Inagua National Park

The park encloses all of Lake Rosa, the largest salt water lake in the Bahamas.The birding was a treat and here are some of the highlights of our visit. 

A skulking Clapper Rail

Bahama Mockingbird

Reddish Egret

Real special for the trip - Roseate Spoonbill

Gorgeous adult Spoonbills

White-cheeked Pintail

Spotted Redshank

Snorkeling Inagua

Up in the northwest corner of Inagua, some drive from Matthew Town, you can walk off the beach and swim a few metres to a reef to snorkel.

Not a single person in sight and you dip your head into a new world, coral and colorful fish…

A story of Fillymingoes and Salt

The Inagua landscape is dominated by either the Morton Salt company's vast reservoirs or the salt pans where it produces salt by solar evaporation. It is a stark and harsh landscape. 


We wound our way along the edges of the pans and reservoirs to access the Inagua National Park to get to Lake Rosa. The preservation of these 'fillymingoes' which is how the Bahamians pronounce flamingoes - has been a joint action between Morton's and the Bahamas National Trust, and these birds have been brought back from near extinction to more than 50000 birds here on Inagua.

Phoenicopterus rubber,  are gorgeous birds with vividly pink feathers and they stand 120 to 140cm high. They were hunted for their meat, especially the tongue, and for their feathers, Fred was so frustrated trying to get  a good photo which was almost impossible  as they are very skittish!  The birds like the many salt ponds on Inagua that supply their favorite meal—brine shrimp and also creates the famously crimson color.

Caribbean Flamingo

A poem message from Inel in Australia

Untitled
by Dawna Markova

I will not die an unlived life,
I will not live in fear
Of falling or catching fire.

I choose to inhabit my days
To allow my living to open me,
To make me less afraid,more accessible, 
To loosen my heart
Until it becomes a wing,
A torch, a promise.

I choose to risk my significance; to live
So that which came to me as seed
Goes to the next as blossom
And that which came to me as blossom
Goes on as fruit.

Great Inagua Lighthouse

Built in 1870, the Great Inagua Lighthouse is one of only three remaining and (still operating) hand-wound, kerosene-burning lighthouses in the Bahamas. Standing 120 ft. tall, and easily visible from my balcony position here in Matthew Town. We climbed the stairs including the steep last ladder section to take in the view across Matthew Town. 

As always the sea is gorgeous. We strained to see a glimpse of Cuba which is 80 kilometers west but could not quite make it out…

We signed the dog-eared guest book, Fred and Sharon were here.

love this interior view of the lighthouse

view across to Matthew Town

straining to see Cuba!

Birding Inagua, Bahamas

As always birding takes me into the most unusual places in the world and Inagua, one of the Bahama Out Islands, is just such a place. 
No cruise ships, no high-rise hotels, no crowds, in fact less than 1000 people on the island, not a coconut palm in sight, dry scrubby bush, 3 flights a week into Matthew Town, only industry is Morton Salt,no fresh produce to be found, but it is also a haven for birds, so here I am.
First lifer for the trip was a confiding Burrowing Owl watching us cautiously…

The owl has prominent white eyebrows and a white "chin" patch which it was expanding as we watched and an endearing habit of bobbing the head as we approached.

From the balcony of our lodging (where dinner is dropped off in your room at 2.30 as the staff go home!) we watched the Rose-throated Parrots in a tamarind tree. They are rock stars around town, noisy and move in a gang.

Photo highlights of our first week in the Bahamas

• The bird photo for the week is the Hairy Woodpecker which we heard drumming on our walk at the Clifton Heritage National Park. It was happily foraging along the trunk of a tree on our path.

• The food photo of the week has to be the bucket of mojito at Compass Point on the night we arrived. Good way to get over being in the air for more than a day!

• The sunset photo for the week, a pier in Nassau.

• The art photo for the week, "Sacred Space" sculpture installation by Antonius Roberts, a representation of slave women carved out of Casuarina trees still rooted in the ground on the cliff edge at Clifton Cay. Since I was last here he has added the luminous headscarves.

• The seascape photo of the week is the turquoise sea through the window of the loyalist era Johnston Plantation ruins.

• And the best photo of the week has to be the crystal clear waters of Exuma...

Saddleback Cay, Exuma through the GoPro lens

I have a feeling, that forever I am going to yearn to go back to see the waters of Exuma. 

Cerulean Sea

And underwater is just as breathtaking….

