ROLLING HARBOUR ABACO: Recent Episodes
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WWD FEBRUARY 16th 2025
Adult sperm whale with neonate calf [BMMRO Bahamas]LEARNING FOR THE FUTURE
One way to celebrate the world’s whale populations is to learn about them from one of the many organisations that research and protect these fine animals. A good start is to become familiar with the types of whales, and see how they compare with each other. The simplest way to begin is to examine a Field Guide. This, hopefully, will catch your imagination and lead to further investigation.
What is a beaked whale – and can they really dive deeper than any other whale species? Do false and pygmy killer whales live up to the fearsome reputation of their orca cousins? Why are false and dwarf sperm whales so small in comparison to the enormous ‘real’ creature. Which whales are baleen and which are toothed? Why are humpback whales so different from other baleen whales? Finally the big question: is a killer whale a dolphin?
FIELD GUIDE TO THE MARINE MAMMALS OF THE BAHAMAS
To answer exactly these sorts of question and to inspire further study, BMMRO has produced a comprehensive Field Guide. Contained on four double-sided panels, there is a wealth of information about every species of cetacean found in Bahamian waters, including the dolphin species. And you can learn much more about BMMRO and its wide range of research and conservation projects HERE.
Meanwhile, below is the complete Guide in two versions, visual and downloadable. One click on the Guide’s images will enlarge them; 2 clicks will enlarge them further. The contents will remain legible. For those who want to dig deeper or who want to pass round the information, there is a download of the complete Guide.
The Guide has a significant educational value, and for example all students who attend the Summer Whale Camps are given one to study. You may use the guide images and / or the download as you wish.
DOWNLOADABLE GUIDE
BMMRO_Marine Mammal Guide – 96061 (1) copy 3Download
Neonate Sperm Whale Calf – Bahamas – BMMRO
BUTTERFLIES ON ABACO (8): WHITE PEACOCKThe white peacock (Anartia jatrophae) is not a rare butterfly in the northern Bahamas. However, until recently I had never – or never consciously – seen one before. Then we came across a few, all very frisky and mostly refusing to settle for more than 1/100 second. By the time I have remembered to remove my lens cap, they are 50 yards away.
I checked out these pretty but unassuming butterflies online because they seemed rather pale and anaemic. As far as I can make out this is because they were still in winter colouring; in summer they are more brightly marked. Here’s a photo of a dishevelled white peacock taken in June at Delphi by Charlie Skinner, which shows stronger colours.
ARE THEY EVER FOUND LOOKING BRIGHT AND NOT FALLING APART?
Yes, of course, but interestingly, never ever in the field. The one below, non-anaemic and intact, was thoughtfully uploaded to Wiki by Greg Hume. He took it at a butterfly show, where presumably tatty butterflies are excluded…
Photos: Keith Salvesen 1 – 4; Charlie Skinner 5; Greg Hume 6
Corkscrew Anemone with Peterson Cleaner Shrimps
MAKE FRIENDS WITH ANEMONEGoing snorkelling? Planning a scuba day on the reef? You’ll see wonderful fish and amazing coral for sure. But sometimes the beauty of other life on the reef can be overlooked. Check out the anemone in the header image, with the camouflaged cleaner shrimps playing around it. You wouldn’t want to miss a sight like that. The many and varied forms and colours of anemone on the reefs of the Bahamas make up a vital component of a spectacular underwater world and its astonishing variety.
Anemones are living animals of the invertebrate type. Basically living corals without skeletons. All have stinging cells of several varieties to sting or entangle their prey such as small fish, or other invertebrate species.
Most anemones host varieties of cleaner shrimps. They also provide a base for the snapping shrimps that can stun their own prey. Some of these can (painfully) penetrate human skin.
Some crabs pull particular species of anemone off the reef and attach them to their carapace. This is thought to have a double purpose of providing both camouflage and protection.
All great archive photos: Melinda Riger of Grand Bahama Scuba, with thanks; also Rick Guest for info
LIKE THE CLAPPERS: LEARN THE RAILS ON ABACONote: You may find ads in this post. This is because WordPress / AI has now decided that you (dear reader) and I (angry author) are presumed to be up for car insurance deals, slimming advice, and incontinence apparatus. I’m probably going to have to buy my way into a new contract, as they presumably intend.
CLAPPER RAILS Rallus crepitans are elusive birds of mangrove swamp and marsh, more frequently heard than seen. They tend to lurk around in foliage and are easy to overlook – creatures of the margins rather than of open ground. If lucky, you may come across one foraging secretively, beak-deep in the mud.
Tom Sheley’s wonderful photos featured here of a preening clapper rail were taken during backcountry explorations to locate and photograph species for BIRDS OF ABACO. By being an early riser and a patient cameraman, Tom managed to capture this fine bird engaging in some quality grooming. The one below is also ‘vocalising’ – also known in rails as ‘rousing’.
CALL https://rollingharbour.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/xc373086-clapper-rail-rallus-john-middleton-crepitans.mp3
AGGRESSIVE CALL https://rollingharbour.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/xc77530-clapper-rail-rallus-crepitans-daniel-daniel-lane-saturatus-1.mp3
Clapper rails are capable of swimming and even of flying if they choose to (which isn’t often). However the most likely activity you will observe is skulking, picking their way quite delicately through marginal vegetation, or (if you are lucky) doing some serious beak-deep foraging in the mud. Their foraging is made easier by the fact that they are omniverous.
Occasionally they run, a process that looks endearingly comical and which possibly gives rise to their name (see below).
It almost goes without saying nowadays, but the biggest threat to these rather charming inoffensive birds is habitat loss. Which is to say, mankind either directly or indirectly. Drive bulldozers through the mangroves and marshland of sub-tropical coastal areas, chuck down a few acres of concrete and tarmac… and the clappers will very soon be clapped out. As they will if the climate we have unarguably changed irrevocably ruins their unobtrusive lives.
ADVISORY LINGUISTIC STUDY
When I first wrote about this species, its binomial name was Rallus longirostris ie simply ‘long-beaked rail‘. Which it is. Then came an annual official AOU shuffling of species and revision of names. The clapper rail was re-designated Rallus crepitans or ‘rattling / rustling rail‘. Which it does, but it also has other vocalisations (try the sound-files above). So maybe less clear-cut for ID purposes (there were other rail name innovations that, reading about them, made me crack open a beer instead of wanting to tell you about them. I’m old-school.
OPTIONAL LINGUISTIC DIVERSION
“TO RUN LIKE THE CLAPPERS“. This phrase seems to be fairly recent, most likely originating as military (?Air Force) slang early in WW2 or possibly from earlier conflicts. Some suggest it is a rhyming slang bowdlerisation of ‘run like hell’ with ‘clapper(s)’ standing for ‘bell’, along the lines of the Cockney “I’ve bought a new whistle” (whistle and flute = suit). Almost all plausible explanations relate to bells: the speed of the clapper of a vigorously rung handbell. One stand-out meaning relates to the historical era of City prostitution and the high risk of syphilis (‘pox’) or gonnorrhea (‘clap’). You can probably make the link.
Photo credits:Tom Sheley, Sandy Walker, Erik Gauger, University of Amsterdam (print), OS / CC
Season’s Greetings to all followers, commenters and everyone who since 2010 has stuck by / put up with / enjoyed visiting Rolling Harbour – 1.25m, in fact (or a single person with way too much time on their hands).
I am coming out to Abaco soon for a BMMRO retreat at Sandy Point. Hoping to catch up with the vibe (for various reasons I haven’t been able to come over since just pre Dorian).
Tom Sheley . Abaco . Bahamas
TREE HUGGER
West Indian Woodpecker Melanerpes supercilliaris
Delphi . Abaco . Bahamas – Keith SalvesenIn January I will be returning to Abaco for a few happy days, for the BMMRO biennial Retreat. I haven’t been back since before Dorian and Covid. I am pretty excited by the prospect, having really missed the island, the friendships, the birdlife, and a whole lot more. During the long interval I have kept in close touch – most days, it seems – and continued with this blog.
Birds and marine mammals have always been the main theme, but there’s a great deal more to investigate in the MENUS. Between now and my visit, I plan to post some wonderful bird photos from my book BIRDS OF ABACO. Mostly they will by contributors; a few may by me.
BIRDS OF ABACO: THE DOWNLOAD
The whole edition was sold out ages ago, so unfortunately I wasn’t even able to replace lost / damaged copies. However I recently compressed the entire book into an 18mb file. Do pass it round; please don’t monetize it!
BIRDS OF ABACO COMPLETE BOOK SS 18mb . Keith Salvesen Download1
SAWMILL SINK, ABACOINDUSTRIAL ARCHAEOLOGY IN A POST-APOCALYPTIC LANDSCAPEThis article was written quite some time ago but I reckoned that, several years on, it might still be of interest. I haven’t changed much because it is what it was, so please ignore the time-slip. This was by chance a fire-fuelled opportunity to uncover a relic of Abaco’s industrial past.
The Blue Holes of Abaco are geological wonders about which much has been written. Sawmill Sink is one of the best-known inland ones. These are deep chasms in the limestone rock, some leading to extensive and complex cave systems under the island. Divers exploring Sawmill Sink have found many prehistoric fossils, including those of an extinct giant tortoise, and land crocodiles. The sink area was also a location for such finds.
AERIAL VIEW OF SAWMILL SINK DEEP IN THE PINE FOREST
LOGGING TRACK TO SAWMILL SINK BLUE HOLE
LOGGING HISTORY
South Abaco – defined loosely as the area south of Marsh Harbour – is dominated by pine forest. There are a few settlements and individual residences, all by the coast. The forested swathes are criss-crossed by an extensive system of logging tracks, many now all but impassable. They are reminders of Abaco’s historic importance as a source of wood deriving from the ubiquitous tall, slim pines. One use to which they were put was as mine pit props in the collieries of Wales.
TRACKING RAILS
During a walk to Sawmill Sink, we noticed a rusty rail sticking up from the undergrowth. This was a remnant of the light railway tracks that had been laid through the forest to carry felled timber to the highway. From there it was transported to the coast to be loaded onto ships.
Later, we went back to Sawmill Sink at a time when the south part of the island was enduring the annual outbreak of forest fires, some natural and some set to clear undergrowth. While the occasional natural fire is actually good for regeneration of a forest (cf burning moorland), a fire out of control and fuelled by wind can very quickly damage a vast area. Thick palls of smoke drift across the island and out to sea. Even while we were fishing far out on the Marls, flames were visible as tall pines burned, with the acrid smell of the blaze was carried on the wind.
REMEMBERED EMBERS
The photos that follow show the area round Sawmill Sink immediately after a fire had swept through the area, revealing the past. Trees were still smouldering and in places the ground was still hot to the touch. The evidence of the former usage had been laid bare. Some images below show the paved path that leads from the logging track to the Sink. I never found out if these were the first detailed images of so many visible remains of the logging trade revealed by the burnt-off undergrowth.
PREHISTORY
We found this rock close to the Sink. Are those plant fossils? Bearing in mind that in prehistory the ocean covered this area entirely (the highest point on Abaco is a mere 134 feet ASL), might these be anemones or sponge fossils of some sort? As I said then, ‘comments from fossilologists welcome’, and a kind follower FOSSIL LADY (aka Kathi) reponded: Those don’t look like plant fossils to me, they remind me of stromatolites, a sponge like creature that first dominated the earth billions of years ago. Some varieties still survive today. It would be worth it to have a geologist have a look see. ps the sinkhole is awesome!
Photo credits: all RH except pit props (Scottish Mining Museum); aerial view (Gmaps)
CLEANING UP IN THE BAHAMAS: PEDERSON SHRIMPS Pederson’s Shrimps Ancylomenes pedersoni(also known locally as Peterson’s shrimps), are one of several species of cleaner shrimp found in The Bahamas, and more generally in the Caribbean seas. The species was named in 1958 by a multifaceted medico-oceanologist-zoologist Fenner A. Chace. He seems to have specialised in shrimps, finding distinct and differing species and naming them (not unreasonably) after himself (chacei); or colleagues and people he knew / admired; and in one case his wife. Mr Pederson was among the lucky ones.
This tiny transparent creature with its vivid blue / purple markings and straggling pale antennae is unmistakeable, and helpfully cannot be confused with any other locally found shrimp species. Here’s an idea of its size, compared with a human finger and a blue parrotfish (on its flank).
WHERE DO THESE SHRIMPS LIVE?
Their preferred home is… and it’s certainly a left field choice among sea creatures… in amongst the stinging tentacles of certain sea anemones. Not only do they not get stung, but of course they are well-protected by the defensive pain that their hosts can inflict. They are usually found singly or in pairs, but sometimes a whole colony may inhabit the same anemone.
SO EXPLAIN HOW THEY DON’T GET STUNG
Ok. The shrimps gradually build up a kind of resistance by pressing their bodies and antennae against the tentacles of the host anemone for increasing lengths of time, until they become immune. It’s like one of those kids’ electric buzzer / rheostat machines. Or a TENS machine (for those who know about backache).
IS THERE A DOWNSIDE TO ALL THIS?
Yes indeed. If a shrimp moves away from its host for a few days, it has to start the process of immunisation all over again. So presumably they tend to stay home-lovin’.
Home sweet home for the Pederson shrimps
SOMETHING ABOUT THE CLEANING, PLEASE
These shrimps offer ‘cleaning services’ to passing fish. When on duty, as it were, they wave their antennae vigorously to attract attention. A fish being cleaned will remain stationary and passive while external parasites and dead skin are removed. Many fish will open their mouths and gill covers for internal cleaning, with the tacit agreement that the cleaner will not become a snack. Shrimps often work in conjunction with small cleaner fish such as some species of goby and wrasse – see the links below for more on this topic, with copious images…
RELATED POSTS
CLEANING STATIONS
CLEANER FISH
Credits: all photos by Melinda Riger / Grand Bahama Scuba
COLUMBIDAE OF ABACO
ALL ARE PERMANANT BREEDING SPECIES*
White-crowned Pigeon
White-winged dove
Eurasian Collared Dove
Common Ground Dove (Tobacco Dove)
Zenaida Dove
Key West Quail-Dove
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
The birds shown above represent the 8 species found on Abaco. However, in New Providence, there is a beautiful pigeon that, as of a few years ago, had not made its way over to Abaco and had yet to be introduced there. Possibly the situation is different nowadays. Info would be welcome.
Pied Imperial Pigeon (Nassau)
Species checklist taken from the complete checklist in ‘Birds of Abaco by Keith Salvesen’ (aka Rolling Harbour
*For some, there is a shooting season
Photo credits: Gerlinde Taurer (1); Alex Hughes (2); Tom Sheley (3, 7, 13); Tony Hepburn (4); Keith Salvesen (5, 8, 14); Bruce Hallett (6, 9, 10); Woody Bracey (11, 16, 17); Milton Harris (12); Charles Skinner (15)
IS THIS THE REAL LIFE? IS THIS JUST FANS AT SEA?A GALLERY OF GORGEOUS GORGONIANS
The waters of Abaco teem with myriads of fish that depend on the coral reefs for shelter and safety, for breeding, for growing up in, and for nourishment. Sea fans (or gorgonians, to use the technical name) are animals too. They may look like plants and stay rooted to the spot, but like anemones these ‘soft corals’ are creatures of the reef and essential indicators of its health.
The purple sea fan Gorgonia ventalina (classified by Linnaeus in 1785) is one of the most common species of sea fan, and a spectacular one at that. The main branches are linked by a lattice of smaller branches. Below the ‘skin’ is a skeleton made of calcite compounded with a form of collagen.
Sea fans are filter-feeders, and have polyps with eight tiny tentacles that catch plankton as it drifts past. They develop so that their orientation is across the prevailing current. This maximises the water passing by and consequently the supply of food as the fans gently wave in the flow.
Gorgonians have a chemical defence mechanism that protects against potential troublemakers. The main effect is to make themselves unpleasant to nibble or uproot.
One species impervious to this deterrent is the fascinating FLAMINGO TONGUE SNAIL. Other ‘safe’ species include the fireworm and BUTTERFLYFISHES.
One benefit of sea fans to mankind is that their defensive chemicals have been discovered to provide the basis for drug research and development, specifically in the field of anti-inflammatories. Another benefit, of course, is that they are very beautiful to look at. Thank you, Fans
Credits: these wonderful photos were taken by Melinda & Keith Rodgers / Dive Abaco, Marsh Harbour; and Melinda & Fred Riger / Grand Bahama Scuba. Huge thanks to them all for allowing me to freely use their skilful underwater photography in this blog for the best part of a decade.
A SPECIAL FAN FOR A HAPPY AND HOPEFUL TURN OF THE YEAR
CURLY-TAILED LIZARDS ON ABACO, BAHAMASWORLD REPTILE AWARENESS DAY Oct 21
These days few creatures go without an Annual Day: Awareness / Appreciation / Protection / Support / and so on. These are obviously important and to be encouraged. In human terms the creatures tend to have a positive image. There’s little call for a Fire Ant Welfare Day. I am slightly concerned about World Earthworm day, also on Oct 21. Aren’t they food for some of the reptiles that share the day?
The northern curly-tailed lizard Leiocephalus carinatus, to give it its full name, resembles a tiny dragon with a twist in the tail. These little critters bask in the sun, or scuttle away into holes and crevices as you approach them. I suspect that even a confirmed herpophobic would find some charm in them. They are, of course, completely harmless to humans.
