnIXXE8a9w/s3369/Black-capped%20Tanager%20male%20-%20Laguna%20de%20Pedro%20Palo%2008-22-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2696" data-original-width="3369" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibn0moByPasYHgavCUSzAQQa1YUvoPRNcW1a2VGfsvD7WNJuhh5D7kOf4I9W0S9lOfeAKYHpu8m2DlL02IOL73obGhrA-9F8-mXKImaoEn4J9tId-W4v2Jd14GhTbQisZR9w4YaAS4ZKK84GdQQJOnZENykdMcVm4sietj3ZMNPkYsD_5rRAnIXXE8a9w/w400-h320/Black-capped%20Tanager%20male%20-%20Laguna%20de%20Pedro%20Palo%2008-22-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Black-capped Tanager - male</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWiOVY1v9-hqAD4cVpps16L5maIBD8p4Uqx9_XVECGxr15zF_bK439swrRvLyoBDcgtsDCGA_8V37i4sL4333gPPfNpyfAbfoCGa1EdsdyWDHl7X0ag4gMpjJFBmupldgIUg9bd-8hMNUbqsvkU29_nmQu7SrgM93YOJrtUfRtR8DEZFleuOxDDvtRgII/s3530/Slate-throated%20Redstart%20-%20Laguna%20de%20Pedro%20Palo%2008-22-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2825" data-original-width="3530" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWiOVY1v9-hqAD4cVpps16L5maIBD8p4Uqx9_XVECGxr15zF_bK439swrRvLyoBDcgtsDCGA_8V37i4sL4333gPPfNpyfAbfoCGa1EdsdyWDHl7X0ag4gMpjJFBmupldgIUg9bd-8hMNUbqsvkU29_nmQu7SrgM93YOJrtUfRtR8DEZFleuOxDDvtRgII/w400-h320/Slate-throated%20Redstart%20-%20Laguna%20de%20Pedro%20Palo%2008-22-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Slate-throated Redstart</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSAN4Vum47M97nSuwqFkkmsu5YvuCN5F_qqaxLof0p6cAYA0UZqN3aBb7tQx21yiJlCrP4OqAsLOCjph1SMBCfjsmsg6cB2FWzT5pGPQnaopBZy2umNJbV14_aGHbru1DQFlIZuep_nI96eTaWElyrKQNvTI5sckNjCFhpTEZrQCoaCwAneC2v2HVb23Y/s3435/Streak-headed%20Woodcreeper%203%20-%20Laguna%20de%20Pedro%20Palo%2008-22-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2748" data-original-width="3435" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSAN4Vum47M97nSuwqFkkmsu5YvuCN5F_qqaxLof0p6cAYA0UZqN3aBb7tQx21yiJlCrP4OqAsLOCjph1SMBCfjsmsg6cB2FWzT5pGPQnaopBZy2umNJbV14_aGHbru1DQFlIZuep_nI96eTaWElyrKQNvTI5sckNjCFhpTEZrQCoaCwAneC2v2HVb23Y/w400-h320/Streak-headed%20Woodcreeper%203%20-%20Laguna%20de%20Pedro%20Palo%2008-22-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Streak-headed Woodcreeper</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The best birds of the morning were a male and female Turquoise
Dacnis, an endemic to Colombia. Endemic means that it is found in a restricted geographical area, in this case only in the northern Andes of Colombia. </span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikcl1hanVvdYaTpcaqCPeP81mpd0W2IaPsFHG5X0sszIoThN0NzhJ6eB1Whez5b-VXIF-OVbJSFTvLu-VOACFweb4GQK6rXzjggmHI87Z2VSIP6TKfuCeb1LzEKTV79lHzLMOpsoaEvQ8QkpeBpjwpOOdBqF7UaBHfbMfD4Dxyn6GDJ06KxUJY0xQxeQ4/s2722/Turquoise%20Dacnis%20male%202%20-%20Laguna%20de%20Pedro%20Palo%2008-22-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2178" data-original-width="2722" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikcl1hanVvdYaTpcaqCPeP81mpd0W2IaPsFHG5X0sszIoThN0NzhJ6eB1Whez5b-VXIF-OVbJSFTvLu-VOACFweb4GQK6rXzjggmHI87Z2VSIP6TKfuCeb1LzEKTV79lHzLMOpsoaEvQ8QkpeBpjwpOOdBqF7UaBHfbMfD4Dxyn6GDJ06KxUJY0xQxeQ4/w400-h320/Turquoise%20Dacnis%20male%202%20-%20Laguna%20de%20Pedro%20Palo%2008-22-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAki3FPjRhzbbGpKwm4u8JwJS-O0OZRCXZIW9pWbhHfECpyq7hxfXBJVgjaYqiNonbvhgYsGxgD6l4Wpz-PdtaP3OFR7b95w_EzwZodCZ9MtCKsSpGtB_lzYYU20g-6sUMvWm2slsyrBG9ea4SkQWt1Kk6LEdqVzvynLCUZrx2xQ10YmDMsZes2LeIOyY/s2655/Turquoise%20Dacnis%20male%20-%20Laguna%20de%20Pedro%20Palo%2008-22-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2124" data-original-width="2655" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAki3FPjRhzbbGpKwm4u8JwJS-O0OZRCXZIW9pWbhHfECpyq7hxfXBJVgjaYqiNonbvhgYsGxgD6l4Wpz-PdtaP3OFR7b95w_EzwZodCZ9MtCKsSpGtB_lzYYU20g-6sUMvWm2slsyrBG9ea4SkQWt1Kk6LEdqVzvynLCUZrx2xQ10YmDMsZes2LeIOyY/w400-h320/Turquoise%20Dacnis%20male%20-%20Laguna%20de%20Pedro%20Palo%2008-22-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Turquoise Dacnis - male</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We had a tasty lunch at a nearby restaurant, El Rancho de
Jairo. By now it had turned rainy and
cloudy, so we were glad to be inside eating rather than outside birding!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8WbJxYvwxofDIVlOiUk1w4ssDmxs84LI2608GvAIIOJthb2hUUkL89a8z2T8DFWwnY2DEab9f93RiXVrBwOb3S-MsQQdR8CHfgp7adODqHn_72TcLiE-JAvsxKm_t4984jMp7lqCRO4dYfFb7oV6eOB6mjfqeiskcm30f5L73Y7ZHonizHWek6i5wLQ/s3648/El%20Rancho%20de%20Jairo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8WbJxYvwxofDIVlOiUk1w4ssDmxs84LI2608GvAIIOJthb2hUUkL89a8z2T8DFWwnY2DEab9f93RiXVrBwOb3S-MsQQdR8CHfgp7adODqHn_72TcLiE-JAvsxKm_t4984jMp7lqCRO4dYfFb7oV6eOB6mjfqeiskcm30f5L73Y7ZHonizHWek6i5wLQ/w400-h300/El%20Rancho%20de%20Jairo.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8D8b310J3QUD4JhKJQez9bqSKb5mPMpCinn_P1VFYa6qaq-TEbw8J9X7g_c_vZFUaPncOooaCZHJ4AXAQFHE-SlPp4tjg4reAh6GZlXSgdl4LQSpVPslIAiaTOK9g9y9Tz37SHqoiPHa7IRgGZO5Cn5j-TVsPosbZu197quCUjjMTLNR9A48Mg4Ez5Q/s3648/Lunch.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8D8b310J3QUD4JhKJQez9bqSKb5mPMpCinn_P1VFYa6qaq-TEbw8J9X7g_c_vZFUaPncOooaCZHJ4AXAQFHE-SlPp4tjg4reAh6GZlXSgdl4LQSpVPslIAiaTOK9g9y9Tz37SHqoiPHa7IRgGZO5Cn5j-TVsPosbZu197quCUjjMTLNR9A48Mg4Ez5Q/w400-h300/Lunch.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Grilled chicken breast with cheese. </span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">After lunch we headed to a private preserve called Chicaque
Ecopark. We arrived about 2:00. Our target was an endemic hummingbird called
the Golden-bellied Starfrontlet. Daniel said they had been regulars here
at feeders in past years, but he’d not seen them the last couple of trips. He
thought it might be that other, more aggressive hummingbirds were dominating
the feeders. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0qW9xoV02Y_XPrIrBESJUB1I6lxw1OcSfD6UTf3DI9JWu32drjbmDgq0uQjmChyxDd4o46kXLSg8FqsNpdlKs-olTiRe63Ufq7epgOTpOs7Fz_Jwnj8pPj63tWY8duhJKs8H64Ni84itC44TZJ9xIwvrXVj5Xpm-B5lw2OcKM2lyeH3puoo5e_AcYPE/s3717/Golden-bellied%20Starfrontlet%20-%20Parque%20Natural%20Chicaque%2008-22-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2974" data-original-width="3717" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0qW9xoV02Y_XPrIrBESJUB1I6lxw1OcSfD6UTf3DI9JWu32drjbmDgq0uQjmChyxDd4o46kXLSg8FqsNpdlKs-olTiRe63Ufq7epgOTpOs7Fz_Jwnj8pPj63tWY8duhJKs8H64Ni84itC44TZJ9xIwvrXVj5Xpm-B5lw2OcKM2lyeH3puoo5e_AcYPE/w400-h320/Golden-bellied%20Starfrontlet%20-%20Parque%20Natural%20Chicaque%2008-22-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Golden-bellied Starfrontlet - male</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7ZW5oEKsSbOvx8uCcsFNytRcusv2khLOQ-xCmleuKTY8vYtjbGJNlEjTzwVM2JKbNLAfBqV2MEFG_tz-IQyOEUUNHhAT3DxOSx6XPW6Nx9_P8p3bBzBQuofewWnvCL8IelicIyZY_wGdLsXVdwePfKculH1WZ2njcaAAEgo1ESPsTFafhhJ2ZRPF7Ls/s2672/Golden-bellied%20Starfrontlet%20female%202%20-%20Parque%20Natural%20Chicaque%2008-22-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2137" data-original-width="2672" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7ZW5oEKsSbOvx8uCcsFNytRcusv2khLOQ-xCmleuKTY8vYtjbGJNlEjTzwVM2JKbNLAfBqV2MEFG_tz-IQyOEUUNHhAT3DxOSx6XPW6Nx9_P8p3bBzBQuofewWnvCL8IelicIyZY_wGdLsXVdwePfKculH1WZ2njcaAAEgo1ESPsTFafhhJ2ZRPF7Ls/w400-h320/Golden-bellied%20Starfrontlet%20female%202%20-%20Parque%20Natural%20Chicaque%2008-22-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Golden-bellied Starfrontlet - female</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">But our luck was good and we had a nice male show up to a
feeder within about 5 minutes of our arrival.
It looked like the Ecopark had put up five brand-new feeders and spread
them out some, which is a good way to handle aggressive hummers. It was
continuing to be gray and misty, so we sort of hid inside of some glass doors,
waiting for the Starfrontlet to show up, at which point I’d step outside for
pictures. It worked well. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIG7ZYiIrQy5r1drdm_QrRb4rhLhoH9DUtKIL-7iFpq7nOJhQ7cglDkXRZ54PGGnsaXUeiMNT7RkXuvswI2scgAEnFX81Vp3MHzh3_WvrJNq1Ul107DMtU6FxG5cYeMp_3ZbbabVXuRwy69es6G0dAFqOFA1CbH_Ih-WzHH2zarbjGMWIztIEyUbiRLR8/s3648/Mark%20in%20Doorway.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIG7ZYiIrQy5r1drdm_QrRb4rhLhoH9DUtKIL-7iFpq7nOJhQ7cglDkXRZ54PGGnsaXUeiMNT7RkXuvswI2scgAEnFX81Vp3MHzh3_WvrJNq1Ul107DMtU6FxG5cYeMp_3ZbbabVXuRwy69es6G0dAFqOFA1CbH_Ih-WzHH2zarbjGMWIztIEyUbiRLR8/w400-h300/Mark%20in%20Doorway.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">There was a good variety of other hummingbirds as well. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDur-9RBBUrS5VxxeJJURIIIwcyWnGoHGGSoFwz0JrNVf9GUY6oYBzPX7sVWZjWgVY1w2SSX6kaC_Ju7KWFi1JWx0W7tJVIfEvBDGZvl7VsS9Tudeu038p0nJ6P7fcWd6w-QMEFVVhni8LkOJadfVibIMPGoGmN9l8z1GTOY0i4cMtc-kevXG2Nz7EsMM/s3566/Collared%20Inca%20-%20Parque%20Natural%20Chicaque%2008-22-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2852" data-original-width="3566" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDur-9RBBUrS5VxxeJJURIIIwcyWnGoHGGSoFwz0JrNVf9GUY6oYBzPX7sVWZjWgVY1w2SSX6kaC_Ju7KWFi1JWx0W7tJVIfEvBDGZvl7VsS9Tudeu038p0nJ6P7fcWd6w-QMEFVVhni8LkOJadfVibIMPGoGmN9l8z1GTOY0i4cMtc-kevXG2Nz7EsMM/w400-h320/Collared%20Inca%20-%20Parque%20Natural%20Chicaque%2008-22-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Collared Inca</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_ViH0NPKb5R_O1_ujEEosnYAtntaEFTnonpNDCeaSCMRH_JlnX5O3AAd4dukolzfvguxAu-rdHaM4g2ugoP_UyxBn-mE1kvF1t4sABFotpIrhvheAZmuAEGicB6AqH0c1SmUTGAquf0DXm669ltk2BKA_ya3qZZdlJm2jL_NZwOmPcIiB8tpSEKYiTY/s3872/Lesser%20Violetear%20-%20Parque%20Natural%20Chicaque%2008-22-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3097" data-original-width="3872" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_ViH0NPKb5R_O1_ujEEosnYAtntaEFTnonpNDCeaSCMRH_JlnX5O3AAd4dukolzfvguxAu-rdHaM4g2ugoP_UyxBn-mE1kvF1t4sABFotpIrhvheAZmuAEGicB6AqH0c1SmUTGAquf0DXm669ltk2BKA_ya3qZZdlJm2jL_NZwOmPcIiB8tpSEKYiTY/w400-h320/Lesser%20Violetear%20-%20Parque%20Natural%20Chicaque%2008-22-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Lesser Violetear</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHwUd5KOFIYHe19FPA-u5IrdgXQ80qbiSFKdeC6TU96V9ZYyxJXR45K9YKvHAwGpLhpxOUET3283Lfh5fDep2gIvHWUz4yd1UvX-fxNS_bKeIWHb-PlBhirfxsTS7z3-TJmI2G1D_MCsgBLbamgFbTwaLqYDm8KC8bRNqia9iQ4_w9zqOzS1DJ9KY2uGY/s3499/Sparkling%20Violetear%20-%20Parque%20Natural%20Chicaque%2008-22-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2799" data-original-width="3499" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHwUd5KOFIYHe19FPA-u5IrdgXQ80qbiSFKdeC6TU96V9ZYyxJXR45K9YKvHAwGpLhpxOUET3283Lfh5fDep2gIvHWUz4yd1UvX-fxNS_bKeIWHb-PlBhirfxsTS7z3-TJmI2G1D_MCsgBLbamgFbTwaLqYDm8KC8bRNqia9iQ4_w9zqOzS1DJ9KY2uGY/w400-h320/Sparkling%20Violetear%20-%20Parque%20Natural%20Chicaque%2008-22-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Sparkling Violetear</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio5aJmCBA6j-DMCtUiLGbk94Ye89Se2GZ_WETX9DwULjEXzXoMdnwydeGizR7JC7aD3kwvVBNkM8nqMJA_fts09_8apmFPqvWVDOXKFDy6HLw2EtIVnLgr792lqFPIVDwsKKvZcTQ54u-iodNFw1QXgXH4gnFSMeI9S3cFuk7u5M7JYxqcyHtRaXCtDl8/s2981/Tourmaline%20Sunangel%20male%202%20-%20Parque%20Natural%20Chicaque%2008-22-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2385" data-original-width="2981" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio5aJmCBA6j-DMCtUiLGbk94Ye89Se2GZ_WETX9DwULjEXzXoMdnwydeGizR7JC7aD3kwvVBNkM8nqMJA_fts09_8apmFPqvWVDOXKFDy6HLw2EtIVnLgr792lqFPIVDwsKKvZcTQ54u-iodNFw1QXgXH4gnFSMeI9S3cFuk7u5M7JYxqcyHtRaXCtDl8/w400-h320/Tourmaline%20Sunangel%20male%202%20-%20Parque%20Natural%20Chicaque%2008-22-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Tourmaline Sunangel</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We birded our way back down the road to the highway, and
headed back to Bogota at about 4:00.
