“What we do see depends mainly on what we look for…. In the same field the farmer will notice the crop, the geologists the fossils, botanists the flowers, artists the colouring, sportsmen the cover for the game. Though we may all look at the same things, it does not all follow that we should see them.” – JOHN LUBBOCK, The Beauties of Nature and the Wonders of the World We Live In

A petite segua/marsh-wetland area anchors one corner of Portoviejo’s Parque las Vegas.
Portoviejo Ecuador – Totally content with several creative projects, I had no need or wish to leave the apartment, except for a visual check on the rapidly-growing Purple Gallinule chicks. A visit two days earlier provided ample photos to record the recent changes; those five little balls of black fluff resembled gawky pre-teens dressed in entirely-different attire. Much like their older (and quite-responsible) adolescent siblings, they sported buff-colored plumage with a distinct star on their foreheads. That frontal shield will eventually turn pale blue against a bill which resembles a giant kernel of candy corn.

The Purple Gallinule babies are growing up – testing wings!

Juvenile Gallinule feeding the youngest generation.
Not as talented as adults at locating the water-lily fruits, the juveniles struggle to locate then fish for the sunken fruits. Nervously pacing across the lily pads or climbing higher to peer into the clear water, they remind me of a long-ago swimming/diving game we played: Match! (Do children -and adults – still play that game?)

Juvenile with the fast-growing younger sibling.
Having mastered the art, an adult bird quickly locates and retrieves a fruit. With fruit in its bill, it chatters while racing across the water hyacinths and lilies. Hearing the unique dinner bell, the babies and juveniles gather for their next feeding.
Two Wattled Jacanas forage in the same area of the petite pond. Skittish, these mild-mannered loners walk across the floating vegetation. Never aggressive, they are, however, often targeted by the Purple Gallinules. Quite protective or perhaps territorial, the gallinules sometimes stalk and othertimes suddenly chase the Jacanas. The Jacanas take flight and land just out of range, while the gallinule retains strict control of the nursery site!
Last week I considered a quick check on the fast-growing baby gallinules. Having spent hours working on photos from the previous outing, I preferred to stay home and work on projects. Like an urge to raid the refrigerator for another serving of cheesecake, I often felt a nudge to check on the birds. Having learned to pay attention to those subtle nudges, I set out for the park, the gallinules and an important dose of Vitamin D.
With a working title of “Looking Down” for my next show (who knows when?!) I now pay closer attention to random wild vegetation as I walk along the streets. Rank growth in empty lots often presents a bounty of material, from ‘Pigweed’-amaranth to delicate sprays of flowers still waiting identification. I recently spotted a rank weed with large faded bell-shaped flowers, quite similar to a species in Mississippi! Could Jimsonweed grow here as well? Of course it could! In addition to checking the Purple Gallinules, I now check the Jimsonweed/Datura between the apartment and the park!
The little cat-tailed edged pond provides the bonus for these outings, and even from afar it presents a visual balm to the soul. Extra-large in comparison to the kingfishers, gallinules and jacanas, one lone Great Egret adds an elegant touch to the scene. Unbothered by the humans, it wades in slow-motion stealth in its perpetual search for fish. Sometimes it allows a close inspection of its catch!
In three short weeks, the young gallinules evolved from tiny balls of black fluff to smaller versions of the juvenile birds. They often tested their still-developing wings, flexed in brief yoga poses or paused for amusing (to me) splash sessions. Much more independent in a week’s time, they foraged and explored their water-hyacinth kingdom – until a juvenile or adult announced a feeding session! The birds provided ample photo ops, as did the Green Kingfishers, Wattled Jacanas and a few lazy iguanas!
Normally punctuated along various sections of the pond, three Striated Herons careened into the scene. Two landed in easy photo range, and the other flared to a more-distant location. Barely moving, I hoped for much-better images of this shy species. For the next five or more minutes, these handsome birds provided a subtle-yet spectacular show. Enjoy the simple delight of watching these two beauties via this slideshow:
After seven or eight minutes of ‘My feathers are prettier than yours,’ the herons declared a truce and resumed their ‘wait and search’ foraging behavior.
With hundreds of photos to process at home, I pondered this finale of observations. Were those two birds courting, or was one (the adult) displaying an alpha status to the younger one? I looked forward to studying the images at home and learning more about the Striated Herons. Quite sated and basically overdosed on photographing the birds, I prepared to leave. The birds, however, plotted one more diversion!

