Page 86 - 2003 - Atlantic Islands

wings. What lovely little birds with such a strange nonchalance about their

reproductive lives. They perform beautiful “nuptial” flights together & then the

female will often lay the egg in an indentation on a twig! How on earth can such a

precariously placed little oval ever progress to create another fairy tern and then if

that miracle happens how can the little hatchling ever avoid predators, high winds,

heavy rains, and falls to mature into a free-flying-fluttering bird?

The melodious songs of the transplanted Mynah birds were ever-present in the town

and in the country areas of the island. They are a handsome little bird that looks

somewhat like our mockingbirds in flight since it has bars across its wings in a similar

pattern. But the song is much more varied than our feathered neighbors. And,

apparently, the mynah can be taught to mimic human speech like a parrot.

The little city of Jamestown was charming and had much more character than

Ascension’s Georgetown. It’s older, of course, which helps give it a flavor filled with

its own history. The buildings such as the Castle where government activities take

place and the churches and the hotels are also of an earlier vintage.

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