Isla Files 2.4

Isla Files 2.4
Every morning we wake to the sounds of the island. It is so much better than waking to an alarm clock! There are 3 main song birds on this island:
The black bird (mirlo) that is really more like a grackle. It is pretty big, with a sharp beak and beady yellow eyes. It’s song is high-pitched and shrill and it is a voracious hunter. We watched one go after a gekko the other day. It chased the gekko under one of the idle air conditioning units and strutted back and forth, waiting for the gekko to make one false move. Just when you think the coast is clear….wham!
The “mocking” bird. This gray and white bird knows 9 different “songs of the island.” It is about the same size as a robin and does not seem to be as aggressive as the black bird. I think it is really some sort of a fly-catcher. It is fun to watch these birds sit on the wires outside our apartment. They jockey for position and are quite territorial. I cheer for them when they go after the little biting flies (chaquistas) that torment me when it rains.
The dove (paloma). These beautiful gray and white doves remind me of home. They coo softly in the morning and again just as it is getting dark.
We asked Arturo about humming birds (colibri) as we have not seen any evidence of them on the island. We haven’t even seen any humming bird feeders. Arturo says they are “Not so much on the island. Maybe one or two in April.” I guess Isla is not on their migratory path. I am surprised, too because there are so many beautiful flowers on the island. We do see lots of butterflies (mariposas) so we are confident that the pollen is taken care of!!
On an unrelated note: Alici Ricaldi won the election. I guess all those people with the Gilbert Avalos t-shirts didn’t vote for him after all. Election day is very serious here and I think that the majority of people vote. Armed guards patrol the outdoor polling stations.