Surprisingly, the Bahamas is home not just to one but five different curly-tail species, and nine sub-species. Broadly-speaking, the variants are found on different and specific islands and have discrete local markings. Mostly they are brownish, but they may also be grey or with a greenish tinge like this one I recently photographed.
Curly-tail males, being territorial, turn somewhat aggressive around breeding time, which is basically most the the year, from February to October. Behaviours indicative of their territorial claims include tail curling / uncurling (of course), head-bobbing, strutting about in an agitated way and inflating the sides of their necks in a threatening kind of way. The tiny-tails, 2″ long when born, are known as ‘hatchlings’.
An impressive poolside ‘double curly’
THREATS TO CURLY TAILS
According to the Bahamas National Trust BNT, the main dangers to the curly-tails of the Bahamas are:
- Dogs, cats, rats and introduced predators such as raccoons
- Collection for the pet trade – curly tails are unprotected by CITES listing (also cute)
- Collection of the rarer endemics by reptile enthusiasts seeking ‘exotics’
- Development and habitat destruction (though it is noted that curly tails seem to adjust quite well in developed areas)
A curly tails sloughs its skin as it grows, as with snakes and other reptiles
WHY THE CURLY TAIL?
- As mentioned above, for use in territorial posturing
- In courtship displays by males to attract females (luckily a method not available to humans)
- As a response to predators, confusing an attacker with movement at both ends
- As a last resort, to detach to aid escape (the tail re-grows)
- For fun and just because they can grow one and you cannot
Credits: all photos, Keith Salvesen except #2 & #6, Charles Skinner; BNT
BREADFRUIT: NATURE’S BOUNTY WITH ADDED MUTINYCapt. William Bligh achieved fame for all the wrong reasons. Despite a distinguished and wide-ranging seafaring career he is widely remembered for just two things: (1) The Bounty and (2) Mutiny On. In 1787, he was dispatched to Tahiti to collect specimens of BREADFRUIT (a fruit of the Pacific islands, in particular Polynesia) to help provide food for the British colonies in the West Indies. The breadfruit was intended to be a basic and cheap staple food not just for settlers but also for the indigenous population.
‘BLIGH’S BLIGHT’ – MUTINY!
Capt. Bligh’s Bounty crew unfortunately mutinied – possibly to do with the amount of water the breadfruit required in transit, compared to their own meagre rations. So they threw overboard the hundreds of breadfruit plants that were in transit. Then they set adrift Bligh with his loyal officers and crew. He was later court-martialled but cleared of culpability for provoking a mutiny by his conduct (from a strictly legal viewpoint and on the bare facts, not a surprising ruling you might think).
This isn’t the place for a disquisition on the Mutiny. You can read all about it HERE. Or better still, watch one of the rollicking all-star-cast films based loosely on the episode for a careful and accurate historical record of the events that will buckle your swash…
BLIGH’S SECOND CHANCE
Following that skirmish, and indeed blemish, on his record, in 1793 Capt. Bligh was yet again charged with the task of shipping breadfruit trees from their origin to the Caribbean. His heart must have sunk at the prospect, yet finally he succeeded. However, he completed his journey only for those on the consumption end to express considerable distaste for such a bland, starchy fruit. It took a long time to catch on, and even longer for its culinary versatility to become appreciated.
The most famous breadfruit tree in all Abaco is to be found in Hope Town, on Elbow Cay. I can do no better than display the notice that proudly proclaims the historic significance of the tree and its eponymous fruit.
Unusually for a fruit plant, a true breadfruit Artocarpus altilis does not produce seeds. It is propagated by removing the suckers that grow at at the base of the tree.
For those unfamiliar with the fruit and its interior, here it is in both slice and cross-section
BREADFRUIT IN ART
Breadfruit has (somewhat surprisingly?) received some artistic recognition over the years. Here are a few examples. The first, very jolly, includes early representations of the Polydamus Swallowtail butterfly; the second is quite dull; the third is instructional (oddly equating breadfruit with tea, coffee and chocolate); and the fourth is not at all appetising to look at… nor, in the days of adhesive stamps, to lick.
Breadfruit with butterflies (Royal Botanic Garden, Kew)
Breadfruit (John Frederick Miller)
Breadfruit & related plants used as food (William Rhind (1841)
SO WHERE DOES BREADFRUIT GROW NOW?
Breadfruit will flourish only within a certain latitude range where the rainfall and temperature suit it, as this map shows. I include this information in case you ever find yourself in the awkward position of being socially stranded with someone whose conversation has become soporific. Be armed with some useful worldwide breadfruit stats for just such an occasion – the fact that Madagascar is a suitable yet not a very good location, for example (not enough rainfall). You will soon find yourself alone…
A CULINARY TREAT
Breadfruit is sometimes thought to be a dull and un-tasty, at least compared with many other fruits. I thought I’d include a recipe or two that rather appealed to me – the second because even I could do that… it’s within my shamefully limited culinary skill-set.
BAKED BREADFRUIT
Large, ripe breadfruit 1 cup water Butter 1 lime or lemon
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Put the water in a shallow pan and place the whole breadfruit in the water. Bake in oven for three hours. Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly, peel, removing the large core and stem. Cut the fruit into sections and place in a serving dish. Cover with butter and a squeeze of lime or lemon juice.
A PERFECT HOPE TOWN BREADFRUIT
BLIGH’S END
Capt. Bligh managed to put his breadfruit adventures and the mutiny behind him. He continued a distinguished naval career with successive command of an impressive number of ships. He ended up as a Vice-Admiral, and (on his death in 1817) in a grave in Lambeth, London.
This post was originally published a while back, inspired by an article on breadfruit and the Hope Town tree by local historian Deb ‘DP’ Patterson. I’m grateful to her for permission to use her idea and indeed some of her material, in particular her photos of the tree and its notice.
HMS BOUNTY II (Full Sails). A 1960 reconstruction (Dan Kasberger)
Credits: First and foremost, Deb Patterson; Magpie Pickings including Hans Hillewaert, US Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, Royal Botanic Garden Kew, myrecipefriends, M Kwek, whatsonbahamas, Wyannie Malone Historical Museum, ‘Geograph’, Dan Kasberger, Wiki; and anyone else I have omitted…
A LIGHT EXTINGUISHED: LITTLE HARBOUR LIGHTHOUSE REVISITEDThis article was written before Dorian and I don’t know the state of this lighthouse now. If some of it still exists, this is its previous state. If not, this is a record of what has been and is now gone.
The words ‘Abaco Lighthouse’ are near-synonymous with the splendid striped edifice in Hope Town, Elbow Cay. This beloved building is truly iconic, in the modern sense of the word (see HERE). But it would not do to forget the other principal lighthouse of Abaco at Hole-in-the-Wall, also with its original Fresnel lenses (see HERE for a post written ages ago).
However, there’s a third lighthouse on Abaco. The small light at Little Harbour is, in contrast to the other two beacons, relatively unknown, unvisited, and unloved. Derelict, in fact, and a sad relic on its lonely promontory. Recently we prised ourselves away from the delights of Pete’s Pub and found the start of the overgrown track to the light. There’s a wooden sign that helps to locate the path.
This small lighthouse station – “The Old Lighthouse” – was established in 1889 close to the entrance to Little Harbour. Originally, it was manned, with the first lighthouse keeper and his wife being the only inhabitants of that part of Little Harbour. The light presumably served to guide shipping to the channel leading to the secluded and safe harbour.
In due course the living quarters fell into dereliction and the existing beacon fixed on a small tower, later converted to a solar-powered light. This arrangement did not survive the devastation of Hurricane Floyd in 1999. The replacement was a modern steel framework tower that carried an active light until eventually it was blown over by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012. Sandy was also the hurricane that destroyed forever the rock ‘hole’ – an important navigation mark for centuries – that gave Hole-in-the-Wall its distinctive name (see HERE and links).
The views from the elevated position of the ruin are spectacular, both from the outside and from inside. In good weather, anyway… It remains to be seen whether the lonely light is now considered completely redundant, or whether another automatic light will in the end be positioned here when funds or willpower permit. I’m not aware of any groundswell of opinion suggesting that, in the absence of a beacon at Little Harbour, there is a potential safety issue.
The view north from the light to the tip of the promontory
The view roughly south past the fallen tower towards Cherokee
Over time, I have been contacted by people with family associations to previous keepers; and with personal experiences of life there. One or two Americans have wanted to track newly discovered family connections to the light, and even possible relatives. I have the makings of ‘Lighthouse Family’ tree. When I originally wrote about the light, Chuck Rickey contacted me with his story, which gives a wonderful insight into the history of the light and its hardy occupants:
“My grandmother’s first cousin, Curtis Lowe, was lighthouse keeper here for many years and along with his wife, Bessie, raised children Hartley, Maitland, Lois and Robert, obtaining staples buy walking a tract road or sailing to Cherokee Sound. Later on, they were able to motor to Snake Cay, to get provisions from Owens Illinois’ company store aboard the “Robert Fulton”, an old side-wheel steamer, permanently moored there. I was fortunate to spend much fun time there during school vacations growing up”.
WHEREABOUTS IN LITTLE HARBOUR ~~IS~~ WAS THE LIGHTHOUSE
RELATED POSTS
ELBOW REEF LIGHTHOUSE: A BEACON ICON
HOLE-IN-THE-WALL LIGHTHOUSE
HOLE-IN-THE-WALL: HISTORY, SHIPS AND MAPS
Credits: all photos Keith Salvesen except the last, Darlene Chisholm. Also, with many thanks to Sandy Estabrook.
Logo of the World Lighthouse Society
September 12th is the day chosen by Sea Shepherd to raise awareness and promote the conservation of dolphins. It was established on the one-year anniversary of the killing of 1,428 Atlantic white-sided dolphins in the Faroe Islands, which was the largest single slaughter of cetaceans in history.
As many will know, the marine mammals of the Bahamas – whales, dolphins and manatees – are researched and protected by the Bahamas Marine Mammal Research Organisation. This was established more than 20 years ago by Diane Claridge and Charlotte Dunn.
You can find out more about the nature and scope of the work carried out by BMMRO HERE Please consider making a donation to support the work of BMMRO, or (for those elsewhere in the world), to the marine mammal organisation in your area. Dolphins increasingly need protection from mankind and human activities. A donation would greatly help provide it.
All Photos: BMMRO
MANATEES : BAHAMAS? WE GOTTEM!Manatees are apex ‘gorgeous marine mammals’. Gentle, inquisitive, brave, long-distance-but-rather-slow-swimming, grass-grazing miracle ur-elephant descendants. They never made it out of the sea in the Miocene epoch.
Incongruous in a world of fast sharks, snappy ‘cudas, large whales and leaping dolphins, they contentedly mooch around the seagrass beds. No one in the world has ever objected to or dissed a manatee. They bring only delight to the sea-world, and offer only charm to mankind. They thoroughly deserve a special day.
I’ve written before about the manatees that inhabit the turquoise inner waters of the Bahamas. They are carefully recorded with individual identifying features – usually nicks in the paddle, or scarring. They are named and, where possible, fitted with a tracker. Their friendships and amorous hook-ups are noted. Despite a 16-month birth cycle, manatee calves are born.
Gina and Calf, Bahamas (BMMRO)IS THERE A DOWNSIDE FOR THESE APPARENTLY BLISSFUL AND PEACEFUL CREATURES?
Yes indeed. It’s mankind, I’m afraid. Among the threats to the survival of these unusual, endearing, and legally protected creatures are, in no particular order:
- Pollution of inshore waters and canals
- Degradation of the (formerly limitless) sea-grass beds where they feed
- Reduction or tainting of the fresh water sources that they need to survive
- Understandable over-enthusiasm by admirers – especially in harbours – in dousing them with water from hoses and feeding them lettuce…
- …and similar behaviours that may lead to a trusting dependance on humans
- Unthinking or speed-selfish boat behaviour in or near harbours resulting in collisions
- Simply not caring at all and carving them up, leaving prop-scars, often deep. Few manatees escape at least a few of these. Some do not survive.
- Probably I don’t need to mention man-caused Global Warming, but I just have.
Let’s celebrate the special day for manatees. Let’s hope that they can survive and prosper in these increasingly difficult and dangerous times for almost all species. Look at any of these photos… can we agree that these wonderful animals deserve care and protection.
All photos: Charlotte Dunn / BMMRO and research contributors; final image ‘Save the Manatee’
PLEASE SUPPORT BMMRO RESEARCH OF MARINE MAMMALS
SHOREBIRDS WADERS & SEABIRDS: 30 WAYS TO DISTINGUISH THEM Today, September 6th, is World Shorebirds Day. Every year I look forward to scrolling back through the archives of ‘Birds of Abaco‘ for the occasion. It reminds me of the wonderful and plentiful varieties of birds that lead semi-aquatic or aquatic lives on and around the shores of Abaco. Some are permanent, others are migratory visitors.
.They can be broadly categorised as shorebirds, wading birds, and seabirds. With some bird species there may be doubt as to which category applies. In different parts of the world, the categories themselves may be named differently.
There is the strict Linnaean ordering of course, but in practice there is a degree of informal category overlap and some variation in the various bird guides. This is especially so between shorebirds and the smaller wading birds. Shorebirds may wade, and wading birds may be found on shores. Even if you have no problem distinguishing birds in the 3 categories, there are avian characteristics within each list that are interesting observations in themselves.
10 CHARACTERISTICS OF SHOREBIRDS
(Examples include avocet, black skimmer, oystercatcher, plover, sandpiper, and stilt)
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Shorebirds have long legs, pointed beaks, and long pointed wings.
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Most are migratory. Some shorebirds fly non-stop for 3-4 days to reach base.
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Shorebirds are small to medium size birds. The shoreline is their main foraging ground.
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They often feed close to the waterline and poke their bills into the ground in search of food.
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Shorebirds also frequent wetlands and marshes and are biological indicators of these environmentally sensitive lands.
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They are of the order Charadriiformes.
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Shorebirds are very well camouflaged for their environment and their appearance may vary from place to place as plumage (feather colors) are gained or lost during breeding.
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Shorebirds typically range in weight from 0.06 to 4.4 pounds.
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Oystercatchers have a unique triangular bill that is a cross between a knife and a chisel.
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The black skimmer is the only native bird in North America with its lower mandible larger than the upper mandible, which helps the bird gather fish as it skims the ocean surface.
10 CHARACTERISTICS OF WADING BIRDS
(Examples include crane, egret, flamingo, herons, ibis, rail, spoonbill, and stork)
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Wading birds are found in freshwater or saltwater on every continent except Antarctica.
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They have long, skinny legs and toes which help them keep their balance in wet areas where water currents may be present or muddy ground is unstable. Also, longer legs make it easier for them to search for food (forage) in deeper waters.
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Wading birds have long bills with pointed or rounded tips (depending on what is more efficient for the types of food the bird consumes).
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Wading birds have long, flexible necks that can change shape drastically in seconds, an adaptation for proficient hunting.
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Herons have sophisticated and beautiful plumes during the breeding season, while smaller waders such as rails are much more camouflaged.
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Wading birds may stand motionless for long periods of time waiting for prey to come within reach.
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When moving, their steps may be slow and deliberate to not scare prey, and freeze postures are common when these birds feel threatened.
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Adult wading birds are quiet as an essential tool for hunting. Wading birds may be vocal while nestling or while in flocks together.
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Many wading birds form communal roosts and breeding rookeries, even mixing flocks of different species of wading birds or waterfowl.
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Wading birds fully extend their legs to the rear when flying. The neck may be extended or not while in flight, depending on the species.
10 CHARACTERISTICS OF SEABIRDS
(Examples include albatross, auk, booby, frigatebird, fulmar, gannet, petrel, shearwater, and tropicbirds)
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Seabirds are pelagic, spending most of their lives far out at sea.
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Seabirds move toward to coastal areas to breed or raise young for a minimal amount of time.
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Seabirds are light on their undersides and dark on top (an adaptation known as countershading).
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Seabirds have more feathers than other types of birds for more insulation and waterproofing.
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Seabirds have flexible webbed feet to help gain traction as they take off for flight from the sea.
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Some seabirds have unusually sharp claws used to help grasp fish under the water.
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Some larger seabirds (e.g. albatross) have long, slim wings allowing them to soar for long distances without getting tired.
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Some smaller seabirds have short wings for maneuvering at the surface of the water.
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Seabirds have specialised glands to be able to drink the saltwater and excrete salts.
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Some seabirds (e.g. gannets) have a head shape that is usually tapered for more efficiency in plunge diving.
These lists were put together in useful chart form by the excellent Beach Chair Scientist
Table ©Beach Chair Scientist, with thanks for use permission;
Image Credits: Keith Salvesen, Michael Vaughn, Tom Sheley
BUTTERFLIES ON ABACO : COMMON BUCKEYEAt first glance the Common Buckeye Butterfly Junonia coenia looks unpromisingly drab. However, like many butterfly species, the outside appearance is only one side of the story, a facade to enable it to blend in with the scenery. As the header image suggests, this creature has a more more flamboyant and colourful side to it – a feature not confined to butterflies, and extending even to humans…
SEQUENCE OF SLOWLY OPENING WINGS
As it feeds, or as the sun warms its wings, the buckeye will start to reveal itself
The bright eye-spots of the buckeye, for which it is named, are designed to deter predators, as much as for decorative purposes. Birds, in particular, will be put off by a creature apparently possessing 3 pairs of eyes. This feature is known as aposematism: coloration or prominent markings that signal a warning to potential predators.
