The story of the Scaly-breasted Munia and the Blue Heron 🪶📖

Seven days have passed since I had these two birdwatching moments. I really can't say how many Scaly-breasted Munias I saw in that tree. They were so far away that when @muhammadhalim pointed them out, I replied: If you don't tell me what they are, I would have thought they were just ordinary sparrows.

I took several photos knowing I wouldn't get good shots because they were very far away. I think about five or six birds were there, preening and singing. Today, when I sat down to write this post, I couldn't remember who they were, so I searched using a recognition app and it gave me their scientific name: Lonchura punctulata.

The cuban birdwatching group I joined after we got back from that photo safari in Baracoa Beach told me these birds are known locally as Dameros. 😃

These birds are truly beautiful. When I zoomed in on my photo, I saw that their plumage looks as if it’s patterned with tiny scales. Later, when I did a bit of research, I found out that this is one of their key identifying features. The rest of their body, in earthy brown tones, makes a lovely combination, I’d say.

Our companion that day explained that it’s considered an invasive species. I didn’t like that label for such a small and charming little bird. It’s also a foreign visitor, having come from India and other Asian regions.

(And it looks like they’ve decided to settle here!)

I really enjoy birdwatching, and if I can, photographing them as well. I asked Muhammadhalim where I might find bird calls, because he mentioned that these birds are sociable and tend to come quite close when they hear their own song. I had a similar experience with Cartacubas (Cuban Tody) in the Escambray region of Sancti Spíritus. A friend had lots of bird calls stored on his mobile, and he played the Cartacuba’s call. It’s true, they came closer out of curiosity. That’s how he managed to take such close and lovely photos of them… I have one of those photos printed on a mug because he gave it to me as a gift.

Well, the summary is that Muhammad recommended I download Merlin, a free app for bird identification and field guidance, with the tropical birds pack. He said it takes up around 800 MB of space. Looks like it’s time to free up some room on my phone.

That photo I left up there is like a little prelude—to show you what I saw later on, a bit further along our walk. And of course, to make this chat a bit more pleasant, haha… sorry! Doesn’t that place just radiate peace and beauty?

Thanks to another fellow member of the birdwatching club (@melmily249) who was right beside me, I was able to spot and photograph this Little Blue Heron for the very first time. We were both focused on making our way along the coast, which was quite tricky to walk through, so you have to tread carefully to avoid twisting your feet. We were just about to enter the mangroves, which were in even worse condition for walking when she pointed out the bird to me. _{There were even broken bottles scattered around (the issue of pollution there saddened me deeply… but that’s another matter).} I couldn’t see it myself. Seems my long-distance vision is a bit worn out. Luckily, the 45–200 mm lens on my camera spotted it just fine.

One of the things I still need to sort out is properly organising my birdwatching records. I started off with a little series about sightings here in my neighbourhood. I’ve published a few posts on Hive, but now that I’m closer to other members of the birdwatching club, it feels like I ought to take this more seriously. The other challenge is learning the names of the birds… with the terrible memory I’ve got… well, we’ll see.

And with that, I leave my contribution to the #SMaP challenge proposed by @nelinoeva in its 232nd round, with an open theme. Feel free to take a look at the post here.