Traffic returning was much worse, and it took us almost 2 hours to reach
the hotel. But we got back fine, met for a light dinner at 6:30, and called it
a day. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Mark had a tradictional Colombian soup called Ajiaco. It is made with different kinds of potatoes, spices, chicken, corn, guascas (a Colombian herb) and served with capers and cream. It is considered a Colombian "comfort food" and was very nice. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjysOQsmPQ5HGVSRPXXaYYSjIxd4gULSB8TSf-YOVnZfT6ZiuJjbAy4VVsGbTGIqRNVzJjHtRJZOzKcWaWB3_SnJ_pTISdkGIz0CNMfr0gP-ejvehGVqfZKm2axdjmfRKsbvA9ijKISKbZGD0EwPaC38Zo6iRDElEiXL3jNwU4U83_1or-Ub_h6kDuZr7I/s3648/Colmbian%20Ajiaco.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjysOQsmPQ5HGVSRPXXaYYSjIxd4gULSB8TSf-YOVnZfT6ZiuJjbAy4VVsGbTGIqRNVzJjHtRJZOzKcWaWB3_SnJ_pTISdkGIz0CNMfr0gP-ejvehGVqfZKm2axdjmfRKsbvA9ijKISKbZGD0EwPaC38Zo6iRDElEiXL3jNwU4U83_1or-Ub_h6kDuZr7I/w400-h300/Colmbian%20Ajiaco.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ajiaco</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Next: Chingaza National Park and a new hotel. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>Mark & Terihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410651360395422840noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767944521225965268.post-37091750895026485382023-08-14T05:00:00.019-05:002023-08-14T05:00:00.139-05:00Wisconsin 2023 - Day 6<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">June 9, 2023 (Friday)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This was our last full day in Wisconsin, and we decided to spend it exploring Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge. We'd visited briefly on our trip north from Milwaukee, and again for a couple of hours last night, but this would be our day to really check it out. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We started at first light on the auto tour loop. It had been quite busy the evening before, but we had it to ourselves this morning. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The first part of the tour loop passes through large fields and marshes, with scattered trees. Most of the birds were seen at a distance. We got good looks at a Willow Flycatcher that was actually sitting in some willows. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhm7951bbyNUZK6CwtZ8bJovnifc_pdk5e7RLfhVQcETpv6-cOAq5wNmWKYojK0VoCCKD0i52bOY7JEvbD6yh6c117kRdcautIdpBZdss9RMchUIibEujP034ClPEc9BBzX0eAJ0oftvZ0wbB1fBMvyJBi-WS_SejZd_QqPdCWyrESShwNg_G6keaT9ME/s1871/Willow%20Flycatcher%20-%20Horicon%20NWR-Visitor%20Center%2006-09-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1497" data-original-width="1871" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhm7951bbyNUZK6CwtZ8bJovnifc_pdk5e7RLfhVQcETpv6-cOAq5wNmWKYojK0VoCCKD0i52bOY7JEvbD6yh6c117kRdcautIdpBZdss9RMchUIibEujP034ClPEc9BBzX0eAJ0oftvZ0wbB1fBMvyJBi-WS_SejZd_QqPdCWyrESShwNg_G6keaT9ME/w400-h320/Willow%20Flycatcher%20-%20Horicon%20NWR-Visitor%20Center%2006-09-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Willow Flycatcher</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We also had a flyover of one of the many White Pelicans using the marsh for the summer. It always seems odd to see pelicans far from any ocean or coastline, but White Pelicans spread out across the United States Midwest and up into Canada to breed on freshwater lakes and marshes. </span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryncp2SWfOL7VuBf5A9N_nylWwybto8wa4_YP3pAj7v6maZwBkVTVShKMQrKSPSlYxEX9CJ-o6VMdBs5sew6lvbH_o5nSUzwpaTQzBT8Bb-YTwho90U_4FR5BcIjRvCeqVVd4bwe7fBKyU-0G-T3nn5roiOCnpTJJ3JfQlDDOO26x8ZDPd-QWTro8rkQ/s4958/White%20Pelican%20-%20Horicon%20NWR-Auto%20Tour%20and%20Trails%2006-09-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3966" data-original-width="4958" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryncp2SWfOL7VuBf5A9N_nylWwybto8wa4_YP3pAj7v6maZwBkVTVShKMQrKSPSlYxEX9CJ-o6VMdBs5sew6lvbH_o5nSUzwpaTQzBT8Bb-YTwho90U_4FR5BcIjRvCeqVVd4bwe7fBKyU-0G-T3nn5roiOCnpTJJ3JfQlDDOO26x8ZDPd-QWTro8rkQ/w400-h320/White%20Pelican%20-%20Horicon%20NWR-Auto%20Tour%20and%20Trails%2006-09-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">American White Pelican</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We parked and spent a couple of hours on the Egret Trail and its floating boardwalk section. In addition to the many Black Terns that we'd seen the previous evening, we picked up a number of other species. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCkwUKzy25gNzAbO3B_063NJd_of-yhRjSdHfIMB0NJ6yAsgUaM5R63rxinKc9HG05BLQpAt8yj_jf3FCJRDoFekQ7xahEQSnPOvoO68650H6nlD4mXPoLU7gQrNtqDA_I-MaQucRUfRQsqkTCord-NK8w6xN4AvCVLJ4_y36u38hRnVXLBRfwWpN8gMU/s2772/Barn%20Swallow%20-%20Horicon%20NWR-Auto%20Tour%20and%20Trails%2006-09-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2217" data-original-width="2772" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCkwUKzy25gNzAbO3B_063NJd_of-yhRjSdHfIMB0NJ6yAsgUaM5R63rxinKc9HG05BLQpAt8yj_jf3FCJRDoFekQ7xahEQSnPOvoO68650H6nlD4mXPoLU7gQrNtqDA_I-MaQucRUfRQsqkTCord-NK8w6xN4AvCVLJ4_y36u38hRnVXLBRfwWpN8gMU/w400-h320/Barn%20Swallow%20-%20Horicon%20NWR-Auto%20Tour%20and%20Trails%2006-09-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Barn Swallow</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJhFfOMf-VrJNlI4w13F6F9UPPso0g3GdzzaFbTZN9-AvlEpbtDOuflaesCQYa77BBNWMpzIf7ypzL1ALvDb_7uywaqcNomgBmTSzCskvELMF67aiN6FhSf4VqyTboYUNoTRna2w1DsWjBHMFASHCLkumob3DXIY2P0xr2A09RreUqlSynbbRBZir90dM/s3159/Eastern%20Kingbird%20-%20Horicon%20NWR-Visitor%20Center%2006-09-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2527" data-original-width="3159" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJhFfOMf-VrJNlI4w13F6F9UPPso0g3GdzzaFbTZN9-AvlEpbtDOuflaesCQYa77BBNWMpzIf7ypzL1ALvDb_7uywaqcNomgBmTSzCskvELMF67aiN6FhSf4VqyTboYUNoTRna2w1DsWjBHMFASHCLkumob3DXIY2P0xr2A09RreUqlSynbbRBZir90dM/w400-h320/Eastern%20Kingbird%20-%20Horicon%20NWR-Visitor%20Center%2006-09-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Eastern Kingbird</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_J4HNWuTfLp8RWXnuUudgpoD0gDKurDYC5nz6UPvPsBGtjoRCFCDuI9UUovSxj82mYYdlEWZedcVtNrFwzfId5nMgOE3RpuVNE4xP8ujV3mxQq9ndQrIOa8z7B5JOiCIOsBzmpX_FrwfpEza-PnL_4BY31E2uPonY3mJinUrHxPxo-egpC1sxqaZ9CE/s6587/Red-winged%20Blackbird%20-%20Horicon%20NWR-Auto%20Tour%20and%20Trails%2006-09-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5270" data-original-width="6587" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_J4HNWuTfLp8RWXnuUudgpoD0gDKurDYC5nz6UPvPsBGtjoRCFCDuI9UUovSxj82mYYdlEWZedcVtNrFwzfId5nMgOE3RpuVNE4xP8ujV3mxQq9ndQrIOa8z7B5JOiCIOsBzmpX_FrwfpEza-PnL_4BY31E2uPonY3mJinUrHxPxo-egpC1sxqaZ9CE/w400-h320/Red-winged%20Blackbird%20-%20Horicon%20NWR-Auto%20Tour%20and%20Trails%2006-09-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Red-winged Blackbird</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Back at the parking area this Yellow Warbler male was perched in the sun. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNuTdNycyjKnRFZ7yGxzfbk6-2s20TpVFbu49cKg1Tazg6DMKCpnzakO2l_3xlblvR7ZBpq-ChOCL1LXOB9GUWBUtRWUvnyzqOs-8Zlcn7oCSUErTursEz59pybDQqkfgLTNYFzy5PsV-LRXCO4homPW5nS_AMWEGrM-vfN8QUmH30Eb38R-6I6lWICM/s3025/Yellow%20Warbler%20-%20Horicon%20NWR-Auto%20Tour%20and%20Trails%2006-09-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2420" data-original-width="3025" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNuTdNycyjKnRFZ7yGxzfbk6-2s20TpVFbu49cKg1Tazg6DMKCpnzakO2l_3xlblvR7ZBpq-ChOCL1LXOB9GUWBUtRWUvnyzqOs-8Zlcn7oCSUErTursEz59pybDQqkfgLTNYFzy5PsV-LRXCO4homPW5nS_AMWEGrM-vfN8QUmH30Eb38R-6I6lWICM/w400-h320/Yellow%20Warbler%20-%20Horicon%20NWR-Auto%20Tour%20and%20Trails%2006-09-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Yellow Warbler</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As we continued on the tour road, we came across this Common Snapping Turtle laying her eggs alongside the road. We come across this many times. The turtles like to come up from lakes, marshes, streams etc. to slightly higher ground to lay their eggs. That often seems to put them on roadway shoulders. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWps8DuprRC9P1JLexGz5ZvYQsOmOFIIWaj5HslicKPUqXnZItHiYkqJz6KoKM9h5i1NzQkadkZxQggasQxFyMF5i4LAyMSwh1QwfEUNfNHgTZEOF8hNsIHDwto4QThi-0fIe7rHc05gZn47_k27mLSaiKBg2FogaHjdWpWcY1Arys_qvfF4ad0PUA41c/s5310/Snapping%20Turtle%20laying%20eggs%20-%20Horicon%20NWR-Auto%20Tour%20and%20Trails%2006-09-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4248" data-original-width="5310" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWps8DuprRC9P1JLexGz5ZvYQsOmOFIIWaj5HslicKPUqXnZItHiYkqJz6KoKM9h5i1NzQkadkZxQggasQxFyMF5i4LAyMSwh1QwfEUNfNHgTZEOF8hNsIHDwto4QThi-0fIe7rHc05gZn47_k27mLSaiKBg2FogaHjdWpWcY1Arys_qvfF4ad0PUA41c/w400-h320/Snapping%20Turtle%20laying%20eggs%20-%20Horicon%20NWR-Auto%20Tour%20and%20Trails%2006-09-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Common Snapping Turtle laying eggs</span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">After completing the auto tour loop, we drove over to the NWR Headquarters building. We went inside briefly but it was a pretty simple set-up and the volunteer working the counter was involved in deep conversation with one of the staff, so we didn't hang around for long. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We repeated the Discovery Trail that we'd walked several evenings ago, and saw pretty much the same birds. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We continued driving around the large marshy area, only some of which is within the boundaries of the National Wildlife Refuge. Darned if we didn't come across an even larger Visitor Center, this one called The Horicon Marsh Education and Visitors Center, and run by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiQGAqrFJk5Xn1wDrodgHRTmDnNPtQevv4hg6sjSeeWYVsaNaYewTJoL0Xy1-VNk_UXEyvG28Y8OeC9v8-_aMBlS-CQ6QJ57eq7q8PAYcMd4bLCNo_xWMvGFHKGA5pSEa5nRD2WkOWTXZk-bWLs8lj9dTsd7UnYBKFBMNa850EI1nq_LOF39T2xbO5994/s2922/VC%20Sign.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2338" data-original-width="2922" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiQGAqrFJk5Xn1wDrodgHRTmDnNPtQevv4hg6sjSeeWYVsaNaYewTJoL0Xy1-VNk_UXEyvG28Y8OeC9v8-_aMBlS-CQ6QJ57eq7q8PAYcMd4bLCNo_xWMvGFHKGA5pSEa5nRD2WkOWTXZk-bWLs8lj9dTsd7UnYBKFBMNa850EI1nq_LOF39T2xbO5994/w400-h320/VC%20Sign.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We went inside the large visitor center, but they were having school field trips and it was kind of a madhouse. The staff was busy with kids so we looked around a bit on our own. There were some nice displays, including this display of owls and raptors found on the marsh.</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzyay_fHHvIHPX8oLzkgBGtb2JXe8jB5fyHTlTEedQPhBol2ZkFNhpYNIkCTd4iKXxv-NUA0TlnbNi7mUOZdD0mcFKANwGs6DKg7VZvj2h8Bpqnp_cOfzvNna7_e0LZuio53ntJuKAI2GxJoGeVtUnfRp6gTmJSZQKy-ZhHBrfdIxe59WgaZQ0rSUCkFA/s3648/Owls%20and%20raptors.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzyay_fHHvIHPX8oLzkgBGtb2JXe8jB5fyHTlTEedQPhBol2ZkFNhpYNIkCTd4iKXxv-NUA0TlnbNi7mUOZdD0mcFKANwGs6DKg7VZvj2h8Bpqnp_cOfzvNna7_e0LZuio53ntJuKAI2GxJoGeVtUnfRp6gTmJSZQKy-ZhHBrfdIxe59WgaZQ0rSUCkFA/w400-h300/Owls%20and%20raptors.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The marsh has a long history of human habitation, with nomadic hunters arriving around 12,000 years ago. Fossil remains of Wooly Mammoths have been found in the area, and this huge metal sculpture of a Woolly Mammoth and nearby hunter was next to the parking lot. The mammoth is made up of thousands of short sections so steel rebar. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg7TBUkaziWS2IRjQ5VfZceShGSk4Xpzxpk5BWSdkjnhUypPT0we9ysrxrzBUWuZ41sg6uc1DxJ3BLE98062JH_WgyDtlNnQRzJL0HUyBqnoxytRvah-dERoU1coKNeTNPDJgWLsNk8-KKS6kFB-5HjUps0emGgznGjsjHHurM9WhoEICcxroVoKqJVGs/s3648/DSC05115-standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg7TBUkaziWS2IRjQ5VfZceShGSk4Xpzxpk5BWSdkjnhUypPT0we9ysrxrzBUWuZ41sg6uc1DxJ3BLE98062JH_WgyDtlNnQRzJL0HUyBqnoxytRvah-dERoU1coKNeTNPDJgWLsNk8-KKS6kFB-5HjUps0emGgznGjsjHHurM9WhoEICcxroVoKqJVGs/w400-h300/DSC05115-standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQDBncFiqRTtD_K8PosbBayiwpQWqm5S-lM8AqwR4dba76yaHTJwkZb7rv-3LdI7tcLsdAD0w2xGqtJsgX9bMF6CDPZ8izTC4LfUW43Au7TASOvq6Lf4uMOB25Q1VrFA4GH4AEjKnD94cn56qsLCFjBidCb9FV4FdR_MSUEWz9ZFrbsrRJtiN2949-Wa8/s3648/DSC05116-standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQDBncFiqRTtD_K8PosbBayiwpQWqm5S-lM8AqwR4dba76yaHTJwkZb7rv-3LdI7tcLsdAD0w2xGqtJsgX9bMF6CDPZ8izTC4LfUW43Au7TASOvq6Lf4uMOB25Q1VrFA4GH4AEjKnD94cn56qsLCFjBidCb9FV4FdR_MSUEWz9ZFrbsrRJtiN2949-Wa8/w400-h300/DSC05116-standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPOXJAnUENjZEtCPdvtJc5KSUCHdfw00xaSPg0ygDDlnNmpMmXbiykJjg5SxE_uWqijusfGsKRrOCE8qBs9bXA-oHhJ4vJWL91-GW4RX5dDKc5oKUDu7aiZucmeUiStsWd9Qegb9pGuwZ-3dmPy1HAjFXGABTsbcAWZnd90UMEMVvnapq5uc_q8iwjutw/s3648/DSC05117-standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPOXJAnUENjZEtCPdvtJc5KSUCHdfw00xaSPg0ygDDlnNmpMmXbiykJjg5SxE_uWqijusfGsKRrOCE8qBs9bXA-oHhJ4vJWL91-GW4RX5dDKc5oKUDu7aiZucmeUiStsWd9Qegb9pGuwZ-3dmPy1HAjFXGABTsbcAWZnd90UMEMVvnapq5uc_q8iwjutw/w400-h300/DSC05117-standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT5xXmcIZvoK9WKGUNg5gfkaqBPycFeH4qf0aDdcIdaYFkHLUh9XldRXl57oWTI13ChEgINmpBqvi7eUmPWaX60b2M_CIPzqFypwJxs5FhBRjJ7gl1nU2fCQiZmTQrCFEJEngt4Wo5vfDN-ogcau3o9Ii0Pu0YILyvsZVAdycbiEpSGGFAAAG8WR1DmtQ/s3648/DSC05120-standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT5xXmcIZvoK9WKGUNg5gfkaqBPycFeH4qf0aDdcIdaYFkHLUh9XldRXl57oWTI13ChEgINmpBqvi7eUmPWaX60b2M_CIPzqFypwJxs5FhBRjJ7gl1nU2fCQiZmTQrCFEJEngt4Wo5vfDN-ogcau3o9Ii0Pu0YILyvsZVAdycbiEpSGGFAAAG8WR1DmtQ/w400-h300/DSC05120-standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It was sunny and getting warm, so we called it an afternoon and returned to our cottage to read and relax.