The Itasca Experience (Minnesota)

Click below if you want to learn more about my research with purple finches at Itasca Biological Station through the University of Minnesota...

Explaining my experience at Itasca Bio Station

If you want to watch the whole video, Click here!

Mist-netting at the campground. (Photo by Chris)

Collecting swallow bugs (Oeciacus vicarius) near Grand Rapids

Pine siskin (Carduelis pinus) caught at Itasca Biological Station

Below are my two field assistants, Tatiana and Jesse, from the Smrekars Acres Tree Farm in Guthrie, MN. Picture from 2008 but they have hosted my field work for 2 years thus far. Great choose and cut farm with loads of wildlife!!

Tatiana holding an American goldfinch (Carduelis tristis)

Jesse holding a Harris' sparrow (Zonotrichia querula)

Extreme Mist-Netting (Nebraska)

This is a video of a few field assistants and me catching cliff swallows near Cedar Point Biological Station with Dr. Charles Brown last summer (2009). The primary goal of mist-netting these charismatic birds is to continue a long-term mark recapture study on the evolution of social behavior. I stopped through on my move to Utah.

Hey, Hey Baby! (Oklahoma)

I spent a majority of the day reminiscing.

This is how I spent my Sunday nights in Tulsa, Oklahoma (2007-09). No wonder my Monday productivity was low.

If you feel like dancing...

Field preparation for the Galapagos! (Utah)

Ruby-throated hummingbirds near Itasca Biological Station (2008)

Well I'm back in the lab in Utah. I feel well rested and ready for the Galapagos. I've been spending most of my time running errands and packing for our 3 month journey. Still homeless, I've been spending my nights on the floor of my friend Shannon's apartment. Concrete + carpet does not make a pleasant night's sleep.

Common snapping turtle near Itasca Biological Station (summer 2008)

I had a wonderful day today... filled with good news. First, I was interviewed for my U of MN alumni newsletter (at least I think) about Itasca and my research. See my first video interview here (summer 2009).

Then, I found out that I (along with TWO other students from my department) received a SICB grant for my research with Darwin's finches. We were 3 out of 24 that received the grant out of a pool of 126!!!

If you're interested in learning about my research, here is a bit about it:

I am attempting to understand how an organism's stress physiology may help or hurt it when exposed to parasites. I am applying my questions to one of the most iconic systems in evolutionary biology, Darwin's finches. In recent years, many invasive species have been introduced to the Galapagos Islands. Philornis downsi is an invasive fly, recently introduced to the Galapagos Islands, whose larvae parasitize the nestling and adult Darwin's finches.

My study focuses on how parasitism by P. downsi affects host stress physiology and in turn, the host's fitness. In other words, think about when you're stressed out all week from an exam or work. This "stress" is considered chronic and your body's response to the stressor (e.g. secretion of hormones) may suppress the immune system, making you more susceptible to an illness, such as a cold. Birds are similar. Although short-term elevations in corticosterone, a stress hormone in birds, may help to enhance survival through changes in behavior, chronically elevated levels of baseline corticosterone can be detrimental to the immune system and ultimately, fitness. Understanding the impact of parasites, especially exotics, on host physiology, behavior, and fitness is a prerequisite to the establishment of effective management strategies to conserve Darwin's finches.

Photo credit

Our jaca fruit adventure... (Mexico)

BREAKFAST RECIPE – CHORIZO (modified from Luis's recipe)

2 chile Serrano

1/3 white onion

4 beaten eggs

2 red chorizo (firm and thick..)

Maggi Jugo

Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper

Tortillas

Fry everything together in pan. Heat tortillas. Delicious.

Served with coffee from Café de Altura near San Sebastian.

EL NOGALITO AND BOTANICAL GARDENS

After drinking two shots of espresso purchased from Oro Verde (café a few blocks away), Chris, Patrick, Luis and I planned to take another afternoon trip south of Vallarta to the Botanical Gardens (third attempt – Monday they were closed). We stopped in El Nogalito (popular for their zip line) to hike along a small creek. Along the way, we noticed a large spinney fruit hanging from a tree. We were told they was called jaca fruit or “jack fruit” and the owner offered us two for free because they weren’t ripe yet.

