Children and birds – a happy combination in Jamaica’s Hope Botanical Gardens

Petchary's Blog

One small girl found the binoculars weighed her down too much, so her father took them over.

Another girl (pre-teen age) was convinced that there were woodpeckers in the clump of bamboo; in fact, bamboo often makes all kinds of knocking and rattling noises when the wind blows. But we did see a real endemic Jamaican Woodpecker, with his blazing red head, a little later.

Several Common Moorhens tripped as fast as they could along the pond side to avoid the children’s cries – but were duly admired, anyway.

Two boys, guided by their father (a brilliant BirdLife photographer), were busy counting Greater Antillean Grackles, who were making their usual racket in a bush.

BirdLife Jamaica’s concept of staging a children’s birding session in Kingston’s beloved Hope Gardens was an absolute winner, straight out of the starting block (since it was the first attempt, or perhaps we could call it…

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Avian Flu Diary: CDC Update: Rapid Assessment Of COVID Outbreak At 2023 EIS Conference (Me: Healthcare workers no so smart about masking up at large event…Duh)

Among 1,443 survey respondents (over 80% of the in-person attendees):

  • 181 (13%) respondents reported testing positive for SARS-CoV-2
  • Of those who reported testing positive, 52% reported no known prior COVID-19 infection
  • 1,435 (99.4%) of respondents reported at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose
  • 49 (27%) of the respondents who tested positive received antiviral medications
  • 70% of respondents reported not wearing a mask; the event coincided with a period of low COVID-19 Community Levels, where masking is not recommended in CDC guidance
  • None were hospitalized

Source: Avian Flu Diary: CDC Update: Rapid Assessment Of COVID Outbreak At 2023 EIS Conference