The first 48 hours….

I…...

1. hugged my precious daughter and her husband to be 
2. have swum daily
3. am in awe of the beauty of the sea around Exuma, the real Bahama's, love at first sight
4. conquered my fear and snorkeled off Saddleback Cay in the Exuma's
5. showed Fred my favorite Nassau bird, the White-crowned Pigeon
6. am pleased that it is less humid than I expected
7. experienced the beauty of a coral reef 
8. so enjoy the pastel shaded colorful buildings here in Nassau
9. am the Mother of the Bride and went shopping in downtown Nassau for wedding make-up, gorgeous pinks for both of us from Mac
10. am jet lagged and wake up at 4am, so make coffee and raisin bread with cream cheese 
11. felt fine on the high speed powerboat from Nassau to the Exuma's, http://www.islandworldadventures.com
12. did however get queasy while snorkeling
13. rediscovered why I love birding, watching the Bahama Woodstar, the gorgeous endemic hummingbird of the Bahamas
14. am knitting a baby jersey for a friend in the California that I will be seeing soon
15. was bemused when the guide showed us flotsam and jetsam on Saddleback Cay from a Nasa rocket
16. was surprised at the number of Ospreys along the Exuma Cays
17. was excited to order conch fritters with a mojito at Compass Point and watch Fred love them too, http://www.compasspointbeachresort.com
18. have walked daily
19. noticed the pink hue of the sandbar near Saddleback Cay caused by the finely ground coral in the sand
20. am loving how excited Fred is with his new purchase, a waterproof GoPro
21. saw my first lemon shark, a subtropical shark found in the shallows and fed them left over chicken from lunch, which did not sit well with me at all
22. bought an early birthday present for Fred, Costa water-sport sunglasses
23. unpacked and organized the gifts that Doreen sent across from her, her family and Grumps, they were so well received
24. watched with pleasure as Shawni and Craig opened the quilt I made for them called Bahama Blues
25. watched with even more joy as they received their wedding gift from Fred and me
26. still enjoy seeing the huge ocean liners leave Nassau at the end of the day and head off into the sunset
27. love the early morning cool and watching the sunrise
28. am feeling sunburnt today after a day along the Exuma Cays
29. fed grapes to the critically endangered Exuma Island Iguanas, fierce little creatures, vegetarians as opposed to the marine iguanas of the Galapagos
30. ate the 'world famous' Greek Salad served at Athena in downtown Nassau, http://www.athenacafebar.com/
31. settled into the Sandyport Timeshare here in Nassau, the first of 9 RCI timeshares scheduled for our trip, we are comfortable although bemused by the huge bath tub one foot from the bed, http://www.sandyport.com
32. saw two Spotted Stingrays in the Sandyport Canal that were heading out to sea 
33. sipped Bahama Mama's from a tervis watching the impossibly green color of the sea
34. am using my welcome gifts from Shawni and Craig
35. spotted my first lifer for the trip, a single White-tailed Tropicbird flying fast and low over the Exuma Cays
36. asked for bamboo bedding for our 35 wedding anniversary which is a few days before the wedding, and got them too
37. like Shawni and Craig's 'local', Spritz Restaurant and Bar in Sandyport, an easy evening out with tasty food
38. laugh at the breeding antics of the raucous Laughing Gulls below our balcony
39. waved Fred off early this morning, he will be training for his PADI open water diver course over the next 3 days
40. am thinking if this is two days, imagine four months……………………………………………..

Destination Bahamas

Shawni and Craig are based in Nassau, New Providence. We will have time with them in the build-up to the wedding.

Wedding venue is Hope Town, Elbow Cay a ferry ride from Marsh Harbour on Abaco Island.

Bahamas

Countdown Bahamas

Two more sleeps.

We used to count the sleeps with Shawni and Barry before family holidays and here I am counting down the sleeps before we leave for the wedding.

I have loved the build up over the last few years - dozens of wedding dresses with champagne in hand; hair and make-up trails; testing the menu; excitement of my visit to the venues in the Bahamas last October; traveling with the dress; shopping for the shoes and sending them to London to be dyed; choosing dress fabric for the bridesmaids; what's app messages from Shawni as each element falls into place; it has been wonderful.

Time to pack….

A wedding calls us to the Bahamas

It all starts with these invites in the palest pink and turquoise to a wedding in Hope Town, Abaco and an 'I do' BBQ.

Well Done Shawni & Craig they are lovely!