On 1/12/23 I traveled to Puerto Rico to visit a friend. It was tricky trying to find the balance between my nonbirder friends and 18 endemic species on an island I’ve never been to before. The week prior to my departure I returned to the camera store to purchase a smaller lens; Canon 18-135. This was my first time using it.

Over the weekend I saw 20 life birds, 10 of which were endemic to Puerto Rico. I spent two days hiking and birding at El Yunque, the only tropical rainforest part of our national forest system. One morning I traveled to Las Cabezas De San Juan National Park, which was a wonderful place filled with easily walked trails that were never more than a few feet from the ocean. I took 811 photos in 3 days. Here are a few.

On my first day hiking though the forest I found 3 PR Tody’s. Then on my last day, I returned for a final glance at one as they are as cute a can be. After 3 hours I was out of time and a bit disappointed that I would be leaving the island without my last look. As I walked up to my car, I was surprised to find that I had flushed a Tody sitting on the passenger sideview mirror. I hung around a bit and watched it fly back and forth between the mirror and a snag on the nearby tree. It took me a minute to realize that he had seen his reflection and was defending his territory. I named him…Jodi’s Tody.