Category Archives: Flora and Fauna

Hummingbirds

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A male Bahama Woodstar Hummingbird perches for a while as I took his picture

A male Bahama Woodstar Hummingbird perches for a while as I took his picture

The pool area at Harbour Club Villas is the place to birdwatch and frequently we see these beautiful tiny creatures as they hover from flower to flower especially liking the flowers on my firecracker bushes.  The Bahama Woodstar is the only hummingbird that is found regularily in the Turks and Caicos. They are generally green on the top of the body with a brown underbody. The female is rather dowdy and drab where as the male has that magnificent irridiscent purple throat which shimmers and glints as the sun catches it.

This tiny female takes a rest on a vine under our palm tree.

This tiny female looked like a baby not quite used to flying as she takes a rest on a vine under our palm tree.

 The only time I manage to snap a photo is when they perch and rest for a while. These little guys can fly every which way…up, down, left, right and backwards too. When they hover their wings flap at about 50 times per second. Humming birds have a very fast heart and breathing rate and therefore they need to feed every ten minutes or so throughout the day.

A humming bird sits on her small nest built on a forked branch.

A humming bird sits on her small nest built on a forked branch.

One of our guests at the villas was an avid bird watcher and she discovered a nest with only one egg in it. I can’t believe how tiny hummingbird nests are. This one was precariously built in the fork of a three foot tree which was more like a twig. The cup shaped nest is built out of plant fragments and silk from spiders’ webs which is all glued together with her own saliva.

A female sits on her eggs.

A female sits on her eggs.

A female hummingbird will usually lay two white eggs which take about two weeks to hatch. A further three weeks in the nest and then the young are ready to fly. Unfortunately this twig like branch was bent over in a strong wind and the egg flew out and broke. I would have loved to have seen the young but this was not to be.

 

Enjoy nature around you and watch for the colourful Bahama Woodstar hummingbirds while you enjoy your vacation here on Provo.

 

Marta

 

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Wild Flowering Vines

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Tiny purple flowers on a vine that I found today.

Tiny purple flowers on a vine that I found today.

I’m not sure what made me look down on the ground but I’m glad I did. We have a rocky bank by the villas that we cleared some weeks ago and now there are many tiny clumps of creeping vines that are like a ground cover. Miniature little flowers with pointed petals are blooming all over and they are so pretty.

These little flowers are really quite lovely and if you didn't look closely, you'd miss them

These little flowers are really quite lovely and if you didn't look closely, you'd miss them

I haven’t been able to come up with a name for them. I also found what I think is a variety of  Creeping Day Flower in a very pretty blue. Some seeds must have blown in and they started to grow under one of my coconut palms.

Tiny, unique looking blooms of the Creeping Day flower.

Tiny, unique looking blooms of the Creeping Day flower.

Several months ago, I came across a plant with pale white flowers at Harbour Club Villas that I identified as a Creeping Day Flower. This one has blue flowers and the same leaf structure so I’m assuming it is a variety of the same plant. Again such small flowers that under normal circumstances you’d miss.

Amazing how many small low to the ground vines there are here in the Turks and Caicos Islands

Amazing how many small low to the ground vines there are here in the Turks and Caicos Islands

 

Keep a close eye out for these miniature flowering vines. They are exquisite with their delicate blooms.

 

Marta

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Beaches and more beaches

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Mike floating about on Grace Bay beach at the Bay Bistro

Mike floating about on Grace Bay beach at the Bay Bistro

I decided to take Mike to one of my favourite spots along the North shore and Grace Bay. It really is interesting how the beach changes from one end at the entrance to Turtle Cove Marina to the other end at Leeward. If you want to snorkel, the best spots are at Smith’s Reef and the Bight Reef at Coral Gardens (White House Reef). Mike took all his great photos of turtles at the Bight Reef. Here’s one from today……..he saw turtles, a sting ray, a huge barracuda, a lionfish (oh no!!!!) and lots of fish.

Mike snapped this photo of a Hawksbill Turtle at the Bight Reef

Mike snapped this photo of a Hawksbill Turtle at the Bight Reef

The best for just enjoying the water and swimming, just lazing around and for the softest sand is just in front of the Bay Bistro ( great food and tell Chef Clive, Marta sent you!) and Sibonne. We used to find all kinds of sand dollars there years ago but when things got built up they all disappeared. We spent hours here today just enjoying the water.

Nothing like having a cold Corona on the beach while enjoying the water

Nothing like having a cold Corona on the beach while enjoying the water

 While Mike was out snorkeling at the Bight Reef, I saw a white eagret swoop over my head and land. He stayed for a while and I managed to get some great shots.

A white eagret stopped by to check things out.

A white eagret stopped by to check things out.

To top off every fantastic day in the Turks and Caicos Islands…….. a sunset that was extraordinary. We were at a friends house overlooking our villas at Harbour Club and Flamingo Lake below us. The colours and the calm waters showed off the Five Cays so clearly.

Harbour Club Villas between Flamingo Lake and the ocean at Cooper Jack Bight

Harbour Club Villas between Flamingo Lake and the ocean at Cooper Jack Bight

On your next visit to Providenciales, explore all our beaches as there’s many of them each one as spectacular as the next. See you there!

