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Shade-grown coffee birds



Hi birders. With all the recent talk about birds and shade-grown
coffee...and particularly with Josh's mention of San Ramon, Nicaragua
and its connections to Durham, NC via the Finca Esperanza shade-grown
coffee plantation...thought some folks might be interested in the birds
that have been found in that part of Nicaragua. The Finca Esperanza is
an eco-tourist coffee plantation that has been set up by a group out of
Durham as a way to help the locals in San Ramon improve their economic
situation while promoting sustainable agriculture and protection of
natural resources. I have taken 2 excursions to the Finca, last year
leading a group of 7 Audubon birders in late February. It is exciting
and educational to live within a shade-grown coffee plantation and see
first-hand how it operates and accomodates many species of animals. We
identified over 160 species of birds including Toucans, Motmots,
Parrots, Bellbird, Manakins, 7 species of Humminbirds...along with 25+
neo-tropical migrants. Orioles, grosbeaks and many of our warblers
drinking nectar from the blossoms of Erythrina trees.We also saw many
mammals and herptiles. I mention this because Dave Davenport, an expert
Naturalist with extensive international experience, and I are leading
another birdwatching trip to San Ramon this spring...April 4-13. These
are low cost trips (~$2000) with the bulk of the money staying with the
locals as they try to build an Ecotourist business. We still have a few
spaces so if you are interested let me know. I can e-mail you our bird
list. To find out more about the Finca Esperanza project...visit their
website@ <http://www.durham-sanramon.org>. Thanks, John Connors @ NC
Museum of Natural Sciences.