Guatemala

Pacaya Volcano, with its hot lava flows and vast fields of  fantastically curled sharp basalt, is a wonder, and the views of other volcanoes nearby nearly as good. This one, I believe, is called Fuego, suitably enough, and it spat smoke and steam every few minutes while we watched it from the slopes of Pacaya.
The [...]

We were able to spend two generous half-days in the mangroves around Monterrico, where far and away the most impressive sight was provided by flocks of up to 150 Ruddy-breasted Seedeaters in the grassy vegetation along the open channels. And it was here, too, that we came across the most disturbing sight of our week: [...]

After the Roundtable, we broke up into smaller groups and scattered to the Guatemalan winds. My genial gang–three Americans and three Nicaraguans–headed for the Pacific Coast, where birds were not as abundant as in the Peten, but decidedly different. I was still sick the night we arrived in Monterrico, and slept steadfastly through the early-morning [...]

Tikal really is one of a kind, and it was hard to spend only half a day there this time–particularly since I’d succumbed to a minor ailment and wasn’t able to appreciate everything as much as I might have done in the full blossom of valetude.
But even for the puny, Tikal’s birds are something else. [...]

‘Twould be the crassest sort of namedropping to list everyone in attendance at this year’s Roundtable, but it was wonderful to see so many old friends and to meet so many new, including more than a few names I’d long admired.
WINGS was well and ably represented: of the 6 afternoon lectures, we gave 3. Bryan [...]