The caterpillars and chrysalis of this species look like this
This rather charming illustration of the buckeye species is by Jacob Hübner from his Sammlung exotischer Schmetterlinge Vol. 2 ([1819] – [1827] (Plate32)
Photo Credits: Butterflies by Charlie Skinner (except header, Wiki); Caterpillars & Chrysalis by Megan McCarty via Common Licence
YELLOWLEGS (LESSER) ON ABACO: OUT STANDING IN THE WATERIt’s always helpful when a bird ends up with a descriptive name (after translation from the Latin binomial) that actually matches the creature. Burrowing owl, Roseate Spoonbill, White-crowned pigeon, Red-legged Thrush, Black-and-white Warbler – you know where you are at once. So it is with the Yellowlegs.
The only question is whether the Yellowlegs you are looking at is ‘greater’ (Tringa melanoleuca) or ‘lesser’ (Tringa flavipes). Both are winter visitors on Abaco, and a single bird on its own – with no size comparison – can be a potential source of confusion.
Taking flight… we have lift-off
Apart from size, the greater and lesser yellowlegs have some not-necessarily-very-noticeable differences in bill length (in comparison with head-size), plumage and vocalisation. Here is an excellent example of the yellowlegs cousins together, to give you a comparison.
Little and Large
DO THESE SHOREBIRDS EVER GO ON LAND?
A: YES
ALERT AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHY CORNER *ALERT*
DO YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE A PHOTO OF THE LEYE WING UNDERSIDES?
Yup. This bird was at Gilpin Pond. There aren’t many ‘wing underside’ photos out there. They are delicately complex and very pretty. (Will this do?)
Q: DO THEY EVER DO PHOTOBOMBS?
A: INDEED! (BOMBING A BAHAMA DUCK)Weird blue tint due to radical colour correction for the bad red algal bloom on the pond
Credits: Tom Sheley (1, 2, 9); Phil Lanoue (3); Matt Scott (4); Tony Hepburn (6); ID concealed to protect ~~me~~ the bad photographer (7, 8)
YELLOWTAIL (REDFIN) PARROTFISH: BAHAMAS REEF FISH (54)The yellowtail parrotfish (sometimes known as a redfin) is one of around half-a-dozen kinds of parrotfish found among the coral reefs of the Bahamas, and sometimes in seagrass areas. There are many other related species worldwide (about 80). Parrotfish are among the most important fishes on the reef because they play a major role in BIOEROSION , a vital process for the health of the reef.
A. FEEDING & BEACH BUILDING
- Their dental arrangements – a mouthful of meshing teeth – form the characteristic ‘beak’
- Primarily herbivores but also snack on small creatures, organisms, or even molluscs
- As they feed on their favourite algae, their teeth grind up the coral which they ingest
- They digest the coral & excrete it as sand, becoming a component of your favourite beach
- The teeth grow continuously, replacing ones worn away by grinding coral as they graze
- They are a vital species in preventing algae from choking coral: essential reef cleaners
B. PARROTFISH: PERSONAL INFORMATION
- Some secrete a protective mucous cocoon to sleep in or as concealment from predators
- Mucous also helps to heal damage, repel parasites, & protect them from UV light
- As they develop from the juvenile stage, most species change colour significantly
- In some species, juveniles change colour temporarily for protective purposes
- These are “sequential hermaphrodites”, turning from female to male (‘protogyny’)
- Single males tend to have several lady friends, and aggressively defend their love rights
- Parrotfish are PELAGIC SPAWNERS. Females release many tiny buoyant eggs into the water
- The eggs float freely then eventually sink to the coral until they hatch
- Unlike almost all other fishes, they use their pectoral fins to propel themselves
- Feeding behaviour / dietary requirements make them (thankfully) unsuitable for aquariums (or aquaria, if you prefer)
WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT CHANGING SEX?
- Parrotfish may undergo sex reversal in which developing female fish become males
- Parrotfish born male remain male throughout their lives (“primary males”)
- Female-born fish may change sex & colour to become male (“secondary males”)
- Secondary males are fertile and generally mate with a single female
- Females that stay female live in harems protected by a dominant “supermale” BUT…
- …if the supermale dies, the largest female in the group changes sex to become male…
- …AND amazingly adopts the coloration of the supermale (best ‘astounding fact’ of all)
ARE PARROTFISH EDIBLE? JUST ASKING…
- Parrotfish skin is very tough but their flesh is soft and degenerates quickly
- Some species (eg blue parrotfish) carry ciguatera toxins – to be avoided
- They are not considered a fishing target in Bahamas, nor a food-fish
- Parrotfish are eaten elsewhere in the world however, for example Jamaica (cooked)
- In Hawaii they are eaten raw – at one time they were reserved for royalty
VIDEO LINK: PARROTFISH POOP
Credits: Melinda Rogers / Dive Abaco for her great illustrative images. All photographs were taken on the reefs of Abaco; Florida Museum to cross-check facts; VIDEO – Angari Foundation
‘CASTING ABOUT’: A TRICOLORED HERON HUNTING‘Casting’ is one of those words with multiple meanings, some archaic but most in use today. You can probably think of half-a-dozen straight off. Metallurgy, for example, or even a type of couch. ‘Casting about’ is one of the specific usages and derives from hunting, eg hounds casting about for a scent. By extension, it has come to mean something like searching intently or thoroughly for something you need, or want, or are having difficulty in finding. Which is where this tricolored heron comes into the picture.
It’s always entertaining to watch a heron or egret fishing. Their methods range from standing stock still and suddenly stabbing downwards to slowly wading to the crazy dash that reddish egrets sometimes do on the edge of the mangroves. This one is hooding its wings, sometimes called ‘canopy feeding‘. The theory is that this attracts small fish by providing shade. I also wonder if this method is used to reduce glare from the surface of the water.
The bird in this sequence is a juvenile, and not yet the lethal hunter that it will soon become. It has seen a fish moving but has temporarily lost it (fishermen will be familiar with the mild feeling of annoyance when this happens). So it is casting about, slowly zig-zagging through the water, looking from a height, crouching down, trying to get a good view of its elusive snack. This little episode didn’t end in success. Sometimes, the fish you sight and then lose has gone for good. But as fishermen often say when they lose one (and by extension the phrase is now applied to other areas of human life), there are always plenty more fish in the sea.
Photo credit: Phil Lanoue, a photographer who specialises in patiently taking wonderful sequences of bird activity, with many thanks for use permission
FLUTTER BY, BUTTERFLY: ATALA ENCHANTINGIt’s hard to miss the fly-past of an Atala Hairstreak Butterfly Eumaeus Atala . Once seen, never forgotten. They are small wonders, with their plump orange abdomens and their striking blue-dotted motif; obvious candidates for a signature Rolling Harbour logo for insect posts.
It is rare to see the inside of an Atala’s wings. In flight they tend just to look black; then they land with precision and immediately close their wings.
This close-up shows clearly that the vivid blue markings are not confined to the Atala’s wings. They are also on the body, the head, and surprisingly on the legs as well.
In sunshine the spots of the feeding Atala shine out like small LEDs. When they do open their wings, they reveal the velvety blue upper sides.
Once, I was watching a single Atala when a second one arrived and almost immediately ‘jumped’ the first. By which I mean that, for a few seconds, the new arrival ‘covered’ the feeding Atala in every sense of the word. Mere moments later, it was all over. I made my excuses and left.
Finally, you may want to get a sense of size for this butterfly – crops and zooms can sometimes give a distorted impression. So here is a normal snap of the butterfly feeding.
CREOLE WRASSE: SHADES OF DEEP PURPLEThe creole wrasse Clepticus parrae is a small wrasse species, with adult males reaching about 12 inches long. During its life, the fish will change colour significantly. A juvenile is almost completely violet-purple. As it matures, it becomes paler and develops patches of yellow on the rear part of its body.
Creole wrasse are found throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the western Atlantic, from Florida south to Brazil. The habitat includes Bermuda, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico. Their conservation status is LC Least Concern.
These are social fish that live in groups around coral reefs. They are usually found in shallow water, but – perhaps surprisingly for such small creatures – they have also been found as deep as 100m.
The groups of wrasse feed on plankton, small jellyfish, pelagic TUNICATES, and invertebrate larvae. They are active in groups by day, but at night they separate and each fish finds its own safe crevice in the reef to sleep.
ANYTHING ELSE WE NEED TO KNOW?
Yes indeed. Their intriguing breeding regime – how unlike our own dear species. The creole wrasse is a protogynous hermaphrodite. The largest fish in a group is a dominant breeding male, while smaller fish remain female. If the dominant male dies, the largest female changes sex. Mature males congregate at leks to breed, at which they display and are approached by females before mating with them. These leks are reminiscent of certain clubs and bars in the less reputable parts of some towns and cities. Or so I am told.
It’s been a while since I included a Rolling Harbour musical diversion. However, the colour of this small fish nudged my memory back to 1968 and DP’s debut album (line-up Mk 1 of several hundred, or so it seems now). Hence the post title. Anyone who remembers this ‘wasn’t there’. Anyone who doesn’t remember it obviously wasn’t there either…
https://rollingharbour.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/01-hush.mp3FUN FACT: an early appraisal of the Purp’s music includes the description “a slow and pompous din, somewhere between bad Tchaikovsky and a B-52 taking off on a bombing run”
I don’t think this guy thinks much of that. And quite right too
All wrasse photos from Melinda’s archive; DP cover borrowed from Am@z@n; MP3 moi
COOKIECUTTER SHARKSBEASTLY LITTLE SUCKERSThe Cookiecutter shark Isistius brasiliensis (aka the less scary, more genial sounding Cigar Shark), might be an ideal candidate for a Room 101 nemesis.** These little beasts – a species of dogfish shark – are found in several mainly island-based areas dotted around the globe, including in Bahamas waters.
HOW COME THE NAME?These sharky little b@st@rds (scientific term) attack marine mammals and fishes, attaching themselves by suction and gouging out perfect round plugs of skin and flesh, leaving what are sometimes called ‘crater wounds’. Then they eat them. Imagine getting hold of a really sharp domestic cookie cutter with circular rows of razor-sharp teeth, and grinding it hard into your thigh. There! That! The size of an adult shark:16″ maxThe term ‘cookiecutter’ is also a pejorative slang term, meaning mass-produced, lacking in originality, or boringly samey, as in cookiecutter cars or TV genres etc. Never apply that definition to these little critters… .HORRIFYING COOKIECUTTER FACTS
- Live in the depths, rise vertically in the day & dive back down at dusk
- Undersides have light-emitting ‘photophores’ which emphasise…
- …the dark collar which acts as a lure, resembling a small innocent fish
- Bioluminescence lures prey & confuses predators (more on this below)
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The glow is so strong it may last for some time after removal from water
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Their lips are ‘suctorial’ = they attach tightly to their target
- The jaws then gouge out the victim’s flesh in a remarkably neat circle
- Omni-vicious: any medium to large ocean creature is vulnerable to attack
- There are even occasional reports of humans being targeted
WHERE IS YOUR EVIDENCE?
Here are two Blainville’s beaked whales that I photographed from the BMMRO research vessel. The top whale has a number of circular healed attack marks and a recent one. You can see how deep the gouged hole is. The other has plenty of well-healed scars.
WHAT CUTTING EQUIPMENT ARE THEY BLESSED WITH?
- Multi-toothed: top rows of small teeth, rows of larger teeth on the bottom
- The lower teeth are the cutters, acting like a saw when locked on
HOW EXACTLY DO THEY DO WHAT THEY DO?I can explain it no better than the renowned authority Prof. W. K. P. Dear: “the suctorial lips ensure a tight seal. It then bites, using its narrow upper teeth as anchors while its razor sharp lower teeth slices into the prey. Finally, the shark twists and rotates its body to complete a circular cut, quite possibly aided by the initial forward momentum and subsequent struggles of its prey. The action of the lower teeth may also be assisted by back-and-forth vibrations of the jaw, a mechanism akin to that of an electric carving knife”.ARE THESE SHARKS ‘PARASITES’, WOULD YOU SAY?
The behaviour of these sharks is an example of a symbiotic relationship between two species that is parasitic. This means essentially that one gains and the other suffers (eg humans & no-see-ums). This is distinct from commensalistic symbiosis, where one species gains and the other is unaffected (e.g. cattle egrets with cattle); and mutualistic symbiosis, where both gain (e.g. cleaner fish & groupers). So, in a word, yes.
AMBUSH PREDATOR
- These little sharks ‘hover’ in the water column waiting for their opportunities
- They are capable of rapid movement to catch up & latch onto prey
- They will eat a passing small fish, crustacean or even squid as a snack
- Sometimes they operate in schools; there is safety in numbers
- The schools are thought to increase the ‘lure’ effect of the dark collar
A beached whale that’s been heavily targeted
FUN FACT TO COUNTERACT THE BAD STUFF
In the late c20, more than 30 U.S. Navy submarines were forced back to base to repair damage caused by cookiecutter shark bites, either to the neoprene footings of sonar domes or to rubber-sheathed cables. The problems were solved by using fibreglass. Oceanographic equipment and telecommunications cables are also recorded as being damaged by these sharks.
Cookiecutter Shark – the real deal
MONSTERS OF THE DEEP
These great cards from the weirdly spelled WIERD ‘N’ WILD CREATURES provide excellent factual info. Their CCS card is no exception. You’ll find more details here about the effect of the bioluminescence and so on, written as clearly as I might hope to.
“The worst thing in the world varies from individual to individual. It may be burial alive or death by fire, or by drowning, or by impalement, or fifty other deaths. There are cases where it is some quite trivial thing, not even fatal.” (George Orwell, 1984). Being in a tank with some cookiecutters might count.
Alright now… the wounds eventually heal
Credits: BMMRO – header image; beaked whale photos – Keith Salvesen / BMMRO; Te Ara NZ for the main jaw image; all small images with thanks to Wiki and respective photographers who took the time to upload them for all to enjoy & learn from; ‘wierdnwonderful creatures’ for the monster card; range map from Wiki
‘TERN, TERN, TERN’: THE UN-NOTORIOUS BIRD COUSINSThere are twelve species of tern – ‘swallows of the sea’ – that to a greater or lesser extent may be found on Abaco. Whether they will actually be visible at any given time is less certain, though. For a start, the only resident species is the lovely Royal Tern, available at many locations on Abaco and the cays throughout the year. The rest are migratory or just passing through.
PERMANENT RESIDENTS
ROYAL TERNS Thalasseus maximus PR1
MIGRATORY TERNS: SUMMER
In the slightly less commonly-found category are the summer migrant terns that, by definition, are only in residence for around half the year. Four of these are fairly common in certain areas, and actually breed on Abaco; these include arguably the prettiest of all, the bridled tern. The other two tern species (gull-billed and sandwich) are more rare and as far as I can make out do not breed locally; or perhaps only rarely.
LEAST TERN Sternula antillarum SR B 1
BRIDLED TERN Onychoprion anaethetus SR B 2
ROSEATE TERN Sterna Dougallii SR B 2
SOOTY TERN Onychoprion anaethetus SR B 2
GULL-BILLED TERN Gelochelidon nilotica SR 3
SANDWICH TERN Thalasseus sandvicensis SR 4
MIGRATORY TERNS: WINTER
There is one very rare winter resident migratory tern species, with few records of sightings for Bahamas and until early 2019, no photographic record for Abaco until Sally Chisholm saw one at Treasure Cay and managed to capture it for posterity.
FORSTER’S TERN Sterna forsteri WR 4
OCCASIONAL & RARE VISITORS
A further four tern species are very much occasionals that drop by. Three of them pass over the Bahamas on their longer migration, but may make a pit-stop around Abaco to take on fuel. Likelihood of sighting one? Slender but not impossible… the Caspian tern below was photographed on Abaco. The fourth, the Arctic Tern, is a very rare vagrant, a bird well away from its usual home or migration route as the result of storms or faulty satnav or sheer happenstance. Don’t travel to the Bahamas intent on seeing one.
CASPIAN TERN Hydroprogne caspia TR 4
The remaining species are the transient black tern and common tern; and the vanishingly rare vagrant Arctic tern. No photos of any of these I’m afraid. Here’s a handy checklist of all the tern species.
ELECTIVE MUSICAL DIGRESSION
Written by Pete Seeger, Turn x 3 was released in 1965, the title track on the second album by The Byrds. At a rather febrile time in US history (Vietnam, draft riots, civil rightists v cops and so on), this unusually palliative and thoughtful song with its religious connotations to some extent stood for peace and hope in a time of turmoil.
https://rollingharbour.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/4-02-turn-turn-turn-to-everything-there-is-a-season.mp3PS the somewhat laboured title of this post shoehorns in the name of another Byrds album, ‘The Notorious Byrd Brothers’
Photo credits: Keith Salvesen (1, 2, 3, 5, 18); Tony Hepburn (4); Alex Hughes (10, 11); Bruce Hallett (6, 7, 12); Woody Bracey (8, 13, 16); Duncan Wright (9); Dick Daniels (14); Sally Chisholm (15); Keith Kemp (17)
WTF? (WHAT’S THAT FISH?): THE FROGFISHThe ‘WTF?’ series started with relatively conventional species eg REMORAS and became progressively more bizarre. In due course, having covered the excellently strange BATFISH it was time to ramp up the stakes: with many thanks to scuba expert Adam Rees for use permission for his terrific photos, I present… the FROGFISH.
