While staying in Muguga House, transport was a problem as, to get to Nairobi it meant a 10km ride to access the main road and then find public transportation to and from the capital city. That meant that the shortest of the trips would involve a full day! The situation improved later when I got the VW Kombi. This allowed us also to move out of the temporary Muguga House’s bungalow to a proper house in Tigoni.

In the meantime, we explored the Muguga surroundings on foot following the many tracks used by the local inhabitants in their daily errands. The soil was red, seriously red, and slippery and the paths narrow and sinuous! Falls were funny affairs until we realized that to wash the red stains from our clothes demanded quite an effort so, after the first experience we strode with great care! It was good exercise and it gave us a chance to come into contact with the local people, particularly the women and children.

Among the colleagues sharing Muguga House was Ranjini, a British expert on plant viruses, particularly maize streak, who was also starting her career with the Overseas Development Administration[2] on the plant health section of the Kenya Agriculture Research Institute. Although she was reserved at first, my wife and I became friends with her (up to today!). She had a sharp sense of humour that, according to her, she inherited from her Sri Lankan father. She had very long dark hair worn loose.

Ranjini and other British colleagues of hers were used to walking and they did it frequently. Walking was not an activity that was performed in Uruguay so we were rather unfit and the few ocassions we tried it was a bit of an embarrassment as we lagged behind! Of course we attributed this to the Muguga altitude knowing very well that we were unfit! The situation improved after a while and we could join the ramblers more comfortably although we could not match them. We frequently walked with Ranjini, who had a slower pace and with whom we shared more interests.

The day in question was a Sunday and we left a bit late. We took the path towards a patch of indigenous forest as there were always interesting birds to be seen there. Mabel and Ranjini were walking in the front and I followed. As usual we met a few people who greeted us with the well known “jambo“[3] or its Kikuyu equivalent. A few women were on their daily errands which included carrying a 20lt jerry can of water on their heads, and a bunch of firewood on their backs all while knitting some pullover for their children. I never stopped admiring them! Oh yes, and walking more steadily and faster than me. Others were going to catch a “matatu“[4] to go to town or visit relatives while quite a number were dressed for mass.

We were traversing a bit of open ground and a little boy of about 4 years dressed in his best Sunday clothes never saw us coming, busy looking where he was stepping, probably following his mother’s directions to keep his shoes clean! Two of his sisters, his mother and another lady (his auntie?) accompanied him, also dressed up. The boy was at the front of the group.

The moment the boy heard people coming towards him, he looked up. Until that instant he wore a happy face and we had seen it. It took only a split second for his expression to change into a look of terror, followed by a loud scream. He immediately started crying. Unfortunately for him he had just seen three white aliens without warning! I am sure that what was particularly terrifying for him was to face two of them with very long hair advancing on him. His instinctive response, after the initial shock, was to turn and run for the safety of his mother. It would have worked if only he would not have slipped and fallen.

My wife (left) and Ranjini on a walk.

Ranjini showing how it is done!

Although his mother moved towards him, the witches were closer and got to him first with the intention of helping. Somehow, this was not the little boy’s perception of the situation and, finding himself “alien handled” he cried even louder in a fit of deeper terror! While his immediate relatives started to chuckle at the scene unfolding, eventually, with the help provided by the witches, he regained the needed mobility and rushed to his mother, burying himself in her skirts and almost disappearing from sight!

Our concern for the boy’s welfare turned into amusement the moment we saw his family laughing whole-heartedly at the incident. I am sure that somehow the encounter remained with the youngster for sometime!

[1] See also: https://bushsnobinafrica.wordpress.com/2015/03/10/kenya-muguga1/ and https://bushsnobinafrica.wordpress.com/2015/06/30/life-and-work-in-kenya-muguga1/

[2] Now known as The Department for International Development (DFID).

[3] Swahili for “Hello”.

[4] Swahili for a minibus used for public transportation.

Important issues such as passport renewal and visits to our family doctor compelled us to leave Salta for our small town of Carmelo in the shores of the river Plate. The night before our departure my wife and I were busy with the packing and other arrangements to leave our farm in good order for our return towards the end of April.