Common Gallinule

Striated Heron and Common Gallinule
More bashful than the Purple Gallinules, the Common Gallinule often lurks just out of good-photo range. Swimming in an un-hurried manner around and through the water lilies, it paints a serene and idyllic living picture. Sneaking from its ‘preferred’ larger section of the pond to the water-hyacinth area, it swam and foraged not too far from the footbridge. I ducked as low as possible and crept closer along the far side of the bridge. Seeing a human in pursuit, it would quickly swim and fly out of range. As if conspiring with the Striated Herons, it paraded first in one direction, paused then reversed, which allowed photos of its other side. It then bolted for its preferred location, via a quick flight beneath the bridge to the far side of the pond!
Much more-rewarding and long-lasting than a slice of cheesecake, the outing enhanced the quality of my day with a jackpot of simple delights. So many birds! So many close-up views! So little time to capture them on paper or canvas! (I need a dozen lives!)
Happy Independence Day to those of you in the USA. Stay proactive, and may we get through this with as much grace as possible. I should be back online on Sunday, and as always, the laptop battery just announced the 10-percent warning!
Love to you all! Lisa
“In my youth I knew the delight of watching the beauty, wonder and mystery of the natural world unfold before my developing mind; as when one who has climbed to a mountain-top in the night watches the dawn reveal the glorious panorama spread out before him. I have never outgrown that delight, and I hope that I never shall.” – Alexander Skutch / “Delight in Nature” – Thoughts/Volume 6, August 5 1972
What an absolutely delightful post, Lisa, and some amazing photos, especially of the egret with the fish!! I’ve just been going through quite a number of today’s posts, as I was busy this morning grocery shopping for my parents (and us) after a nice invigorating walk. Yours is the last one but certainly one of if not the best. So many things here to make me happy. Love the quotes,too. Thanks for blessing my day and enjoy the weekend.
janet
Thank you, Janet, and how great that you’re there to help your parents – while also taking care of your own needs and staying well. How great that your daughter could visit — though it must be worrisome with escalating covid cases. Your Olympic post is still on the browser as is the link — the second has always gone blank when I am at home to read.. but yes, I want to know more.. I saw a lot of the comments so understand. That day that you posted it, I had walked downtown on empty streets.. I recalled being at track meets and the unique sound of shoes on the asphalt.. I pulled out my pad while walking and scribbled, ‘do runners still wear cleats at track meets?’ — I was on my way to the park to check the gallinules! Then the next time online, there was your post!
Always good to hear from you, Lisa. As I wasn’t officially training when I ran these two different times, I wasn’t wearing cleats or using a starting block. If I get back to it seriously, I’ll use both. As you can see, the shoes are waiting. Just have to remember where I put the cleats. 🙂 And cleats for all-weather tracks are different from those for another sort of surface.
The spike in cases here in Arizona and elsewhere is certainly worrying. We continue to take the same precautions we have been. I’ll be heading for Wyoming and the mountains in less than two weeks but because I’m driving, I think it’s much safer than flying. The girls are flying out for a week and I’ve told them to be extremely careful. It used to be that the “dangers” of flying were boredom and missing a flight. This is much more serious.
Have a marvel-filled week, my friend, as I think you always do.
janet
Thank you for sharing this remarkable experience, Lisa. I’m glad you heeded the call of nature. Your time was amply and beautifully filled with wonders small and great.
Stay well,
Tanja
Thank you, and I loved the past two posts you shared.. I’ve not checked email notifications yet, so you might have a new one! One of yours must have taken a long time to weave together – and we were the winning recipients! It’s still on the screen!
I appreciate your kind comment. Thank you for your interest! 😊
Thank you for taking us along on your outings, Lisa – I had a wonderful time!
And I love the outings and amazing wildlife that you share with us as well!
You’re always so kind, Lisa. Thank you.
Quite apart from the photographs, beautifully written and a delight to read. You’re not just a birder, you’re a true bird-watcher, without even mentioning the rest of the natural environment that you describe so carefully. Our jacanas here are Northern Jacana but we had a stray Wattled here that caused a sensation at the Angostura Dam from late 2017 to April 2019. Other than that, the Striated Heron seems to be the only bird species you mention here that we don’t get in Costa Rica, although isolated sightings have also occasionally been made. I assume the large heron circled in one photo is a Great Blue and not a tiger-heron? Many thanks for this excellent post.