Upon arrival to El Nogalita, we scanned the trees around the restaurant for any birds. The patron stared at us, bewildered.. crazy birders… The waiter placed chips in a small bowl, pointed and said, “yellow oriole!” (They were actually blackbirds) Our feathered friends began to flock to the chips. We got a close look at many YELLOW-WINGED CACIQUES again and several SAN BLAS JAYS (life bird). Suddenly, Chris shouted “what’s that bird??!!” It was a GREEN JAY! Although it wasn’t a new bird, I never get tired of seeing these guys. Then Patrick yelled “What is that!?!??!” It was a MAGPIE JAY (life bird)!!!!!! Its tail was VERY long and beautiful. I was definitely on the trip with the right people.

After I squealed loudly because of the actuality of seeing a magpie jay, we started walking down the sandy trail. “A corndog!!” Patrick exclaimed. There is a tree that produces pods that resemble fat corndogs (see deconstructed seed above). You learn something new everyday.

A hooded oriole peaked out of the trees in the distance and the jays and blackbirds followed us down the creek. We saw loads of interesting species of fungus and beautiful wild flowers. I flipped rocks in the creek hoping to find a salamander but came up empty handed. Towards the end of our trek we found a tree covered in silk. We’re still unsure what it is.

BOTANICAL GARDENS

The gardens closed 15 minutes after we got there so we decided not to pay the 50 pesos to get in. We failed for the 3^rd time. Maybe next time?

SUNSET ON THE BEACH

We parked in a secluded area of the beach and stumbled on the large rocks. They were jagged, sharp and slippery so we risked either falling or cutting our feet. I decided to deal with the latter. The sky and ocean was breathtaking. Now, I know people say that all the time.. but it was definitely true. We played with sea urchins, snails, crabs, and fish. At dusk we saw two SPOTTED SANDPIPERS that I was unable to identify in winter plumage until I Googled.

The night ended with mango margaritas and seviche near the beach. We danced to music by a man and his guitar.

After returning home, we decided to crack open the jaca fruit that we collected near El Nogalita even though it was 10 days from being ripe. Let’s just say it took a lot of soil and soap to remove the glue-like innards. Kudos to Chris for figuring out that you have to combine to two to remove it.

We then made chicken quesadillas and drank tequila and scotch. We watched a few YouTube videos before retiring at 3am.

The journey is done. I am rested and ready for the real world again.

Stranded on an island... (Australia)

BLAST FROM THE PAST

Based on a request, here is the masturbating kangaroo from an island on the coast near Grafton, NSW, Australia (December 2006). The photo isn't too offensive.

Forget a beach vacation... show me the mountains! (Mexico)

HIGHWAY INTO THE MOUNTAINS

Instead of taking a 3-hour Mexican bus ride to San Blas for the night, Chris and I decided to join our upstairs neighbor, Luis Tellez, on a tour. He drove us through the mountains on Mascota Highway, which extended from Vallarta to Guadelajara. The one-lane road twisted and turned through the valley passing CATTLE EGRETS gathered around the cattle and TURKEY VULTURES and a COMMON BLACK HAWK (life bird) soaring in kettles above us.

"Sarah, get back up here I need to bring back both of you!"

The drive into the mountains

TEQUILA DISTILLERY

We stopped at Parador San Sebastian, a small ranch that distilled tequila. Did you know that the Middle East was the first to use distillation? Thank you wikipedia. We walked through a small, charming adobe building that contained equipment to make tequila. We sipped mandarin tequila out of plastic cups, noted the beautiful agave plants (used for tequila), and hopped back into the jeep. A few minutes later, I saw a MEXICAN CROW (life bird)!

