Getting Ready to Meet Birding Clubs in Honduras

          Less than one week to go before I head to Honduras to meet with Birding Clubs there about the idea of establishing a network of sister clubs between Central and North America.  Many of the bird species that we think of as our "birds of summer" are experiencing steep population declines.  One of the major culprits is habitat loss in both breeding and wintering areas.  As a birder living the in northeastern U.S., I know first-hand how much the dawn chorus of birdsong has diminished over the last couple of decades.  Next week, I'll get to see first-hand what the habitat conditions are like where some of "our" birds, like Wood Thrush, Golden-winged Warbler, Baltimore Oriole, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak overwinter. 

          To get ready for my trip, I have been studying about Honduras, trying to bone up on my limited skill at speaking Spanish, and of course learning all I can about the birds I'll see in Honduras.  Luckily for me, I have the privilege of getting my hands on a copy (well, 16 copies actually) of the brand new Peterson field guide to birds of northern Central America by Jesse Fagan and Oliver Komar.  This book came off the presses at the beginning of October, just in time for the Honduras Birding Tour for Conservation.  It also will come in handy when I participate in the Lake Yojoa Birding Blitz where I will meet some of the members of the Tautunas Birding Club from the city of Gracias in Lempira department. 

         What am I going to do with 16 copies of this field guide, you ask?  I'll be hand-carrying these down to Honduras to give to co-author Oliver Komar at Zamarano University where they will be used for educational purposes.  It's a great field guide, covering Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras.  The book illustrates and describes 827 species of birds that occur regularly in northern Central America, including the 763 species that are possible to see in Honduras. 

          My plans for meeting with Birding Clubs in Honduras continue to evolve and firm up.  Last night and this morning I've been working on arrangements for meeting with members of the Cotinga Bird Club in La Ceiba on the north (Caribbean) coast in Atlantica department.  This is one of six clubs in the country with whom I hope to interact during my trip.  Remember that you can follow along with my travels on this blog.  Plus, it's still not too late to help support my in-country travels at my Go Fund Me campaign. 

          Excitement is building.  Now it's time to get back to studying!