Friday, March 23, 2007

Manakinland

Friday, March 23, 2007
8 comments
I wish I was in Manakinland
Birding with my manakin clan
Gliding along through the green
of the sun-dappled jungle trail.


Manakins moonwalking
and snapping their wings
and we just fall out laughing,
because they're such silly, beautiful things.

8 comments:

On March 23, 2007 at 10:49 PM Chee said...

I love this love this love this. So grateful to be part of your manakin clan.

On March 24, 2007 at 8:01 PM Anonymous said...

What fun is this poem. Love the photos too! Keep it all coming!
S.

On March 24, 2007 at 8:47 PM Dea said...

Dear Bill,

May I impose upon you for assistance with a bird id? I'm currently in Washington, D.C. and I don't have my field guide handy - which is a moot point as it is the Birds of Western North America, where I'm from. For the same reason, I can't ask my online birding community from home.

Today I saw a robin-sized bird, grayish overall, but with a long tail. When it flew, white patches were visible on its wings' undersides. And it sang loudly, longly, lustily (3 Ls!) and beautifully.

I've looked on the Cornell site, and I'm wondering if it might be a mockingbird, which mentions white wing bars, but not if they're also visible on the underneath. What do you think?

Thanks, and I hope I'm not imposing!

Dea

On March 25, 2007 at 1:17 AM Susan Gets Native said...

I saw a video of a moonwalking manakin once and they are quite silly, yet gorgeous birds!
Loved the poem!
Not to step on anyone's toes, Bill, but I would like to answer Dea's question! Northern mockingbird, yes! They flash those white patches as they fly.

On March 25, 2007 at 3:57 PM Dea said...

Thanks for the id, Susan! I'm so excited - we don't get mockers where I'm from in Canada. I've just been reading "Why Birds Sing", and I've so wanted to see/hear one. Now I'll go back out and look for him again.

On March 26, 2007 at 11:43 AM Bill of the Birds said...

Dea:

Susan got it right from what you describe. Thanks for jumping in SGN!

BOTB

On March 26, 2007 at 3:36 PM Rondeau Ric said...

sgn, I have seen the video as ell, super cool, just like BT3s poem.
I actually followed this one.
;-)

On November 27, 2018 at 10:07 PM Bird of Paradise said...

The Mocho Manikin


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