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Diving Debbie
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Posted: Fri Jan 19th, 2007 01:27 pm |
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From PRWOW
Name for new Puerto Rican parrot aviary sought
Posted: Thursday, January 18, 2007 - 05:01 PM
SAN JUAN (AP) – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) will finish in April an aviary in El Yunque with the purpose of increasing the population of the Puerto Rican parrot.
The Caribbean National Forest currently has an aviary of the federal agency, while the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources operates another one is Utuado in the Río Abajo Forest.
However, the FWS will close the aviary it has in a high area of El Yunque and will change its location, according to FWS Public Affairs Official Lilibeth Serrano. The new aviary, which does not have a name, will open its doors in April, she said.
Congress assigned $1.7 million to build the new aviary, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation obtained an additional $700,000 from private donors in Puerto Rico.
The FWS selected six possible names to inaugurate the aviary and placed them on the internet for people to vote on their choice. The one with the most votes will be the name of the new home for the Puerto Rican parrots that are in danger of extinction.
People can visit the Web page http://www.fws.gov/aviario/ and vote for the names La Iguaca, Borincano, Esmeralda, Esperanza, Río Grande, and Puerto Rican Parrot, Serrano said.
More on the Puerto Rican Parrot can be found here: http://www.fws.gov/southeast/prparrot/
Personally, I like "Esperanza".
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Doug
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Posted: Fri Jan 19th, 2007 06:16 pm |
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Esperanza got my vote, too. Quick story. Visiting friends in Isla Verde, back in '96 spotted a P.R. Parrot on a phone wire. When I got back to the apartment, I casually mentioned it to my hostess, who chuckled at my naivite. I grabbed her and the Birds of P.R and the V.I. book and we walked back up the block and I pointed it out to her. She was flabbergasted that she had lived there for two years and never seen one.
Later after she moved to Culebra, we were at Carlos Rosario. She had brought her reef fish ID book. I had my disposable underwater camera with me and was snorkling out by the buoy. I saw and photographed what turned out to be a spotted snake eel. I came in, looked it up and pointed it out to her. Not having learned from the PR Parrot affair, she insisted it was too rare to be observed in that locale. Obviously, after developing the pix, I overnighted a print to her. Her response was, "You b*****rd, I've never seen one of those either!". *Chuckle*
Doug
Last edited on Fri Jan 19th, 2007 06:19 pm by Doug
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Island Woman MJ
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Posted: Fri Jan 19th, 2007 07:40 pm |
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Great stories Doug and I know EXACTLY how she felt!
I voted for Borincano, mainly because I think it's a cool older word for Puerto Rico and every time I read it, it seems to reflect the old ways...(as I say this, I can hear a paso fino galloping by).
I want to start an iguanary in my yard; think the feds will cough up a mil or so?
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Diving Debbie
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Posted: Fri Jan 19th, 2007 11:48 pm |
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A spotted snake eel? Are you kidding me? Rare indeed! You're lucky to have gotten a picture for proof. I wouldn't have believed it either if that were me. 
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Doug
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Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 03:32 pm |
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Wow, if Debbie says it's rare...uh...I mean...that is...ah...for a professional like myself, it's all in a days work. Can you say "Blind hog finds two acorns?"
I'm looking for the pic. I'll see if they can scan and digitize the print at Kinko's.
Doug
____________________
"Let him who has a free hand cast the first stone."
Dennis Miller, on the Pee Wee Herman public outcry.
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Doug
Charter Member
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Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 03:44 pm |
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Found it! It's not a Debbie-quality photo (underexposed and small in the frame), but recognizable. Coming soon to a BB near you. Also, it's from '96, too, based on the album I found it in. At my age, these things run together...
Doug
Last edited on Sat Jan 20th, 2007 03:48 pm by Doug
____________________
"Let him who has a free hand cast the first stone."
Dennis Miller, on the Pee Wee Herman public outcry.
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admin
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Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 03:53 pm |
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| post it -- I'm dying to see it too.....here's one for you Doug......I got her out at DNR.....
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Doug
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Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 04:05 pm |
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Should be up later today. Laurie, can you try again? Only seeing black rectangle.
Doug
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"Let him who has a free hand cast the first stone."
Dennis Miller, on the Pee Wee Herman public outcry.
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admin
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Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 05:03 pm |
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| our internet here in Culebra has been nutso for 24 hours -- let me try again.... Attachment: kestral_sm.jpg (Downloaded 56 times)
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Life is short. Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably,
and never regret anything that made you smile!
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Doug
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Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 05:09 pm |
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Sweet! I love birding in Culebra. Can't wait to see my first magnificent frigate and those tiny doves and huge hummers.
Doug
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"Let him who has a free hand cast the first stone."
Dennis Miller, on the Pee Wee Herman public outcry.
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Diving Debbie
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Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 05:15 pm |
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Hey, I got one of those (on a wire out past Melones). What is it? Some kind of a hawk or kite? My mom's the bird expert in the family, not me.
And, there's a lot to be said about my photography skills on this one - Laurie's shot is much better than mine.Attachment: 132_Fauna.jpg (Downloaded 52 times) Last edited on Sat Jan 20th, 2007 05:17 pm by Diving Debbie
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admin
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Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 05:16 pm |
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| Like Island Woman reported this morning, the hummingbirds are around -- you should see me stalking them trying to get a photo.....darn things just won't pose nicely......