At some stage we were both outside engaged on different tasks when I heard my wife saying, “was that you rattling?” “As far as I know, I still move about freely and free from rattles” was my curt reply, slightly upset by her sarcasm. And then I also heard the noise, an “shhhhh, shhhhh” coming from the garden. “You are right, there is some rattling but is not me” I said to her and added, “I think it is moving this way…” Before I could finish my sentence, my wife interrupted me saying in a voice she reserves only for some creepy-crawlies (snakes, mice, and sometimes myself!) “a snake is coming there”. She pointed towards the general area and that was the last I saw of her for a while, disappearing behind the verandah’s door into the house at a speed.

The snake was in the dark and I could not see it well but I suspected it to be a rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus terrificus) judging by the noise it made. I knew these snakes were present in the area although they are not commonly seen.

I managed to switch the outside light on without losing sight of the visitor that was heading for our house. I was immediately reminded by an invisible wife to keep the back door closed. So it was the snake and I!

Now, what do you do when one of the dangerous creatures from Nature comes for a visit? Ninety-nine per cent of the people around the area will immediately kill it as, reasonably, they regard this as a threat to themselves, children and pets. I could have done this and save myself lots of trouble but I did not!

I watched the snake moving gently towards me and veering off at about a metre from me to seek shelter under one of our large plant vases. I waited and it did not come out so I guessed that I would have sufficient time to run into the house, get a hook from the fire place and come back to check on it. I did and it was still there so I decided that I could now search for our “chameleon box” that was somewhere in the house. Luckily I found it quite fast so I was ready for the capture.

The bushsnob with the fire hook.

Hooking the snake and dropping it into the chameleon box.

The rather large pot was moved to get a chance to hook it but, as expected, the snake moved off but I managed to hook it and lift it inside the box, rather skillfully I thought, pleased with myself. The box was perfect as it is very well built, with a glass front and a metal grid on top. The snake was secure and safe. I won the first round.

After a detailed conversation over dinner I managed to convince my wife that the best course of action was to release the snake far from our farm and, after lot of discussion, a distance of about 4 km was considered safe, as it would be difficult that the snake would return! My victory had a pyrrhic side to it, as now I needed to move the snake from its present location to a suitable container so that I could carry it away.

I considered the various options and settled for a cardboard box with high walls as to avoid it from climbing out before I closed it safely. I like snakes in general but I respect poisonous ones very much so I like to play safe and keep a good distance to avoid surprises!

Luckily the following morning the snake was probably cold and scared so it allowed itself to be lifted from the cage into the box rather easily and I even had time for a picture taken by my wife. (Between you and me, it was trickier to persuade my wife to take the picture than to handle the snake into the box!).

Safely inside the box. Luckily the snake was more scared than I.

Coiled and rattling.

We then loaded the snake at the back of our pick-up and departed for Uruguay stopping after 4 km to let it go. I opened the box, readied the camera and expected an elegant exit to take a few pictures to illustrate this for this post. As the snake did not leave the box after a couple of minutes, I tilted it and the snake finally slid off, still coiled up. However, before I could even think on a picture, it took off at a speed, luckily away from us and into the bush. I had no time to take a shot but, amazingly, my wife did, I am not sure how!

Releasing the snake 4 km away.

The snake would not come out.

After tilting the box, the snake, still coiled, slid off.

The snake took off at a speed towards the bush.

After watching the snake getting into some cracks in the rocks and out of sight, we rattled off.

Grasshoppers and/or locusts -I cannot tell them apart- are also plentiful in our farm and surrounding area. Dazzled with more colourful critters we tend to overlook them as they normally jump off and they are gone into the grass, quite far away from the observer to enable it to re-discover them. In addition, they immediately seek further shelter under the leaves.

Sometimes, however, we do find some, either because they are still young and prefer to stick together rather than use their strong legs or because they make the error of entering the house or the car or, who knows? maybe because they are lazy.

Being attractive creatures I present you with a couple of pictures as an introduction to the subject that let’s me tell you about one particular grasshopper I “discovered” yesterday.

I was in one of my insect-watching sorties, focusing on moths the morning after to take a few pictures for my “collection” when a greenish flying insect caught my eye. Luckily I saw it landing and went for a look. Its flight took it to a pine tree trunk, covered with lichen and moss. I spent a few minutes searching the landing spot and I only detected the insect as it shifted its position slightly and moved some lichen that caught my eye.

