TrekWest and the Western Wildway

John Davis is undertaking an epic journey––by foot, horseback, bicycle, boat––to dramatize the need for wildways, for safe wildlife corridors that connect habitats and wildlands to each other. This particular Western Wildway is a 6000-mile-long corridor stretching from the Northern Jaguar Preserve in Sonora, Mexico, into Canada. The wildway's route is based on more than a decade of scientific research and conservation mapping.

John Davis (Photo from his blog)

Not only will completion of the wildlife corridor allow large animals, requiring large home ranges, to roam where they need to go (and thus survive!), but the corridor may also buffer against the effects of global warming by conserving a north-south span of continuous natural landscapes, where changes in the plant and animal communities can proceed, by contracting or expanding with the changing climate.

The work of restoring connections between habitats is being undertaken by a coalition of highly respected conservation organizations, under the auspices of the Wildlands Network and including, in our own Arizona, the Sky Island Alliance and Grand Canyon Wildlands Council. Partners in Mexico include the Northern Jaguar Project, Naturalia, and Cuenca los Ojos (known to birders as the legendary Cajón Bonito).

I urge you to check out the TrekWest website, and to follow the excitement of the journey through John's blog of the epic trip. A film by Ed George is documenting and celebrating the journey, and will one day be launched for all to see.

Grand Canyon Wildland Council is also featuring TrekWest and other conservation news in their blog.

The vision of connecting wildways through North America (and elsewhere, like Australia) is perhaps the most exciting conservation initiative to emerge in recent decades.

A Western Screech Owl

Last night Alan and I ventured into Cave Creek Canyon above Portal, as wind swayed the sycamore branches, and a thickening crescent moon shone over the scene. We joined friends Dave Jasper and Rick Plage to see the location of a likely owl nest that Dodie Logue and Bob Hautman had found a couple of days ago.

Night deepened. We listened, hearing mostly the rustling of the leaves. When darkness was complete, a Western Screech Owl began to call, but it wasn't the usual territorial whistling or trilling. Dave thought it was perhaps a male's pillow talk. I wondered whether it was the female announcing to the male that she was ready for her evening meal. "Her" intensity while vocalizing in the cavity entrance made it clear that she was including the magic word: "Now!"

A Western Screech Owl calls in Cave Creek Canyon

(Photo by Narca)

Cave Creek Canyon is renowned for its small owls, which also include Whiskered Screech, Northern Pygmy, and Elf. Occasionally a Flammulated will also breed at lower elevations in the Chiricahua Mountains, though usually they are higher in the mountains.

The Hummingbirds of Monteverde

In Costa Rica along the crest of the Cordillera of Tilarán, is a world of mist and greenery: the cloud forest of Monteverde. Trade winds from the Atlantic bring a steady flow of clouds across the mountain ridges, nourishing an astonishing forest, draped in ferns, moss and orchids. Resplendent Quetzals spend part of each year in this misty realm.

Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, within the Bosque Eterno

 (Photos by Narca)

The original Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve has been augmented by the Bosque Eterno de los Niños – the Children's Eternal Rainforest. The Bosque Eterno was conceived by schoolchildren in Sweden; when I used to go regularly to Costa Rica, fund-raising for the Bosque Eterno was just getting off the ground. It succeeded, and now a magnificent reserve is the result.

Years ago at the entrance to Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, a hummingbird gallery, complete with feeders, was established by local folks, including Patricia and Michael Fogden. Today that gallery teems with a truly dazzling array of hummingbirds. When we were there a week or two ago, many, many hummers of eight species were buzzing around the feeders, enchanting everyone who ventured onto the gallery grounds. Here are a few photos for your enjoyment!

The big Green Hermits come only infrequently to feeders. Most of the time they are deep in the forest, pollinating plants like Heliconia.

