Birdwatching on the Girasol Trail, Santa Fe National Park
First Question: Can you see him?
Though this Great Potoo is considered a species of least concern by the IUCN, Cele says that this is only the second time in his life that he’s gotten a glimpse of this nocturnal bird. When he was walking on the Girasol Trail, he saw him and had to take this picture. The bird camaflagues so well into the tree, that it took me a bit to find him in the picture!
Cele says when he was a kid, his dad told him that this birds nocturnal cries were “The man who lives in the Valley”. If he didn’t go to bed by the time the man from the valley started calling for him, the man would come looking for him. When he was about 13, he was out in the fields and heard the man from the valley, saw the bird, and put two and two together.
If you’re driving or hiking around Santa Fe, you may benefit from some of the new signs that my husband organized to be constructed to mark the waterfall trailheads for hiking near Santa Fe National Park. I’m so proud of him for organizing this – even though it doesn’t directly benefit us.
So here’s the story.
Over Carnavales, which is the five days before Ash Wednesday in Mid February this year, we were super busy. We’ve had guests go out hiking before and not find the waterfall they were looking for. However, over carnavales we had two great Panamanian ladies who wanted to go exploring and hiking – and when they got to Alto de Piedra, where one of the waterfalls is in the National Park, down a trail that leads off from the road, people wouldn’t tell them which path to take, saying that they needed to hire a guide.
I can understand that you hire a guide to give an enriched experience. We do this in our tours. Our guests enjoy this. And we do it proudly. (And I guarantee you will have a better experience for going out with us). Now, maybe these people were visitors to Santa Fe themselves, and just didn’t know… BUT you don’t hire a guide for directions to a public location. Giving those directions is just part of being human.
So, my husband, Celestino, went to talk with ANAM, the natural resource management agency that manages Panama’s national parks. He got permission from ANAM to put in signs and talked them into throwing in sign supplies, talked with the local tourism coop, and now there are signs marking the trailhead locations and directions to some waterfalls.
I love that he did this. I will post a picture tomorrow!
Do you like that he did this? Want to help? Stop by and let us know!
Celestino captured this picture of a Motmot this week. He (the bird, not my husband) was hanging out near the creek towards the back of our property.
Motmots are a type of neotropical bird. I was trying to find a bit more about them online, and one interesting fact according to the Rainforest Alliance – they hang out in rainforests, secondary growth (forests that have been cut and are regrowing)….and coffee farms – near creeks! Check, check and check!
If you don’t know, we’ve replanted coffee on some of our land, at a small scale. Though our plants are just 8 months old, I am hoping that we’re seeing some benefit of the habitat friendly structure. The shaded canopy of trees with plants underneath lets birds rest and search for those yummy insects is what they appreciate. Evidently they also nest in tunnels, often in creek banks. Hope they keep on coming back.
Who me? Nope, not here, not here at all. Turtle thoughts at Coffee MountainWe serve breakfast to each room on its balcony, bringing food along this little path in the back. Sometimes a piece of fruit may drop from someone’s dish. Cele’s mentioned that he’s started seeing a little turtle there appearing in the mornings – always appearing just as in the picture – hidden, but somehow trotting away by the time of check out. Mysterious animal movement patterns? I suspect he comes out to see if it will happen to rain papayas today.
I love small town celebrations and dances in Panama. With Panamanian tipico music, live bands with tour buses travel all over the country, playing at dances in the interior towns, and growing into celebrities. You can dance tipico late until the night – the steps are like a fast 2 step, country western dance.
During the Feria de Santa Fe (30 Jan – 4 Feb), there are four groups playing, and I thought this would be a good place to highlight the bands.
I’ve not heard Abdiel Camarena play, but he has the nickname “The Pony”. I’m kind of curious about the nickname, but this native Veraguense has talent -won Panama’s accordian contest in 2007.
Herminio Rojas and his band have been playing professionally for over 20 years. Quite popular. They have quite a following. Some of his most popular songs contain double entendres, including the Delicious Mint.
One of the most popular (and according to some, the favorite) musicians for tipico in Panama. Like Herminio, he has been playing professionally for years. UPDATE, ULPIANO WILL NOT BE THERE, SIGH…
