Taylor Bay….perfect for kids, weddings and sunsets

Posted on January 13, 2020 by marta

Lazing in the shallows of stunning Taylor Bay

Taylor Bay is a shallow bay that ripples and sparkles as the out going tide forms sand bars. It’s a perfect setting for a late afternoon wedding with a few dark clouds looming as our bride and groom pose for wedding photos.

The bride and groom had eyes only for each other. Lori looked stunning in a beautiful lace, tea length dress as her handsome groom Dan looked lovingly into her eyes.

Lori and Dan throw petals into the water just as the sun sets over Turtle Rock.

Gentle waves lapping the shoreline at Taylor Bay

Kids love to play in the shallow waters of the bay.

Splashing is part of the fun for this little guy

Playtime at the edge of the water in the late afternoon.

Just sitting and enjoying the soft sand and clear shallow waters.

Tides out leaving behind an upside down jelly.

Walking out for a long ways before it gets deeper.

The tide comes rippling in as the sun shines on the water creating patterns of light.

You can see how far out the people are and still in less than waist deep water.

Dreaming on a sand bar in Taylor Bay

Taylor Bay sunsets are simply the best

New Year 2020

Posted on January 1, 2020 by marta

Grace Bay Beach on Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos Islands — It’s New Year’s Day and what a way to start the new year.
Heading to Grace Bay beach. Come join us.

Fish Fry on Provo

Posted on December 12, 2019 by marta

Excitement builds as the Junkanoo band dances through and with the crowds

A great evening was had at the Island Fish Fry held every Thursday night at the Children’s Park in the Bight. Local restaurants served up the most delicious fry and grilled fish, peas and rice, macaroni, lobster and conch and fresh corn. It was my first taste of “gullywash”…….. I took a small sample and just had to fill the glass up to the brim it was that good. Oh yes…..for those of you like me that don’t know what gullywash is, it’s a drink usually served in a coconut not a glass so rum and coconut milk are the main ingredients. Visitors and locals were all treated to some of the best island entertainment.

Island entertainment and Fish Fry on Providenciales Turks and Caicos Islands

Colourful costumes, noise makers and shakers as everyone gets dancing.

Uncle Dough’s has the best #1 conch salad and the most delicious “gullywash”!!!

David Bowen often will emcee, sing, dance and play harmonica with local Rake and Scrape Bands.

The lively island sounds of V6 Rake and Scrape Band

Dancers getting ready to perform.

Henry the Conch was dancing and greeting people at the Fish Fry.

Henry the Conch was a real hit with everyone as he stopped for many photo opportunities with visitors and local kids. We were treated to some folk story telling and skits, the maypole plaiting and a junkanoo rush by “We Funk.”

The young dancers braided the Maypole as the crowds watched and cheered.

Everyone joined in and danced to We Funk Junkanoo band.

These drummers were sensational.

How low can you go?

This youngster was wearing several hats as he blew his whistle.

Ripsaw player in the Rake and Scrape band.

A drummer from the We Funk Junkanoo band.

Here’s the young lady who had be up dancing with everyone and to the Junkanoo band.

Please remember that the Fish Fry is being held every Thursday down at the Children’s Park in the Bight. Bring the kids and head down for a few hours of fun, entertainment and the most delicious fry fish! See you there.

Marta.

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Turks and Caicos Islands….Open for Business

Posted on March 30, 2018 by marta

Harbour Club Villas and Marina has a new look with new, white metal roofs…….Yes we are open for business after Hurricane Irma.

Yes, we can now say that we survived a Category 5 Hurricane!

It has been a chaotic and traumatic time for all of us here in the Turks and Caicos Islands. We were hit hard with damages especially to all the roofs. Our red tiled roofs are no longer, ripped off by the horrific force of the winds and left in piles after Hurricane Irma.

