tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74069255249776706412024-03-18T07:48:08.713+00:00Pascale Petit's BlogPascale Petithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496315815638953200noreply@blogger.comBlogger138125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406925524977670641.post-76336151952245554352021-12-17T13:19:00.015+00:002022-09-21T11:20:47.308+01:00Beast of Bodmin - my commissioned poem for Cornwall AONB<p><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/fXVV7fwJuGU" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fXVV7fwJuGU/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">When my seventh poetry collection, <a href="https://www.bloodaxebooks.com/ecs/product/mama-amazonica-1147" target="_blank"><i>Mama Amazonica</i></a>, won Simon Armitage's inaugural <a href="https://www.bloodaxebooks.com/news?articleid=1047" target="_blank">Laurel Prize</a>, I received an extra gift – a commission to write a poem about my favourite Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Britain. I knew immediately I would write about Bodmin Moor – I now live in a deep valley just beneath the south-east corner of it. Every horse-lane bordered by high Cornish hedges opens to views of tors at the gate gaps. During strict lockdown I would walk the lanes and look up at always visible Sharptor and the Cheesewring. As soon as we were allowed to venture four miles by car, Brian my husband drove us to Kilmar Tor, off the bridle path that also leads to Hawkstor and Trewartha Tor. It's a steep climb to Kilmar Tor and got us fitter as it became a regular haunt. From the top, which is the third highest point in Cornwall, we can see Brown Willy, the highest tor, far across the other side of the moor, we can see Dartmoor on the horizon the other way, and the north and south coastlines. All the fauna and flora and land formations mentioned in my poem are loved discoveries. From the stonechats, skylarks, and bog asphodels, to the ponies we saw galloping across the plateau between Bearah Tor and the secret waterhole. I did what I love to do, which is to watch the pageants, while Brian took photos. I'm thrilled that Cornwall AONB have set my poem to aerial footage of the moor, grateful thanks to them, to Fin Davis for the film, and to Bodmin Way for the narration. I now have a series of moor and beast poems. </span><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><br /><p><style>@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:swiss;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536859905 -1073732485 9 0 511 0;}@font-face
{font-family:Garamond;
panose-1:2 2 4 4 3 3 1 1 8 3;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:647 2 0 0 159 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0cm;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}p.MsoHeader, li.MsoHeader, div.MsoHeader
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Header Char";
margin:0cm;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
tab-stops:center 234.0pt right 468.0pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}span.HeaderChar
{mso-style-name:"Header Char";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-locked:yes;
mso-style-link:Header;}.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Pascale Petithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496315815638953200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406925524977670641.post-17026860027789661512020-10-16T14:28:00.008+01:002020-10-19T17:45:17.010+01:00On Mama Amazonica winning the inaugural Laurel Prize for ecopoetry<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjImijOpoHxERZWwYuZ-ku1DeZ4tCOX9sOoxIeIjHzhVeFOqNA88bK3ogGy_0GNp0raFDzt4BH3telHtMBMCk4MLxlbB5KHjB0UWXJG2E_MayVF7R0EQi4zcXGQbVX-z8qpK_-tKKOodgsd/s2048/IMG_9579.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjImijOpoHxERZWwYuZ-ku1DeZ4tCOX9sOoxIeIjHzhVeFOqNA88bK3ogGy_0GNp0raFDzt4BH3telHtMBMCk4MLxlbB5KHjB0UWXJG2E_MayVF7R0EQi4zcXGQbVX-z8qpK_-tKKOodgsd/w480-h640/IMG_9579.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Three years after <a href="https://www.bloodaxebooks.com/ecs/product/mama-amazonica-1147"><i>Mama Amazonica </i></a>was published in 2017 by Bloodaxe, it has won the inaugural <a href="https://www.simonarmitage.com/the-laurel-prize-shortlist/">Laurel Prize</a>. This prize was created by the Poet Laureate Simon Armitage to recognise and encourage the resurgence of environmental or nature poetry, which he felt had not quite been noticed. It is run by the Poetry School and the judges were Robert Macfarlane, Moniza Alvi, and Simon Armitage. The first prize of £5,000 is donated by Simon and is his annual laureate honorarium from the Queen. Karen McCarthy Woolf was awarded second prize for her wondrous and experimental <i>Seasonal Disturbances</i>, on the theme of climate change, and Colin Simms was awarded third prize for <i>Hen Harrier</i>, a book that focuses on one precious species. There was an extra prize for the most promising debut and this was given to Matt Howard for <i>Gall</i>. The inaugural prize was for the best ecopoetry collection published in the last five years, and will follow with yearly selections now. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Mama Amazonica </i>fuses two themes: my mother's abuse by my father, and consequent mental illness, and the abused and besieged Amazon rainforest. It's a book that took me 65 years to write, and in it I managed to change my relationship with my late, estranged mother, to one of empathy and compassion, and most of all – to one of love. I did this by placing her hospital bed, not in the psychiatric ward, but inside pristine primary deep jungle, where life is at fever pitch – the psychotic human mother superimposed on Mama Amazonica, our earth mother, who is abused and exploited by humankind. I've been obsessed by the Amazon forest for 25 years, and obsessed by my mother too, so it was a fertile doubling of subjects, which grew ever deeper as I wrote them. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The book didn't get on any of the main poetry prize shortlists when it first appeared, and although I tried to ignore that, as I knew it's readers that count, I was discouraged. So much so, that I had cast it aside as a failure, and embarked on my next collection with renewed hope. It had got the Poetry Book Society's Choice, but what I'm trying to say is that it's so easy to lose faith in one's work, and I did. Then, miraculously, nine months after <i>Mama Amazonica</i> was published, it won the Royal Society of Literature's Ondaatje Prize. It was the first time a poetry collection had won, and only the second time one had been shortlisted. Now that <i>Mama Amazonica</i> has also won the Laurel Prize, a poetry prize, I have to believe that what I set out to do with it worked for quite a few judges. But I also want to offer hope to other poets whose collections might be overlooked. It is so important to keep believing in your work – if you feel in your heart that it's achieved something valuable, keep faith, and you never know what might happen later. I also want to thank Simon Armitage for founding this visionary prize, at a time when the health of our planet is about to be damaged beyond repair unless we act. Even writing helps! <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Here are some photos from my trips to the Peruvian Amazon where I researched for the poems. </span><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUGhuPNpFgXICkTDsu_gcZI8gVdS5_II5WDxo6bJtbm-l3u29TrkMzWZ7bXqTRc0ZhcfpT3rJXUgB24GSWdeCdyhX4S8DYVV1xMoa7zfjAG1tC2TZ9sthoueJpYyt7TUP5vFOrDtRL4w3/s2048/IMG_6909.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUGhuPNpFgXICkTDsu_gcZI8gVdS5_II5WDxo6bJtbm-l3u29TrkMzWZ7bXqTRc0ZhcfpT3rJXUgB24GSWdeCdyhX4S8DYVV1xMoa7zfjAG1tC2TZ9sthoueJpYyt7TUP5vFOrDtRL4w3/w640-h480/IMG_6909.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>view of the Madre de Dios and Tambopata rivers from small plane to Tambopata from Puerto Maldonado (photo credit Pascale Petit)<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6C5FNNjtqPkY0Fjb_Wi0KdXL4o6I6X8ZKIMIBcCtKKRHv6utiKPi8qD7s6Tpw7Il5dM3ma44n3ED3cItdeGkEPUUE92d_A8dEvt4AF09CwpxUOIHxTLriQ4VQyAEeFOQQURQN3U2_uS8Y/s2048/IMG_7021.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6C5FNNjtqPkY0Fjb_Wi0KdXL4o6I6X8ZKIMIBcCtKKRHv6utiKPi8qD7s6Tpw7Il5dM3ma44n3ED3cItdeGkEPUUE92d_A8dEvt4AF09CwpxUOIHxTLriQ4VQyAEeFOQQURQN3U2_uS8Y/w640-h480/IMG_7021.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>On an oxbow lake off the Tambopata River (photo by Brian Fraser)<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip20pL2nYJgLrg2TVIdAhUoL_ODSGRKiZF5f4qGNdMGxmsWtK8YNvli92yqQK2Jk6INf6jjQbgCVmAp4yF3tyHh6UR6rOFaK5YhxN2-DSSzhEW4ixH8so0G-126zO65MSqm9Q5L9S-vcY1/s2048/giant+river+otter+credit+paul+f+condori.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip20pL2nYJgLrg2TVIdAhUoL_ODSGRKiZF5f4qGNdMGxmsWtK8YNvli92yqQK2Jk6INf6jjQbgCVmAp4yF3tyHh6UR6rOFaK5YhxN2-DSSzhEW4ixH8so0G-126zO65MSqm9Q5L9S-vcY1/w640-h426/giant+river+otter+credit+paul+f+condori.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Giant river otter aka river wolf in oxbow lake near Tambopata Research Center (photo credit Paul F. Condori, our guide aka Jungle Paul)<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWNt0gNWIjc_VN-NFsqdxCyvwr2DXQWsKd9HN0Uh1hXbTD_fOUX2uHPW-9y9UFHQZw-BQ5jnHCmX0TP-r7-KeBp4BYxV6qSWOIjF8rBMleOvAuCgev0cgMSBpR1LJCTS1BAbL5fRupweQy/s2048/P1000987.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1994" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWNt0gNWIjc_VN-NFsqdxCyvwr2DXQWsKd9HN0Uh1hXbTD_fOUX2uHPW-9y9UFHQZw-BQ5jnHCmX0TP-r7-KeBp4BYxV6qSWOIjF8rBMleOvAuCgev0cgMSBpR1LJCTS1BAbL5fRupweQy/w624-h640/P1000987.jpeg" width="624" /></a></div><p></p><p>Macaws at the clay lick near Tambopata Research Center (photo credit Brian Fraser)<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiueTZjhWcMeTCQVphTEgSpE9Xc8jA5PI4JEzq9kRrt7HWQXHNz0p5uEi_O7sZiOXke9ZZdLJdQO9BVV1HCXX6D4r8SFYAF8WIJtY1sJO2tbl1Z-IzUeJdzM-OWwS-HgEjnBlLWsLD1p-p2/s2048/IMG_4731.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiueTZjhWcMeTCQVphTEgSpE9Xc8jA5PI4JEzq9kRrt7HWQXHNz0p5uEi_O7sZiOXke9ZZdLJdQO9BVV1HCXX6D4r8SFYAF8WIJtY1sJO2tbl1Z-IzUeJdzM-OWwS-HgEjnBlLWsLD1p-p2/w480-h640/IMG_4731.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>The author under an ironwood (photo by Brian Fraser)<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hzOLxdToKcNh68HkpqzkodotO-0cKQUCsiWQ5zeDf4cA6fW-CcppWtrXYM3WS17uDv1rDf5WhzrloYK2i97ja1iZD5mSwGOt72TVYRSyqcrgyrCZATcewzEX-DUPck3GZ8LaZ27I6yqE/s2022/IMG_7582.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2022" data-original-width="1673" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hzOLxdToKcNh68HkpqzkodotO-0cKQUCsiWQ5zeDf4cA6fW-CcppWtrXYM3WS17uDv1rDf5WhzrloYK2i97ja1iZD5mSwGOt72TVYRSyqcrgyrCZATcewzEX-DUPck3GZ8LaZ27I6yqE/w530-h640/IMG_7582.jpeg" width="530" /></a></div><br />Monkey frog on night jungle trek (photo by Brian Fraser)<br /><p><br /></p>Pascale Petithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496315815638953200noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406925524977670641.post-18000257703436146112020-07-19T18:54:00.011+01:002020-07-21T11:34:12.837+01:00The Anthropocene – how I wrote a poem from Tiger Girl<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMfYaKCiiihvBAXBqIbshDG-PKBPxzt9Qt8Yj6hlEYljps6jnUiitYLAuR4fkQaHnXUChz5EtoVx-UtvwytTUec-vcKcLApTmqN4LPJXK6rYLEtMRs7XmaH5CX9NHCz05i5dUqn3bRNwnB/s2048/P1040548.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2024" data-original-width="2048" height="618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMfYaKCiiihvBAXBqIbshDG-PKBPxzt9Qt8Yj6hlEYljps6jnUiitYLAuR4fkQaHnXUChz5EtoVx-UtvwytTUec-vcKcLApTmqN4LPJXK6rYLEtMRs7XmaH5CX9NHCz05i5dUqn3bRNwnB/w625-h618/P1040548.jpg" width="625" /><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";">A Gond myth tells how, "When the peacock dances in the forest, everything watches, and the trees change their form to turn into flaming feathers". <br /></span></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";"><br /></span></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";">If there is a single sound that evokes the tiger forests of India it is the call of peacocks. When I hear that call I can see the trees watching as the male dances, his fanned tail shivering with an infrasonic hum, while a tiger prowls in the grass nearby, waiting to pounce. According to the Gond tribe, who once lived in these forests, the peacock's dance can turn the trees' branches into plumes, each evergreen sal leaf an eye. <br /></span></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";"><br /></span></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";">I came across pictures online of a Chinese bride wearing a dress and train made from three thousand peacock plumes, and this, together with the Gond myth of the trees transforming into peacocks, and the series of storms and hurricanes circling the Atlantic at the time, sparked my poem 'The Anthropocene', which was recently featured in <a href="https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/poetry/2020/06/anthropocene" target="_blank">New Statesman</a>, and will appear in my eighth collection, <a href="https://www.bloodaxebooks.com/ecs/product/tiger-girl-1243" target="_blank"><i>Tiger Girl</i></a>, published by Bloodaxe this September. <br /></span></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";"><br /></span></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";"><br /></span></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";">
</span></font><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";"><b><span>The Anthropocene</span></b><span></span></span></font></p><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";">
</span></font></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span> </span></span></font></p><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";">
</span></font></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span></span><span>A bride wears a
train</span></span></font>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span><span> </span>of three thousand </span></span></font></p><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";">
</span></font></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span><span> </span>peacock plumes</span></span></font></p><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";">
</span></font></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span> </span></span></font></p><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";">
</span></font></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span>She walks down the
aisle</span></span></font></p><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";">
</span></font></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span><span> </span>like a planet</span></span></font></p><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";">
</span></font></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span><span> </span>trailing her seas </span></span></font></p><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";">
</span></font></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span> </span></span></font></p><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";">
</span></font></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span>every wave an eye</span></span></font></p><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";">
</span></font></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span><span> </span>shivering with the memory</span></span></font></p><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";">
</span></font></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span><span> </span>of the display</span></span></font></p><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";">
</span></font></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span> </span></span></font></p><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";">
</span></font></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span>how the trees turned</span></span></font></p><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";">
</span></font></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span><span> </span>to watch as the bird </span></span></font></p><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";">
</span></font></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span><span> </span>raised the fan of his
tail –</span></span></font></p><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";">
</span></font></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span> </span></span></font></p><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";">
</span></font></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span>emerald forests</span></span></font></p><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";">
</span></font></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span><span> </span>bronze atolls<span> </span></span></span></font></p><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";">
</span></font></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span><span> </span>lapis islands</span></span></font></p><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";">
</span></font></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span><span> </span></span></span></font></p><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";">
</span></font></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span>every eye</span></span></font></p><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";">
</span></font></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span><span> </span>a storm</span></span></font></p><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";">
</span></font></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span><span> </span>held in abeyance</span></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="5"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span><br /></span></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="5"><span style="font-family: "times";"></span></font></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font size="5"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEntidH5BRx7QX3fE3-fMX9RlR5lj0fB4wqi0_yTMkjqB1OvECr4EvQvH7h9kdeFUYpYDyhYSTbsWiaXdAbGSALM91um0hGTzFGELHi3GiB3wFsG6jmRNVoJ4Xy_BCq9UkBvx5HPPCWEOC/s2048/P1040550.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2048" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEntidH5BRx7QX3fE3-fMX9RlR5lj0fB4wqi0_yTMkjqB1OvECr4EvQvH7h9kdeFUYpYDyhYSTbsWiaXdAbGSALM91um0hGTzFGELHi3GiB3wFsG6jmRNVoJ4Xy_BCq9UkBvx5HPPCWEOC/w625-h458/P1040550.jpg" width="625" /></a></font></div><font size="5"><span><font size="3">Photo credits of peacocks in Bandhavgarh National Park © Brian Fraser </font><br /></span></font><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="5"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span lang=""> </span></span></font></p>
<style><font size="5"><span style="font-family: times;">
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"MS Mincho";
panose-1:2 2 6 9 4 2 5 8 3 4;
mso-font-alt:"MS 明朝";
mso-font-charset:128;
mso-generic-font-family:modern;
