Category Archives: Flora and Fauna

Taylor Bay Sunday

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Barry enjoying a beer.........look at how clear the water was on Sunday.

Barry enjoying a beer.........look at how clear the water was on Sunday.

On clear and calm days, it’s hard to get any work done around the villas. One look at the ocean from the hill and you just have to put everything aside, pack a lunch and lots of drinks and soak in the beauty of the day. The boat skims over the shallow waters of the ocean on the south side of Provo and sometimes it’s so clear that you can see right to the bottom.
Malaika is quite independant now as she strolls along the water's edge at Taylor Bay wearing her water wings.

Malaika is quite independant now as she strolls along the water's edge at Taylor Bay wearing her water wings.

I spent ages trying to capture a starfish with the foamy edge of a wave coming to shore. Tough to do as my little camera has a slow shutter and I missed many shots!

I spent ages trying to capture a starfish with the foamy edge of a wave coming to shore. Tough to do as my little camera has a slow shutter and I missed many shots!

Wading back to the boat and time to head home.

Wading back to the boat and time to head home.

A sunset beach wedding was about to take place as we slowly motored out of Taylor Bay

A sunset beach wedding was about to take place as we slowly motored out of Taylor Bay

A beautiful archway of flowers was set up on the beach for a sunset island wedding. We met the groom as he slowly made his way down the beach to greet his guests. The bride wasn’t seen until we started pulling out of the bay to head for home.
Providenciales and the Turks and Caicos Islands have the most wonderful beaches for those wanting an exotic island beach wedding.
Contact me if you are planning a wedding or family occasion.
Marta
For weddings, check out our website at
http://www.cloudnine.tc   

Beautiful Bush Part 2

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White starlike flowers of the Jacquemontia Havanensis growing all over some small shrubs and trees.

White starlike flowers of the Jacquemontia Havanensis growing all over some small shrubs and trees.

Chains of white stars covered the bush, bright yellow Necklace Pod with pea flowers hanging off the end of the branches, a lone Marsh Gentian in hues of purple and clusters of pink with yellow Sea Sage and orange coloured Black Sage also known as Lantana. There were so many different wild flowers in bloom!

The Necklace Pod had long sprays of brightly coloured yellow flowers and apparently flowers throughout the year here.

The Necklace Pod had long sprays of brightly coloured yellow flowers and apparently flowers throughout the year here.

I think this is a Marsh Gentian....there was only the one and it had four petals in a beautiful lilac shade with dark purple centre.

I think this is a Marsh Gentian....there was only the one and it had four petals in a beautiful lilac shade with dark purple centre.

Pretty pink with yellow clusters of the Sea Sage or Lantana. It was used as a tonic for chicken pox and skin irritations.

Pretty pink with yellow clusters of the Sea Sage or Lantana. It was used as a tonic for chicken pox and skin irritations.

Black Sage or Lantana with its' bright orange flowers on a small bush was in full bloom. Often used as a sore throat remedy in bush medicine.

Black Sage or Lantana with its' bright orange flowers on a small bush was in full bloom. Often used as a sore throat remedy in bush medicine.

There were numerous other flowers but I’ll leave those for another time.

 

Our beautiful island bush is filled with all kinds of interesting and colourful plants and wild flowers. Have a look for yourself!

 

 

 

Marta

 

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Beautiful Bush

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The Devil's Potato winds and twists its way up trees and utility poles and has showy pinwheel shaped white flowers

The Devil's Potato winds and twists its way up trees and utility poles and has showy pinwheel shaped white flowers

On the way back from the sports centre behind the Graceway IGA, I spotted a flash of white. I told Barry I was going to run down the road and grab a picture or two. Well an hour and a half later I had a whole bunch of photos of some of the wild flowers blooming along Turtle Tail Drive (Venetian Road) by our villas. I had neighbours stopping to see what I was photographing too. The beautiful island bush is alive right now with a wonderful selection of vines and flowers.

Passionflowers are blooming and you can spot them easily while driving along the roads.
Passionflowers are blooming and you can spot them easily while driving along the roads.

Another white flowering vine is the Cynanchum and there are at least three endemic species. These are so pretty with clusters of tiny white, star shaped flowers. You have to look closely but once you spot them, they are found all over.

