La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
THIS MORNING I WAS OUT of bed at 8 and back in bed at 10. I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I awoke again at 11 to find San Geraldo coming back to bed, so I went back to sleep. We both woke up in plenty of time for lunch (at 2). By 3, lunch was done and I could have gone back to sleep. I’m not physically tired, just sleepy. Trying to escape, I suppose.
But I plan to power through the afternoon, with my blog, SG’s book, a walk, a workout, and whatever else there’s time for.
I’ve got just four more photos to share from our day at the zoo. Three are scenes of the zooscape.
The first photo is a Southern Cassowary. Males and females have similar plumage, but the female is dominant and much larger with a longer casque (that bony top), larger bill, and brighter-coloured bare parts (see the face and neck). Besides that, both sexes incubate the eggs and the males raise the chicks alone. Cassowary aren’t a threatened species in the wild. Is it because the females are in charge?
The final photos are a species I saw on my walk yesterday.
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ESTA MAÑANA SALÍ DE LA cama a las 8 y volví a acostarme a las 10. No podía mantener los ojos abiertos. Me desperté de nuevo a las 11 y me encontré con San Geraldo volviendo a la cama, así que me volví a dormir. Ambos nos despertamos con tiempo suficiente para almorzar (a las 14:00). A las 15:00, el almuerzo estaba listo y podría haberme vuelto a dormir. No estoy físicamente cansado, solo tengo sueño. Tratando de escapar, supongo.
Pero planeo pasar la tarde con mi blog, el libro de SG, una caminata, un entrenamiento, y cualquier otra cosa para la que haya tiempo.
Solo tengo cuatro fotos más para compartir de nuestro día en el zoológico. Tres son escenas del paisaje zoológico.
La primera foto es un casuario del sur. Los machos y las hembras tienen un plumaje similar, pero la hembra es dominante y mucho más grande con un casco más largo (esa parte superior huesuda), un pico más grande, y partes desnudas de colores más brillantes (ver la cara y el cuello). Además de eso, ambos sexos incuban los huevos y los machos crían solos a los polluelos. El casuario no es una especie amenazada en la naturaleza. ¿Es porque las mujeres están a cargo?
Las fotos finales son una especie que vi en mi caminata ayer.





• Un pantalones cortos y más cortos en su hábitat nativo con miembros de la manada. Acordonado de la población en general.

• Un corredor de trasero azul. ¿A dónde supones que conduce ese cable? ¿Ha sido etiquetado?
Wow, that first picture! I couldn’t figure out what I was looking at! I thought it was some seal/shark type of thing eating a blue animal of some kind. I found the beak and eye once I was told what it was. Note to me: no photos before my morning coffee.
The other wildlife was interesting, to say the least. Nice butt on that zebra flossed critter.
Deedles:
That first photo was through glass, which made it even more confusing. I see some very nice specimens around town. Sometimes I just find it depressing.
What does that Blue-Rumped Runner have stuck to the back of his arm? A sanitary pad?
Debra:
Brilliant! That’s exactly what it looks like and I never registered. I guess sanitary pads are doing double-duty here as masks.
Wow, the zoo photos are great! Are those wild boars? I don’t think that we have those in our St. Louis zoo –another award winning zoo! Remember Marlin Perkins, of “Mutual Of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom” show, on Sunday nights? He was the the director of our zoo, from 1962 on, for many decades.
I hope you’re struggling a bit less today.
Judy C:
Those are Red River Hogs from western and central Africa. I should have included a caption, so I added one. I LOVED Wild Kingdom and can still hear Marlin Perkins’ voice. I used to love his unsubtle segues from the animal kingdom to the advertising kingdom. I slept a lot of yesteday, but blissfully. So not so much struggling now as simply escaping. About to head out for some fresh air.
Love the brick and stone work at the zoo.
Wilma:
The next time I’m there, I’ll take more photos of the place itself. The detail is stunning. Really beautifully done.
Some days are an uphill battle. Better just to lay out flat and avoid the flack.
Like Deedles, it took me a minute to figure out what I was seeing in the first photo. The other ones…not so much. The last guy seems to have an am/fm/bm radio,eh?
Mary:
Yesterday ended up being mostly a siesta day and it was very pleasant. Just what the brain and body needed. Am/fm/bm radio made us both laugh here!
Nice feathers, it is a long weekend, you can take Monday off as well.
David:
The colorful parts of the cassowary are actually skin. I’m working today. Labor Day was 1 May here.
Treat it like Christmas and Hanukkah – take both.
David:
Too late, but a great idea.
Love the stone elephant ….
The first hoot I had to stare at for an age
John:
What’s a hoot? I know it in American slang as something funny or, less often, breasts.
Go with the flow kind of day I see. Keeping busy none the less. Good plan.
We may have those new species here as well…..lol
Jim:
The best laid plans… I had another siesta, and then worked on the book. But it was just what was needed.
That can’t be comfortable floss up your backside.
Anon:
But he gets a little thrill every time he raises or lowers his head.
When in doubt get horizontal.
Urspo:
I did and we did together. A relaxing day.
Those Southern Cassowaries can apparently kick like mules and the females have a 5″ razor-sharp claw on each foot — dinosaurs are alive and well in those mofos, LOL!
Your zoo looks charming and that brick elephant wall is wonderful!
Tundra Bunny:
That claw looks serious, too. Fortunately, they’re not aggressive, just shy and defensive.
I’ll get more shots of the zoo itself next time. It’s beautifully designed and so lush.
Aren’t cassowaries notoriously mean? I always heard they’re dangerous. (Probably not in a zoo, though!) I love the sort of Angkor Wat style of the zoo structures.
Steve:
Cassowaries are dangerous because their kick can be lethal and their center claws are like hooked daggers. But I don’t think they’re considered mean, just solitary and powerful. They don’t respond well to aggression (or maybe they do). Also, people will feed them and then upset them for not continuing to feed them. I don’t think they understand that.