A “REAL” HACIENDA

Fifteen minutes later we arrived at Hacienda del Jalisco, which was a mining ranch built centuries ago. The main house was bright white with crimson trim and contained a museum of small artifacts including old documents, several interesting insects, and a boar skull. Apparently, the key feature to a “real” hacienda is the thick walls. We strolled into the courtyard where we saw two female dogs nibble the ticks off of a small male dog. The walls were lined with poinsettias and other plants that I was unable to identify correctly (I’m working on it!). The courtyard lead into an area with several deep trenches from the days when the ranch still function. BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERS and BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLERS foraged together in a small foraging flock.

Lichen!

Beautiful flower with bugs in the garden

Crazy-looking bugs

Artifacts in museum

CAFÉ DE ALTURA

This was my favorite part of the day. We entered a small shade-grown coffee plantation filled with avocado, a citrus relative, coffee, AND BIRDS. The first bird I saw was a WHITE-THOATED ROBIN (life bird), which I squealed with delight. I looked past the robin and saw a FAN-TAILED WARBLER (life bird) foraging on a dead log near the ground. The warbler wagged its tail as it hopped around looking for insects. As I turned a corner of the trail, I saw the silhouette of flycatcher… a TUFTED FLYCATCHER (life bird)!!!!! He perched boldly on a small branch, occasionally darting off to catch a snack. I couldn’t believe it…

Other birds included: B-W warbler and B-G gnatcatcher

We sampled a honey-coated coffee bean and a sugar-coated nut, tipped the owners, and continued on our journey. We would have bought coffee, but we didn’t bring enough pesos. A note of advice: if you want to experience real Mexico, BRING ENOUGH PESOS! There are no ATMs nor does anyone take credit cards and I guarantee you will find something special to purchase.

SAN SEBASTIAN

We arrived in San Sebastian proper, built in the 16^th century, shortly after and stopped for a bite to eat at Los Arrayanes. This was a charming eatery near the eastern part of town. We were the only customers and decided to sit on the terrace. Roses were centered on the white table cloth. Flowers lined the garden and two parrots squawked in their cage. San Sebastian is situated about 2000 km above sea level, and it was chilly. The waiter gave us each a navy blue, fleece blanket, which helped tremendously.

We drank agua fresca containing fresh squeezed oranges, seeds still floating at the top of the pitcher. After a delicious platter of chile rellano, enchiladas, quesadillas, tacos, and tosadas, we walked briefly around the town’s center admiring the architecture. The sun had set.

Agua Fresca

Chris and Me

Our night ended back at the flat on Guadalupe Sanchez with a refreshing can of modelo.

"That man is either going to vomit or pee on you.." Travels to El Tuito, Mexico

Chris's photo (01/02/10)

NORTHERN VALLARTA

Yesterday, we decided to take a walk to north Vallarta since we didn’t really know where to find a trail into the mountains. Our journey started in the Cinco de Deciembre neighborhood near downtown (where we are staying) and continued north on Av Francisco Medina Ascencio.It’s a major road, which was intimidating but we were able to see sights such as Blockbuster, Subway, Burger King, and of course, many resort hotels.

Because of the experience I am about to tell you about, I warn you: BRING YOUR BINOCULARS EVERYWHERE!! We approached the Pitillal River on the overpass, which is a beautiful brackish part of the river that empties into the Banderas Bay (see picture below). The banks were FILLED with birds… and The Riverman. We watched as shorebirds and herons plucked food out of the river and a short, older Mexican man blew us kisses. Just as I thought I saw a boat-billed heron, the river man approached. I ignored him but he continued to speak to Chris. He was short and lacked several teeth. His lips were enlarged and sores covered his face (mainly near his mouth). He wore a black and red backpack that contained a large box of juice. All of a sudden she exclaimed “NO, YOU GO!!” I turned around as the man scurried away. Apparently he asked her for a kiss. The Riverman ran back to the bank of the river and started throwing rocks at us as we briskly ran away.