mso-font-pitch:fixed;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 134217746 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"\@MS Mincho";
panose-1:2 2 6 9 4 2 5 8 3 4;
mso-font-charset:128;
mso-generic-font-family:modern;
mso-font-pitch:fixed;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 134217746 0 131231 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS Mincho";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS Mincho";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;
mso-fareast-language:JA;}size:595.2pt 841.8pt;
margin:72.0pt 89.85pt 72.0pt 4.0cm;
mso-header-margin:35.45pt;
mso-footer-margin:35.45pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}</span></font></style></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Pascale Petithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496315815638953200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406925524977670641.post-5500793985927863672020-06-27T14:08:00.002+01:002020-07-21T11:34:44.230+01:00Prize Photograph, a new poem from Tiger Girl<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigRWu3nTjjHaZKZ57A-NP3YdkW0Hz6tdhD0YsNa3UhQ9ND6VLbaa4D3khdN8BIErX299EF_4n9305fed7IKF_glw6oaYKAobrNPgfa8xu3ZkIYS7JiuI71yr_Hahbnv5HFnhrhFHlO1N6y/s968/Elephant+calf+on+fire+credit+with+permission+of+Biplap.+Hazra.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="726" data-original-width="968" height="469" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigRWu3nTjjHaZKZ57A-NP3YdkW0Hz6tdhD0YsNa3UhQ9ND6VLbaa4D3khdN8BIErX299EF_4n9305fed7IKF_glw6oaYKAobrNPgfa8xu3ZkIYS7JiuI71yr_Hahbnv5HFnhrhFHlO1N6y/w625-h469/Elephant+calf+on+fire+credit+with+permission+of+Biplap.+Hazra.jpg" width="625" /><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photograph with permission of the photographer Biplap Hazra</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3">Biplap Hazra, who took this prizewinning shot, has kindly given me permission to post his image here and on this week's edition of <a href="https://www.1handclapping.online/post/pascale-petit" target="_blank">One Hand Clapping </a>magazine. This terrifying photo provoked my poem 'Prize Photograph', which is featured in One Hand Clapping, and will appear in <a href="https://www.bloodaxebooks.com/ecs/product/tiger-girl-1243" target="_blank"><i>Tiger Girl</i></a>, my eighth collection, to be published by <a href="https://www.bloodaxebooks.com/ecs/product/tiger-girl-1243" target="_blank">Bloodaxe</a> on 3rd September. Biplap later said that the calf survived the attack. <br /></font></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3"><br /></font></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3">I saw wild elephants in Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh, though the ones I saw were ones that had just been captured by the park elephant handlers, to tame for tiger patrols, as poaching is such a threat to the tigers. Every morning the mahouts ride their elephants to scout for the cats and check their safety – one bull came up to our gypsy jeep and demanded the banana he'd scented in my bag – I had no choice but to offer my breakfast. Being up close to those brandy topaz eyes – the Gypsy is open and I was on the top seat – is unforgettable, as is being felt by the soft but persistent trunk. Wild elephants don't usually include Bandhavgarh in their migration corridors, but they entered with newborns, so the zones they lingered in had to be closed to tourists. That they wander from their usual routes is worrying, as it can mean their migration forests are closed to them, or felled. In this photo, they are under siege from farmers, who are trying to protect their homes and crops.</font></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3"><br /></font></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3"><span>Prize Photograph</span></font></span></p><div style="margin-left: 80px;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3"> </font></span></p><div style="margin-left: 80px;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3">And this wild elephant, crossing State Highway 9 –</font></span></p><div style="margin-left: 80px;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3">his footprints lakes for dragonflies and bees –</font></span></p><div style="margin-left: 80px;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3"> </font></span></p><div style="margin-left: 80px;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3">does not yet know the chaff of a howdah,</font></span></p><div style="margin-left: 80px;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3">ankle chains, or the sting of the bull hook.</font></span></p><div style="margin-left: 80px;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3"> </font></span></p><div style="margin-left: 80px;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3">His mother is ahead, her ears flapping </font></span></p><div style="margin-left: 80px;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3">for his rumbles that she also feels through her feet.</font></span></p><div style="margin-left: 80px;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3"> </font></span></p><div style="margin-left: 80px;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3">Only now her feet are burning, and she’s</font></span></p><div style="margin-left: 80px;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3">closed her ears to the firecrackers, the jeers</font></span></p><div style="margin-left: 80px;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3"> </font></span></p><div style="margin-left: 80px;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3">of the mob protecting their fields. Already</font></span></p><div style="margin-left: 80px;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3">one farmer has hung himself when his crop</font></span></p><div style="margin-left: 80px;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3"> </font></span></p><div style="margin-left: 80px;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3">and home were trampled – how could he feed his family?</font></span></p><div style="margin-left: 80px;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3">And one woman has been crushed to death.</font></span></p><div style="margin-left: 80px;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3"> </font></span></p><div style="margin-left: 80px;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3">The men lob tar firebombs at the invaders –</font></span></p><div style="margin-left: 80px;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3"><i>go back jungli haathi!</i> they shout, banging</font></span></p><div style="margin-left: 80px;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3"> </font></span></p><div style="margin-left: 80px;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3">on tin drums. The matriarch runs from the noise, </font></span></p><div style="margin-left: 80px;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3">doesn’t hear her calf scream, his back legs alight.</font></span></p><div style="margin-left: 80px;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3"><i> </i></font></span></p><div style="margin-left: 80px;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3"><i>Hell is now and here </i>the caption will say</font></span></p><div style="margin-left: 80px;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3">as Biplap Hazra clicks the shot of his life.</font></span></p><div style="margin-left: 80px;">
<span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3"><style><font size="5">
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:swiss;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536859905 -1073732485 9 0 511 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt;
mso-header-margin:36.0pt;
mso-footer-margin:36.0pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}</font></style></font></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><font size="3"><br /></font></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Pascale Petithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496315815638953200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406925524977670641.post-69662238079394390582020-05-21T17:20:00.003+01:002020-07-21T11:36:13.929+01:00Green Bee-eater – a poem from Tiger Girl <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiop8OGGl-8c_44T50wN-s6hxwoc29bt096U-4YePhDyRm4IwdhdNQz0LPouNav-5AETCA3D2kYvWUCpG_USUQWm8zT6zop1rXVNrwVbJLF7GTUB7-aVKZy2_ScL-HfN1I_Ala7eEeQ6Ag7/s1600/Green+Bee-eater++23+April+2019+Bandhavgarh+credit+Brian+Fraser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1478" data-original-width="1600" height="588" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiop8OGGl-8c_44T50wN-s6hxwoc29bt096U-4YePhDyRm4IwdhdNQz0LPouNav-5AETCA3D2kYvWUCpG_USUQWm8zT6zop1rXVNrwVbJLF7GTUB7-aVKZy2_ScL-HfN1I_Ala7eEeQ6Ag7/s640/Green+Bee-eater++23+April+2019+Bandhavgarh+credit+Brian+Fraser.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;"><i><a href="https://www.bloodaxebooks.com/ecs/product/tiger-girl-1243" target="_blank">Tiger Girl</a> </i>will now be published by Bloodaxe on 3rd September 2020, postponed from June because of Covid-19, and in the lead-up I will post occasional poems from the book, together with photos of the Indian wildlife they celebrate. This is the green bee-eater, elusive to the lens, but captured here by my beloved (even his tongue!) when we were in Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh, this time last year – what a contrast to this year! But the birdlife there is matched by the wonders that visit our garden in Cornwall this May, every day bullfinches, goldfinches, greater spotted woodpeckers, dunnocks, nuthatches, collared doves, blackbirds, and many many more, come to feed here. It is a rainforest lush with ferns and nettles and wildflowers. It has been a memorable lockdown, and continues to be. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;">I wrote 'Green Bee-eater', out of fascination for this masked forest in miniature, and prompted by coming across his song being described as a "tree-tree-tree". I was so happy that <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/152946/green-bee-eater" target="_blank">Poetry </a>magazine published it in the April 2020 issue, along with 'Swamp Deer', thank you editors. There are a number of short bird and deer poems threaded through <i>Tiger Girl</i>, and I hope this one offers us some hope. </span></span><br />
<br />
<br /><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;">Green Bee-eater</span></span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;">More precious than all</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;">the gems of Jaipur –</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;">the green bee-eater.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;">If you see one singing</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;"><i>tree-tree-tree</i></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;">with his space-black bill</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;">and rufous cap,</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;">his robes</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;">all shades of emerald</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;">like treetops glimpsed</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;">from a plane,</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;">his blue cheeks,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;">black eye-mask</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;">and the delicate tail streamer</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;">like a plume of smoke –</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;">you might dream</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;">of the forests</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;">that once clothed</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;">our flying planet.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;">And perhaps his singing</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;">is a spell</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;">to call our forests back –</span></span><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;">tree</span></span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;"> by <i>tree</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;"> by <i>tree</i>.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times", "times new roman", serif;"> </span></span></div>Pascale Petithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496315815638953200noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406925524977670641.post-40935971255646630902019-11-11T19:02:00.000+00:002019-12-02T14:02:02.177+00:00Tiger Girl has a cover!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5h4rfn-bDOOQSMbhMdDCWS-VcRvrimFhL2HaGQThVKQCom8mlag2X6dGgjNf7knYbjDKbh1MpeZUVWhoCocxvdNYpYoHHt6brK7KvQiDgTSOpKnb97i3cCcqpgjzNK_SZ05nbc6AQHqMm/s1600/Tiger+Girl+Bloodaxe+website+lo-res+cover+Pascale+Petit+2+Oct+19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1216" data-original-width="778" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5h4rfn-bDOOQSMbhMdDCWS-VcRvrimFhL2HaGQThVKQCom8mlag2X6dGgjNf7knYbjDKbh1MpeZUVWhoCocxvdNYpYoHHt6brK7KvQiDgTSOpKnb97i3cCcqpgjzNK_SZ05nbc6AQHqMm/s640/Tiger+Girl+Bloodaxe+website+lo-res+cover+Pascale+Petit+2+Oct+19.jpg" width="408" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">My eighth collection, <i>Tiger Girl</i>, has a cover! It will be published by Bloodaxe in June 2020. I've almost finished writing the poems, editing and sequencing them, at that stage of taking a few more out, inserting a few new ones that have arrived by surprise. You can pre-order the book from Amazon now, <a href="https://www.bloodaxebooks.com/ecs/product/tiger-girl-1243" target="_blank">here </a>is the link to more information on my <a href="https://www.bloodaxebooks.com/ecs/product/tiger-girl-1243" target="_blank">Bloodaxe page</a>. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">The painting on the cover is by the Pardhan Gond tribal artist Jangarh Singh Shyam ‘The story of the tiger and the boar’. Shyam was the first of these artists to become internationally known. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><br />The painting is wrapped around the outer edge of the back cover, I love what Neil Astley and Pamela Robertson-Pearce, from Bloodaxe, have done with the design. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieE6hyiNSlHAoY3HSVcTmyFECtblV7hfjed81HnDEgPutI3TVcfW8hdpY_bfyFRkAmcWV94z-RmpbDI8w1Jhr1NKQJpakedYrF3rU4okOT28epkiFcKw_f-EZxkEMlXkk-tQUnPKVmkEO6/s1600/Tiger+Girl+Petit+front+%2526+back+smaller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1208" data-original-width="1600" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieE6hyiNSlHAoY3HSVcTmyFECtblV7hfjed81HnDEgPutI3TVcfW8hdpY_bfyFRkAmcWV94z-RmpbDI8w1Jhr1NKQJpakedYrF3rU4okOT28epkiFcKw_f-EZxkEMlXkk-tQUnPKVmkEO6/s640/Tiger+Girl+Petit+front+%2526+back+smaller.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Pascale Petit’s <i>Tiger Girl</i> marks a shift from the Amazonian
rainforests of her previous work to explore her grandmother’s Indian
heritage and the fauna and flora of subcontinental jungles. Tiger girl
is the grandmother, with her tales of wild tigers, but she’s also the
endangered predators Petit encountered in Central India. In exuberant
and tender ecopoems, the saving grace of love in an otherwise bleak
childhood is celebrated through spellbinding visions of nature,
alongside haunting images of poaching and species extinction.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">
<i> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Tiger Girl</i> is Pascale Petit’s eighth collection, and her second from Bloodaxe, following <i>Mama Amazonica</i>,
winner of the Royal Society of Literature’s Ondaatje Prize 2018 – the
first time a poetry book won this prize for a work of fiction,
non-fiction or poetry best evoking the spirit of a place. Four of her
earlier collections were shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">‘No one writing in English today comes anywhere near the exuberance of
Pascale Petit. Rarely has the personal and environmental lament found
such imaginative fusion, such outlandish and shocking expression that is
at once spectacularly vigorous, intimate and heartbroken.’ – Daljit
Nagra (judge for the RSL Ondaatje Prize 2018)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">‘Beautifully sad, the imagery inexhaustible, the sorrow and torment
both tempered and sharpened by the relish for language and the ingenuity
