July
02nd 2011
Biodiversity
Corner - Today I learn (TIL) About the St.Lucia
Pewee and the St.Lucia Warbler
St.Lucia Warbler: Bonjour Madamme
Gobe-Mouche, sa ke fete?
St.Lucia
Pewee: Bonjour Madamme Sequia Ba
Bad, mwe la cah chaybay.
St.Lucia
Warbler: Sa bon! Mwe ousi.
St.Lucia
Pewee: You know yesterday while looking
for material for my nest, I overheard a little
talk between two known gossipers; Carouge
and Jacquot.
St.Lucia
Warbler: Oh yeah, who were they talking
about this time?
St.Lucia
Pewee: No one. Would you believe
that they were actually getting to know each
other.
St.Lucia Warbler: You serious?
St.Lucia
Pewee: Yes I am.
St.Lucia
Warbler: Hmmmm. That’s strange!
Something must be wrong with those two.
St.Lucia
Pewee: No it is not. It was then
and only then that it dawned on me to do the
same, instead of highlighting the bad about
our neighbors.
St.Lucia
Warbler: Hmmmmm. Come to think of
it that is true. Can we start now?
St.Lucia
Pewee: Anytime! I will go first.
Scientists refer to me as Contopus oberi,
and our locals as you know;
Gobe-Mouche or Pin Kaka; I am a flycatcher.
St.Lucia’s forest is my world. My upperparts
are dark-olive brown and my stomach area is
reddish-brown. I make myself comfortable in
a cup shape nest
made of leaves, lichens and moss which sits
on a branch. In there,
between the months of May and June I lay two
dark cream- colored
eggs that have brown spots all over. And last
but not least I enjoy a
delicious meal of invertebrates and insects.
St.Lucia
Warbler: Quite impressive! St.Lucia
too is my only home. I go by the scientific
name of Dendroica delicate and locally chic-chic
or sequia ba bad. Unlike you I have a bright
yellow stomach with bluish-grey upperparts.
I have a yellow eyebrow stripe and a black
crescent below my eye. My nest is a finely
woven cup that is usually in a tree where
three to four eggs with a few reddish-brown
spots are laid from March to June. I love
the forest and make insects and spiders my
daily meal.
St.Lucia
Pewee: Looks like we have similar
characteristics.
St.Lucia
Warbler: Our forest home is therefore
very important to our survival and our beauty
and that of our picturesque island home depends
on everyone, young and old.
St.Lucia
Pewee: Our sweet sounds and unique
local tunes must be heard for generations
to come.
For
further information, please contact the Forestry
Department at 468-5645/5648 or visit our blog
at forestreyeeunit.blogspot.com.
Jeannette Victor
Forestry Department
Photos
© Adams Toussaint
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