How time flies-I haven't posted in a while. It is cloudy and cold today. That is relatively speaking because it rarely gets to freezing even in the night.
In the picture is a pear tree which yielded one pear which looked beautiful but tasted terrible. it seems sad trees lose their "clothes' when it gets cold-no wonder we feel a little sad. The roses in the background are really just cuttings that were planted that should grow roots and be "real" roses next year.
I'll miss seeing the birds as much. the little parrot on the right is normally seen in flocks flying fast but disappear in winter, flying North I suppose. The bird on the left has a very bright red breast and sings like a meadowlark(as a matter fact, it is a type of meadowlark). There's a legend about him and a hunter and the blood makes his breast red. There's almost always a story here....
These guys on the left perched on the house for a moment. They are large and honk something like geese. These are the Buff Necked Ibis or Bandurria as they're called locally. Listen to them here
And the Queltehue(pronounced Ka-TELL-way) is very common. We see many every day, all winter long. From the front, they look like they have a tuxedo when they march. Females and males look nearly the same. The hawks that I love to watch are their greatest enemy although Mom and Dad stay together and defend their young with courage and vigor (note the sharp "claw" protruding from the wings). If you get too near the nest, they will dive bomb you while calling loudly to others. They sound much like gulls and actually the southern lapwing. When they fly, they spread huge wings and a black and white underbelly is seen-making them look like an entirely different bird.They are actually the Southern Lapwing. They have loud alarm calls whenever someone walks nearby-our own "watch birds". And another call while flying which is much like the chittering of seagulls.
And even now, at 7:45 pm, I hear them call in the pitch dark.