The frogfish is a kind of anglerfish found in almost all tropical and subtropical oceans and seas. There are about 50 different species worldwide, covering an astonishing range of strange appearances. They generally live on the sea floor around coral or rock reefs. In size they vary from tiny to about 15 inches long – although ‘long’ is a flexible concept because they are to an extent shape-changers in height and width.
FROGFISH SUPERPOWERS YOU MAY WISH TO HAVE
- INVISIBILITY CLOAK . Frogfish are masters of disguise and camouflage. This enables them to catch their prey with minimal effort and also to avoid predators. Their camouflage methods – broadly known as ‘aggressive mimicry’ – include
- Ability to change colour for days or even weeks to mimic their surroundings
- Getting covered in algae and other organic matter that matches their habitat or
- Looking inherently like a plump rock or in some cases, plant
Fear for the life of the spider crab…
- IRRESISTIBLE ATTRACTION
- A sort of frontal dorsal fin called an illicium to which is attached a
- Lure called an esca which may mimic a worm, shrimp or small fish etc and which is
- Retractable in many species and
- Regenerates if it gets mislaid
The ‘dollop of cream’ thing is the esca. Note the characteristic large mouth
- BUOYANCY CONTROL & SHAPE-SHIFTING
- Most frogfish have a ‘gas bladder’ to control their buoyancy.
- Some species can change shape or even inflate themselves by sucking in quantities of water in a so-called defensive ‘threat display’.
HOW DO FROGFISH REPRODUCE?
Although not conventionally attractive creatures, frogfish clearly manage to reproduce. Little is known about the techniques in the wild, but one is probably ‘with care’, especially for a male frogfish who may not survive for long if he hangs around after fertilisation has taken place. It has been noted that females tend to select far smaller males to fertilise their huge numbers of eggs, perhaps for that very reason.
Spot the esca…
FROGFISH FEEDING SKILLS – GOOD OR BAD?
When deploying the lure, potential prey that comes too close to that wide mouth stands no chance. A frogfish will strike in a fraction of a second. Frogfishes have voracious appetites for crustaceans, other fish, and even each other. I can do no better than borrow this vivid description of a feeding frogfish:
“When potential prey is first spotted, the frogfish follows it with its eyes. Then, when it approaches within roughly seven body-lengths, the frogfish begins to move its illicium in such a way that the esca mimics the motions of the animal it resembles. As the prey approaches, the frogfish slowly moves to prepare for its attack; sometimes this involves approaching the prey or “stalking” while sometimes it is simply adjusting its mouth angle. The catch itself is made by the sudden opening of the jaws, which enlarges the volume of the mouth cavity up to twelve-fold, pulling the prey into the mouth along with water. The attack can be as fast as 6 milliseconds. The water flows out through the gills, while the prey is swallowed and the oesophagus closed with a special muscle to keep the victim from escaping. In addition to expanding their mouths, frogfish can also expand their stomachs to swallow animals up to twice their size.“
HOW DO FROGFISHES GET AROUND? SWIM? WALK? CRAWL?
Frogfishes do not in fact move around a great deal. Using their camo advantages, they prefer to lie on the sea floor and wait for prey to come to them. As mentioned in the quote above, they may slowly approach prey using their pectoral and pelvic fins to “walk” along the sea bottom. They can swim using their tail fin (or in some species by simple ‘jet propulsion’ by forcing water out of their gills) but rarely do so – they don’t feed on the move, and they are adapted to the sea floor environment where they food is readily available. However their “walking” ability is limited to short distances.
DO FROGFISH HAVE OTHER COLOUR SCHEMES?
Indeed they do. In stark contrast to the camo species, some frogfishes are hi-lighter bright. Here are two of my favourite photos by Adam that show this clearly. I’ve no idea if these are a male and female. I suspect they are different species. I think the brown one is a striated frogfish and the other is… a yellow frogfish. Some people keep these creatures in aquaria, but apparently it is impossible to sex them, and they have to be kept on their own for everyone’s peace of mind…
FROGFISH INFOGRAPHICS
FROGFISH VIDEOS
These two videos, from Lester Knutsen and Daan Van Wijk respectively, show some of the characteristics I have written about above. Both are short and both are fascinating.
Credits: All main photos, Adam Rees of Scuba Works with many thanks; wiki for ‘spot the esca’, red quote & basic info; videos Lester Knutsen & Daan Van Wijk; Jens Petersen /wiki; Teresa Zubi for website & gifs; infographics, authors u/k
BLACK WITCH MOTHSHARBINGERS OF DEATH OR LOTTERY BANKERS?Black Witch moths Ascalapha odorata are seriously bad news. Or wonderfully good news, depending where you are and who you talk to. First, let’s look at some of the local names for the creature, from which you will get a pretty clear idea of its somewhat negative folklore status, as well as its area of distribution. I do this not to demonstrate how effortlessly I can ‘borrow’ from Wiki, but rather to show how a simple moth can give rise to widespread superstition and even fear.
12 SCARY NAMES FOR ONE MOTH
- Mariposa de la muerte (butterfly of death) – Mexico / Costa Rica
- Pirpinto de la Yeta (something like ‘jinxing butterfly’) – Argentina
- Tara Bruja (witch moth) – Venezuela)
- Miquipapalotl (black death moth) – Mexico
- Taparaco (something like ‘messenger in black’) – Peru
- X-mahan-nah (‘invades your house’) – Mayan
- Duppy Bat (lost soul / ghost /malevolent spirit) – Jamaica, Caribbean
- Money Moth, Money Bat – Jamaica, Caribbean (including Bahamas)
- Other names include Papillion-devil, La Sorcière Noire, Mourning moth, Sorrow moth.
WHICH MOTH?
These very large moths (wingspan up to 7″) are nocturnal, with females larger than males. The diagnostic markings are a spot on each forewing shaped like a number nine or a comma. This spot is often green with orange highlights (seen in the header image). The hind wings are decorated with distinctive ‘eyes’. The overall effect is an example of aposematism – coloration or markings that act as signals to warn or repel predators. The link above will take you to an excellent Wiki article on the topic, including the debate on the topic between Alfred Russel Wallace and Charles Darwin
The stripy larval caterpillar can grow up to 7 cm in length.
‘BAD LUCK & TROUBLE’
The moth is a migratory species, flying from (roughly speaking) South America as far north as Florida and Texas. The worst luck is believed to come from having one flutter into your house. Once inside, it will either bring bad luck to the house – or if there is already misfortune there, it will make it even worse. There are variations on this belief – e.g. that the more corners of a room the moth visits, the more doomed the household.
ANY GOOD NEWS ABOUT THIS CREATURE, OR ALL GLOOM & DOOM?
Fortunately yes, and it’s high time to dispel the gloom hereabouts. In some places (e.g. Hawaii), it is believed that when a loved one has died and an Ascalapha odorata is seen soon after, it is the person’s soul returning to say farewell.
More promisingly still, in the Bahamas and wider Caribbean a far more positive and practical attitude is shown. If a Money Moth (or Money Bat) lands on you, you will receive some money. Or so it is said. This at least is an optimistic approach to these moths. And Texas, thinking big, takes this several steps further to the prediction that you will win big in the Lottery (I have a feeling this is a very modern theory).
WHY ARE YOU SCARING US WITH THIS THING?
Because at one time I had never heard of these moths, let alone seen one. Then one balmy Bahamian evening, at dusk, someone pointed out a large dark smudge on a door-frame at Delphi. I only had a phone, and I had to use the flash. Here is the moth, with its evil little eyes shining in the bright light. Luckily, it was outside and not inside the building, which I hope diluted the malevolence radiation level. I didn’t realise the significance of the moth and the implications at the time of course, until I’d looked it up in Sibley’s indispensable ‘Compendium of Evil Moths‘**). It’s a poor photo, but it was useful for ID and I feel that taking a quick shot helped to ward off the worst of any unpleasantness. Though I remember that I fished very badly (even by my low standards and expectations) the following day…
CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE IN LITERATURE
Remember Silence of the Lambs? Well in the book, pupae of the Black Witch moth were placed in the mouths of victims by serial killer ‘Buffalo Bill’ as his calling card – though for the film, the moth species was changed to a scarier Death’s-head Hawkmoth, as featured on the poster.
For the film, the pupae were made from sweets (Gummi Bears ) so as to be harmless if swallowed.
SO – BE HONEST – ARE THEY HARMFUL IN ANY WAY AND / OR WILL ONE MAKE ME RICH?
No. Honestly not.
Taking one’s life in one’s hands…?
Photo credits: Charles J Sharp (1, 5) OS; Wiki (2); Julia Gotz (‘juliatrees’) (3); Keith Salvesen (4) Sources: Julia Gotz (‘juliatrees’), Terry Sovil, , Texasbutterflyranch.com, Wiki, Sibley’s ‘Compendium of Evil Moths‘*
*Julie closed her blog, from which photo 3 comes, in 2010. I’m hoping she won’t mind my resurrection of her image to illustrate the species… Black Witch moth photos are quite rare online
**Out of print. Actually, never in print. In fact, fictitious
ANTILLEAN NIGHTHAWKSSome years ago we went ‘backcountry birding’ for Birds of Abaco with photographer Tom Sheley. We drove the truck through forest, then into (former) sugar cane territory, then into scrubland. Red-winged blackbirds were enthusiastic with their rusty gate-hinge calling. Soon after Tom had set up his tripod with its baffling and weighty apparatus, we were in the midst of dozens of nighthawks as they swooped and dived (dove?) while hawking for flies. “The birds were completely unperturbed by our presence, and from time to time would zoom past within inches of our heads, making a swooshing noise as they did so”.
Nighthawks catch flying insects on the wing, and are capable of great speed and manoeuvrabilty in flight. They generally forage at dawn and dusk – or (more romantically) at night in a full moon.
Besides aerial feeding displays, nighthawks may also be seen on the ground, where they nest. I say ‘nest’, but actually they hardy bother to make an actual nest, but just lay their eggs on bare ground. And, more riskily, this may well be out in the open rather than concealed. The eggs – usually 2 – hatch after 3 weeks or so, and after another 3 weeks the chicks fledge.
Fortunately their colouring enables them to blend in with the landscape – a good example of bird camouflage in natural surroundings.
Antillean Nighthawk Chordeiles gundlachii, is a species of nightjar. These birds have local names such as ‘killa-ka-dick’, ‘pi-di-mi-dix’, ‘pity-pat-pit’, or variations on the theme, presumably onomatopoeic. Pikadik-(dik) will do for me. See what you reckon from these recordings (excuse the thick-billed vireo – I think – in the background):
https://rollingharbour.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/xc331763-antillean-nighthawk-chordeiles-gundlachii-andrew-spencer.mp3 Andrew Spencer / Xeno-Canto
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As so often, the Bahamas Philatelic Bureau leads the way with natural history stamps. The 15c Antillean Nighthawk above featured in a 2001 bird set. You can see dozens more very excellent Bahamas bird, butterfly, fish, flower and other wildlife stamps HERE.
Find out about Juan Gundlach, Cuban Natural Historian (he of the Antillean Nighthawk and the Bahama Mockingbird for example) HERE
Credits: Sandy Walker (1); Stephen Connett (2, 3, 4, 5); Bruce Hallett (6); Andrew Spencer / Xeno-Canto (audio files); Audubon (7); Sibley / Audubon (8)
CARIBBEAN REEF SQUID: SUPERPOWERS & SQUID SEX The Caribbean reef squid Sepioteuthis sepioidea is a small squid species of (mainly) the Caribbean Sea and the Floridian coast, and the most common in its range. These squid tend to form small shoals in and around reefs. From now on, and through the summer, would be a good time to investigate.
Squid are voracious eaters, dragging their prey to their mouths with some or all of their 10 limbs and using their beak to cut it up. The target species are small fish, molluscs and crustaceans. The squid have a ‘raspy tongue’ known as a radula which further breaks up the food for easy consumption.
REEF SQUID SUPERPOWERS (SUPERCOOL)
- Squid are capable of brief flight out of the water (a fairly recent discovery)
- They can also hide from / confuse predators by ejecting a cloud of black ink
- Squid can change colour, texture and shape, and can even match their surroundings
- This enviable power is used defensively as camouflage or to appear larger if threatened
- It is also used in courtship rituals (something that humans might find disconcerting)
- Colour patterns are also used for routine squid-to-squid communication AND GET THIS:
- A squid can send a message to another on one side, & a different message to a squid on its other side
SQUID SEX (1) “ROMANCING THE SQUID”
- A male will gently stroke a female with his tentacles
- The female will (most likely) flash an ‘alarm’ pattern. She’s playing hard to get.
- The male soothes her (don’t try this at home, guys) by blowing and jetting water at her
- If this doesn’t go well, he’ll move off, then repeat the routine until she sees his good points
- However this on / off courtship can last for hours until at last he succeeds and then…
- … he attaches a sticky packet of sperm onto the female’s body (romance is not dead on the reef)
- She then reaches for it and moves it to her seminal receptacle
- Meanwhile he stays close, emitting a pulsing pattern, as well he might after all that palaver
- She then finds a safe place to lay her eggs. Job done. **
SQUID SEX (2) IT ALL ENDS BADLY. VERY BADLY.
- As soon the female squid has laid her eggs, she usually dies soon after
- Male squid live a bit longer and – erm – may have other packets to stick on other lady squid
- But then in the end he dies too
- It’s all horribly reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet. The lovers tragically die in the end (but there’s no romantic balcony scene first)
THE CORRECT PLURAL OF SQUID
I had an unwise look online, always a hotbed of conflicting opinions. Inserting an algorithm into the interstices of the internet proves conclusively that the plural of squid is… squid. One squid, ten squid, a group of squid, a plate of squid. Unless, that is, you are talking about more than one of the many squid species, when you could possibly say ‘I collect both reef and giant squids’. “Squidses” sounds fun but is sadly not permitted.
RELATED POST (from the past): THE PLURAL OF OCTOPUS
** For an excellent article about squid including the intricate details of courtship and reproduction (and an image of a squid penis) check out SQUID WIKI
Credits: Fabulous underwater pics – Melinda Riger of Grand Bahama Scuba; research sources include MarineBio; Animal Diversity Web (Michigan Uni); and Wiki, which comes into its own in some fields of natural history where experts write the entry)
PURPLE VASE SPONGES: BAHAMAS REEF ORNAMENTSThe Purple Vase is an unmistakeable sponge, a colourful reef creature (for they are animals, of course) that stands even out amongst the bright corals that surround it. And like corals, sponges are vulnerable to all the usual threats (mainly human-generated).
Catch them while you can in the clear waters of the Bahamas while stocks last. I say this because as study after study concludes, the prospects of reef-mageddon get closer each year. When the corals die off, so in all probability will the sponges and anemones…
After such a depressing intro, let’s move on to take a positive look at the purple vase sponge. As with all sponges, once a newborn sponge is wafted by the current to a place on the reef, it takes root there throughout its life. There, these attractive sponges exist by filtering the water that surrounds them, separating out plankton to feed on. Static filter-feeders, if you will.
You’ll notice that in some of the photographs, the sponges have guests. These are BRITTLE STARS, and they are often found on – and indeed in – purple vases. This is a form of symbiotic relationship known as commensalism, in which one species benefits and the other is neither benefitted nor harmed. The brittle star gains a shelter and a safe base for feeding; the vase gets a harmless companion. Small fishes benefit from the vases in a similar way.
Besides the impact of damaging human interventions (which may be permanent), extreme weather events also affect reef life and the static inhabitants adversely. Storms and hurricanes can cause localised havoc, but the damage is not necessarily permanent. The reef can in time repopulate naturally and flourish again. Humans can even promote this recovery. The photograph above shows a purple vase sponge that was detached from the reef by Hurricane Matthew in October 2016. Melinda Riger in effect replanted it on the reef and it reattached itself and grew. In due course it even acquired its brittle star occupant.
*JIMI AND ‘PURPLE VASE’ – A VOLUNTARY MUSICAL DIGRESSION
In an interview with NME Hendrix is reported to have said that Purple Haze “was about a dream I had that I was walking under the sea.” Originally the song was intended to be ‘Purple Vase’, and reflect the psychedelic experience of life on a coral reef. Realising he was getting bogged down by sub-aquatic imagery (he was a non-swimmer), he toked for a while and then ‘Purple Haze’ emerged almost fully formed. Jimi was always far happier kissing the sky than wandering about under water. Most covers of the song are pale imitations of the original, but here’s a rather unusual take that succeeds by trying a different approach.
https://rollingharbour.files.wordpress.com/2018/11/05-purple-haze.mp3Credits: Melinda Riger / Grand Bahama Scuba for all great photos; magpie pickings for bits and pieces, with a shout-out to ‘Critter Squad’ for its informative site aimed at kids. And amateur grown-ups can benefit too… commensalism in humans; Friend ‘n’ Fellow audio
BELLA MOTHS: COLOURFUL, POISONOUS & PROMISCUOUSThe BELLA MOTH Utetheisa ornatrix is also known as the ‘ornate moth’ or ‘rattlebox moth’ (a tall spiky plant of the species Crotalaria). The italianate ‘bella’ signifies beauty and all the many synonyms for it. These moths come in colours ranging from pink to red or orange, and yellow to white. Some have vivid coloration, others are less bright. Their black dot markings are broadly similar. Moths are often thought of as creatures of the night, so daytime would not be an auspicious time for moth-hunting, you might think. In fact there are many moth species that are active during the day (‘diurnal’), and the Bella Moth is one of them.