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Life is short. Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably,
and never regret anything that made you smile!
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Doug
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Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 05:18 pm |
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Those are kestrels. I enjoy them kayaking the float rivers in Missouri.
Doug
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"Let him who has a free hand cast the first stone."
Dennis Miller, on the Pee Wee Herman public outcry.
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Diving Debbie
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Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 05:22 pm |
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Thanks, Doug. See, now when my mom is there in March, I'll be looking smart when I can identify one for her! 
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Doug
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Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 05:25 pm |
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If she sees me snorkling, tell her it's an Ozark Booby out of its winter range!
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"Let him who has a free hand cast the first stone."
Dennis Miller, on the Pee Wee Herman public outcry.
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Doug
Charter Member
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Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 10:25 pm |
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Here 'tis.
I don' think it's going to put National Geo or Debbie out of biz...
Doug
Last edited on Sat Jan 20th, 2007 10:26 pm by Doug
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"Let him who has a free hand cast the first stone."
Dennis Miller, on the Pee Wee Herman public outcry.
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Island Woman MJ
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Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 10:27 pm |
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admin wrote: Like Island Woman reported this morning, the hummingbirds are around -- you should see me stalking them trying to get a photo.....darn things just won't pose nicely......
Weirdly, the ones in my yard will sit on branches, for a minute or more. I had no idea they would do that. Of course, usually they are zooming, making zoom zoom noises. The plant I was talking about...I have about six or seven in the yard but one is right beneath the window beyond my table/desk and they crash around like maniacs (oops, no slur intented!!!), making zoom zoom noise. I love them. I have the little ones with the brilliant green diamond on their heads. They are awesome and love to play in the hose water when I water the gardens. I have got to get a camera (she says, again). Soon.
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admin
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Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 10:30 pm |
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don't be telling this MAINIAC that you have hummingbirds posing.....I'll be right over -- can I play in the hose too?
speaking of maine, a friend sent this today to try and make me miss Maine....we call this sea smoke......Attachment: sea_smoke.jpg (Downloaded 37 times)
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Island Woman MJ
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Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 11:23 pm |
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I love that!!! Sea smoke! Uh...in a picture
And yep, come on down to the yard anytime...early morning is good, when I'm watering, that's when they play and *roost* for bits of time. We'll drink yerba mate, you can ogle the orchids, take the pics and then you can give me a ride to the cart!! Call me!
Last edited on Sat Jan 20th, 2007 11:25 pm by Island Woman MJ
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Diving Debbie
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Posted: Sat Jan 20th, 2007 11:30 pm |
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and off she goes to get her reef fish id book.
Hmm, I think because it's dark with white spots instead of white with dark spots that it looks more like a sharptail eel, which still is fairly rare. According to Humann's book: "occasional to uncommon Florida and continental coasts of Caribbean; uncommon to rare Bahamas, Caribbean islands; also rare northwestern Gulf of Mexico and Bermuda."
That stated, they (sharptail eels) are fairly common sightings in Bonaire. We've dived there twice in 1998 and 2002, and out of 33 dives, I recorded 5 separate sightings. I know of no other diving location where they are that common.
Just for the knowledge, Humann's book says that spotted snake eels are "uncommon to rare Florida, Bahamas, Caribbean; also Bermuda and south the Brazil."
Either way, a great find in Culebra. I've found several species of fish diving Culebra that are not commonly seen other places and that are also described as rare in the area, including the Shy Hamlet and the Indigo Hamlet. We have also seen two Chain Morays in Culebra (one (don't tell the sheepish snorkelers) at Punta Soldado in about 6 feet of water). Interestingly enough (the Chain Moray being pretty rare - well not rare really but common to certain islands, rare others) after we saw one in Culebra in 2001, we saw 2 in Bonaire in 2002!
http://web.mac.com/debalew/iWeb/Scuba/Culebra%20June%202001_files/Chain_Moray_Dark.jpg
So I'm babbling, but the Shy Hamlet spotting for me was one of those jaw dropping moments underwater yelling at Walter to look! look! what is it?? and him clapping at me. You know you've found something cool when Walti claps at you (and it's preferable to being flipped off under water). Of course, my pictures sucked, but I'll post it here anyway. Since that first sighting, I've seen four others in Culebra's waters. Humann's book states "Occasional Cayman Islands and eastern Caribbean; uncommon Bay Islands (Honduras for you non-divers) and Jamaica; rare balance of Caribbean and Florida
http://web.mac.com/debalew/iWeb/Scuba/Culebra%20Nov%202002_files/shy_hamlet_2.jpg
here's a later one from 2006:
http://web.mac.com/debalew/iWeb/Scuba/Culebra%20Jan%202006_files/024_Shy_Hamlet.jpg
The Indigo Hamlet was also a great find, right on top of the reef at Carlos Rosario just hanging out. It's the only one I've ever seen there. Humann's book states "Common Cayman Islands, Jamaica and Bay Islands; occasional Belize and Bahamas; rare balance of Caribbean
Hope no one minds; I think I'll paste this to a new thread for fish ids and those interested in diving topics. Attachment: 037_Indigo_Hamlet.jpg (Downloaded 32 times)
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