Four and a half miles after the beginning of our walk, we approached the cruise ships dock and walmart. We decided to turn around since we had reached the epitome of American culture in Mexico. On the way back we stopped again at the river overpass then walked down a sketchy dirt road to the beach.

Chris's photo (01/02/10)

The following birds were seen:

Willet
Black-necked stilt
Long-billed curlew
Snowy egret
White ibis
Little blue heron
Green heron
Great kiskadee
American coot
Possible boat-billed heron
Turkey vulture
Inca dove
Cinnamon hummingbird
Green kingfisher

Swallow – The size of a cliff swallow but with a slightly forked tail (not barn swallow). Very dark-looking maybe a black-capped swallow??

Gull – black spot behind eye and black legs. Only a quick look.. any thoughts?

Sanderling
Magnificent frigatebird
Greater yellowlegs
House sparrow
Heerman’s gull

Chris's photo (01/02/10)

We returned to the flat via the beach on an uneventful journey (see picture below)… mostly condos and tourists.We did watch as many men attempted to fish from shore.

SALSA DANCING

Later that night, our host and friend, Patrick, returned to his flat from the States and we all decided to go to a Cuban dance club, La Bodeguita del Medio. After a few mojitos, we hopped on the dance floor. I danced with a very good dancer named Miele (spelling?), who taught me a few Salsa steps. Although I am still awful at Latin dancing, I learned a thing or two and would love to actually learn when I get back to the States.

EL TUITO

Today Chris and I dragged ourselves out of bed to travel to El Tuito. We walked about an hour to the south bus station south of the Isla Rio Cuale, then road the bus labeled “Botanical Gardens” an hour and a half to El Tuito. The bus was quite packed and an old gentleman with a bottle of tequila sat behind me. After a few stops the man was clearly intoxicated and stood up at the “Botanical Gardens” stop, spoke a few incoherent Spanish words, drooled down the front of his shirt, before sitting back in his seat. Chris urged me to move for fear of being vomited or peed on. We moved to the seats adjacent then to the back of the bus. He was carried off by a few passengers at his stop to his ranch, “Puerto las Canadas,” greeted by his dog, and waved cheerfully to the bus.

Upon arriving to El Tuito we were incredibly confused about the ride back. Note: if you ever go to El Tuito, the busses pass through every 20 minutes and pick up near the hospital (??). Chris and I then enjoyed a delicious meal of quesadillas de pollo, beef nachos and Mexican pepsi. Boy, there isn’t anything I love more in Mexico (besides birds) than coca-cola or pepsi from a glass bottle. YUM. We strolled the cobble stone streets of El Tuito trying to avoid the hot sun. The town was built in the 16^th century and the church near the northeast part of town was amazing.The buildings were also quite charming, which matched their occupants. I found 2 new life birds:

*Yellow-winged cacique in a rose garden

*Giant cowbirds in a huge flock near the escuela.

The people rode horses and played in the river. Donkeys were tethered to posts while roosters harassed each other in overgrown fields. The town was surrounded by gorgeous mountains – green with trees and shrubs. Gorgeous.

We decided to end our trip by going to the Botanical Gardens, which was about 15 miles away from the town. However, neither Chris nor I wore a watch and didn’t realize how late we roamed around in the town. Prior to this realization, we couldn’t find the bus stop. A few local young men offered us a ride but we awkwardly declined. Many different people attempted to describe the location of the stop, but most spoke little English. Finally, we stopped near a supermarket and a dirt pile and waited…. And waited. I was entertained by a flock of 50 parakeets (yellow eye ring and red above the bill. It was overall green with a pointed tail, but had a little white in the wings). I’m still unsure what these birds were, so any help would be much appreciated!!

MALACON AND SKULL

Finally the bus came and we returned to Vallarta. We walked north from the bus stop on the Malacon (boardwalk) and watched street performers such as talking mimes and men swinging from a 40 meter high post playing music.

Coatimunde skull that Patrick found on the beach.

Post script: The sunset picture was from last night (see above). It was the most amazing sunset I have ever seen (besides at Itasca Biological Station)...