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The next morning we had a relaxed drive back to Milwaukee, where we turned in the rental car and made our 10:30 flight to Chicago, and then our flight to San Antonio which arrived at about 5:00 p.m. We returned to the airport hotel, recovered our car and drove on home. It was nice not to be getting back in at midnight and having to stay the extra night. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Teri has picked up a couple of magnets along the way. Wisconsin definitely plays up their license plate logo "America's Dairyland". </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXHsD3jTfk7ziqh7uR-Y-ibCjWulWUvlk8uXjDCIMIAZCIWaFWr_qqw9h7bMgVRVqCDWRwS17JIbnV371dNAjw_o0IFx6mItmXYQx7dS7D_QuCGDsjb-giiEkqdg3JZAXsvX86odrm6TtK6jCWpHCzdz9nyJBQIILOz_Db38J2RT1liSlmsBcM0Bkr5kc/s3648/Wisconsin%20magnets.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXHsD3jTfk7ziqh7uR-Y-ibCjWulWUvlk8uXjDCIMIAZCIWaFWr_qqw9h7bMgVRVqCDWRwS17JIbnV371dNAjw_o0IFx6mItmXYQx7dS7D_QuCGDsjb-giiEkqdg3JZAXsvX86odrm6TtK6jCWpHCzdz9nyJBQIILOz_Db38J2RT1liSlmsBcM0Bkr5kc/w400-h300/Wisconsin%20magnets.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Overall we didn't find Wisconsin to be as interesting as Michigan in terms of natural areas or bird life, but the interesting factory tours made up for it. Overall, a nice place to spend a week. </span></div><div><p><br /></p></div></div></div>Mark & Terihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410651360395422840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767944521225965268.post-42373397134006677692023-08-12T05:00:00.019-05:002023-08-12T05:00:00.138-05:00Wisconsin 2023 - Day 5<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">June 8, 2023 (Thursday)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We switched things around a little today, doing our factory tour first thing. We were heading off to visit Union Star Cheese, where a fresh batch of cheese is made each morning. Teri had called and they recommended arriving around 7:00 to see the completion of the process. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY068xn83j9VhKqRfv2r7fiYGUrNqqeIcWQlJzs1vaED3EQTcAwytShlbfNZeBp7EhrRWeZ4VjOhxz1Xect5ZB7EHZSL_t1l05cr2HD1kUPVZuRmccDs15JKQnn8sasSzjTOdgicfnHUJSVVK428ET-4mxWvT59kXU8mluDxDUzW4iB-8h7Z-fKxDZ_xI/s2542/Union%20Star%20sign.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2416" data-original-width="2542" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY068xn83j9VhKqRfv2r7fiYGUrNqqeIcWQlJzs1vaED3EQTcAwytShlbfNZeBp7EhrRWeZ4VjOhxz1Xect5ZB7EHZSL_t1l05cr2HD1kUPVZuRmccDs15JKQnn8sasSzjTOdgicfnHUJSVVK428ET-4mxWvT59kXU8mluDxDUzW4iB-8h7Z-fKxDZ_xI/w400-h380/Union%20Star%20sign.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We arrived at 7:00, walked inside, and found ourselves in a hot, steamy room! They start the cheesemaking process at 4:00 a.m. each day, so had already completed much of it. When we arrived the 10,500 pounds of milk had already been pasteurized, rennet and bacteria added, and the solution heated to 106 degrees for almost an hour. Most of the whey had been drained off and the curds had been solidified into dozens of slabs of soft cheese. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">When we arrived they had just started feeding the slabs into a machine that was chopping them into about 1" cubes. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCSH09e8PCuA4HZDrD5OhdLMy1ElghoS_MaG0yNBnGfm--rcFZhVKIHkhKRD-F2v8hpiBC1TH6OTzOkFdjwui3K_RfKMqbZ4JysHwiBhkF6-mfzLdIVXahsnbRX0VSYPbLwhLBXE7FQl67dW2zoOn360Yt16Ww17DLetRxdxwVg663WaRloMN_Yv8tkjY/s3648/DSC05043-standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCSH09e8PCuA4HZDrD5OhdLMy1ElghoS_MaG0yNBnGfm--rcFZhVKIHkhKRD-F2v8hpiBC1TH6OTzOkFdjwui3K_RfKMqbZ4JysHwiBhkF6-mfzLdIVXahsnbRX0VSYPbLwhLBXE7FQl67dW2zoOn360Yt16Ww17DLetRxdxwVg663WaRloMN_Yv8tkjY/w400-h300/DSC05043-standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp0EN976B9aQyV0x2_7ne38xE1TtpftISNrVfdspcZl7maovs4tPTeIBY9k1yNwmR6IGgfOz6gyUjQ3ENNnLZoID9FSnzr_pR5s_QFiFEda7dYe36QSgw-K0u9gkbmHG-i-kq5ndU0Lk0cPxgd0T6SDZ6JEh2I94UqibvwyVk70k_ig3ajb3T3YORl0IM/s3648/DSC05046-standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp0EN976B9aQyV0x2_7ne38xE1TtpftISNrVfdspcZl7maovs4tPTeIBY9k1yNwmR6IGgfOz6gyUjQ3ENNnLZoID9FSnzr_pR5s_QFiFEda7dYe36QSgw-K0u9gkbmHG-i-kq5ndU0Lk0cPxgd0T6SDZ6JEh2I94UqibvwyVk70k_ig3ajb3T3YORl0IM/w400-h300/DSC05046-standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This process continued down the length of a long stainless steel trough. The cubes were stirred continuously while cutting continued. </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccW-XoeA_GcDpAwYJTUE9xshoGnz1wFhH10q0Ex4hq_fcLb5n2oqMXqae7XwAsgZzXvt84GdiPEDefg7136L69xeXKNeUVH2ZRE8fi4KcrYIU1Ij-MR1l6_aXNLgFV3Ld8Uf1XJL15_R093VMasr7MnJeXFeYgvXbW-lSmIMPuYmZx_az9xLZRsBnmCU/s3648/DSC05056-standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccW-XoeA_GcDpAwYJTUE9xshoGnz1wFhH10q0Ex4hq_fcLb5n2oqMXqae7XwAsgZzXvt84GdiPEDefg7136L69xeXKNeUVH2ZRE8fi4KcrYIU1Ij-MR1l6_aXNLgFV3Ld8Uf1XJL15_R093VMasr7MnJeXFeYgvXbW-lSmIMPuYmZx_az9xLZRsBnmCU/w400-h300/DSC05056-standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBK8RguBivgRUfiu-b4wOV1NGgfQYGIj_MzQOxqBtk6-JNymtBibcWRJr-Urj0UxzmhwJ6FKcFZL1EenmUwODRlNX4laaEjobO25nwHM0KWlhGHDyAecPV7wb8gHoWCBDLky15MyXHpdrV7le01PUR6n0_JVsdyOms_H8ErNB1OyDjiaywW1_m5hFUHZc/s3648/DSC05064-standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBK8RguBivgRUfiu-b4wOV1NGgfQYGIj_MzQOxqBtk6-JNymtBibcWRJr-Urj0UxzmhwJ6FKcFZL1EenmUwODRlNX4laaEjobO25nwHM0KWlhGHDyAecPV7wb8gHoWCBDLky15MyXHpdrV7le01PUR6n0_JVsdyOms_H8ErNB1OyDjiaywW1_m5hFUHZc/w400-h300/DSC05064-standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Did I mention that the room was hot and humid? These guys were really putting in the work!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Once all of the slabs had been chopped up, copious amounts of salt were broadcast onto the cubes as the entire batch was continuously mixed. This is not a low-sodium product!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDCa6qzRYe3gO-YzxdcNlahYgZ_5f0AejdbYZlo-9cdkN1OpJIcw_VitXLk1OfkDyRpoIEubQ4g6YIEk_njXhNv-8iOmyAXonf-6t5OrU1W96x9WU0FfZJ81RsZl0VFCnvaZPYpMmeaemmmpfxVZBqWd--LjoKjgZWoHPhw66eX14VtD70PpAJIeJKkJU/s3648/DSC05075-standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDCa6qzRYe3gO-YzxdcNlahYgZ_5f0AejdbYZlo-9cdkN1OpJIcw_VitXLk1OfkDyRpoIEubQ4g6YIEk_njXhNv-8iOmyAXonf-6t5OrU1W96x9WU0FfZJ81RsZl0VFCnvaZPYpMmeaemmmpfxVZBqWd--LjoKjgZWoHPhw66eX14VtD70PpAJIeJKkJU/w400-h300/DSC05075-standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0vVGkR3yZJLBcMBqHOD0Nka-_TtOiXd9UTCGwM2UaOw1VfVi31mRW4T4FxtEYPytiyvJjN7oEY_9aOmoyM_OUJCvgjRGV_oHTq8u0lBpRMOLDp5CuGsRx4kWonwxiDI1KkrwGhR6rlk3zK_rKBYt7_ekYLZMb_DN48hR_mlo-CphbOLd2BEb2NOB9ODw/s3648/DSC05077-standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0vVGkR3yZJLBcMBqHOD0Nka-_TtOiXd9UTCGwM2UaOw1VfVi31mRW4T4FxtEYPytiyvJjN7oEY_9aOmoyM_OUJCvgjRGV_oHTq8u0lBpRMOLDp5CuGsRx4kWonwxiDI1KkrwGhR6rlk3zK_rKBYt7_ekYLZMb_DN48hR_mlo-CphbOLd2BEb2NOB9ODw/w400-h300/DSC05077-standard.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Mixing continued as the salt causes the last of the whey to release and drain off. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvVcWjsagSvQpKg0J7j6LnkH0BzIObKmA-r7H1fG7_C-nwLfLRTfsyFURJeivEjB5en5yuR6LcxroOFUDv35eWAlHNAqzbVs3nVSaG6rmUET0LPlIyNNEU3oOXcRfrn65qzRfl_zLA8YPe0JiHSmToX40yFkxRf5PVzbOvkMgwUkf1SG2L7IAS-dGOcTo/s3648/DSC05082-standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvVcWjsagSvQpKg0J7j6LnkH0BzIObKmA-r7H1fG7_C-nwLfLRTfsyFURJeivEjB5en5yuR6LcxroOFUDv35eWAlHNAqzbVs3nVSaG6rmUET0LPlIyNNEU3oOXcRfrn65qzRfl_zLA8YPe0JiHSmToX40yFkxRf5PVzbOvkMgwUkf1SG2L7IAS-dGOcTo/w400-h300/DSC05082-standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The end result was a little over 1000 pounds of (very) fresh cheese curds. Their motto is "So fresh they squeak", which is the truth!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvC9Z3QJBue3REtBR7505KYf4IW6eUYpRfZwYZU2Mn7tNOc3Fa-IKBMdXJbKtJfYKrs5t8zKtUlcZf6qK-hblk50nBFzfpS3GhUcq9AXrS5NvqMPnbetmteJNdiaBATPE0tOxKc7DZdwZAPRuaVAvv1woUJyqGSEOkzXRExm2oVKHPS0xJXlNDw8nuT5c/s3648/DSC05085-standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvC9Z3QJBue3REtBR7505KYf4IW6eUYpRfZwYZU2Mn7tNOc3Fa-IKBMdXJbKtJfYKrs5t8zKtUlcZf6qK-hblk50nBFzfpS3GhUcq9AXrS5NvqMPnbetmteJNdiaBATPE0tOxKc7DZdwZAPRuaVAvv1woUJyqGSEOkzXRExm2oVKHPS0xJXlNDw8nuT5c/w400-h300/DSC05085-standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTo25UHXb4M9yzV4GPQL523E9jrzg3XhaGetHv9l98zCnbE_RSWEFygZ4lrNXIPckqs_NPsboJoyis_Tf4POpQarb0OPw0qBnvyTfmYmFTEqphjL8-n_cn272n46dGIbpSpx3PFu48VEMpk8w_GzAzQfai7TygN6incCpfz_Qu2tzxTOD8lCAfo4rAXJU/s3648/DSC05088-standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTo25UHXb4M9yzV4GPQL523E9jrzg3XhaGetHv9l98zCnbE_RSWEFygZ4lrNXIPckqs_NPsboJoyis_Tf4POpQarb0OPw0qBnvyTfmYmFTEqphjL8-n_cn272n46dGIbpSpx3PFu48VEMpk8w_GzAzQfai7TygN6incCpfz_Qu2tzxTOD8lCAfo4rAXJU/w400-h300/DSC05088-standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We were given samples of the still warm cheese curds to try. They do actually give a little "squeak" when you bite into them. They seemed really salty and I wonder if that dissipates some with time. They not only sell curds in the store, but they deliver them to grocery and convenience stores and restaurants every morning. One morning each week they make string cheese. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">While some of the curds are sold fresh, much is processed into different types of cheese by adding in other ingredients, molding it into blocks, and in some cases aging it for up to two years. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEKRIYTDaxJg_jjR1TObMfyWHDSgXELYReUbMXy-a2-uWULj-R2ybH4ir2qkQqLs1U_61qHuqbmY3IN_T5EIB-N0zQ9csu0XMDfwkPRoneGzHp-z-x_cueNVJHwnqmPFMTOKYMEcmqyYXfllHRSmDlj69uFsflSPvHRL9KQTF5BLx6qVydSEFimQBg1s/s3648/DSC05060-standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEKRIYTDaxJg_jjR1TObMfyWHDSgXELYReUbMXy-a2-uWULj-R2ybH4ir2qkQqLs1U_61qHuqbmY3IN_T5EIB-N0zQ9csu0XMDfwkPRoneGzHp-z-x_cueNVJHwnqmPFMTOKYMEcmqyYXfllHRSmDlj69uFsflSPvHRL9KQTF5BLx6qVydSEFimQBg1s/w400-h300/DSC05060-standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRp_EWFcqvYZtBl2y4lURE5bowa4-W91GYyxlX-4kWJQq94uJ3HAJcB4-1vS7Vfbg1y2kBcMGU8qFKXLk9fa-bvN9NJsPpumGIcbC_LmQfPLkwnScwhqHwAi1WVAuGVXu-OUecUaThOlkcUuTi13WIzyNW8iOhrjpJbzuNJFAVP-06cGzsbQ1vVWyCTS0/s3648/DSC05042-standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRp_EWFcqvYZtBl2y4lURE5bowa4-W91GYyxlX-4kWJQq94uJ3HAJcB4-1vS7Vfbg1y2kBcMGU8qFKXLk9fa-bvN9NJsPpumGIcbC_LmQfPLkwnScwhqHwAi1WVAuGVXu-OUecUaThOlkcUuTi13WIzyNW8iOhrjpJbzuNJFAVP-06cGzsbQ1vVWyCTS0/w400-h300/DSC05042-standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The refrigerated aging room. </span></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Some of this cheese has been here for almost 2 years.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQXazAvBIqmbm4yv8dgM2DTj8M4HQtOnjL2H51QJ_3FOIsEKaKRBlHp8DPM0dMQDC82yM4qqhRelBkQFnysYhXHSxHLo46c1fgNpYBdAgrFr1gO4hnqIj4xNTza5cAQE5AGKKH1IfmV1TTCsHzwAN-k9qnbjemhZhr33i56FzF9TIbG4Nte5r5LCXaBw/s3648/DSC05095-standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQXazAvBIqmbm4yv8dgM2DTj8M4HQtOnjL2H51QJ_3FOIsEKaKRBlHp8DPM0dMQDC82yM4qqhRelBkQFnysYhXHSxHLo46c1fgNpYBdAgrFr1gO4hnqIj4xNTza5cAQE5AGKKH1IfmV1TTCsHzwAN-k9qnbjemhZhr33i56FzF9TIbG4Nte5r5LCXaBw/w400-h300/DSC05095-standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Plenty