DEFENSIVE WARNINGS
The bright coloration is (as in many species) nature’s way of saying ‘leave me alone’ and in particular, ‘I am very unpleasant to eat’. It is called APOSEMATISM. The unpleasantness derives from toxins of the plants they feed on. This starts at the larval stage. The larvae feed on plants that contain poisonous alkaloids – in particular the yellow rattlebox plant. This renders them extremely unpalatable, both as larvae and as adults. Bella adults in need of an alkaloid boost may cannibalise moth eggs, pupae or larvae to counter a deficiency.
BELLA MOTH SEX LIVES: ‘IT’S COMPLICATED’
- Sexual encounters are dictated by females, who compete with other females for males
- Females seeking to mate always outnumber available males
- A female bella will release powerful pheromones at dusk to lure males
- Related females uniquely engage in collective pheromone release
- This is termed “female pheromonal chorusing”, an irresistible draw for the males
- Several males will give the female chemical ‘nuptial gifts’ of both poison and sperm
- The female chooses the best of her various suitors and copulates with 4 or 5 of them
- The whole process of multiple copulation may take up to 12 hours
- In some way I don’t understand, madam is able to select her preferred sperm provider
- The sperm of the other males is rejected, and they go away dejectedly to the pollen pub
- Humans: do not try any of this, whether at home, in the office, in public, or when driving
Credits: Bob Peterson (1, 6); Keith Salvesen (2, 3); Charles J Sharp (4); open wings by Dumi (5)
Bella Moth (π Bob Peterson)
WTF? (WHAT’S THAT FISH?) . YELLOWHEAD JAWFISHThe WTF series is designed to bring some of the more outlandish reef denizens under close scrutiny. Jawfishes (Opistognathidae) come into this category, not least because of their interesting ways with their eggs. Also, they tend to stick upright out of the substrate, which is not especially fishy behaviour.
More than 50 species of jawfish are found around the world. In the Bahamas, you are most likely to encounter the Yellowhead (or Yellow-headed) variety. And if you think they look slightly… primitive, that’s because they are. In fact, their forebears (forefishes?) originated in prehistoric times, specifically the Miocene era (a lot of million years ago, I didn’t count exactly).
These rather extraordinary little fish superficially resemble certain types of BLENNY. Their modus operandi is to burrow down into sandy, gravelly or other loose substrate. They do so by cramming their mouths with sand and spitting it out to one side. By this means they form a tunnel of sorts in which they can live, and from which they can emerge, or half-emerge and take a look around them. As they do so, they hoover up passing food, mostly plankton and suchlike.
If something looks threatening while they are feeding or having a look around, they can simply duck down into their burrow for safety. They guard their patch against rivals, and behave ‘territorially’ in the jawfish community. One method is to ingest and then eject sand or gravel at a would-be intruder.
YES, BUT WHERE IS THE REAL ‘WTF?’ FACTOR HERE?
Good question. With a good and original answer. These little creatures are so-called ‘MOUTHBROODERS‘, meaning that they carry their eggs in their mouths. Depending on the species, females, males or even both parents (don’t try this at home) will do this at or after fertilisation. In effect the eggs are safely incubated until they hatch as fry. Then they are on their own.
ARE THERE ANY DRAWBACKS TO THIS UNUSUAL GESTATION METHOD?
Apart from accidentally swallowing the occasional potential junior, the eggs need aeration from time to time. This is achieved by expelling the eggs from the mouth, and quickly sucking them back in again. Try this very short video to see this rather improbable behaviour in action. It’s only 8 seconds – blink and you’ll miss the action. The eggs hatch into fry in 8 – 10 days, after which both parents can relax. Until the next time.
Photo Credits: all images from Melinda Riger / Grand Bahama Scuba except (4) Virginia Cooper / GBS; (5) Michael Wolf / Wikimedia; video, Alan Keller. Research: magpie picking, not excluding yet not limited to Wiki…
THE DOWNLOAD OF THE BOOK OF THE BIRDS
BIRDS OF ABACODownloadNOTES
- This download is of the entire book
- Reduced to 18mb for 10 – 15 second loading; no noticeable loss of definition
- Below the screen BIRDS OF ABACO enlarges the screen, DOWNLOAD will do just that
- The top bar contains all the usual ways to make adjustments to the contents
- This is the penultimate version before printing, with a few crop marks etc
- Please let me know if there are any problems with the download
The download is free and can be scrolled on-screen or saved in the usual way. Do share with family and friends. By all means use parts – eg the Checklist – to print for reference. It’s fine to print out a single complete copy for personal use only.
As mentioned in previous posts, I am asking those who choose to download the book to make a modest charitable donation to a local wildlife-related cause or to a local school or an organisation that inspires kids to get involved in the natural world around them.
KEITH SALVESEN
March 2024
rollingharbour.delphi@gmail.com
Thanks to all the many people who contributed to the book including 30 photographers who took brilliant photos; 3 Bahamas bird experts who contributed greatly to the composition and accuracy of the book; the superb printers Conti in Italy; Peter Mantle the inspiration and eminence grise; and my wife Sally whose publishing and editorial skills are second to none, and her patience limitless.
CELEBRATING THE BIRDS OF ABACO
ADVANCE NOTICE – ONLINE PUBLICATION IMMINENT
It is exactly 10 years since The Delphi Club Guide to the Birds of Abaco was launched in the Great Room at the Delphi Club, Abaco, Bahamas. Availability of the book had run its course by 2020. A decade after publication, preparations to compress the entire book into a downloadable e-book are now complete.
Cuban Emerald (M) – Keith SalvesenFREE AS A BIRD
This has not been planned as a monetised project, so the ‘Book’ will be free to access online; and free to download using a linK. You can send the book to family and friends of course. By all means print out specific extracts, for example the checklist which might be fun to use for finding out the likelihood of seeing a particular bird and / or keeping a record of sightings.
It would be slightly disenchanting to find that the whole book is being printed out without checking first. This can be simply done using rollingharbour.delphi@gmail.com
Painted Bunting – Tom Sheley$10 TO CELEBRATE THE BIRDS OF ABACO AND THE JOY THEY BRING TO THE WHOLE COMMUNITY
I am asking those who choose to download the book to make a charitable donation of $10 (‘a dollar a year’ since publication) to a local wildlife-related cause or to a local school or an organisation that inspires kids to get involved in the natural world around them. Or more than $10 by all means. There’s plenty of choice on Abaco, as I am sure there is for kind followers of Rolling Harbour who live beyond the island’s shores.
Great Egret – Tom SheleyKilldeer – Bruce HallettWestern Spindalis – Keith SalvesenCuban Pewee – Keith SalvesenA ‘SNACKING’ OF SANDERLINGS
Sanderling Partytime – Keith SalvesenBAHAMAS BIRDING ROYALTY . DELPHI LODGE MARCH 2014
Tony White . Bruce Hallett . Woody Bracey
. Un-Royal Author
American Redstart (m)ARE WE NEARLY THERE YET?
We birds want to know what’s going on please. The rest of the ‘Abaco Bird Book Club’ have nominated us to find out. So:
Q. How likely is it that we ‘guys’ will somehow be getting inside a machine and turning up in people’s homes / on their phones (whatever those are). A. Very
Q. How long must we wait before being admired on a screen by humans – we all quite fancy that. A. A week or so
Q. Are we birds going to get any seeds / insects / berries / fish in return. A. No. You will be free. And free as a bird as well.
Bahama MockingbirdBahama Woodstar (f) BananaquitCommon Ground DoveHairy WoodpeckerBridled TernPhoto Credits: Gerlinde Taurer; Tom Sheley; Tara Lavallee; Craig Nash; Bruce Hallett
THE BIRDS OF ABACO: SEARCHABLE INDEX
FROM ABACO PARROT TO ZENAIDA DOVE HERE
When, in 2014, Birds of Abaco had safely been hatched and was beginning to fledge, I started a companion site that was designed to add an additional dimension to the project. It was a bird-specific accessory to the main Rolling Harbour site that has always featured a far greater range of topics than birds.
The book exhibited Abaco birds in a deliberately perverse way (alphabetically, not by species grouping or other conventional methods). The loosely termed ‘Index’ was meant to be a quick alternative way to delve into the various species.
It was a side project and I did very little to promote it. Once put together (with a linked FB page) I pretty much left it to grow ‘organically’ (aka indolently and neglectfully). I’m bringing the site out of semi-retirement while I get on with my efforts to put the book online. Reach it HERE
A to Z
CAPE MAY WARBLER (Char Albury): as it turned out, an unpromising name. The first one was recorded on Cape May, NJ in the early nineteenth century. They were not recorded there again for more than a hundred years.
Q: WHAT HAS THE GESTATION PERIOD OF A WALRUS (16 MONTHS) AND WEIGHS THE SAME AS A PAIR OF FULLY GROWN PINEAPPLES (2 KILOS)? A: THE BIRDS OF ABACO
FIRST FLYER
It is February 2014, and two pallets carrying 500+ heavy books in boxes have just arrived in Nassau. Printed in Italy at the end of January, the cargo had made its way from specialist printers in Florence via Bologna, Leipzig, Brussels, Cincinnati, Miami to Nassau. They spent an unexpectedly long sojourn in Nassau while formalities were unhurriedly dealt with, then made their way safely to the Delphi Club. In early March, the book was launched in the Great Room at Delphi.
Delphi Lodge 2014The book was generously received. The Delphi years rolled by: happy years of amateur birding, incompetent bonefishing (me), adventures, companionship, conviviality, Kalik. Then a change of ownership at Delphi; the destructive power of Dorian; and the tentacles of Covid spreading round the world.
10 years on at Rolling Harbour Towers HQ, a plan is hatching like an Abaco parrot’s precious egg. Might there be an audience ready for some kind of e-Edition of the whole book, checklists and all? Technology has moved on since 2014. Even I have now read an eBook. There’ll be some tech-stuff involved to get the most practical way to proceed. I’ll need to check with the birds first, and we will get back to you.
SECOND FLYER
Sanderlings on the beach at Delphi – more interested in snacking than eBook stardom
Leucistic Turkey Vulture (Amy Evenstad, PoweredByBirds.com)
A WHITER SHADE OF TAIL? LEUCISM IN BIRDSAnd not just the tail*. Other parts of a bird. Sometimes most of a bird. More rarely, an entire bird. Whichever, a bird affected by leucism stands out from the crowd – out of the ordinary and therefore startling to the eye. I’d be very surprised if the fine turkey vulture in the header image didn’t make you look twice – maybe even to check if some devious photoshop trickery had been at work. Yet it’s just a normal TUVU in the Florida Keys, living a normal vulturine life.
LEUCISTIC DISCOVERY ON ABACO
A leucistic Western Spindalis discovered on Abaco by birder Keith Kemp
For comparison – the real deal
LEUCISM? EXCUSE ME, AND THAT IS?
First, what it is not. It is not albinism, which results from diminished or lost melanin production that affects pigmentation. One characteristic of the condition is the tendency to pink eyes, which of course is seen in humans as well as animals and birds. Meet the perfect example…
WELL, WHAT IS IT THEN?
Put simply(ish), melanin is only one of many ingredients of pigmentation. Leucism is caused through pigment loss involving many types of pigment, not just melanin. In birds this results in unnaturally light or white colouring of feathers that may be partial or entire. The eyes of a bird with leucism are unaffected. At one extreme, if all pigment cells fail, a white bird will result; at the other extreme, pigment defects cause patches and blotches of pale or white on the bird, often called a ‘pied’ effect. The condition can be inherited.
A mallard on Abaco. The species is known for its wide colour variations in both sexes. Sometimes the variations go beyond the usual range: this is a leucistic bird
A leucistic common gallinule (moorhen) on Abaco
Leucistic rock pigeon
BAHAMA (WHITE-CHEEKED) PINTAIL: A PIGMENT PUZZLE
I have found more examples of leucism in the ‘Bahama Duck’ than any other local species on Abaco. But there is also scope for confusion. First, here’s a pintail that is undoubtedly leucistic – note that the eyes and beak are unaffected by pigmentation deficiency:
But not all pale variants can be so confidently labelled. In the first picture, bottom right, there is an obviously an ‘odd’ pintail, silvery rather than ruddy brown like the rest of them (and yes, I do see the coot in the pack as well…). The second photo shows the same bird on dry land.
This is known as a ‘silver pintail’. These are said to be a leuchistic variant, and they are stocked by poultry dealers as ornamental ducks at a higher price than the much-loved standard brown version. However this bird clearly retains the essential markings of a normal pintail that you might expect to be absent (at least in patches) in the ‘true’ leucistic bird. I’ve seen it described as a ‘gray morph’. I wonder where the line is drawn between a noticeable colour variant or morph in a bird; and an obviously pigment-abnormal, leucistic bird where the incidence and extent of the condition seems to be random. I’d go with the morph idea.
A fine example of a ‘pied’ American Robin, an occasional visiting species on Abaco
Leucistic American Robin (Amy Evenstad, PoweredByBirds.com)
PIPING PLOVERS CAN BE LEUCISTIC TOO
PIPL are one of my bird species preoccupations, but until I checked them out I hadn’t imagined what a leucistic one would look like, or whether they had ever been recorded. I now have the answer…
These photos of a leucistic female were featured by Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds, Audubon Connecticut. They were taken by Jim Panaccione, a Biological Science Technician at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Newburyport, Massachusetts. I hope he won’t mind their illustrative use here… Despite the theory that leucistic birds may find it hard to find a mate – and might even be attacked by its own species – this pair successfully nested.
OPTIONAL MUSICAL & CULTURAL DIGRESSION
A WHITER SHADE OF PALE
- Obviously, it had to be ‘tail’ in the title to justify one of my clunky ‘jokes’ and an accompanying musical diversion. That’s just the way it is, I’m afraid. Bach’s well-known descending chord sequence of was of course ~~shamelessly ripped off by~~ ingeniously adapted by Procol Harum for ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’, their first single in 1967. Relive a Summer of Love right here and now. And at 2.57 does he really sing ‘….might as well’ve been toast…’?
https://rollingharbour.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/14-whiter-shade-of-pale.mp3
Any fret-tweakers might like to see the sheet music of Bach’s Air for guitar. You could even play it on Air Guitar – which is relatively easy, being in C major and having no strings.
‘BACH IN A MINUET’
The best known commercial use of the tune was in the famed series of adverts that equated a mild cigar called Hamlet with happiness, accompanied by an excerpt from a jazzy version of Bach’s ‘Air on the G String’. Here is one of the best – and possibly the only advert to my knowledge to feature not one, but two excellent Sir Walter Raleigh jokes.
Credits: thanks to Amy Evenstad (PoweredByBirds.com) for use permission for her wonderful TUVU & AMRO photos; other photos by Keith Kemp & Bruce Hallett (Spindalis); Pinterest (rabbit); Nina Henry (mallard); Tony Hepburn (moorhen); Wiki (pigeon); Jim Edmonson (leucistic pintail); Keith Salvesen (silver pintail); Jim Panaccione / Audubon (piping plovers); Procol Harum, esp. Robin Trower for building a great career round being ‘reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix’; J.S. Bach for a nagging tune; Hamlet cigars for ingenuity & making me laugh
“CATCHING THE EYE”: OYSTERCATCHERS (+ BONUS ID TIP) I’m focusing (ha!) on oystercatchers and their eyes. Like the extraordinary one in the header image. Notice the bright orangey-red ‘orbital ring’, the egg-yolk-reminiscent eye and the pitch black iris. An eye-catching and unmistakeable feature of this handsome black and white shorebird, the American Oystercatcher. Here’s […]
HUTIAS: ABACO’S EXTINCT RODENTS LIVE ON… ELSEWHERE Note: my original article on the Hutia predates Dorian & a few references may be a bit out of date The Bahama hutia (Geocapromys ingrahami) has the distinction of being the only indigenous land mammal in the Bahamas. Historically found on a number of islands, the species is now […]
LIZARDS OF ABACO: ANOLES & DEWLAPS Yesterday was World Lizard Appreciation Day (or something similar), and it is only right to acknowledge the occasion. Everyone knows about CURLY TAIL LIZARDS. Everyone loves them and their little ways. But there are other lizards that may be found on Abaco and in the wider Bahamas. ANOLES, […]
SPIDER WASPS & TARANTULA HAWKS (PEPSIS WASPS) A few years ago I was wandering along a track in South Abaco looking for birds in the coppice, when I came across this aggressive-looking creature. I could only get a partial shot of the insect, and I wondered whether to try to reach towards it to […]
BLACK-FACED GRASSQUITS ON ABACO, BAHAMAS Quite a while back (in the Pre-Covid Era), Black-faced Grassquits Tiaris bicolor were honoured by the American Ornithological Union with a classification change from emberizid to tanager. For the reasons that follow, the species regarded this both as scientific promotion and as merited status elevation. I invited an authoritative Spokesquit […]
WTF? (WHAT’S THAT FISH?): ARROW CRABS The WTF? series is dedicated to the wilder, less conventionally fish-shaped side of reef life – those creatures that you may come across, blink into your face-mask, and silently mouth the words ‘What’s That Fish?’ (that’s what it looks like you are saying, anyway). Let’s meet some Arrow Crabs Stenorhynchus […]
WHEN NEW PROVIDENCE WAS OLD: MAPPING BAHAMAS HISTORY Exact Draught of the Island of New Providence One of the Bahama Islands in the West Indies ORIENTATION Lateral thinking is one thing; topsy-turvy thinking is in another league. The map that graces the top of this page is of New Providence and Nassau in the the […]
FRIGATEBIRDS aka MAN-O-WAR BIRDS: TRULY MAGNIFICENT This is a male frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) in the breeding season, with his extraordinary inflatable GULAR POUCH fully blown up. He is at his most chest-burstingly dashing, at least to female frigatebirds, and this great capture by photographer Athena Alexander from the excellent blog of JET ELIOT, shows one of the wonders of […]
WTF? (WHAT’S THAT FISH) 10: FLYING GURNARDImagine that you are swimming along resplendent in your snorkelling gear (me) – or in scuba gear for the advanced swimmer (you). There, below you, camouflaged against the sea bottom is a fish. A strange-shaped brown sort of creature with odd side fins. As it progresses over the gravelly sand, your immediate reaction is ‘what the…?’ Its fins seem to be turning into… wings. Like this:
Yes, it’s a flying gurnard. Unlike flying fish, it can’t actually fly through the air. But once its wings are fully spread, it certainly looks as though it could.
