Lots of Poultry, Few Birds

Since my blog is dedicated to Bikes, Birds, and Beaches, I’d hoped to share some of my bird photography with you. Instead I’m sharing this duck herder, as this image is far more representative of birds in Vietnam. Most Vietnamese birds are getting ready to go to market. Sometimes a motor scooter whizzes past, and I see dozens of ducks hanging upside down from the seat. I’ve identified 21 species of wild birds as I cycle along, and heard lots of birdsong, but I focus more of my attention on potholes and motor scooters. Still, my favorites so far are the Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo, the Blue-tailed Bee-eater, and the Black-crested Bulbul. How can you not love birds with those names? I’ve also seen dozens of species of birds in cages. Throughout Vietnam, the most popular caged bird seems to be the Red-whiskered Bulbul, a beautiful bird that hates being caged, so it thrashes about, appearing lively. Some families keep four or five of these poor birds, hanging each cage in front of their house by the roadside each morning. I wish I could set them all free.