Bird watcher watching

A Stinky Turkey at the Napo Wildlife Center (actual name)

“Look! Over there! It’s a golden crested rump scratcher!

 “Where?”

“On that branch. See it just moved.”

“Oh, I see it now.”

“By the dead branch?”

“No, just down and to the left.”

“Yeah, I see it now too.”

“Are you sure that’s not a pinstriped nitpicker?”

“Let me get the book… No, it’s a female rump scratcher, for sure.”

“Oh, I see it now too.

 “That makes 17 new species I’ve seen this morning alone. I gotta record this.”

And so the conversation went for about two hours on the small platform of a 120 foot observation tower high above the canopy of the Ecuadorian rainforest. We reached it, leaving before dawn, after a 30 minute paddled canoe ride across a caiman-filled lake and another 30 minute hike on dark, wet jungle trails. Our group consisted of two couples who were avid bird watchers and took their hobby quite seriously. With an indigenous guide whose eyes saw more than we visitors with binoculars, the Alaskan couples were in seventh heaven. (Some of the sightings made me wonder if there may not have been some mass hallucinations going on.)

These couples had already been to several areas in Ecuador noted for bird watching - some of which sounded quite challenging to get to. (The Napa Wildlife Center where we met them was a 4.5 canoe ride through the jungle which was exciting enough, especially when the howler monkeys sounded like they were about to invade the boat.) They had also been to many places around the world in pursuit of adding to their list of seen birds. They were equipped with good binoculars, cameras, guides, notebooks, and phone apps. 

My friend Heidi and I enjoy watching birds. It’s delightful to see nuthatches, chickadees, and cardinals on our Minnesota bird feeders. On walks we often spot eagles, hawks, herons, and snow geese. But we don’t really take it very seriously, I guess.

While I don’t personally share the passion the Alaskan couples showed for their hobby, I was a bit envious. Having such a passion, whether it is for birds, sports, cars, books, cooking or who knows what else, adds meaning and pleasure to one’s life. Maybe even purpose.

I’d not seen bird watchers close up before, but I am glad I did. It made me reflect on whether I could use a little more passion in my own life for a hobby. 

But probably not birdwatching.

Packing essentials

Heading to Ecuador. I’ll be gone for four to six weeks. I’m only taking a carry-on backpack. 

This will be a multi-part trip. My friend Heidi and I will be spending a week on a small cruise ship in the Galapagos, taking day hikes and snorkeling around the islands. A second week will be spent at a lodge in the Amazonian rainforest. Heidi will then fly home and I will head to the colonial city of Cuenca to spend a couple weeks in a hostel - and chill. I’ve read about a mini-Inca Trail hike near there as well as a long downhill bike ride. I’ll look into those. If I am not too homesick, I may stay in Cuenca for another couple weeks or explore more of Ecuador.

GIven the variety of activities, temperatures, and such, I need to be smart about what I bring. While not the king of minimalism, I can go fairly light… 

• Simple clothes for 7 days. I figure I can always get laundry done once a week. I only take hiking pants/shirts, underwear and socks. Swimsuit and one t-shirt. Packing cubes help organize and compress my clothes. No dress clothes. I wear one rain jacket/windbreaker and sweatshirt on the plane with light gloves and a stocking hat in the pockets. I pack a broad-brimmed hiking hat.

• One pair of hiking shoes and a pair of Crocs to wear in my accommodations and if needed on wet shore landings.

• New razor and toothbrush. My old toiletry bag also includes a washcloth, fingernail clippers, a few over-the-counter meds, small bars of soap, etc. Never hard to find a tube of toothpaste on the road if needed.

• Laptop/Kindle/iPhone. I have a very small, old Chromebook that is my travel companion. I have an old Kindle that still has good battery life. And I have an old iPhone into which I can have a local SIM card installed for internet access. Chargers, of course.

• Paper copies of passport and vax card. I also have scans of these stored in GoogleDocs and on my phone.

• Eye mask, ear plugs and neck pillow for my flights. Umbrella. Highly compressible pack for day trips.

I hope to leave behind cold weather, bad habits, and routine. They probably wouldn’t fit in my backpack anyway. 

* My friend and I pass the required COVID test yesterday! Off we go...

Making Facebook your friend

Facebook gets a lot of bad press. It enables the spread of misinformation, some of it quite dangerous. It seems to inflame divisiveness in politics. It causes friendships to melt down and families to break apart. It enables target marketing of users who may then spend money unwisely.

But me? I kind of like Facebook. There are a number of rules I follow that seem to eliminate many of the negative aspects.

1. I only “friend'' actual friends. This may be the single smartest thing one can do when using social media - period. I know the people personally whose posts I read and who can read mine. One of the joys Facebook brings me is seeing photos of family and friends having good times.

2. I drop the inciters. Now just because we are friends or relatives, doesn’t mean I read your posts. In fact, if you have a tendency to be overly-political, I will remain your friend but turn off your post feed. 

3. I only post things I would not be ashamed for my mother to read. I learned many years ago when I started blogging that my mother, my daughter, and my boss all read my posts. I got called on a few of them, but I was a quick learner and tried to keep anything I put online PG, as rational as possible, and respectful of others’ privacy.

4. I don’t click on polls. “If you could choose only one dessert to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?” “Write a line from a movie that would indicate the title of the movie.” “Take this quiz to see what house at Hogwarts you’d belong to.” You’ve seen these things. They are simply a method of data gathering. 

5. I get my news from vetted sources. Professional journalists have training, standards, and a code of ethics. Nut jobs on Facebook don’t. While no news source is 100% free of bias, those run by professionals (newspapers, national/local TV and radio news, magazines) are still the most accurate.

6. I wait to click the “Buy Now” button. This one is tough for me. Amazon just loves showing me gadgets they know I’ll find intriguing in my Facebook feed. So if something really interests me (that decorative paper towel holder for my kitchen), I’ll add it to my wishlist and think about it for a few days. Most of the time, I just delete the item when I revisit the list.

7. I limit my time. I only log into Facebook twice a day - once in the early morning and once in the evening - and then only spend a short time scrolling through posts. I admire those folks who say they only access the site every few days. Perhaps a goal worth pursuing.

There are, of course, people who seem to need conflict and anger and use Facebook to satisfy those needs. Set your own guidelines. Work toward making your world a happier place.