Clusters of tiny stars..........the Cynanchum has a sweet fragrance.

Clusters of tiny stars..........the Cynanchum has a sweet fragrance.

Here's another Cynanchum and this one has furry flowers also star shaped.

Here's another Cynanchum and this one has furry flowers also star shaped.

The lavender blue pea flowers of the Butterfly Pea were blooming in profusion.

The lavender blue pea flowers of the Butterfly Pea were blooming in profusion.

The wild alamanda stands out with its' brilliant yellow showy flowers.
The wild alamanda stands out with its’ brilliant yellow showy flowers.

There’s more to come and I’ll leave them for my next post. Keep an eye out for these beautiful wild flowers and vines.

Marta
http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Evening Bonefishing

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A peaceful and calm setting as a lone fisherman wades the lake by Harbour Club Villas.

A peaceful and calm setting as a lone fisherman wades the lake by Harbour Club Villas.

This evening I caught sight of Paul, one of our bonefishing guests, out in Flamingo Lake. It was a beautiful still evening just made for some bonefishing.

Someone else was also looking for fish as a Green Heron perched on a dead branch to view the lake waters.

Someone else was also looking for fish as a Green Heron perched on a dead branch to view the lake waters.

The Green Heron finds a tasty snack in the waters of the lake.

The Green Heron finds a tasty snack in the waters of the lake.

I know the heron was sucessful in finding food but I'm not sure if Paul caught any bonefish?

I know the heron was sucessful in finding food but I'm not sure if Paul caught any bonefish?

 

Evenings are a great time to catch some of our water birds and to see bonefish tailing in the lake.

 

 

 

Marta

 

 

http://www.bonefishing.tc

A Profusion of Pink Puffballs

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Beautiful pink fluff balls of the Black Bead....yes that's what it's called.

Beautiful pink fluff balls of the Black Bead....yes that's what it's called.

We’ve been going to the Sports Centre gym behind the IGA and for the past week or so I’ve noticed these bushes with pink flowers. I decided that I should do a post on all the flowering shrubs that are in the bush at this time of year and I wanted to include these pink shrubs. Today was the day and after a trip to the beach we swung down the road to the gym. The first bushes I stopped at had pink flowers too and this turned out to be the Bahama Mimosa also called Haul Back. The flowering seemed to be at the tail end and I took a few photos. A little ways further down, I saw it…….a breathtaking cluster of pink on a seven foot small tree. My book identified it as the Black Bead.

From January to April, and again from September to December, it becomes covered with clusters of puffy flowers, about an inch in diameter.

From January to April, and again from September to December, it becomes covered with clusters of puffy flowers, about an inch in diameter.

The flowers are reddish-pink puffballs with each filament tipped with yellow and with a lovely sweet fragrance. This of course is attractive to all pollinators such as bees and butterflies.

A close up of the Black Dead flower.

A close up of the Black Bead flower that looks much like fireworks!

Seed pods two to four inches long develop from the flowers and when they split, the black seeds are attached to a bright red arils. The birds enjoy the arils because they are sweet when ripe.

Beautiful wispy and delicate puff balls against a blue Provo sky.

Beautiful wispy and delicate puff balls against a blue Provo sky.

The Black Bead got its name from the seeds which were used to make jewellery. Watch for these bushes or small trees as they are truly spectacular. I couldn’t pull myself away!

 

 

Marta

 

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Tree Frog at Harbour Club

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I found this cute little fella in one of our planters this evening.

I found this cute little fella in one of our planters this evening.

I was walking down behind the villas on my way to turn the outside lights on and happen to glance at something that was on one of the planters. I took a second look and saw that it was a frog. We didn’t think we had any frogs on the property but now we know we do.

This tree frog was a beautiful green colour with some black markings.

This tree frog was a beautiful green colour with some black markings.

I yelled for Barry and he came running thinking something was wrong. He managed to catch the small tree frog just so I could take some photos of it.

Note the suction cup like feet that allows them to climb trees or the walls of our tiki hut.

Note the suction cup like feet that allows them to climb trees or the walls of our tiki hut.

The tree frog I found had large discs at the end of its toes which were like sticky pads and he had a very strong grip said Barry. These discs help the frogs grip while climbing and allow them to climb vertically on virtually anything. When we let him go, he climbed up the wall and pillar to under the eaves of the gazebo.