 

Marta

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

A quiet beach and Flamingos

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Another spectacular day....calm and clear and I dragged Mike along for a photo

Another spectacular day....calm and clear and I dragged Mike along for a photo. Who am I kidding....it was quite a few photos and Mike was very patient.

Our little “no name” beach (I call it My Beach or Dog Beach) is just down the road and tucked away. It’s know to the locals and several dogs who come to cool off in the water with or without owners. This is the favourite beach for our honeymoon couple Tim and Kristi who are staying with us now. Tim loves to bonefish and Kristi loves the beach so they are both happy.

Kristi loves this little beach and reads her book and cools off in the water.

Kristi loves this little beach and reads her book and cools off in the water.

Meanwhile, down the road a short ways, Tim was searching for bonefish. When we saw him, there was a school of bonefish that he had sighted. A flamingo flew right over his head as he was wading and I managed to catch it on camera………it’s a bit blurry but you can make out the flying flamingo. 

Here's Tim bonefishing with a flamingo flying overhead.

Here's Tim bonefishing with a flamingo flying overhead.

The water was so calm and besides Kristi, there were only three other people just strolling along in the shallow waters.

The three dots are people walking out in the shallow water.

The three dots are people walking out in the shallow water.

Today was again, another one of those days where the ocean was like a mirror. It was late afternoon and we had spent an hour taking photos of the flamingos…..at least we tried to get up as close as we could to them. They kept wandering over to the otherside.

Conference call as the flamingos gather together to squawk about the shrimps.

Conference call as the flamingos gather together to squawk about the shrimps.

This is the first year that I’ve seen more than a handful of flamingos. Usually we see no more than five or so but there were alot of them there on the lake and salina today.

The flamingos were different colours some a real vivid pink.

The flamingos were different colours some a real vivid pink.

The flamingos made reflections in the water as they slowly walked along occasionally feeding with heads under the water. If you are a bird watcher and here on vacation, make your way down Venetian Road past our villas at Harbour Club and you’ll see them. I’ll meet you there maybe???

 

Marta

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Bonefish Heaven

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Today I experience a bit of Bonefish Heaven out on the flats by Pine Cay.

Today I experience a bit of Bonefish Heaven out on the flats by Pine Cay.

What an unbelieveable day we had out on the flats with our guide Darin Bain of D and B Tours. He ordered up this spectacular flat calm day with clear see through water and those reflections! We headed off towards Pine Cay and it didn’t take Capt. Darin long to sight the fish.

Joe got busy and caught his first bonefish of the day.........a beauty!

Joe got busy and caught his first bonefish of the day.........a beauty!

We couldn’t have picked a better day and I was just along to take the photographs. I’m not sure how many cards I filled or batteries but I made sure I wouldn’t run out. The colours of the ocean, the flats, the bonefish and the reflections in the water were all breathtaking. I don’t fish but found the whole experience exciting and exhilarating.

Joe releases a good sized bonefish one of many caught this day.

Joe releases a good sized bonefish one of many caught this day.

I think Joe hooked up at least 13 or so and landed some six. At one point when I was shooting from the water, he saw a hundred or so coming towards me from behind. What a sight to see!

Fish On...........Joe catches another one and check out the reflections in the water.

Fish On...........Joe catches another one and check out the reflections in the water.

Capt Darin has been fishing the Caicos Flats for over 10 years and he really knows the area like the back of his hand and will put you on the fish. His eagle eyes can see them when no one else can…..I was hopeless at seeing them but then I was too busy with the camera.

Joe smiles from ear to ear.......another bonefish. They're called "the ghosts of the flats"

Joe smiles from ear to ear.......another bonefish. They're called "the ghosts of the flats"

Joe and Christen are honeymooning at Harbour Club Villas and  Joe is a photo journalist with Field and Stream Magazine. This is his first time fishing for bonefish and I think we have him convinced that the Turks and Caicos Islands is the place for bonefishing.

Bonefishing is GREAT in the Turks and Caicos Islands

Bonefishing is GREAT in the Turks and Caicos Islands

A perfect day!  All you bonefishermen out there just have to head down to Provo and I’ll hook you up with Darin for a trip out onto the flats. Call me and I’ll arrange everything for you.

Tight Lines!

 

Marta

 

http://www.bonefishing.tc

Bouganvillea and Praying Mantis

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I'm sure I spent over an hour taking photos of this Praying Mantis on a bouganvillea.

I'm sure I spent over an hour taking photos of this Praying Mantis on a bouganvillea.

Here's a close up of the praying mantis and the white flower of the bouganvillea.

Here's a close up of the praying mantis and the white flower of the bouganvillea.

Bouganvillea comes in such a variety of colours and the deep pink or fushia is one of my favourites.

 

Marta

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Flamingo Lake Reflections

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Flamingo Lake was at its stunning best today .... flat calm with a mirror image reflection.

Flamingo Lake was at its stunning best today .... flat calm with a mirror image reflection.