Green Hermit

Tiny Coppery-headed Emeralds used to be scarce at the Monteverde feeders, so I was surprised to see several of them the day we were there. Males blend darkly into the shadows, until they catch the light just right... then, a glorious flash of intense green! This emerald is a Costa Rican endemic, mostly on the Caribbean slope, although it spills over onto the Pacific slope in this region. Like many other tropical hummingbirds, the males gather in small breeding leks and call to attract receptive females.

A male Coppery-headed Emerald goes from subtle...

... to sublime!

 The female emeralds are much more modestly dressed.

A female Coppery-headed Emerald shows her pink-based lower bill.

Another of Monteverde's smaller hummingbirds is the Magenta-throated Woodstar, endemic to Costa Rica and western Panama. These buzz around, tails often raised, creating a distinctive wing-whir that lets you know they're in the neighborhood. Here's a challenge for you: the nest of this species has not yet been found and described... go for it!

A male Magenta-throated Woodstar

Rather larger is the Green-crowned Brilliant, here sporting the spotlights he uses to dazzle females. This brilliant is a creature of the high, wet mountains, and it ranges as far south as Ecuador (another country that boasts fabulous hummingbirds!)

 Male Green-crowned Brilliant...

...and a lovely female brilliant!

Purple-throated Mountaingems are perhaps the most abundant species at Monteverde's feeders. The female is a bright buffy-rufous below and sports a strong mask. Like other hummers, these are VIPs: Very Important Pollinators.

Female Purple-throated Mountaingem

And just in case you're thinking that the species is misnamed...

...the gorgeous male mountaingem is a show-stealer!

Another beauty which seems to me more frequent now at the hummingbird gallery's feeders is the Green Violetear. This violetear occupies highlands from Mexico, all the way down into the Andes of Bolivia. Although its range overlaps that of the other two violetears (Sparkling and Brown), the Green prefers wetter, higher forests, and so is right at home in Monteverde.

Two views of a Green Violetear

Another hummer with a fairly large range (from southern Mexico to Panama) is the little Stripe-tailed Hummingbird. Those bright rufous wing patches are a good field mark. They are quite regular at the Monteverde feeders and in the cloud forest.

Stripe-tailed Hummingbird

One of the most impressive hummers in Costa Rica is the enormous Violet Sabrewing––at 6" long, the biggest hummingbird away from South America. For comparison, our Magnificents are 5.25". Just look at that scintillating deep blue-violet! The sabrewing's range is similar to the Stripe-tailed's: southern Mexico to western Panama. This hummer also feeds often at Heliconia, and the males, like the tiny Coppery-headed Emerald males and the Green Hermits, also gather in leks to "sing" for the females.

 Violet Sabrewing

A sudden dazzle announces the arrival of a stunning Violet Sabrewing!

Hummingbirds live only in the Americas. What a treasure they are!

Bartram's Painted Vulture

OK, I've been lax about posting! Painting can dominate everything––I even forget to eat. Here is a recent project, an acrylic painting of Bartram's Painted Vulture.

I hadn't heard of it either.

Bartram's Painted Vulture, a bird that formerly inhabited Florida

(Acrylic painting by Narca)

Noel Snyder investigated the mystery surrounding this vanished bird, and with Joel Fry, has published an on-line paper in the journal Zootaxa which proposes, at long last, the acceptance of this now-extinct species – or subspecies – into the roster of North American avifauna. (An excellent review of this paper was written by Rick Wright for the American Birding Association's blog.)

William Bartram was the first naturalist ever to visit Florida, about the time of the Revolutionary War. He left a detailed description of this spectacular bird, whose existence is not recognized by the American Ornithologists' Union, although several ornithologists have independently acknowledged it. Very similar to the King Vulture of the American tropics from Mexico south, the Painted Vulture was likely either a closely related species or a subspecies of King Vulture.

The bird apparently vanished shortly after Bartram's encounter with it, for it was never seen by Audubon or other early ornithologists who visited Florida.

