We enjoyed one last beautiful morning on Ometepe today, and it almost seemed as if this pair of tiger-herons had come to see us off. Actually, it is far more likely that they were searching for nesting sites, but either way, they put on one heck of a show.
Then, as we sat down for our last breakfast beside Lake Nicaragua, a young black-crowned night-heron caught and, after a long struggle, swallowed a huge fish whole. My sources tell me that the fish was likely a tilapia.
Our ferry ride and drive back to Managua was mostly uneventful, and I was able to return the rental car one more time with no tickets, scratches, or dents. As we sat by the hotel pool enjoying our supper, two large and noisy parrots flew in and perched nearly above us. Best of all, they turned out to be my first yellow-naped Amazons (Amazona auropalliata) and our 95th bird species for this trip. Not bad for amateurs!
Another one of those 95 is this Muscovy duck (Cairina moschata) from our kayaking adventure yesterday. I read that they are “native to the Americas, from the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas and Mexico south to Argentina and Uruguay.” Furthermore, “the species was first scientifically described by Carl Linnaeus [the guy who cooked up the “binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming organisms”] in his 1758 edition of Systema Naturae as Anas moschata, literally meaning “musk duck”.”
Finally, here’s another one of the beautiful butterflies from the hike yesterday, a malachite (Siproeta stelenes). I read that “it is named for the mineral malachite, which is similar in color to the bright green on the butterfly’s wings.”
Our flight is scheduled to leave at 6:45 tomorrow morning, but at least the airport is just across the street. If things go smoothly, I should be back in Estabrook Park Wednesday morning. Keep your fingers crossed!
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 