Not even sure where to start lol. This place is simply incredible. We are completely immersed in jungle here and it is a place of absolute wonder. I am generally awake just as the sun starts to break and as the monkeys start to call. Every morning I enjoy the sounds of the jungle while I drink my coffee and take in the beauty of this place.
Monkeys in the distance (or sometimes up close), the parrots flying around and a wide assortment of other birds, insects, reptiles, etc constantly draw my attention and enthrall me throughout the day. I am simply fascinated by it ALL.
A typical day consists of feeding (both in the aviary and supplemental feedings for the wild flock), cleaning, gathering food, observing the parrots behaviors and of course providing a daily tour to tourists and locals alike. It is not an overly demanding day so there is still sufficient time for wandering, dreaming and simply appreciating. That said, some of the activities are quite physical and this old gal is a) getting in shape and b) sleeping very well at night lol. We are set on a very steep hill and so there is a lot of steep climbing/hiking. I have tried on numerous occasions to photograph the “Road to Hell” (photo and video link below) but have thus far been unable to really capture it. I suggest you come visit and see for yourself!!! I grumble about this road, but it is excellent exercise and such a beautiful walk. Always a variety of incredibly interesting insects seen along the way!
The Road To Hell
The parrots are simply amazing to watch. I am so blessed to have this opportunity to be involved with The ARA Project. As I sit here surrounded by the sounds of these magnificent parrots, it is hard to imagine that they were completely eradicated in this area not that long ago. To be a part of bringing this species back to this area and increasing their overall population is truly a gift. It is incredible to do the tours and to see the wonder in everyone’s eyes as they observe these birds flying freely in the wild! Not to mention that I am learning about this incredible species in extensive detail!
This time of year is incredible for volunteering. The wild birds that nested earlier this year have chicks that are fledging and the birds that are in the aviary (from last year) are about ready to be released. I may be fortunate to participate in a release in the next few weeks!!! My first week here I noticed this little guy starting to poke his head out from his nest box. You can see the curiosity in his eyes lol.
This chick is around 16 weeks old and is taking tentative looks into the big world around him!
You can only imagine my utter elation when, in the middle of a tour we saw (whom I am sure is the chick from the nest box above) a young bird come crashing (?) in to the tree by the observation deck! He was flying!!!
This is a young chick with its parent, shortly after fledging. The little guy was so tired!!!
Newly Fledged Chick Hanging Out
I am simply in love with these birds!
Parents with a recently fledged chick
As we are completely immersed in jungle we do get the opportunity to view all kinds of animals and I would encourage you to check out the ARA Manzanillo photo gallery in addition to the Creepy Crawly Collection. The vast array of animals here is astonishing! Every day there is something new that I have never seen before! I am trying desperately to keep all the captions up to date on the photos that I am loading, but as I indicated above lol, I am tired at the end of the day so I am behind on this activity. But I am learning so much as I seek to identify the various things we are finding! The world truly is utterly fascinating!
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Some type of Leaf-Footed Beetle, still attempting to ID species
As you can see from this update, in addition to the photo galleries in my blog space, I have also started a Youtube channel for some of the videos. The load time and quality just was not working if I housed them within the blog space so please check in there too periodically.
Great Green Macaw at dusk
Today is my day off and it is beautiful out, so I am headed to see good friends, have a good feast, get my hair retwisted and spend some time on the beach!!! So with that I am signing off for this one.
Love and Light to you all!
Mary Lou
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