Birdwatching at Laguna de Apoyo II

The following photos by Romain de Jaeger show just how wonderful birdwatching and wildlife photography can be in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. Here are photos of some of the more common birds seen by birders in the area. Of Nicaraguan birdwatching locations, Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve is among the more accessible and productive. Nature photography at its finest!

The Northern Oriole (Icterus galbula) is also known as the Baltimore Oriole; the adult male (shown above) is nothing short of spectacular, with a bright orange contrasting with black and white. Males, females and juveniles can be seen in flocks of up to twenty-five conspecifics, between September and early April, when they are winter residents of the tropical dry forest of western Nicaragua. They indulge in sweet fruits and nectar of flowers. A flowering macuelizo (Tabebuia rosea), for instance, almost guarantees numerous orioles nearby; in fact, there may be an important association between the two, as the winter range of the bird is very close to the native range of the tree. All members of this species in Nicaragua migrate northward in April and May to nest.

In contrast to the Northern Oriole, Blue Grosbeaks (Passerina caerulea) are present year-round. A pair nested very close to Estacion Biologica this year. During the dry season, they visit our water tower, to drink from water which spills from it when it is filled. In addition, we likely receive migratory birds, which are known to winter as far south as Costa Rica. Is the pictured bird resident or migratory? Who knows!

The Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) winters in great numbers in Nicaragua, along with other swallows. Their center of abundance is in the cattle farms of Rivas, but many can be seen in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, too, especially from the edge of the crater, in Catarina. This bird tends to congregate in open areas with few trees, but it will fly in flocks over forest canopy as well. The Barn Swallow is the most widespread of the swallows, with populations on all human-populated continents.

The Green Heron (Butorides virescens) is a common resident in Nicaragua and a few are found on Lake Apoyo. This species was recently split from another, also recently documented in Nicaragua but much less common (Butorides striatus). Migratory Green Herons may also be found in our area, although no specific information regarding the populations in our area exists.

The most common passerine bird in Nicaragua is the Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus). This noisy, boisterous bird can be found in almost any urban area or human-altered environment, or along rivers and lake shores. Although common, they are majestic, as is seen in the photo of this male. Nonetheless, they are not forest birds. We do not find them in our monitoring activities in deep forest.

Rarely seen but often heard in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve is the Lesser Ground-Cuckoo (Morococcyx erythropygus). This resident bird utilizes tall grass in open areas and secondary growth, rarely reaching even two meters above the ground. It produces a shrill, monotone whistle, reminiscent of a police whistle. Locals call it the clock bird (pajaro reloj), and suggest it may call on hourly intervals. The blue, featherless sere around the eye gives the bird a unique appearance.

Another very common Nicaraguan bird is the Great Kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus), also a member of perhaps the most common of all families, the tyrant flycatchers, Tyrannidae. Almost all the tyrant flycatchers are expert predators of insects on the wing, and they have bristles along the gape of their mouths to help guide prey toward their mouths. This species is active and loud throughout the day, allowing ample opportunities for viewing among neophyte birders. It is a year-round resident.

The Long-tailed Manakin (Chiroxiphia linearis) is, perhaps, the prettiest of all birds in the tropical dry forest habitat of Lake Apoyo Nature Reserve. At least regarding the adult males, which are nothing short of specatular. This female, however, is far more subtle, with a drab green background. The bright orange legs of male, female and immature alike, however, facilitate species identification in dark areas under canopy, where they stay. They tend to pluck small fruits in flight, and eat them after perching again. This resident bird is the most common of the birds we encountered by mist netting, although we see far fewer when birdwatching. 

Would you like to go birdwatching with us? Estacion Biologica can arrange a bird conservation professional to take you on a birdwatching excursion. Please contact us to make a reservation. 

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The little Apoyo cichlid, Amphilophus astorquii

The most common cichlid fish in Lake Apoyo is the little Apoyo cichlid, Amphilophus astorquii. It was officially discovered as the culmination of years of study in Estacion Biologica, in a publication in 2008. About three-quarters of the cichlid fishes seen in Lake Apoyo are this species. They breed from December through February, as is shown in the photograph below.