of the imagination.’ – Simon Armitage on <i>Mama Amazonica</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Pascale Petithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496315815638953200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406925524977670641.post-69750712921024653412018-10-19T19:30:00.000+01:002018-10-21T16:14:25.503+01:00Mama Amazonica goes Into the Forest for BBC Radio 3's The Verb<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWlzoqjkzcnzUh1kJWhGP_5UPvJ8hh9O89mvR0LC2071vwggBqBFdtozRCrR16UJTmiWOAME_qwOIOe-7JAEl3gHHnYTTQ_E0LApTQZ9zRwPE-iFcfyissXAxgK_Wp48mN1MjwDOyZNnxe/s1600/IMG_4398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWlzoqjkzcnzUh1kJWhGP_5UPvJ8hh9O89mvR0LC2071vwggBqBFdtozRCrR16UJTmiWOAME_qwOIOe-7JAEl3gHHnYTTQ_E0LApTQZ9zRwPE-iFcfyissXAxgK_Wp48mN1MjwDOyZNnxe/s640/IMG_4398.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">To research for <i>Mama Amazonica</i> (<a href="https://www.bloodaxebooks.com/ecs/product/mama-amazonica-1147" target="_blank">Bloodaxe Books</a>, 2017) I went to the Peruvian Amazon twice, once in the wet season and once in the dry. Tonight, I talk about my book on Radio 3's <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0000s90" target="_blank">The Verb</a>, with a gang of forest-lovers – the poet Claire Trévien, Kate Arnold on her dulcimer – lead of the group 'Fear of the Forest', Terry Deary, Jack Bernhardt, and our host Ian McMillan. It was a bit nerve-racking but Ian kept us amused and we had fun. I must admit I was thrilled to be chatting about one of my very favourite things – forests! The Amazon rainforest in my case, that very endangered, dangerous, but wondrous place. <i>Mama Amazonica</i> is immersed in it, but is also my mentally ill mother, a double exposure where love floresces. It's just over a year since the book came out and I've been extremely lucky that in May it won the <a href="https://rsliterature.org/award/rsl-ondaatje-prize/" target="_blank">RSL Ondaatje Prize 2018</a> – an award given for a book evoking the spirit of place. Here are just a few pics I took in Tambopata National Reserve, though the birds – jacamar, king vultures and blue-and-gold macaws, and the spectacled caiman, are taken by my husband Brian. </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbg93BLF69x2cS6s6EJsbeR0LOu8GFqAiawz8vzOyeWSPpYo9FQ_8h7bg-YeVo60vTKoZvikbljc_nfACabtxcLyIaveZ5NuBZucTSbkQwPMKrhBdL2QHAwiOZNpGFwdqzBzBrepw6Emxm/s1600/IMG_4233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbg93BLF69x2cS6s6EJsbeR0LOu8GFqAiawz8vzOyeWSPpYo9FQ_8h7bg-YeVo60vTKoZvikbljc_nfACabtxcLyIaveZ5NuBZucTSbkQwPMKrhBdL2QHAwiOZNpGFwdqzBzBrepw6Emxm/s640/IMG_4233.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhn3hQXqgP5jGjytPLfRocxxM8KobJpluw4RgDh6auvaHl0Z-6kxolT5mM7O7nKIBM4kLrZcBtwF4UFV8lw7THozvtywh3x4kGnpAKXz2UMOz0Ql9d4-NLM2wGwP5ZYCCtRYwxoj6Kh9X5/s1600/IMG_7002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhn3hQXqgP5jGjytPLfRocxxM8KobJpluw4RgDh6auvaHl0Z-6kxolT5mM7O7nKIBM4kLrZcBtwF4UFV8lw7THozvtywh3x4kGnpAKXz2UMOz0Ql9d4-NLM2wGwP5ZYCCtRYwxoj6Kh9X5/s640/IMG_7002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLzMKu_8JGOSmQ68-VV1vJqAxqOFrxhyphenhyphen0hNQ7EWrVvk5jVx6qJAQ0Kn97Qr2Oq6tOy7x1sUTOJxCQVjZg66b2EC0yEMrjHSFgaFTQFXB0gc3iRobncszX8Pq5P63EqQdHsms6-ZpysvtPK/s1600/Oxbow+lake+TRC+P+Petit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLzMKu_8JGOSmQ68-VV1vJqAxqOFrxhyphenhyphen0hNQ7EWrVvk5jVx6qJAQ0Kn97Qr2Oq6tOy7x1sUTOJxCQVjZg66b2EC0yEMrjHSFgaFTQFXB0gc3iRobncszX8Pq5P63EqQdHsms6-ZpysvtPK/s640/Oxbow+lake+TRC+P+Petit.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuCMDJ-5PN-bF3u_I6pDBXbaEUMJ8s9tWG918eYLkW1EzCBkQtMrE7yRZQObX5PMIl1FeuvUWlwgvMGiRHbNew9kZt2tp8iW0Q0axFxq58m-nPufq5myKD9y4gCjPEGMayw00UF2c1CS6t/s1600/IMG_4714.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1478" data-original-width="1600" height="590" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuCMDJ-5PN-bF3u_I6pDBXbaEUMJ8s9tWG918eYLkW1EzCBkQtMrE7yRZQObX5PMIl1FeuvUWlwgvMGiRHbNew9kZt2tp8iW0Q0axFxq58m-nPufq5myKD9y4gCjPEGMayw00UF2c1CS6t/s640/IMG_4714.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0ylfAeydr_7ElO-NBcpbC6pKU5_F2-avQ7orxAyPEDmHA9A1er0_w6Y8_6q0in0kRdy5dRRv0IFe5uoQcCXd0DYXcB6MTjYM_2EtA2K9wy3Zp4ZtgwnCmlACcp1f4OL0VctXj59ZG1zH/s1600/King+vulture+surrounded+by+black+vultures+Dec+2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1240" data-original-width="1600" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0ylfAeydr_7ElO-NBcpbC6pKU5_F2-avQ7orxAyPEDmHA9A1er0_w6Y8_6q0in0kRdy5dRRv0IFe5uoQcCXd0DYXcB6MTjYM_2EtA2K9wy3Zp4ZtgwnCmlACcp1f4OL0VctXj59ZG1zH/s640/King+vulture+surrounded+by+black+vultures+Dec+2016.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEzbt4DyuXyaBuY2whyX7MxQTsEbpoBb8EfLnf7atd98ck0ZuDIYa507jT3sKkZXtdmT0J3n1X5LSk9OshtIxkB9VRs_2Gd3AggWDZvE1Il_S5iVgES3Ne0lMRj_LY6had57i77rBtcTAe/s1600/Blue+and+gold+macaws+Tambopata+Fraser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1593" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEzbt4DyuXyaBuY2whyX7MxQTsEbpoBb8EfLnf7atd98ck0ZuDIYa507jT3sKkZXtdmT0J3n1X5LSk9OshtIxkB9VRs_2Gd3AggWDZvE1Il_S5iVgES3Ne0lMRj_LY6had57i77rBtcTAe/s640/Blue+and+gold+macaws+Tambopata+Fraser.jpg" width="636" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9VlisQmnU6-HvC1a_x8TDwsXWVQSFJwHadxmxq8R800Xq0mw20UXdRQTPiDXzwhE8VeJJya6vRx7xFq0c2DQvZuZu48Eg8twSGtad-RHK13wOZGh8BVcKD_SNw49lSNdXvMU_5DeBOrTR/s1600/Oxbow+lake+TRC+Pascale+Petit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9VlisQmnU6-HvC1a_x8TDwsXWVQSFJwHadxmxq8R800Xq0mw20UXdRQTPiDXzwhE8VeJJya6vRx7xFq0c2DQvZuZu48Eg8twSGtad-RHK13wOZGh8BVcKD_SNw49lSNdXvMU_5DeBOrTR/s640/Oxbow+lake+TRC+Pascale+Petit.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihxy6js_8Y_7VSVyh-sk2ucn89AGE2x8PPLMF8-YwK9vFSkMJic-vqntURFedxXULz0H2FSNa8PXF5yGwWiwez5BfjnWL7F49Gjl2MTCr-nQ8IzdN9dy-cmOXY8hQ8axX6jx06Xi4cjuaW/s1600/Kapok+Tambopata+Pascale+Petit+2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihxy6js_8Y_7VSVyh-sk2ucn89AGE2x8PPLMF8-YwK9vFSkMJic-vqntURFedxXULz0H2FSNa8PXF5yGwWiwez5BfjnWL7F49Gjl2MTCr-nQ8IzdN9dy-cmOXY8hQ8axX6jx06Xi4cjuaW/s640/Kapok+Tambopata+Pascale+Petit+2016.jpg" width="480" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvp5-nCstgJZjmzxwEm5JLmeLlpBmMff46Jr1vj97o02XztgKo5tALA1A2a_TK0GxTEHVyWb4LGotRv6e3rsT3IiaY8TAzpXOTl2g5KqoljUTfPstnqaeKXFcNQ8XQMvpTZyr1K0piYadk/s1600/Spectacled+caiman+credit+Brian+Fraser+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvp5-nCstgJZjmzxwEm5JLmeLlpBmMff46Jr1vj97o02XztgKo5tALA1A2a_TK0GxTEHVyWb4LGotRv6e3rsT3IiaY8TAzpXOTl2g5KqoljUTfPstnqaeKXFcNQ8XQMvpTZyr1K0piYadk/s640/Spectacled+caiman+credit+Brian+Fraser+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Pascale Petithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496315815638953200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406925524977670641.post-62257070806560849282017-11-11T19:06:00.000+00:002017-11-11T19:06:43.621+00:00Butterflies and moths of the Peruvian Amazon: writing Mama Amazonica<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPtgIe_KU-DRIfWw71BVEjSMOJKsEtWit6-yArn_BZ3ULd-og-RXBRhy4ohiA9gOsF5tIptYynpjj-qVsMZ1IPFsJRVoQHCV3dbuJ-5aTPNpSrhVOihrydgv4gny5RssILcb4Vd9ZcAaO5/s1600/Dyson%2527s+Blue+Doctor+P+Petit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1501" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPtgIe_KU-DRIfWw71BVEjSMOJKsEtWit6-yArn_BZ3ULd-og-RXBRhy4ohiA9gOsF5tIptYynpjj-qVsMZ1IPFsJRVoQHCV3dbuJ-5aTPNpSrhVOihrydgv4gny5RssILcb4Vd9ZcAaO5/s640/Dyson%2527s+Blue+Doctor+P+Petit.JPG" width="600" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I've been meaning to collect all my photos of butterflies, moths and caterpillars taken in Tambopata National Reserve last year, so here they are, some taken by me with my iPhone and some by Brian with his camera. Of course these are only the ones we managed to capture, and don't include the zipping morphos like a blue lightning flash, or the clearwings transparent as glass, or the moths that sometimes bumped into our flashlights on nightwalks, the leaf butterflies that resemble dead crumpled leaves. But I've looked up their names and labelled them as well as I could. Some were big as my hand. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The clouding ones, that gather on the clay riverbanks to suck minerals, greeted us almost every time we walked the narrow plank off the boat and climbed the slippery mud steps then endless steep and rickety wooden steps up the sheer bank. What a contrast they made, with the dirt of the mud and leaf litter and their silky luminous colours. In my poem '<a href="http://www.pascalepetit.co.uk/poetry-collections/mama-amazonica/" target="_blank">Black Caiman with Butterflies</a>' in <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mama-Amazonica-Pascale-Petit/dp/1780372949/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1510426106&sr=1-1&keywords=mama+amazonica&dpID=51YCFvho4RL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch" target="_blank">Mama Amazonica</a>, butterflies are "the beauty of the world", but it's a beauty that needs to drink mud and caiman and turtle eyes, that, like the metallic morphos, must feed on rotting fruit. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">There were times too when our guides, Berli Carpio on our first trip and Jungle Paul on our second, did not know the names of the butterflies, and there might well have been ones we saw that have no names, that have never been seen before. In our lodge at Tambopata Research Center entomologists are cataloguing new species every month. </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZEDTDzu6772z9EAz3_56EJVXxROgmpFUB9DBJku8hNPMjEUlB-KzX6UwBITjmCjihroPP_dvcwjP9FjhpgXpOhLgdMii9LI0a3yFf677xUNsesLees6FprXpCO8PP6TmFYY4L7m3kQZYj/s1600/P1010595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1052" data-original-width="1600" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZEDTDzu6772z9EAz3_56EJVXxROgmpFUB9DBJku8hNPMjEUlB-KzX6UwBITjmCjihroPP_dvcwjP9FjhpgXpOhLgdMii9LI0a3yFf677xUNsesLees6FprXpCO8PP6TmFYY4L7m3kQZYj/s640/P1010595.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Phoebis philea and Anteos menippe butterflies feeding on minerals in mud </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYfNCcOTk8qkOJ63DSR_qYTGnzL0eXVIirJsQwodA0v_ek7ThfSOC_wVMhObbEkVsS4Lp09JpmJk7bzZMiBPalqgGPIKrZe1i6OOjD5HPuRiS_-BMzlUbX9ZCbf5F2ZW6gij3L3RIKYfHr/s1600/Brian+pic+Lasaia+agesilas+butterfly+.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYfNCcOTk8qkOJ63DSR_qYTGnzL0eXVIirJsQwodA0v_ek7ThfSOC_wVMhObbEkVsS4Lp09JpmJk7bzZMiBPalqgGPIKrZe1i6OOjD5HPuRiS_-BMzlUbX9ZCbf5F2ZW6gij3L3RIKYfHr/s640/Brian+pic+Lasaia+agesilas+butterfly+.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Lasaia agesilas butterfly on the riverbank</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxa_GpXUBkOs9ikk7tD8ovEA-U3eJ-vzlNT0SA4a-k0BQy-0ltFmBEcVrCCnD9O7ao5LA6a9c5e8tPwfjTsLltllvFKbhTVdRu_MWZDdvPGqB1NMsj8GWn0InA7kvKZA0oJMylikIh_Ff/s1600/B+.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1071" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxa_GpXUBkOs9ikk7tD8ovEA-U3eJ-vzlNT0SA4a-k0BQy-0ltFmBEcVrCCnD9O7ao5LA6a9c5e8tPwfjTsLltllvFKbhTVdRu_MWZDdvPGqB1NMsj8GWn0InA7kvKZA0oJMylikIh_Ff/s640/B+.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Heliconia</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJnHFUg07xbAHAZ9T98gpyXYmhbyf3o_0_SR2xEfh3LHM0-kvjyeFQhdg0ml9bZip2c3ABskH_suwtDOsav2blpuuPZngPs1UB7Emw0tNEePTeyktVbV8D4W8PIxvpoAE9k-D_vHXbuCd/s1600/caterpillar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1319" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJnHFUg07xbAHAZ9T98gpyXYmhbyf3o_0_SR2xEfh3LHM0-kvjyeFQhdg0ml9bZip2c3ABskH_suwtDOsav2blpuuPZngPs1UB7Emw0tNEePTeyktVbV8D4W8PIxvpoAE9k-D_vHXbuCd/s640/caterpillar.JPG" width="526" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Caterpillar seen on nightwalk in forest trail</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWayzNdGXNKPpHZP2bbeR11pUzMkUMspf9O-x5LjT0QBq8aEvrU6AMSQxQKrJSlnUgyIcL9klPFnQotqODpXX3ICu9kEoy18jok_Wbk6MRMKKb9GEdSzzT7u3CIZHwsmGvlM3eVeVwzsiR/s1600/Uranus+moths+P.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1539" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWayzNdGXNKPpHZP2bbeR11pUzMkUMspf9O-x5LjT0QBq8aEvrU6AMSQxQKrJSlnUgyIcL9klPFnQotqODpXX3ICu9kEoy18jok_Wbk6MRMKKb9GEdSzzT7u3CIZHwsmGvlM3eVeVwzsiR/s640/Uranus+moths+P.JPG" width="614" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Uranius dayflying moths on riverbank</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIi0ZrDp3pfsctVxnr7TIuXdMa4Ej5QZTUPVEAu3meBwKJtY_YcsIIpeHwx9nvZx2QX0AETx7W0qHn7H6mz5MgjxAkd9Enn0xJmp86Bs2eccXq6D2DgZF-xjDIV35k7BcajkYTZ5fCOB_T/s1600/Butterflies+with+dung+beetle+June+16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1193" data-original-width="1600" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIi0ZrDp3pfsctVxnr7TIuXdMa4Ej5QZTUPVEAu3meBwKJtY_YcsIIpeHwx9nvZx2QX0AETx7W0qHn7H6mz5MgjxAkd9Enn0xJmp86Bs2eccXq6D2DgZF-xjDIV35k7BcajkYTZ5fCOB_T/s640/Butterflies+with+dung+beetle+June+16.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Lasala agesilas with 88 butterfly and horsefly on riverbank</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB8wvClXLy7VS6Mg_97bjOXIRRMVVCU98V8Jmv4dwCzHXpEVG7r5Q76Jet7OLw7vx8EbF2xTTI-uq8Hw0edBoq3V62Kz9gBtlYBAKdQxi8Y3gIo_H7MdOus1T0xPcKboH4AQH-RHU1_McJ/s1600/Hawk+moth+B.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB8wvClXLy7VS6Mg_97bjOXIRRMVVCU98V8Jmv4dwCzHXpEVG7r5Q76Jet7OLw7vx8EbF2xTTI-uq8Hw0edBoq3V62Kz9gBtlYBAKdQxi8Y3gIo_H7MdOus1T0xPcKboH4AQH-RHU1_McJ/s640/Hawk+moth+B.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Hummingbird hawkmoth</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3TY4NjgeeBSNR28_JoIhNrkcNWruR9s6h_kIjyizSSKe3CeDFduft7VOLpmHKAEiG_PgfxVc9vIYt94efAcTlUTKv3pwLAZiYeTsOAvnOG47WPwJijT1TOAjFbyfvhZGu4o2oR0oLm9C/s1600/IMG_4592.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1547" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3TY4NjgeeBSNR28_JoIhNrkcNWruR9s6h_kIjyizSSKe3CeDFduft7VOLpmHKAEiG_PgfxVc9vIYt94efAcTlUTKv3pwLAZiYeTsOAvnOG47WPwJijT1TOAjFbyfvhZGu4o2oR0oLm9C/s640/IMG_4592.jpg" width="618" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Sphinx moth I saw on the dinner table, large as my hand</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1KhOOFXslyoZGrlBfS1ldLHaaM87fUI6pcJZAgopMW3Pips5bPwPAZjhe1_6PEz1g9wy9KVW2hwylRmBSx9ROXgc9kxWmNGbQ7JdregBY8MpDfa0Q3BgVh7aMGKmO3rSBLul0JidLVL2T/s1600/B+pic+88+butterfly+with+Blue+Doctor.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1074" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1KhOOFXslyoZGrlBfS1ldLHaaM87fUI6pcJZAgopMW3Pips5bPwPAZjhe1_6PEz1g9wy9KVW2hwylRmBSx9ROXgc9kxWmNGbQ7JdregBY8MpDfa0Q3BgVh7aMGKmO3rSBLul0JidLVL2T/s640/B+pic+88+butterfly+with+Blue+Doctor.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Dyson's blue doctor with 88 butterfly (see also first pic of Blue doctor)</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii1v9F-c5JzSfm1HP6lR-tN8fJjEvZ_NVg_BeJJSNfhOpWGrR0BJLgOnT1DDu2na7UeVyTDUk-OyHCTccvk6vjdH72vyfuKG3j0VkBQAKzvqdczsN2EvPK6d-UBGKJXfq1k_xKL-KUh19L/s1600/P+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii1v9F-c5JzSfm1HP6lR-tN8fJjEvZ_NVg_BeJJSNfhOpWGrR0BJLgOnT1DDu2na7UeVyTDUk-OyHCTccvk6vjdH72vyfuKG3j0VkBQAKzvqdczsN2EvPK6d-UBGKJXfq1k_xKL-KUh19L/s640/P+pic.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> small morpho?</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-iEO_nkTGjZtWopnbHnFswWOVvcy5XiUaiZvKzGldmTmiab84Bw23Dpp8KpneJ0d9QsJXN9FR6w52ZxZJlArBcSGh7u0DA2IO-qJ_8VHWVw9-orn-u1BIa6byxecHRWo-qY29oUq3szMO/s1600/P+pic+owl+butterfly+Caligo+memnon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-iEO_nkTGjZtWopnbHnFswWOVvcy5XiUaiZvKzGldmTmiab84Bw23Dpp8KpneJ0d9QsJXN9FR6w52ZxZJlArBcSGh7u0DA2IO-qJ_8VHWVw9-orn-u1BIa6byxecHRWo-qY29oUq3szMO/s640/P+pic+owl+butterfly+Caligo+memnon.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Owl butterfly seen near the pond in the island </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinazPkxuFcyLuTcTXZAXztHEmPKbwNVIyFInuzz8zwsDZhFx3eb-IoEujl73NwvSKs-_yFN4Q_0orZ47-85ELAE4N3Cp-Cmly1dGlOUpiULO888Q5IvkGr58hg00k4ryn42FTcPDAjR43C/s1600/Red-barred+Amarynthis+credit+Pascale+Petit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1209" data-original-width="1600" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinazPkxuFcyLuTcTXZAXztHEmPKbwNVIyFInuzz8zwsDZhFx3eb-IoEujl73NwvSKs-_yFN4Q_0orZ47-85ELAE4N3Cp-Cmly1dGlOUpiULO888Q5IvkGr58hg00k4ryn42FTcPDAjR43C/s640/Red-barred+Amarynthis+credit+Pascale+Petit.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Red-barred Amarynthis </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-BMzUgMoRZBlW4tTqRDIguUugD6WPtQj1hmEuTUaiSmWZn2O6aeexlED_kplPnBuwJDJwkPLS0khuVIdYb28MO1GAWedgQe45lu5bQ52yvDGFFByhz-mTJIwnhmBppzQb2GzskBr9Zikw/s1600/Night+walk+caterpillar+P.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1247" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-BMzUgMoRZBlW4tTqRDIguUugD6WPtQj1hmEuTUaiSmWZn2O6aeexlED_kplPnBuwJDJwkPLS0khuVIdYb28MO1GAWedgQe45lu5bQ52yvDGFFByhz-mTJIwnhmBppzQb2GzskBr9Zikw/s640/Night+walk+caterpillar+P.JPG" width="498" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Mystery caterpillar on nightwalk in forest</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiarccE4uqChja4aRWkwJGhVGvgxqKrliqs92mbn7F8Vmx9ZO5LoV0Toy0dzPxSEE1-82mCIDz7dc_7WyedDPcfTiKUjSi3afzF87gek0jaKSqzXKrKSVDBeU2SKEK83sixq7xsDmVfWGZ7/s1600/Uranius+day+flying+moths.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1297" data-original-width="1600" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiarccE4uqChja4aRWkwJGhVGvgxqKrliqs92mbn7F8Vmx9ZO5LoV0Toy0dzPxSEE1-82mCIDz7dc_7WyedDPcfTiKUjSi3afzF87gek0jaKSqzXKrKSVDBeU2SKEK83sixq7xsDmVfWGZ7/s640/Uranius+day+flying+moths.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">More Uranius moths (and why not?)</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv-56qB2OmUnJs6s3-CaQmBWtghJ5_ltfWhURZU36mn_jfyCg3rnZafTTmCSfxwm2pWCBwkMEk6CZCFnCZfrXiegVP8f0OK-zgrGmYkLX01FiWFbngyU3j1oxPQoi2h50cR44ezNZJvXu9/s1600/Julia+Butterflies+or+flambeaux+B.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1170" data-original-width="1600" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv-56qB2OmUnJs6s3-CaQmBWtghJ5_ltfWhURZU36mn_jfyCg3rnZafTTmCSfxwm2pWCBwkMEk6CZCFnCZfrXiegVP8f0OK-zgrGmYkLX01FiWFbngyU3j1oxPQoi2h50cR44ezNZJvXu9/s640/Julia+Butterflies+or+flambeaux+B.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Julia butterflies or flambeaux on an oar in oxbow lake</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDV_eW6DgZwA3JEWm0v-MKDQOBm6AoWrIEprfOvMIpC6I3lI1iQ9PJFpK3y1_tvGVglzln6hHV7l4-I20Hyioqm7GX1IPQEO0Fe9YgxrC0ZS33yPUzqASMpM8sbGyFa-r-g058ATUMvfIb/s1600/P1000095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDV_eW6DgZwA3JEWm0v-MKDQOBm6AoWrIEprfOvMIpC6I3lI1iQ9PJFpK3y1_tvGVglzln6hHV7l4-I20Hyioqm7GX1IPQEO0Fe9YgxrC0ZS33yPUzqASMpM8sbGyFa-r-g058ATUMvfIb/s640/P1000095.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Flambeaux and snowy-whites drinking caiman tears</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjotGJkf_JtdisLsv8z-5jKt0HahLz6wk6FmAyR4jh3JNMYy_wNfzsJswcU9PlHQQvSJWF21JmlNku5Qz0ZjfsbGv6PJ2zXcjFU2SoxZAB0X84vMtQL1Pa45Sj2zRO8VMwIC7vZLj8iYO8K/s1600/Heliconia+butterfly+p.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1101" data-original-width="1600" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjotGJkf_JtdisLsv8z-5jKt0HahLz6wk6FmAyR4jh3JNMYy_wNfzsJswcU9PlHQQvSJWF21JmlNku5Qz0ZjfsbGv6PJ2zXcjFU2SoxZAB0X84vMtQL1Pa45Sj2zRO8VMwIC7vZLj8iYO8K/s640/Heliconia+butterfly+p.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Heliconid</span></span>Pascale Petithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496315815638953200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406925524977670641.post-73142691751861374372017-11-09T18:01:00.001+00:002017-11-09T18:16:26.135+00:00Strange Birds of the Peruvian Amazon, Writing Mama Amazonica<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrhnn2QS_6xkhgLcWa6lszGN3Au0eaXxtm-3K8f4uwnyKOBrM7JQX_s_xCwH4Ac0HHQioQaOsVLezPGWnWY4cfFLOPy8VK9Qf9v5vflJ0bUZD9d5Hok4KibHZ1tycjmnyyozfM0_MLakjD/s1600/Harpy+eagle+juvenile+June+2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrhnn2QS_6xkhgLcWa6lszGN3Au0eaXxtm-3K8f4uwnyKOBrM7JQX_s_xCwH4Ac0HHQioQaOsVLezPGWnWY4cfFLOPy8VK9Qf9v5vflJ0bUZD9d5Hok4KibHZ1tycjmnyyozfM0_MLakjD/s640/Harpy+eagle+juvenile+June+2016.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">After the miracle of seeing a jaguar in the wild, comes the miracle of seeing the jaguar-of-the-skies, or harpy eagle. We saw this juvenile on our first trip in June 2016, and a chick in the nest on our second trip in December of that year. We also caught a glimpse of the mama! She is larger than the male, with a 2 metre wingspan, and she crashed through the canopy in a flash of ivory and black, like a giant Holy Ghost. She is the most powerful eagle in the world, with harpy talons. She was a visitation, a Mama Amazonica, and I tried to write about her in <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mama-Amazonica-Pascale-Petit/dp/1780372949/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1510249439&sr=1-1&keywords=mama+amazonica" target="_blank">my seventh collection Mama Amazonica</a> (Bloodaxe, 2017), in a poem that also features that armadillo the juvenile eagle is clutching in his talons as he learns to hunt. The juvenile gawped at us for at least half an hour, and didn't quite seem to know what to do with his catch, you can just spot the armadillo tail below him. On our way down over the tangle of hillside roots, we saw the hole the armadillo once lived in. </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL9WfBz8SLhIHvqWnaDEjl8W9LWQHl2fiNxFmbMvZ71i6ild7VRL55qvvmz1kRegnLcoi0VfcyhedYz5jw1SJkPZaQIoVpR8g97G8eR0Av8faHDXjWAUuMQW_yqstybuTS2kkgPj5D_qFm/s1600/Greater+ani.