On my final post from Cape Verde, I share some thoughts on birds and how this trip really changed me. After divorce and after a job change working at the same place for more than 2 decades, things in my life naturally changed.
I found a place to hide away from the world in Santa Maria, Sal. My host was amazing. She understood my needs and gave me her prized room to cook, read and just BE. I could watch the world pass me by.
I had to air out my thoughts. I had to say good-bye to a friend. And I had to deal with unfinished business on Sal so that I could properly move forward into this next life chapter.
When I arrived to Sal in the late 90's, I felt uneasy and unsettled. But on this trip, I discovered the opposite. I felt like I could disappear here from the world's problems and no one would notice or care. My words came back to me. And the language I thought I'd forget after all the years was somehow stored in a safe place in my brain ready for me to use again.
I left my safe space for a hike outside of town to the botanical gardens nearby. Along the way, I casually picked up life birds while still enjoying my vacation. A real vacation. I stationed myself near a great birding hotspot, the salt mines of Santa Maria, which also happen to run along the ocean with some very limited wetland area. So in one direction, right on the beach, it's a beautiful make believe land for the tourists. And on the other, it's truly Cape Verdean culture. From my balcony, I can see the newest and final construction of homes where the Senegalese live and border the ever shrinking dunes of Santa Maria. When I was here 26 years ago, there was nothing in that area.
Along the way, I noticed the improvements around the island of Sal. They looked great! It was just a dusty old beach town when I lived and worked there. Today it looks and feels like a tourist town with the most beautiful beaches in the world.
I arrived at the Viveiro Botanical Gardens. It was small but there was a lot of bird life in this small patch of green space. There was a cheap entrance fee. If it hadn't been for the birds, I may have gone there for lunch.
While the gardens didn't hold many lifers for me, I was able to observe many interesting birds that I don't get to see often here in Tucson. I enjoyed the Spanish Sparrows. There were many caged birds from the mainland of Africa and their cages were questionable. In fact, several birds were clearly out of their cages on several occasions. Thankfully a German birder was there to help me ID birds that were clearly not on my Cape Verde bird list. He pointed to the cages where they escaped and I just shook my head. The workers couldn't care less. And that's how invasive species begin. And they have destroyed many native island bird populations over the centuries.
On the way back to my flat, a Brown-necked Raven allowed me close observations. The pic above was taken with my cell phone.
During my time there, I drank Strela beer. I am not a beer drinker but this stuff is good. And it went well with so many meals. It replaced my Coke Zero desires. I tried various cachupas during my time there. I forgot that I didn't like the wet cachupa. It's a native dish to the islands.
So I found my old hangout run by the same guy! And I ordered my DRY cachupa below. And that's how I like it. With egg, tuna and hominy. I sat reliving many wonderful moments in my head on that patio with friends both living and gone.
So on this trip, the birds for the first time, took a backseat as I worked through my own emotions. Here are excerpts from my trip while I was there......It's a Saturday night here in the beach town of Santa Maria. Cape Verdean and tourists alike are out on the streets having fun. Me? Well, I tried to look for live music tonight but everyone was in a party mood. So no live Cape Verdean music tonight. Instead I'm in my room eating salty nuts and drinking my Coke Zero. The most I did today was go to the beach and enjoy the water. Then I set up some nature excursions out on the ocean for some pelagic birds and marine fun. That was my goal for today. Oh! And I got my dirty laundry done!
I found a water area behind the "new" Santa Maria high school. It was both beautiful and gross in some areas along the edge of the barren sand dunes. Garbage was dumped in certain areas along the wetlands. But it was here that I easily picked up Black-winged Stilts and Kentish Plovers while also getting my sights on several Western Cattle Egrets.
Kentish Plovers love these salt mine areas. The water is shallow and in some parts contaminated with trash and chemicals. I spy Ruddy Turnstones and Sanderlings in the distance.
A curious, yet shy, Brown-necked Raven watches me from the distance. I see the bird perched on a dirt pile while the sun creates a shimmer effect off the sand making it hard for my camera to focus.
As predicted by my research, Kentish Plovers were plentiful and present wherever there was water. However, they weren't crazy about people.
This scout kept an eye over the young ones nearby.
Like any good stilt, they made their alarm cries heard as I approached the water areas letting other birds know that there was an intruder nearby.
It was a fun morning out just enjoying the critter show along the sand dunes. I felt guilty for enjoying my birding alone. But I think I have needed a break like this for years away from the birding community. People spend huge amounts of money on guided trips. And here I am doing it all alone. Time and study paid off! And I saved money!
I take a sip of my water and marvel at the life that can survive on such little water around the island. And yet they do!
I also think that while they are on the right track, there is still a ways to go to protecting what little fresh water they have available in the wild.
Also observing butterflies on a desert island is quite special. There were many Plain Tiger Butterflies wherever there was water and flowering plants. And then there was that random escapee from the zoo nearby like this Diamond Dove below. It's a long ways away from Australia:)
It feels good to be back here again. It also feels different. I'm older now and I see things differently than when I did living here as a volunteer. Three species of bird that are everywhere on Sal are the Eurasian Collared-Doves. At times, they sound like our White-winged Doves over here. But then they'll make that ugly, "Ewww!" sound to remind me that they are still collared doves, although they are darker in color here. Then it's the universal Rock Pigeon. And finally, the endemic Cape Verde, or Iago, Sparrow. They are EVERYWHERE! They have one call similar to House Sparrows but there are many vocalizations and behavior differences. In fact, they have a call that sounds like a gnatcatcher! If you get a chance to visit Cape Verde, you'll enjoy just being alive. There's not a lot of places to go visit because it's more about enjoying the cultural events and celebrating friendships in some wonderful settings. My last advice. As of today, most of Cape Verde is super safe to visit minus the country's capital, Praia, on the island of Santiago. Most people never see Praia as all people fly onto the peaceful island of Sal. Praia is a cool city. If you have great travel experience, check it out. Just lock your car doors. It's like all big cities. Just take the precautions necessary. Everywhere else though is really nice and quite scenic. From West Africa, I head to West Mexico for more birding. But this trip was a birding trip and a lot of work! The weather was terrible and so were the bugs but I'll get into all of that fun discussion for next time. Until then, take care.
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