When breeding, thin, light bars appear over a bluish-black background. The dark coloration emerges from dark dorsolateral spots which remain when the fish is not breeding. The males are always noticeably large than the females in any given breeding pair. The breeding pairs form over a hole and utilize a hard surface such as a rock to attach eggs, which are cared as they hatch to form wigglers which later detach to swim freely. The parental units stay actively care for the fry until they are free-swimming approximately forty days. If parental protection is lost, the fry will be eaten by predators within minutes. 

An important component of the diet of the little Apoyo cichlid is snails (Pyrgophorus coronatus). During 2011, two volunteers collected data on the snails of the lake, in an effort to understand better the food webs which must be protected for these fish. These volunteers studied Spanish while working with our staff to collect field data. SCUBA divers collected samples of snails in different habitats and then analyzed them.  

Males often develop nuchal humps as the one in this photo, as a secondary sex characteristic. This fish is in nonbreeding coloration, showing a light, neutral background color, and dark dorsolateral spots. Vestigial dark vertical bars can be seen faintly above and below the spots. When the fish begins its transformation to breeding coloration, these bars will darken and thicken, including the head, leaving the light coloring on the fish limited to thin regions between the bars.

The little Apoyo cichlid is only found in Lake Apoyo, as is confirmed by a recent phylogenetic study conducted by Matthias Geiger, Jeffrey McCrary and Uli Schliewen, in coordination with Estacion Biologica. They are easy to observe, and our monitoring project gives us lots of opportunities to watch them year-round. Other members of the Midas cichlid species complex in Laguna de Apoyo are: Amphilophus chancho, Amphilophus flaveolus, Amphilophus globosus, Amphilophus supercilius, Amphilophus zaliosus. In addition, the jaguar cichlid, Parachromis managuensis is found in the lake; the molly, Poecilia sphenops; and the silversides, Atherinella sardina. Recent introductions of Gobiomorus dormitor and the Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, can be found as well.

You are welcome to join us in a SCUBA dive to see these fish in their natural environment.

All of the above pictures were taken by Ad Konings, and copyrights are preserved. Ad is a great colleague and friend, and we are grateful that he has taken interest in the cichlid fishes of Nicaragua. Please do not use these photographs without permission.

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Salvin´s Spiny Pocket Mouse II

Among the biodiversity in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, Nicaragua, are some little creatures that are often overlooked. Under cover of darkness, while others sleep, the forest floor becomes the scene of activity of rodents and other creatures. The most common of the small rodents in the tropical dry forest ecosystem of our reserve is Salvin´s Spiny Pocket Mouse (Liomys salvini). We have been monitoring rodent populations on the forest floor for a few years, and the most common rodent in most areas we have surveyed is this one.

The Salvin's Spiny Pocket Mouse lives in tiny burrows, often under rocks. There are several subspecies which vary slightly in size and coloration. Like all Liomys mice, its belly is white, and its characteristic pouches in the jaws facilitate food gathering for later consumption. When we capture them, they often drop small seeds such as of grasses from their jaws. They may be important vectors in seed dispersal for some plants, thus acting directly on the biodiversity of their habitat.

The variety found in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve , subspecies vulcani, shows a distinct reddish margin on the brown upper parts.

Volunteers on our monitoring project use Sherman traps to capture the animals, measure and note their condition, and then release them where they were found, without harm. Most of the mice we capture in our studies are Liomys salvini. 

The mice are most easily handled inside a ziplock bag with a few holes to permit access to air. The mouse gives a few minutes of his time to our volunteers, then they go back to the forest floor.

The hindfoot of this mouse is poking through a hole in the plastic bag, facilitating hindfoot measurement and analysis of the callouses. The callous arrangement is unique to each species.

We recently learned that this species is quite sensitive to pesticide use, as a neighbor sprayed some pesticide and the blowover reached two nests of this species, which promptly abandoned the location!

Nature and wildlife lovers take note. We need more assistance in gathering information about the rodents and other fauna of Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. If you would like to help, whether as a scientist, student or volunteer, please let us know.

