Our Fine Full-Feathered Friends

Bonaire is a not a place that concerns itself with petty issues like liability. Most of the cars here look like they are equal parts deathtrap and duct tape, and seat belts are strictly optional. As a result, there are a number of formerly domesticated animals that wander around and will observe you through your car window like a Jellystone bear looking for a pickinic basket.

The first animal I ran into, was of course the Iguana who climbed up my balcony. He has been dubbed "Romeo," and I havent seen him since his death-defying leap. 

The courtyard and yard are covered with birds and small lizards. The former are kept fat, happy, (and possibly diabetic) the olde fashionede waye-- a steady diet of straight sugar added to feeders hanging from the palms. As you would expect from an animal consuming large quantities of Hawaii's finest, the birds are talkative, hyperactive and move at something close to the speed of light.

The most common birds we see are colloquially called "chibi-chibi". (Note: due to the nature of my family and their propensity for renaming things, Im not sure if this is just what my parents call them or if it is island-wide.) The actual name for the birds is Bananaquit, which is fine by me, because I think bananas should tender their collective resignation and leave the planet. They are tiny (the birds, not The -Fruit-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named) and super chirpy. They regularly attend my mothers "happy hour" event in the front yard. 

We counted at least ten in the picture below. There may be more. They were lined up to get to the feeders full of sugar, like fat kids at a free cake convention. 

Other birds that attend the feeders include: golden warblers, something my mothed calls orangeheadgreenbody (pictured below), troupials (below the OHGB, both pictures courtesy of my father), doves, and mockingbirds. Most of the rest of these are less foolhardy/more fearful than the Chibi, and as a result i havent managed any pictures of them yet.

While driving on the island yesterday, Amateur Ornithologist Dad also spotted an endangered Lorikeet, which was a bit paparazzi shy and moved before I could get a decent pic. So heres a Not-very-decent one to show his colours.

Also in the elusive-shy-and-hard-to-photograph category are the islands flamingos, which we found wandering near the salt flats. They were doing some sort of neck-bending mating ritual and/or re-enacting parts of west side story. (When you are pink, you are pink all the way, from your first brine shrimp to your last dying day...) The pictures are poor because they are far away and my lens lacks length, but you get the idea.

We also saw a whateverthisisidontrememberbecauseitstoolateatnight (update: its a frigate bird) and some terns hovering over some fishermen. its hard to tell from this picture, but the thing was huge. It might have been a pterydactyl. Pretty sure it was hunting those men.    Next up, mammals! In another post though, stay tuned.