This little tree frog clamped down on Barry's arm with his suction cup toes.

This little tree frog clamped down on Barry's arm with his suction cup toes.

 

Good shot of the suction cup like toes gripping the wall of the tiki hut.

Good shot of the suction cup like toes gripping the wall of the tiki hut.

 

He was soooooo cute!!!

 

Marta

 

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Starfish Flower

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This has to be one of the most unique and strange looking flowers I've ever seen.

This has to be one of the most unique and strange looking flowers I've ever seen.

I’m not sure where I got a cutting for this cactus like plant and was amazed one day to see a spectacular flower appear. It is called Stapelia Gigantea or Starfish Flower.

The starfish-shaped flower of the Stapelia Gigantea is a subdued yellow covered by miniature purple hairs.

The starfish-shaped flower of the Stapelia Gigantea is a subdued yellow covered by miniature purple hairs.

The flowers can be 10 to 16 inches across and are fleshy and shaped like five pointed stars. The interesting thing about this plant is the way pollination occurs.

The center of the flower is fleshy and exudes a horrid smell!!

The center of the flower is fleshy and exudes a horrid smell!!

The flowers are known for their foul smell which resembles the odour of rotting meat. The fine hairs, colouration and surface mimic decaying animal matter and attract mostly flies, which act as pollinators.  Before I knew the name of this plant, I called it the “shit” plant but it is also known as Carrion or Toad plant.

Stapelia Gigantea blooming at Harbour Club Villas

Stapelia Gigantea blooming at Harbour Club Villas

This Starfish Flower grows well in direct sunlight and has an interesting bud shape which opens to show a beautiful star like flower with tapering ends.

 

 

Marta

 

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Pygmy Boa back to the wild

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Barry picks the Pygmy Boa up for a few last photos before letting him go.

Barry picks the Pygmy Boa up for a few last photos before letting him go.

 

A closeup of the boa's head.

A closeup of the boa's head.

 

We released him into our wild area where there's lots of places to hide. Note his forked tongue!

We released him into our wild area where there's lots of places to hide. Note his forked tongue!

 

One last photo before he slithers away.

One last photo before he slithers away.

 

Protect our wild life and I hope everyone enjoys these photos.

 

 

 

Marta

 

 

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Pygmy Boa

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Barry is always into new and different things and here he is rooting around trying to find a Pygmy Boa.

Barry is always into new and different things and here he is rooting around trying to find a Pygmy Boa.

We now have a bin that we created for our compost worms filled with moistened shredded paper which we feed every three days or so with scraps of fruit, vegetables, egg shells and coffee grounds. So when Barry found a Pygmy Boa in our wash house at Harbour Club Villas last night, he popped it in with the worms. I wanted to take photos in the day light so we had to find a temporary home for it.

Here's some of the worms and in about another four months, we should be able to harvest the finished compost.

Here's some of the worms and in about another four months, we should be able to harvest the finished compost.

This Pygmy or Dwarf Boa is about 12 inches long which is about the size that they grow to here in the islands.

This Pygmy or Dwarf Boa is about 12 inches long which is about the size that they grow to here in the islands.

These snakes are non poisonous and harmless. They have a yellow or orange tailtip which serves as a lure to their prey and also apparently the colour may discourage predators.

Barry holds the Pygmy Boa in his hand and you can see the yellowish tail.

Barry holds the Pygmy Boa in his hand and you can see the yellowish tail.

The Turks and Caicos Dwarf or Pygmy boa is endemic to these islands meaning that this snake is only found in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Maybe it was the light, but the Pygmy Boa's head showed a blue tinge and it had beautiful markings.

Maybe it was the light, but the Pygmy Boa's head showed a blue tinge and it had beautiful markings.

Our island snakes are at risk and are preyed upon by cats, dogs and rats. In the past, Barry has shown boas we’ve found to several of our local friends and visitors to Harbour Club so that they can see how harmless these snakes really are. Next time you are fortunate enough to see one, remember that they need our protection in order to survive here in the Turks and Caicos.

We must try to keep these beautiful creatures from becoming extinct.

We must try to keep these beautiful creatures from becoming extinct.

 

Marta

 

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com