Various Oregon Birding Piks: THE HAMMOCK

If I had to guess who might have created the hammock, I’d surmise it was by someone who did not want to work. And then he probably went into business manufacturing hammocks and then selling such to others who were lazy like himself. Being smart like that, he was probably the original multi-level marketer, ensuring everyone else would enable him to not have to work for the rest of his life. I think his name could have been Bernie M. Ponzi.....

But, it appears the indigenous people from the Americas may have been the first to make and use such quite broadly. In one of Columbus’ journals he mentions the natives in the Caribbean using them as trade items. Eventually Columbus brought some back and little by little they were altered and used in Europe, even becoming the standard beds for the ships of the Royal Navy of England in the 1500s.

In Latin America they are much more common than in the states. Everyone has one. I like one if it is not so lose as to hang with more of the U shape because I am uncomfortable if my feet are higher than my head. It is hard to use an iPad in that position as well.

The hammock at my 2nd lodging is acceptable for me, and I use it fairly often. As long as there is a breeze to keep the bugs at bay, I may be found there in the afternoon, catching up on my writing. Occasionally this will last until sunset when I have to drag myself out of it so I can snap a few pics of that. By then the breeze has usually died down and the bugs are back, so I head inside.

It is great to watch the squadrons of pelicans floating by, one formation after another.

Lots of Pelicans always going by

I have not yet dozed off in one yet, but I suspect that time is coming. When I decide to relax in one now, I have handy my binoculars, camera, IPad, bird books and water. There is a hedgerow of flowering bushes off the front porch, and since I noticed birds coming there sometimes, I thought I’d get ready to photograph them.

While relaxing one time, I saw a hummer some 75 yards away sitting on an exposed branch. So I took his pic. This was another occasion where I was able to ID the bird after I enlarged the pic on my iPad. It was a Short-tailed Woodstar. About 30 minutes later she came to feed off the flowers about 15 feet away, and I was able to snap this great pic of her.

Short-tailed Woodstar

One of the lodge dogs occasionally comes over to my cabin and lays under my hammock providing me some company. But I think she wants food, so I gave her a piece of chocolate after I got back from Puerto Lopez the other day, since I was eating some anyway. She is a friendly dog with a nice disposition. The last place where I was had a dog that came up the stairs and hung out all the time under my hammock. That dog stunk and carried her retinue of small flies wherever she went. I used to talk meanly to her, asking her to go elsewhere. She usually got the message and left after a few minutes of verbal chastisement.

One of the managers - Wilson - who is getting
ready to spray for bugs on the roofs.

The nice dog

One thing I really enjoyed was seeing the sunset while relaxing in the hammock. Almost an evening ritual.

Just another glorious sunset

Looking south once you reach the beach.

Below are a few more “Hammock Pics” I was able to get while working hard in the hammock. Come to think of it, maybe I should start a “Hammock List” of birds I’ve seen from it.......maybe this is starting to backfire. You might think I just lay around all the time like this iguana. I see him in the top of the same tree every morning waiting to bask in the sun. What a life!