Day 10 -- Parakeets & Tree Boas

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

I put in a terrible night’s sleep. I had to get up and hobble to the bathroom with my tendonitis several times and also got eaten alive by no-see-ums. Even though I applied another layer of insect repellent, no-see-ums were inside my mosquito netting and drove me crazy. Thus, I was happy to have afternoon duty and to be able to get up at a much more civilized 6:30 am.

I worked the afternoon colpa duty with Sheila. It was dreadfully hot and uncomfortable, and Sheila would not let Richard’s black stain prank die. She repeatedly fretted about what we could do. Didn’t I see that Richard was miserable? Should we talk to Alan? etc. ad nauseum.

As I explained earlier, afternoon colpa duty could be slow depending on the weather. Today was no exception and we saw no new or species of macaws or parrots, but were again visited by a jingly flock of Cobalt-winged Parakeets as well as smaller flocks of White-eyed Parakeets and Rock Parakeets (formerly called black-capped parakeets).

 

Cobalt-winged Parakeets

White-eyed Parakeet and Rock or Black-cappedParakeet

As soon as we got back, we practically ran to the bar for an icy beer. Several others joined us, as did two new women—tourists who had arrived that afternoon with their own guide, Jorge.

Bartender Maximo pours Kathy, Joan, me, and Sheila a beer; two tourists at end of bar

Jorge's leaf mantis on the arm of his tee

Jorge (left)  and Alan's Tree Boa

 That evening at supper, Jorge, proudly showed us a Leaf mantis he found on the dining room rail. Before dinner Alan returned from a transect walk with a tree boa.

Of course after the ocelot sighting the night before, everyone wanted to go on the night hike. I was far too tired from the hot afternoon on colpa duty, my poor sleep the night before, and the beer I’d just drunk. I was probably in bed and sawing wood before the group was 50 feet down the trail. Just as well. They saw very little and nothing that I had not already seen.