William Bartram and his father John Bartram left an impressive legacy.  John was North America's first botanist, called "the greatest natural botanist in the world" by Linnaeus. John was named the Royal Botanist in America by King George III, and the Bartram homestead is considered to be the birthplace of American botany and the first botanical garden in the US. You can visit their home in Philadelphia, now the Bartram Garden and Museum. (I've not yet visited this National Historic Landmark and garden, but certainly hope to see it soon – perhaps as soon as this summer! The museum would like to have this painting of Bartram's Painted Vulture in its permanent collection, and that strikes me as its perfect home.)

The Bartrams knew Benjamin Franklin and named a tree after their statesman friend––Franklinia alatamatha. The tree is feared to be extinct in the wild but still survives in cultivation, descended from the original plants collected by the Bartrams.

William carried on his father's natural history endeavors, traveling for several years through the eight southern colonies, observing the flora and fauna, and executing exquisite drawings. He built a reputation as an adept and perceptive observer of nature. Thomas Jefferson asked Bartram to accompany Lewis and Clark on their exploration of Louisiana Territory, but his health didn't permit it.

Today the Bartram Trail follows William's footsteps through North and South Carolina and Georgia. In Alabama, the Bartram Canoe Trail meanders along waterways in the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta.

William's travels through a truly wild America and his interest in the Native peoples he met are detailed in a marvelous book. If reading the firsthand accounts of early explorers appeals to you, track down the Travels of William Bartram, edited by Mark Van Doren. What a treasure! I also plan to track down another: Judith Magee's 2007 volume, Art and Science of William Bartram, for the pleasure of seeing more of his marvelous botanical illustrations.

Autumn Musings

Once again, drifts of autumn leaves shift with the winds in South Fork, in the Chiricahua Mountains. Madrone berries are peaking, and pulling in feasting birds. Above, the sky is frisky with mares' tails, foretelling an impending storm. All this richness!

Autumn along the South Fork Road (Photos by Narca)

And one friend who fully appreciated wild richness, no longer is here to do so. Farewell to Rich Stallcup, who showed me my first Montezuma Quail right here in the Chiricahuas, more than three decades ago.

Montezuma Quail (Acrylic painting by Narca)

Mexican Jay, tossing leaves

The only industrious creatures this afternoon are the jays, proving by their behavior that we've overlooked some subtle relation between them and the leaftossers of Central America... a musing that returns to Rich, who often connected ideas in an original manner. He told Peter Warshall, "They've put vultures and storks in the same family. Seems like a birder's great melding of bringing babies and recycling the dead."

The main idea that stayed with me from reading One Hundred Years of Solitude was Márquez's notion that the key to living well in old age is to reach an "honorable pact with solitude". We also face the challenge of reaching some peaceable accommodation with the loss of friends––with losing all of those whose going leaves an empty place against the sky.

Mexican Jay, a portrait

Cuba's Warblers

One of the last outings in Cuba for our group from New Mexico Ornithological Society is a quick trek into the Sierra de Cubitas, not far from the city of Camagüey. It is late in the day when we arrive, and rain showers are threatening.

In the foothills of the sierra, we find a very excited, vocal group of Cuban Palm Crows. See how short the wings are? Much shorter than in Cuban Crow, the other endemic corvid. The palm crows also sound rather like our Fish Crow, unlike the crying-baby call of the Cuban Crow. Fun!

An endemic Cuban Palm Crow (Photo by Jerry Oldenettel)

Soon we are immersed in another big mixed flock of wintering North American warblers, like this beautiful Prairie Warbler.

Prairie Warbler (Photo by Jerry Oldenettel)

Then the Oriente Warblers appear! Jubilation! 

Of Cuba's two endemic wood warblers, the Oriente Warbler replaces the Yellow-headed in the eastern part of the island. Both occur in all types of forest and at all elevations, as long as the understory is dense. Oriente Warblers often conceal their nests in a clump of Tillandsia, a bromeliad.