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1563" data-original-width="1600" height="624" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL9WfBz8SLhIHvqWnaDEjl8W9LWQHl2fiNxFmbMvZ71i6ild7VRL55qvvmz1kRegnLcoi0VfcyhedYz5jw1SJkPZaQIoVpR8g97G8eR0Av8faHDXjWAUuMQW_yqstybuTS2kkgPj5D_qFm/s640/Greater+ani.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> This is a greater Ani. They make a strange coughing or croaking sound and cluster at oxbow edges and forest margins. </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4NMVv5UPmu_QJ5Vti5_g8FZ4GToLToXQOgEUuxnnW0bGBW7Qm0cT4O0d8cuDcRPjQum7Eft7FUk7cLrgg8nXHPjCYzk8Q70CHM3_NrZ8LttxOC0J99rlNe6EmJtAE0XoROe7YSOakjG27/s1600/Pale-winged+trumpeter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1284" data-original-width="1600" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4NMVv5UPmu_QJ5Vti5_g8FZ4GToLToXQOgEUuxnnW0bGBW7Qm0cT4O0d8cuDcRPjQum7Eft7FUk7cLrgg8nXHPjCYzk8Q70CHM3_NrZ8LttxOC0J99rlNe6EmJtAE0XoROe7YSOakjG27/s640/Pale-winged+trumpeter.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The most haunting song in the Amazon basin is surely from the pale-winged trumpeter just before dawn. The first time I heard it I thought that maybe it was a generator coming on, though Tambopata Research Center doesn't use generators but solar panels for energy. I thought of the wind playing overhead cables like a harp. And I thought of aliens – surely they had landed in the forest depths? It was a vibrato hum that went right through me and made the roof of my mouth tingle. It was almost four am, two hours before equatorial dawn, and the male howler monkeys had not yet started the first rumbles of their thunderous roars. The titi monkeys were still asleep and had not yet uttered their quarrelsome screaming barks. As the trumpeters faded, bats crashed into the network of strings overhead, a mesh designed to stop roof-nesting tarantulas from dropping on guests in their bed, or at least onto our mosquito veils which swathed the beds. My room was a cubicle in a traditional Ese-Eja wooden long house made from palm leaves, the outer wall open to the night and the jungle. The jungle frequently invaded: macaws, mouse possums, wolf spiders, bats, and who knows what, gobbled any food left out of the safe. </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgZ5Rz6GNj68EPyGg9Z7iEiCR3gRVB19d6ia6juffYllMNoyIR6tUWoZwRy3NZ-89VbpgdGuCGjZY4qe_YK82vyy0aMB_gpO3aGiTs3d6vMl30s5bUgamDbhoZb5VF_sU0QRs_n9okGaO/s1600/Black+skimmers+Dec+16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgZ5Rz6GNj68EPyGg9Z7iEiCR3gRVB19d6ia6juffYllMNoyIR6tUWoZwRy3NZ-89VbpgdGuCGjZY4qe_YK82vyy0aMB_gpO3aGiTs3d6vMl30s5bUgamDbhoZb5VF_sU0QRs_n9okGaO/s640/Black+skimmers+Dec+16.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">These are black skimmers, quite rare I think, we didn't see many. Here they are on a sandbank on the Tambopata.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcRdc6cEEHTxNQqRAwp8YZsixMsBu6juVowK6qQA6S05i-nNdr1e8K1CMFb3na9fDwt1v95DvQwT6OjbLisxmreQuegahi6zzC4D6LWW82MfAdfsbj9lJD6H_awSlvzmkol15qxs7lx9i/s1600/Cocoi+heron+Dec+16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1106" data-original-width="1600" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcRdc6cEEHTxNQqRAwp8YZsixMsBu6juVowK6qQA6S05i-nNdr1e8K1CMFb3na9fDwt1v95DvQwT6OjbLisxmreQuegahi6zzC4D6LWW82MfAdfsbj9lJD6H_awSlvzmkol15qxs7lx9i/s640/Cocoi+heron+Dec+16.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A cocoi heron, saw many of these along the river and in oxbow lakes, larger than European herons.</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDVCq8Y0wpuzL21MfbhMiIHEQjCRhC8ZUG21P0pqul3kkxl2S9gZ_IYh_2HtIPqKeCPbHbxq6bxY1y1ksBcx5tcifesLW613JRzvZhxHvze9V_oIsk8qpkFYeAb93Bphyy1qiNO-FM1-xu/s1600/King+Vulture+by+Jungle+Paul.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDVCq8Y0wpuzL21MfbhMiIHEQjCRhC8ZUG21P0pqul3kkxl2S9gZ_IYh_2HtIPqKeCPbHbxq6bxY1y1ksBcx5tcifesLW613JRzvZhxHvze9V_oIsk8qpkFYeAb93Bphyy1qiNO-FM1-xu/s640/King+Vulture+by+Jungle+Paul.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The magisterial king vulture, photo by our guide Jungle Paul. All the other pics are by Brian Fraser.<br /><br />Another miracle – I have written and read legends about these kings for decades. First time I saw them they were flying above TRC, the second time was here on the riverbank, scroll down to the next pic for the story! I've also seen them in the zoo of the Jardin des Plantes in Paris, even a chick in the nursery! That couple, N'goro anhd Margo are ancient. There's a poem about them in <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fauverie-Pascale-Petit/dp/1781721688/ref=pd_cp_14_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=CP9QMBG86QPBZM5Z41R8" target="_blank">Fauverie</a>. </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjHrjktoI_1VMS0JDCRV527nBX-AsL_3Ho6q1reCg5ay4bPEp8ykBP53U_q9MvJ-74NIx37rxObiwQ0QR0Z3170pG6sMn-pkn0doQdIbEh6Si8Lgp0DNPZOU8Toear22jk9Q6NJmpKbEX/s1600/King+vulture+surrounded+by+black+vultures+Dec+2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1240" data-original-width="1600" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjHrjktoI_1VMS0JDCRV527nBX-AsL_3Ho6q1reCg5ay4bPEp8ykBP53U_q9MvJ-74NIx37rxObiwQ0QR0Z3170pG6sMn-pkn0doQdIbEh6Si8Lgp0DNPZOU8Toear22jk9Q6NJmpKbEX/s640/King+vulture+surrounded+by+black+vultures+Dec+2016.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">So here are the two king vultures, always first at the feast, while the black vultures and black hawks wait for their turn. The 'feast' is a giant golden catfish that's caught by a spectacled caiman. I've written about that incident in a previous post, but the gist of it is that the caiman had his snout up the catfish's thorax. It was the king vultures that drew us to the pile of driftwood, where we discovered the unfolding drama. The black hawks are waiting to eat the catfish, but might also follow the caiman to his lair, to eat his babies. </span></span><br />
<br />Pascale Petithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496315815638953200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406925524977670641.post-35548124474034976302017-09-09T17:50:00.002+01:002017-09-09T19:49:26.674+01:00Some mammals of the Peruvian Amazon: research for Mama Amazonica<span id="goog_1802920915"></span><span id="goog_1802920916"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjmKbg1JlHJIVl1v92FWvedG8pigVbrsG29YXeYxXBMcKZkKlBa4AOXpkt9YpAHgNABsMnjV2m2P0jZ5fmXEV_P05mXebZGKJK-HHL7FIOFDsiGPFIePaDKaPd0AUMEI5GR3INGcFrZaYx/s1600/Capybara+Dec+2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjmKbg1JlHJIVl1v92FWvedG8pigVbrsG29YXeYxXBMcKZkKlBa4AOXpkt9YpAHgNABsMnjV2m2P0jZ5fmXEV_P05mXebZGKJK-HHL7FIOFDsiGPFIePaDKaPd0AUMEI5GR3INGcFrZaYx/s640/Capybara+Dec+2016.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Capybara on Tambopata river</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">There are other mammals in <a href="http://www.bloodaxebooks.com/ecs/product/mama-amazonica-1147" target="_blank"><i>Mama Amazonica</i></a> – a wolverine, a snow leopard and two giraffes – but it's the Amazonian ones that I'm obsessed with. I love wolverines, have read everything about them, and watch the two at Vincennes zoo in Paris every time I go there, snow leopards are special though the only ones I've seen are in zoos too, and the herd of giraffes at Vincennes fascinate, but nothing comes close to jaguars for me. They are the pitbulls of the cat world, muscular, with jaws that could crack the moon, yet otherworldly, with their coats of stars or giant hooker's green waterlily leaves slowly drifting across a sunlit lake. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I knew I would probably not see one in the rainforest, or at its margins along the riverbank. So I teased the guide and he humoured me, scheduling extra rivertrips on both of my visits to Peru. We saw so many creatures, and here are just some of them, along the banks or up in the treetops. But no jaguar. Not even an ocelot. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Until the journey back from the research lodge deep in Tambopata National Reserve, back to the lodge in the buffer zone hours downriver. Scroll down and you can see him, and I've written about him before in a previous post. I've also tried to write about him in the last poem in <i>Mama Amazonica</i>, struck by Pablo Neruda's line "like a river of buried jaguars" from </span></span><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Heights of Macchu Picchu. </span></span></i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Imagine seeing a jaguar in his vast home, the place that takes hours to cross by plane! </span></span><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span></i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Photos by Brian Fraser and Jungle Paul</span></span><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></i><br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYByUpfaWF5anNbywhnrxzoySP04QYZNeRqQBVIxNm12yiHGnStn1ZVyQaCyikfLStOlIXbPV3RGjOvlu3lSE07kPdzbcXoV1wEiD1qQuQeRZ3o0lzLFallXit-T6PZQCdyJYI2j2QvDgZ/s1600/Capybara+with+cowbird.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYByUpfaWF5anNbywhnrxzoySP04QYZNeRqQBVIxNm12yiHGnStn1ZVyQaCyikfLStOlIXbPV3RGjOvlu3lSE07kPdzbcXoV1wEiD1qQuQeRZ3o0lzLFallXit-T6PZQCdyJYI2j2QvDgZ/s640/Capybara+with+cowbird.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Capybara with cowbird</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuKdQCkTP-eDFkVrXhXvceIWsEqDpfWX72cA6_lso94L3hANL_JfEDOCEPWcraqS42xwCCMV9rzWs7ZosOjwib9KlGHcsdfjHjn0t7l22I1mXL3emFgy1fpcRdTzuNY9zX7cHw2g-kXkNN/s1600/Wild+Jaguar+Dec+2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1375" data-original-width="1600" height="548" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuKdQCkTP-eDFkVrXhXvceIWsEqDpfWX72cA6_lso94L3hANL_JfEDOCEPWcraqS42xwCCMV9rzWs7ZosOjwib9KlGHcsdfjHjn0t7l22I1mXL3emFgy1fpcRdTzuNY9zX7cHw2g-kXkNN/s640/Wild+Jaguar+Dec+2016.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">we find a jaguar!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFp02UIf4lrn50XtZGNKFTFQCbrfyILi4cadeE4Wey6ejT5LyR9E2BgYyHekpf6h5KaYohMBhL7HPpSf02-4zsabEUIBIjObjiTM_rhEXqI7UJT1aV-OsHRYsvxxC3JBoAxBdi22ncJ9fY/s1600/Jungle+Paul%2527s+pic+of+jaguar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1019" data-original-width="1529" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFp02UIf4lrn50XtZGNKFTFQCbrfyILi4cadeE4Wey6ejT5LyR9E2BgYyHekpf6h5KaYohMBhL7HPpSf02-4zsabEUIBIjObjiTM_rhEXqI7UJT1aV-OsHRYsvxxC3JBoAxBdi22ncJ9fY/s640/Jungle+Paul%2527s+pic+of+jaguar.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Paul F Condori our guide Jungle Paul's photo</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWys2DCfJT_fjCpQ4BfJOPEokIn2meQT6S-B5OwHfrnhM5qaM37r7hZVqVPP1IYQ8LkyU-1zS9xzE1caqsUk4gUc1QJ68PY3h74-01vj9gJwbx-_m_xQUIK4tYzfqDfjM9o3RwxtwX4bI2/s1600/White-lipped+Peccary+Dec+2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWys2DCfJT_fjCpQ4BfJOPEokIn2meQT6S-B5OwHfrnhM5qaM37r7hZVqVPP1IYQ8LkyU-1zS9xzE1caqsUk4gUc1QJ68PY3h74-01vj9gJwbx-_m_xQUIK4tYzfqDfjM9o3RwxtwX4bI2/s640/White-lipped+Peccary+Dec+2016.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">White-lipped peccary lookout male watching us as his herd pass, clacking his teeth together to scare us away</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxLy3_F9IM_JL9e1r1bYy008Dlfk8opxbsRUGjKuyqMjHrzTriYDBfyvMHdI3ybhA-106e9Exsp7ZWCsRm6xwRkyZqdapdVRqYX7oYPw10gO59hqjT_G2mZCtyUCK2nLUfLihu7OnN5WjE/s1600/Peccaries+at+clay+lick.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxLy3_F9IM_JL9e1r1bYy008Dlfk8opxbsRUGjKuyqMjHrzTriYDBfyvMHdI3ybhA-106e9Exsp7ZWCsRm6xwRkyZqdapdVRqYX7oYPw10gO59hqjT_G2mZCtyUCK2nLUfLihu7OnN5WjE/s640/Peccaries+at+clay+lick.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">peccary herd at the clay lick</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbU_7EYkV_vMwtkt4r_NGKY_xS9bzDk_FQ54X6Q2_mYy_FEwW_xlYzcxBZ-owi2e0f9bDpYgOW3MFlM2esjlVi6bp2gk1IkxKvVwCLrWyGRho__UkohYXR47h0u2FjfqFfNe5EOsFudO2t/s1600/Dusky+titi+Dec+2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbU_7EYkV_vMwtkt4r_NGKY_xS9bzDk_FQ54X6Q2_mYy_FEwW_xlYzcxBZ-owi2e0f9bDpYgOW3MFlM2esjlVi6bp2gk1IkxKvVwCLrWyGRho__UkohYXR47h0u2FjfqFfNe5EOsFudO2t/s640/Dusky+titi+Dec+2016.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dusky titi monkey baby with mama, her back to us</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin3gCzgRrS1eCD278qrcygHpd0wB-fBF1-VSnCNhF99sjZa29QWftyu_USvMFazSN4tPDkmjHgr5yQ8yZIf5x_4pnwTkD5UZXZ9S3cM2vMBPVHIVO_5nnjrD_Mvc4O-6UwHUtTKSj30p7Z/s1600/Giant+River+Otter+credit+Paul+F+Condori.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin3gCzgRrS1eCD278qrcygHpd0wB-fBF1-VSnCNhF99sjZa29QWftyu_USvMFazSN4tPDkmjHgr5yQ8yZIf5x_4pnwTkD5UZXZ9S3cM2vMBPVHIVO_5nnjrD_Mvc4O-6UwHUtTKSj30p7Z/s640/Giant+River+Otter+credit+Paul+F+Condori.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Photo of giant river otter in oxbow lake, following our catamaran, by Paul F Condori</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcpB2e8sX3SI8o5kJYjuCG7icnFWsL1PDBc_e8oyVw9ei2ObGista9Zb3oxmXMzmxc9SlchF3bxViY98VogFn1XKQwdIGfcvSuu8NV0PVJPXwwLtJOtRbZbjQGedDn_b98xTpwzWNqqpbF/s640/Howlers+hanging+out+Dec+2016.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Red howler monkeys</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Ly6NLJVGJUnevTbkJKcxgsZaQPpDvB1PNO7r3iFoSOsSznUZ4pjFMFMTXpYmDYNzlFTQD8fMKxFVLuckW-3R0ifEjFrVrKwO674-nPbFeH7WAhi9TjGecGNupVcMeBmg41Pdg07x-WiW/s1600/Howler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1323" data-original-width="1600" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Ly6NLJVGJUnevTbkJKcxgsZaQPpDvB1PNO7r3iFoSOsSznUZ4pjFMFMTXpYmDYNzlFTQD8fMKxFVLuckW-3R0ifEjFrVrKwO674-nPbFeH7WAhi9TjGecGNupVcMeBmg41Pdg07x-WiW/s640/Howler.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Howler</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Pascale Petithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496315815638953200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406925524977670641.post-43275387874691527342017-09-04T19:31:00.000+01:002017-09-04T19:31:44.939+01:00Some Birds of the Peruvian Amazon, research for Mama Amazonica<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="height: 501px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 652px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvG76-t9GiMKexeqlssEnhg72JUs-hlOMdQUo7qyTWhiIUOqSPweQsIItUb8ZEUPC1pp6WKKm8CFamh0jusXQGSq2bPCTI-qNMzZpCICwN_Llj88OR4c23EgZNm9s6k7DNuWmBocm_FfQ3/s1600/Great+egret+June+16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1185" data-original-width="1600" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvG76-t9GiMKexeqlssEnhg72JUs-hlOMdQUo7qyTWhiIUOqSPweQsIItUb8ZEUPC1pp6WKKm8CFamh0jusXQGSq2bPCTI-qNMzZpCICwN_Llj88OR4c23EgZNm9s6k7DNuWmBocm_FfQ3/s640/Great+egret+June+16.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great egret </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">To celebrate the publication of Mama Amazonica from <a href="http://www.bloodaxebooks.com/ecs/product/mama-amazonica-1147" target="_blank">Bloodaxe </a>this September, here are just some of the birds I saw in the Peruvian Amazon, mostly on the Rio Tambopata banks, and in oxbows or around our lodge Tambopata Research Center. Such glory! The book may deal with trauma, but here is a counterbalance of beauty which I soaked up on my two trips to pristine rainforest. Here is what must be preserved, a world only partly visible, many species as yet undiscovered, unnnamed. Here is what I want to celebrate in my poems, along with the terror. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Most of the photos were taken by Brian Fraser, a few by me with my iPhone, and our guide Jungle Paul took the super-sharp night-hawk. </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieK13C6plqSPuSn-MdnaeMkbDVfB0Fm-aazLRK2wd64XsjaTAZQ__k9RsZvPKKRHB0nRZah4jjDrzJWCOW0K_zDknkwwedHKno9-WIpPLwZT9KqUvXYY39mCVRt-_veKpmVxViMVMyfIB8/s1600/Crested+oropendola+Dec+16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1528" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieK13C6plqSPuSn-MdnaeMkbDVfB0Fm-aazLRK2wd64XsjaTAZQ__k9RsZvPKKRHB0nRZah4jjDrzJWCOW0K_zDknkwwedHKno9-WIpPLwZT9KqUvXYY39mCVRt-_veKpmVxViMVMyfIB8/s640/Crested+oropendola+Dec+16.jpg" width="610" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">crested oropendola</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivc_3TvAoIi1bEe5pj-pZ8dCLuyCLNFUrmlE6FuoNNm4R4ZrX1M7zoLfPAv3gmJ-4OCDMJtVfm4rpm8lqfhUJxL6DYZkmLY98qhwd6JBO5n_NCP_dmTDoVKkpwBTb_BgXb-c0sPowyycXl/s1600/Rufescent+tiget+heron+June+16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1330" data-original-width="1600" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivc_3TvAoIi1bEe5pj-pZ8dCLuyCLNFUrmlE6FuoNNm4R4ZrX1M7zoLfPAv3gmJ-4OCDMJtVfm4rpm8lqfhUJxL6DYZkmLY98qhwd6JBO5n_NCP_dmTDoVKkpwBTb_BgXb-c0sPowyycXl/s640/Rufescent+tiget+heron+June+16.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rufescent tiger heron</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSp-ZVUsJ9-BEvi7Fb-zBmVO79mPko_AUcTI2g8r52Cvgro_yyVqYa7sIa1vN3eAeWHxC3er3QTHFbC8609K46_Z9THyvmZmufTAlg8W1_KQfeDcqiZlmnDIFWIW8GD_D_l9zK_vnf0WBH/s1600/Cormorant+Peru+Dec+2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSp-ZVUsJ9-BEvi7Fb-zBmVO79mPko_AUcTI2g8r52Cvgro_yyVqYa7sIa1vN3eAeWHxC3er3QTHFbC8609K46_Z9THyvmZmufTAlg8W1_KQfeDcqiZlmnDIFWIW8GD_D_l9zK_vnf0WBH/s640/Cormorant+Peru+Dec+2016.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cormorant in Oxbow Lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwpD9jVil9VrX791xgm_3O0xCEU9VDTmwErYyOHRUfilfUZToxN_RSPD1Ep6eFeDxbERFwClYgA6EMMphWKRcTWaSItxIjbfDrTDv9ASFe3oOSn3BNk4t_hD54lZSlxlHPFyE1FheDKr40/s1600/Black+tailed+trogon+male.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1426" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwpD9jVil9VrX791xgm_3O0xCEU9VDTmwErYyOHRUfilfUZToxN_RSPD1Ep6eFeDxbERFwClYgA6EMMphWKRcTWaSItxIjbfDrTDv9ASFe3oOSn3BNk4t_hD54lZSlxlHPFyE1FheDKr40/s640/Black+tailed+trogon+male.jpg" width="570" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-tailed trogon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0W-eI5y3X1XdinKicGOh0-Wo6bhylJNk6AwTqI2krc84wbP2okFL0R_yDxmL-CTrwvw4cNeqreS623vO_j2DbmDTYrHo-GrXpbodHhwlWOiAA4DKQ7w9Uu_K_tioGpwrX1phhUm2TVvuZ/s1600/Roseate+spoonbill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0W-eI5y3X1XdinKicGOh0-Wo6bhylJNk6AwTqI2krc84wbP2okFL0R_yDxmL-CTrwvw4cNeqreS623vO_j2DbmDTYrHo-GrXpbodHhwlWOiAA4DKQ7w9Uu_K_tioGpwrX1phhUm2TVvuZ/s640/Roseate+spoonbill.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roseate spoonbill</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuqLcAHNW1SIOUEyX8s_OJiCS3164VjPiJ6Kgtuqr15zBWCkHNApYrOBcNvMv9UBHxiSpHGIBbqkpY6ISWZqQxP6pqBQqtBxAW5WiT6h-k_942v3794xf2n5BsaNxsTFkNw158UbQi5xy6/s1600/Red-capped+cardinal+copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1454" data-original-width="1600" height="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuqLcAHNW1SIOUEyX8s_OJiCS3164VjPiJ6Kgtuqr15zBWCkHNApYrOBcNvMv9UBHxiSpHGIBbqkpY6ISWZqQxP6pqBQqtBxAW5WiT6h-k_942v3794xf2n5BsaNxsTFkNw158UbQi5xy6/s640/Red-capped+cardinal+copy.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-capped cardinal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6DEeNIc9nNi7NM_Qs11c_gL27tmaPn5hX34hGu7w65tO09hjyrRowN4e1sXN4LtIiqLYwoU3AztrMjDavH48rE8jZ_02D6FfoN5-STNZNf1qbOrgzEIuudkzJkMEBSCqYnvYwuPh8qcqX/s1600/Azure+gallinule+Dec+16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1319" data-original-width="1600" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6DEeNIc9nNi7NM_Qs11c_gL27tmaPn5hX34hGu7w65tO09hjyrRowN4e1sXN4LtIiqLYwoU3AztrMjDavH48rE8jZ_02D6FfoN5-STNZNf1qbOrgzEIuudkzJkMEBSCqYnvYwuPh8qcqX/s640/Azure+gallinule+Dec+16.