Author Archives: marta

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Sapodilla beach with boats at anchor on a calm day

Sapodilla Bay is on the south side of Providenciales where visiting boats can clear customs at South Dock and then moor out and enjoy some perfect beach time. The water is shallow for quite a ways out before it deepens.

Lazing around and floating in such clear calm water.

Shooting through the rocks makes for some interesting effects

 

A sunset beach wedding at Sapodilla..........a beautiful spot to exchange vows.

A footprint left in the sand as the tide starts to come in.

One of my favourite photos with a flowering poinsiana or flamboyant tree framing my daughter and grandbaby.

Providenciales and the Turks and Caicos Islands have some of the worlds best beaches. There are so many of them and we hope on your next visit, you’ll take in some of them to include Sapodilla Bay on the southern shores of Providenciales.

 

Happy beach days!

 

 

Marta

 

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

 

 

Birds at Harbour Club Villas

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Bananaquits are usually just too fast to photograph but this one posed prettily in our tamarind tree.

All of a sudden there seems to be lots of singing, chirping, cooing and squawking going on around Harbour Club Villas. I’ve managed to photograph quite a few birds in the last week that seem to like this area……….Bananaquits, Doves, a Green Heron that tries to catch fish and drinks from the pool, the Northern Mockingbird locally called “Preacher Bird” and many Bahama Woodstar Hummingbirds.

This little Mourning Dove doesn't seem to be afraid of me as it pecks away at something in the gravel under the neem trees.

There are several doves here in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Every morning quite early, we hear the Zenaida Dove cooing. The Mourning Dove has more of a melancholy voice and has a long tail that fans out on take off and landing. We also have the Common Ground Dove and the White-winged Dove.

The Northern Mockingbird is a songbird, sometimes called the Nightingale or more locally 'Preacher Bird' because of their talkativeness and singing.

Every day the Green Heron visits the pool for a cooling drink. He'll squawk at guests to let them know this is his private drinking pool.

The Green Heron likes to fish and stays low to the water craning his neck out as he searches for food. Often, we can hear him in the trees grumbling to himself and making ‘skuk skuk’ noises. Heaven forbid if you disturb him as he will fly up complaining loudly and this has given it the local name of the ‘Kow Kow’.

Stalking a lizard on a Coconut frond.

A Mockingbird perched high on a branch and singing away.

A little Bahama Woodstar Hummingbird let me get really close one night as it perched on a branch.

Bananaquit with beautiful yellow breast preens on a branch of the Tamarind tree.

I managed to get a photo of this dove as it sat on a barrel.

 

I caught this Great Egret walking down the road from Rickie's or Flamingo Bar.

 

He was not about to let go of his lunch...a curly tailed lizard.

I’m glad that I have my camera with me most days. It was pure luck to sight this Great Egret just walking down the road. He must not have liked what was on the menu at Flamingo’s. Enjoy these photos and we hope all you bird lovers , birders and birdwatchers will visit our islands soon.

 

Marta

 

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

 

 

 

Bananaquit Rescue

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Tiny little bananaquit nestling found safe in its nest on the ground.

This afternoon, we found a nest lying on the ground and it had a little nestling inside. I saw a bananaquit perched in the Neem tree and we figure the nest had dislodged from the tree and fallen to the ground. Barry went to get a ladder while I snapped off a bunch of photos. He brought some twine which he threaded through the nest and secured it to the tree right above where he found the nest.

Bananaquits build their own globe-shaped nests with a side entrance.

Bananaquits build their nests using leaves, grasses, and plant fibers. The distinctive nests have a side entrance hole and are lined with bits of smaller matter such as thread, paper, feathers,
spider webbing, etc.

Hungry little one..........no idea how long the nest had been lying on the ground.

Pretty scrawny looking!

 

Barry ties the nest up in a branch hoping the Mama bird will return.

All secure with baby bird safe inside.

 

Bananaquits have a black back, down-curved bill, white eyebrow stripe, white wing spot, and yellow breast, belly and rump.

We’re definitely hoping this little bird will survive …… we’ve done the best we can.

 

Marta

 

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

 

 

Atabeyra Sail

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Such unbelievably turquoise waters on the south side of Providenciales

There’s nothing quite like it………..sailing on the good ship Atabeyra, clear turquoise waters, blue skies with white puffy clouds and with wonderful friends. This time we sailed on the south side of Provo and out to the old freighter wreck.

"La Famille Express" is the name of the freighter as the Atabeyra anchors in calm waters just off it.

My favourite photo of this beautiful old boat....great for all kinds of group charters.

Such a nice day for a sail

We’re hoping you’ll get a chance to see our islands from the water.

 

Marta

 

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

 

Reddish Egret

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This beautiful Reddish Egret struck a beautiful pose for me.

The Reddish Egret is probably the most typical heron in the Turks and Caicos Islands. This one was seen in Flamingo Lake perched on a tree branch in the water. These birds have a pinkish base to their beaks, a a beautifully reddish neck.

Something must have caught his eye.

