Lower Madero Walkway

Well, it is summertime again and I am up and outdoors at 7:00 a.m. as is my habit on nice days and this is one (all but the mosquitoes). Some new things and some expected run ins with with staff and animals.

This is something I haven't seen for about 5 years. The lower walkway along the lagoon outside the reserve is open. They opened the gate and I was able to drive down a ramp on my wheel and take a ride down the lower walkway which was strange and different for me.

Paddle End Loader in action

This wacky machine was working and I nearly went underneath the scoop which was still pouring out water as it drained the payload.

So what is this thing scooping up and why do they want to get rid of it? These are floating plants and they look similar to a carnivorous plant that eats insects that are in the water. I can't be sure of that but that's what they look like to me. Above is a close up of the stuff that's floating all around this machine.

the reason that they're scooping it up is because it looks like grass and people might walk on it and fall in if they don't take it out. People need to see the water to know that it's there.

I turn to my left and looked up at the railing that I used to sit by for the last several years. This is a view that I haven't had for at least 5 years and certainly never while riding on the reserve walkway. We are looking up at one of the buildings from the lower walkway.

The Eagle (Carancho)

Just below that shot, we have a poster about the reserve and why it's useful and somebody chose my favorite bird has the cover for the poster explaining the need for a reserve for the birds and animals.

These birds are huge and I've seen them many times. You'll see a photo below of one that are ran into today. They have a wingspan of 120-132 cm (47-52 inches) and can weight up to 3 lbs.

Into the Nature Reserve - to the Trails

Here's what it looks like when I got into the reserve the sun's still coming up but low in the sky as I rode through a tunnel of trees into the back end of the reserve.

And low and behold, who do I run into but a Carancho also known as a Caracara walking about on the path. He was lifting his foot and looking at it as if it hurt it or something. I couldn't get too close, and I wouldn't want to, but I was able to get a few shots of him in the shade. Stayed as long as I could until I was completely covered with mosquito bites. Then I had to get moving again because the wind keeps them at bay.

Turtley Turtle

Meet Turtley, named by the same convention used by my youngest when confronted by a new animal or nameable vehicle. She started putting her head into her shell at first.

Then she walked toward me and started to move her legs in a sweeping motion as if she were trying create a place to lay her eggs (that's why am saying it's a 'her') and again I remind you that I am usually the first in the reserve. Also, because I am on an electric vehicle, nobody hears me coming. By nobody I mean no animal, so I am usually the first to catch these creatures doing their normal routines before all the crowd gets there and starts jogging and biking through the place.

She had climbed up the hill out of the lagoon and was crossing the path. I had taken a few photos of her and then stayed with her as she turned around to head back toward the water. There was a reserve vehicle, some bikers and joggers that I warned so that they would not squash her.

Her head is about the size of a baseball and you can see that she is still wet from her swim to the shore, which is a pretty steep climb of about six feet to the path. I imagine that she was a little bit miffed by all the people on land up on the path, but she seemed to be less afraid as I protected her.

She started walking toward me and I didn't want to touch her because she's a protective mother, but I did go backwards and lead her off to the side of the path where I have seen turtles much smaller than her laying their eggs in previous years. They dig a hole and then they lay them and they bury them so that they can hatch and get back to the water quickly. I've seen documentaries on this usually at the side of a beach or something but this process is similar at the nature preserve here in the city of Buenos Aires.

These photos taken within the box on the map below...

People always ask where the reserve is, so I am attaching a map here in advance of those questions. I still love comments though so feel free!