WHAT’S THE POINT OF THE WINGS IF THE THING CAN’T FLY?
This gurnard species usually gets around using its ventral fins as ‘legs’, with the pectoral fins (‘wings’) close to the body. There seem to be several possible reasons for possessing the ‘sudden-deployment-of-flashy-wings’ superpower.
- It surprises and deters predators by movement, turning prospective prey into an apparently different creature
- Bright or lurid colouring may be a deterrent warning of a foul-tasting or poisonous species (APOSEMATISM)
- A creature may actually be harmless and even tasty (as here) but may appear to be unpalateable or poisonous (BATESIAN MIMICRY)
- In any event, the wings enable the fish to take off from the sea bottom and travel faster by ‘flying’ thought the water to escape a predator
I had a quick look to see how scientists in history had depicted this extraordinary fish. The earliest illustration I could find was taken from “Allgemeine Naturgeschichte der Fische (General natural history of fishes),” a 12-volume encyclopedia by author/illustrator Marcus Elieser Bloch (1723-1799), which described all fish species then known to science (and 267 previously unknown) (© AMNHD. Finnin) sourced from ‘Hyperallergic’
Here’s a short video of a flying gurnard on the move, from ‘Sia Big Fish’
Credits: All main images Adam Rees / Scuba Works with many thanks, except final one ‘cralize wiki’; Hyperallergic for the historic image; Sia Big Fish for the video
Rolling Harbour / Keith Salvesen
CORONATIONONE ROYAL TURN DESERVES… AN ABACO ROYAL TERN
I wrote this post about Royal Terns Thalasseus maximus* quite some time ago, in the early days of Delphi (and indeed Rolling Harbour ® ). Bonefishing was a completely new experience and my skills were embryonic. As they continued to be for the duration. By then the amazing birdlife of Abaco had reeled me in and BIRDS OF ABACO was in the planning stage.
If there’s a magnificent golden bandwagon drawn by 8 horses passing by, why not just hop on? I’ve skipped the info about the range and nesting arrangements of these birds. Here are a few, in all their regal glory, posing in the sunshine on a dead tree way out on the Abaco Marls. The header image was taken on Cherokee Long Dock, long pre-Dorian and its magnificent replacement.
Now to be renamed Thalasseus carolus rex magnificans. Not worldwide, obviously.
PS No terns were injured in trying to get the yellow crown to fit one of them
PINE WARBLERS ON ABACO: ‘PINUS ENVY’The Pine Warbler Setophaga pinus is one of 5 year-round resident warblers (endemics) on Abaco. All are to be admired, of course. The others are Bahama yellowthroat; Bahama warbler; olive-capped warbler; and yellow warbler.
The pine warbler is also to be envied for several reasons:
- Like most Setophagae, they are bright, lively and attractive birds
- Bahamas residents all year round – no long exhausting migration flights twice a year
- Abaco has vast areas of their preferred pine forest habitat
- They are plentiful – the population is largely untroubled by usual habitat concerns
- They are one of the few seed-eating warbler species, so feeders are a bonus
As the name strongly hints, the pine warbler is primarily a bird of the pine forests, of which Abaco has an abundance. The tall, straight trees of Abaco were once a vital local source of timber (SAWMILL SINK q.v.). As a historical note, felled pines were also exported to the UK to be made into the strong pit-props needed for coal-mines.
Immature
Q. WHAT IS THE NORMAL YEAR-ROUND RANGE OF THIS BIRD? A. THIS IS!
Pine warblers have a broad diet and forage methodically. Pine cones are a fertile source for food, and those robust, stabby, slightly down-curved beaks are ideal for getting the seeds out of the cones. Equally, these warblers use their beaks to prise / pry out insects from the rough pine trunks and branches.
WHAT OF THEIR NIDIFICATION?
The pine forest is obviously the preferred nesting habitat for these birds. The warblers also nest in the smaller groups of pines found (for example) in or near some of the settlements; or in backcountry around the edges of former sugar cane fields and the like. One nesting habit is slightly unusual – pine warblers tend to build their nests near the end of branches rather than near the trunk, a position that seems far less secure. One theory on pine warbler nest location is that they feel safer from predators by building at the end of a small branch*.
WHAT DO THEY SOUND LIKE?
One source states that “The song of this bird is a musical trill. Their calls are slurred chips“. I think we’ve all been there at some time, possibly when lunching at Pete’s Pub.
MUSICAL TRILL https://rollingharbour.files.wordpress.com/2019/04/xc141223-pine-warbler-setophaga-pinus-paul-driver.mp3 Paul Driver / Xeno Canto
SLURRED CHIP https://rollingharbour.files.wordpress.com/2019/04/xc1245-pine-warbler-setophaga-pinus-don-jones.mp3 Don Jones / Xeno-Canto
Photo Credits: Bruce Hallett (1, 3, 6); Alex Hughes (2); Tom Reed (4); Tom Sheley (5); Dick Daniels (7); Wiki (range map); Nat Geo (species drawings); Paul Driver / Xeno Canto – call; Don Jones / Xeno Canto – chips; Milton Harris – nesting theory
ROCK BEAUTY . Holacanthus tricolor . BAHAMAS REEF FISH These creatures are a small species of angelfish. Seen swimming around the reefs they are unmistakeable, not least because of their bright yellow hi-viz jackets, remarkable blue eyeliner and blue-black lipstick.
Rock Beauties look like prime candidates for anyone’s aquarium, but they have picky dietary requirements and a tendency for aggression that make them unsuitable (fortunately for them).
They are highly specialised feeders, needing marine sponges in their daily diet. They are also prone to chase tank-mates and nip them. On balance, they look more fetching nosing about the coral anyway.
WHAT DO JUVENILES LOOK LIKE?
Juvenile rock beauties are cute mini-versions of the adults, only even more yellow and with yellow lips.
In development stages, they may have a vivid blue and black circle in front of the tail fin…
… or a large dark patch on their sides
NOT A TRUE ‘ROCK BEAUTY’ (no offence, Lita)
A TRUE ROCK BEAUTY
Credits: Melinda Riger, Grand Bahama Scuba; WP
GREAT EGRETS: NOBLE (YET MISNAMED) HERONS The Great Egret is actually a heron rather than an egret. It’s a Great Heron. All egrets are members of the heron family Ardeidae, but the converse is not true. As long ago as 1758, Linnaeus awarded the bird the binomial name Ardea alba i.e. ‘Heron white‘. Why it should have been so hard to stick to that authoritative nomenclature, I can’t imagine. Perhaps in time all heron and egret species became so hopelessly confusing for people that it ceased to matter much what they were called.
Maybe it was that type of carelessness that led to people from the mid-c19 onwards eyeing up GREGs as a source of hat feathers and other decorative necessities. As with flamingos and many other beautiful avian species, mankind’s millinery and other fashion needs were satisfied at the expense of gorgeous plumage. Actually, at the cost of the birds’ lives: they were simply shot in huge numbers.
Healthy populations were decimated; for some species they never recovered. For others, the great egret among them, the passage of time and the passing of fashions – backed in many cases with conservation programs – have successfully restored the populations. In 1953 the National Audubon Society, which was formed at least in part to discourage the killing of birds for their feathers, took a decisive step in the cause of the great egret by making the bird the emblem of the organisation.
Photo Credit: Nina Henry photographed all the egrets in this post. Her wonderful images of this magnificent ~~egret~~ heron made a significant contribution to the “BIRDS OF ABACO” project.
WTF? (WHAT’S THAT FISH): ‘GUITARFISH ROCK’A spectacular entry in my WTF? series came courtesy of Adam Rees and a night dive in Florida waters: the guitarfish, (Gr: rhinos – nose; batis – ray) . Until I saw Adam’s photos, this creature was unknown to me. It sounded so improbable, and conjured up some nightmare piscine-based modification of a Strat, an instrument whose classic looks should not be meddled with without consequent loss of liberty.
The guitarfish belongs to a family of rays, Rhinobatidae, of which there are many species worldwide. In some ways the fish looks like a crossover with a shark. Although they have a ‘ray face’ and small wings, there is also a sharklike appearance with its fins and a sharklike swimming action (see video, below). If you think there is a primitive or prehistoric look to the guitarfish, you’d be right. According to the temporal range chart they date from the late Jurassic era.
I have been trying to nail the exact model of Adam’s finny Strat-ray. I am putting my money on the Atlantic guitarfish Rhinobatos lentiginosus, which may (or may not) be the same as the spotted or freckled; and is similar to the more widely photographed shovelnose guitarfish with its cute face. Not that I am very bothered: it’s the overall unusualness of Adam’s creature that really counts.
The strange thing is that although the guitarfish is a denizen of, for example, floridian, caribbean and mexican gulf waters, it is said to be unrecorded for the Bahamas. These bottom-feeding creatures inhabit shallower waters near coastlines and estuaries. They eat crabs, shellfish and worms – all in plentiful supply in Bahamas waters – so I can’t see a reason why they should not be found there. Perhaps they are seen but unreported. I have in mind the recent reports of SAWFISH and BATFISH. So kudos awaits the person who reports – with photo – the ‘first’ Bahamas guitarfish. Maybe there’s scope for a song about it!
GUITARFISH ‘LIVE’
- Usually caught by mistake by anglers, or as bycatch by fishing vessels
- Inedible (unless someone knows better…)
- Non-aggressive and harmless to humans despite having a mouthful of small teeth
- Swims like a shark – the tail has no spinal structure
- Has a cute face (unlike a a shark)
- Adults are about 30 inches long
- They may bury themselves in sand or mud to ambush prey
- They are viviparous, giving birth to live young that are born fully developed
As a postscript, it’s worth mentioning that on the same night dive, Adam also came across the uncommon batfish, a seriously prickly-looking starfish, and a spotted eagle ray. Worth losing sleep for.
. .
A similar kind of guitarfish, showing the very sharklike movements in the water
Credits: Adam Rees, with many thanks; Greg Hume; Johan Fredriksson wiki; magpie pickings, in particular Florida Museum of Natural History / Taylor Sullivan and the truthful parts of various Wiki articles
‘PRESENTING… A LARGE BILL’The Smooth-billed Ani (Crotophaga ani) is one of three members of the cuckoo family found on Abaco, the others being the MANGROVE CUCKOO and the YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO. Anis range from Florida and the Bahamas in the north down through the Caribbean to South America, where they are widespread.
Unlike their shy and retiring cuckoo cousins, anis are extrovert shouty birds that like to hang out in noisy gangs and family groups. They can often be found in low scrub, bickering, squawking, and generally fluttering around in a disorderly way. You’ll probably hear them from some way off, sounding like this:
https://rollingharbour.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/ani-fmnh-hardy25.mp3Anis have advanced social, parenting and chick-rearing skills. They build a communal nest for the group, and all share in egg incubation and chick-feeding duties They may raise up to three broods in a season, which keeps the numbers up. Rather touchingly, the young of earlier broods help to feed more recent chicks.
It follows from this that unlike many other cuckoo species, the ani is not a brood parasite. So the species does not lay its eggs in the nests of other, smaller birds which then unwittingly rear the interloper(s), who in turn push the legitimate hatchlings out of the nest and get all the food and attention.
I have tried to discover why an ani’s beak is as it is, without much success. Very often beak shape relates directly to the feeding habits and preferences of a species, but it is hard to see how a diet consisting mainly of insects and small reptiles such as lizards would account for such a prominently protuberant proboscis. Here is a close-up of the item in question.
On Abaco (and indeed elsewhere) Anis are sometimes known as ‘Cemetery Birds’, no doubt because of their all-black appearance (though their raucous tendencies would be quite inappropriate for a graveyard). However although at a distance these birds may look completely black, catch one in the sun at the right angle, and you’ll find that the plumage is far more varied, and with some intricate patterning.Look for Anis in low scrubland and coppice, cultivated areas, perched in unsteady noisy rows on utility lines, or foraging on the ground.
The appearance and flying abilities of Anis are wonders to behold. As I wrote in The Birds of Abaco, “Their curious heavy beaks, their clumsy flight and their untidy take-off and landing routines suggest a design fault”.
AIMEE MANN INTERLUDE **
“One… is the loneliest number…” Oh, hang on a moment…
…”two of us…standing solo in the sun…”
The Philatelic Bureau of the Bahamas Postal Service is commendably committed to featuring the natural history of the Bahamas. Although probably not in the top-ten of anyone’s bird list, the ani nevertheless got its own stamp in a 1991 bird issue.
As far as I know, there is not yet a collective noun for a group of anis. There should be. I put forward “A Commotion of Anis”
DO NOT CONFUSE WITH STAR ANISE
Credits (all photos taken on Abaco): Becky Marvil, Nina Henry, Paul Harding, Gerlinde Taurer, Roselyn Pierce, Tom Sheley, Bruce Hallett, Keith Salvesen; sound files from Xeno Canto and FMNH; range map from IUCN; hat tip to the always excellent Aimee Mann. yes yes I know these aren’t her original songs but I like the AM versions a
s much
OSPREYS: ID GUIDE TO THE BAHAMAS SUBSPECIESI have featured bird comparatives from time to time, not least because scope for confusion meant that I needed to investigate for my own peace of mind. These included the tyrant flycatchers; a number of superficially similar warbler species (mostly with yellow bits); varied vireos; all those heron-y / egret-y types and their disconcerting morphs (hello, white reddish egret).
And so to the magnificent osprey Pandion haliaetus. This time, the comparison is between two subspecies, broadly the North American P. h. carolinensis and the Caribbean P.h. ridgwayi. There is some overlap in Florida, and some evidence of interbreeding. In the northern Bahamas in particular there is also an overlap, so an osprey seen on Abaco could be either variety. You’ll probably be too excited watching it to care much which type it is, but this article will help you if you do…
The two ospreys shown below were photographed at Spanish Wells, Eleuthera by Barbara Crouchley. This is a ‘bingo’ photographic scoop, because each type of bird was found in the same region; now we can check out the differences between the two birds.
The first is a North American bird. Note in particular its distinctive eye mask, and the clearly marked upper breast – more so in the female than the male (which may even be white). The overall impression of the upper-parts is dark brown. They are slightly larger than their cousins in the south.
Osprey P.h. carolinensis
In this Caribbean bird, below, with its trophy fish, the eye-mask is absent and the facial / nape markings are less pronounced. Furthermore, the breast and under-parts are white in both sexes (though slight marking may be apparent in some birds). And the impression is of lighter upper-parts, even allowing for variable lighting and distance when the photos were taken. Conveniently, there’s not much detectable difference between male and females in the respective populations.
Osprey P.h. ridgwayi
EXAMPLES OF P. h. carolinensis
EXAMPLES OF P. h. ridgwayi
THE EYES HAVE IT?
After I had looked into the noted distinctions I wrote “I’m going to stick my neck out here – I’ve not seen this mentioned anywhere, and I need to do some more comparative research”. When I saw Barbara’s pair of photos, I noticed that the eyes of the P.h.r were much paler compared with the bright orangey-yellow of P.h.c. This distinction is found in all the comparative photos above. The P.h.cs were photographed in Florida and further north and have the strikingly vivid eyes. The P.h.rs were photographed on Abaco and Grand Bahama at different times by different people. All have noticeably paler irises, more a light greeny-yellow.
I haven’t seen this commented on since my original piece, but if anyone has a view it would be welcome.
UNDERWING DIFFERENCES
There’s a further comparison that can be made with the two subspecies in flight. Without going into technical and linguistic detail, the underwings of the P.h.cs are much darker than the Bahamas birds, whereas P.h.rs are notably paler and in some cases mostly white. As an example, below is a distance shot I took when bonefishing out on the Abaco Marls, with a small pocket camera in one hand and a rod in the other. This is definitely a local bird! Compare with the dramatic image below it, where the strong darker markings are all too evident. It’s a great shot with which to bring the lesson to an end.