Oriente Warblers emerge from a tangle (Photo by Narca)

Oriente Warbler (Photo by Jerry Oldenettel)

Yellow-headed Warbler (Photo by Jerry Oldenettel)

The Yellow-headed Warbler has a similarly restricted range, occurring only in western Cuba, but also is in no danger. Indeed we found it to be common in the region around María la Gorda and Guanahacabibes. Look at the size of that bill––quite large for a warbler!

Earlier in the trip in pine forest near Cueva de los Portales, we had found the Olive-capped Warbler, a Cuban specialty that also lives in the Bahamas. Although it occurs only very locally in pine forests, the Olive-capped is fairly common in the right habitat and is not endangered.

Olive-capped Warbler (Photo by Jerry Oldenettel)

We saw few snakes in Cuba, but Jim did find this lovely little boa on the grounds of Hotel Batey Don Pedro. This Dusky Dwarf Boa has an interesting alternate name: the Cuban Giant Dwarf Boa!

Dusky Dwarf Boa, Tropidophis melanurus (Photo by Narca)

As the sun sets once again over Cuba, I celebrate both the people who have graced this trip and the birds––from the super-stars like Cuban Parrot to the familiar, cosmopolitan Great Egret.

Cuban Parrot (Photo by Jerry Oldenettel)

Great Egret (Photo by Narca)

Dave Krueper excelled as our group leader from New Mexico Ornithological Sociey. Cubans––our cultural guide Ray, scientist-guide Giraldo Alayon, bus driver Francisco, and local guides throughout––all added immeasurably to our experience. Thank you, everyone!

Janet Ruth and Dave Krueper at lunch in Havana. In the background are Jerry Oldenettel, Christopher Rustay, Jim Shiflett, 

and Alan (looking away). (Photo by Narca)

Pretty good trip, huh, Bruce?

Giant Kingbirds!

After watching day break over the city of Camagüey (home town for our Cuban guide Ray), our merry band from New Mexico Ornithological Society sets out for Finca La Belén in the Sierra de Najasa.

Dawn over Camagüey from the roof of our hotel (Photo by Narca)

La Belén is a protected holding where ranching and ecotourism converge. Here we are seeking the Giant Kingbird... and anything else that crosses our path. One of the first birds we run across is a Cuban Pygmy-Owl. We've found this species throughout the trip: what a treat that has been!

Cuban Pygmy-Owl (Photo by Narca)

Pretty soon the cry comes––a Giant Kingbird has been found! It is actually slightly smaller than southern Arizona's Thick-billed Kingbird, but we'll keep that between us. Their bills are similarly enormous––look at the stoutness here! And compare that to the more slender bill of the Loggerhead Kingbird below. The Giant and Loggerhead Kingbirds are closely related and occur here in the same habitat. The Giant, however, is endangered, while the Loggerhead is abundant. Reasons for the Giant Kingbird's decline are not known, although the loss of large trees for nesting is a likely factor.

Giant Kingbird (Photo by Narca)

Loggerhead Kingbird (Photo by Jerry Oldenettel)

The rest of the morning is relaxed. Our time in Cuba is drawing to a close, and we are savoring the species that come our way. Today a Gundlach's Hawk favors us––among the best views of the trip, although the flying raptor doesn't give me a chance for a photo. Cuban Green Woodpeckers and a Red-legged Thrush are among the birds we'll miss when we leave!

Cuban Green Woodpecker (Photo by Jerry Oldenettel)

Red-legged Thrush (Photo by Jerry Oldenettel)

Butterflies at La Belen are among the best we've seen on the trip.

Cuban Daggerwing, Marpesia eleuchea (Photo by Jerry Oldenettel)

Malachite butterfly, Siproeta stelenes (Photo by Narca)

Around us, the work of the ranch continues, and after an excellent lunch, Janet and Ray even find a pony to ride.

Oxen pull a laden farm conveyance (Photo by Narca)

Janet finds a new friend (Photo by Narca)

We have one more destination today, the Sierra de Cubitas, where we will search for Oriente Warblers, the last of Cuba's three species of endemic wood warblers. So we don't linger long after lunch, as inviting and comfortable as Finca La Belén is!