of varieties for purchase.</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEIBDCFg3gniUOyPjhQMcDbt36uAjtsRVMYwnwJdFKXG59Km--OMK-4yGRNZ22R5Ve8uNbrfzYh6gwrWzQgGgvY0EPeAZE3wNfenb7U7NCHUOa5VgFoYhby_mrM3Hhtshh4uoNThJIRNlS72_luvfsKCMxybxLXjrt_8bZjMwDn6w07bnfenPZ6M8Qois/s3648/DSC05096-standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEIBDCFg3gniUOyPjhQMcDbt36uAjtsRVMYwnwJdFKXG59Km--OMK-4yGRNZ22R5Ve8uNbrfzYh6gwrWzQgGgvY0EPeAZE3wNfenb7U7NCHUOa5VgFoYhby_mrM3Hhtshh4uoNThJIRNlS72_luvfsKCMxybxLXjrt_8bZjMwDn6w07bnfenPZ6M8Qois/w400-h300/DSC05096-standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It had been another really interesting tour, this time with a little snack at the end!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">From Union Star we headed less than 30 minutes north to the Mosquito Hill Nature Preserve. This is a 441 acre preserve operated by the county. It borders the Wolf River and contains a stand of bottomland hardwood forest. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuPgXyw1fkzvaaFgXT6WSLeJSrSGJtsrcDHXgJcHGeWTPR-0swY_ufp18eFB1P1LmHfmYwW_ltOwaLw4VvgP7kiuhH5B1C0Ad-Zai58LgIBMOiHkFfttrJcIMgc4O2y_3mJWmyaUnx_c2GvNVE3Ts_lsDn14Y3fq_Z6gXdklarCprcYo4aQbUfaqF8nKE/s2579/Mosquito%20Hill%20SIgn.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2063" data-original-width="2579" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuPgXyw1fkzvaaFgXT6WSLeJSrSGJtsrcDHXgJcHGeWTPR-0swY_ufp18eFB1P1LmHfmYwW_ltOwaLw4VvgP7kiuhH5B1C0Ad-Zai58LgIBMOiHkFfttrJcIMgc4O2y_3mJWmyaUnx_c2GvNVE3Ts_lsDn14Y3fq_Z6gXdklarCprcYo4aQbUfaqF8nKE/w400-h320/Mosquito%20Hill%20SIgn.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy1MYO-cp-ot02iJeFHxO1EYsApE81QMWt3wrBrTBIP_LSQ8gYFA0mxOxO1aaZy_IGzQKMF9-NIDEACnYWagBiqLF36ZUvYXFKmrIZMF6B4JPl-rbtefKCq_BjouDH7QSjpF_ahJ2E8Kge4p-QMNcgLESWxIK4hCHGIHlEanoOXz0CIj3gKg7Qso0LMps/s2720/DSC05101-standard.jpgMosquito%20Hill%20Trail%20Map.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2176" data-original-width="2720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy1MYO-cp-ot02iJeFHxO1EYsApE81QMWt3wrBrTBIP_LSQ8gYFA0mxOxO1aaZy_IGzQKMF9-NIDEACnYWagBiqLF36ZUvYXFKmrIZMF6B4JPl-rbtefKCq_BjouDH7QSjpF_ahJ2E8Kge4p-QMNcgLESWxIK4hCHGIHlEanoOXz0CIj3gKg7Qso0LMps/w400-h320/DSC05101-standard.jpgMosquito%20Hill%20Trail%20Map.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br />In the Visitor Center parking lot there was a beautiful pollinator garden with a metal sculpture depicting their namesake. </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTU3dshVNeN7D60cmp5v9568n6Iy7YxdeuVVkB4cnnjS0rqq62SjvAHRvEYqeheEzoePI52oXpF1dTWEt4mYUr8bHP8P1Bi0RKQC3-Sioh4beRfbJa188AZJ9FTac4m9PzpGVsMmseeaD_mtrfXsIn_p-eKrkncMX_tBycmDJxlvBGwzT_w5VrcIc-g9s/s3018/Mosquito%20Hill%20mosquito%20sculpture.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2414" data-original-width="3018" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTU3dshVNeN7D60cmp5v9568n6Iy7YxdeuVVkB4cnnjS0rqq62SjvAHRvEYqeheEzoePI52oXpF1dTWEt4mYUr8bHP8P1Bi0RKQC3-Sioh4beRfbJa188AZJ9FTac4m9PzpGVsMmseeaD_mtrfXsIn_p-eKrkncMX_tBycmDJxlvBGwzT_w5VrcIc-g9s/w400-h320/Mosquito%20Hill%20mosquito%20sculpture.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It was warm and sunny and luckily we didn't run across many of these guys, and none this large!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtMo-hKK422KfXq3X0oMUSd9Jb-lD_E6D3BAVEBcItisFIThj7DmZtwP71nsaDFmsM8S4t_zIrsr_w-bZYz7Ku01Nm5E3V7X_wCb2KaioSUpZbLVvy2SqAiV3Pp2n4pD7dKgVLsaC4ACYAqgO8Io9bH2ELVE21Nj974rz9Rofg4u4y29WaLEzVcPgHZ0/s3420/Mosquito%20Hill%20pond%20overlook.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3420" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtMo-hKK422KfXq3X0oMUSd9Jb-lD_E6D3BAVEBcItisFIThj7DmZtwP71nsaDFmsM8S4t_zIrsr_w-bZYz7Ku01Nm5E3V7X_wCb2KaioSUpZbLVvy2SqAiV3Pp2n4pD7dKgVLsaC4ACYAqgO8Io9bH2ELVE21Nj974rz9Rofg4u4y29WaLEzVcPgHZ0/w400-h320/Mosquito%20Hill%20pond%20overlook.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO04wqLbIOhbJijK6nqKWYmwzk6ns2ohdkmBsJnbFa15ykbEVxmciVEWsfw0rkuT1sqXIkyT1RVO82EJf636LSy-gyomzCRAhWRHFBwFgUE13Ciar9y_xhQV9sl8A7G1tVyKPQCiXZuML0dp2QtBXlcQN_HUKEX7GqqZLRIjFXnJ2KDkPcjLh6-WAzZwk/s3420/Mosquito%20Hill%20trail.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3420" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO04wqLbIOhbJijK6nqKWYmwzk6ns2ohdkmBsJnbFa15ykbEVxmciVEWsfw0rkuT1sqXIkyT1RVO82EJf636LSy-gyomzCRAhWRHFBwFgUE13Ciar9y_xhQV9sl8A7G1tVyKPQCiXZuML0dp2QtBXlcQN_HUKEX7GqqZLRIjFXnJ2KDkPcjLh6-WAzZwk/w400-h320/Mosquito%20Hill%20trail.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We enjoyed a nice walk through the forest and out in some clearings. We saw a few of their breeding birds in the forest, and dragonflies and butterflies in the open fields. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0v6iZNE-Dw79Y_5uvS3k22PtvlydYrrxiAFivTg3k00uHpYgwAEwpNq30rKaRzyvJQtezCOUNA6lQbJpOrjwzorNnDtY3YYng8hd7Onnw9xqOJ02MO1LV37olGJhfSrdc7-_Snm8UoOh61dEAK1sc-qxSV8si-qghYaNxVkbka158vo8GjVJiNo8irfY/s3060/Baltimore%20Oriole%20male%20-%20Mosquito%20Hill%20Nature%20Center%2006-08-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0v6iZNE-Dw79Y_5uvS3k22PtvlydYrrxiAFivTg3k00uHpYgwAEwpNq30rKaRzyvJQtezCOUNA6lQbJpOrjwzorNnDtY3YYng8hd7Onnw9xqOJ02MO1LV37olGJhfSrdc7-_Snm8UoOh61dEAK1sc-qxSV8si-qghYaNxVkbka158vo8GjVJiNo8irfY/w400-h320/Baltimore%20Oriole%20male%20-%20Mosquito%20Hill%20Nature%20Center%2006-08-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Baltimore Oriole</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcneFPFdBYqza5OLVUO4WDfWmPynxgnUtXRGxmVIrqAgGMFWWS9QLrY0zj-eeRiXTRWz2eb75dJIXP5c_Yj0b2Fr1161AhaljxcziqeGlcA2nvY4F3bXwGPPWs8etpg5nNAmTh-N3m0a8oqebDLXG0SawjJb9ugUm9MZu8Xx4JcFF1DhlbKxhUEE8-k2g/s3577/Clubtail%20type%20Dragonfly-%20Mosquito%20Hill%20Nature%20Center%2006-08-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2861" data-original-width="3577" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcneFPFdBYqza5OLVUO4WDfWmPynxgnUtXRGxmVIrqAgGMFWWS9QLrY0zj-eeRiXTRWz2eb75dJIXP5c_Yj0b2Fr1161AhaljxcziqeGlcA2nvY4F3bXwGPPWs8etpg5nNAmTh-N3m0a8oqebDLXG0SawjJb9ugUm9MZu8Xx4JcFF1DhlbKxhUEE8-k2g/w400-h320/Clubtail%20type%20Dragonfly-%20Mosquito%20Hill%20Nature%20Center%2006-08-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Clubtail type Dragonfly</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvreKAzal5v_8sEw0p0rwnifTDiMSWyKeB6VDNzyOdf3NBaEObZdKjjrvcVylespmJgzGYenfbBli0ftR_N8a6az8twbGtHmIvWKwc4lPGGTNgrQLgc7SZeRoR1hvepalTjZAX1P-pzqKH7tLCh_-ZetfY3ye4xfupSFIw7vV-YtX7Y90D0jjtBhR6CTs/s2497/Fly%20-%20Mosquito%20Hill%20Nature%20Center%2006-08-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1997" data-original-width="2497" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvreKAzal5v_8sEw0p0rwnifTDiMSWyKeB6VDNzyOdf3NBaEObZdKjjrvcVylespmJgzGYenfbBli0ftR_N8a6az8twbGtHmIvWKwc4lPGGTNgrQLgc7SZeRoR1hvepalTjZAX1P-pzqKH7tLCh_-ZetfY3ye4xfupSFIw7vV-YtX7Y90D0jjtBhR6CTs/w400-h320/Fly%20-%20Mosquito%20Hill%20Nature%20Center%2006-08-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Interesting fly</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-lPYTZcnew2J6zh9-VZyLo9rX0FjbnxR_HIeL0188BKXfGXIL6SJXRMa2EcYeSJqHQzZEykjG5WXOPtCZEWH4z1rmpL3KihyxgNj0vuCgEKE6QzsO-W-xr2rBfHSkHhdkA6gAHJMUuCRX7z6X3A3jEv67C5sa-deOelcc-yU-3XIyhPyy_sBJgap1II/s2748/House%20Wren%20-%20Mosquito%20Hill%20Nature%20Center%2006-08-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2199" data-original-width="2748" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-lPYTZcnew2J6zh9-VZyLo9rX0FjbnxR_HIeL0188BKXfGXIL6SJXRMa2EcYeSJqHQzZEykjG5WXOPtCZEWH4z1rmpL3KihyxgNj0vuCgEKE6QzsO-W-xr2rBfHSkHhdkA6gAHJMUuCRX7z6X3A3jEv67C5sa-deOelcc-yU-3XIyhPyy_sBJgap1II/w400-h320/House%20Wren%20-%20Mosquito%20Hill%20Nature%20Center%2006-08-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">House Wren singing</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnizXW7fT0UOtoMm24-361aX3AfnSYAqL1JdAnnfhuDFdW4A8NnKfvkSSDmB0kVLml-5OugWqi18grEQwa-4NWEhOEGmAxmgSKEAGSCZBatDqMBYYNuyXpdqoZS4DiNX37-gT0sKfny_BC4YiuTVMnr8eqAIIM5gNBKKG5rnoGFS-571jlEq4SSx5EF40/s2721/Little%20Wood-Satyr%20-%20Mosquito%20Hill%20Nature%20Center%2006-08-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2177" data-original-width="2721" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnizXW7fT0UOtoMm24-361aX3AfnSYAqL1JdAnnfhuDFdW4A8NnKfvkSSDmB0kVLml-5OugWqi18grEQwa-4NWEhOEGmAxmgSKEAGSCZBatDqMBYYNuyXpdqoZS4DiNX37-gT0sKfny_BC4YiuTVMnr8eqAIIM5gNBKKG5rnoGFS-571jlEq4SSx5EF40/w400-h320/Little%20Wood-Satyr%20-%20Mosquito%20Hill%20Nature%20Center%2006-08-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Little Wood-Satyr</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEico_yI8p_IuY6DAUGgakx1gTmfSI0_NQPyWoe6GcqM7_7D4A1iu_90TIJsz2NG8QZ2JXm62WgqrMB-T14IyiRgbOOocEBAHVBfg7BNX7XcV5pIZJs10MmVajpB8DccXxNztUdB8iSBB83jyqunwzYh5pQK0vetYD_xZlv_rI3i2Qp2CzqCK5pEwToITBM/s5220/Red-spotted%20Admiral%20-%20Mosquito%20Hill%20Nature%20Center%2006-08-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4176" data-original-width="5220" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEico_yI8p_IuY6DAUGgakx1gTmfSI0_NQPyWoe6GcqM7_7D4A1iu_90TIJsz2NG8QZ2JXm62WgqrMB-T14IyiRgbOOocEBAHVBfg7BNX7XcV5pIZJs10MmVajpB8DccXxNztUdB8iSBB83jyqunwzYh5pQK0vetYD_xZlv_rI3i2Qp2CzqCK5pEwToITBM/w400-h320/Red-spotted%20Admiral%20-%20Mosquito%20Hill%20Nature%20Center%2006-08-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Red-spotted Admiral</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Zp630i7TBtGP30Bk2zVTsa9B200xbm-mIFMaDouu7H_ysG14eVwK4hYAf5kojQoCO0I_tSIkYcbTc0z1ANWiFOJmLNIriOyJ8cIl_oHf37lbAZBdkeSqL653a2iV6yE4glE2sDLyXy1Yf5T_5hy83gbWES2NUxpES71mJPFlLj7zOo-8Q-DzzlUbESs/s3018/Rose-breasted%20Grosbeak%20male%20-%20Mosquito%20Hill%20Nature%20Center%2006-08-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2414" data-original-width="3018" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Zp630i7TBtGP30Bk2zVTsa9B200xbm-mIFMaDouu7H_ysG14eVwK4hYAf5kojQoCO0I_tSIkYcbTc0z1ANWiFOJmLNIriOyJ8cIl_oHf37lbAZBdkeSqL653a2iV6yE4glE2sDLyXy1Yf5T_5hy83gbWES2NUxpES71mJPFlLj7zOo-8Q-DzzlUbESs/w400-h320/Rose-breasted%20Grosbeak%20male%20-%20Mosquito%20Hill%20Nature%20Center%2006-08-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Rose-breasted Grosbeak</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I had been unseasonably warm the past couple of days (the story of our life...) and things were getting pretty quiet, so we headed back toward our cottage, got lunch, and relaxed outside for the rest of the afternoon. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">That evening we headed over to the Horicon Marsh NWR for a quick trip around the auto loop road. We planned to come back the next morning but wanted to get a preview. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">There is a floating boardwalk section and we headed out onto it. We saw quite a few Black Terns which are birds we don't get to see very often. Most terns are saltwater birds, but not these. They were zooming around, occasionally dropping to the water's surface to (hopefully) pick off a small fish. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaJWtV8nODzE4-CaM2Htquv1FDJKWhI04WBlZ-6KgCoasrIdT4IVJZuO0oyqquh7C0AHkys7hqdd2yY5hZfVSyWmpM74xpTnWFV_XTTypg9AbQG740rmC89ikcHiPt3AvRbBYYVnDSCwezYXzZKa7s6YZNKGqLcJroPOuOSkVq0RQSPzLmq0mwt0qxJEw/s2021/Black%20Tern%202%20-%20Horicon%20NWR-Auto%20Tour%20and%20Trails%2006-08-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1617" data-original-width="2021" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaJWtV8nODzE4-CaM2Htquv1FDJKWhI04WBlZ-6KgCoasrIdT4IVJZuO0oyqquh7C0AHkys7hqdd2yY5hZfVSyWmpM74xpTnWFV_XTTypg9AbQG740rmC89ikcHiPt3AvRbBYYVnDSCwezYXzZKa7s6YZNKGqLcJroPOuOSkVq0RQSPzLmq0mwt0qxJEw/w400-h320/Black%20Tern%202%20-%20Horicon%20NWR-Auto%20Tour%20and%20Trails%2006-08-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRlBNHIgY-I-r3afj36C4B6xlfmDXMnEeeLcra7IKhf9f53gp7hXMe83lNMadIeesRvkrM7tCwJzw22nrehqaE23QYFdtvWZX3KzJIZ8438IDm8FIYY8Bo_1aOeqVYcH-5F9IwF9-r6IDNWgEwO7-IWGx7pBplGXrKTLHmJ8vSivhufm5wZZ8WGsGRm6U/s1890/Black%20Tern%203%20-%20Horicon%20NWR-Auto%20Tour%20and%20Trails%2006-08-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1890" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRlBNHIgY-I-r3afj36C4B6xlfmDXMnEeeLcra7IKhf9f53gp7hXMe83lNMadIeesRvkrM7tCwJzw22nrehqaE23QYFdtvWZX3KzJIZ8438IDm8FIYY8Bo_1aOeqVYcH-5F9IwF9-r6IDNWgEwO7-IWGx7pBplGXrKTLHmJ8vSivhufm5wZZ8WGsGRm6U/w400-h320/Black%20Tern%203%20-%20Horicon%20NWR-Auto%20Tour%20and%20Trails%2006-08-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjavEqHhE8vYleRK-RMhLclSlNBbbT7vaQK1c0PqQO4Ut3MLqCwakVpcmrIQt-oJdqPUr_X5biPtoz7C1yknV8fUCkdg7W5Qea3FY8q1_S2pvckvia_bFZoMxpxFQjqgXFgiFFCtdaym36chpgMveGFVyr2CDMWC7SnhKkwZR6XZA5ViEU9Ilqn37dzefI/s2419/Black%20Tern%20-%20Horicon%20NWR-Auto%20Tour%20and%20Trails%2006-08-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1935" data-original-width="2419" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjavEqHhE8vYleRK-RMhLclSlNBbbT7vaQK1c0PqQO4Ut3MLqCwakVpcmrIQt-oJdqPUr_X5biPtoz7C1yknV8fUCkdg7W5Qea3FY8q1_S2pvckvia_bFZoMxpxFQjqgXFgiFFCtdaym36chpgMveGFVyr2CDMWC7SnhKkwZR6XZA5ViEU9Ilqn37dzefI/w400-h320/Black%20Tern%20-%20Horicon%20NWR-Auto%20Tour%20and%20Trails%2006-08-2023.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Black Tern with fish</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">There were also Tree Swallows catching insects over the water. It was a good place to end the day. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5iXews9DF_wSjOdxAFHXCivLfXkTtcAF-xkdZSbmlQXXM76m6C1uuPjBAmk1WGE9AU4qlINGnKp1LuJeXnioeX35gs5THUqMA3xtmraGCsUUvjRzANsdZGwZHyJMOpWABv_3C04Ol53-k6DvpCaWuj5F4P5g70BBj_sNavlQKpRN60FuTKPOQWUD8vTg/s2511/Tree%20Swallow%20-%20Horicon%20NWR-Auto%20Tour%20and%20Trails%2006-08-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2009" data-original-width="2511" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5iXews9DF_wSjOdxAFHXCivLfXkTtcAF-xkdZSbmlQXXM76m6C1uuPjBAmk1WGE9AU4qlINGnKp1LuJeXnioeX35gs5THUqMA3xtmraGCsUUvjRzANsdZGwZHyJMOpWABv_3C04Ol53-k6DvpCaWuj5F4P5g70BBj_sNavlQKpRN60FuTKPOQWUD8vTg/w400-h320/Tree%20Swallow%20-%20Horicon%20NWR-Auto%20Tour%20and%20Trails%2006-08-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Tree Swallow</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Next: Horicon Marsh and the steel Mammoth</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div>Mark & Terihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410651360395422840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767944521225965268.post-36653810808034415822023-08-10T05:00:00.018-05:002023-08-10T13:50:55.364-05:00Wisconsin 2023 - Day 4<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">June 7, 2023 (Wednesday)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Today was moving day so we packed up early and headed south. We wanted to return to the main Visitor Center area of the George W. Mead State Wildlife Area, as we'd arrived pretty late during our first visit. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We made good time and arrived before they even had the main gate open, but we'd learned that they had a satellite parking lot outside of the gate with a pedestrian entrance onto their trail system. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh29LfCax7FcwN1Iifjc_JGjljoq0Di7T8hs7z5LUIywyObMARX_C_Rgeb7HvSbkw8gr9tcwUL5oECUdOvrGut45hynuRMwtt8xRoOYEIN7lmDfPR8AQCo1qu6d1gc4aTM-VnPOUOIdwnxCApkaF55e3pDM3Gi2AcNcYWxzg79tPmQ8hQM6_ZkmSCsKxkk/s3648/DSC04956-standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh29LfCax7FcwN1Iifjc_JGjljoq0Di7T8hs7z5LUIywyObMARX_C_Rgeb7HvSbkw8gr9tcwUL5oECUdOvrGut45hynuRMwtt8xRoOYEIN7lmDfPR8AQCo1qu6d1gc4aTM-VnPOUOIdwnxCApkaF55e3pDM3Gi2AcNcYWxzg79tPmQ8hQM6_ZkmSCsKxkk/w400-h300/DSC04956-standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The trail passed first through a forested area and then went around a series of ponds and marshy areas.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwQshOUCNMBfjZ4_ApzGP9R0A9MBg2IHrN92eZB_QlEc4nycAop3l67tARRByLcUg7dZhuj2NYG8bjRj6T15-6MFxcCC1FUZUvP7LiSu4LgK7VOLZyLUvFIyugMzogfIi5E6pXtlbEnroE_b_5DmCHatElk6jUaeepocrwxJ9hTsAij3eomgIH32zUvWg/s2463/Common%20Yellowthroat%20-%20George%20W.%20Mead%20SWA-Visitor%20Center%2006-07-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1969" data-original-width="2463" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwQshOUCNMBfjZ4_ApzGP9R0A9MBg2IHrN92eZB_QlEc4nycAop3l67tARRByLcUg7dZhuj2NYG8bjRj6T15-6MFxcCC1FUZUvP7LiSu4LgK7VOLZyLUvFIyugMzogfIi5E6pXtlbEnroE_b_5DmCHatElk6jUaeepocrwxJ9hTsAij3eomgIH32zUvWg/w400-h320/Common%20Yellowthroat%20-%20George%20W.%20Mead%20SWA-Visitor%20Center%2006-07-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Common Yellowthroat</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4kXM1RWL6ciqnEOXZHmUC3zeySZiOUDp7GRKuRZTlw2jQbG3TJ0gDqUwSXWOMRwirqXMdaTkv9XI4BAV8vXm2gZ7zhhoCsHs2tGmWzfe5n0I88yE8FnHSvrGHI8I13xPilLj8wGcu-DKlBvQr6b25P1TUeLekwDRSr6YE9MZ2faXrBnsbUyyoBZGlQQ/s2558/Dickcissel%20-%20George%20W.%20Mead%20SWA-Visitor%20Center%2006-07-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2046" data-original-width="2558" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4kXM1RWL6ciqnEOXZHmUC3zeySZiOUDp7GRKuRZTlw2jQbG3TJ0gDqUwSXWOMRwirqXMdaTkv9XI4BAV8vXm2gZ7zhhoCsHs2tGmWzfe5n0I88yE8FnHSvrGHI8I13xPilLj8wGcu-DKlBvQr6b25P1TUeLekwDRSr6YE9MZ2faXrBnsbUyyoBZGlQQ/w400-h320/Dickcissel%20-%20George%20W.%20Mead%20SWA-Visitor%20Center%2006-07-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Dickcissel</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">There was a viewing blind at the end of a boardwalk spur, and as we approached we were greeted by a Northern Flicker on the blind itself. </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpUnq9eIafvMPfhJuN8splt3rRP65YhYlWsuLf_QYMYj9C1EQpOtYf2mZ0qCT38gkbjiMQOGNpqD1AIQl8Cne8PhaBBxsE9_TS0o1YF_a5JYgj3SjMrRmKKseu_JQ-8eAPvX8G_jRKSEEa3igcC0zLpoR8qD3Ip7_cmoERfkdntx4gDpVPYcX_ZeZ1uZ8/s5866/Northern%20Flicker%20-%20George%20W.%20Mead%20SWA-Visitor%20Center%2006-07-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4694" data-original-width="5866" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpUnq9eIafvMPfhJuN8splt3rRP65YhYlWsuLf_QYMYj9C1EQpOtYf2mZ0qCT38gkbjiMQOGNpqD1AIQl8Cne8PhaBBxsE9_TS0o1YF_a5JYgj3SjMrRmKKseu_JQ-8eAPvX8G_jRKSEEa3igcC0zLpoR8qD3Ip7_cmoERfkdntx4gDpVPYcX_ZeZ1uZ8/w400-h320/Northern%20Flicker%20-%20George%20W.%20Mead%20SWA-Visitor%20Center%2006-07-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We had a nice view of the large pond and meadows as we circled the pond and looked back toward the Visitor Center. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1hegqf4qZV_IjfkAvGrpCcPH8O6WaRpx7XbEeEOuldJWIg93SUgvjPi7YHB27JR_lW791DIvmz1zOcA_weS6vb_4-qTuIjH0twiF4iE2FhGZsJeiOQFv9ZkK4wzZRItlQS_9hrv4J1NmDQXATyd2PHZNd2ZK7sH2OcMjn5PdeZwTKMI8YdGtGKZSKMu0/s3156/View%20back%20toward%20VC.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2525" data-original-width="3156" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1hegqf4qZV_IjfkAvGrpCcPH8O6WaRpx7XbEeEOuldJWIg93SUgvjPi7YHB27JR_lW791DIvmz1zOcA_weS6vb_4-qTuIjH0twiF4iE2FhGZsJeiOQFv9ZkK4wzZRItlQS_9hrv4J1NmDQXATyd2PHZNd2ZK7sH2OcMjn5PdeZwTKMI8YdGtGKZSKMu0/w400-h320/View%20back%20toward%20VC.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">There were Trumpeter Swans nesting in the various ponds, and we saw one with two babies, called cygnets. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidHl7aLEig-bPC-hH-LB9CptGGegZAMCNsyaS1o90LKNZ-NKwusyEihY6sm2Ykfgb1H0pUxqvUJTW3K7Czrhx26SSfn08EoRpqodN0oxcDSpbB6hMg4lu07zojhnu3wkK5ilpJ4QuHNbeNRFaYOv8jFDuCNvOrZ2sunkrFTLrHwWd95_ZawyNLnfqRFpg/s2155/Swan%20with%20signets.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1724" data-original-width="2155" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidHl7aLEig-bPC-hH-LB9CptGGegZAMCNsyaS1o90LKNZ-NKwusyEihY6sm2Ykfgb1H0pUxqvUJTW3K7Czrhx26SSfn08EoRpqodN0oxcDSpbB6hMg4lu07zojhnu3wkK5ilpJ4QuHNbeNRFaYOv8jFDuCNvOrZ2sunkrFTLrHwWd95_ZawyNLnfqRFpg/w400-h320/Swan%20with%20signets.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br />After a pleasant few hours at the Wildlife Area we got back into our car and heading for the next factory tour on Teri's list. Knigge Farm, located in Omro, Wisconsin was the first dairy farm in North America to install a robotic milking system. </span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDAOLSFSK9FF0_fMGYc-GRAVQJRJNxCK1_-IPRDSdjeBhezZ9pTb0DJbbMtuAvTQkSoSfq9PTidibd8rHjqVzoN8Lsl8q3cQVetdrgxg_ZJBWPN7D929JZhT9jtPAmwLOxuljqZkXozRz5Ed_pVTjCZnjdkQc0T716EPQ0w_zavMb3tRHLfr26u1iwa5A/s1342/Knigge%20Famrs%20sign.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1162" data-original-width="1342" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDAOLSFSK9FF0_fMGYc-GRAVQJRJNxCK1_-IPRDSdjeBhezZ9pTb0DJbbMtuAvTQkSoSfq9PTidibd8rHjqVzoN8Lsl8q3cQVetdrgxg_ZJBWPN7D929JZhT9jtPAmwLOxuljqZkXozRz5Ed_pVTjCZnjdkQc0T716EPQ0w_zavMb3tRHLfr26u1iwa5A/w400-h346/Knigge%20Famrs%20sign.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We'd called ahead, and were met by Pete, the owner of the farm. He was very friendly and enthusiastic about showing us the operation. </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbvidZO26vTZ33FJA4OtmOWUGiyS2zNj3ZrHh5a5U3HEwLx-8_nWqTEQY744AbJdvyO-LDb8PVWiZ141MNaA8FKKCeJNqbUGSkI_YhmzTcS8yDpwlB25n-iRzmRiKWQF5wJESpCdNOykejSZ8BSe730bd861r8dNkTg03XDx8FzwEkrtpcQv18VKduBrE/s3648/Pete%20showing%20Mark%20silage.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbvidZO26vTZ33FJA4OtmOWUGiyS2zNj3ZrHh5a5U3HEwLx-8_nWqTEQY744AbJdvyO-LDb8PVWiZ141MNaA8FKKCeJNqbUGSkI_YhmzTcS8yDpwlB25n-iRzmRiKWQF5wJESpCdNOykejSZ8BSe730bd861r8dNkTg03XDx8FzwEkrtpcQv18VKduBrE/w400-h300/Pete%20showing%20Mark%20silage.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The main barn was a long building, divided lengthwise by a wide concrete corridor. Half of the cattle were on each side, and their feed was dropped along the edge of the corridor. Pete explained that the feed is "silage", which is the entire corn plant, chopped up and sealed under plastic sheathing while still green and moist. It ferments in place and retains a higher level of nutrients than a similar dry hay. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMkH7hzxlbYWdHST0ikkgzVY9TryZAKHw2RZzr2mOjlyxXvnRfqcUgp3dwN_CskeAR9Qioqm6JmFzwECvNJzQ_l8Ef_z4a5LBnCUePImuR7GrUJMdRC1AMjbqxBVBFuGBA6Nye3vcYfZ8HLWvgcxqd3VGMf8UgL6UsVk3N5m557HYTR0B6T2Dmxdw94Y/s3648/DSC04971-standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMkH7hzxlbYWdHST0ikkgzVY9TryZAKHw2RZzr2mOjlyxXvnRfqcUgp3dwN_CskeAR9Qioqm6JmFzwECvNJzQ_l8Ef_z4a5LBnCUePImuR7GrUJMdRC1AMjbqxBVBFuGBA6Nye3vcYfZ8HLWvgcxqd3VGMf8UgL6UsVk3N5m557HYTR0B6T2Dmxdw94Y/w400-h300/DSC04971-standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As the cattle fed it was obvious that some of the silage was pushed out too far for them to reach. I asked Pete if they had to shovel it back toward the cattle now and then, but he pointed to what looked like a giant Roomba vacuum cleaner that he said made a pass down each side every couple of hours and swept the food back to the edge where the cattle could reach it. Not too much manual labor here. Smart!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Once we'd seen the main part of the barn, Pete took us to the robotic milking booth on one side of the barn. There is a booth on each side. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtSo4hqaW4p6T0mtuqBa9U-vgtpmd4CY2xyDfdBFksEO3aPVl8wP-569LKqNk5rN3m57NRrPzyoIm5lryoF9poc8_-AKc23eY1Xlobfili-uAhIz-Mna49Kk2X-PeGHDufTD8az0M1Jza5ozfidiUTG8cGmyDElbfuL7boE9sgGpcXs7AENZiH0UzLuZQ/s3648/roboitc%20booth.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtSo4hqaW4p6T0mtuqBa9U-vgtpmd4CY2xyDfdBFksEO3aPVl8wP-569LKqNk5rN3m57NRrPzyoIm5lryoF9poc8_-AKc23eY1Xlobfili-uAhIz-Mna49Kk2X-PeGHDufTD8az0M1Jza5ozfidiUTG8cGmyDElbfuL7boE9sgGpcXs7AENZiH0UzLuZQ/w400-h300/roboitc%20booth.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Here's where it got really interesting. Each cow wears a collar with a transponder identifying her. Not only that but it monitors a number of things like body temperature, abdominal sounds, amount of movement, etc. that allows the farmer to know generally if they are healthy, when they are ready to breed, and some other things. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">When a cow feels that she is ready to milk, she walks herself into the stall where her collar is read. Sometimes there is a line of cows waiting. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQpCWTCQLWzOQjDgGKrsQX11X5myTeckdC0T1ep8LSOm5LTfGQKd7PtHk9F6lAuW9j7TfGc0M47N1zY5NajbIqhjU1IiEieXtiCkkINf6q2gVjcLqX7_Vjap1SZwpGLKb_D7gKeeAD92BQXgvVTVd03W6OXnqX6M38KA78ckivFWmFbPpzzTQa1dfXWY/s2526/Cow%20enterring%20booth.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2020" data-original-width="2526" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQpCWTCQLWzOQjDgGKrsQX11X5myTeckdC0T1ep8LSOm5LTfGQKd7PtHk9F6lAuW9j7TfGc0M47N1zY5NajbIqhjU1IiEieXtiCkkINf6q2gVjcLqX7_Vjap1SZwpGLKb_D7gKeeAD92BQXgvVTVd03W6OXnqX6M38KA78ckivFWmFbPpzzTQa1dfXWY/w400-h320/Cow%20enterring%20booth.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">When the collar is read the computer does several things. First it checks that the cow hasn't come back too quickly since its last milking. The cows receive sweet feed while they are being milked, so some will try to come back over and over just to get the treat. In that case the computer simply opens the front gate and off they go with no treat!</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">If the cow <u>is</u> ready to be milked, the computer projects how much milk that cow should give based on past performance and time since their last milking. With the cow in position (and receiving their treat) the robot first washes the udder. This is done with a combination of warm water and soft brushes which go over the udder in two separate cycles with the brushes rinsed in between. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWugKRqIC7FytKJPcUJmiXo8LDcFv9RUuiyn98M1BHCr1o71teZBGH4JoPuRJaBDitUhbO7PYz3_-7kmohQXRPzT2DCOfLVn3COLyNpLC6onOYYlmZtJ1q1HVRfwAGU19QJpNXW3y1Ih5p_-YAOdjEBYLAR4I9NjTIJDXnetCUVCaE9XruXdnI9zDQmJQ/s2031/brushes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1625" data-original-width="2031" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWugKRqIC7FytKJPcUJmiXo8LDcFv9RUuiyn98M1BHCr1o71teZBGH4JoPuRJaBDitUhbO7PYz3_-7kmohQXRPzT2DCOfLVn3COLyNpLC6onOYYlmZtJ1q1HVRfwAGU19QJpNXW3y1Ih5p_-YAOdjEBYLAR4I9NjTIJDXnetCUVCaE9XruXdnI9zDQmJQ/w400-h320/brushes.