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Estacion Biologica - the people

We have an incredible staff at Estacion Biologica. Here they are in photos. We hope to see you at Laguna de Apoyo soon!

Aura works in almost everything we do. She cooks and cleans (well, we all do, but she maintains a regular and heavy responsibility); she teaches Spanish in Laguna de Apoyo Spanish School; and she contributes to our studies of birds, moths and butterflies. Even the squirrels like her! Photo by Lukas Betthausen.

Juana is our cook and resident abuela to all of us. She is an institution in Laguna de Apoyo. If you study Spanish, do volunteer work, or just visit our hostel, she will be here to help you. Photo by Lukas Betthausen.

Simba is the real boss, and if you don´t think so, just ask him. Photo by Lukas Betthausen.

Pablo is our administrator, with much organizational work, but that does not keep him out of the forest. Here he is attending our moth monitoring project in the forest. Photo by Lukas Betthausen.

Elmer knows his plants, and so much more. He takes care of whatever is needed, any time, and he assists in monitoring of fauna as well. Photo by Lukas Betthausen.

Lorenzo shows us his skills at charming the Blue-crowned Motmot. Photo by Lukas Betthausen.

Simba is always happy. Photo by Lukas Betthausen. 

Next time we will include pictures of the other dogs. Simba tends to steal the show. From all the staff at Estacion Biologica, we welcome your visit, overnight stay, or participation in any of our activities-scuba diving, birdwatching, volunteering, or Spanish classes at Apoyo Spanish School. 

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Lake Apoyo Underwater Cleanup

Our Third Lake Apoyo Underwater Cleanup was a success! We have conducted this activity three years consecutively, and with each activity, there are new people participating. Estacion Biologica, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, Office of the Mayor of Catarina, and Apoyo Dive Center worked together to bring twenty divers with support crew above-water to take the trash out of the lake. The SCUBA divers volunteered their time and energy to remove lots of trash from Laguna de Apoyo. Here are some photos of the activity.

Local community members gather during the morning of October 15, with rangers, to help clean the lake.

Tim Roberts from Apoyo Dive Center poses with the SCUBA diving crew from Planta Margarita in Corinto, who offered their free weekend to help clean Lake Apoyo.

Not only SCUBA divers participated: Community children who live in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve helped clean up trash along the areas near the shore.

Members of Special Forces of the Nicaraguan Navy prepare to begin their dive for the Lake Apoyo Underwater Cleanup. Photo by Jeffrey McCrary.

Several local community members in Laguna de Apoyo have mastered the art of snorkeling, and they helped collect trash in the water, as well!

Beatriz Valverde from MARENA looks on as local children volunteer to keep Laguna de Apoyo free of trash.

We were all happy with our efforts, and 62 large sacks of trash were removed by our dive crew. Almost all our effort was placed on the areas directly in front the bars at Los Ranchos, where the clients and proprietors allow lots of garbage to enter the lake. We removed many large plastic soft drink bottles and rum bottles, and we left more behind in the lake than what we removed. But most important was the solidarity we noted. People of all kinds participated, some SCUBA diving, others snorkeling, many more picking up trash along the shore. We thank them all!

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Mario Montenegro visits the children of Laguna de Apoyo Part II

Music and stories make the best vehicles for learning. Mario Montenegro sings children-style Nicaraguan music and tells stories to the children at Escuela Luis Alfonso Velasquez in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. He knows how to make children happy through music and story, and he gets them to participate in it all with him.
Estacion Biologica FUNDECI/GAIA works with our local school on projects of various kinds, including volunteer instructional assistance to the children, educational materials donations, and infrastructure improvement to the school facility. If you would like to participate with us in improving the education of the children of Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, you can help with a donation or an internship. We are looking for volunteers to work with the school with at least a six month commitment. This could be your best way to learn and contribute to the people of Nicaragua. Please contact us for more information.

We agree with Mario: all children deserve a happy and loving childhood, full of songs and stories, fantasies and play. Each year we raise funds to improve the school infrastructure and books, and give special courses and events to the children who attend the school. If you would like to help to improve the education of the children of Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, we would like to work with you.

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