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"You know, most birders use apps these days," said Nohelia. She'd been a guide for enough birders to have picked up their habits. Cordelia Cupp was more like the other birders than she was different--all of the people who would spend days in the jungle in pursuit of one bird had the same single-minded determination, which Nohelia both admired and feared.
"I know," Cordelia said.
That was all she said. Nohelia leaned back against her own pack and waited. She wanted to know more, Cordelia knew she knew, and the detective would get around to it in her own time. In the stillness, a scaled fruiteater perched on the edge of the platform, tilted its yellow-and-black head, and flew off again.
"People are wrong about things all the time," Cordelia said. "I mostly ignore it. But online, people are wrong about birds all the time. I would spend all my time correcting them. I know who I am. So I just don't look." She paused to slowly turn her binoculars' gaze along the forest floor. Above, toucan barbets called, but those were already checked off. "Captain Dokes and Ansel call me about any sightings I should know about."
Nohelia smiled. She took a swig from her water bottle and opened her pack. "I brought along some cards this time," she said. "They have birds on them. I don't know how accurate they are, though."
Cordelia, of course, didn't take her eyes from her binoculars, but she said, "Is there a giant antpitta in there?"
"No idea," said Nohelia. "It's a sealed deck."
"Stay the night, if you want. Then we can find out over a game," said Cordelia.
The implications of the invitation were clear. "Because the giant antpitta isn't active at night?"
"Exactly," Cordelia said. "You understand me."