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Once things are all clean a laser guided apparatus locates each teat and attaches a suction device to it. The cattle are bred to be uniform in size and build, and with "high udders" which helps to keep them clean and facilitates the robot making the attachment. </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGup3hVGDAdUGVTyQIq8HLpePafydPDgyJOuL_pWNqwz-vf9HKW-nIzGhalUJqreiCI3hfy8dQpofHGet2x6JCWEZfu_85M_SCHGjgFQFMVSa7lPODi7BB2lHKE3Iv8ONLBCjRN5FCTcrqxy9ZcCNR4whSPyrvOjALacv7k7c24BoMzXIMawqNiRZfKD8/s2421/teats.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1936" data-original-width="2421" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGup3hVGDAdUGVTyQIq8HLpePafydPDgyJOuL_pWNqwz-vf9HKW-nIzGhalUJqreiCI3hfy8dQpofHGet2x6JCWEZfu_85M_SCHGjgFQFMVSa7lPODi7BB2lHKE3Iv8ONLBCjRN5FCTcrqxy9ZcCNR4whSPyrvOjALacv7k7c24BoMzXIMawqNiRZfKD8/w400-h320/teats.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">With the machine attached the robot measure the amount of milk coming from each quarter of the udder. It is even capable of remembering if a cow has a damaged or non-functioning teat, and doesn't attach the machine in that quadrant. Likewise it can sense if there is an infection and not only doesn't attach, but passes the information on to the farmer. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHYXrfXZyZtE68TwbUYj4GOBKntAilcskqYNvR6nif1yaq3iXcDmnyKXvdkD3gSl_xnPj9IJBD3CGeVqZV1jIrc6XBS6iHee1X0_on2YyBLajKfcEZN3FZgK28UuDOrpSpJWfLtdTap5s4bewPO6jmOTL8kJE1CtUpABXCmtBIJ97NX0SduSSuOgz9Mnw/s3648/DSC04994-standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHYXrfXZyZtE68TwbUYj4GOBKntAilcskqYNvR6nif1yaq3iXcDmnyKXvdkD3gSl_xnPj9IJBD3CGeVqZV1jIrc6XBS6iHee1X0_on2YyBLajKfcEZN3FZgK28UuDOrpSpJWfLtdTap5s4bewPO6jmOTL8kJE1CtUpABXCmtBIJ97NX0SduSSuOgz9Mnw/w400-h300/DSC04994-standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">50.8 pounds of milk and still going!!</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbvJvgAvqoAHIcBt-bghJBEz9YHuMnZa0cPSRU1N9njpK4k_PWoQRhDLY8s3vgPO9PBTyyJGkbY1I4RsUWxNYmjqegovbIP8cSF9TUUSbud6gyzM3t5TeBXWTbb3i-aBj68GDzp9JH1rHOvzRyxZ4y7neu8woaU46XQqvkdUJSe7hV94OGIxVhLrLbmD0/s3648/DSC04995-standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbvJvgAvqoAHIcBt-bghJBEz9YHuMnZa0cPSRU1N9njpK4k_PWoQRhDLY8s3vgPO9PBTyyJGkbY1I4RsUWxNYmjqegovbIP8cSF9TUUSbud6gyzM3t5TeBXWTbb3i-aBj68GDzp9JH1rHOvzRyxZ4y7neu8woaU46XQqvkdUJSe7hV94OGIxVhLrLbmD0/w400-h300/DSC04995-standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The real-time display shows the identity of the cow, how long she has been in the booth, how much sweet feed she has received, projected amount of milk, total amount of milk given, etc. As each quadrant dries up the suction attachment drops off, until all four quadrants are finished. The final step is to spray the udder with disinfectant and open the gate to send the cow on her way. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPlgpIKlCAfccnt_gscMLLTRScIlkEW1M190DFHLuOLToV8YvaCCeZAF-FTwpjFkMsuVV-HX-X6pg9SXWeame6aB1E3wFLQTxq7k-S6WOsQ_rQCV-mI8b8PjnpMkOKioLfLvoQPidT4cs7TZQpGcJmgNup7fAjHgK4KiYtY77ZIreJ7L3Bgn485BCcxEU/s2690/cow%20leaving%20booth.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2152" data-original-width="2690" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPlgpIKlCAfccnt_gscMLLTRScIlkEW1M190DFHLuOLToV8YvaCCeZAF-FTwpjFkMsuVV-HX-X6pg9SXWeame6aB1E3wFLQTxq7k-S6WOsQ_rQCV-mI8b8PjnpMkOKioLfLvoQPidT4cs7TZQpGcJmgNup7fAjHgK4KiYtY77ZIreJ7L3Bgn485BCcxEU/w400-h320/cow%20leaving%20booth.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This is a 24 hour a day operation, with the cows typically entering the milking booth three times each day. Outside of the booth is a back-scratching brush that the cows can walk under that is also used to apply fly repellant if necessary. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiGSsGuKBrXb-DvW58x5Zr4I9tnJqd6NRfLzpUmGa7S5WH6Z3E9PegRiDkW8it4U9VGstfsQqUdwrUcMkBnl5NEyVnNDsBheIoGgOVBFLkqvO6i9xjddENM7WXMZOdHybOoDxBssP9eVS2wO1kgvBht9HMMG-dcNx_5MwW7OawW2AsTCyeVcYXMdjjMM/s2665/back%20brush.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2132" data-original-width="2665" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiGSsGuKBrXb-DvW58x5Zr4I9tnJqd6NRfLzpUmGa7S5WH6Z3E9PegRiDkW8it4U9VGstfsQqUdwrUcMkBnl5NEyVnNDsBheIoGgOVBFLkqvO6i9xjddENM7WXMZOdHybOoDxBssP9eVS2wO1kgvBht9HMMG-dcNx_5MwW7OawW2AsTCyeVcYXMdjjMM/w400-h320/back%20brush.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Once we'd seen a couple of cows complete the milking operation, we then headed over to the calf barn where things are also pretty automated. The youngest calves are fed colostrum, which the milking booth diverts to the special container knowing that the cow being milked has just given birth. The older calves are fed a special formula that is dispensed based on the ID of the calf (yes, they already have their collars), and how long it's been since they last ate. We got to see a calf stick its head into the feeder, only to be denied food because it had just been there! Sneaky...</span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAht3_gHJKxb9NJxND5EnD4iVzH6XH9e9dczAZ0t2Ybd6AKR43spKj2UFHw2jvGgZyl0yiYBkF3eb_GOJAAZsI0pZYrrfipQY8_JFIuajmx4RI1HfusMwNir09O4QokADQQ9NrfL3ena8ocOd4i9QSz2m029Tms8x4b8swagqhyTWSARvTQboz_Z_4Oec/s3368/calves.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2695" data-original-width="3368" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAht3_gHJKxb9NJxND5EnD4iVzH6XH9e9dczAZ0t2Ybd6AKR43spKj2UFHw2jvGgZyl0yiYBkF3eb_GOJAAZsI0pZYrrfipQY8_JFIuajmx4RI1HfusMwNir09O4QokADQQ9NrfL3ena8ocOd4i9QSz2m029Tms8x4b8swagqhyTWSARvTQboz_Z_4Oec/w400-h320/calves.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">One thing we learned it that the calves will suck your finger if you let them. I got a slobber finger just to test it out!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoOR8Ba089EYnhgrJwt6duUeLSGu6Vg_Amambu9Z2Whw38t1vPWgUDY7otJ1-_h86sxPiP9odtY92qCq12Aj4HBWwfwY60ZHdUOCq9j--j2sP6VguesgugBZ-CN_JOCCN9_b5aSDV3kthjjNlMV-P9iBBZzgore2Alge4rgvLd0POJRzMeNllpmJTJTbQ/s3420/slobber%20finger.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3420" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoOR8Ba089EYnhgrJwt6duUeLSGu6Vg_Amambu9Z2Whw38t1vPWgUDY7otJ1-_h86sxPiP9odtY92qCq12Aj4HBWwfwY60ZHdUOCq9j--j2sP6VguesgugBZ-CN_JOCCN9_b5aSDV3kthjjNlMV-P9iBBZzgore2Alge4rgvLd0POJRzMeNllpmJTJTbQ/w400-h320/slobber%20finger.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Slobber Finger</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Pete also told us that they don't keep any bulls, and all breeding is done by artificial insemination. They keep a liquid nitrogen filled flask on the property with the bull semen, and a vet tech comes by daily to check on cows and breed the ones that are ready. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTNVAcvgHA3oA7ravLedQ5t50jHi7nU6munOtKSvLELazpzZjwmknEGgHMlnyU75BUgnAmzzVF_ujH3Q-I5bxv1n9yBa_zzSec6kgSsby02ON-bY0msYYL5J6KiDAsIBLgsXbYaVEGynXXA4DcvlE8Y9F7UNZAzGcP4y-Zw8g13eQD_GT7JvL0oA5eteg/s2135/Liquid%20nitrogen%20flask.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2135" data-original-width="1708" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTNVAcvgHA3oA7ravLedQ5t50jHi7nU6munOtKSvLELazpzZjwmknEGgHMlnyU75BUgnAmzzVF_ujH3Q-I5bxv1n9yBa_zzSec6kgSsby02ON-bY0msYYL5J6KiDAsIBLgsXbYaVEGynXXA4DcvlE8Y9F7UNZAzGcP4y-Zw8g13eQD_GT7JvL0oA5eteg/w320-h400/Liquid%20nitrogen%20flask.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Liquid Nitrogen Flask</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">While the barn and milking operations themselves are pretty compact, dairy farms take up most of the land in this area. This is because of the large amounts of feed that have to be grown to support the dairy farms. We drove past miles and miles of this. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgizTUNfp3NBbyFuMIaDHaab-4rtVJ45dzvGHKQAVZTrmsMa211EQyKIbR4Lzj-FVno4ozVzi75IE1DS_vAABHX2g-LJ6MBg0BQH3E6CI72mQwJNSI1UAHmx74VJg538hsvSrz4jqyKHP8SJh65l5f-E0f3Af-Cl-RZC-mXEIZF4InBNsfLUsZEcb6IvjA/s3420/green%20fields.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3420" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgizTUNfp3NBbyFuMIaDHaab-4rtVJ45dzvGHKQAVZTrmsMa211EQyKIbR4Lzj-FVno4ozVzi75IE1DS_vAABHX2g-LJ6MBg0BQH3E6CI72mQwJNSI1UAHmx74VJg538hsvSrz4jqyKHP8SJh65l5f-E0f3Af-Cl-RZC-mXEIZF4InBNsfLUsZEcb6IvjA/w400-h320/green%20fields.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">After the fascinating tour we bid Pete farewell and headed to Randolph, Wisconsin where the Sunrise Cottage on Beaver Dam Lake awaited. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-uJg6fXZjJX0AROldHKgDoJ6NUUTSN1gFoFxuTPjkV-Z2aCcWk6LfIg-ksqmuubTDiWsdIqZ3LscXbijZ_Rt5OcgBMxyWZMUlTK1govGEQoyyvNPKZAcY850wRTgkPsxpC92_R9-Q-BDu_1VvF3pryNWcjyxPEHD6gRAR7Zlqz1g9uxxOkPKa4td0KQ/s3648/DSC05025-standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-uJg6fXZjJX0AROldHKgDoJ6NUUTSN1gFoFxuTPjkV-Z2aCcWk6LfIg-ksqmuubTDiWsdIqZ3LscXbijZ_Rt5OcgBMxyWZMUlTK1govGEQoyyvNPKZAcY850wRTgkPsxpC92_R9-Q-BDu_1VvF3pryNWcjyxPEHD6gRAR7Zlqz1g9uxxOkPKa4td0KQ/w400-h300/DSC05025-standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq0i-sGUuzDNG3jJStXvxcs7llKffzRil93M6WeKqUyYDqQ9qUdDNj7YND7phTSm_RccTE8FzLa2Ra1XXTDIag9QLbeZXNnCrFrCEeO4oLwcrjdXtzhUE3NSxY_jlXVGImAwmYtlsQpypCTHUucvVDIRi40heVGreDCGAddMstvOowQmvfk1-jc-XPxIA/s3648/DSC05028-standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq0i-sGUuzDNG3jJStXvxcs7llKffzRil93M6WeKqUyYDqQ9qUdDNj7YND7phTSm_RccTE8FzLa2Ra1XXTDIag9QLbeZXNnCrFrCEeO4oLwcrjdXtzhUE3NSxY_jlXVGImAwmYtlsQpypCTHUucvVDIRi40heVGreDCGAddMstvOowQmvfk1-jc-XPxIA/w400-h300/DSC05028-standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhfBXZe-Zzh6f-g5j7ddWEsWRFHMt_t7Z3O9DwBslaCBk2snwnItmOelfuW65YWVNMU490XnQ5YyLnL6shSQVcWaoBVvSxBi3IWNn-556Qsga740L9QTSOW0BkOpxrmKDNm0w5OmBGFy1KjExJzbFKWKTYs_p58q-nJYjVUnWqbZi2PqMeVqhX6hbmXFY/s3648/DSC05033-standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhfBXZe-Zzh6f-g5j7ddWEsWRFHMt_t7Z3O9DwBslaCBk2snwnItmOelfuW65YWVNMU490XnQ5YyLnL6shSQVcWaoBVvSxBi3IWNn-556Qsga740L9QTSOW0BkOpxrmKDNm0w5OmBGFy1KjExJzbFKWKTYs_p58q-nJYjVUnWqbZi2PqMeVqhX6hbmXFY/w400-h300/DSC05033-standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH8L2Io3bYfou6VaOL0TOTb9zWCoVQqrhoA-SMoiuRBKR4K7cC59N4Bl50Q54ZTPEoxjJ1UvoQ-oS6uxi7bvaaeFXsyIgkD7_xGM7wDnMcIy1BG609ZpjAS6oyEC1GKdFuKWHW03sL15gX-c0f39C-BFRyMib13o9JmNAzLbB8Xe7KIa0o-rwiXP7KnIY/s3648/DSC05029-standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH8L2Io3bYfou6VaOL0TOTb9zWCoVQqrhoA-SMoiuRBKR4K7cC59N4Bl50Q54ZTPEoxjJ1UvoQ-oS6uxi7bvaaeFXsyIgkD7_xGM7wDnMcIy1BG609ZpjAS6oyEC1GKdFuKWHW03sL15gX-c0f39C-BFRyMib13o9JmNAzLbB8Xe7KIa0o-rwiXP7KnIY/w400-h300/DSC05029-standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHwsrX-vsSpwy85zcWXxkV9nPRcoD-SIg0UbCnIdbXmKh_MJKJHFfimxesNl7j5Grtbxm8djMrPRKi2Nzjg41OELzEK9LyKfC94bfvGnRU-nIyQJz-fcaKqSDWRhAw5j4n2CAcslBwIlDzFjnJIWIEEHXqtoT1QubyJQ-2mWpfkXAMi23_lSXoe6k3YiQ/s3648/DSC05030-standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHwsrX-vsSpwy85zcWXxkV9nPRcoD-SIg0UbCnIdbXmKh_MJKJHFfimxesNl7j5Grtbxm8djMrPRKi2Nzjg41OELzEK9LyKfC94bfvGnRU-nIyQJz-fcaKqSDWRhAw5j4n2CAcslBwIlDzFjnJIWIEEHXqtoT1QubyJQ-2mWpfkXAMi23_lSXoe6k3YiQ/w400-h300/DSC05030-standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This property was owned by a couple with several AirBnb properties, and was more professionally presented than the first. They had a welcome notebook with lots of information about the surrounding area, the cottage itself, and other properties that they owned. We had some time in the evening to sit near the lake and read, which was very pleasant. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Next - Making some fresh cheese and Mosquito Hill</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Mark & Terihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410651360395422840noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767944521225965268.post-14729351777621847342023-08-08T05:00:00.046-05:002023-08-08T12:35:52.593-05:00Wisconsin 2023 - Day 3<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">June 6, 2023 (Tuesday)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This morning we set off for Council Grounds State Park, about 30 minutes south of where we were staying. Council Grounds is a small, 509 acre park on the Wisconsin River. It features a nice tract of forest along the river, with various hiking trails. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We arrived before the office opened, picked up a park map at the kiosk and set out for the Big Pines Nature Trail. The parking area was near the river, so we started there. