Caribbean Flamingo   © Denise Etienne

You may remember that I recently took a trip to the Emperor Valley zoo. They have a beautiful exhibit of the Caribbean Flamingos, if you haven’t seen it as yet you should go check it out!

These birds are quite striking with their long legs and necks, with a height of approximately 3.5 to 4.5 feet tall. Occasionally because of their unique bright pink plumage, they are easily confused with the Scarlet Ibis, but as you can see they are much bigger birds.

© Denise Etienne

Naturalist Notes: Blooming Immortelles

Immortelles blooming   © Denise Etienne

Presently  in the northern range there are countless amounts of Immortelle trees in full bloom. Their bright orange flowers attract numerous species of birds including: hummingbirds, honeycreepers, orioles, one can even observe Parrots and Oropendolas feeding. This tree was especially grown to shade Cocoa and Coffee.

© Denise Etienne

Naturalist Notes: Ocelot

Ocelot at the Emperor Valley Zoo

Today we took a trip to the Zoo. It was my little nephew's first visit and his favorite animal was the baby Red Howler Monkey. For me, I always love seeing the Ocelots. I think they have a mysterious aura about them. They seem so quiet and reserved. This is also the only native wild cat found on the island.

© Denise Etienne