 

They wade in search of small fish in the shallows of the lake

Green Turtles Released

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One of the turtles waiting to swim free in the waters at the Bight Reef

What a tremendous afternoon it was today. We were all enthralled and so happy to watch the release of six, two year old green turtles. These turtles  were all born in the Turks and Caicos Islands and brought to the Providenciales Conch farm to be raised until capable of surviving in the ocean. The bigger the turtles the better chance for survival. Once grown it is hoped that they will return to nest here in the Turks and Caicos. Today was the day as the six turtles headed into the waters at the Bight Reef by Coral Gardens.

Carefully carrying his precious cargo of green turtles.

Malaika is a little unsure as she takes a closer look at the turtles

 

Lots of kids came to watch and these two little ones were so excited.

 

Such beautiful markings on this little two year old green turtle.

 

This little guy poked his head out to get a better look at everything.

There are very few nesting turtles in the Turks and Caicos Islands and the green turtle is a threatened species. Apparently fishing for turtles in many parts of the world is not allowed but often they are caught by local fisherman and eaten by residents. In the Turks and Caicos Islands you cannot take a nesting turtle or catch one that is less than 20″ in diameter.

Eiglys Trejo holds Frack, one of the turtles she helped feed and care for at the Conch Farm.

These little guys were flapping their "flippers" ready for their first big swim in the waters by the Bight Reef.

The big moment as everyone watches them make their way into the ocean.

Free at last....a heart warming sight!

Scooting down the sand towards the water.

 

Into the water we all go.

As soon as they got to the water, it wasn't too long before they swam away and over towards the reef.

Hoping to see these turtles again as they grow and hopefully return to nest here.

So wonderful to see them swimming free.

Everyone was smiling and happy to see these little guys return to their natural habitat. I’m so glad I got to experience this moment but I’m still hoping that one day I will see hatchlings making for the water.

I’m still smiling as I write this.

Today was a wonderful day on Providenciales.

 

Marta

 

http://www.diving.tc

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flamingos on Flamingo Lake

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Such fun watching these beautiful birds.....Oh the colours are magnificent!

A call from a friend that the flamingoes were fairly close to the road sent me rushing down to take some photos. They were just past the narrows on Flamingo Lake and up the road from our villas at Harbour Club Villas. I was fascinated and took photos for over an hour. They seemed to all be sleeping and it’s not a myth – flamingos actually DO stand on one leg. It appears to be a comfortable resting position. Occasionally they would rouse, scratch themselves such as the one above and then go back into their one legged position.

Resting on one leg is the preferred position for sleep.

My favourite photo of three preening flamingos

Flamingos are pink or orange or white depending on what they eat. Flamingos eat algae, crustaceans, small fish and brine shrimp when they’re available most of which contain pigments called carotenoids. These ones were sporting some amazingly brilliant red, hot pink, coral and orange plumage.

A flock or "flamboyant" of Caribbean flamingos performing a water ballet!

Tall, wading birds with webbed feet. Flamingos have elongated, slender necks and legs that are longer, relative to body size, than any other bird.

 

The West Indian flamingo has a beak with a black tip, pink to red/orange middle, and pale yellow base near the eye. The upper bill is often lighter in colour.

 

Such beautiful birds and I was lucky to be able to watch and photograph them.

 

These two had a brief altercation as they faced each other with outstretched necks and sometimes with growling vocalizations.

 

Look at the leg positioning! How do they balance like that?

Preening and ruffling their feathers.

How lucky we are to be able to have the opportunity to observe and enjoy these gloriously colourful birds in their natural habitat. Hope to see all you birdwatchers and birders here on Providenciales. Happy bird hunting and here’s hoping you’ll get to see our flamingos.

 

Marta

 

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

 

 

 

Conch Festival

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The annual conch festival in Blue Hills was a hit with young and old..what a fun time.

Here’s a selection of my photos taken at the 9th Annual conch Festival held in Blue Hills over the weekend. Unfortunately due to an afternoon check in, we were late getting down there but managed to see both the conch blowing as well as  the  conch “knocking” competitions. Cash prizes were awarded to the person blowing a conch for the longest time and for the most conch “knocked” in a limited time. Drinks were flowing freely, all kinds of food available, conch dishes of all kinds and of course, the main event

 

This lady blew a mean conch!

And our captivating emcee for the conch-etition was David Bowen

Winner of the conch blowing competition

 

And the winner is.........................

No stopping this young gal from dancing the night away.

Competitors "knocking" conch in a limited time frame.

Lookin' cool........love your glasses.

 

And the winner and Grand Champion is..........The Bay Bistro.

And one of the highlights of the evening was We Funk, the Junkanoo band. Everyone was dancing as the band swept them along with bells and whistles, drums and horns. Wow, this was the part of the festivities that I wait for and enjoy the most.

Colourful costumes.

Spectacular end to a wonderful Conch day with We Funk

 

Dancing in the street at the conch festival in Blue Hills

What a fun day or at least for us, a few hours. We’ll be there next year so if you’re looking to vacation in November, find out the dates for the Conch Festival.

See you in Blue Hills.

 

Marta

 

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com