I glanced out at the lake late this afternoon and the reflections in the calm waters took my breath away. I grabbed my camera and didn’t even have a chance to tell Barry where I was going. The ripples and the colours kept changing as the sun started to sink over the hill to the right of our villas at Harbour Club.

The sun started to set and tinged everything with an orangey glow

The sun started to set and tinged everything with an orangey glow

As I walked along the road the water was churning………….”nervous water” as the fishermen call it. The bonefish were tailing and rippling up the calm on Flamingo Lake.

The bonefish were tailing and rippling the surface of Flamingo Lake

The bonefish were tailing and rippling the surface of Flamingo Lake

In the foreground of the photo you can see all the circles and ripples created by tailing bonefish.

I zoomed in on this photo which does show a definite bonefish shape.

I zoomed in on this photo which does show a definite bonefish shape.

For all you bonefishing enthusiasts out there, fishing would have been great this evening. Our guests at Harbour Club Villas can just walk across the road and into the lake. We see bonefish tailing all the time and you can watch from your villa windows.

Bonefishing is great in the lakes by Harbour Club as well as the flats. Come on down and join us.

 

Tight lines!!

 

Marta

 

http://www.bonefishing.tc

Lionfish in the Turks and Caicos Islands

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Beautiful and colourful but a disastrous predator eating juvenile fish on Turks and Caicos Islands reefs.

Beautiful and colourful but a disastrous predator eating juvenile fish on Turks and Caicos Islands reefs.

Lionfish are also known as Turkey fish, Dragon fish or scorpion fish and they are now a serious threat to our coral reefs and surrounding waters here in the Turks and Caicos Islands. If left to their own devices, lionfish could multiply in number into the millions eating up all marine life on the reef and then move into shallower waters where they will find conch and lobster. They are an extremely invasive species.

A snuba gal comes face to face with a Lionfish and Jodi from Snuba TCI snapped this great photo.

A snuba gal comes face to face with a Lionfish and Jodi from Snuba TCI snapped this great photo.

In June of 2009, Jodi and Snuba TCI donated $1200.00 worth of Lionfish catching gear….nets, gloves and collecting bags and gave it to the DECR on Provo. Jodi has caught at least 18 Lionfish on the Bight Reef at Coral Gardens also known as the White House Reef. I believe the first Lionfish sighted way back in 2006 was in this area. Today, all the dive operators are taking up the battle to catch any Lionfish they see out at the dive sites.

Lionfish have up to 18 needle like dorsal fins which contain venom purely for defensive purposes.

Lionfish have up to 18 needle like dorsal fins which contain venom purely for defensive purposes.

Lionfish are not poisonous but their spines are venomous and can cause a nasty sting to humans. They rely on lightening quick reflexes and camouflage to catch their prey.  They are a perfectly safe and delicious food fish once the fins have been removed. What remains is a tasty filet that’s as good as grouper according to some. The DECR has launched a 12 month long lionfish tournament which will award $3,000.00 to the first fisherman to record 3,000 lionfish catches.

Lionfish will hopefully be added to the menu at many of our islands' restaurants.

Lionfish will hopefully be added to the menu at many of our islands' restaurants.

Here’s what you can do to help:  Ask for lionfish at your favourite restaurants. Ask Mickey and Jayne of Flamingo Divers or Jodi to show you how to catch them (other island dive operators can show you too). Join REEF and give a donation towards their research or just by collecting data on lionfish when you dive.

Thanks once again to Jodi of Snuba TCI and Jayne of Flamingo Divers for such great photos of Lionfish.

 

Marta

 

http://www.diving.tc

Coconuts

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Our godson Olique picks his first coconut that he wants to have a taste of.

Our godson Olique picks his first coconut that he wants to have a taste of.

It amazes me at how many of our guests at Harbour Club Villas have never tasted fresh coconut right off the tree. Back home, they are used to seeing a small brown nut with really hard white coconut inside and very little milk.

Barry uses his machete to cut away the fibrous husk surrounding the coconut.

Barry uses his machete to cut away the fibrous husk surrounding the coconut.

We had Olique over one day and Barry picked the coconut he wanted from off one of our coconut palms. One of our guests who was Korean, I believe, showed Barry how to cut away the fibrous husk to reveal the top end of the nut. He used to just hack into it and use his drill to make holes in the nut so we could drink the milk through a straw. Of course some rum needs to be added and a ” fresh from the tree” drink resulted. Wow, what a person won’t do to get a taste of fresh coconut milk!

Olique has his first taste of coconut milk............hmm.....not too sure about it!

Olique has his first taste of coconut milk............hmm.....not too sure about it!

I remember when living in Castries, St Lucia, my mother used to head to the market in the early mornings to “fight over” fresh green and young coconuts. These were the not fully formed ones with a delicious jelly inside and lots of milk. Still to this day, I love those young coconuts with jelly inside.

I think I like eating coconut now.

I think I like eating coconut now.

Coconut palms do not grow here naturally but were brought and introduced to the Turks and Caicos Islands. I’m not sure about the tall ones in Blue Hills as they might have been washed ashore at some point and just ended up sprouting.

Marta

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com