All alone

No, this is not a sad post; rather just a suitable following for my last #featheredfriends post! In contrast to the last theme , Together, for this week's SMAP, the theme is... Single!

And what better way to start it than to picture the same species in the previous post, captured in a moment of loneliness?

^{Common starling - Sturnus vulgaris}

Well, truth be told, there's not that much loneliness with starlings; we normally see them in large groups, and although this one was hanging in the wire alone, there were some of his companions nearby. Not the case with this one here, though!

This one was foraging the grass all alone, with only the company of sparrows... and turds. Lots of turds. There was a funny saying in college about Açores (the islands where these photos were taken): if it's not green, it's a cow; so they're to blame! :)

---

The other bird captured together in the last post? Ducks! Not a fancy or rare wild species, just our regular domestic ducks, hanging out by a known lagoon. This one was a little bit astray from all the other, so great for me that got to include it here! Alone... in the photo, with his gang nearby.

---

I do think that, given that this will likely be my last 2023 #featheredfriends post, a few more photos and species are in order. And while we're still in the Açores islands, here's another little guy that was keeping the starlings company.

^{European serin - Serinus serinus}

This one was taken near the starlings on the rocks, near the seaside; there was a bit of wind, hence the semi-closed eyes of the serin; but I guess he was enjoying the sea breeze!

Another little Açores bird? Sure, here you go.

^{Azores chaffinch - Fringilla moreletti}

Cool thing I found out while doing this post: the Azores chaffinch is now considered as its own species, instead of a subspecies of the common chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs), as it was not that long ago.

And to wrap it up, let's move from Açores, to far far away. To another island, in a different continent, but with a species we can also see in Portugal, and a species I'm very fond of.

^{Osprey - Pandion haliaetus}

Where is it? In a small islet near Cayo Largo, Cuba! A lonely osprey, standing magestic near its nest, contemplating el caribe. There are worst places to fish, that's for sure!

---

Time for a much needed rest and some vacation days, that will hopefully include some birdwatching and cool bird photos. May you all have an awesome Christmas, and a 2024 filled with winged creatures (yes, I know some mammals have wings, but they are cool too :)!

Still haven't joined Splinterlands? In what planet do you live in? Click the banner below and join the fun! (It has my referral link; you can go directly to the website if you don't want to use it; either way... join in! 😎 )