Photo credits: Tom Sheley (1); CWFNJ (2); Barbara Crouchley (3, 4); Danny Sauvageau (5, 6, 7); Jim Todd (8); Linda Barry Cooper (9); Woody Bracey (10); Keith Salvesen (11); the inimitable Northside Jim (12). Thanks for all use permissions – also to Steve Connett for the idea! Original post in 2020.
BLUEHEAD WRASSE: PRIVATE LIFE LAID BAREThe bluehead wrasse (or blue-headed wrasse) Thalassoma bifasciatum is a denizen of the coral reefs in the tropical waters of the western Atlantic Ocean. This bright little 4-inch fish is… a wrasse with a blue head. No more and no less. Unless it’s a juvenile. Then it is mainly bright yellow. It’s similar to BLUE TANG (aka ‘the Disney Dory’), which starts life bright yellow and grows up to be blue.
The species may be found singly, in pairs or small groups, or in schools. They have an important role to play in the life of the reef. They are CLEANER FISH, vital to the health and wellbeing of the larger species they attend to, and thus of the reef itself. This is ‘cleaning symbiosis’, a relationship of mutual benefit. The big fish get cleaned; the little fish have a useful function and – importantly for them – therefore don’t get eaten.
Having said that, blueheads are of course fair game as a snack for species that aren’t in the market for their cleaning services. Rather unfairly, some species that are quite content to let cleaner gobies pick around their gills and mouths are not so considerate of the wrasse (some types of grouper and moray eel, for example).
TELL US EXACTLY SEVEN BLUEHEAD WRASSE FACTS
- Juveniles can alter the intensity of their colour, stripes & bars
- The bluehead wrasse is a ‘protogynous sequential hermaphrodite’
- All are born female**. Some change sex to male during maturation (see below)
- Food includes zooplankton, small molluscs and small crustaceans…
- …and parasites / other juicy bits (fungal growths, anyone?) from bigger fish
- Main threats to the species are coral reef degradation / destruction and pollution
- The bright colours invite aquarium use, but the trade in this species is not critical.
** Some sources suggest some are born male and remain male.
A juvenile bluehead – mostly yellow, with a pale underside
THE REMARKABLE SEX LIFE OF THE BLUEHEAD WRASSE
This is an unavoidable topic, I’m afraid. The bluehead’s sex life is the most interesting thing about them, and this is no time to be prudish. It has been the subject of extensive scientific research. As with many human relationships, “it’s complicated” but in a conch shell it boils down to this:
- To recap, BWs are born female and as they mature, some become male.
- Males reach an ‘initial phase’ when they can breed in groups with females
- Some males grow larger & reach full colouration. This is the ‘terminal phase’
- These large males aggressively chase away smaller ones & seek females to pair with
- Their state of readiness is signalled by colour changes BUT the females know…
- …that the smaller males have a sperm count higher than dominant males.
As the excellent organisation OCEANA puts it: Bluehead Wrasses may reproduce in four different ways throughout their lifetime: 1) as a female in a group spawning event; 2) as a female in a pair spawning event within the territory of a large male; 3) as a small male in a group spawning event; and 4) as a dominant, terminal male in a pair spawning event within its own territory.
A cropped still from a video I took at Fowl Cay marine reserve. I’ve looked at dozens of images online and not found one that was all blue with a yellow end to its tail fin. Perhaps it is just an all-blue alpha male.
Credits & Sources: Melinda Riger; Adam Rees; James St John; Oregon State edu / Pinterest; Wiki images; self; Oceana; IUCN; magpie pickings
FLAMINGO TONGUE SNAILS: DECORATIVE CORAL-DWELLERSFLAMINGO TONGUE SNAILS Cyphoma gibbous are small marine gastropod molluscs related to cowries. The living animal is brightly coloured and strikingly patterned, but that colour only exists in the ‘live’ parts – the so-called ‘mantle’. The shell itself is usually pale, and characterised by a thick ridge round the middle. Whether alive or as shells, they are gratifyingly easy to identify. These snails live in the tropical waters of the Caribbean and the wider western Atlantic.
THE IMPORTANCE OF CORAL
Flamingo tongue snails feed by browsing on soft corals. Often, they will leave tracks behind them on the coral stems as they forage (see image below). But corals are not only food – they provide the ideal sites for the creature’s breeding cycle.
Adult females attach eggs to coral which they have recently fed upon. About 10 days later, the larvae hatch. They eventually settle onto other gorgonian corals such as Sea Fans. Juveniles tend to live protectively on the underside of coral branches, while adults are far more visible and mobile. Where the snail leaves a feeding scar, the corals can regrow the polyps, and therefore the snail’s feeding preference is generally not harmful to the coral.
The principal purpose of the patterned mantle of tissue over the shell is to act as the creature’s breathing apparatus. The tissue absorbs oxygen and releases carbon dioxide. As it has been (unkindly?) described, the mantle is “basically their lungs, stretched out over their rather boring-looking shell”. There’s more to them than that!
THREATS AND DEFENCE
The species, once common, is becoming rarer. The natural predators include hogfish, pufferfish and spiny lobsters, though the spotted mantle provides some defence by being (a) startling in appearance and (b) on closer inspection by a predator, rather unpalatable. Gorgonian corals contain natural toxins, and instead of secreting these after feeding, the snail stores them. This supplements the defence provided by its APOSEMATIC COLORATION, the vivid colour and /or pattern warning sign to predators found in many animal species.
MANKIND’S CONTRIBUTION
It comes as little surprise to learn that man is considered to be the greatest menace to these little creatures, and the reason for their significant decline in numbers. The threat comes from snorkelers and divers who mistakenly / ignorantly think that the colour of the mantle is the actual shell of the animal, collect up a whole bunch from the reef, and in due course are left with… dead snails and their allegedly dull shells Don’t be a collector; be a protector…
The photos below are of nude flamingo tongue shells. Until I read the ‘boring-looking shell’ comment, I believed everyone thought they were rather lovely… I did, anyway. I still do. You decide!
Image Credits: Melinda Rogers / Dive Abaco; Keith Salvesen / Rolling Harbour; Wiki Leopard
Thanks to all followers, likers, commenters, regular visitors, one-offs, local wildlife organisations, and friends of Rolling Harbour in general. This year we passed 1 million hits over the ten years of this blog. Proving that people love Abaco, the Bahamas, birds, marine mammals, manatees, reef fish, sharks, turtles, shore-life, shells, insects, plant life, bonefishing, lighthouses, local history, maps, conservation and a whole lot more; and are prepared to tolerate bad puns, haphazard presentation, and a less than rigourous scientific approach to it all.
Weirdest search term ever: How to dispose of dead bodies?
TUNICATES: SESSILE ASEXUAL SEA-SQUIRTSPainted Tunicates Clavina picta are one of several species of tunicate ‘sea-squirts’ found in Bahamas and Caribbean waters. These creatures with their translucent bodies are usually found clustered together, sometimes in very large groups. One reason for this is that they are ‘sessile’, unable to move from where they have taken root on the coral.
HOW DO THEY FEED?
Like most if not all sea squirts, tunicates are filter feeders. Their structure is simple, and enables them to draw water into their body cavity. In fact they have 2 openings, an ‘oral siphon’ to suck in water; and an exit called the ‘atrial siphon’. Tiny particles of food (e.g. plankton) are separated internally from the water by means of a tiny organ (‘branchial basket’) like a sieve. The water is then expelled.
WHAT DOES ‘TUNICATE’ MEAN?
The creatures have a flexible protective covering referred to as a ‘tunic’. ‘Coveringcates’ didn’t really work as a name, so the tunic aspect became the name.
IF THEY CAN’T MOVE, HOW DO THEY… (erm…) REPRODUCE?
Tunicates are broadly speaking asexual. Once a colony has become attached to corals or sponges, they are able to ‘bud’, ie to produce clones to join the colony. These are like tiny tadpoles and their first task is to settle and attach themselves to something suitable – for life – using a sticky secretion. Apparently they do this head first, then in effect turn themselves upside down as they develop the internal bits and pieces they need for adult life. The colony grows because (speculation alert) the most obvious place for the ‘tadpoles’ to take root is presumably in the immediate area they were formed.
APART FROM BEING STATIONARY & ASEXUAL, ANY OTHER ATTRIBUTES?
Some types of tunicate contain particular chemicals that are related to those used to combat some forms of cancer and a number of viruses. So they have a potential use in medical treatments, in particular in helping to repair tissue damage.
Credits: all fabulous close-up shots by Melinda Riger / Grand Bahama Scuba; diagram from depts.washington.edu; magpie pickings with a particular mention of an article by Sara MacSorley
WRY ‘CUDA & SARDONIC SMILES, ABACO BAHAMASThere’s no doubt about it, barracudas have a particularly unwelcoming look to them. They exude menace. There’s something about the torpedo shape, the primitive head, and the uncomfortably snaggle-toothed grin-with-underbite that suggests a creature not to be underestimated.
And that smiley mouth – rather scornful and derisive, is it not? A powerful creature in its element, where you are the intruder… and it sees it like that too. An adult barracuda may grow to nearly 6 foot long. Your are only temporarily of its world, and (it observes) you are keeping your distance.
The dental arrangements of a ‘cuda are a wonder in themselves. The teeth are razor sharp; an orthodontist’s nightmare because they are all different sizes and grow at different angles. Some are conventionally set in the jaws, but some actually grow from the roof of the mouth. There are ‘normal’ sized teeth interspersed with wicked-looking fangs that randomly grow facing forwards, backwards and sideways.
WHY THE UNTIDY MOUTH FURNITURE?
The name Barracuda is thought to derive from the Spanish word barraco meaning (in one of its senses) “overlapping teeth”. The jaws that contain the teeth are strong, and the underbite adds to the effectiveness of ‘cuda predation. Prey is highly unlikely to escape once caught. When the jaws snap shut, the sharp angled teeth – particularly the back-facing ones (cf fishhook barbs) prevent the victim from pulling away. Then the munching and shredding can begin inside what is essentially a perfectly equipped multi-bladed mincing machine.
Credits: Melinda Rogers / Dive Abaco except #3 & #8 Melinda Riger / Grand Bahama Scuba
Here’s looking at you…
MANATEE AWARENESS MONTH: BAHAMAS? WE GOTTEM! Manatees are apex ‘gorgeous marine mammals’. Gentle, inquisitive, brave, long-distance-but-rather-slow-swimming, grass-grazing miracle ur-elephant descendants. They never made it out of the sea in the Miocene epoch. Incongruous in a world of fast sharks, snappy ‘cudas, large whales and leaping dolphins, they contentedly mooch around the seagrass beds. No one […]
We are all familiar with some of the collective nouns for birds – flocks, flights, broods, maybe companies (parrots) and so on. There are plenty of lesser known terms for specific birds, of which quite a few seem rather remarkable: a wisdom of owls, a murder of crows, a lamentation of swans, an unkindness of […]
ABACO’S THREE CUCKOO SPECIES There are 3 cuckoo species recorded for Abaco, all permanent residents. Two are relatively scarce; the third is the much-loved gregarious and raucous Ani. Recently I was contacted about a cuckoo seen on Man-O-War Cay. The photo revealed more of a glimpse than a sighting… but it clearly was not an […]
BLUE CHROMIS: A FLASH OF COLOUR ON THE REEF Larger reef fish tend to get more attention than the tiddlers, for obvious reasons. Yet a reef would not properly exist without the small fish that drift and wriggle round the corals. Blue chromis (Chromis cyaneus) are among the first reef fish species I ever met […]
CAPE MAY WARBLERS + WHAT’S IN A NAME? The history of ornithological classification and nomenclature is littered with peculiarities. The attractive migratory Cape May Warbler Setophaga tigrina is a very good example of premature evaluation. The range of the species is well defined. In the summer the birds live within a broad band that […]
CURLY-TAILED LIZARDS ON ABACO, BAHAMAS The northern curly-tailed lizard Leiocephalus carinatus, to give it its full name, resembles a tiny dragon with a twist in the tail. These little critters bask in the sun, or scuttle away into holes and crevices as you approach them. I suspect that even a confirmed herpophobic would find some charm […]
WORLD SHOREBIRDS DAY: ABACO’S COMPLETE CHECKLIST Abaco’s birding records compiled for over 20 years include 33 shorebird species. For a few, the islands and cays are a permanent residence; for many others they are winter quarters; some species are visitors transient in their migrations; a few are rare vagrants. The complete checklist of Abaco’s shorebirds […]
A WHITER SHADE OF TAIL? LEUCISM IN BIRDS And not just the tail*. Other parts of a bird. Sometimes most of a bird. More rarely, an entire bird. Whichever, a bird affected by leucism stands out from the crowd – out of the ordinary and therefore startling to the eye. I’d be very surprised if […]
ONE MILLION HITS ON THE STATS COUNTER (+ BONUS FROGFISH) HAPPY DAYS AND HAPPY YEARS A decade has passed since I sat down and tried to find out how on earth WordPress worked. The plan was to start a simple blog about Abaco, based on our very limited experiences as UK members of the Delphi […]
WTF? (WHAT’S THAT FISH?) A COMPENDIUM OF SUBSURFACE WEIRDNESS 15 OF THE STRANGEST SEA CREATURES IN BAHAMAS WATERS WTF? stands for ‘What’s That Fish’? But it might also be your exclamation when you come across one of these creatures. The WTF? series highlights some of the unusual, curious, weird and downright extraordinary fishes that inhabit […]
BLACK WITCH MOTHS: HARBINGERS OF DEATH OR LOTTERY BANKERS? Black Witch moths Ascalapha odorata are seriously bad news. Or wonderfully good news, depending where you are and who you talk to. First, let’s look at some of the local names for the creature, from which you will get a pretty clear idea of its somewhat negative […]
BELLA MOTHS: COLOURFUL, POISONOUS & PROMISCUOUS The BELLA MOTH Utetheisa ornatrix is also known as the ‘ornate moth’ or ‘rattlebox moth’ (a tall spiky plant of the species Crotalaria). The italianate ‘bella’ signifies beauty and all the many synonyms for it. These moths come in colours ranging from pink to red or orange, and yellow to white. […]
PEACOCK FLOUNDERS (Part Deux) MASTERS OF SUBAQUATIC CAMOUFLAGE I featured the extraordinary, colour-transforming PEACOCK FLOUNDER Bothus lunatus about 3 years ago in the Bahamas Reef Fish series (No. 21 I think). These really are remarkable creatures, and I am pleased to be able to show some more wonderful illustrative photos. ROVING EYES […]
GULL-BILLED TERNS ON ABACO The gull-billed tern Gelochelidon nilotica had a name upgrade from Sterna nilotica some years ago, and was awarded the honour of its own genus. Let’s be clear at the outset: there’s no such thing as a tern-billed gull. Which fortunately lessens the scope for species confusion. There are 12 species of tern recorded […]
BRAIN WAVES: UNDERSEA CORAL MAZES & LABYRINTHS The most apposite description of brain coral Diploria labyrinthiformisis is essentially a no-brainer. How could you not call the creatures on this page anything else**. These corals come in wide varieties of shape and colour, and 4 types are found in Caribbean waters. They date from the Jurassic […]
CARIBBEAN REEF SQUID: SUPERPOWERS & SQUID SEX The Caribbean reef squid Sepioteuthis sepioidea is a small squid species of (mainly) the Caribbean Sea and the Floridian coast, and the most common in its range. These squid tend to form small shoals in and around reefs. From now on and through the summer would be […]
FAIRY BASSLET (‘MIND YOUR GRAMMA’): BAHAMAS REEF FISH (33) The Fairy Basslet is a tiny brightly-coloured fish with a pretentious alternative name. It is otherwise known as the Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto). These fish are found in the coral reefs of the (sub)tropical western Atlantic. They are also found in aquariums anywhere you like, being small, […]
‘SEXING THE HUMMER’ A GENDER GUIDE TO ABACO’S HUMMINGBIRDS The drastic effects of Hurricane Dorian on Abaco’s birdlife continue, with recent reports suggesting that all species remain affected, and some severely so. However there are signs of a slow improvement, and this good news includes the two hummingbird species, the endemic Bahama Woodstar and the […]
ELKHORN CORAL (Acropora palmata) is a widespread reef coral, an unmistakeable species with large branches that resemble elk antlers. The dense growths create an ideal shady habitat for many reef creatures. These include reef fishes of all shapes and sizes, lobsters, shrimps and many more besides. Elkhorn and similar larger corals are essential for the […]
WTF? (WHAT’S THAT FISH?): THE FROGFISH I have just been lightly involved in a long online thread showcasing the weirdest / most science fiction-y creatures around the world. Trust me, there are plenty. There were quite a few duplications. My own contribution was the frogfish, which no one else had nominated. They are so special […]
WORLD WHALE DAY 2022 NEONATE SPERM WHALE CALF, ABACO, BAHAMAS After many decades of the savage depletion of the global whale population, the tide turned in their favour in the 1960s. It was fair to assume that, gradually, a new era of cetacean recovery must follow and that whales would be accorded the respect […]
ABSORBING SPONGES ON THE BAHAMAS REEFS… It is a rather special and indeed specialist day today: it is #spongethursday, a component of the 11th World Sponge Conference (I’d add the logo, but it closely resembles a pink Covid symbol). Poriferaphiles everywhere should be celebrating these beautiful creatures today. Here are some gorgeous examples. Now you […]
HERMIT CRABS: SHELL-DWELLERS WITH MOBILE HOMES As everyone knows, Hermit Crabs get their name from the fact that from an early age they borrow empty seashells to live in. As they grow they trade up to a bigger one, leaving their previous home for a smaller crab to move into. It’s a benign** chain of […]
COOKIECUTTER SHARKS BEASTLY LITTLE SUCKERS The Cookiecutter shark Isistius brasiliensis (aka the less scary, more genial sounding ‘cigar shark’), might be an ideal candidate for a Room 101 nemesis.** These little beasts – a species of dogfish shark – are found in several mainly island-based areas dotted around the globe, including in Bahamas waters.
