Sweetheart from Venezuela - Harry Belafonte

 The Colombian leg of what was proposed to be an extensive trip, as portrayed via last Sunday's Post, went like a dream, but why wouldn't it when someone else is doing the thinking and organising. It was only after the second stage inVenezuela, also guided privately, that we 'slipped the leash' and was left to our own devices that things went a little 'pear-shaped'. Being a none believer, the fat lad with the long white breard and the red Burberry and enough venison to keep him going for a lifetime, never even came onto the radar but arriving at the airport in hopes of a flight to Quito, Ecuador it was found there wasn't a seat to be had in any direction. Lucky then the the final words of my previous guides David Ascanio and his sidekick Bruno were still ringing in my ears as saying, "if you have any problems at all ring this number". Arriving at the hotel within the hour the suggestion was to spend a week at the Wildlife Lodge that is

HATO PINERO

some 3 hours drive into the heart of the country where the welcome committee were awaiting

BUFF-NECKED IBIS

and a cold beer before

David (left) and Bruno returned to the capital leaving me in the capable hands of
Complex Manager Alex (right) followed by just a few of the goodies on hand across that week.

BLCK-COLLARED HAWK

RUFOUS-VENTED CHACHALACA

numerous

CROCODILE

ELEGANT TERN

SCARLET IBIS

BAT FALCON

COMMON PAURAQUE

caught in the headlights and on the same night drive the find of the visit

O.K. not Cecil B. DeMille
but hands up if you have ever seen an
OCELOT
in the wild at such close quarters.

COMMON BLACK HAWK

PIED WATER TYRANT

MATAMATA

TURTLE

BAR-BACKED WRENs

the rather showy

SUNBITTERN

CAIMEN

RUFOUS-TAILED JACAMA

HOATZIN

the only Bird in the World with a Prehensile Claw.

CAPYBARA
(the largest Rodent in the World)

WHITE-TIPPED QUETZAL
and why this should come into the mix, as a resident of Asia, to end this Magnum Opus, if we dare to be so bold, the best
SPOONERISM
in the Avian World the

SPECKLED PICULET
not to be comfussed with the

PICKLED SPECULET

Thanks go to William Archibald Spooner

At the end of one of, if not 'the', best week of my life a cheuffer, in full livery, came to drive me back to Caracas in the largest and shinyest shooting-break in the world. En-Route we had to stop for fuel when he offered the bargain of him covering the 'bunkers' if I was happy to pay for the coffee - a good deal indeed, until the truth be told. These were the days when Hugo Chavez was still Presedent and afforded all his citizen the incentive to vote for him at the next election by providing FREE petrol / deisel at the pumps!! Democracy at its Finest and me out of pocket!

Rollin' and Tumblin' - Muddy Waters

 While the nights remain warm, still they tumble in with 4 more additions to the

Moth Year List

PEBBLE HOOK-TIP
with a larva from the archive for your interest, plus

GREEN CARPET

COMMON WHITE WAVE
and

YELLOW-BARRED BRINDLE
What has now become common Spring practice, a visit to the Stables showed a less advanced pair of

ROBINs
with a nice clutch of c5 again in the horse tack and as far as the other song-birds are concerned, overall the

COMMON WHITETHROAT

appears to be predominating

while in the wings the userpers wait to take over

WILLOW WARBLERs
Back among the Insects again this sparkling

ORANGE-TIP BUTTERFLY
was over enthusiastic at the photo-call as not only showing 'sunny-side-up'

but also not adverse to a little
Rollin' and Tumblin' - Muddy Waters
Something of a concern at the Grave Pit where only a single

HUMBUG

could be found across a 20 minute vigil and if the parent birds are absent

there would be little or no chance of it sustaining itself, we will keep a lookout and
remindeded us that we should take a look for the Mandarin later.

Best in the second Solar Panel Compound Moth Trap was our 7th female
EMPEROR MOTH
of the season with this individual just gently

Flapping its Wing
and almost simultaniously re-locating the c2

RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE

absent for a number of dayss now, but elusive, and fear not the

MANDARIN DUCK

is still enjoying sanctuary

on the

Main Pond
"Walking along in the rain, there's water in my shoes.
All I can feel is this pain in my heart, and these Muddy Water blues."

Water, Water, Everywhere

 With overnight temperature now hovering around the +12° mark hopes of a decent catch from the Moth Traps have been high, and we have not been disappointed with first to show being the much hoped for

WATER CARPET

and followed in quick succession by

the odd looking

BUFF-TIP
and then the far more dainty

MAIDEN'S BLUSH
We have now taken to visiting the stables first thing each morning and to find

among the tack this nest of 2 juvenile

ROBINs

being well fed by the parent birds.
At the Main Pond the

MUTE SWANs
are still 'sitting' while us shore-siders are getting increasingly impatient
while yet another

Ornimental Goose

is constructing a nest which again usually come to naught.
The pathway leading to the Gravel Pit is now being occupied by a pair of

STONECHAT

which have shown no signs of a breeding attempt, but are surely considering such

while the update on the Humbugs remains posative with one of the parent birds knocking 'ten bells' out of some hapless invertibrate

keeping all 3 youngsters well fed.
While still at pond-side a single

SAND MARTIN,

our first of the year,

started hawking insects directly above

and while we have had discussions with the management there seems to be little sign of trying to attract them back, as these historic images show, to breeding at the Eco site!!
We maintain, everyone is a Conservationist until asked to do the simplest of things!!!!