and blood! When these gentlemen understood that I was pointing the camera mostly towards them rather than focusing the fighting-cocks the mood changed and became quite aggressive.
I left without arguing. These games are illegal and I had been told that two policemen had been beaten to death a couple of months earlier at another cock-fight!
Viñales, Cuba January 8. 2005. Yaniel holding and observing a “tomegin” bird. (Tiaris canora) A species that is very common all over Cuba
Click Birdman to read more about Yaniel and his flying friends
Yaniel checking on one of his carrier pigeons. He lives in the house behind him with his mother and his maternal grandparents. The house is very basic but to everyone’s pride they recently have managed to cover the roof with corrugated iron!
January 7, 2005. Viñales, Cuba
Click tag “Yaniel” to see more about birdman etc.
I made friends with Yaniel in Viñales in the western part of Cuba. He has spent his whole life in that particular valley in Pinar del Rio province.
Yaniel is surrounded by animals of all sorts, horses, dogs, cattle and above all birds. The nature itself is his teacher and what Yaniel does´nt know about birds is not worth knowing.
By the way, do they see the same hairdresser??
Click on tag “Yaniel” for more
Isla Mujeres, Yucatan Mexiko. Take the ferry from the mainland to this quiet little island not far from Cancun. (That´s my daughter Kajsa standing at the palm tree admiring the sunset)
If you feel like more adventures you can go by motorboat further out in the Gulf of Mexico to Isla Contoy National Park, a rare unspoilt bird protection island .
Finisterre, Galicia mid September 2012
From the Christmas day cock-fight at a hard to find place somewhere behind the Mogotes mountains in Viñales, Cuba.
And.. yes I know it´s a messy, cruel phenomena just like bullfights or any other activity that includes tormenting animals.
One interesting phenomena in the Seychelles fauna is the Fruitbat or Flying Fox. Pteropus Seychellensis.
An important species for the ecosystems in the islands. The bat is big as a seagull, and you see them flying around all over also at day time. They are hunted for their meat by some of the locals.
About the catchy Halloween title…no worries, they only eat fruit and flower nectar. The pic is taken in Praslin island in February 2012 and turned upside down
Cityparty “Kulturkalaset” in Gothenburg, August 2012. Loud concert at Götaplatsen, thousand of spectators… the dogs doesn´t seem to mind.
This cutie is the chairman of the local flea market in Alto do Poio, Galicia. Staying for a rest and a beer we enjoyed the company of the lovesick puppy for a while.
It seemed a bit itchy though?? Buen camino woff woff..
Håkan Rönnblad 