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Azure gallinule</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4qTqMGZEbhUJcMZRrHxL6cLyn1bP9MMKYrGmAZJG99rsHPUTRJjMc-Y3xgNh3d29PcO3LKNqzN534UQQP7nGLFujmDwoMi6QCLuKLukRQ-bfxKO3oY65wXAxyxiNuBM1CMbZa2LvLDaBi/s1600/Blue-throated+piping+guan+Dec+16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1368" data-original-width="1600" height="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4qTqMGZEbhUJcMZRrHxL6cLyn1bP9MMKYrGmAZJG99rsHPUTRJjMc-Y3xgNh3d29PcO3LKNqzN534UQQP7nGLFujmDwoMi6QCLuKLukRQ-bfxKO3oY65wXAxyxiNuBM1CMbZa2LvLDaBi/s640/Blue-throated+piping+guan+Dec+16.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue-throated piping guan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDeSFXjED1bFvpgVyYmJiIrVmgP6LfmqdWaYGa9IyjvaYhFOXhxeoYdwdLjmZKV0UJb56G9BugLUIA2kIgZyUbFl6muTVwjVevIBcNafW6DUdE2C_xxBpZkN_S_RgeM9RmoDzwmW-SRyo5/s1600/Horned+screamer+Dec+16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDeSFXjED1bFvpgVyYmJiIrVmgP6LfmqdWaYGa9IyjvaYhFOXhxeoYdwdLjmZKV0UJb56G9BugLUIA2kIgZyUbFl6muTVwjVevIBcNafW6DUdE2C_xxBpZkN_S_RgeM9RmoDzwmW-SRyo5/s640/Horned+screamer+Dec+16.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horned screamer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFt6XdHPqnRNZ3lr2gw3Yytz-ww3T_glYTE3jIvQ_9IB3rdS990UPBBzAH6dcvqz7_gwhJA2ts6X7Oth3IvVcpdsoA9rPYFuhPh8-0tw_IMwj8I9SiHvVvdmAncwr6WnGAeOXqCgk7JMT/s1600/Hoatzin+with+Chick+Dec+2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFt6XdHPqnRNZ3lr2gw3Yytz-ww3T_glYTE3jIvQ_9IB3rdS990UPBBzAH6dcvqz7_gwhJA2ts6X7Oth3IvVcpdsoA9rPYFuhPh8-0tw_IMwj8I9SiHvVvdmAncwr6WnGAeOXqCgk7JMT/s640/Hoatzin+with+Chick+Dec+2016.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mama hoatzin with chick in nest on fish pond in island</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAsOKj6ZH4sNzYkP6GZMkqBAgkttWtNmgLjM0hVm-okfS_ewT-d0a1sRZCJkiqflFZeR3D95vqa7MbwYWBWgK_MfnC7etvOeHIH-B4ucSsFHV1nCAl7BF8mjal6wmwyX2yMp_0hwCUb1Jl/s1600/Night+hawk+by+Jungle+Paul.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAsOKj6ZH4sNzYkP6GZMkqBAgkttWtNmgLjM0hVm-okfS_ewT-d0a1sRZCJkiqflFZeR3D95vqa7MbwYWBWgK_MfnC7etvOeHIH-B4ucSsFHV1nCAl7BF8mjal6wmwyX2yMp_0hwCUb1Jl/s640/Night+hawk+by+Jungle+Paul.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Night hawk on Tambopata photo credit Paul F Condori (Jungle Paul) our guide</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEppTKUOu7g9h5l1l9Tvt5QIDI_RBzzxI4xDW5Rr-ZcOKGvIUqiSbPielTL6LoMSGVKsWEPX4EW8C6wIazJxjnGrE1cjOM0IPG4uvYnYSbwqOGb9b2xv9cYF5UZaqQkzEvrrOknUVAHPYn/s1600/P1000970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEppTKUOu7g9h5l1l9Tvt5QIDI_RBzzxI4xDW5Rr-ZcOKGvIUqiSbPielTL6LoMSGVKsWEPX4EW8C6wIazJxjnGrE1cjOM0IPG4uvYnYSbwqOGb9b2xv9cYF5UZaqQkzEvrrOknUVAHPYn/s640/P1000970.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Night hawks on the Tambopata, sleeping on driftwood</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Pascale Petithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496315815638953200noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406925524977670641.post-43314494566758825212017-07-03T19:14:00.000+01:002017-07-04T17:55:54.555+01:00Black Caiman with Butterflies, Mama Amazonica and mental illness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6q0di0O_m7ortVK4Hrdgi5nKw7Ntz0SJqTWpWKaNbVqg5VPzSpoij4wQcsWHdRuUbuwSbsd0nbRyeYkCp2Y5qUbtySVXYLgpXkmXgQ5lNtfbQzW5ahX-oVl_WlqSsKSLG1CchpWLEG6q/s1600/P1000095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6q0di0O_m7ortVK4Hrdgi5nKw7Ntz0SJqTWpWKaNbVqg5VPzSpoij4wQcsWHdRuUbuwSbsd0nbRyeYkCp2Y5qUbtySVXYLgpXkmXgQ5lNtfbQzW5ahX-oVl_WlqSsKSLG1CchpWLEG6q/s640/P1000095.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.pascalepetit.co.uk/poetry-collections/mama-amazonica/" target="_blank"><i> Mama Amazonica</i> </a>will be out later this summer from <a href="http://www.bloodaxebooks.com/ecs/product/mama-amazonica-1147" target="_blank">Bloodaxe</a>, and I'm both excited and nervous. It's already available for preorder on <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1780372949/wwwbloodaxdem-21" target="_blank">Amazon</a>! And the <a href="https://www.poetrybooks.co.uk/" target="_blank">Poetry Book Society </a>has selected it as their Autumn Choice, which is like a dream. Much of the writing of it was dreamlike, and came from my two trips to the Peruvian Amazon, and much of it came from the terrors of family trauma and mental illness, and a longing to make a book where I could love my psychotic and manic depressive mother. Mania, and depression – that old black caiman, haunt it, as in this poem 'Black Caiman with Butterflies'. The photos were taken by Brian Fraser, on the long journey up the Tambopata River, towards our lodge Tambopata Research Centre, deep in pristine rainforest only accessible by strict border checkpoints, no other lodge in the whole national reserve. </span></span>
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;
mso-fareast-language:JA;}
@page WordSection1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:36.0pt;
mso-footer-margin:36.0pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Black Caiman with Butterflies</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Depression is a
black caiman<br />lying on the sand,</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">mud-slicked from the
deep,<br />impassive in her
armour.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Nothing can get
through to her,<br />she’ll lie there for
hours, unblinking.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">How to explain then<br />the appearance of
butterflies?</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sparking flambeaux, snowy-whites,<br />at the corner of her
eyes, </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">as if the beauty of
the world has come<br />to perch on her, to
drink her tears.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /> (previously published in <i>The Poetry Review</i>)</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX_6gxx_DDO8E1wUM3Ig26Rle2hs21rae_P0aMilCnwhnGoD_0Vg4grc0L2bU7GAbgxlPIMVKpNVNr_VxgMOn8v03YRqRBxN-8pp764xKtXZgMsPRyCSk3i6iFGylfFkQ8W3YBK29SK1hb/s1600/P1000099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX_6gxx_DDO8E1wUM3Ig26Rle2hs21rae_P0aMilCnwhnGoD_0Vg4grc0L2bU7GAbgxlPIMVKpNVNr_VxgMOn8v03YRqRBxN-8pp764xKtXZgMsPRyCSk3i6iFGylfFkQ8W3YBK29SK1hb/s640/P1000099.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Pascale Petithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496315815638953200noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406925524977670641.post-45154403574847125722017-05-15T17:36:00.000+01:002017-07-04T17:56:31.899+01:00Mama Amazonica now available for pre-order and is a Poetry Book Society Choice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiKjPVsfA6w9EzZwnbNQ3FMPD4XW4hEH_0vX7MrdmU2KnvK5EMt5DNS4Bpj75_mhnORIBNsUxZv_Ss8_bKoIGxN3ZAEuHI7G6QmiwByG_dkO5ZMCMx3kT5ai3zrIgmChfvJQ9JCli40mzt/s1600/Mama+Amazonica+cover+with+PBS+Choice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiKjPVsfA6w9EzZwnbNQ3FMPD4XW4hEH_0vX7MrdmU2KnvK5EMt5DNS4Bpj75_mhnORIBNsUxZv_Ss8_bKoIGxN3ZAEuHI7G6QmiwByG_dkO5ZMCMx3kT5ai3zrIgmChfvJQ9JCli40mzt/s640/Mama+Amazonica+cover+with+PBS+Choice.jpg" width="408" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Mama Amazonica is now available for pre-order, from Bloodaxe and Amazon etc. And to my utter delight and surprise is selected as the <a href="https://www.poetrybooks.co.uk/" target="_blank">Poetry Book Society Autumn Choice</a>. It exists – almost – all 112 pages of it. Publication date is 28th September, which happens to also be National Poetry Day! </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Pre-order from Bloodaxe: <a href="http://www.bloodaxebooks.com/ecs/product/mama-amazonica-1147" target="_blank">HERE</a><br />Pre-order from Amazon.co.uk: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mama-Amazonica-Pascale-Petit/dp/1780372949/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1494865057&sr=1-1&keywords=mama+amazonica" target="_blank">HERE</a></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thank you to Neil Astley at Bloodaxe for encouraging me with it from the very beginning. It did take some courage to write. Here is the official book description:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Mama Amazonica</i> is set in a psychiatric ward and in the Amazon
rainforest, an asylum for animals on the brink of extinction. It reveals
the story of Pascale Petit’s mentally ill mother and the consequences
of abuse. The mother transforms into a giant Victoria amazonica
waterlily, and a bestiary of untameable creatures – a jaguar girl, a
wolverine, a hummingbird – as she marries her rapist and gives birth to
his children. From heartbreaking trauma, there emerge luxuriant and
tender portraits of a woman battling for survival, in poems that echo
the plight of others under duress, and of our companion species. Petit
does not flinch from the violence but offers hope by celebrating the
beauty of the wild, whether in the mind or the natural world.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">
<i></i></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />Pascale Petithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496315815638953200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406925524977670641.post-11888401431470683322017-04-29T13:50:00.002+01:002017-04-29T14:12:43.058+01:00On seeing a wild jaguar in the Peruvian Amazon for Mama Amazonica<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8XI0HakkMZ3KYT0-fF7agBdNAcSGOZyMHx2MghEwmg2AtmeS_BfvuWW-sahOPax6UEGAGaxnXfSWF_ZUP7B3FxGNT0R-vAtCsGodbzcf49W5S8zOk-bkFy0tYtK0UOBnjpYrRuUuexQE/s1600/Male+jaguar+on+banks+of+Tambopata+2016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8XI0HakkMZ3KYT0-fF7agBdNAcSGOZyMHx2MghEwmg2AtmeS_BfvuWW-sahOPax6UEGAGaxnXfSWF_ZUP7B3FxGNT0R-vAtCsGodbzcf49W5S8zOk-bkFy0tYtK0UOBnjpYrRuUuexQE/s640/Male+jaguar+on+banks+of+Tambopata+2016.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The first time I went to the Peruvian Amazon last June, to Tambopata Research Centre in the middle of a vast protected national park, I hoped to see a jaguar. It's easier to see them in the Brazilian Pantanal, but I wanted to see one in the rainforest, so I knew I was asking the impossible. Everywhere we went we <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">found</span> traces: fresh p<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">ug-</span>prints that I placed my hand inside, knowing he/she had just passed, we visited a farm where a jaguar was stealing the farmer's pet cats, other guides showed me photos of jaguars they'd glimpsed along the riverbanks. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Our guide Berli said our only chance of spotting one was to travel up and down the river, so we booked a powered canoe to do this, but alas it rained hard in the Puna mountains, and the Tambopata river rose, bearing massive trunks downstream past our lodge, making the river too dangerous even with a navigator, so those trips were cancelled. Berli told me how he once was on the path by the boatmen's hut, when he came across a jaguar and a puma facing each other. Other guides said they'd seen them swimming across the river or darting among the bamboo stems above the rootmatted banks. I braced myself for the likelihood that a sighting would be brief.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I returned home not exactly disappointed, because I'd seen so much else: a harpy eagle, a tayra, black and spectacled caimans, all the kinds of monkeys endemic to the area, giant river otters. There was much material to weave into my collection <a href="http://www.bloodaxebooks.com/ecs/product/mama-amazonica-1147" target="_blank"><i>Mama Amazonica</i></a>, the Arts Council funded research was successful<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">.</span> I had precise sense-impressions of the fauna and flora, and the sounds of the forest, which at predawn are otherworldly, with the bats, pale-winged trumpeters, musician wrens, and howler and titi monkey crescendos. I felt I'd immersed myself in primary lowland forest where the mammal population is at its optimum, because no one else, apart from the scientists and guests of TRC, are allowed in the park. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I could write new poems imagining my mentally ill mother as the Amazon rainforest – a journey I'd embarked upon because when I pictured her as animals and plants in the Amazon I was able to love my estranged parent. I wanted a book of this love and I wanted the book to burgeon and floresce, to be a place where the love would grow secretly, have its own eco-system, a memorial to her and to a vanishing wonder.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />But a few months later I found myself dreaming of TRC again, a longing that wouldn't leave me alone until I'd booked another trip. <br /><br />So I went in December, at the start of the rainy season, not the best time to go for rivertrips. But this time we saw even more wildlife than before: giant river otters again, coming up to our catamaran, capybaras mating on the river. We even saw two king vultures perched on the riverside on top of poles, another of my 'special' animals. Despite the rains, with some patience, we <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">saw</span> all the large macaws at the claylicks, and at Chuncho claylick one of the drivers said he'd recently s<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">pied</span> a jaguar walking along the top of the cliff, over the clay caves, stalking the gold and blue and scarlet macaws. At the fishing pond I saw hoatzins with their chick in the nest, and at the mammal claylick we <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">watched</span> a harpy eagle chick, high up in the kapok tree nest. We passed roosts of nighthawks on riverlogs. We even <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">came across</span> pale-winged trumpeters on the paths at daytime, and our new guide Jungle Paul mimicked their song so they sang their extraordinary notes that I'd usually hear just before dawn, out in broad daylight. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">And so we came to the end of our trip and it was time to go back from TRC, downstream to the lodge in the buffer zone, Refugio Amazonas. We got up at 4 and were through the forest and on the river by 4.45, watching dawn slowly lighting up the banks, the unforgettable sight of steam rising from the trees and mist clearing from the river. <br /><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Several hours later <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">w</span></span>e passed the checkpoint at the border of the national park, and that's when Paul whispered 'Gato!!!' Was it an ocelot? No, it was <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">a jaguar!</span> He was lying on a high log above a throne of driftwood, drying his coat after swimming across the rough river. He looked at us and did not move. The engine cut, and our boat gently rocked towards his shore. Paul, the motorista, the navigator and my husband Brian jostled on the narrow prow with their cameras. I sat sidew<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">ays</span>, facing <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">him</span>, focusing the binoculars. I looked with all my power. Afterwards Paul said we watched him for maybe 10-15 minutes before he descended and vanished, but it felt like hours, some of the best hours of my life, the air glistening like it did on my second wedding day. <br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;">The photo of the jaguar was taken by Paul Francisco Condori Vilca. </span></span></span></span><br />
<br /><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh6vMJqemqps1jUOK6_pA-JrykMYuGGQm_ZZy-ex4jCXwR83Pg-DrrNrac6GHt4XsO-Ir478NP5NDgFHL2tm9w-6bMvEaErTRaOSuFAVaPjCKHD6U78cdj2apodjGcO1zKWRyXC0urAJ_8/s1600/IMG_4893.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh6vMJqemqps1jUOK6_pA-JrykMYuGGQm_ZZy-ex4jCXwR83Pg-DrrNrac6GHt4XsO-Ir478NP5NDgFHL2tm9w-6bMvEaErTRaOSuFAVaPjCKHD6U78cdj2apodjGcO1zKWRyXC0urAJ_8/s640/IMG_4893.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>Pascale Petithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496315815638953200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406925524977670641.post-29509366129826608852016-12-23T19:00:00.001+00:002016-12-23T19:00:24.579+00:00Drama on the Tambopata River, Madre de Dios, Peruvian Amazon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA9zk4JS2rFqL_Tus-pZa9lY54MoonSrVyQ34Lq5sFU8J2XtgX2f2YgezqEHVsoiNNQMSwu3LUL6A7vNoahtFj1Kin3oWtwbICjAmH7uhjcovPv7Ntn7FVqv1RurSvUvUpo6A3RUT6UKt4/s1600/IMG_5765.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA9zk4JS2rFqL_Tus-pZa9lY54MoonSrVyQ34Lq5sFU8J2XtgX2f2YgezqEHVsoiNNQMSwu3LUL6A7vNoahtFj1Kin3oWtwbICjAmH7uhjcovPv7Ntn7FVqv1RurSvUvUpo6A3RUT6UKt4/s640/IMG_5765.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">You never know what dramas are unfolding on the Tambopata River in the Peruvian Amazon. We steered the canoe to photograph a great black hawk perched on a dead branch when our motorista saw the huge golden catfish sticking out of the sandbank behind some driftwood. It was only when we got closer that we also saw the spectacled caiman, all two-three metres of him, though mostly he was slunk in the water, his snout in his prey. Our guide <a href="https://www.facebook.com/paulfrancisco.condorivilca?fref=ts" target="_blank">Paul Francisco Condori Vilca</a> (aka Jungle Paul) took this photo and the close ups of the caiman's and catfish's heads below. My husband Brian photographed the hawk and the whole scene. They and the motorista and navigator all leapt onto the logs to take photos while I stayed in the boat. I can't leap easily off a narrow canoe prow, being hydrophobic. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Paul explained that great black hawks prey on baby caimans. The hawk was no doubt waiting to feast on the catfish, but the spectacled caiman was waiting for the hawk to descend so he could catch the hawk! They stayed in this deadlock for about twenty minutes, then the caiman pulled the catfish under and re-emerged further back. The female horseflies on the catfish were also on the caiman's head, they too were waiting for a meal. It was a spectacular find, and back at Tambopata Research Center that evening we toasted it with pisco sours before falling into bed at nine, for the usual four am rise. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcYo-YWXk5EkG5DwIsSSYk4bj_CXEIWoobNANhhGZc8ByNpIh1W9Qs0y9j_-ej8qDBdU7MoI15bYGoelRp6pBp2mh5LwdL1yHqTtWmYgbni0ZsUb7Gz5kXfSRljWBaBybJCCBjRtl_4tct/s1600/P1010196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcYo-YWXk5EkG5DwIsSSYk4bj_CXEIWoobNANhhGZc8ByNpIh1W9Qs0y9j_-ej8qDBdU7MoI15bYGoelRp6pBp2mh5LwdL1yHqTtWmYgbni0ZsUb7Gz5kXfSRljWBaBybJCCBjRtl_4tct/s640/P1010196.JPG" width="626" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgocNGTqlLG2MLdgAbtDm2xVWEcCnbCQY6uaYz2T53zeXZmyCDeOP4fifiGdBQ7kH53IdPSMwbKjB8cdGNXBBjHXjR3LbqLstetaOEkwseZybiSFe_UlPfsOiNXi5uViHb-jlPQBp41fQaO/s1600/P1010369.