[obol] Atlapetes seen by OFO board members

[Harding, Jeff]

Obolonians,
 
Okay, I am not sure which sub-species we had, but three OFO board
members, Judy Meredith, Sheran Wright, and I were in Santander, Colombia
just last August, not far from where the new subspecies was found. We
listed the Rufous-napped Brush-Finch, but my notes do not contain
details as to subspecies. (Judy or Sheran may have more detail, though)
We found other limited range endemics there, including the Mountain
Grackle and Chestnut-bellied Emerald, thanks to the guidance of Oswaldo
Cortes, a talented young ornithologist doing his field work with those
species. Oswaldo wore binoculars tagged with the ABA Birder's Exchange
(BEX) sticker.
 
That sticker inspired us to support the ABA BEX, and we volunteered to
spearhead an official Oregon Field Ornithologists equipment drive. I
think that Sheran and Judy have already announced the drive on OBOL; the
bit about the new Atlapedes made me think I could put in a reminder.
 
We are not entirely altruistic with this. We hope to be rewarded in two
ways: our old equipment will encourage and support birders in Latin
America, and improve the chance for conservation of our own neotropical
migrants. Where do you think our beloved Olive-sided Flycatchers are
headed right now? Their decline may well be tied to events in the Andes,
and we need help from Andean birders to understand and stem the decline.
In addition, birding in Latin America is a wonderful experience, made
all the better with knowledgeable, enthusiastic local birders. We need
more of them!
 
The three of us had a fantastic three week trip to Colombia, by the way.
You should know that Colombia is enjoying much improved security, and we
felt safe the whole time. The key was that we went with a knowledgeable
Colombian bird guide, Sergio Ocampo, who also connected us with local
birders at every stop. I don't know that we saw the new brush-finch
subspecies, but we did find the Chestnut-capped Piha, a full species
that was discovered in 2001. (Actually, Judy saw it; I think Sheran
glimpsed it and heard it, and I sort of heard it) Diego Calderon-Franco
took us to that location, near Amalfi in eastern Antioquia. 
 
If anyone wants information about our trip, including photos or even a
presentation to your bird club, feel free to contact me. For information
about the OFO - ABA BEX equipment drive, contact Sheran at sheranwr 'at'
earthlink.net <BLOCKED::mailto:sheranwr at earthlink.net> .
 
Contopus borealis forever!
 
Jeff Harding
pjh 'at' centurytel.net <BLOCKED::mailto:pjh at centurytel.net> 
 
 
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