Whoo whoo is in Kathmanduuuu

This cute little guy flew down the chimney of our next door neighbor's not once but twice over the past few months. The fearless guard (who has really missed his calling and needs to work at a zoo) just plucked the frightened owlet from the curtains. The kids just loooooved him and wanted to know why we couldn't keep him. Sigh.

Other ornithological wonders here include actual Cuckoo birds that indeed, "Cuckooo" just like the clocks:). Hawks glide on air circling who knows what. There are these fabulous egrets, white mini stork looking birds, who nested on the embassy grounds last year. At first we were all fascinated but then the flock grew exponentially and it was someone's FULL TIME job to wear a hazardous waste suit and clean up after them. They stunk up to the high heavens as my mother used to say. (Now this guy's job was better than the man who used to ride around on a scooter with a poop vacuum at our last post. Don't get me wrong I was grateful for his service but how do you describe what you do all day?) I noticed yesterday that the new egret season has started and this year they are starting to nest in the trees in front of the royal palace. Oh the metaphors are too much to contemplate. Speaking of the trees in front of the palace, (which is pink by the way - KTM architecture, another post another day) they also provide a home for a huge bat population. It is the oddest sight to see dozens of bats hanging like black bags in broad daylight high in the trees.

More flora and fauna some other time.

Namaste, Laurel