Good morning COG/Canberra Birds members and chat line subscribers, a reminder that the monthly COG/Canberra Birds meeting will be held tomorrow evening Wednesday 10 April at
our usual Canberra Girls Grammar School venue from 7:30 pm. Details are below.
Everyone is welcome so please come along and learn how (or be reminded how) to identify the local thornbills, and them to listen about the natural history wonders of Costa
Rica.
There will be the usual raffle and you will also be able to enjoy a cup of tea or coffee after the meeting.
Jack Holland
The April 2024 meeting will be a normal face-to-face one held at our usual venue. As COVID is still widespread in the community attendees should heed social distancing and good hygiene practice etc, and use
their common sense and stay home if they have COVID symptoms. Mask wearing is recommended.
Anthony Overs –
Thornbills as the Birds of the Month
Ian Fraser -
Costa Rica; where the Americas meet.
Please note that construction is currently occurring around the Gabriel Drive parking area, and access to there is expected not to be available. If the gate is locked, please use the Chapel Drive entrance
and park there. To get to the Multi-media Centre from there, please proceed keeping the Chapel and the next two buildings to your left until you reach a gap between the buildings, go through this and you will see the Gabriel Drive parking area in front of
you (see the map on COG’s web site at
https://canberrabirds.org.au/publications/other-resources/cog-monthly-meeting-location/ ).
Though it is reasonably well lit, as it will be dark a torch for finding your way to the Multi-media Centre and back to your car after the meeting is recommended.
The first presentation will be by
Anthony Overs on “Birds of the Month – Thornbills”.
Are you having difficulty identifying some of our smaller birds? There have been requests for the local thornbills to be featured in a short presentation. In an attempt to debunk the somewhat undeserved
reputation of being difficult to identify, Anthony Overs will guide us through some of the key features of the thornbills found in our area.
The main presentation will be by
Ian Fraser on “Costa Rica; where the Americas meet.”
Costa Rica must be one of the most nature-rich and nature-friendly countries in the world. Only 75% of the size of Tasmania, it has 900 bird species,
and it appreciates and values its natural resources more than almost anywhere else. More than 25% of the country is managed as public nature reserve, and more is protected by private reserves. Since 2005 there has been zero net forest destruction. Moreover,
the infrastructure is excellent – 70 years of continuous peace since they abolished their army has enabled strong expenditure on roads and communications, as well as health and education. Nature-based tourism is a major industry, and it is done well.
Situated at the southern tip of North America, Costa Rica has a rich blend of fauna and flora from both North and South America. This talk will discuss
how this came about, looks at the major habitats and examines what makes Central America so special. The emphasis will of course be on birds, the Neotropical special families and especially the endemic species. There will also be a brief look at other vertebrate
groups that a visitor can expect to enjoy.
Ian Fraser is a long-term COG member who for years presented AvIan Whimsies, a monthly column for Gang Gang; his passion is sharing what he’s learnt
of the natural world. Since 2007 he has accompanied natural history groups to the Americas, from Tierra del Fuego to Costa Rica. It would have been more than 16 trips, but COVID… He dearly loves the Neotropics but has promised to try
really hard to keep to his time limit!
