Monday, June 30

Monday, June 30

We’re past the solstice now so the days are getting shorter. I for one am not happy about it and wish to file a complaint with the management. I was just getting used to long days and warm weather and now we’re sliding back to winter.

Between downpours and other commitments we haven’t been getting out too much. On Saturday I got to spend some time in a wetland chasing odonata. Not too productive but at least I was out there. Got back to the car just as a major thunderstorm ripped loose. I put the hatchback up, put the camera in the car, and down came the biblical rains. I had to change out of my waders under the hatchback. While I was sitting in the wetland I did hear a barred owl calling, my first for the year.

A spread-wing damsel fly I haven’t keyed out yet.

Same unidentified spreadwing in black and white.

Ferns in black and white.

Stefan and I are doing a trip to Peru this September. Since some commitments like water polo and graduation open houses have fallen away, I’ve had some time to work on trip logistics. Like filling little zip lock bags with toilet paper, a paper towel, and an individually packaged, sterilized and sanitized, antibacterial wet wipe. So we are ready to go, so to speak.

On the bus ride to work I was looking at the Birds of Peru field guide. Peru, bigger than Texas but smaller than Alaska, has about 1800 recorded species. That’s a lot of bird species. Just to put things in perspective, for purposes of a “birding big year” the American Birding Association (ABA) defines North America as the U.S. and Canada, and throws in the Aleutian Islands for good measure. The American Ornithological Union (AOU) has about 700 breeding species for the same area. You can get another 100 or so occasional stray species. The record “big year” for North America, is now 749 species. If you were to divide 749 by the ABA area of North America (approximately 7.64 million square miles) you get a species to area ratio of approximately 0.000098. That’s not a very impressive number. Looking at a larger definition of North America, which includes Mexico and Central America (9.54 million square miles), and using the AOU list for the same area (~2000 species), you get a species to area ration of 0.0002098 or approximately twice as many birds per unit area. Better, but that includes species rich Central America. Now let’s look at Peru. With an area of 496,200 square miles, and 1800 species, you get a species to area ratio of 0.0036275. Better than any definition of North America by an order of magnitude.

The Birds of Peru field guide has 22 pages of hummingbirds and similar species. With at least five species per page.  There’s eight pages of parrots and macaws. Apparently ants are a big thing because there are 19 pages of antwrens, antshrikes, antbirds, and antthrushes. Dozens of bird families, genus, and species that I’ve never heard of. If this place has indoor plumbing and scrapple I could consider moving there.