Return to the Rainforest (Part 4)

Birds, birds, birds!

I credit this birding addiction to Joel and Vicki Simon, who in 2004 taught me all about birds and migration in 2004 at a Hawkwatch International site in Corpus Christi, Texas. I have not been normal ever since, as I find myself constantly searching the ground, sky and everything in between for flapping wings or the flick of a feathered tail.

I have gone from being satisfied with just viewing them through my binoculars to obsessing about photographing them. Here in Costa Rica, after one week of using my binoculars, I have put them down and have taken up the camera instead.

Anhinga along the Sarapiqui River — Anhinga

I like bird watching because it is relaxing. Those who know me well know that I do not sit quietly for long. This is why bird watching is good for me – it forces me to be quiet, patient, and still. It forces me to concentrate on one thing at a time.

Here at La Selva there are 400 species of birds, and of these I have seen 40 species so I have a long way to go! That is another thing I enjoy, the challenge of finding different birds, and there is always a thrill upon discovering one you have never seen before.