Hi
How are you holding up? Getting bored yet? How long shall this be going on? Seems there will still be some time, so I have collected a bit of online entertainment for you.
My Facebook Live message the other week did not turn out as I wanted, but I made this short 4 minutes video greeting to everyone anyway. Check it out if you didn't see it. Warning: You'll hear me sing! (Actually, I think you will like it!)
Facebook Groups
There is certainly more time for virtual birding. That is to hang out and socialize on Facebook and other platforms. I was an early adopter of Facebook and I say with some pride that I created several Facebook groups that are very popular today. A few other groups I created are newer, and could use few more members.
I have been quite strict on the rules in each groups, to maintain a good quality for the members. There are a lot of users who will share the same post from their pages or profiles to 10, 20 or even 30 groups. Then it gets boring. In my groups we aim for original posts. It becomes more fun, and it stimulates conversations, and makes the groups different from the other groups.
Which ones are you a member of? Any favorites?
This is a good time to add yourself to a few new groups. Have a look!
- Bird Identification Basics North America - a group for beginners to get help from more experienced birders. 5700 member. I have long promoted the idea that there is a birdwatcher in all of us! Please, become members if you live in North America to help out the newbies in a way that does not make them feel intimidated.
- 363 Hummingbirds - hummingbird group with focus on the Neotropics. 5500 members. Definitely my favorite group of birds.
Perhaps I need to remark.
*Kolibri* in Kolibri Expeditions means hummingbird (with different spelling) in most languages except English and stems from a now extinct Caribean language.
- Pelagics. Seabirds worldwide. As the name implies.
Some wonderful footage here of the most amazing group of birds. 5900 members. Operators often post their pelagic schedule here.
- World Birding Tours. This is one of the few groups on Facebook where bird tour operators are allowed to do plugs, as long as they do it with style. That is: sharing some great photos, tell us stories and provide a link. Shares from pages and profiles are not allowed, but photos must be uploaded directly. 2300 members, but
growing.
- Neotropical Bird Photography - upload photos and videos directly of great neotropical birds to this group. 1500 members.
- Whalewatching - exactly that. 1500 members
- Birding Peru - English language only. 600 members
- Aves de Peru - Only Spanish language. 6400 members
- Kolibri Expeditions Friends. 400 members. A meeting place for people who have been on our trips. Post your photos from Kolibri Expeditions-7 Wonders Birding trips here.
- Bucket List Birding The idea is to have a group where people share there bucket list experiences and their bucket list dreams when it comes to birds, mammals and magical places everyone should visit. It is not so much about getting the longest lists, but the most amazing experiences of nature and culture combined. This is
group that has the potential to grow when people start sharing their experiences. It is based on the concept created for 7 Wonders Birding Tours, but I believe this is a concept that attracts a lot of people and I invite everyone to become members to share and inspire all of us.
- World birders against climate change. How can we as world birders mitigate our carbon footprint when we travel. It is not only about carbon offset paying a feem but the rather a mindful approach to the whole picture.
- Finally a new group, with over 3000 members, which is not mine, but one that I have followed a great deal recently #BirdTheFeckAtHome. There are lots of fun concersations about local birding and games that inspire conversations.
This coming Sunday the group of birders are doing a Big Day where you are confined to bird from your home. You are not allowed to go to a nearby park, but you have to bird from home. On the last Big Day they did they managed to get almost 1000 species, but not quite break that. This time with many more members 1000 should be easy. Join!
What I am watching right now
Here are some online entertaiment I have enjoyed the past couple of weeks together with my wife. It is not your usual Hollywood US dominated entertainment, but a window into the rest of the world - all are subtitled in English and in Spanish.
Check them out. You shall not be disappointed.
Series:
Sorjonen – Borderland. Finnish Nordic Noir Crime. Two seasons. I have written about it earlier on this blog.
Fallet (The Case) – A Swedish Nordic Noir spoof. I have a hard time for spoofs, but this is very smart.
Kalifat – Califate – Very intense Swedish series of second generation teenagers being recruited by ISIS to do a terror attaque in Stockholm.
Movies.
Mi Obra Maestra. Argentina. The agent of a misunderstood contemporary artist pull off a great stunt to make some money. A Comedy.
Flu – a good Korean movie about a virus outbreak. Perhaps a bit morbid to watch movies like this right not, but in the light of things one realizes that things could have been worse. On Amazon Prime.
The Cell – Fundmentalist terror attack in Egypt and a revenge. This action movie does not have to envy Hollywood.
The Insult. From Lebanon. Tension between a Christian Lebanese and a Palastine refugee. Excellent and awarded movie in many film festivals.
I will be back next week with plans for the tours this fall, and next year. Hope there are some breakthroughs soon.
Stay Safe!
Gunnar
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Owner/Guide
Kolibri Expeditions
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P.S. I don't know about you, but it seems to me that priorities have shifted during this lockdown - see this graph!
My running curve follows that of toilet paper, but reaching rock bottom, and my birding curve follows that of shaving. I have gained 2 kilos - and it is not from that beard.
There are 10 more days of lockdown here in Peru. I am going to finish those last 10 days with style while trying to create some better habits. Check out the plan how to create good habits on this blogpost I just finished. Have a great weekend, wherever you are. |
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