The Rush Hour

Imagine dense, wet, tropical rain forest.  All the sounds, smells, and animals are new and exotic.  The shapes and variations of the creatures remind me of Darwin’s Origin of Species and his painstaking observations on generations of Galapagos finches.  This island is smack dab in the middle of the Pacific and so far from other land masses that genetic isolation has worked its magic, yielding unique and endemic species.  So without further ado, let me introduce the Pohnpei Lory.  

I’m not an ornithologist, so from my scientific observations, it’s a dark red parrot looking bird.  Here at my home/wildlife sanctuary, the lories travel in small groups very quickly from treetop to treetop.  Every morning between 6-7:00, they quickly swoop in and stop off for a quick break.  Squawking loudly like, well, parrots, they seem to have the following high-decibel conversations.

 

“HEY, HURRY UP WE’RE LATE”

“DID YOU SEE THE GAME ON LAST NIGHT?”

“NO BUT I DID SEE YOUR WIFE OUT AT THE BAR”

“DON’T BE A JERK, HURRY UP WE’RE LATE”

“MAN I’VE GOT A TON OF STUFF ON TODAY AND THEN HAVE TO WORK ON THE KITCHEN RENOVATIONS”

Everyday.  At least 50, loud, beautiful birds swarm in from the east, stay a couple minutes and then move on heading west.  It’s like they’re clocking in.  And then, around 5pm, the same but in the opposite direction.   

“WHAT A DAY”

“QUICK HURRY UP I WANNA GET TO THE GYM BEFORE DINNER”

“DID YOU REMEMBER TO STOP AT THE BANK?”

“SHIT.  YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO REMIND ME”

“DON’T FORGET TOMORROW IS LITTLE JIMMY’S RECITAL”

“NO THAT’S TODAY, HURRY UP WE’RE LATE”

What Kevin and I couldn’t figure out is if they actually have a daily destination, or if they just make laps around the entire island checking into their various airports and hubs.  Strangely, they are they only lorikeets on the island.  No other parrot type birds at all.  Just these little maroon ones.  

Genus Species: Trichoglossus rubiginosus
Pohnpei Name: Serehd
Claim to fame: State bird of Pohnpei

Exists only on Pohnpei and Ant Atoll