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgocNGTqlLG2MLdgAbtDm2xVWEcCnbCQY6uaYz2T53zeXZmyCDeOP4fifiGdBQ7kH53IdPSMwbKjB8cdGNXBBjHXjR3LbqLstetaOEkwseZybiSFe_UlPfsOiNXi5uViHb-jlPQBp41fQaO/s640/P1010369.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5RTcGu1oGxaDEG0_1CB7Gp7H70Ilcavc2jm-D9izUu8ZUX-vinyQHMe2iGCcsyMYOAwz-EPZDGvgzEj7Z-yXbLEKcVl96hQxBF8rXdr3EVI3zgDlXoRgOFbnvPYrqYZwqMts_h3PEnXXE/s1600/IMG_7333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5RTcGu1oGxaDEG0_1CB7Gp7H70Ilcavc2jm-D9izUu8ZUX-vinyQHMe2iGCcsyMYOAwz-EPZDGvgzEj7Z-yXbLEKcVl96hQxBF8rXdr3EVI3zgDlXoRgOFbnvPYrqYZwqMts_h3PEnXXE/s640/IMG_7333.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis3jNr-DQ4l6zIj6XiGHX_ncsjbP1Ibji289khrDvGX0sHfJk317ol2hdgCB8tkXRGchMsBDg_ZX6lUpL3xuW8qX_XEof5JKJ_VrKuQneBp3JKu2UjJfCez_VS4qsSlZF3OdxQQE4Z8KQJ/s1600/P1010203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis3jNr-DQ4l6zIj6XiGHX_ncsjbP1Ibji289khrDvGX0sHfJk317ol2hdgCB8tkXRGchMsBDg_ZX6lUpL3xuW8qX_XEof5JKJ_VrKuQneBp3JKu2UjJfCez_VS4qsSlZF3OdxQQE4Z8KQJ/s640/P1010203.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfIlUh_ctWWZBjsVdLv8AhTgek0IhrMhO29slooTtR5C55S6QooJGZqKH5T3qyskj8xpgKmUgT-qaHFSiNxvRXCGOQ0Ysp8RcxdjQqLbkfsxqpdzqOERs36M-id7hKCwc6ha_EdXrUsi8S/s1600/IMG_5771.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfIlUh_ctWWZBjsVdLv8AhTgek0IhrMhO29slooTtR5C55S6QooJGZqKH5T3qyskj8xpgKmUgT-qaHFSiNxvRXCGOQ0Ysp8RcxdjQqLbkfsxqpdzqOERs36M-id7hKCwc6ha_EdXrUsi8S/s640/IMG_5771.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmyQMSbgige3-aqyBrVZ0UAdu2lEg_rggClhHE0mcZG0yu6EgjyPmMDpP6u7NytaC23sXQ5sexbSu6bts18Gf3lxAOiR6jcYBuPfvDGDABK39MVEVGZfqMxk3K8LqB-ge-h6qfjocOCCj3/s1600/IMG_5774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmyQMSbgige3-aqyBrVZ0UAdu2lEg_rggClhHE0mcZG0yu6EgjyPmMDpP6u7NytaC23sXQ5sexbSu6bts18Gf3lxAOiR6jcYBuPfvDGDABK39MVEVGZfqMxk3K8LqB-ge-h6qfjocOCCj3/s640/IMG_5774.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /><br /></span></span>Pascale Petithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496315815638953200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406925524977670641.post-60539574771475637522016-12-20T17:34:00.003+00:002016-12-20T17:59:30.992+00:00Second Trip to the Peruvian Amazon, Tambopata National Reserve, Madre de Dios region<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1PS94u6GUztE7RuJdPshUDn6u88ku5n6Xqh8aAg5Lke-SASQ2jyXYWiRUfyWEOYohkWTDgUw46H6zhquuujuIZSl6P6Wi_GatmBqRM1J75wIy3kJfl7tX6_ox0HvPI1CHeMxPSGUaC0cb/s1600/P1000698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1PS94u6GUztE7RuJdPshUDn6u88ku5n6Xqh8aAg5Lke-SASQ2jyXYWiRUfyWEOYohkWTDgUw46H6zhquuujuIZSl6P6Wi_GatmBqRM1J75wIy3kJfl7tX6_ox0HvPI1CHeMxPSGUaC0cb/s640/P1000698.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is the view from the top of the 30 meter scaffolding canopy tower over the Madre de Dios rainforest, late afternoon, taken on the first day of our arrival in the Peruvian Amazon, when we stayed in a lodge in the outer buffer zone of the Tambopata National Reserve, one hour upriver from the Ese'Eja native community of Infierno. This particular lodge, Posadas, is in the Ese'Eja's protected primary forest, which means there is a high diversity of creatures, many of which can be seen from the bedrooms, which are missing an outer wall. It is possible to lie in bed and watch monkeys and toucans flying through the trees. <br /><br />On this, our second trip to the Peruvian Amazon basin, we saw so much wildlife, took so many photos, that I'm starting the blog with just the landscape and the trees, the rainforest and the Tambopata River, its oxbow lakes and creeks, islands and ponds. We trekked in the heat and humidity and mosquito clouds of the wet season. Luckily, although we arrived in rain, and the forecast was for rain and thunder every day and night, we only had one afternoon of deluge, when all excursions were cancelled. There were occasional spectacular night storms, surprise downpours, and lots of sun, not that we could see it in the forest understorey where it is always twilight. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">After two days in Posadas Lodge we went upriver six and a half more hours, deep into the pristine Tambopata National Reserve, to stay at Tambopata Research Station. There are no other humans allowed in this national <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">park</span> so the forest is undisturbed. It was my second stay there, and I could get addicted to it, despite the discomfort of always being sweaty, having to take three showers a day and having to wear gumboots for the mud, and cover up from neck to toe against the insect hordes and spray insect repellant every half an hour. We got up at 4am most days, fumbling in the dark with torches, and the best experiences were usually those treks and boat-trips before breakfast, when the wildlife was at its peak. <br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The highlight was a jaguar. But there were other equally enthralling encounters: the giant river otters that swam towards our catamaran, a king vulture on river logs, capybaras mating, a harpy eagle chick, a hoatzin chick, a large caiman eating an even larger catfish, nighthawks roosting on the river, a scissor-tail kite – the list goes on. Almost all spotted by our eagle-eyed guide Jungle Paul, who also took some of the best photos with his huge zoom-lens camera. Most of these pics here I took with my iPhone, which is good for landscapes and also for close-ups. But I didn't take the view from the canopy tower, sadly my vertigo prevents me getting up there. I did try on our last trip, and almost got to the top, then the narrowing and steeper steps started to sway with the slightest breeze and I was spooked. </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM8isnN9tEiusCn9g9vTGh06yM0nylpD5yWU9N7CT-9fgpFetgbgvOpX89qdc6xmuoBehakGaBp6oKifLp8rBh5VGAxgxI4BQw1XKBWrdEmIBysOjirbVLJM4i2ZP2g3poL4Gbt2mPrW-m/s1600/IMG_7483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM8isnN9tEiusCn9g9vTGh06yM0nylpD5yWU9N7CT-9fgpFetgbgvOpX89qdc6xmuoBehakGaBp6oKifLp8rBh5VGAxgxI4BQw1XKBWrdEmIBysOjirbVLJM4i2ZP2g3poL4Gbt2mPrW-m/s640/IMG_7483.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
The creek entrance to Colorado clay lick and the island observation pond, here I am waiting for the boat to take us back to TRC. The colours!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiki3ktD2T28PFAogSYrDvs1nIANX3lSkgUWB2InSgqWpWiJkuZ78p2iWxJUQzBXrTCGUbSgLova8veY6wyP3ghHYI0nKnXXdHNa4MZ2qFqtWdqoJuAWUmKF1-VOSpeaO_asrZX1pUH0zvo/s1600/IMG_6910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiki3ktD2T28PFAogSYrDvs1nIANX3lSkgUWB2InSgqWpWiJkuZ78p2iWxJUQzBXrTCGUbSgLova8veY6wyP3ghHYI0nKnXXdHNa4MZ2qFqtWdqoJuAWUmKF1-VOSpeaO_asrZX1pUH0zvo/s640/IMG_6910.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
View of the Madre de Dios rivers from the plane from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUs9g5EspDCX6XhWFWVGmc380tSEbKNgsoy37_kAmxBE-g6NVYVk0IlsPViY1uyV48Vrl8ITJCPQ_Jxs7JQ3zTJVgYfP6xkFhXNv40SfhaO8lCa1oVRpIJHEESvS-heqHyWl1CNuvGhcqH/s1600/IMG_7705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUs9g5EspDCX6XhWFWVGmc380tSEbKNgsoy37_kAmxBE-g6NVYVk0IlsPViY1uyV48Vrl8ITJCPQ_Jxs7JQ3zTJVgYfP6xkFhXNv40SfhaO8lCa1oVRpIJHEESvS-heqHyWl1CNuvGhcqH/s640/IMG_7705.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
TRC port <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmTf3xATosqQQFBNKBMIOF9GCYzIbgKjLZJyyapZ5Lcv9mvK4MxvrTFqYXz4gSnMQWO4-stPxYYRpgE0L9ixf03pgiuy-c8p354-nWibBu1vJ0knyWpDzJf2ulwX_1IMGjO74q20Cb4L-5/s1600/IMG_7019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmTf3xATosqQQFBNKBMIOF9GCYzIbgKjLZJyyapZ5Lcv9mvK4MxvrTFqYXz4gSnMQWO4-stPxYYRpgE0L9ixf03pgiuy-c8p354-nWibBu1vJ0knyWpDzJf2ulwX_1IMGjO74q20Cb4L-5/s640/IMG_7019.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
Tres Chimbadas Oxbow Lake, a solitary cormorant in the far distance on a branch sticking out of the water<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwSgV4uKm7PTHQFOIk2OSL6WBw6pJLSZlpp3x-OVwTx60NbOK4oCSgTQnQOfi_Kh9uHBO1b327r7SDSU5n7tUjJwloxaVBnHYhJp5SbP_M8oMpwyT9BgQI9iAnHA5dsxsLaHtrv4BAhzct/s1600/P1000896.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwSgV4uKm7PTHQFOIk2OSL6WBw6pJLSZlpp3x-OVwTx60NbOK4oCSgTQnQOfi_Kh9uHBO1b327r7SDSU5n7tUjJwloxaVBnHYhJp5SbP_M8oMpwyT9BgQI9iAnHA5dsxsLaHtrv4BAhzct/s640/P1000896.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Oropendola nests<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm742O1etYjJX0vviBrRUGB78iA3f0kIXSa4x2utv1qSddAQGiQyUodgBAc7lRZWnqqNxGk6cjpUXT5HK5mrCgB253KY4xOXH-qEBB62pIc-hs5PEXKxM43VoF_grKSp8q_laHVmgYVvTs/s1600/IMG_7344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm742O1etYjJX0vviBrRUGB78iA3f0kIXSa4x2utv1qSddAQGiQyUodgBAc7lRZWnqqNxGk6cjpUXT5HK5mrCgB253KY4xOXH-qEBB62pIc-hs5PEXKxM43VoF_grKSp8q_laHVmgYVvTs/s640/IMG_7344.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
The afternoon deluge<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYt2-TRwa4wl_hjLixOdy5iekhbqaskP41f_mlMTMr6-iV3h0JImzPxDTH_LszsVcxCjh4QfwKTa7O8XGlI5-DnR37KMrOvLejMIc-cL_aEF10Gkuhrgam_JRRV6GYBZCEY8mzEh58yYf_/s1600/IMG_7002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYt2-TRwa4wl_hjLixOdy5iekhbqaskP41f_mlMTMr6-iV3h0JImzPxDTH_LszsVcxCjh4QfwKTa7O8XGlI5-DnR37KMrOvLejMIc-cL_aEF10Gkuhrgam_JRRV6GYBZCEY8mzEh58yYf_/s640/IMG_7002.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The oxbow lake Tres Chimbadas where we saw the giant river otters<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc2OHhi6y52vEyG4aJ2l3a3FCKo1g7CIHCxs3xjnbPUDzmp4OdKnZSqM2CxQmyVgTur94BA7YUnWG1oxezFv25FirlNryCUA2iO-2-r3pxuejXPLavCBtOUMzghojDzrm21ZbMkS71bvud/s1600/IMG_7494.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc2OHhi6y52vEyG4aJ2l3a3FCKo1g7CIHCxs3xjnbPUDzmp4OdKnZSqM2CxQmyVgTur94BA7YUnWG1oxezFv25FirlNryCUA2iO-2-r3pxuejXPLavCBtOUMzghojDzrm21ZbMkS71bvud/s640/IMG_7494.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnYhAEFJgGZ_vAIkhS8WDGNsKlwbniZBjBd4wNQLhYT129XZdWli3sybdAXqjsmPKDQ2vN9YYyRSURIR-LX-yBSbt-gyEDF_FbCuZDufp_pFhANZCeS_1UwroqxYCsUep5YCAchiouIsIF/s1600/IMG_7712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnYhAEFJgGZ_vAIkhS8WDGNsKlwbniZBjBd4wNQLhYT129XZdWli3sybdAXqjsmPKDQ2vN9YYyRSURIR-LX-yBSbt-gyEDF_FbCuZDufp_pFhANZCeS_1UwroqxYCsUep5YCAchiouIsIF/s640/IMG_7712.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6kP9UUrYqkPPIlZQUyNjqyidx6qywXQZr_jShu0rSTJNnKyavri2GRfuh7F5qHhnSRIfI_tLIBON976eUyhaKEvy9eiFvGTsK3XP3xN5zIz1FAWPiBy_C3AlLllhPSzyfdhP_CGsf2BC4/s1600/IMG_7414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6kP9UUrYqkPPIlZQUyNjqyidx6qywXQZr_jShu0rSTJNnKyavri2GRfuh7F5qHhnSRIfI_tLIBON976eUyhaKEvy9eiFvGTsK3XP3xN5zIz1FAWPiBy_C3AlLllhPSzyfdhP_CGsf2BC4/s640/IMG_7414.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
The men's gumboot rack, the women's is on the other side of the entrance to TRC. This is mainly for the scientists and their assistants, young people who can climb giant trees like monkeys to monitor macaw nestsPascale Petithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496315815638953200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406925524977670641.post-21491639536166809622016-09-27T20:18:00.001+01:002016-09-28T09:24:38.056+01:00Beach studies, St Bees Cumbria, and the Elements Festival launch!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgemgny5rpAU-Bg8pp9VFCsSwAA6hHVXBQB-ktDUoTpk-Wklfnf0MOLZb8VggHljMs5IuL_Jb4hSvQhJKbEoS_fZanlhYHATKMCBOdYFDDP6uNnhgIaWlPLSvr7wCTkZi47Qmhl5AvDz_bU/s1600/IMG_6132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgemgny5rpAU-Bg8pp9VFCsSwAA6hHVXBQB-ktDUoTpk-Wklfnf0MOLZb8VggHljMs5IuL_Jb4hSvQhJKbEoS_fZanlhYHATKMCBOdYFDDP6uNnhgIaWlPLSvr7wCTkZi47Qmhl5AvDz_bU/s640/IMG_6132.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I've been on St Bees beach in a large caravan for over a month now, with a view onto the open sea, from my temporary home three vans back from the front. I can also see the sandstone head, its rocks and rockpools. </span></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The other cliffs south of the beach are limestone, though these too are red. </span></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now that it's almost October the default weather is wind that rocks the caravan, sometimes driving rain, and yet the clouds can suddenly clear and the sky turn dazzling blue. I've done quite a bit of writing here, as well as teaching, on my West Lakes residency, and in just over a week's time I'll be home, then off to work elsewhere, but I'll be back mid October for a series of events for the visionary <a href="http://www.elementsfest.com/programme/" target="_blank">Elements Festival</a>, which is all about diversity and minorities, and over 60's, quite a feat for such a rural outpost, thanks to Tonia Lu who dreamt it all up. I'll read some of my brand new residency inspired poems at the <a href="http://www.elementsfest.com/event/festival-launch-film-screening/" target="_blank">launch</a> of the festival this Saturday, at Penrith Old Fire Station. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The sea itself has swept into me, in all its terrifying splendour, the St Bees sandstone also has fed into the poems, one was written in Fleswick Bay, when I had it all to myself one glorious August day, and another aspect that's gradually seeped into my bones is the iron ore mining of Copeland's industrial past – our workshops are held in <a href="http://www.florencemine.com/elements-festival-october/" target="_blank">Florence Mine</a>, where the miners' shower rooms are converted into a beautiful arts centre. This has led me to research my own mining past, in the depressed coal mining village of Llanbradach in the Rhymni valley, south Wales, where I lived with my estranged mother as a teenager for five years, under the shadow of the slagheap. She lived there much longer. I'm thrilled that I've written about this for the first time ever, because what a fascinating thing coal is, and the shallow sea-swamps of the Carboniferous, with their mega-insects!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Irish Sea is wild in wind, roars like an open furnace, sometimes it's white with fume over glassy waves, sometimes bronze, pewter, or polished <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">aluminium</span>. People aren't swimming in it anymore, not even paddling, though on my daily walks along the mile wide sands that are revealed at low tide I wear sandals so I can paddle through the channels that lace the shore. People mainly walk their dogs, usually in pairs, only a few family groups left. It's unusual to come across others walking alone, but when I do I tend to take photos (all these are with my iphone), and there are boats alone out there, sometimes paragliders above me too. For me, these frames of walkers, dogs with their shadows, seabirds, whether they're oyster catchers, a heron, or gulls, or boats alone on the horizon, are studies in solitude. </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRvLz1yaUT2v-mXkpPuXfB74R9FIjFOgC-zTqxxePwWS2Nfc1qYM-DCeZYrN2Uy1LoyMHags-YX6D_lSIG-0v1CD_0OYU_i9wYkx4SsJbTcetJq8K7iDcwiP4qGKwVapzkVHczHzJ2LNgB/s1600/IMG_6055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRvLz1yaUT2v-mXkpPuXfB74R9FIjFOgC-zTqxxePwWS2Nfc1qYM-DCeZYrN2Uy1LoyMHags-YX6D_lSIG-0v1CD_0OYU_i9wYkx4SsJbTcetJq8K7iDcwiP4qGKwVapzkVHczHzJ2LNgB/s640/IMG_6055.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT2IULFosmxNgVAYrin1K09qTfWHfHCEJNpRJwFApkutUf6vkewbPTW_OJ4Pd9KpRySIpMT1-tJ9C4GmJ2r4u3rU0pRdKIgqTDmuhyRRx8j7p6IL6HoxnF-G38rudCmnBQOhMfMuk8GqOr/s1600/IMG_5878.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT2IULFosmxNgVAYrin1K09qTfWHfHCEJNpRJwFApkutUf6vkewbPTW_OJ4Pd9KpRySIpMT1-tJ9C4GmJ2r4u3rU0pRdKIgqTDmuhyRRx8j7p6IL6HoxnF-G38rudCmnBQOhMfMuk8GqOr/s640/IMG_5878.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioDeyRh03aDbhMrXkhjrrBmzcrxEkhe1uv_b89X3fvTfhBUhX9FxQAXnKgMr5TcgyvQwef1CIYtCwQ7zoBWbUfeW7SxeWM8XId8EMngx5HcA_kMJ98gEwkBgNyKD9dILIDkZSkcGbAyIZH/s1600/IMG_5891.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioDeyRh03aDbhMrXkhjrrBmzcrxEkhe1uv_b89X3fvTfhBUhX9FxQAXnKgMr5TcgyvQwef1CIYtCwQ7zoBWbUfeW7SxeWM8XId8EMngx5HcA_kMJ98gEwkBgNyKD9dILIDkZSkcGbAyIZH/s640/IMG_5891.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQqMOjZTyo1xIbXvjx6Bp23qbhk9kCyS5uHvbiiPZDrmjG7O9NU6aJOkS-pQ-E7B6rTCCvMXJ1iXmkPZdWKeWnvYxKZLfAA-T6pNrm1sl-F5SUnAik70e6GwgE6Seg8lv81d9iae572haD/s1600/IMG_5852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQqMOjZTyo1xIbXvjx6Bp23qbhk9kCyS5uHvbiiPZDrmjG7O9NU6aJOkS-pQ-E7B6rTCCvMXJ1iXmkPZdWKeWnvYxKZLfAA-T6pNrm1sl-F5SUnAik70e6GwgE6Seg8lv81d9iae572haD/s640/IMG_5852.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTTkkDxoNCNB66TtzI6aGeZb4EuPwBUqEIXHmYsEMass1VuwOy7DJJQCAOdUr148gIfjNUuf4lC4hrWI1vDolPYqZGjK2kOLqjEwPUrldd7lQGS8N76nJaPBqzgtet5KT5LVwNS0rcE6TT/s1600/IMG_6186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTTkkDxoNCNB66TtzI6aGeZb4EuPwBUqEIXHmYsEMass1VuwOy7DJJQCAOdUr148gIfjNUuf4lC4hrWI1vDolPYqZGjK2kOLqjEwPUrldd7lQGS8N76nJaPBqzgtet5KT5LVwNS0rcE6TT/s640/IMG_6186.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYTSYg32Cu9cXlHYVTWK4oHBSdFwA7gA2c2E3nLeBeQhRDiCfBMT3bFTOLGqOl28IdjnS9idRnI2kzrws6NBjRrad_M_k4pkAVLEMsSqu0zfTwDxqjvp17PFjY4RJulSv0QIDZGSjYDR1R/s1600/IMG_5996.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYTSYg32Cu9cXlHYVTWK4oHBSdFwA7gA2c2E3nLeBeQhRDiCfBMT3bFTOLGqOl28IdjnS9idRnI2kzrws6NBjRrad_M_k4pkAVLEMsSqu0zfTwDxqjvp17PFjY4RJulSv0QIDZGSjYDR1R/s640/IMG_5996.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWSEDp0Jn3eUDUKEXN9aqV50Lx9UEX51uuH8iJYUjI7mjWSWl2i5XBqpJvmudgejUgVxSEhuxHvpyY1ZoZz971utQYdnkOk-f-3lEMH50Xd7EmCXtSiElAYYufeTdMyYzZtWCu0e1rgNCY/s1600/IMG_6236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWSEDp0Jn3eUDUKEXN9aqV50Lx9UEX51uuH8iJYUjI7mjWSWl2i5XBqpJvmudgejUgVxSEhuxHvpyY1ZoZz971utQYdnkOk-f-3lEMH50Xd7EmCXtSiElAYYufeTdMyYzZtWCu0e1rgNCY/s640/IMG_6236.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4H5AUIBbRAoXzriXtQLTWFzUqXgZDbc0w0sC0QKHz9wU-UHi_fenGD8fEmy-14HE-EP7YWAHseqRG-dW3P2mdoa7BP900R1xOsBUfDMALrF0S-Mqy-kz30fvMRQe9fBkRwCrvZdRiKx5/s1600/IMG_6258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4H5AUIBbRAoXzriXtQLTWFzUqXgZDbc0w0sC0QKHz9wU-UHi_fenGD8fEmy-14HE-EP7YWAHseqRG-dW3P2mdoa7BP900R1xOsBUfDMALrF0S-Mqy-kz30fvMRQe9fBkRwCrvZdRiKx5/s640/IMG_6258.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAtYF0SG3_kp9hrgBF8VAcnJEYIljFKWvb5ZVEqVAHeuFL5y7YX5QHG5_AuXCPSl4ST38Dll3O0e783r0XatHsiKJE6lv86ERrjbWKj6mlMBvV76yAsyydvilRbfAoVRg9xn8N5wmKOnkP/s1600/IMG_6171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAtYF0SG3_kp9hrgBF8VAcnJEYIljFKWvb5ZVEqVAHeuFL5y7YX5QHG5_AuXCPSl4ST38Dll3O0e783r0XatHsiKJE6lv86ERrjbWKj6mlMBvV76yAsyydvilRbfAoVRg9xn8N5wmKOnkP/s640/IMG_6171.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx8yfQ9yFJQI0e_GOz-xuxJu5v1WiEIYKOKUwwqo-KoVhirczN0ommF6ff-nztOHy-vkGdreUIJzVXc4IfkxIhfGOHEbbxl_dD6svi1d_MlgE0AFqqXmyte4gZ_AInxjkyx0PgqhbWTTKW/s1600/Cs-2a6JXgAA4aJ0.jpg_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx8yfQ9yFJQI0e_GOz-xuxJu5v1WiEIYKOKUwwqo-KoVhirczN0ommF6ff-nztOHy-vkGdreUIJzVXc4IfkxIhfGOHEbbxl_dD6svi1d_MlgE0AFqqXmyte4gZ_AInxjkyx0PgqhbWTTKW/s640/Cs-2a6JXgAA4aJ0.jpg_large.