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeJBOemxTpniEdSxrQtzQ-6qABshMy6aX_a7LMnfWRkZQiS71YakttiirR_Z-kBqQvInEZRxtVrlg99KqYNl36SqPu5HCPWCXFHUfpAsPqJLNZLCQBKVf5Mf-EB69CEF_3R41XjntcC40_G-2QWKvQ92VPJEdIu0kJCcd4EcNDvEJYRM_LfX2Sir8EGOU/s3648/DSC04900-standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeJBOemxTpniEdSxrQtzQ-6qABshMy6aX_a7LMnfWRkZQiS71YakttiirR_Z-kBqQvInEZRxtVrlg99KqYNl36SqPu5HCPWCXFHUfpAsPqJLNZLCQBKVf5Mf-EB69CEF_3R41XjntcC40_G-2QWKvQ92VPJEdIu0kJCcd4EcNDvEJYRM_LfX2Sir8EGOU/w400-h300/DSC04900-standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">On the gravel bars in the river we spotted some Sandhill Cranes. They seem to like Wisconsin in the summer.</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ZwAOeMokxRvYcRk8pfj0tlC63GZpFifPV5NWLA2pZOGATxn3qjherI-VDmflt3966mxIvw1nWFHdtdr689zGNS8lw4JsD8cSlGJR9n6fw2Q3K0NU1EYDOgA8bwm6OGH0z7bTUIVcBXlm4c1YRcWYsyOusoa6w-g8_JwPdvK_RLFhXWJmXkvNKZP-J04/s3207/Sandhill%20Cranes%20-%20Council%20Grounds%20SP%2006-06-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2565" data-original-width="3207" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ZwAOeMokxRvYcRk8pfj0tlC63GZpFifPV5NWLA2pZOGATxn3qjherI-VDmflt3966mxIvw1nWFHdtdr689zGNS8lw4JsD8cSlGJR9n6fw2Q3K0NU1EYDOgA8bwm6OGH0z7bTUIVcBXlm4c1YRcWYsyOusoa6w-g8_JwPdvK_RLFhXWJmXkvNKZP-J04/w400-h320/Sandhill%20Cranes%20-%20Council%20Grounds%20SP%2006-06-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Sandhill Cranes</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Just upriver from the parking area was a small dam and powerhouse. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVrHE-Atluay2odyb8pL8SzBzVp1gNpNcQBQAPuLffZksQ7R8ikgLHdPJU3kstU90bsdN6gNnJlXOisPb-Szh9QRhiRVOtMoz9IuWb_e9wa871tdiiXIvGSOTfEW0v28MpY66P4g07ChkCN5aUcCbO2rM8Ff94Hq8allWLtYy_sNYmwz0cWTriGZuobqg/s3648/DSC04901.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVrHE-Atluay2odyb8pL8SzBzVp1gNpNcQBQAPuLffZksQ7R8ikgLHdPJU3kstU90bsdN6gNnJlXOisPb-Szh9QRhiRVOtMoz9IuWb_e9wa871tdiiXIvGSOTfEW0v28MpY66P4g07ChkCN5aUcCbO2rM8Ff94Hq8allWLtYy_sNYmwz0cWTriGZuobqg/w400-h300/DSC04901.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We were able to follow a trail to the dam and found a sign for Alexander Hydro. The lake behind the dam was named Alexander Lake. This reminded us of the many small hydroelectric projects that we came across in Maine during the summers that we spent there. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCYufrdMG8fTmhKd26m8oZig9OPcYujzkykuSJcWB3vlA1yGk92zyC9fuqiINL3-6_sdAWw6sDgvxInnPNZXCZmuT4jUDlLiK-_sAiryvIuSY6E2E1T6x2cAYK-MZd_PVkSr6N3JxvkC0YHbJ3LI672UzX4PFNBlzK8GfajLcWEIG8C8GJ_vjuWPZ_RFk/s1779/Alexander%20Hydo%20sign.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1423" data-original-width="1779" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCYufrdMG8fTmhKd26m8oZig9OPcYujzkykuSJcWB3vlA1yGk92zyC9fuqiINL3-6_sdAWw6sDgvxInnPNZXCZmuT4jUDlLiK-_sAiryvIuSY6E2E1T6x2cAYK-MZd_PVkSr6N3JxvkC0YHbJ3LI672UzX4PFNBlzK8GfajLcWEIG8C8GJ_vjuWPZ_RFk/w400-h320/Alexander%20Hydo%20sign.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCH3JTTVZuz4owGbPcWgZkQOQ5vQS_talJ5jgwCyPHkzwGhqCUuwqSed4-5ZdPV4RZUdORid7cwogbw9T8hLBJvmGnpg-LlOijl0tVN_P5UhNivpcZeQfiEvnqRZ-i3vHdvPhyFddQSiXvvKzRUUXGu8Je7bjH4yAWx36Jn8JCrdRftEELAb7JQ24GAYk/s3648/DSC04904-standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCH3JTTVZuz4owGbPcWgZkQOQ5vQS_talJ5jgwCyPHkzwGhqCUuwqSed4-5ZdPV4RZUdORid7cwogbw9T8hLBJvmGnpg-LlOijl0tVN_P5UhNivpcZeQfiEvnqRZ-i3vHdvPhyFddQSiXvvKzRUUXGu8Je7bjH4yAWx36Jn8JCrdRftEELAb7JQ24GAYk/w400-h300/DSC04904-standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We spotted (!) a Spotted Sandpiper on the rocks below the dam, and then headed off to hike the wooded trails in the park. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnbdmVN6et1QHCqiwM1aoKI7ggnsjdRvoYFzqeBTVIHbnkNbDjr6j4Aw7D4fDZo56yEHDt3my1OXDdrECl74-MtIvn6WgQBnEKi7F-L355vxUAYWnrHaUfoTTTLPrUKcNdAfttgamF5wBkgudlt8EfrT11a3iHEI2J4wjQrJKW5ywVkirCP8SrTlFA18g/s1960/Spotted%20Sandpiper%20-%20Council%20Grounds%20SP%2006-06-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1568" data-original-width="1960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnbdmVN6et1QHCqiwM1aoKI7ggnsjdRvoYFzqeBTVIHbnkNbDjr6j4Aw7D4fDZo56yEHDt3my1OXDdrECl74-MtIvn6WgQBnEKi7F-L355vxUAYWnrHaUfoTTTLPrUKcNdAfttgamF5wBkgudlt8EfrT11a3iHEI2J4wjQrJKW5ywVkirCP8SrTlFA18g/w400-h320/Spotted%20Sandpiper%20-%20Council%20Grounds%20SP%2006-06-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuoplWY8vSP5R2IOZhTxaotLCnvAaFvfn5To0HbH2gstq5SMulfECJs3Ly86InSFR8dq8n2S3GEIjFQsUlPl02ldGYEy5Lgvm2MNDx94ZE-iZXXeKIzWMkudFDKgGcPxf5QeY-EwPy7dtU1_MOhbFFb8CSZGVz9mIDzOkTQoJQuSrW2uM41EnKNXizY8g/s3648/DSC04906.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuoplWY8vSP5R2IOZhTxaotLCnvAaFvfn5To0HbH2gstq5SMulfECJs3Ly86InSFR8dq8n2S3GEIjFQsUlPl02ldGYEy5Lgvm2MNDx94ZE-iZXXeKIzWMkudFDKgGcPxf5QeY-EwPy7dtU1_MOhbFFb8CSZGVz9mIDzOkTQoJQuSrW2uM41EnKNXizY8g/w400-h300/DSC04906.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We were a little late in the year for the peak of migration, but we did see some of the breeding birds in the forest. There were dragonflies, butterflies and caterpillars to look at as well. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNMMGgZUDDeCKf-P9YtblOnnFlfNxyyAQzHZAo68Y_AnCV74Hk74a82kfDZLnEgO-Q8d5jETS6Ip8PJ21Q3iHnlx3J_S6EI6bYF0NgyoVunmXfvlnE7hS2lweJWVhsUnOnGfpF-556b7ivbrE9s6PliIjmvBjCSlvTL-jPrfIp5lrTgt_q6ADTBpOka-k/s2025/American%20Redstart%20male%20-%20Council%20Grounds%20SP%2006-06-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1619" data-original-width="2025" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNMMGgZUDDeCKf-P9YtblOnnFlfNxyyAQzHZAo68Y_AnCV74Hk74a82kfDZLnEgO-Q8d5jETS6Ip8PJ21Q3iHnlx3J_S6EI6bYF0NgyoVunmXfvlnE7hS2lweJWVhsUnOnGfpF-556b7ivbrE9s6PliIjmvBjCSlvTL-jPrfIp5lrTgt_q6ADTBpOka-k/w400-h320/American%20Redstart%20male%20-%20Council%20Grounds%20SP%2006-06-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">American Redstart</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCdzBm5Oaf_loPNa3LoDkGq1us_Sj3qUexpqtVUZXth86Z1V5bfg_KVePPtZvI0W79Mz5aWmKf554bTiLoo_bgyaokzYDHaGeUnlQA5aChifFbhrJg1AMvhHRmKJmSEjNWnglULqdJWaG1ocLNsXMEpS8j1enw1akk-HTHteW0R-SZqwvnSXJNjPVfyk/s3690/Dragonfly%20-%20Council%20Grounds%20SP%2006-06-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2952" data-original-width="3690" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCdzBm5Oaf_loPNa3LoDkGq1us_Sj3qUexpqtVUZXth86Z1V5bfg_KVePPtZvI0W79Mz5aWmKf554bTiLoo_bgyaokzYDHaGeUnlQA5aChifFbhrJg1AMvhHRmKJmSEjNWnglULqdJWaG1ocLNsXMEpS8j1enw1akk-HTHteW0R-SZqwvnSXJNjPVfyk/w400-h320/Dragonfly%20-%20Council%20Grounds%20SP%2006-06-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Dragonfly (TBD)</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9vgqEQJQ_05dTExNw-fTVnLdHh2INEgsrfJlxS2Zc7KgZOZ0gNdVOCBPPJV_FMDvLXAtiAQ9LzF9ZwVTgp3Zaw7t5wGJkGPw1actr-E8LLnC1qyGkY-dyyLkb0Rr1d-UCtpik7Cg3VCdda3Ytn8z5lQtmzTq6VFtwWilBTVkRlbV9t3Hd0zDkC8iX7eU/s4170/Ebony%20Jewelwing%20-%20Council%20Grounds%20SP%2006-06-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3336" data-original-width="4170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9vgqEQJQ_05dTExNw-fTVnLdHh2INEgsrfJlxS2Zc7KgZOZ0gNdVOCBPPJV_FMDvLXAtiAQ9LzF9ZwVTgp3Zaw7t5wGJkGPw1actr-E8LLnC1qyGkY-dyyLkb0Rr1d-UCtpik7Cg3VCdda3Ytn8z5lQtmzTq6VFtwWilBTVkRlbV9t3Hd0zDkC8iX7eU/w400-h320/Ebony%20Jewelwing%20-%20Council%20Grounds%20SP%2006-06-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Ebony Jewelwing</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdHtnjUINQdqTt_wI5pjSrizWHTdYOQwbtdT61wgTnoNa1SdaCKJbQ-qve41ymAQgtRgwNT6Xe8UHWakqdcx9IvAj8p42ZzulnZAiS3Yem056cDB21a-QxuJDr0vRG3FnPhSrASS-esGQyWrTanOguOsj6Eq3U-7wyCi4Ri93-oq2ZTM6XgVNeLsWbgTs/s5165/Monarch%20Caterpillar%20-%20Council%20Grounds%20SP%2006-06-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4132" data-original-width="5165" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdHtnjUINQdqTt_wI5pjSrizWHTdYOQwbtdT61wgTnoNa1SdaCKJbQ-qve41ymAQgtRgwNT6Xe8UHWakqdcx9IvAj8p42ZzulnZAiS3Yem056cDB21a-QxuJDr0vRG3FnPhSrASS-esGQyWrTanOguOsj6Eq3U-7wyCi4Ri93-oq2ZTM6XgVNeLsWbgTs/w400-h320/Monarch%20Caterpillar%20-%20Council%20Grounds%20SP%2006-06-2023.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Monarch Butterfly Caterpillar</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br />We finished up in the park, had lunch, and then headed north to Woodruff, Wisconsin to visit Hillestad Pharmaceuticals. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCk0u2Y968pHz8dEntdxFlLnua0irvuLx6p1iIhdGSuikx4aopY42uSiBRjfxvTD9jeV2ZFQEe11TYgzu41N1IixjCffhw5OXnSA48COLXgdC2y8xV1n1XBJKC1JdII1Z8rCQ2jWn_LF17qK9u9otKj1emeskV3WKbE0fx143WAq9i36udH6P15QcIpYE/s3648/DSC04909.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCk0u2Y968pHz8dEntdxFlLnua0irvuLx6p1iIhdGSuikx4aopY42uSiBRjfxvTD9jeV2ZFQEe11TYgzu41N1IixjCffhw5OXnSA48COLXgdC2y8xV1n1XBJKC1JdII1Z8rCQ2jWn_LF17qK9u9otKj1emeskV3WKbE0fx143WAq9i36udH6P15QcIpYE/w400-h300/DSC04909.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This turned out to be another small business, employing a couple of dozen locals. They started with manufacturing supplements for people on dialysis. Apparently dialysis removes not only toxins from the blood but also some necessary vitamins, minerals and other substances. Hillestad continues to specialize in supplements for people on dialysis but has expanded to offer a broader range of products. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The front of the business was a store selling their products, while the much larger back area was the manufacturing plant and warehouse. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_9Icd_jgP5XWERYdhJSgZIjK5Tqgze8-EkQh8D798P3kIkTHJnhxrILA5ZOrKn3wAyzwJJcdSzhvJy83R6lVIlw6ij37MjM1FeuI77u4_5uJVsU_tAiSUDNr4D2CSa9JowPQZWo3rxArYLcppd0HCVLKQNE7K_INUak-R2kHrISDiVhb4Euo9_RT2QQ/s3648/Mark%20posng%20in%20lobby.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_9Icd_jgP5XWERYdhJSgZIjK5Tqgze8-EkQh8D798P3kIkTHJnhxrILA5ZOrKn3wAyzwJJcdSzhvJy83R6lVIlw6ij37MjM1FeuI77u4_5uJVsU_tAiSUDNr4D2CSa9JowPQZWo3rxArYLcppd0HCVLKQNE7K_INUak-R2kHrISDiVhb4Euo9_RT2QQ/w400-h300/Mark%20posng%20in%20lobby.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Posing with the bottles!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The president of the company, Don Hillestad, gave us the tour, and he was very enthusiastic about the business and its history. Unlike the Mepps Lure tour, we were free to photograph anything we wanted! </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The first thing that we saw when entering was a huge storeroom full of raw materials. They included botanicals, various powdered vitamins, minerals, and other compounds, and a wide variety of other ingredients. Don told us that much of the material was being held awaiting results of Quality Assurance testing. All of their raw ingredients are tested by a third party lab to assure purity, potency, etc. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYqk6rIq1_WQ6DHiBCcqac4_1_d2SyvDasR0JIDFcxqJPM6F0ANmoZujwEdyO5-cnZfPPwGGKUBgd2-NffVBxKSZC0sfXHGXZBXq5eU3nj9L5l9P-oXv6VOA2ma2GrSXq7Q4TS4zqU1jQIvvGUzANwGpdJ61ycIU-XQ_JRy4sNnuqlJQ-8IWpgL3-MMBM/s3648/DSC04911-standard-sharpen-Standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYqk6rIq1_WQ6DHiBCcqac4_1_d2SyvDasR0JIDFcxqJPM6F0ANmoZujwEdyO5-cnZfPPwGGKUBgd2-NffVBxKSZC0sfXHGXZBXq5eU3nj9L5l9P-oXv6VOA2ma2GrSXq7Q4TS4zqU1jQIvvGUzANwGpdJ61ycIU-XQ_JRy4sNnuqlJQ-8IWpgL3-MMBM/w400-h300/DSC04911-standard-sharpen-Standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">He then showed us various parts of the facility. At many locations we were allowed only to look in the window as it was a controlled manufacturing area. Understandable. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We saw the Weigh Room, where ingredients were batched out for various products, then the Mixing Room where they were mixed. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit-DfoYBNBtGTAchU_gfxPuBXX5CeeJZum05uPHfjok2pLRyIDRYmyTdSc8QThdjp-fGYUGPYFkHqQMSli48gM5MqNEtUTavBJXHGX9VOOCUMMukqCn91c_MHpA93lqRuMTCDwV_viZ0aNG9MY6B_C2QnMd1gh_-NQ4TfFnLVDTLdUZh0MwYTqR7aEpU8/s3420/weigh%20room.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3420" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit-DfoYBNBtGTAchU_gfxPuBXX5CeeJZum05uPHfjok2pLRyIDRYmyTdSc8QThdjp-fGYUGPYFkHqQMSli48gM5MqNEtUTavBJXHGX9VOOCUMMukqCn91c_MHpA93lqRuMTCDwV_viZ0aNG9MY6B_C2QnMd1gh_-NQ4TfFnLVDTLdUZh0MwYTqR7aEpU8/w400-h320/weigh%20room.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Weigh Room</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4JZWdDZf4RGty-BUsK9edB5v-1Iu8WzZgO755blM2yxQcLuqO-FEuPUJ-SdUDyXcFj2u3cc6wvxVVqe2JXBaKEYx0vyqMW3BdXmDIETStyT4IN_sDwUryzcOkA11PN54mWfsyulhZKBtn_i9aREqMNUkVbadR5RaLLqOQWio_c_NlvbVLL2DsyQ5rSIA/s3420/mixing%20room.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3420" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4JZWdDZf4RGty-BUsK9edB5v-1Iu8WzZgO755blM2yxQcLuqO-FEuPUJ-SdUDyXcFj2u3cc6wvxVVqe2JXBaKEYx0vyqMW3BdXmDIETStyT4IN_sDwUryzcOkA11PN54mWfsyulhZKBtn_i9aREqMNUkVbadR5RaLLqOQWio_c_NlvbVLL2DsyQ5rSIA/w400-h320/mixing%20room.