Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Survey News: Birds

The bird project had an exciting day this week with a trip down Cano California. The canal is the projects lengthiest survey site at about four kilometers and typically is notable for the large numbers of birds seen on survey, and not as much for their diversity.
Our surveyors were in for a shock this week however, with an astonishing record. Volunteer Jackie Sands relayed the story; “What happened was, something flew quickly past.” Patrol Leader Jonathan Groom thought it could possibly be an Agami heron (Agamia agami) but didn’t see it well enough to make an identification. “All the volunteers said ‘no way,” so Jackie, “It’s just too rare. We carried on with the survey, but as we came back down the canal, we really searched for it. It paid off because we found the jackpot, THE Agami heron. It was very exciting for everyone.” Intern Siobhan Fahey agreed, adding that the serious hunt was worth it and that once they found the heron, it was completely unhurried. “It was posing for pictures and everything,” she said (see photo below!). Also on the return trip down the canal was an appearance by a huge American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) that cruised alongside the boat for a while, “That’s not really part of the bird survey,” Jackie qualified,” but it was still excellent.”



It turned out to be a huge day for extraordinary sightings at Jalova. Keep checking for an update on the afternoon incidental reports.

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