Birds in paradise

Aruba bills itself as “One Happy Island” and the friendly people we have met tend to support that claim. But those of you who know me well, know I’m a data person and there is data to support this claim. A study by the University of Central Florida has named Aruba in the number one position in the world for overall happiness. Part of the reason is that, unlike other Caribbean Islands, there is a more consistent standard of living for the residents here – unemployment is very low as is the poverty index. You do not see the stark contrast between super-opulent tourism areas and extreme poverty for the residents.

In addition to the warm, friendly people, Aruba has a lot to offer to increase our happiness. Of course, there is the beautiful Caribbean ocean and pristine beaches. Our first two days here, we have spent the majority of the day relaxing under a Palapas, which looks like a tiki-hut and provides comfortable shade from the intense sun. It’s very breezy all of the time and because this is a desert island, there is relatively low humidity. The combination of all of those elements just makes a wonderfully comfortable place to sit and read. I finished the one book I brought and today I hope to find a shopping area to get something else to read.

But while I may have run out of things to read, there is no fear of boredom. The beautiful birds here have been a constant source of enjoyment, and quite a challenge to photograph. But I have been able to capture a few of them, including the beautiful one at the top of this blog. I could see these birds high in the top of a palm tree, and then they ventured down to rest on an empty beach chair. They have the most beautiful soft blue color on their faces, which provides quite a contrast to the stark black, orange and white on their bodies.

And one of my all-time favorites made an appearance yesterday, a large brown pelican. I watched him soar across the waves with amazing precision as he searched for his lunch. Then suddenly, he would dive into the ocean for his catch. He was much too fast to photograph in this action, although I must say, not for lack of trying on my part. But he later consented to pose for me on a rock jetty before settling on a quite spot to just float around on the ocean and digest his lunch or perhaps catch an afternoon nap – I’m not sure which.

And then, among the sand, seashells, palm trees and tropical birds, we find these.

Doesn't that look like a pigeon? That's exactly what it is. What are these pigeons doing here? They look so odd -- like grumpy New York tourists who came here but somehow never left. And they walk gingerly across the warm sand, which is very comical when you remember how they walk with their head bobbing - here their efforts to quickly get across the sand make them look like some bizarre wind-up toy.

And while not a bird, this little creature also added to our beach-side entertainment. I’m actually amazed that this photograph turned out because his coloring is a perfect disguise. We would probably never have seen him except Jim spotted the movement of his little eyes. I focused in on his hole in the sand and watched him thru the lens of the camera until he ventured fully out onto the sand. Cute little thing, isn’t he?