Now some 50 days after, we have new white metal roofs and clean up is almost complete. The Turks and Caicos Islands are open for business and better than ever…….restaurants are opening, dive boats are back in the water, snorkeling is great and we’ve seen so many turtles and our bonefishermen are back in the lake and on the flats, excursions and more.

Red tiles are no longer but fresh looking, white roofs

Grace Bay Beach at the Bight Reef is as beautiful as ever so book your vacations now. This was taken a few days ago

Our beaches are all as stunning as ever with the prettiest sparkling water you’ll ever see. All my photos have been taken recently and quite honestly, if you want beaches that have few people on them, now’s the time to come. We are waiting for you so head down for some fun in the sun and on the beach.

Our first flower appears after the wrath and devastation of Irma and it was so beautiful to see.

A rippling effect as the sunlight plays on the waters of Grace Bay

Young flamingos were sighted in Flamingo Lake close by the villas at Harbour Club

A spectacular sunset over Flamingo Lake

Stark silhouette of leafless trees that were stripped by Hurricane Irma

Footprints in the sand along the edge of the water on Grace Bay

A little hummingbird sits on a rope left over from tying our trees together for strength against the hurricane……..so where do they go during hurricanes?

Not ready for scuba diving……call Jodi at Snuba TCI.

Peaceful and serene on the south side of Provo where our villas are located.

Dive operators are ready to take you out for some scuba diving.

There’s some great diving waiting for you…….four of the island’s dive operators leave from the marina at Harbour Club or close by: AquaTCI, Flamingo Divers, Provo Turtle Divers and Caicos Adventures. Give them and us a call for all your diving needs………grab your buddy and come on down.

Snorkeling Smith’s Reef after the hurricane…..so many juvenile hawksbill and green turtles were sighted.

The Bight Reef on a clear day recently…still debris lying on the bottom but thankfully the reef looks really good.

Sailing along Grace Bay with the Atabeyra just this past week

There’s many water based excursions you can choose and one of the best is sailing on the Atabeyra……….so relaxing, do a snorkel or a sunset cruise and watch that rum punch!!!

Here’s my version of “Fall” colours on Provo !

Bonefishing in Flamingo Lake and yes, we saw fishermen last week.

Provo Ponies is ready to take you for a leisurely ride on Long Bay beach

This could be you in one of these lounge chairs?

Those adorable potcakes…….so many of them waiting for good forever homes.

Forever shades of blue and turquoise.

The Turks and Caicos Islands are open for business after the hurricanes and we invite you to join us. We want to show you our special “beautiful by nature” islands and friendly welcoming people.

Hope to see you all very soon.

Marta

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

A Trip Down Turtle Tail

Posted on July 5, 2017 by marta

A lone flamingo feeds in the Juba salina just a short ways from Harbour Club Villas

I decided on taking one of our fishing guests down Turtle Tail to see for myself where he could access some flats in order to do some bonefishing. Must say, this area is still as beautiful as ever but with many newly constructed houses going up.

I haven’t seen the flamingos for quite an age and was excited to see this, lone beauty.

I couldn’t get him to stop feeding and to lift his head up……….too busy “vacuuming” through the silty bottom.

My beach also known locally as Dog Beach was just awesome with all those turquoise colours

Looking towards Jim Hill and the new villas being built beside Bajacu

Bonefishing flat with some of the Five Little Cays in the distance

Old conch shells piled up on shore

Now this has some potential for some DIY bonefishing

Jet skiers were out on this beautiful day

Rocky southern shoreline with secret pathway down to the water’s edge

Private gazebos overlooking stunning turquoise waters

Mangroves down Turtle Tail with some sweet bonefishing spots

Harbour Club Villas and Marina on a bonefishing lake in Providenciales

Looking across Flamingo Lake towards the villas at Harbour Club and a lone fisherman

Flamingo Lake and a perfect afternoon for some bonefishing

Perfect Day in the Turks and Caicos

Posted on April 1, 2017 by marta

Cruising the waters of Providenciales with Island Vibes has to be one of the “must do’s” on your next trip to the Turks and Caicos.

