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Nature was always important in Alexander’s life, at some moments more than at others. Something he could never forget was seeing nature for the first time.
He couldn’t point out when he first saw every animal, but he remembered looking at them with the excitement that only a child could have.
He once saw a small bird with white underparts and a black throat, face, and flanks. Its upperparts were deep blue. That was a male Black-throated Blue Warbler. They spend the winter months on the Caribbean islands.
Next, on a branch, sat another small bird. This one was mainly olive on the head and upperparts, with a yellow throat and white belly. Its tail and wings were dark with white wing bars. A Yellow-throated Vireo. It is sometimes called the “Preacher Bird” because its song sounds like a sermon. It quickly flew away.
He decided to make a trip to the beach. It wasn’t far—only twenty minutes of walking.
After some time, he noticed movement on the road. It was a lizard with a dark olive-green dorsal surface, tinged with reddish brown. A St. Christopher Ameiva. It disappeared before he could take a longer look.
Then came the sound of something crashing on a roof. Alex looked up and saw a large monkey with golden-green fur and pale hands and feet. A Green Monkey! It’s unusual to see one in town, especially alone. Apparently, the owner of the house wasn’t as fascinated by this sight as Alexander was and tried to hit it with a broom. Luckily, the monkey ran away toward the forest.
- Kree-eee-ar!
Alex let out a happy noise. There was a blocky, broad bird with a whitish underbelly, a dark brown band across the belly, and a distinctive red tail. A Red-tailed Hawk. It flew really fast!
Someone collided with him.
- “Don’t stand in the middle of the road, kid!”
- “Sorry.”
It took more time than expected, but he finally made it to the beach. There he noticed a very slender bird with a long bill, a long neck, and long legs, standing far away in the water. He remembered James pointing this one out to him some time ago. It was called a Tricolored Heron. It was searching for fish to eat.
In front of him was a beautiful sea turtle slowly making its way to the water. It had a mottled shell in many different shades of red, orange, and brown. Its head came to a tapered point, and its lower jaw was V-shaped. He couldn’t recognize that one. Maybe he would ask his mother about it later.
He stayed there perhaps a bit too long, because it started to get dark. He decided he needed to go back before his absence was noticed.
He started to make his way back when something brown darted across the path. It squeaked loudly. It was a small bat. Alex assumed it was a Jamaican Fruit Bat, but he couldn’t notice any prominent features in the dim light.
When he was much closer to his house, he saw a mouse eating something in the grass. Then came a barely audible flap of wings, falling feathers, and... the mouse was gone , caught by a Barn Owl. Alex stared in awe as the graceful bird disappeared behind the trees.
He continued his walk until he saw a large bug sitting on a leaf. It had mottled brown wings with hints of purple and pink. It was a moth called the Black Witch. Some people say it brings bad luck, but Alex didn’t believe in things like that.
The air was cooler now, and the chorus of crickets began to rise. Fireflies flickered in the bushes, tiny lanterns lighting his way home. As he reached his street, the familiar shapes of the houses brought a feeling of warmth and comfort.
He took one last look at the horizon, where the last light of day was fading into deep blue.
Nature, he thought, wasn’t just something to look at , it was something to feel, to listen to, to remember.
And as he quietly entered his house, he promised himself he would never stop noticing it.