During Carnaval this year, I got to see all of the colorful displays and fancy feathers without all of the noise.
Well, except for the fight I witnessed between a couple of Caracaras and a Seriema defending her nest...
...and the pair of talkative "Mulatos" (Yellow-chevroned Parakeets) that freaked whenever someone came around the side of the house. (They had recently invested in a cozy nest, conveniently located right under the roof tiles over the rear bathroom.)
...then there was the group of Toucans that seemed to have a comment for everything, as they observed us from every angle of the property...
...and the Southern Lapwings (Quero-quero) whose full-time job appears to be that of sounding the alarm. Once we have our home, I may opt for a pair of these to live in our yard, as opposed to getting a guard dog.
Only the "Pica-pau-do-campo" (Campo Flicker, or Ground Dwelling Woodpecker) couple seemed to go about their business in silence.
The "Curicacas" (Buff-necked Ibis) pretty much kept to themselves, not really minding the presence of anyone else.
One surprise was the Whistling Heron ("Maria-faceira") couple that was feeding right behind the house. The owner of the farm said he had never seen this type of bird around those parts before.
When he saw the pictures, he thought that I’d stumbled upon them in one of his fields, but they were, in fact, only about 25 yards behind the porch where we'd been hanging out all weekend. Apparently, they were keeping it low-key, as no one ever heard them whistle...
One of the most beautiful songs I heard all weekend was performed by the Saffron Finch (Canário da Terra) - I could listen to these little beauties all day long.
There were a few instances when these stunners really strutted their stuff, to let me know that I had approached too closely. That was my cue to put my own fancy footwork to use, and back up to a safer distance.
Well, except for the fight I witnessed between a couple of Caracaras and a Seriema defending her nest...
...and the pair of talkative "Mulatos" (Yellow-chevroned Parakeets) that freaked whenever someone came around the side of the house. (They had recently invested in a cozy nest, conveniently located right under the roof tiles over the rear bathroom.)
...then there was the group of Toucans that seemed to have a comment for everything, as they observed us from every angle of the property...
...and the Southern Lapwings (Quero-quero) whose full-time job appears to be that of sounding the alarm. Once we have our home, I may opt for a pair of these to live in our yard, as opposed to getting a guard dog.
Only the "Pica-pau-do-campo" (Campo Flicker, or Ground Dwelling Woodpecker) couple seemed to go about their business in silence.
The "Curicacas" (Buff-necked Ibis) pretty much kept to themselves, not really minding the presence of anyone else.
One surprise was the Whistling Heron ("Maria-faceira") couple that was feeding right behind the house. The owner of the farm said he had never seen this type of bird around those parts before.
When he saw the pictures, he thought that I’d stumbled upon them in one of his fields, but they were, in fact, only about 25 yards behind the porch where we'd been hanging out all weekend. Apparently, they were keeping it low-key, as no one ever heard them whistle...
(Sorry for the quality of the pics! It was near dusk, so the lighting wasn't quite right.)
One of the most beautiful songs I heard all weekend was performed by the Saffron Finch (Canário da Terra) - I could listen to these little beauties all day long.
There were a few instances when these stunners really strutted their stuff, to let me know that I had approached too closely. That was my cue to put my own fancy footwork to use, and back up to a safer distance.
All in all, it was a very colorful & exciting holiday weekend.
(To enlarge pics, right-click and open in a new window.)
(To enlarge pics, right-click and open in a new window.)
The birds are beautiful!! I would love to see Toucans up close!!
ReplyDeleteStephanie ~
ReplyDeleteI was almost overcome by all of the beauty that i got to see in only one weekend. It was amazing! Not only did most of the animals tolerate my presence, but they seemed interested in observing me, as well.
Perhaps it was because i was on a farm, rather than a ranch? Maybe os donos don't hunt as much on this farm, as opposed to the other?? Whatever the reason, i am thankful for the opportunity.
I've seen Toucans before, but i'd never been able to get a pic ...until now. Yay!! :D