We had a glorious, picture perfect day with calm seas as we boarded the boat…..and YES, I’ve lived here for almost 20 years and still am in awe of all the beauty around me.

Two dolfin came out to play with us today….a mother and her young one.

Just love to see dolphins swimming wild and free in the seas around the Turks and Caicos Islands

Half Moon Bay and one spectacular stretch of beach

Island Vibes Tours are a great outfit with whom to head out onto the water for an afternoon of fun

Trying to GoPro a lemon shark in the shallows

Shows you just how clear the waters are!

Swimming back to the boat after some amazing snorkeling out at the reef

Breakers on the reef at Providenciales Turks and Caicos Islands

A little bit of refreshment………great Turk’s Head rum punch all round

A piece of heaven on a large sandbar out by Dellis Cay

Many sand dollars partially hidden in the sand and the sparkling waters

Such scenery can only be found in the Turks and Caicos

Even a little sea star was taken back out a little further so it wouldn’t get stranded on the sand bar

It was a pretty rough ride for the kids on the way back………..time for some tubing and WOW did they go flying. Such fun as they hung on tight and still managed to fall off.

Screams of fun as the kids went tubing on the way back

The hectic ending to a perfect day

What a fun day it was out on Island Vibes. A fantastic time was had by everyone.

Join us won’t you?

Marta

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Nesting Mourning Dove Part 2

Posted on June 19, 2016 by marta

This little Mourning Dove set up her nest in the rafters of the Tiki Hut at Harbour Club Villas and Marina. I’ve been photographing the nest and the parent doves for several weeks now. Here are the photos taken up until today, June 19, when I caught all the action of the little birds spreading and fluttering their wings and leaving the nest for the big wide world.

Fluffing out those feathers so I was pretty sure the flight day was pretty close

Feeding time as the little dove returns to the nest to feed his/her little ones.

Getting big and ready to fly

Time to spread those wings

I’m watching you!!

Away we go as the little birds leave the nest and head along the rafters

Everyone safely down from the rafters of the Tiki Hut and onto the gravel in the parking lot

both parents are watching out for the chicks

They scuttled across the parking lot and the parents tucked them safely into a little sheltered spot off the drive way leading down to the marina

They finally flew into the vegetation on our hill

Sad to see them go…what am I going to photograph now?

Nesting Mourning Dove

Posted on June 8, 2016 by marta

Mourning dove on her nest in the rafters of our tikihut.

We saw some twigs and straw sticking out of the rafters of the tikihut at Harbour Club Villas and Marina. As we went to clean it up, we discovered this pretty little Mourning Dove on its nest of twigs.

Close up of its head and extraordinary colours around the eye.

Here’s the nest up on a beam in Harbour Club’s tikihut by the pool.

The mourning dove is named for the rather haunting and sad cooing sound it makes. When it flies, it’s wings make a whistling sound. They are mostly seed eaters that feed on the ground and here at Harbour Club Villas, we often see them pecking at the gravel under our neem trees.

The dove definitely didn’t let me out of her sight.

I couldn’t resist shooing it off the nest so that I could photograph the two eggs. Both parents will build a rather flimsy platform nest usually up high in a tree or a bush. The eggs hatch after 14 days or so and one is laid in the evening and the second one in the morning. Now I didn’t know that both parents care for the little ones. I have noticed another dove hanging around that has been spotted on the roof of the tikihut. I also learned that it’s usually the male that incubates the eggs during the day and the female at night. I don’t know that I can tell the difference between the male and the female.

Two white eggs in a very sparse looking nest of twigs.

My hand just to give you an idea of the size of the eggs

Someone is watching me very carefully? Not sure if this is a male or female.

The mourning dove is 9-13 inches in length and has a wingspan of 15-18 inches. It has a grayish-brown body and quite a long, pointed tail that has a border of white. The dove’s head is small and rounded with a small, thin, black bill. Legs and feet are pink. The wing has black spots and there is a black spot under the eye. The eyes are brown and surrounded by a blue circle of skin. Males and females look alike, but the female is slightly smaller and duller in color.