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Yl-KtAHvAK1Ng8RNGdj-RNTz-67JJmhwv8U6jqiJbbnpj5mF6012ZW5C_glZU-kFta-WZVm2T1qekLVLaQDteriL1tVvduZXZzPs4WowMCixrUgauKMV0VbTjqczDEEAabvjuh1_Z6O9/s1600/IMG_5756.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Yl-KtAHvAK1Ng8RNGdj-RNTz-67JJmhwv8U6jqiJbbnpj5mF6012ZW5C_glZU-kFta-WZVm2T1qekLVLaQDteriL1tVvduZXZzPs4WowMCixrUgauKMV0VbTjqczDEEAabvjuh1_Z6O9/s640/IMG_5756.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixmXqOiag4_LxJ-kOGi5f785DHipOf32nOnLhWDFtj0XaHIcIEQ6y8alx5OJsYN6LElQIizC3HjKAExcz868gWMx8HTLgTovxk72ANUioPJh6lm8y3HTnWOo6C2Zd3y4mDte7UxKRoYFwv/s1600/IMG_5335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixmXqOiag4_LxJ-kOGi5f785DHipOf32nOnLhWDFtj0XaHIcIEQ6y8alx5OJsYN6LElQIizC3HjKAExcz868gWMx8HTLgTovxk72ANUioPJh6lm8y3HTnWOo6C2Zd3y4mDte7UxKRoYFwv/s640/IMG_5335.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcAeimOQQQsr_rcIwesQJzx7scJaE1-H0BXEp8VEtHQIM616f6l1Q5PCdRFc00-4DeA5YML975hAXK_aBoInT0gLUojPW8wvChnuY_vEHOpk_iBwB0Tcl4W3jV8ur2tz8O_8ABNSCn2pNf/s1600/IMG_6254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcAeimOQQQsr_rcIwesQJzx7scJaE1-H0BXEp8VEtHQIM616f6l1Q5PCdRFc00-4DeA5YML975hAXK_aBoInT0gLUojPW8wvChnuY_vEHOpk_iBwB0Tcl4W3jV8ur2tz8O_8ABNSCn2pNf/s640/IMG_6254.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipXs6zHn4Ly4m-Qr8jqtlH8MDHH1-fdkD4lqhKkS0zuvWLxA4Q6oOObtRNNKXeKecxgC1rd6udEdie2sbgjTT2x9_Qlixm2lzH0Aj3hoFesBlSWMScQ_xqygrLoO86GhSKGqvnwujdM7ef/s1600/IMG_5869.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipXs6zHn4Ly4m-Qr8jqtlH8MDHH1-fdkD4lqhKkS0zuvWLxA4Q6oOObtRNNKXeKecxgC1rd6udEdie2sbgjTT2x9_Qlixm2lzH0Aj3hoFesBlSWMScQ_xqygrLoO86GhSKGqvnwujdM7ef/s640/IMG_5869.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Pascale Petithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496315815638953200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406925524977670641.post-54858902271940563032016-09-10T07:28:00.000+01:002016-09-10T07:28:52.360+01:00The Lion's Mane Jellyfish of West Cumbria<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Xw-tLYee4iCrVdwo9uzGxKjDzugJUDkfDz0rqirIgHyHIFGfnkQ6W2CL4KcCNIvyk1_OOfhAx-qalk45oyPct8aBOI5pm2mA7w0KeYkY2NNbTKWeyB7E0wtx_fl3xtqG-K5kvDd2Nwt4/s1600/lion%2527s+mane+jellyfish+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Xw-tLYee4iCrVdwo9uzGxKjDzugJUDkfDz0rqirIgHyHIFGfnkQ6W2CL4KcCNIvyk1_OOfhAx-qalk45oyPct8aBOI5pm2mA7w0KeYkY2NNbTKWeyB7E0wtx_fl3xtqG-K5kvDd2Nwt4/s640/lion%2527s+mane+jellyfish+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Imagine coming across this on the beach. When I found my first, I took a photo and back in my caravan at St Bees, tried to identify it on google images. I guessed it was a jellyfish as it wobbled slightly when touched with a shell, but it could have been a giant eye, it looked like a giant eye washed up after the night's storm. It was surrounded by smaller blobs without the luminous red and tan colours. Those smaller clear jellyfish I'd seen before on other beaches, but my creature looked like it might be a lion's mane jellyfish. And the smaller clear ones? Moon jellies that the lions feed on! The lions that haunt Arctic waters can grow to be the largest jellyfish in the world, but these ones in the Irish Sea are more modest, the largest I found was a foot across.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Since then I've been obsessed by these sea-cats and the process of seeing them is quite strange. Once I see one I look around and usually find others scattered nearby. What's more, my feet seem to know where to walk, as if they've developed eyes. I think I've seen about fifteen by now, and some are striped like tigers or mint humbugs. Maybe one or two were compass jellyfish? Some have more mane to them and these larger ones have 'eyes' that look more like organs, bloodied even, like they've met with a violent death. I want to see more but I'm also aware these are freshly dead creatures and I don't want them to die. </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVgBPxwk2fVteGezndebwr-_Ej5RYOLXGKAOP47wFULkTqjxEHdqy-DaKqiLaBuM6GYPExqnqB_-b-qiEfK2fAW3g9vT9V-FoD3qJNjPVbp3Dva4x4lGbBqJLXB3bd2sqCNUA6wF2Qwx9v/s1600/lion%2527s+mane+jellyfish+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVgBPxwk2fVteGezndebwr-_Ej5RYOLXGKAOP47wFULkTqjxEHdqy-DaKqiLaBuM6GYPExqnqB_-b-qiEfK2fAW3g9vT9V-FoD3qJNjPVbp3Dva4x4lGbBqJLXB3bd2sqCNUA6wF2Qwx9v/s640/lion%2527s+mane+jellyfish+2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTwcL8OryCWEdCocv3YvoxKNWWfsswI-BPjd9B_BwKEoc_Hlu4eIFqwka3h3EF3eyW4y7tJ-T538wR8vj175H_gKhmAQ3LrXhUS17AytUa8U-7SZJ0RM13dve7L16cRaVMJwCpclBvrY0V/s1600/lion%2527s+mane+jellyfish+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTwcL8OryCWEdCocv3YvoxKNWWfsswI-BPjd9B_BwKEoc_Hlu4eIFqwka3h3EF3eyW4y7tJ-T538wR8vj175H_gKhmAQ3LrXhUS17AytUa8U-7SZJ0RM13dve7L16cRaVMJwCpclBvrY0V/s640/lion%2527s+mane+jellyfish+3.jpg" width="602" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ogiw_VUH0ZHybt5bbxPbsgv2-4hQcAmdLk7a18Pxgge5ylLb6nWpl6BDa7exIXULpVFq4hiA-RNEuqB-ffap8NBaR_UNN3YN0kvcVzlPEXIEX1qgdKV3zz5zAT2qm3CSdzxg0473qLaq/s1600/lion%2527s+mane+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ogiw_VUH0ZHybt5bbxPbsgv2-4hQcAmdLk7a18Pxgge5ylLb6nWpl6BDa7exIXULpVFq4hiA-RNEuqB-ffap8NBaR_UNN3YN0kvcVzlPEXIEX1qgdKV3zz5zAT2qm3CSdzxg0473qLaq/s640/lion%2527s+mane+4.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimyShwHyvuzSYsWtZX2amthzdmEYpfr7hwqNRJb9VjjRveYW5xSGmd7OawY34OmL4TAVB5AhIYOW5xuc4QdSwwcfibLGX_3PhWUew5X8shp92xl5qjbFLxAyZT9SsySV9S4mmCFtKXiMRl/s1600/lion%2527s+mane+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimyShwHyvuzSYsWtZX2amthzdmEYpfr7hwqNRJb9VjjRveYW5xSGmd7OawY34OmL4TAVB5AhIYOW5xuc4QdSwwcfibLGX_3PhWUew5X8shp92xl5qjbFLxAyZT9SsySV9S4mmCFtKXiMRl/s640/lion%2527s+mane+5.jpg" width="626" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjen4FWCFqE8PDHXr3XdoDWWUKH_m0W-bHiLc5RYR9Wbd7XN3phET2B318G5aRevL0CpXXdwmPMwek1zMs2LPkKdncnlAoCxH0USLv-2BS5plbWntUk1yO2lLtRqdW2BKgx6LK5TpKe-5Da/s1600/lion%2527s+mane+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjen4FWCFqE8PDHXr3XdoDWWUKH_m0W-bHiLc5RYR9Wbd7XN3phET2B318G5aRevL0CpXXdwmPMwek1zMs2LPkKdncnlAoCxH0USLv-2BS5plbWntUk1yO2lLtRqdW2BKgx6LK5TpKe-5Da/s640/lion%2527s+mane+6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Pascale Petithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496315815638953200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406925524977670641.post-41826285929605063252016-08-31T20:01:00.001+01:002016-08-31T20:04:40.311+01:00Waves at St Bees, Cumbria, my West Lakes writing residency<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUl5tu9MHGMfuMml5guFky4kny-PBZsLsKmwEpSur4JQnxT2nrdp5GBJ_TEO3K24KYDri1O5TJfzsL0DTkesCOYek3it_nXN9hZ9zkIVMhHONQBH31zNY_AYgsX-OvHU-V0wg75hq7NaX/s1600/best+wave.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUl5tu9MHGMfuMml5guFky4kny-PBZsLsKmwEpSur4JQnxT2nrdp5GBJ_TEO3K24KYDri1O5TJfzsL0DTkesCOYek3it_nXN9hZ9zkIVMhHONQBH31zNY_AYgsX-OvHU-V0wg75hq7NaX/s640/best+wave.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It's been ten days since I moved into a large caravan on the beach of St Bees for my <a href="http://www.elementsfest.com/programme/west-lakes-residency/" target="_blank">West Lakes writing residency</a>, on the north-west coast of Cumbria. I'm taking part in the <a href="http://www.elementsfest.com/" target="_blank">Elements</a> project, a brand new festival celebrating age and diversity, and my role is to write poems, lead 6 workshops and 4 daytrips with my over 60's group and take part in the Elements festival in October, with a series of readings by me and the group, the whole thing dreamed up by Tonia Lu. I'm grateful to Tonia because since I've been living here I've become acquainted with the terrifying sea. Yes, I am terrified of the sea, in this case the Irish Sea – on a fine day I can see the Isle of Man on the horizon, and on my coastal cliff walks northwards I might glimpse Scotland, which is apparently only 25 miles away. Because there's so much to write about I'm focusing on waves today, and some pics of them taken with my iPhone, on the windier days. IPhones are good at capturing animals in motion, as I discovered when I took pictures of the jaguars in Paris zoos, but here is an altogether larger animal, with a multitude of claws, fangs, fur that sometimes seems made of ice, other times molten glass veined with kelp, and which has a roar like a mile wide glass kiln with the door wrenched open<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">, the beast inside revealed</span>. I've worked with glass so I remember that sound well, and the white heat. <br /></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVLJvmzxyNkIrvpvi32AsHO0lnOixe6l-kWglyAgJJY2hgavshatJs0xcG4IcnuTLE-IjYpq-D85_XD72YuzVb1JykDWl7GrBkF_fgbd2EysWu7zzCOKu4Trb5IHcvv87XPdPqcoXIUafF/s1600/encrusted+wave.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVLJvmzxyNkIrvpvi32AsHO0lnOixe6l-kWglyAgJJY2hgavshatJs0xcG4IcnuTLE-IjYpq-D85_XD72YuzVb1JykDWl7GrBkF_fgbd2EysWu7zzCOKu4Trb5IHcvv87XPdPqcoXIUafF/s640/encrusted+wave.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hopefully some of the poems I'm writing will go into my next book <a href="http://www.bloodaxebooks.com/ecs/product/mama-amazonica-1147" target="_blank"><i>Mama Amazonica</i></a>, due out from Bloodaxe in autumn 2017, but I'm putting together the rough manuscript by the end of this September, so am concentrating on the task, except it's not a task but a wild adventure which I'm very much enjoying, enthralled by my subject ma mère la mer. I'm not only writing mother sea poems – because I'm also still on those post-Peruvian Amazon trip ones – but interesting to bring the sea in now. I can see the monster from my caravan which has floor to ceiling windows in the front. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcA6m2kD-UWvcGEl3I7ROUkjVWl6JMG1qXrmDI4A7LByvy9_uOJ-lL1lePbSNrEVoG8XBQX9v2KHJj3T79RtAm0T3fMv1-da49gTp5y-MG-sdZGtG-QHCAcMmpTnirU9wHVmV7BdqQti0w/s1600/IMG_5667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcA6m2kD-UWvcGEl3I7ROUkjVWl6JMG1qXrmDI4A7LByvy9_uOJ-lL1lePbSNrEVoG8XBQX9v2KHJj3T79RtAm0T3fMv1-da49gTp5y-MG-sdZGtG-QHCAcMmpTnirU9wHVmV7BdqQti0w/s640/IMG_5667.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmC0EbCs4CW8F2mEyWkoSKR54znGxFeCi7aNYaeC1b_sYukQ6Eq14Aoszl0lG897k_za7txgkfNQ1VyXA9wJwN1dbPGPjB_9VTBEVR7DIGoKtD5jPlSypbP7ynyiX6sQTRzcDw2KyEX8tp/s1600/IMG_5664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmC0EbCs4CW8F2mEyWkoSKR54znGxFeCi7aNYaeC1b_sYukQ6Eq14Aoszl0lG897k_za7txgkfNQ1VyXA9wJwN1dbPGPjB_9VTBEVR7DIGoKtD5jPlSypbP7ynyiX6sQTRzcDw2KyEX8tp/s640/IMG_5664.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span></span>Pascale Petithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496315815638953200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406925524977670641.post-23076900861123421832016-08-20T12:15:00.000+01:002016-08-20T12:15:01.540+01:00Macaws at the Chuncho claylick, largest colpa in Amazonia, Tambopata National Reserve, Peru<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_mctG7bfZ12BJ7IU_xLeDdYHYtlycgRBPNtLwNr3gjwz3jWWSmeGxmZZ6S4jLUgpDYoufWcWnlfciAKyojf82qpV972_APSV8IimGf6OPOv0D6FahEiOlZG6woqXwi-UZ4uX1fQH2WY1f/s1600/P1000282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_mctG7bfZ12BJ7IU_xLeDdYHYtlycgRBPNtLwNr3gjwz3jWWSmeGxmZZ6S4jLUgpDYoufWcWnlfciAKyojf82qpV972_APSV8IimGf6OPOv0D6FahEiOlZG6woqXwi-UZ4uX1fQH2WY1f/s640/P1000282.JPG" width="496" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Listening to macaws gathered in palms over a claylick must be the happiest sound on earth. In zoos they sound raucous, but in the wild, they are ecstatic, as they patiently wait for a safe moment to descend on what seems to be their shrine. The scientists at Tambopata Research Centre have been studying their behaviour at Chuncho claylick for years, and have various theories as to why the macaws, parrots and mammals all come here to eat the mineral rich clay. The cliffs at the side of the creek are carved into caves by their beaks. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The first morning I was there, the macaws gathered in the trees while the mealy and blue headed parrots came down to feed first, flocks of them. The macaws are easily spooked, just the shadow of an eagle and they flew past, their tails streaming behind them, like blue, yellow and red sunrays. They gather always in twos or threes, monogamous, longlived couples with their single juvenile chick. Their calls are like the voices of sunrays passing through a delicious but dangerous planet. The claylick, or colpa, must contain sacred salts or minerals, essential for their health, but what I saw was how they worshipped it, perched for hours before descending. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Even when they did dare settle, one would usually be a lookout, and I noticed that the lookout faced us over on the opposite side of the creek. They knew we were there and when one of our groups tired of waiting for them to come down and left, it was a signal. Then down they came, much to our delight; we'd been waiting since dawn and it was now noon. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In the photos below you can see blue and gold macaws, red and green macaws, mealy parrots, blue headed parrots, and scarlet macaws. In the last picture, Laura from TRC and a scientist volunteer are with the tame wild scarlet macaws which were hand raised as chicks. They were once near extinction so the scientists removed the second chicks from nests (that the parents neglect so they die) and hand raised them. They nest up in ironwood trees near the centre and return for banana treats and reguarly steal the breakfast of guests. While I was there Tobasco stole my breakfast bun and the butter. </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAjACiTKpL3-g9N_SoEWTazbevBD4HiwckxTxsDfb6RTRELuMF8-Tu3xcdYCE2RXN2XI-dhq4k7wEzrZGyr64_Hg-iqfBEpKZWIvD7TmnIoRMgoK2nGInb8zt4pWSmMeALpSHGuBX6jp3x/s1600/P1000386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAjACiTKpL3-g9N_SoEWTazbevBD4HiwckxTxsDfb6RTRELuMF8-Tu3xcdYCE2RXN2XI-dhq4k7wEzrZGyr64_Hg-iqfBEpKZWIvD7TmnIoRMgoK2nGInb8zt4pWSmMeALpSHGuBX6jp3x/s640/P1000386.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx38ZWvdwj2kI0XoDAeRHCiRMkfTw4cu4WLf_KB2FBuOj-2Kn8TJCUWWvXjwZig-EnHiO9uM2nU9sjt3FxZOfiyWv4lSg-3zOiGIe-tj-WjI0H6XnyM9Z6pxD6XovW4QR1ifF_RlaVsiXp/s1600/IMG_4573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx38ZWvdwj2kI0XoDAeRHCiRMkfTw4cu4WLf_KB2FBuOj-2Kn8TJCUWWvXjwZig-EnHiO9uM2nU9sjt3FxZOfiyWv4lSg-3zOiGIe-tj-WjI0H6XnyM9Z6pxD6XovW4QR1ifF_RlaVsiXp/s640/IMG_4573.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6OUNP3x1Qwh3VR_7fub9lTgpzDNkfzHeVan2XngMOYKbgCSH-NcdjRi5fnbCpAHFok9iHvpwIgfXuidQm9OhwFnkT53hgbSNJBQqAAGHQTb6_ZemzzPxtP0x39WGlHfCoPXT0QZEICFG/s1600/P1000364.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6OUNP3x1Qwh3VR_7fub9lTgpzDNkfzHeVan2XngMOYKbgCSH-NcdjRi5fnbCpAHFok9iHvpwIgfXuidQm9OhwFnkT53hgbSNJBQqAAGHQTb6_ZemzzPxtP0x39WGlHfCoPXT0QZEICFG/s640/P1000364.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwr-sSdNQYIDDzhYRg-DsV_ulLK6kDlReaZSG-aKPazZpM84HG4GUpO8OCkAIbfAnBCxotHrUtc_tyg2TX8WjY9URZ4rHjLG0uHpDFQKNVyYT8A5cSIFkn6y0IqkXjwY82okeYfS0GYkel/s1600/P1000388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwr-sSdNQYIDDzhYRg-DsV_ulLK6kDlReaZSG-aKPazZpM84HG4GUpO8OCkAIbfAnBCxotHrUtc_tyg2TX8WjY9URZ4rHjLG0uHpDFQKNVyYT8A5cSIFkn6y0IqkXjwY82okeYfS0GYkel/s640/P1000388.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKCW3yfrp0nHcPYN7jAYijnR-YTeav8tbAT67hDqxyJ9pbXuhxIfEPeualFYYRT8BiK0CYkf7P-ml0r4qTuAO0oW7MhoWkuDlS_cgPnp1vj0eJYofXEKmeWbowuxJGfN6I2h8BzuNq-AvH/s1600/IMG_4676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKCW3yfrp0nHcPYN7jAYijnR-YTeav8tbAT67hDqxyJ9pbXuhxIfEPeualFYYRT8BiK0CYkf7P-ml0r4qTuAO0oW7MhoWkuDlS_cgPnp1vj0eJYofXEKmeWbowuxJGfN6I2h8BzuNq-AvH/s640/IMG_4676.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ19p12idnV4kbuGoS3zhAOO-zQtkpRo5bQ0RdmOsXjYI7nzK5yBIA0V3G8gYmKbwSV8C3J-pLlaE11m7dWe8rGbLNdzh_AMEKyAXtjcIzh0_mi56EF98-aqfc-UAgZQkU__IateU19hvq/s1600/IMG_4611.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ19p12idnV4kbuGoS3zhAOO-zQtkpRo5bQ0RdmOsXjYI7nzK5yBIA0V3G8gYmKbwSV8C3J-pLlaE11m7dWe8rGbLNdzh_AMEKyAXtjcIzh0_mi56EF98-aqfc-UAgZQkU__IateU19hvq/s640/IMG_4611.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Pascale Petithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496315815638953200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406925524977670641.post-45327838677533751662016-06-26T19:59:00.000+01:002016-06-26T19:59:17.808+01:00Harpy Eagle, Madre de Dios Peruvian Amazon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2P5KtluBHjaYrVZRlaHWJcOli5WQtHymcSvGBhl9yVR9Kg-hCkhzo3xWithfhXty5PXqMyyWp2JiI1vvw2GHGEvkvyzwybK8Sl4gmVBP4qUQFzViVaPh2oZJA3YtZGh3_oKE3O5WJ4QPx/s1600/P1000512.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2P5KtluBHjaYrVZRlaHWJcOli5WQtHymcSvGBhl9yVR9Kg-hCkhzo3xWithfhXty5PXqMyyWp2JiI1vvw2GHGEvkvyzwybK8Sl4gmVBP4qUQFzViVaPh2oZJA3YtZGh3_oKE3O5WJ4QPx/s640/P1000512.JPG" width="620" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">It's hard to believe that just over two weeks ago I was standing in primary Peruvian rainforest looking up at a harpy eagle! It's rare to see one, but here was this two-year-old juvenile, calling for his mother, and bobbing his head and crest to look down on us. I also saw the blur of his mama, but Brian saw her crashing through the trees, all six-foot wingspan. We were up in the hide opposite the mammal clay lick at the time, and our guide Berli was elsewhere, we later discovered he was harpy eagle hunting, calling until he got a reply. We stood there under the tree watching the juvenile for maybe an hour. Brian took these photos. </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">It's hard to believe what's happened since in Britain, but I'm clinging to this image of a young harpy watching us – humans from another continent, strangers in his home. What does he make of us? We wound our long way back to the boat, but before we left his haunt, Berli showed us the emergent ceiba tree where the huge nest was hidden behind a philodendron right at the top. We passed a large burrow and Berli said it belonged to an armadillo but it was empty. This made him rush back to the juvenile to check – that tail hanging below it was not tail-plumes but the armadillo's tail.<br /></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNVEYAvABccQz9UU0RaY9Fw6ekeLZc_7uMYUHz-jTFcnoatvNksMx1N0XEWyheEEvF_R93AmTK0BsJSVLpOuXxfADQRtBJWgdW4x88W1W_3lCdID0zaiPtRBfMv7CXgf0y30cLztLigbeU/s1600/P1000519.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNVEYAvABccQz9UU0RaY9Fw6ekeLZc_7uMYUHz-jTFcnoatvNksMx1N0XEWyheEEvF_R93AmTK0BsJSVLpOuXxfADQRtBJWgdW4x88W1W_3lCdID0zaiPtRBfMv7CXgf0y30cLztLigbeU/s640/P1000519.JPG" width="542" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Further down the track we almost stepped on fresh jaguar marks, and next to them, older ones. The pawprints were as big as my hand. Perhaps the jaguar was watching us? The harpy is also known as the jaguar-of-the-skies, being one of the apex predators of Amazonia, and the most powerful eagle in the world. Their main prey is howler monkeys and sloths, though they are not the eagles with the widest wingspan, that's the Philippine eagle, but they are the most powerful, with the larger female's wings reaching only six or seven feet across (shorter than the Philippine eagle's, so that it can swoop among branches of the canopy rather than soar). Its talons are six inches long and its grip can crush any skull.<br /></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil2Huo4330h2qaVLcChEUDJ09cCdURIG4zYamy78d0Nd2LYT5Yee1_55q6WMHehB9xu1Lhp6VHThp5S17UjCrdVXUblzngXNsQeSmq4Wfv2Jw5QSj_Wpa650il7VL3fRmhyphenhyphen7Om0C_H4EcL/s1600/IMG_4893.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil2Huo4330h2qaVLcChEUDJ09cCdURIG4zYamy78d0Nd2LYT5Yee1_55q6WMHehB9xu1Lhp6VHThp5S17UjCrdVXUblzngXNsQeSmq4Wfv2Jw5QSj_Wpa650il7VL3fRmhyphenhyphen7Om0C_H4EcL/s640/IMG_4893.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />How elated I was then, and how crushed now, not by a harpy eagle's claws, but a predator I don't understand, a dangerous power crashing through the canopies of Europe and America, not beautiful like the eagle, but ugly, skull-crushingly ugly.<br /></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8brM5gGzVRUF7N_kN4yp1pK_45KJyGRvGBPZZ115HcgifSyPte-l-vq3zWifbU7NUZyy1DiWvJ2BiQevBdS9VVT3jflwQgKXVbYk6Zgb2KPXU284BKp9hHqq0996O9B_v6u4Y9S7Vdh0Y/s1600/P1000510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8brM5gGzVRUF7N_kN4yp1pK_45KJyGRvGBPZZ115HcgifSyPte-l-vq3zWifbU7NUZyy1DiWvJ2BiQevBdS9VVT3jflwQgKXVbYk6Zgb2KPXU284BKp9hHqq0996O9B_v6u4Y9S7Vdh0Y/s640/P1000510.JPG" width="578" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span><br /><br /><br />
