Hi there, friends of our feathered friends!
😀
During my summer holidays in Varadero, I often wondered how many of the hotel guests had noticed the diversity of birds that could be spotted each morning along the green strip bordering the exquisitely fine, dazzling white sands—so distinctive of that tourist destination.
Perhaps not many... and today, as I recall those moments, memories come to mind, like the hotel staff I used to run into early in the morning. They greeted me with great courtesy, though they seemed a little puzzled to see me roaming with my camera among palm trees, coconut trees, shrubs, and other tall, striking trees, trying to locate every bird that made even the faintest sound.
This one, for example, is a green woodpecker. And it wasn’t alone.
I was deeply moved by the few seconds they gave me to photograph them, and this was the most decent image I managed to capture before they flew off, full of joy. Only the Universe knows what they were up to—perhaps falling in love, or simply enjoying a pleasant moment of beautiful friendship... 😍 I love watching birds... I believe they are angels among us, here to teach us the power of wings.
This is a chichinguaco (Quiscalus niger). There were so many of them... their green eyes are a distinctive feature in adults. Oh, but they were so noisy... and they always came to eat with the guests at the buffet.
Other birds I loved spotting from the moment I stepped out at 7 a.m., just as the light began to break, were the Northern Mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos) and the Pitirre Guatíbere (Tyrannus caudifasciatus).
I only took a few photos, but you can listen to our mockingbird here if you’d like.
In its song, it mimics birds, car alarms, doors closing, and other sounds—repeating each phrase between five and seven times before switching to the next set of notes. (Source: eBird)
Here, the Pitirre Guatíbere seemed to be having an important conversation with a sparrow. What do you think they were talking about? 😂 This is a creativity exercise.
What a frustration I felt... one morning during my outings, I had a lifer: a white-crowned pigeon or Torcaza cabeciblanca (Patagioenas leucocephala). Wow, so immense... and my camera jammed. Haha... I’ll show you that disaster, but don’t laugh. Haha... well, go ahead and laugh. Why not. 🤷♀
Better check it out on eBird—my photo’s completely useless. Torcaza cabeciblanca (Patagioenas leucocephala)
They’re large in size, but shy... they flee at the slightest movement. That’s life... what can we do... just wait for another chance with her.
And well... every day I saw rabihorcados, palm swifts, common pigeons, tiny doves, hummingbirds... they were always having a party; some flying nonstop, others singing and chattering, some tapping on the trunks... The philosophers—those who converse from branch to branch... and so it goes. All of them busy.
So after spending an hour surrounded by such beauty, with thoughts steeped in grace and a wish that they might positively touch those who appeared in them, I would head to the sea.
There, I kept spotting birds... this one, for instance, was a twist dancer.
😉
Playa del Hotel Los Cactus🌵 - Google maps
Matanzas, Cuba.
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Every image I include in my posts is mine. When it’s not, I credit the source in a caption.