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Mixing Room</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Finally, batches of mixed material were sent to a room where they were pressed into tablets. There were a bunch of different molds displayed, along with some of the finished products. The dry mixture is just the right consistency, and when pressed into a tablet is stable for packaging, shipping, and consumption.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlUOD9BGMrAkmJhXCj1s8VVi5_ktNC_TcfOlJAooU9hw011lZ3gmSVuNJXcIB7uFzJbojmhIzNBcg0oSmutcr5RutYwhdd6IsvESXEiqiWKBt5Or6ohLuOxsieb081005gZ_KBdjRm1nmNiR53hWvTS2nSXp_R1kECZ-Ei_NqeHFqn9GVOuHrpgpSu-pU/s3648/DSC04916-standard-sharpen-Motion.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlUOD9BGMrAkmJhXCj1s8VVi5_ktNC_TcfOlJAooU9hw011lZ3gmSVuNJXcIB7uFzJbojmhIzNBcg0oSmutcr5RutYwhdd6IsvESXEiqiWKBt5Or6ohLuOxsieb081005gZ_KBdjRm1nmNiR53hWvTS2nSXp_R1kECZ-Ei_NqeHFqn9GVOuHrpgpSu-pU/w400-h300/DSC04916-standard-sharpen-Motion.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Waiting to be made into tablets</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Some products are pressed from a single material, others have two halves. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicr26xKoRwRLGCU4EnYCgKQ9vA7IYWabwPZzUdacudy9EuyBtm2lv4SaNC8aL4e1Zzuhh5KojbvPKjVjqYMMqWkcSDY2tJRv0QTEPJE9zeUrP3c7JVOT7RsUWKbQ0EEK1CRu1N46bqKJn8HEFYlOx4r-yNCifWoby6VN8ZeFhlzF4VctGJdzeDHbNVNMw/s3648/DSC04919-standard-sharpen-Motion.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicr26xKoRwRLGCU4EnYCgKQ9vA7IYWabwPZzUdacudy9EuyBtm2lv4SaNC8aL4e1Zzuhh5KojbvPKjVjqYMMqWkcSDY2tJRv0QTEPJE9zeUrP3c7JVOT7RsUWKbQ0EEK1CRu1N46bqKJn8HEFYlOx4r-yNCifWoby6VN8ZeFhlzF4VctGJdzeDHbNVNMw/w400-h300/DSC04919-standard-sharpen-Motion.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJuutYFqqWmobO8B53yxlFGeAYX-67Q2B_Py3YSEpio97BM8GAZWR39n2k_Thn5hEy2aIDfdF-eQAIjUuZgH7Afzv6uYn9ZUdPNASEE2fhQmttQa5ImS1FugIgJ4PsyDvNXvT_1aYpEinsOCx15sz4REU0QPOfif87L3MrSdbsPaOrseX_bTDWDizAcg/s3648/DSC04920-standard-sharpen-Motion.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJuutYFqqWmobO8B53yxlFGeAYX-67Q2B_Py3YSEpio97BM8GAZWR39n2k_Thn5hEy2aIDfdF-eQAIjUuZgH7Afzv6uYn9ZUdPNASEE2fhQmttQa5ImS1FugIgJ4PsyDvNXvT_1aYpEinsOCx15sz4REU0QPOfif87L3MrSdbsPaOrseX_bTDWDizAcg/w400-h300/DSC04920-standard-sharpen-Motion.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We saw a pressing machine running, making tablets. It was incredibly fast. I don't recall exactly what Don said the rate of the machine was, but I recall it was hundreds of thousands of tablets each day. They were just pouring off into a bin like water. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrjny2CItkz_-DqavZYlCsH7jgnSNz61ULwVFwW9U2sn0Xg54iU6wlVHxW6hUK1PVd9rSUi43PQzNXvfPadhBz_a3hdk7dNLU_d_7JWOmaSZV2dEo94SV3TaTj52foSEwbBY7FdhbjD8BcfdjQC7Mmfoe61rzAsbm4lwLn84JnZTL-CjLWOZ5NJo35ozQ/s3648/DSC04922-standard-sharpen-Motion.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrjny2CItkz_-DqavZYlCsH7jgnSNz61ULwVFwW9U2sn0Xg54iU6wlVHxW6hUK1PVd9rSUi43PQzNXvfPadhBz_a3hdk7dNLU_d_7JWOmaSZV2dEo94SV3TaTj52foSEwbBY7FdhbjD8BcfdjQC7Mmfoe61rzAsbm4lwLn84JnZTL-CjLWOZ5NJo35ozQ/w400-h300/DSC04922-standard-sharpen-Motion.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Pressing machine</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">They have a separate machine that filled capsules, but it wasn't running that day. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pfw5Oar-XP0VC245PTv3suy-sQAvKo0HuXAIyfNft8nLA0N6M_XV1gjqbqgzofj25_Rd-LE2jgLE79AJLVtYkPuuUJhRgJIlGMHLHiEo97pmEqqZTDS03LH0uA27ySigFbXkdCVMPr2iytQoXqBdwxW_rHePD1nM6aJhmPqfi0CosXsMSpat3VFGb9w/s3648/DSC04927-standard-sharpen-Motion.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pfw5Oar-XP0VC245PTv3suy-sQAvKo0HuXAIyfNft8nLA0N6M_XV1gjqbqgzofj25_Rd-LE2jgLE79AJLVtYkPuuUJhRgJIlGMHLHiEo97pmEqqZTDS03LH0uA27ySigFbXkdCVMPr2iytQoXqBdwxW_rHePD1nM6aJhmPqfi0CosXsMSpat3VFGb9w/w400-h300/DSC04927-standard-sharpen-Motion.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Capsules</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Probably the most interesting area was the Quality Control Room. They have a Mechanical Stomach with a brew that models stomach acid at the appropriate temperature and the appropriate amount of agitation. It is used to make certain that pills dissolve correctly and within the appropriate timeframe. It was pretty awesome. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1eyoh3IPlj1Lj3f7j5TRUvIctzM1e9VVwQU8i8sAEXAr0JkwJ7bggBNFiAIEQREL07TddEk4IfA3Ar3nofyisqZGXJpNcm7XskoOTYVpx1mbmTMNeceFdf_0lxQpDgF8y5vLUUNRrEXxXhyMc70OsovbO-2u7KSTIUF08HwBLh2zBk9eyWpLUT7Hk0g/s3648/DSC04930-standard-sharpen-Focus.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1eyoh3IPlj1Lj3f7j5TRUvIctzM1e9VVwQU8i8sAEXAr0JkwJ7bggBNFiAIEQREL07TddEk4IfA3Ar3nofyisqZGXJpNcm7XskoOTYVpx1mbmTMNeceFdf_0lxQpDgF8y5vLUUNRrEXxXhyMc70OsovbO-2u7KSTIUF08HwBLh2zBk9eyWpLUT7Hk0g/w400-h300/DSC04930-standard-sharpen-Focus.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAx8Db2hXFl-wytKkLQumJnXZlRe9PFMtDEWDFdzFW-yBrSRzW080sdkZWL6oP5-9s_JjGmWmYxNHNn-RdaD8SIQU0exAu-EiN9L2w0UNFsAFRO5ZWqPddGF8-dSGUfpLsLnMosT_oJUw_S2_LGG3IB9FOHoa35B4hbyHK5ZuTFfQ1me25SfreY8L7Z8/s3648/DSC04931-standard-sharpen-Standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAx8Db2hXFl-wytKkLQumJnXZlRe9PFMtDEWDFdzFW-yBrSRzW080sdkZWL6oP5-9s_JjGmWmYxNHNn-RdaD8SIQU0exAu-EiN9L2w0UNFsAFRO5ZWqPddGF8-dSGUfpLsLnMosT_oJUw_S2_LGG3IB9FOHoa35B4hbyHK5ZuTFfQ1me25SfreY8L7Z8/w400-h300/DSC04931-standard-sharpen-Standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ufaYdKGIeAhdUyBomAOJnW1u0sPlETbauFin7ClMR65ePFjKnaItQqzzi0uIETuRc_94DHeiy2K7fk7xXR0e8-heB-Una2_BI5GiyYIQr70P3kwO8NXySce_dhvnNFsPBjMByn9Y8LmrB3kB84OmXwdxpTiyYHolhcPjJ7KXhT3fqMrmho-xOeZB6xk/s3648/DSC04932-standard-sharpen-Motion.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ufaYdKGIeAhdUyBomAOJnW1u0sPlETbauFin7ClMR65ePFjKnaItQqzzi0uIETuRc_94DHeiy2K7fk7xXR0e8-heB-Una2_BI5GiyYIQr70P3kwO8NXySce_dhvnNFsPBjMByn9Y8LmrB3kB84OmXwdxpTiyYHolhcPjJ7KXhT3fqMrmho-xOeZB6xk/w400-h300/DSC04932-standard-sharpen-Motion.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Gastric or Intestinal Fluid anyone? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">They also had a machine that rolled pills round and round to simulate packing, shipping and handling. So that your pills aren't a bunch of dust when they arrive!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieNJ0krhIizlxIQIqBg7lM1Ip3vPL5LkIHWTEn4kp6KCd7mj2ggvld42BphS83MwSoITM3rwpWd9AuGZc3j16WvBu0KQx3wRgReqVm6xx-npkxoiYBjJsMPcVX9fGLg6BGXuWo7WLjsBJU7SL8Cga6_qMUHXbDres0kiYn0krUmhUUyfAe-pDx-C6lnaM/s3648/DSC04935-standard-sharpen-Focus.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieNJ0krhIizlxIQIqBg7lM1Ip3vPL5LkIHWTEn4kp6KCd7mj2ggvld42BphS83MwSoITM3rwpWd9AuGZc3j16WvBu0KQx3wRgReqVm6xx-npkxoiYBjJsMPcVX9fGLg6BGXuWo7WLjsBJU7SL8Cga6_qMUHXbDres0kiYn0krUmhUUyfAe-pDx-C6lnaM/w400-h300/DSC04935-standard-sharpen-Focus.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Mechanical damage simulator</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">And we saw lots of packaging, storage, and shipping type areas. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqKRVPZE4Og9myJ0ZIJpD8flWdbkpmfsoMvyAl-a0E29YQgPn5RzYI6Oh0MbgR0GTWVMsqLB7UYbO8eGQSE8txLAV7Ruq052kLxyhYVmMvguJCmwjG4g4bDtn1_fG8_oloAV9KhUr6ZFwtBa8SNzFa2X-07_CyPh_fG3k6c2VPLcT9Ivc84YDQ0dKxtc/s3648/DSC04936-standard-sharpen-Standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqKRVPZE4Og9myJ0ZIJpD8flWdbkpmfsoMvyAl-a0E29YQgPn5RzYI6Oh0MbgR0GTWVMsqLB7UYbO8eGQSE8txLAV7Ruq052kLxyhYVmMvguJCmwjG4g4bDtn1_fG8_oloAV9KhUr6ZFwtBa8SNzFa2X-07_CyPh_fG3k6c2VPLcT9Ivc84YDQ0dKxtc/w400-h300/DSC04936-standard-sharpen-Standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1FmhmaFR6MQoYevgDIy9_93OAz3UB-i8cd8bV7cNO_OyTFWy4f5c3jyDNxTm9TOnnE8V79vOGWIcrkhLgAViSDd_zTzEyTZTcGgZuh1byHyj1Arbto1sOPv_SA9qDrgVqL_pOeAyjIhN6e-DbCK3_hANQwHWHQwL1dxr7PQI6Dy-cXUi1aoASVmUsYUo/s3648/DSC04937-standard-sharpen-Standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1FmhmaFR6MQoYevgDIy9_93OAz3UB-i8cd8bV7cNO_OyTFWy4f5c3jyDNxTm9TOnnE8V79vOGWIcrkhLgAViSDd_zTzEyTZTcGgZuh1byHyj1Arbto1sOPv_SA9qDrgVqL_pOeAyjIhN6e-DbCK3_hANQwHWHQwL1dxr7PQI6Dy-cXUi1aoASVmUsYUo/w400-h300/DSC04937-standard-sharpen-Standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxWTjXquANT0G0fuIHgeWJvXO4wCykr4SSVSs6naPI8yjYxemrTYp7JbhAxX5bokGXyaDZAtx-ITbuzwsfyOzOxUYKL4ik6lA5reneHoNyyuQx752Ph5EnfEAZ8ezhBbJ8nHqHcnkmkFhhPN7xtFFgJ_SFvnF60TJz0mKt0U_fjlvfWC5tOFhmn6wX6M/s3648/DSC04940-standard-sharpen-Standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxWTjXquANT0G0fuIHgeWJvXO4wCykr4SSVSs6naPI8yjYxemrTYp7JbhAxX5bokGXyaDZAtx-ITbuzwsfyOzOxUYKL4ik6lA5reneHoNyyuQx752Ph5EnfEAZ8ezhBbJ8nHqHcnkmkFhhPN7xtFFgJ_SFvnF60TJz0mKt0U_fjlvfWC5tOFhmn6wX6M/w400-h300/DSC04940-standard-sharpen-Standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxjVYVbszcvHADiXi5eyJwXE_1IDM52EAK_qt77CKB5H3dtlvkcbsUwDzDYihmJsC86Fh8XQyH5lXyVDdoC5OkPWCSHbEkl5Ra5FxClUAeb6yf9iwxJO8NndBy9YgYufL5PFvcjoDw4YUCF2balqg9gu7DPUuYcu0bEmHqWd5xvAjLCDA4ZSSsep8wEN0/s3648/DSC04942-standard-sharpen-Standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxjVYVbszcvHADiXi5eyJwXE_1IDM52EAK_qt77CKB5H3dtlvkcbsUwDzDYihmJsC86Fh8XQyH5lXyVDdoC5OkPWCSHbEkl5Ra5FxClUAeb6yf9iwxJO8NndBy9YgYufL5PFvcjoDw4YUCF2balqg9gu7DPUuYcu0bEmHqWd5xvAjLCDA4ZSSsep8wEN0/w400-h300/DSC04942-standard-sharpen-Standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYE1mG-g2PJ6Izz8S5-KhsfAYdGN5WZipSwlRlOoCCvwPMW1Yt--gHQqsQ3WJrR2sEa9mL1605MOvb57I53kiQ_FHiPyjocgMSY2KHHN2mltkPTxoLnSlj40aya0ErJPVNL2zx8oJm7KsBo5P5peJRXjEK9fNzi6Wp1IJHBtLt69YVzuHeFFCYgpyQiI0/s3195/packaging.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2556" data-original-width="3195" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYE1mG-g2PJ6Izz8S5-KhsfAYdGN5WZipSwlRlOoCCvwPMW1Yt--gHQqsQ3WJrR2sEa9mL1605MOvb57I53kiQ_FHiPyjocgMSY2KHHN2mltkPTxoLnSlj40aya0ErJPVNL2zx8oJm7KsBo5P5peJRXjEK9fNzi6Wp1IJHBtLt69YVzuHeFFCYgpyQiI0/w400-h320/packaging.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Packaging Room</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We also saw displays with many of their supplements. They seem to have something for everyone!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifRez-astKiR5pQVuMpo3sEJ6oOMs0FVOtnIkEUfoPvMbRPj_AnAvLx5T4PTUeMFAIn2k9Ikq5GRskTXZjeZyE2aaRRf00by7ooEhi1dHqOLYUTfWED4Nj5hW5dpCtuYIbWtrWZATyh-BiWvGakQpsAdsrdXN4pcwvN5tkW0i5sEiHdfu7pAibCW_m7iA/s3648/DSC04946-standard-sharpen-Standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifRez-astKiR5pQVuMpo3sEJ6oOMs0FVOtnIkEUfoPvMbRPj_AnAvLx5T4PTUeMFAIn2k9Ikq5GRskTXZjeZyE2aaRRf00by7ooEhi1dHqOLYUTfWED4Nj5hW5dpCtuYIbWtrWZATyh-BiWvGakQpsAdsrdXN4pcwvN5tkW0i5sEiHdfu7pAibCW_m7iA/w400-h300/DSC04946-standard-sharpen-Standard.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqlFFAQH-7LWhyWxEsyTu1TgxzYoxoHbaG55ntPTYMO0lc-T9Xw0nQNMFX3uNzcym5XAX5VTTCc9m4KtdRrFl_v9yqYf5eYZMbAUEQpp5UK1Id8wSoy1x4qH3lTw9Qpg9U1X9YyzqoA54I2oQJZC-37c6NFPb6cGu5JWSF4dyVWcnDRqNI4xqRfgDLTo/s3648/DSC04944-standard-sharpen-Standard.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqlFFAQH-7LWhyWxEsyTu1TgxzYoxoHbaG55ntPTYMO0lc-T9Xw0nQNMFX3uNzcym5XAX5VTTCc9m4KtdRrFl_v9yqYf5eYZMbAUEQpp5UK1Id8wSoy1x4qH3lTw9Qpg9U1X9YyzqoA54I2oQJZC-37c6NFPb6cGu5JWSF4dyVWcnDRqNI4xqRfgDLTo/w400-h300/DSC04944-standard-sharpen-Standard.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Their best selling product is the Summit Gold multi-vitamin. They advertise it as a premium multi-vitamin made up of carefully sourced ingredients including "SeaPlex" which comes from kelp and other ocean plants. There was a display board showing how each layer/portion of the tablet was added, and then the entire thing coated with iron, magnesium, calcium, and then beeswax for that nice shine! A fancy vitamin indeed!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeH0FKBOy_NZE02BhslK3TWJO8dC7wGKcYQ9gB6Y19e22eCJoUCgVPRftla8wNZIU28jTEb2-TkrJP0HoMge1ru8N987R6yj9dPK4JCeKZds8w0GteZO0BaInT_beCu8Dq5p5xEzCOMDwCDjODF5yG3UooLDFv7l_tsjQDJcUycQEAtZPZ8hr3A5VAr0E/s3648/DSC04945-standard-sharpen-Motion.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeH0FKBOy_NZE02BhslK3TWJO8dC7wGKcYQ9gB6Y19e22eCJoUCgVPRftla8wNZIU28jTEb2-TkrJP0HoMge1ru8N987R6yj9dPK4JCeKZds8w0GteZO0BaInT_beCu8Dq5p5xEzCOMDwCDjODF5yG3UooLDFv7l_tsjQDJcUycQEAtZPZ8hr3A5VAr0E/w400-h300/DSC04945-standard-sharpen-Motion.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">It was a very interesting tour, and Don gave us each a small bottle of Summit Gold as a parting gift!!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">We headed home after a fun day of birds, hiking, and pharmaceuticals!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Next - Back to the George W. Mead Wildlife Area, and Robot Cows...</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div>Mark & Terihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410651360395422840noreply@blogger.com5