Friday, September 27, 2013

Oh, wow! Osprey City. Plus all creatures bright, beautiful, great and small

9/28/13 Now we have 3 Sharksuckers that look like remoras with an oval suction disc on top of their heads. The people on The Rose had 7 and they told us to feed them. So this morning we threw bread in the water, out from under the boat they came, and we watched, photographed and took video of them. Also, 6 Common Stingarees (rays). Yesterday we spent the late afternoon in the company of 6 or so Ospreys - young, old, fighting, fishing, flying, carrying a Black Damsel (we think) fish, screeching at each other and posing majestically. Took Rubber Ducky out for a spin over reefs and around islets, seeing birds, sea creatures and 3 other boats in a huge turquoise lagoon complex with beau coup de bays, islands, reefs and sand bars. All this is in very shallow clear water so we could "snorkel" from the dinghy. Yesterday we added the Red-throated Parrotfinch and Shining Bronze Cuckoo to our life list. We saw a green dove but could not identify it. We have seen 62 species of birds since leaving NZ in May of which 44 are life birds. Day before yesterday, Ilot Moro yielded 2 copper and black banded sea snakes of unknown species on shore. I either stepped on the sea snake or right next to it; it was hard to make an accurate assessment because I was busy leaping and screaming. I'm not afraid of snakes but it is surprising what instinct does. We recorded 2 Buff-banded Rails, 2 ospreys fishing and flying with fish in talons and 4 Lesser Frigatebirds plus the usual fantails, honeyeaters, gerygones, Swiftlets, Cuckooshrikes and Sacred Kingfishers. We are so so grateful to be here living this life!!

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