Thank you, Paul, who thrives there in Skutch’s favored country! After reading some of his journal writings, it’s easy to veer to my own while remnants of his own syntax and observations remain strong.
That third bird was a Striated Heron, but the Tiger-heron was a good guess for such a small image. We have a stunning Cocoi’ Heron, which looks a lot like the Great Blue. The latter is a rare sighting – I’ve never seen one here, but the Cocoi makes a great consolation (a joke – it’s such a gift to observe the Cocois.)
Last year I watched a Tiger Heron stalk through some very thick vegetation in the woodlands near the house. The Anis and other birds were going a bit nuts, and I expected to see a snake.. The heron was very concealed, and it was stiff upright like a soldier and moving at a very slow pace.. one step – then stop.. then another step… eventually it took flight and headed back to the water’s edge. I got some fuzzy photos but enough to confirm the species and to record its behavior.
Thanks again for your own feedback. You live in a birding paradise as well – aren’t we lucky?!!!
I forgot to ask if you’ve seen the Green Herons using bits of vegetation as tools by dropping them into the water to lure the fish. Apparently, only that species does it. I’ve seen it once myself here. Stuck in England at the moment thanks to the virus. Keep smiling!
You live in a nature paradise! I am mediately thought of that plant was datura, probably not. It doesn’t seem quite the same. But I would bet they’re cousins.
I suppose the biggest reason I think it might not be one is they grow wild here in the desert and I managed to survive and even thrive on less than 18 inches of rain.
I’d be curious to know what you find out. I might be wrong and it sure could be a datura.
Si, I think it is indeed datura…. seems they are sprinkled in lots of places in the Americas… with the laptop battery going dead so fast, it’s hard to make progress on that research. If the museum ever re-opens, there are many reference books to help in their library! Five minutes away on foot but it’s as if that material is 50 days away!
Such a great post as always, Miss Lisa.Love how the babies learn for themselves. Hurry back and stay safe.
Thanks Don! I hope that your weekend has gone well – and quiet. A friend wrote to say the River is predicted to rise again — seems strange for July, when it is usually going the other direction…
Great photography!
Thank you – the birds make it quite easy!
Whenever I stop by, I feel that I have entered a sanctuary of meditation. Thank you, Lisa – you bring the beauty of nature from afar to my day. Hugs!
Thank you, as well! Every one of your posts is a comfort/balm as well. Haven’t checked new post notifications yet, but perhaps you have given us a new dose!
Thank you for this utterly delightful nature ramble. And those pics of the herons are fabulous.
Alison
Lovely photos. I could feel like I’m right there!
Lisa, gallinules have always been one of my favorites, but I’ve never had the privilege of watching them grow up. Thanks so much for sharing this natural beauty. ~Terri
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I think I’m going to have to make finding a gallinule a project — I still haven’t seen one, although I see moorhens galore. I know the gallinules are around, since plenty of people post photos of them, but I seem to be blind to their presence. Maybe if I gaze long enough at your wonderful photos, I’ll imprint their image on my mind, and recognize them more easily!
A friend in the Texas hill country has Datura on her property, and it was blooming when I visited recently. There must have been a dozen blooms — of course I think of you and Georgia O’Keeffe when I see those flowers.
That quotation from John Lubbock is another take on the story of the blind men and the elephant.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen any kind of gallinule in Texas but I did in New Zealand:
https://portraitsofwildflowers.wordpress.com/2015/03/13/pukeko/
This was just wonderful Lisa.. Like stepping into my own Bird Wildlife Sanctuary with a guide who was whispering in my ear as I viewed each and every photograph.. Your narration bringing each one to life…
So loved the way they are camouflaged and step from one lily pad to the next, and that wonderful capture of the one with the his fishing prize of fish in his bill.. 🙂
Wonderful Lisa… and thank you so much for dropping by…. I somehow envy you surrounded by so much wildlife and wilderness…. While much of the UK is surrounded in Weirdness as Humans become afraid of Humans..
Sending Love and Well wishes… And Blessings my friend 💚🙏💚
I have the feeling that birds are much more resilient than us, Lisa. I guess, if I didn’t have a roof over my head, I would be, too 🙂 🙂
Love all the photos, watching the birds is one of our favorite pastimes as well , love and hugs