Grenada

The day didn't start quite as planned, mainly due to a default in the Internet access. I was unable to contact Anthony (Jerry) Jeremiah via that mode so had to wait until we hit the beach and get someone to volunteer their mobile phone to make contact. 

 

 While waiting we did clock this BLUE HERON on the harbour wall as Jerry was there in a matter of moments, but as we headed towards our first stop the

another phone call up-skittled things even further. Jerry had 'double booked' and with 2 of us already in a four seater Peter graciously backed out to accompany Janet on an organised tour. Dropping me at the Visitor Center to have a scout around Jerry took Peter back and picked up the others.

Meanwhile I started off silently through the forest where recent torrential rain had mad things almost impassable! Some FUNGI,

Plenty of Fauna

including this one foot high CACTUS

at least kept the camera clicking.

With just 20 minutes at my disposal I turned to return, and there directly in front of me was the day's target bird

GRENADA DOVE* (endemic)

agreed not very good photographs

but in poor light and shaking like a kitten it's not surprising! There are thought to be less than 200 of these Doves in existence, which are still being strongly predated by introduced Mongoose which are being eradicated painfully slowly.

The other 2 joined us, an American man and wife who live in Costa Rica, who were so 'anti-social' that even after introducing myself with a hand shake I still, at time of writing don't know their names!

Some of the local terrain.

GRENADA FLYCATCHER 
was next on the list, the second 'Lifer' in quick succession. Then to the

where

LESSER YELLOWLEGS,

TRICOLORED HERON*

and FIDDLER CRABs just viewable as only the 'clump claw' was shown.

Another BLUE HERON,

YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON,

CARIB GRACKLE

along with the first SMOOTH-BILLED ANI* of the trip.

Driving to what would be the highest point of the day, we 'staked out' these food plants for the

RUFOUS-BREASTED HERMIT* which performed very well.

LIZARD

LADY wearing a pink dress in a BLACK BOAT is how the Islanders describe the MACE/NUTMEG.
The pink is the former, black the latter.

GOLDEN APPLES

CARIBBEAN COOT with BLUE-WINGED TEAL

PASSION FLOWER

another LIZARD

and a TERMITES NEST.
Jerry was a very good guide, who's link I will add at a later date.
If you decide on 'birding' Grenada then best decide on Jerry!

Montseratte v Nevis

What I do in the line of duty is quite unbelievable, couped up in a well stocked, warm, alfresco beer bar with loads of lovely people was the only way the Blog would have been posted today so I had to bite the bullet - Hic! We anchored under the cover of darkness in Little Bay , Montserrat

but as dawn broke it soon became apparent that it was unsafe to run ships boats to shore.

The Captain made communication with a number of other islands close at hand and soon found that Nevis could allow anchorage in her waters, so off we went on the 2 hour steam.

Despite the perennial 'grumblers' and the "I don't know why he can't get in there" brigade the Master then took us on the scenic route hugging the coast as close as allowed given the volcanic situation here.

What looked like a small Supply Boat

Not the best of weather conditions, with frequent outbreaks of heavy rain along with patches of mist

however we were able to see the destruction the SOUFRIERE HILLS VOLCANO caused when it

erupted in 1995 and reached its peak in 1997,

covering the Island with Ash and Mud completely destroying the Capital Plymouth

along with most of the airport.

A few birds blessed us with their presence on the way over

including BROWN BOOBY

MASKED BOOBY

just a single ship the CLIPPER

BROWN BOOBY in feeding frenzy.

As we neared the coast BROWN PELICAN and Royal Tern also started to show

but what went unseen were the preparations to get 380 passengers ashore, which can only be described as

BEYOND the CALL of DUTY

From my own sea-going experiences, the logistics of all of this would have been of gargantuan proportions, and the only way that all of this was brought to fruition was by 'every single crew member putting in maximum performance. Just to press one point as a for instance, all of a sudden there were all these passengers trying to get lunch before leaving the ship and the Catering Crew pulled it off!!!!

Once ashore there was just a little time to take in what wildlife was about including 'hundreds' of these

delightful CRABs

EURASIAN COLLARED DOVE was a bit of a surprise,

but less so were the TURNSTONEs.
Then it was me to the 'Beer Bar' to catch up on some photo uploading to hopefully keep you all happy.

I must say I was fairly happy myself by the time the work was done - another HIC!