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August 05, 2006
Dinosaur birds
5 August 2006
"What is that thing?" I screamed when I saw the dinosaur birds in the dumpster.
"Those are wicked birds," shouted Angela from Nigeria (hilarious).
Mary from Uganda corrected her, "No, they're vultures. They eat trash. They're disgusting."
Disgusting is harsh; I like these huge, weird, pterodactyl-like creatures. They're actually storks, not vultures; vultures are smaller. Marabou stork (Leptoptilos crumeniferus) is the name and rubbish is the staple food. I'm sure that's not always been the case, but most of these birds are now found near dumpsters (that is, if there is a dumpster). The Marabou stork is one of the largest flying birds in the world. We saw these majestic, monster-bird trash collectors last weekend in Kampala. I think Marabou storks are beautiful!
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I was supposed to go up that mountain (see 8 July entry)today to deliver a soccer ball, courtesy of Colin. It rained all morning, so Moses, my friend and guide, cancelled. I hope to go next Sunday.
Posted by kmf23 at August 5, 2006 11:25 PM
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Comments
mary sounds like me when i'm describing the people i have wait on everyday.
Posted by: emily at August 6, 2006 01:30 AM