Thursday 23rd February 2012

Bird-lists complete!

I have just completed the amalgamation of my recent Guatemala and Panama bird-lists with those of my time in Costa Rica in 1992 and in the states of Colima and Jalisco, in Mexico, in 2002, giving me a grand total for Mexico and Central America of 759 species seen (out of a possible total of something over 1500). The national breakdown is: Costa Rica 475 Mexico 329 Guatemala 391 Panama 264 GRAND TOTAL 759 I have ticked them off in my now rather battered copy of the Collins Field Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Central America, by Ber van Perlo, a useful exercise as it now allows me to visualise much more clearly what bird species I have NOT yet found, and will enable me to target any future trip I may make to the region more effectively. The high totals for both Costa Rica and Mexico are thanks to a large extent on the outstanding knowledge and guiding skills of Steve Howell, an acknowledged expert on the avifauna of the area, and the leader of the tours I participated in, both run by Wings/Sunbird. Guatemala and Panama were more of my own doing, although my Guatemala total was considerably boosted thanks to my kind hosts Rob and Tara Cahill, and their two highly talented sons Peter and John - the latter's identification skills, both visual and aural, at the age of 15, are astounding. A special thanks to them. Roll on my next visit, so I can raise that 759 - just over half the possibilities is NOT good enough!