The birds were her travel guide
In Costa Rica, you can learn a lot by bird-watching – but you need a sense of discovery and a good set of 'binocs.'
from the March 23, 2007 edition
Page 2 of 3
But the birders were focused on only one thing: "There, look there, on that narrow twig next to the crooked branch from the second tree on the right."
I followed their directions and stared through my small, humble binoculars at the thick collage of many shades of green.
Occasionally I would catch brief glimpses of a feathery form flitting past my view. Hot and sweaty, I stood listening to everyone else's oohs and aahs. The birders' adrenalina was obviously flowing.
"I have to find the motmots," Carol, from Texas, said.
"Wait till you see the quetzal!" said Anne, who had been to Costa Rica before.
I had never heard of a motmot or a quetzal. Cardinals, blue jays, and chickadees were the birds of my acquaintance. Finally I borrowed a field guide to see what all the anticipation was about. Sure enough, pictures of the exotic birds were magnificent, with brilliant colors and long, flowing tails unseen anywhere in North America.
Onward we traveled, through different elevations and varied avian habitats. While the birders birded, I gazed at a furry sloth curled up in a tree and marveled at iguanas sitting immobile in the sun, like miniature dinosaurs. I watched Arenal Volcano spit out fiery red lava rocks that careened down its slopes.
But my fellow travelers were only partially impressed. Alas, the wonders I kept pointing to had no feathers.
Finally, Bob, the leader of our group, took me under his (nonfeathered) wing.
"Here," he said. "Try my binoculars." They were far more powerful than mine. I could see each leaf and flower in glorious detail. And – I began to see the birds.
RSS feed
