March 10, 2020
South of Fray Bentos
Once we had packed up the bikes, we cycled out to the Barrio Anglo again hoping for a tour of the old factory.
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It turned out that entry is free on a Tuesday and with good reason - there are no tours. So, given that almost all the signage is in Spanish, we were left to our own devices to work out what was what.
I had slept incredibly badly since we got to Fray Bentos and was struggling along behind Leigh while she tried to work out for what each bit of the plant was used. Eventually we had to call it quits and we headed back into town to buy some groceries before riding to our digs for the night at an apartment called "La Aceituna" a few kilometers south of the town.
It turns out it is a bit of a gem out in the country and is welcome relief after being stuck in noisy towns for the past week. I collapsed on the bed and had a sleep and woke up to the sound of a bird singing on the balcony - a Saffron Finch.
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The large grounds are full of birdlife and I felt quite at home in the quiet surroundings. So I sought out the owner and paid for an extra night - this place is just what we needed.
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https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/539037-Bothrops-alternatus
Never having been to South America, nor seen one in person, I cannot be sure. I agree the head does not look like a viper though, because it appears to be of similar width to the neck , but that could be camera angle. Snout appears down turned, not a viper characteristic, again camera angle could mask that. I see no typical pit by the nostril, but the angle of the picture could obscure that. It does have an elliptical pupil, another viper characteristic. Also the scales are keeled (tiny ridge along the middle of scales), which is another viper characteristic.
If I had seen it in person it would be easier to say for sure. From what I see though, I would stay back a few feet.
As for the vibrating tail, many snakes do that when agitated, both venomous and nonvenomous.
4 years ago
4 years ago
I was recently asked what camera I am using. For general stuff, as with most folks, I just use my cellphone but for my bird photographs I use a Panasonic Lumix GX80 paired with a Leica 100-400mm F4.0/6.3 lens. This is a Micro Four-Thirds mirrorless setup so the lens is the equivalent of a 200-800 on a full frame body. However, this combo weighs a fraction of the weight of a similar full frame setup and fits into my handlebar bag along with a pair of Leica 8x20 binoculars plus my reading glasses, cellphone, wallet etc. So while it isn't as performant as a DSLR setup would be, it is still good enough for most wildlife photography and is small enough for cycle touring.
Today's ride: 12 km (7 miles)
Total: 2,248 km (1,396 miles)
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