Exploring the World
Determined to pack as many trips as possible into the time left for birding travel, we upped the ante this year.
Early in 2012, we traveled to Cuba (PDF file) with
National Audubon (who also provided a report), and our friends the Cloudmans, then did serious birding in Borneo and the Malay Peninsula. (More PDFs.)
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Cuban Tody
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Jim And Linda in front of Huge Tree in Borneo
We ended 2012 in the air, on our way to Jakarta, a trip that didn't turn out as planned.
Regardless of the result of that last trip, we started 2013 earlier than you did, thanks to the International Date Line. The short December 31 gives us an excuse to include that trip in our 2012 exploits.
In Cuba, we met with several local environmentalists, a requirement of the visa we had. Trips to Cuba are only available when a significant amount of time is devoted to person-to-person contact. That doesn't apply to other countries, such as the UK. There are two nonstops a week from England direct to the resorts on the Cayes. We stayed for several days at just such a resort, which caters to Europeans. It was the only place we stayed that needed electrical converters. We had some nice looks at several Cuban endemics. Everyone's favorite was the spectacular Cuban Tody, one of five members of that family in the world. All are found in the Caribbean.
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Proboscis Monkey
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Amazing Mantis in Borneo
Our friends, the super-birder Englemans, suggested we join them on a trip to Borneo combined with another week on the Malay Peninsula. We seldom pass up an opportunity to go birding with them, and this was no exception. It was our first trip with BirdQuest, a UK operation that bills itself as The Ultimate in Birding Tours, and we weren't sure exactly what to expect. We found out. It meant getting up early and hiking a lot. Linda discovered that hiking poles are a good thing to have around, and put a pair on her Amazon wish list as soon as she got a chance.
The trip was grueling at times, but helped us push our Asian total above our African one. Hmmm. Time to go back to Africa. We had many great views of birds, mammals—such as the Proboscis Monkey at left—and reptiles.
Borneo also proved to be a great place to photograph bugs. One looked exactly like a dead leaf, but Dodge Engleman pointed out its triangular head, making it some kind of mantis. Several more interesting bugs are in our Bug Photos spread.
Life on the Left Coast
It's been a year since we left Texas for California, and we are almost used to our new environs. We have mostly mastered the freeway system and BART. The latter is critical when going to Berkeley where parking is virtually nonexistend, and almost as important for San Francisco.
The garden is taking shape nicely, thanks to Linda's indefatigable efforts and those of the landscaping crew. The birds have found our feeder. Our neighbors are all nice, and despite the “Caution Children Playing” sign at the entrance to our little enclave, most are our age. We have numerous excellent parks and coastlines to explore.
We have found several birding groups, including three different local Audubon Societies (Golden Gate, Ohlone, and Mount Diablo) and an informal Tuesday for the Birds bunch. Jim has found some new bridge partners, though his association with Bob Arnett is still the best source of master points. He managed a small milestone at the North American Bridge Championships in San Francisco when he achieved Bronze Life Master level by accumulating more than 500 points. Most of the people he plays with have more than that.
Linda joined a Book Club. Jim plays tennis with a bunch of old guys (60+ years old) while Linda goes to Yoga classes and rides the stationary bike for exercise.
On to 2013
Best wishes for 2013.
Stay in touch. You can always reach us using the contact form on this website. You can also find Jim, and now Linda, on Facebook.
Afterthought
It turns out that we used one of the quatrains from the Rubiyat twice in these Annual Reports (2007 and 2011):
Ah, Love! could you and I with Fate conspire
To grasp this sorry Scheme of Things entire,
Would not we shatter it to bits—and then
Re-mould it nearer to the Heart's Desire!
The next two quatrains end the poem, and are worth quoting somewhere
Yon rising Moon that looks for us again—
How oft hereafter will she wax and wane
How oft hereafter rising look for us
Through this same Garden—and for one in vain!
And when like her, oh, Saki, you shall pass
Among the Guests Star-scatter'd on the Grass,
And in your joyous errand reach the spot
Where I made One—turn down an empty Glass!
