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Spring migration was a different experience for many of us in 2020. This is usually a very busy time of year; Iike many others, I temporarily relocate to the Point Pelee area for a chunk of May to maximize the bird migration experience. With national and provincial parks closed for the duration of spring, this was simply not possible. Our two weeks in quarantine during late March and early April further cut down on naturalizing opportunities, but we made do where we could.  Ruffed Grouse
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We left Colombia behind and flew to San José, Costa Rica for the next leg of our adventure. Neither Laura nor I had visited this country before but we had grand plans. Costa Rica is obviously much smaller in area than Colombia and so less time is needed to cover off the country to the same degree; I expected that six weeks would be sufficient for this trip. Of course, one could spend a lifetime in a country as diverse as Costa Rica and still miss out on significant portions of its natural history. But we had budgeted 2-2.5 years to travel throughout the Americas and so six weeks would do, this time. By mid-April, I had plans to travel to Canada for a couple of days and then to Spain, where I had a tour scheduled for Quest. Laura, meanwhile, would stay in Costa Rica for a few additional weeks and volunteer her time at a wildlife rehabilitation clinic.  Collared Redstart Oh 2020. What a year. I mean, what more can really be said? As per tradition, I am writing a few blog posts about my highlights from this year, in roughly chronological order. Today's post will be about Colombia.  Black-tailed Trainbearer Heading into 2020, Laura and I were pretty excited for a year filled to the brim with travel and all the accompanying wildlife sightings. The previous August we quit our jobs, flew to Ecuador, and explored there for the final three plus months of 2019. Following a short two weeks in Canada to celebrate Christmas with our families, we were soon back on a jet to South America. Our first two months of the year would be spent in Colombia!
June 15 - Balsam Lake, City of Kawartha Lakes June 16 - Innisfil area, Simcoe County June 17 - Bala area, Muskoka District June 18 - From Bala to Elk Lake, Timiskaming District June 19 - Elk Lake to Fraserdale June 20 - Boreal Butterflies and Woodpeckers of Fraserdale June 21 - Smooth Rock Falls to Hearst Birding, Matachewan Mothing June 22 - Matachewan to Hilliardton Marsh June 23 - Purplish Coppers in Parry Sound District The morning of June 20 dawned cool with a completely overcast sky, a moderate breeze and the threat of rain. These conditions were not great since I had planned to spend the morning looking for several species of butterflies. Butterflies seem to be solar-powered and the day's lack of sun meant that most would stay out of sight.  Fraserdale, Cochrane District June 15 - Balsam Lake, City of Kawartha Lakes June 16 - Innisfil area, Simcoe County June 17 - Bala area, Muskoka District June 18 - From Bala to Elk Lake, Timiskaming District June 19 - Elk Lake to Fraserdale June 20 - Boreal Butterflies and Woodpeckers of Fraserdale June 21 - Smooth Rock Falls to Hearst Birding, Matachewan Mothing June 22 - Matachewan to Hilliardton Marsh June 23 - Purplish Coppers in Parry Sound District I awoke to the sounds of birdsong after a fitful night of sleep next to Hilda Lake. Many of the previous night's mosquitoes had found their way into my car, and my pre-sleep killing spree took out only 3/4 of them, leaving the rest to feast on me during the night. Oh, the things us naturalists put ourselves through. I birded some around the burn, hearing the Vesper Sparrow as well a Brown Thrasher. Over the next hour I drove along the rough logging roads back to Highway 560, stopping periodically to listen for birds and to look for butterflies. If it were not for the biting insects, the boreal forest in the early summer may be one of my favourite places. I did not find any truly rare bird species this morning, but the typical boreal birds are always worth paying attention to. And the solitude that one can find on a logging road, far away from any paved track, just cannot be beat.  Elk Lake area, Timiskaming District June 15 - Balsam Lake, City of Kawartha Lakes June 16 - Innisfil area, Simcoe County June 17 - Bala area, Muskoka District June 18 - From Bala to Elk Lake, Timiskaming District June 19 - Elk Lake to Fraserdale June 20 - Boreal Butterflies and Woodpeckers of Fraserdale June 21 - Smooth Rock Falls to Hearst Birding, Matachewan Mothing June 22 - Matachewan to Hilliardton Marsh June 23 - Purplish Coppers in Parry Sound District The previous evening's mothing activities had kept me up late, and so I did not rise until after the sun. I wolfed down a hearty breakfast, consisting of a vegetarian omelette on toast along with a strong mug of coffee, all made with my one-burner stove. Feeling recharged, I grabbed my camera and headed out into the rock barrens.  |
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