When I focused on the movement I realized that the lichen had not moved but it was in fact the creature shifting position! It is the most perfect example of camouflage I have seen so far (well, perhaps of green camouflage…) and I prefer to show it rather than trying to explain how it looked. It was about 3-4 cm long

A series of pictures showing the very well camouflaged “hopper”. I could not believe how well its head mimics some of the “leaves” from the lichen around it!

Unfortunately while I was busy taking the pictures it jumped off and I am still trying to find it again…

NB: I found a younger brother that I managed to keep until I can get some more pictures of it to show you!

I have spent three years photographing butterflies and moths at our farm located in the phytogeographic area of the Yungas that belongs to the Neo-tropical Amazonian domain. Its warm and humid climate acts as a true insect incubator that I find extremely interesting and entertaining.

Most butterflies are pictured while walking on the access road where they abound in certain areas while the moths are attracted by a while light left on overnight. I can guarantee that both walks and light offer new discoveries almost daily. The problem is to be able to take the necessary pictures, often with poor light and with moving and flying subjects as the only dead ones come from “road kills”.

Very often I doubt if I am looking at a butterfly or a moth as the division is not as clear as between bats and birds! Broadly I considered that butterflies were diurnal, colourful insects that fold their wings vertically while the opposite applied to moths: rather dull, nocturnal and with horizontally-placed wings.

To be sure, I consulted the only butterfly guide I have handy[1] that confirmed my views adding that there are also differences in the shape of their antennae as well as an academic difference regarding humeral lobes and frenula that is beyond me dealing with live insects.

What I also learnt is that there are some exceptions to this general rules, as usual!

What the book did not tell me is that some moths further complicate the budding lepidopterist’s life by pretending to be butterflies and vice-versa!

What I did not know was that confusion would also be possible while identifying one individual moth, depending on the wing you look at! I came across this example of a bicolor moth that I did not know it could happen.

No doubt this has been observed before but I thought it worth reporting it while I follow this issue up with the “experts”.

The “mutant”…

[1] Williams, J.G. (1969). A field guide to the butterflies of Africa. Collins. 238p.

After finding the 80 zig-zag we thought that the day was done and I was telling my wife that there was another “special” one that I really wished to find. It was what I called the “flying skeleton”, a “see-through” butterfly that I had seen in reference books and believed to have spotted a couple of times in past years. However, it was always flying high and never stopped for a possibility of a photo.

We walked another few metres and she interrupted my story saying: “Do you mean something like that?” My now “frozen” wife was pointing at the road in front of her A quick look was enough to confirm that one of my most “Wanted” butterflies was just there, waiting for me to get the camera!

Still somehow amazed by our luck and thinking “who else but her could spot such an insect in the middle of the road at the right time?” I managed to get the camera in time and photograph it.

Luckily, it was very tolerant and I managed to photograph it before it disappeared into the bush. It was the Yungas vitreous (Methona confusa).

While in the issue of translucent butterflies, I take the opportunity to show you a couple of pictures of Rothschildia maurus, a very large moth that comes very occasionally to our verandah light. The first one came in 2014 and we did not see another one until another (smaller one) turned up a couple of days ago. We observed some differences in the wing pattern of the various specimens seen and we need to consult an expert to determine its possible meaning.

I trust that you will agree with me that these are something really special!

Finally, other butterflies also show “windows” in their wings and I could not see any logical explanation for them. However, Nature has its ways!

We are back at the foot of the Andes, in our small farm in Salta where we will spend a couple of months. It is warm and humid and, although there are numerous creatures, at the moment the butterflies rule!

I have already described a few in an earlier post[1] but I need to do them justice so I will present you with a few more observations as we find them. Some of them exist in abundance while others are rare.

The 80 zig-zag (eighty zig-zag) (Callicore sorana) is one of them. I had spotted it before but invariably it flew up and into the woodlands as soon as I tried to approach it. I was beginning to think that I would not get a picture of it… until now.

For some reason, one of them showed some patience towards the bushsnob and I managed a few shots that, not only justify its name but show it in all its beautiful tones. This butterfly sits with its wings closed and flashes them open every few seconds showing its “true colours”. As my finger in the trigger was invariably slower than the insect, I took about 100 pictures until I got the few ones that show it with its wings open.

Under sunlight the colours were really outrageous and I hope the pictures can show this unique insect!

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[1] See: https://bushsnobinafrica.wordpress.com/2015/02/27/flying-gems/