Sightings of a world traveler: Skinks

Friday, 11 January 2019

The Piedras River and Casa Kankui in El Zaino, Colombia

It was a long drive from El Dorado to El Zaino (about 5 minutes drive from Tayrona National Park) and walking into the hostel didn't really fit what I had expected. I knew it was along the highway but I expected the property to be a bit set back but this is ON the highway. The pool view is the highway and the highways views the pool.

Kankui Hostal

BUT all of that first impression drastically improved after settling in and over the course of the stay. The breakfast is included and is fantastic with fresh fruit, juice, scrambled eggs and arepas. Our room was river view and really was ON the river with only about 1 m of sand in between. There was air conditioning and TV. We had our own private balcony area with a hammock and chairs.

Piedras River at Kankui Hostal

The river was lovely, crystal clear and cool (but not very deep in dry season) with a rock/sand bottom that was easy to walk in. Stretching my legs after the long drive I walked just a short distance into the river and was surrounded by birds! Hummingbirds, tanagers warblers!! All flitting around these large mimosa shrubs blooming on a sand flat in the river.

Streaked Flycatcher

Blue-gray Tanagers

I walked the river many times in the three days we spent there and I saw many birds including:
Ruddy Ground-dove
Spotted Sandpiper
Crested Caracara
Yellow-headed Caracara

Yellow-headed Caracara

Pale-bellied Hermit
Steely-vented Hummingbird
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

Snowy Egret
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Ringed Kingfisher
Amazon Kingfisher
Green Kingfisher

Green Kingfisher Male

Green Kingfisher Female

Red-crowned Woodpecker

Orange-chinned Parakeet
Blue-headed Parrot

Blue-headed Parrot

Yellow-bellied Elaenia

Social Flycatcher
Summer Tanager

Summer Tanager

Tropical Kingbird

Southern Rough-winged Swallow

Bicoloured Wren
House Wren
Long-billed Gnatwren
Pale-breasted Thrush
Baltimore Oriole
Orange-crowned Oriole

Orange-crowned Oriole

Long-tailed Grackle
Blue-gray Tanager
Crimson-backed Tanager

Crimson-backed Tanager

Palm Tanager

Bananaquit
Northern Waterthrush
Yellow Warbler
Prothonotary Warbler
Grayish Saltator
Gray Seedeater

At night the river was loud with Giant Toads and fishing spiders but surprisingly little else. I did surprise an armadillo one night and it very slowly sauntered off in front of me like an old grump.

Giant Toad (Rhinella horribilis)

The highway doesn't have much around it here and the best places to eat are literally across the street at Chayrama or Yuluka EcoHostal. The food and drinks at both are lovely but I am partial to the ecohostal because of the wildlife. The restaurant is set higher up so you have a nice view of the trees and can bird watch while you eat or if you go for a quick walk around you see frogs, skinks and geckos on the property.

Yuluka EcoHostal

Blue-gray Tanager

Cimson-backed Tanager

Monday, 8 October 2018

Hiking near Kobe, Japan

Sumaura Park Viewpoint Plaza (日時計と青葉の笛広場) is a short climb up the mountain and easily accessible from Suma Station. The trail is mostly a dirt path reinforced with logs for stairs and some sections turned into concrete path. I would say this was the easier option compared to the trails of Yokooshuhen Ryokuchi Park (横尾周辺緑地). It is a lovely hike although it is very much a city park feel with young trees and in a quite disturbed area.

Sumaura Park Viewpoint Plaza (日時計と青葉の笛広場)

Up at the top of the viewpoint there is a lookout structure, benches and a groomed area of hedges and planted flowers. It was really not what I was expecting to get to after walking the dirt path up here.

Sumaura Park Viewpoint Plaza (日時計と青葉の笛広場)

Yokooshuhen Ryokuchi Park (横尾周辺緑地) is just a short walk through a residential area in between there and Sumaura Park Viewpoint Plaza. The first stretch goes quite literally up a concrete staircase but provides amazing views of forest and city below as you get up to the ridge.

Yokooshuhen Ryokuchi Park (横尾周辺緑地)

Although the only flowers blooming were exotic or planted there were definitely a lot of mushrooms in the understory bearking out of the soil and leaf litter.

Yokooshuhen Ryokuchi Park (横尾周辺緑地)

Standing up on the open rocks you get a view on either side of the mountain and can see the city and ocean sprawling out below.

Yokooshuhen Ryokuchi Park (横尾周辺緑地)

The rock formations are beautiful contrast against the green and provide a gorgeous view of the open area below. From here Black-eared Kites soar at eye level and coast over the mountains thermals.

Yokooshuhen Ryokuchi Park (横尾周辺緑地)

I was lucky enough to be in town for the Indian festival held at Kobe Waterfront. There isn't much to see in Kobe unless you like shopping so this was a nice excuse to go out to the waterfront and have some different types of food. There was music, dancing, shops and food stands. The food was amazing but still actually not very spicy. Although it was more spicy than some other places in Japan.

Indian Festival at Kobe Waterfront

Kobe Waterfront

Mount Rokkō (六甲山) is one of the most famous areas to hike near Kobe/Osaka and the is easily accessible from Ashiya Station or Ashiya-gawa Station. Two trails split from Kōza Falls (高座の滝) and varry greatly in difficulty. The main trail is the one I hiked the previous time I visited Kobe and although it is still a large section of stairs uphill it is easier than the river trail that goes on an offshoot to the main trail, which I took this time with a local hiking group.