I asked our driver, Leandro, what was that big bird called and I thought I finally had the answer - Urubu. We had quite a few laughs with me mispronouncing that name. In any case, there was another large black bird that was extremely common down there and was flying and soaring over and around the sea in the same areas that giant bird was flying and it was the black vulture. Finally, Leandro and I figured out that the Urubu that he has referring to was the vulture and not the bird of interest.
The way we discovered the bird to which he was referring, since he did not know the word vulture, was from an old cartoon, that he recalled and I remembered vaguely from my youth. He said there was a pirate with the urubu on it's shoulder. See story below.
Finally, when I got back home to Houston, I was stilled obsessed with this giant soaring black seabird. Looking through Judy's field guides, I found it. It was the Fregata magnificens Magnificent Frigate bird. Awesome creature.
7 ft wing span!
So last week at the FeatherFest in Galveston, while on the harbor boat cruise, the bird guide said that the Frigate birds where not here yet, but should be in another week or so. Wow, I did not know they came here. I would like to head back down to Galveston to view these magnificent birds when they return.
With all of the pelicans in Galveston, sometimes soaring much higher than I thought they flew, I was wondering if these were the Frigate bird. But, alas, they were just high flying pelicans. Interestingly enough the "Order" of the Frigate bird is "Pelicaniformes", so I guess it was not so bizarre of a thing to wonder.
...and if I could ever get this view of a male in mating mode, that would be pretty cool -
Story of the Sea Hag and the Urubu -
Sea Hag - Tall, masculine looking witch featured in comics/cartoons created by Elzie Crisler Segar since the 1930s.
When she set her eyes on Popeye the Sailor, she falls in love with him and does everything in her power to make him hers. Unfortunately, Popeye has a girlfriend (Olive Oyl) and besides, the stout and true Popeye would never be one to be fall for such an evil character as the Sea Hag.
Although, years later after constant pursuits and skirmishes with the Sea Hag and her minions, Popeye warms up to the mannish sea-maiden saying "I yam glad she ain't dead -- even if she is a exter bad woman -- hah! If they wasn't no bad women, maybe we wouldn't appreciate the good ones. Anyway, she yam what she yam!"
In her campaign to win Popeye's affections the lovelorn Sea Hag uses Voo Doo; kidnaps Eugene The Jeep; tries to burn Popeye's food supply of Spinach (the fumes energized him, however); transform herself into a duplicate of Olive Oyl - with no success; masqueraded as "Rose of the Sea", a beautiful young seductress; and even helped Popeye's nemesis Brutus take a youth portion to become young, fit and a suitor for Olive Oyl's affections.
Santa Captured by The Sea Hag
Later in their relationship, after chasing Poyeye unsuccessfully for so many years, the Sea Hag even tried to secure the affections of Popeye's hamburger-munching pal Wimpy - again with no success. The Sea Hag's one weakness/vulnerability (besides her affection for Popeye) was the mystical powers of Eugene the Jeep, a strange creature with a bulbous nose who befriended Popeye the Sailor.
Comic Strip Illustration of the Sea Hag
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