It was a relatively short drive
from the hotel to what for me seemed a most unlikely habitat. The
wildlife we encountered on the way was all in likely spots but we were
heading for a 'building site', so I'd have to wait and see!
RED-BREASTED BLACKBIRD was expected in roadside fields
and I would have thought I was in the wrong country had we not encountered
PIED WATER TYRANT,
but things were about to get better as we parked
alongside a series of shallow ponds.
There we encountered what Otte described as a
LESSER YELLOWLEGS
but despite the tutorial I still didn't quite see the distinction in 'bill structure'?
LEAST SANDPIPER.
was a little easier, 'yellow-legs'
also there were
SEMI-PALMATED PLOVER,
SEMI-PALMATED SANDPIPER
along with
GREATER YELLOWLEGS
It was now exactly 3 hours after high water
and our arrival at the 'sea wall'
coincided with the arrival of a huge number of 'mixed' Herons
TRICOLOURED HERON and SNOWY EGRET showing here.
Although TRICOLOURED HERON has been encountered a number of times during the tour,
this is the first time at what may be considered 'close quarters'.
It was interesting to note their different hunting style
with this almost 'horizontal stance' rather than
the more 'upright' look of the others.
also very graceful landing technique.
RUFOUS CRAB HAWK
This is the 'building site' referred to earlier, which is in fact
emergency refurbishment of one of the major Dykes.
In
a nutshell, there are only suppose to be 2 seasons in these latitudes,
unlike our 4, the 'wet and the 'dry'. However, these are subdivided into
a 'short dry' and 'short wet' the latter of which has been late and a
lot more productive than is usual - see El Niño! This section of
the Levee is about to break and only immediate action will save the
surrounding area from severe flooding, hence the continuous presence of
heavy plant.
If it keeps on rainin', Levee's goin' to break,
If it keeps on rainin', Levee's goin' to break,
When The Levee Breaks I'll have no place to stay.
PALE-TIPPED TYRANNULET
No wonder then that our very first bird here was a 'Lifer' for me!
No wonder then that our very first bird here was a 'Lifer' for me!
All else remains pretty much intact outside of the main path.
WILD FLOWERS
DRAGONFLIES etc
but what's that up ahead?
Surely this shot will qualify as 'Most Novel' of the trip
as from one side of this dead tree stump flies a
GREEN-RUMPED PARROTLET
and from the other a
GUIANAN (Arrow-head) PICULET.
Remembering how active and difficult to see (let alone photograph)
they had been at Peperpot
here was a male
GUIANAN PICULET
excavating a 'nest hole' among all this activity.
If that were not enough the
GREEN-RUMPED PARROTLETs
were already occupying a nest hole which, noting their actions, likely contained young.
PS - the 'female' has the yellow 'front' (forehead).
One of the many TEMPLES hereabouts.
an impromptu LESSER YELLOW-HEADED VULTURE.
and so for the drive back to the hotel.
Starting with STRIPED CUCKOO,
COMMON TODY FLYCATCHER
along with
GREEN-TAILED JACAMAR
another 'Lifer'.
GIANT GROUND LIZARD
GLITTERING-THROATED EMERALD
and again impromptu - LONG-WINGED HARRIER
BUTTERFLY
GREYISH SALTATOR
and suddenly I was transported back a few days, when reporting
that there was only one Kingfisher I had not photographed in the
America's north of Ecuador.
PYGMY KINGFISHER
was suddenly sat there before us.
and finally, I simply just had to include this mighty
KAPOK TREE
FINALLY
KAPOK TREE
FINALLY
As a pure coincidence to today's
headline, trawling a couple of 'Blues' sites, I came across this. Having
watched it a number of times (infectious) it looks perfectly authentic
albeit the vocals are a little bit Dixie! Page it ain't, but she seems
to have all the frets in the right places and the 'bottle-neck' is spot
on. I doubt, if you'd listened to the 'soundtrack' alone, you would even
consider it a 'girl on the stool' adequately bolstered by some sassy
base-lines. Written by a woman and originally performed by her,
Ladies and Gentlemen this is
WOT DO YOU THINK OF THAT THEN?
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