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Published: January 22nd 2008
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Katelyn, Katie and me
Katelyn is from Canada and has another semester to go before she graduates with a Bachelor's degree. Katie, my roommate, is a wildlife technician from Idaho who works mostly with bats. Week 1 I didn't realize that I would be back in the lush jungles of Panama so soon after my last visit. But here I am, a field assistant at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute working with my favorite frog-eating bat.
It is the dry season (Jan-May) and I've noticed that there are a lot more animals about. Just in my first week, I saw a family of coatis (raccoon-like animals), myriad birds and an two anteaters! Incidentally, I spent my first three-month field season in Panama searching for this elusive anteater so I could take a photo--so two anteaters in a day was a significant accomplishment. I even managed to break our bedroom window in pursuit of the red-legged honey creeper photo (see photos)! I was so thrilled that the bird was close enough for a clear shot that I pushed the window out too far out the window and had to call for help to put it back (yikes..)
We have started work, that is, netting along jungle streams for Trachops cirrhosus, the tropical frog-eating bat. We managed to catch one on the first night and since he
Northern tamandua or Vested anteater (Tamandua mexicana)
I spent so many afternoons and evening searching for one of these funny fellows in the forest. I was so surprised to find one (and then another the same day) on my third day in Panama! (Photo Location: Barro Colorado Island) is the first bat of this research season, we've named him El Primero. He is a strange fellow, sometimes becoming extremely frightened of me and other times completely ignoring my presence. I have of course switched over to my nocturnal schedule, sleeping at around 2am and waking up by about 11am. The first few nights are always uncomfortable during this unnatural manipulation of the biological clock, but as work picks up, it is easy to fall into the swing.
The two field assistants that I work with are Katie, a bat researcher from Idaho and Katelyn, an undergrad from Toronto, Canada. We all met for the first time at the aiport and thankfully managed to recognize eachother from the photos we had each shared. I have been showing them around Gamboa and we even took a day-trip to Barro Colorado Island where we hiked to Big Tree (the largest ceiba tree on the island).
My mornings are wonderful: I wake up with the sun already high in the sky and a terrific wind which blows in gusts through my windows. Then I make my cup of chai and listen to the morning
Red-legged honey creeper (Cyanerpes cyaneus carneipes)
This brilliant little bird hangs out with his harem right outside my bedroom window. He loves the flowers on this avocado tree. birds chirruping and twittering in the avocado tree outside. My roommate Katie and I then often fall into a heavy discussion about American politics or the social behavior of bats before getting on with our day.
I save about 20 minutes in the mornings to meditate. I have been trying to deal with some matters of the heart for a few weeks now and it seems like there is nothing better than a warm breeze and the tropical sun to put you right again!
The fruits here are especially large and fresh and I have been devouring them with the utmost pleasure. I bought four peaches and two plums for less than a dollar at a small fruit market close to town. They were so juicy that I had to eat them over the sink to save my chin and tee-shirt from a syrup-shower! Seafood here is especially fantastic because Panama gets catches from the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. I haven't managed to go to the fish market yet.
Week 2 We have three bats this week, El Primero (who will be set free tomorrow),
Window fiasco
I was too excited to take pictures of the red-legged honey creeper outside my window. While trying to edge my camera out of the mesh I accidentally unhinged the window and the whole frame and mesh went tumbling down to the ground! Here, Katie and Stevan helped me re-attach it. It took almost an hour to fix. I have been banned from taking photos from the window! Sashimi and Gandalf. All are reproductive males and exude a very rich musty smell which attracts females. We have had no problems with them at all, each one with his individual quirks keeps us entertained throughout the late nights. There is also much less trouble with our electronic equipment because the humidity levels are lower than they were in the wet season.
Katie, Katelyn and I took one day off from work to go into town for a jazz festival. It was strange to hear jazz in the middle of Panama and the crowd was somewhat mismatched too! There were lots of locals who seemed to be really enjoying themselves. Alcohol flowed freely, cigarette smoke clouded and whisped above our heads as saxophones, drums and a piano carried some complex melody or the other in the background. Panamanians seem to love these huge social gatherings! The backdrop for this jazz fest was an old town square in Casco Viejo, which had burned down in the early 1900s. I was overwhelmed by the incongruous sights and sounds and enjoyed myself thoroughly.
A few days ago, Katie and I were woken up by a strange sound
AcroBATics at Big Tree
I was trying to immitate my furry research specimens at Big Tree. Behind me is the just one of the roots of this ancient tree. It is almost impossible to fathom the size of this tree whose crown is somewhere in the clouds! (Photo location: Barro Colorado Island) which went something like this: THUMP! flutter flutter flutter...THUMP! flutter flutter.. over and over again. We woke up to find a collared aracari ( a cousin of the toucan) all puffed up and angry about something. Apparently, he was looking at his reflection in our window, thinking it was another male and trying to fight him! The thumping came every time his over-sized bill hit our window and the fluttering which followed was him trying to regain his balance. Katie and I couldn't help laughing at the poor bird who was so agitated with his own reflection.
I have been enjoying the beautiful weather which has become cool and breezy with plenty of sunshine. I hope you are all well and I do hope to hear from you soon. I will write in another two weeks.
Love,
Alisha
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Kevin & Geeta
non-member comment
Cool blog!
Hey Ali! Hi from Kevin and Geeta. Your blog is cool. Glad you are having a good time. Wierd question: Are bats edible? :-)