The dove started to puff up as I brought my camera closer.

Fanning out wings and tail feathers to ward me off in the hopes I would go away.

How beautiful are those tail feathers!

Both parents will feed the chicks that are also called squabs. They are fed pigeon milk which is a mixture of water, fat, minerals, and protein that the male and female mourning doves produce in their crop. The crop is a sac that is found at the bottom of their esophagus.

Two little baby doves huddled together……….no wonder the dove was protective.

Close up of one of the little doves.

The chicks will fledge when they are 2 weeks old.

Nestlings are cared for by both parents and fledge in about 12-14 days.

In the days to come, I will add more photos as the chicks grow and leave the nest.

Marta

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Sea Stars

Aside

Cushion sea star or starfish in the shallows.

A more modern name for Asteroidea or starfish is now Sea Stars. Usually they have five arms but sometimes a few species have more. Here are some beautiful Sea Stars that I have found and photographed around Providenciales out at Bonefish Point, Grace Bay, Taylor Bay as well as other areas of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Snorkeling the underwater world often brings an exciting discovery of a brightly coloured cushion sea star

Knobby spines create a geometric design of orangey brown and yellow.

Loads of starfish or sea stars found in Grace Bay

Tiny crab found on the under side. Tube feet located under the arms have small suckers.

The red cushion star can be very large, sometimes growing to about 50 centimetres (20 in) in diameter. It usually has five thick, broad arms projecting from a cushioned disc therefore the name. The colour of adults is some shade of red, orange, yellow or brown. The juveniles are greenish-brown with mottled markings which provide camouflage from predators.

A juvenile Cushion Sea Star

Small two spined sea star washed up as the tide goes out

Front and back of the two spined sea star found out at S W Bluff on Providenciales

Burying itself in the sand

Not sure what kind this one is

Pretty shot as it buries itself in the sand

Seemed to have one longer arm?

Pretty painted toes as a size guage

Showing the underside with small suckers or tubes

Red Spiney Sea Star found out at South West Bluff on Provo

This one had lost an arm

Osprey Rock in the background with a little Red Spiny sea star

Sea stars are often found in calm shallow waters (depths from 1 – 37 m) and more commonly occur on calcareous sandy bottom. The ones I’ve found have been mainly out at Bonefish Point just off the sandbar. It’s a beautiful spot to enjoy our “beautiful by nature” Turks and Caicos Islands on your next trip to Provo.

Happy Sea Star watching everyone.

Marta

www.harbourclubvillas.com

Jim Hill Nature Walk

Posted on January 29, 2016 by marta

Jim Hill view towards Five Cays…….such calm turquoise waters today.

What an awesome day it was today. One look at that turquoise, flat calm water and a quick trip up Jim Hill ended up being a good two hours. There was an abundance of glorious wild flowers in full bloom after the rains of last week. The Turks and Caicos Islands are blessed with so much natural beauty.

The wispy, dried and twig like Broom Brush has undergone a transformation and now has white delicate flowers.

Most of the year, the Broom Brush goes un noticed as it looks withered and dry most of the time. The rains of last week created the greening of the branches and an abundance of delicate white flowers. The Broom Brush is endemic to the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas.

Jacquemontia Havanensis is a twining vine and the flowers on this one had pretty pink highlights.

Many of the shrubs were covered with this little vine with star shaped flowers. Many were white but there are variations with pink and light blue colours.

I love the scent of the Bahama Strong Back which is similar to jasmine.

This shrub provides food for birds and insects and the fragrant flowers are a source of nectar for butterflies and the Bahama Woodstar Hummingbirds found in the Turks and Caicos. And when you boil the twigs and leaves making it into a tea, it relieves back pain and has medicinal properties. I’ve heard it is good for tummy problems too.