<br />
<br />Pascale Petithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496315815638953200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406925524977670641.post-83311305048308162192016-06-22T12:34:00.002+01:002016-06-22T13:27:42.589+01:00Boatmen and Peccaries, Madre de Dios Peruvian Amazon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgheK5CFjlnyuOhBE9hFfNjqa8Q8ow7o8Yk_-xrbYPxLeJwgBc67-t8Jv7oYs7Xbnosm8F9sVoip69jv_SfiEYl2zHPgTg9SEM5JLeOpsTL1TYg-2xwO_oAa7ar-XDYQtNtLR_CCQ04brEM/s1600/P1000476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgheK5CFjlnyuOhBE9hFfNjqa8Q8ow7o8Yk_-xrbYPxLeJwgBc67-t8Jv7oYs7Xbnosm8F9sVoip69jv_SfiEYl2zHPgTg9SEM5JLeOpsTL1TYg-2xwO_oAa7ar-XDYQtNtLR_CCQ04brEM/s640/P1000476.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The first time we saw white-lipped peccaries they were in the soccer pitch next to the boatmen's hut. The soccer pitch is where the guides and staff at Tambopata Research Centre relax after lunch before the evening excursions. The small pitch is next to the hut where the boatmen sleep. When we went there searching for peccaries on a forest walk our guide Berli explained how dedicated the boatmen are to their boats, which is why they sleep here instead of at the centre, close to the riverbank. Every two hours all through the night, one will wander down the steep steps to the boats to check on them, but as the river was dangerously high at this time, with flotillas of trees floating downstream, they would be sleeping in their boats under a blanket. Here is the creek where they moor them, around the corner from the steps we used to climb up and down the high banks. </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr6x7AtV3AwWHFuMLagMDC3XhL0IAoWR_cGOIYXEqGgILPAaiEhY58T6DBhy7v6kzx9vX43XtmyjkZmMp7uDusd8E8sOgaB0Lodz_ulyya2z19lu5vVynAFH54eq0nPkHicTzwyeC4Iz-p/s1600/IMG_4588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr6x7AtV3AwWHFuMLagMDC3XhL0IAoWR_cGOIYXEqGgILPAaiEhY58T6DBhy7v6kzx9vX43XtmyjkZmMp7uDusd8E8sOgaB0Lodz_ulyya2z19lu5vVynAFH54eq0nPkHicTzwyeC4Iz-p/s640/IMG_4588.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was up here near their huts that we first saw peccaries, though were very aware of their presence as we could hear their screams from the lodge, their grunts and teeth-clacking like machine-gunfire, and see their tracks in mud. Most of all, we knew they were around because of their smell, which is like stale sweat. One of the main differences between climax rainforest with scattered human presence dotted along the riverbanks, and the pristine rainforest around Tambopata Research Centre, is the stench<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">, much more pungent in the <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">pristine forest</span></span>. Apart from TRC, noone else is allowed to lodge inside the national reserve, so the diversity of wildlife is much richer. Even the trees there are more pungent, with names such as 'garlic tree', 'shit tree', and 'camphor tree', with smells that deter foragers from eating their leaves.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxYTMVsP55AhgE_oteyObw3fgQaC5DqXSaVLyuBC-379cjtXPnXJAv2S6n1-ZDJ4gShsN8n2484mLRS411dBA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />The peccaries crossed our path, stopping every now and then to look at us and to guard their young. Their passage took about twenty minutes as herds are vast. The next day we went down the creek to the Colorado clay lick, one of the largest in the world, to observe macaws and parrots, but found it occupied by the herd of peccaries. It is thought that mammals and parrots eat the salt-rich clay to neutralise the toxins in their diet, but research is ongoing as this has not been proved. More about the spectacle of macaws and parrots at another clay lick in a future post.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxtdAohtODi_Uj46qg4HicgDnAh5dQUz1l35B2S2SK_Mji5SAvXbimypr2LHs9i9pRDLJ7iMBdwf9kKEvGaHw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />Pascale Petithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496315815638953200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406925524977670641.post-18780847432486779702016-06-16T13:45:00.001+01:002016-06-16T17:33:15.350+01:00Peruvian Amazon Madre de Dios, Tambopata National Park introduction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIYGLTM2c4rDLqe2Yy3tFgxPrlrfipzuTZm7YpFWcav4h2I0c96gN_ShZUv9cBHvl4M-L4Dav3bfPo3TtBmHbR8-2m4MZ2-q3SicptZYFRE6d9yQG2Hx8_stiF4sVcsYhxcrRV-K05HsrT/s1600/P1000095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIYGLTM2c4rDLqe2Yy3tFgxPrlrfipzuTZm7YpFWcav4h2I0c96gN_ShZUv9cBHvl4M-L4Dav3bfPo3TtBmHbR8-2m4MZ2-q3SicptZYFRE6d9yQG2Hx8_stiF4sVcsYhxcrRV-K05HsrT/s640/P1000095.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'm going to make a pictorial record of my trip to the Peruvian Amazon on this blog, as an aid to writing poems, so this is an introduction. I went to the Madre de Dios region of the Peruvian Amazon basin and stayed in two lodges. The first, Refugio Amazonas, is in the buffer zone of the Tambopata National Park, in the deep Amazon basin, climax rainforest but not totally pristine as there are goldminers here and there along the riverbank, mango farmers, and a couple of other small lodges. Access to Refugio ecotourism lodge is 4 hours by river, after a stupendous flight from Lima via Cu<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">z</span>co, over the Andes then the meandering Tambopata River and its oxbows, to the world capital of biodiversity: Puerto Maldonado, a jungle town. </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6BbnJvBQMZK9tdRTunesVwrPbAVU8gaStDx-m4JoykY2GjswjY2-RFZ26-ZBi2DvOGXlbbOMkXUWzjBnvRFsiilfb_eC3zuNzXLLZTXK11awEinz9vUi-rGaLUluNJ109VkrfKtLhzRJI/s1600/IMG_4222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6BbnJvBQMZK9tdRTunesVwrPbAVU8gaStDx-m4JoykY2GjswjY2-RFZ26-ZBi2DvOGXlbbOMkXUWzjBnvRFsiilfb_eC3zuNzXLLZTXK11awEinz9vUi-rGaLUluNJ109VkrfKtLhzRJI/s640/IMG_4222.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I was looking down onto the vast coils of the serpent of Amazonian myth, fallen from the sky. I mentioned the sky-river to our expert guide Berli, of Amahuaca heritage, and he told me there is a scientifically acknowledged river in the sky, that the clouds above these waterways hold more water than the rivers themselves. It was along the meanders in this photo that we were carried, in a small powered longboat from the indigenous port of Infierno, 20 miles upstream from Puerto Maldonado, along the Tambopata, upstream towards the Purna foothills. Those boat journeys, down the centre of the river where it is cool with the breeze and mosquito free, were exhilarating, with Berli and other guides spotting caiman, capybara, turtles, monkeys, herons, vultures, and much more, along the banks, through their binocul<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">a</span>rs. Brian, my husband, who accompanied me, took these photos of the spectacled caiman with his Lumix camera bought specially for the trip. Butterflies and flies drink its tears and the caiman tolerates them though gets nothing from them. </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisAc0JrDh4hbKuh0jkzEG_r3lmqhor-X03iDq7vYUV2SOdRv_M_XR5ye-sFbBtbHBVO5NWJYxzjhyphenhyphen_V10UCYIKl6E2zW7Aoody8Vsa6n_BhpWs5vvNXcvUf5sp6B8KZ0mMVqnqPOQQhcBQ/s1600/P1000097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisAc0JrDh4hbKuh0jkzEG_r3lmqhor-X03iDq7vYUV2SOdRv_M_XR5ye-sFbBtbHBVO5NWJYxzjhyphenhyphen_V10UCYIKl6E2zW7Aoody8Vsa6n_BhpWs5vvNXcvUf5sp6B8KZ0mMVqnqPOQQhcBQ/s640/P1000097.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">We stopped at the buffer zone National Park guard checkpoint, and it was there that I got bitten by dozens of sandflies, having foolishly just worn a sleeveless tee shirt. Those bites still itch and scar my upper arms two weeks later! From then on I buttoned up in Nosilife mossie proof shirts and trousers from neck to ankle, the ankles tightly sealed with drawstrings. As there is the risk of Leishmaniasis at the deeper lodge 4 hours further upriver, Tambopata Research <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Centre</span> (the only one in the Park and the remotest lodge in Amazonia!), and this nasty disease is transmitted by mosquitoes, it was essential to keep bites to a minimum. <br /><br />One tenth of the scientists who work at this <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">centre</span> longterm contract the disease for which there is no prevention, only an unpleasant lengthy cure by intravenous antimony. It is impressive that despite this the scientists continue to do their crucial work, specifically with macaws, but also making a census of the wildlife left in pristine climax forest. At the buffer zone station their main task is to make a census of arthropods and insects there, and take DNA samples of each sub-species. New species are being discovered daily, so this is a herculean task.</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />Pascale Petithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496315815638953200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406925524977670641.post-60524264107845709542015-12-10T16:40:00.002+00:002015-12-10T16:40:40.161+00:00Dangerous Liaison: Aramis and Simara the jaguars<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCw9GZ4ZpCCtIi-_eJjCmxKGtTqfSRnF7PA166KwvkA9gcZzlNzxCnaJLJal4rMlGoe4z9O8Q0LEU4JBZO5zY0k6AregyQDzOp7I5b2cw279q0aQGWtSfRBUoHwQY7u7ZVWy8oW6Hzlto9/s1600/AramisSimara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCw9GZ4ZpCCtIi-_eJjCmxKGtTqfSRnF7PA166KwvkA9gcZzlNzxCnaJLJal4rMlGoe4z9O8Q0LEU4JBZO5zY0k6AregyQDzOp7I5b2cw279q0aQGWtSfRBUoHwQY7u7ZVWy8oW6Hzlto9/s640/AramisSimara.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Yesterday the ninth of December was a historic day. I went to the Parc Zoologique de Paris at Vincennes just as it opened because I'd heard that at last Aramis the black jaguar and Simara the spotted female had been brought together. But no luck, as I suspected this event is closely supervised and is only allowed for short periods, and when a senior keeper is available. Alas, Simara was queen of the front enclosure and Aramis in the back paddock. I had not seen Aramis close up for a year and was disappointed. The keepers have been waiting until the young gold jaguar was old enough, until she is big enough for Aramis who is a huge young male. It's dangerous to bring them together. I strolled around the zoo and spent time with all my animal friends then at a quarter to four I went to check on A and S just before I went home. No change.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Then a serious looking keeper materialised and the dividing mesh door slowly slid open.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Aramis bounded into the larger enclosure and they rolled together in the twilight. Then, for a moment, it looked as if they were more interested in food, as they are always fed on re-entry into their night-quarters and it was that time. Then Simara butted Aramis in the dark corner. Deep growls issued and I gasped. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Who growled? I couldn't tell, but was worried as one of them kept snarling. The keeper strained to see what was happening. But out they leapt, and Simara led the way, round the banana bushes, poolside path, right up to the front rock where just before she had rolled like a queen. Up Aramis climbed to join her and they tussled. I knew they were unlikely to mate; Simara doesn't yet seem to be in heat, so I guess this is a protacted courtship for solitaries who must meet only to reproduce. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">As you can see from my iPhone pics, Simara took the lead and jumped on Aramis's back, biting his neck, and wrestling with him. Poolside saplings got flattened as they play-fought rough. Their canines flashed. Would he get injured? He fought back and then I saw how much bigger he is than her. He was being gentle with her, even though she often drove him to the water trough to drink, exhausted by her constant attacks. <br /><br />Then the hatches opened to their night-quarters and the dangerous date was over. I went back to my rented flat happy. I kept thinking about the sheer joy they expressed. It was like world enemies making a pact and enjoying the entente, all the boredom of solitude and captivity gone. </span></span><br /><br />
<span id="goog_1631447393"></span><span id="goog_1631447394"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgou7_7ERHcAsk4yp9d1ERV6I9Rl76ryPZs80i3gmJ8j7Q_sOPICaEXBz6jdBrXZekIw_eLXpnG5vHWWjW1Lc-DDiIys5-jOOmC9omH1N_eIDve3seBy1AtJYJ5dIX725MpHlxSq0Yp0O6t/s1600/On+top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgou7_7ERHcAsk4yp9d1ERV6I9Rl76ryPZs80i3gmJ8j7Q_sOPICaEXBz6jdBrXZekIw_eLXpnG5vHWWjW1Lc-DDiIys5-jOOmC9omH1N_eIDve3seBy1AtJYJ5dIX725MpHlxSq0Yp0O6t/s640/On+top.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_1631447393"></span><span id="goog_1631447394"></span><br />
<span id="goog_1631447393"></span><span id="goog_1631447394"></span><br />
<span id="goog_1631447393"></span><span id="goog_1631447394"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpOsdgsGGVDpWWyEp7Rp-QhCptTnX_dT5MbWbEzFm1UvrBrBibSimk4Zhv5EvAMS5DW6hMOr5vbja68LGAYnMHZNu2qVhOV4Bhpb2iWe7ZaT-OPnRzwXJg7evAxMRhhPoVBR3QmpjBza1Y/s1600/dance.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpOsdgsGGVDpWWyEp7Rp-QhCptTnX_dT5MbWbEzFm1UvrBrBibSimk4Zhv5EvAMS5DW6hMOr5vbja68LGAYnMHZNu2qVhOV4Bhpb2iWe7ZaT-OPnRzwXJg7evAxMRhhPoVBR3QmpjBza1Y/s640/dance.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDEFU_H-jyf9fdsajavzPA3ldclg0qG_w3Nh1F2tXNNpnqotfTm-hvhKLi_a3GAX_aFA2Rihrzlj7bYiAHE0UPCR5iRncKprOzfKAFf9d1vxJpvEQzve4Hbvljoookyjotu-r2Cr68xvt4/s1600/greet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDEFU_H-jyf9fdsajavzPA3ldclg0qG_w3Nh1F2tXNNpnqotfTm-hvhKLi_a3GAX_aFA2Rihrzlj7bYiAHE0UPCR5iRncKprOzfKAFf9d1vxJpvEQzve4Hbvljoookyjotu-r2Cr68xvt4/s640/greet.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_1631447393"></span><span id="goog_1631447394"></span><br />
Pascale Petithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496315815638953200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7406925524977670641.post-12406488979939466792015-11-01T18:13:00.000+00:002015-11-10T10:57:42.679+00:00The River Lynher in Cornwall Where I Now Live!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8kX8Fsi_qIMiF1TAmT-1eJHtUdShGDFztsc-Zz33LctpJkKOo-2o72zxCtrsrXnDrKXKwAFFW2N6jckzuCeYVzgx2vzL8ETWvVlgfIqFfRLsAEF9g10-SdRF5-Rj-8blwzadXPKYrRUL/s1600/Cascades+trib+Lynher.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8kX8Fsi_qIMiF1TAmT-1eJHtUdShGDFztsc-Zz33LctpJkKOo-2o72zxCtrsrXnDrKXKwAFFW2N6jckzuCeYVzgx2vzL8ETWvVlgfIqFfRLsAEF9g10-SdRF5-Rj-8blwzadXPKYrRUL/s640/Cascades+trib+Lynher.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">At last, after years of yearning to live in the country, I have moved to south east Cornwall from east London. We moved early September but I've been travelling nonstop since then and have only now started to settle in and explore the landscape. Yesterday we walked on Bodmin Moor, very close to us, and this morning we crossed the fifteenth century Stara Bridge, about two miles from our house, along the River Lynher, following the muddy path through Stara Woods. The Lynher is a fast flowing steep river with rapids, dizzying to look into, so it was with some terror that I crossed a suspension bridge over it that swayed and bounced as I clung to the rope sides. The suspension bridge reminds me of a trek I did in the Annapurnas, over more terrifying bridges, but at least those were wider!</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> The third photo below was taken by my husband halfway across, no way would I ever let go of the ropes to do that! </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The other two photos were also taken by him, after a long trek through the woods to upper cascades on a tributary of the Lynher. Along the riverside there are sandy banks where kingfishers might be spotted, so we'll be back often in case we get lucky. The Lynher is also a hundred yards from our house, and quite wide at that point, we can hear it from our garden but we are up a hill so out of the flood zone. Our front garden is wild, rather like a miniature Bodmin Moor, with hummocks and impossible-to-mow grass, and is bordered by a Cornish wall. The back garden is where my den is, from it I can observe goldfinches, chaffinches, and wrens peep in through my windows. The patio doors look out onto the low back wall and a back field where three very fat pet pigs have their snouts buried in clover.</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkCGEpkGGHJd0zfcXh5UPGEyk-RP2cu25fZXS7kZzGSXhxWKoeIlOe2ARhFzw9W2VSrF24iSJbW8-56AGzkXynyUiVuLvQ5jm2LeV9UbNqkMnnV0F6CgUJvRX1wF1towy6ayf_1mf94vK/s1600/cascades+trib+Lynher2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkCGEpkGGHJd0zfcXh5UPGEyk-RP2cu25fZXS7kZzGSXhxWKoeIlOe2ARhFzw9W2VSrF24iSJbW8-56AGzkXynyUiVuLvQ5jm2LeV9UbNqkMnnV0F6CgUJvRX1wF1towy6ayf_1mf94vK/s640/cascades+trib+Lynher2.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZyDiSEB9R7AZ1_Ob6YYg0O4V4r6TpvUdJeJC7TzJDgNmqmP3jJWdarUS2zdyZFoLQAOXIoBEEQH5pArrQ-yYkm-Zmkie_UQgbqKQXstdCe6KRDU-qcex1wVmfUqzYsoMBkNdDiH6ohzr4/s1600/Lynher+from+suspension+bridge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZyDiSEB9R7AZ1_Ob6YYg0O4V4r6TpvUdJeJC7TzJDgNmqmP3jJWdarUS2zdyZFoLQAOXIoBEEQH5pArrQ-yYkm-Zmkie_UQgbqKQXstdCe6KRDU-qcex1wVmfUqzYsoMBkNdDiH6ohzr4/s640/Lynher+from+suspension+bridge.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Pascale Petithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496315815638953200noreply@blogger.com0