HOW COME THE NAME? These sharky little b@st@rds (scientific term) attack marine mammals and fishes, attaching themselves by suction and gouging out perfect round plugs of skin and flesh, leaving what are sometimes called ‘crater wounds’. Then they eat them. Imagine getting hold of a really sharp domestic cookie cutter with circular rows of razor-sharp teeth, and grinding it hard into your thigh. There! That! The size of an adult shark:16″ max The term ‘cookiecutter’ is also a pejorative slang term, meaning mass-produced, lacking in originality, or boringly samey, as in cookiecutter cars or TV genres etc. The little critters under consideration here are anything but…
HORRIFYING COOKIECUTTER FACTS
- Live in the depths, rise vertically in the day & dive back down at dusk
- Undersides have light-emitting ‘photophores’ which emphasise…
- …the dark collar which acts as a lure, resembling a small innocent fish
- Bioluminescence lures prey & confuses predators (more on this below)
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The glow is so strong it may last for some time after removal from water
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Their lips are ‘suctorial’ = they attach tightly to their target
- The jaws then gouge out the victim’s flesh in a remarkably neat circle
- Omni-vicious: any medium to large ocean creature is vulnerable to attack
- There are even occasional reports of humans being targeted
Here are two Blainville’s beaked whales that I photographed from the BMMRO research vessel. The top whale has a number of circular healed attack marks and a recent one. You can see how deep the gouged hole is. The other has well-healed scars.
- Multi-toothed: top rows of small teeth, rows of larger teeth on the bottom
- The lower teeth are the cutters, acting like a saw when locked on
- See header image and below for full details
HOW EXACTLY DO THEY DO WHAT THEY DO? I can explain it no better than the renowned authority Prof. W. K. P. Dear: “the suctorial lips ensure a tight seal. It then bites, using its narrow upper teeth as anchors while its razor sharp lower teeth slices into the prey. Finally, the shark twists and rotates its body to complete a circular cut, quite possibly aided by the initial forward momentum and subsequent struggles of its prey. The action of the lower teeth may also be assisted by back-and-forth vibrations of the jaw, a mechanism akin to that of an electric carving knife”.
ARE THESE SHARKS ‘PARASITES’, WOULD YOU SAY?
The behaviour of these sharks is an example of a symbiotic relationship between two species that is parasitic. This means essentially that one gains and the other suffers (eg humans & no-see-ums). This is distinct from commensalistic symbiosis, where one species gains and the other is unaffected (e.g. cattle egrets with cattle); and mutualistic symbiosis, where both gain (e.g. cleaner fish & groupers). So, in a word, yes.
- An ‘ambush predator’: these little sharks ‘hover’ in the water column waiting…
- They are capable of rapid movement to catch up & latch onto prey
- They will eat a passing small fish, crustacean or even squid as a snack
- Sometimes they operate in schools; there is safety in numbers
- The schools are thought to increase the ‘lure’ effect of the dark collar
A beached whale that’s been heavily targeted
FUN FACT TO COUNTERACT THE BAD STUFF
In the late c20, more than 30 U.S. Navy submarines were forced back to base to repair damage caused by cookiecutter shark bites, either to the neoprene footings of sonar domes or to rubber-sheathed cables. The problems were solved by using fibreglass. Oceanographic equipment and telecommunications cables are also recorded as being damaged by these sharks.
Cookiecutter Shark – the real deal
MONSTERS OF THE DEEP
These great cards from the weirdly spelled WIERD ‘N’ WILD CREATURES provide excellent factual info. Their CCS card is no exception. You’ll find more details here about the effect of the bioluminescence and so on, written as clearly as I might hope to.
“The worst thing in the world varies from individual to individual. It may be burial alive or death by fire, or by drowning, or by impalement, or fifty other deaths. There are cases where it is some quite trivial thing, not even fatal.” (George Orwell, 1984). Being in a tank with some cookiecutters might count.
Alright now… the wounds eventually heal
Credits: BMMRO – header image; beaked whale photos – Keith Salvesen / BMMRO; Te Ara NZ for the main jaw image; all small images with thanks to Wiki and respective photographers who took the time to upload them for all to enjoy & learn from; ‘wierdnwonderful creatures’ for the monster card; range map from Wiki
BREADFRUIT: NATURE’S BOUNTY (WITH ADDED MUTINY) Capt. William Bligh achieved fame for all the wrong reasons. Despite a distinguished and wide-ranging seafaring career he is widely remembered for just two things: (1) The Bounty and (2) Mutiny On. In 1787, he was dispatched to Tahiti to collect specimens of BREADFRUIT (a fruit of the Pacific islands, in particular Polynesia) to help provide food for the British colonies in the West Indies. To be clear, the breadfruit was intended to be a basic and cheap staple food not just for settlers but also for the indigenous population. I think we can all guess the status of the latter at that time.
‘BLIGH’S BLIGHT’ – MUTINY!
Capt. Bligh’s Bounty crew unfortunately mutinied – possibly to do with the amount of water the breadfruit required in transit, compared to their own meagre rations. So they threw overboard the hundreds of breadfruit plants that were in transit. Then they set Bligh with his loyal officers and crew adrift… He was later court-martialled but cleared of culpability for provoking a mutiny by his conduct (from a strictly legal viewpoint and on the bare facts, not a surprising ruling you might think).
This isn’t the place for a disquisition on the Mutiny. You can read all about it HERE. Or better still, watch one of the rollicking all-star-cast films based loosely on the episode for a careful and accurate historical record of the events that will buckle your swash…
BLIGH’S SECOND CHANCE
Following that skirmish, and indeed blemish, on his record, in 1793 Capt. Bligh was yet again charged with the task of shipping breadfruit trees from their origin to the Caribbean. His heart must have sunk at the prospect, yet finally he succeeded. However, he completed his journey only for those on the consumption end to express considerable distaste for such a bland, starchy fruit. It took a long time to catch on, and even longer for its culinary versatility to become appreciated.
The most famous breadfruit tree in all Abaco is to be found in Hope Town, on Elbow Cay. I can do no better than display the notice that proudly proclaims the historic significance of the tree and its eponymous fruit.
Unusually for a fruit plant, a true breadfruit Artocarpus altilis does not produce seeds. It is propagated by removing the suckers that grow at at the base of the tree.
For those unfamiliar with the fruit and its interior, here it is in both slice and cross-section
BREADFRUIT IN ART
Breadfruit has (somewhat surprisingly?) received some artistic recognition over the years. Here are a few examples. The first, very jolly, includes early representations of the Polydamus Swallowtail butterfly; the second is quite dull; the third is instructional (oddly equating breadfruit with tea, coffee and chocolate); and the fourth is not at all appetising to look at… nor, in the days of adhesive stamps, to lick.
Breadfruit with butterflies (Royal Botanic Garden, Kew)
Breadfruit (John Frederick Miller)
Breadfruit & related plants used as food (William Rhind (1841)
SO WHERE DOES BREADFRUIT GROW NOW?
Breadfruit will flourish only within a certain latitude range where the rainfall and temperature suit it, as this map shows. I include this information in case you ever find yourself in the awkward position of being socially stranded with someone whose conversation has become soporific. Be armed with some useful worldwide breadfruit stats for just such an occasion – the fact that Madagascar is a suitable yet not a very good location, for example (not enough rainfall). You will soon find yourself alone…
A CULINARY TREAT
Breadfruit is sometimes thought to be a dull and un-tasty, at least compared with many other fruits. I thought I’d include a recipe or two that rather appealed to me – the second because even I could do that… it’s within my shamefully limited culinary skill-set.
BAKED BREADFRUIT
Large, ripe breadfruit 1 cup water Butter 1 lime or lemon
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Put the water in a shallow pan and place the whole breadfruit in the water. Bake in oven for three hours. Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly, peel, removing the large core and stem. Cut the fruit into sections and place in a serving dish. Cover with butter and a squeeze of lime or lemon juice.
A PERFECT HOPE TOWN BREADFRUIT
BLIGH’S END
Capt. Bligh managed to put his breadfruit adventures and the mutiny behind him. He continued a distinguished naval career with successive command of an impressive number of ships. He ended up as a Vice-Admiral, and (on his death in 1817) in a grave in Lambeth, London.
This post was originally published a while back, inspired by an article on breadfruit and the Hope Town tree by local historian Deb ‘DP’ Patterson, known to many for her committed involvement with the Wyannie Malone Historical Museum in Hope Town. I’m grateful to her for permission to use her idea and indeed some of her material, in particular her photos of the tree and its notice.
HMS BOUNTY II (Full Sails). A 1960 reconstruction (Dan Kasberger)
Credits: First and foremost, Deb Patterson; Magpie Pickings including Hans Hillewaert, US Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, Royal Botanic Garden Kew, myrecipefriends, M Kwek, whatsonbahamas, Wyannie Malone Historical Museum, ‘Geograph’, Dan Kasberger, and Wiki; and anyone else I have omitted…
IS THIS THE REAL LIFE? IS THIS JUST FANS AT SEA? I am re-posting this sea fan article as 2021 rolls over into 2022 with much the same disruption, anxiety, and (for many) grief that we were all facing a year ago. The converse and somewhat rhapsodic title reflects the experience of many people since Covid engulfed the world. Life has become simultaneously real and surreal. It continues in many respects as normal yet who would have guessed that as we entered a new decade in 2020, the face mask would quickly become an essential (or anyway a medically recommended) part of daily life and remain so?
This post was written at a time of sunshine, normality and optimism, before Covid and even before the violent destructive force of Dorian in autumn 2019. Here’s some cheer from sea fans on the coral reefs of the Bahamas.
GALLERY OF GORGONIANS
The waters of Abaco teem with myriads of fish that depend on the coral reefs for shelter and safety, for breeding, for growing up in, and for nourishment. Sea fans (or gorgonians, to use the technical name) are animals too. They may look like plants and stay rooted to the spot, but like anemones these ‘soft corals’ are creatures of the reef and essential indicators of its health.
The purple sea fan Gorgonia ventalina (classified by Linnaeus in 1785) is one of the most common species of sea fan, and a spectacular one at that. The main branches are linked by a lattice of smaller branches. Below the ‘skin’ is a skeleton made of calcite compounded with a form of collagen.
Sea fans are filter-feeders, and have polyps with eight tiny tentacles that catch plankton as it drifts past. They develop so that their orientation is across the prevailing current. This maximises the water passing by and consequently the supply of food as the fans gently wave in the flow.
Gorgonians have a chemical defence mechanism that protects against potential troublemakers. The main effect is to make themselves unpleasant to nibble or uproot.
One species impervious to this deterrent is the fascinating FLAMINGO TONGUE SNAIL. Other ‘safe’ species include the fireworm and BUTTERFLYFISHES.
One benefit of sea fans to mankind is that their defensive chemicals have been discovered to provide the basis for drug research and development, specifically in the field of anti-inflammatories. Another benefit, of course, is that they are very beautiful to look at. And in bad times, that can only be good .
Credits: these wonderful photos were taken by Melinda & Keith Rodgers / Dive Abaco, Marsh Harbour; and Melinda & Fred Riger / Grand Bahama Scuba. Huge thanks to them all for allowing me to freely use their skilful underwater photography in this blog for the best part of a decade.
A SPECIAL FAN FOR A HAPPY AND HOPEFUL 2022
…and a parrot in a gumbo limbo tree… ABACO PARROTS: CHRISTMAS-COLOURED BIRDS A VERY HAPPY FESTIVAL OF FESTIVITY TO ALL FOLLOWERS OF ROLLING HARBOUR…
…AND TO EACH AND EVERY RANDOM DROP-BY TOO…
…AND HOPE, HEALTH & HAPPINESS & FOR 2022
Credits: Gerlinde Taurer & Nina Henry: photographed on Abaco, Bahamas for “The Birds of Abaco”
BUNTING(S) FOR AN ABACO CHRISTMAS
BUNTING /ˈbʌntɪŋ/ (Noun) 1. A small New World songbird of the cardinal subfamily 2. Flags and other colourful festive decorations
PAINTED BUNTING
Few birds radiate Yuletide vibes better than Painted Buntings, with their perfect festive colours. Here is a seasonal flock of them to enjoy. A very happy Christmas to those who kindly continue to visit Rolling Harbour, despite the unavoidable absence from the Bahamas of the Harbourmaster.
THE DELPHI CLUB GUIDE TO THE BIRDS OF ABACO
NEW! UNEXPECTED! There’s nothing like a massive house clear-out (after 42 years) to reveal lost possessions, forgotten treasures, and (for that matter) a few things best forgotten… Last Spring we began to prepare for a house-move, during which I found a box of bird books that I duly reported here (and happily sold). Recently, sorting through a packed shipping container parked in the unlikely setting of a local farm has revealed plenty of surprises, including a couple more boxes of BIRDS OF ABACO. There definitely aren’t any more. There may be one or two people who might like one / who lost their copy during Dorian / who are new to Abaco and its wonderful birdlife. Here is a chance to own one…
In the spirit of recycling I am reusing the original blurb because it still holds good today. The book is only ‘out of date’ to the extent that since publication about a dozen new species have been reported. Most were seen just the once, some for a few weeks at most. So although exciting, the newcomers were more ‘Birds Passing Through…’ than ‘Birds Of…’ Abaco
The originator of the idea for the book – as with the entire Delphi Club project – was Peter Mantle, the publisher. He took a risk based on my (then) quite feeble Rolling Harbour blog about the birds and other attractions of the island. The 2kg book took 16 months from conception to the arrival of three pallets of printed books on the dockside in Marsh Harbour, having travelled by a tortuous route from specialist printers in Italy.
As part of the project, Abaco schools, libraries and wildlife organisations were given copies for educational purposes. A percentage of profits was given to local wildlife causes. We quickly sold a great many copies, and couldn’t have been more pleased with the response to the book, a unique publication for the Bahamas. The captions (below) about the book and content were written much nearer the time, so I’ll leave them as they are. I hope you enjoy the photos even if you don’t want a copy!
The Guide showcases the rich and varied bird life of Abaco, Bahamas and features both resident and migratory species including rarities and unusual sightings. The main features are as follows:
- 272 pages with more than 350 photographs
- 163 species shown in vivid colour – nearly two-thirds of all the bird species ever recorded for Abaco
- Every single photograph was taken on Abaco or in Abaco waters
- All birds are shown in their natural surroundings – no feeders or seed trails were used
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Several birds featured are the first ones ever recorded for Abaco or even for the entire Bahamas
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A total of 30 photographers, both experienced and amateur, contributed to the project
- The book has had the generous support of many well-known names of Abaco and Bahamas birding
- A complete checklist of every bird recorded for Abaco since 1950 up to the date of publication was compiled specially for the book.
- A neat code was devised to show at a glance when you may see a particular bird, and the likelihood of doing so. Birds found at Delphi are also marked.
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Specially commissioned cartographer’s Map of Abaco showing places named in the book
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Informative captions intentionally depart from the standard field guide approach…
- …as does the listing of the birds in alphabetical rather than scientific order
- Say goodbye to ’37 warbler species on consecutive pages’ misery
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Say hello to astonishing and unexpected juxtapositions of species
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The book was printed in Florence, Italy by specialist printers on Grade-1 quality paper
- Printing took pairs of printers working in 6 hour shifts 33 hours over 3 days to complete
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The project manager and the author personally oversaw the printing
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The book is dedicated to the wildlife organisations of Abaco
- A percentage of the proceeds of sale will be donated for the support of local wildlife organisations
- A copy of the book has been presented to every school and library on Abaco
The book is published by the Delphi Club. The project was managed by a publishing specialist in art and architecture books. The author is the wildlife blogger more widely known on Abaco and (possibly) beyond as ‘Rolling Harbour’. Oh! So that would in fact be Mrs Harbour and myself. Well well! What were the chances?
BOOK LAUNCH BAHAMAS BIRDING ROYALTY (Tony White, Bruce Hallett, Woody Bracey), A COMMONER… & AN EMBARRASSING AMOUNT OF REFRESHMENT
BOOK SALE DETAILS I am pricing the books at $120 inc. shipping. They are in England, heavy, and expensive to post. 1/3 of the price will be the flight of the birds across the Atlantic. If you would like a copy and do not already have my contact details, email me at rollingharbour.delphi@gmail.com
Photos: Tom Sheley (3,4,9,10), Bruce Hallett (6,8), Gerlinde Taurer (1,7), Tony Hepburn (5), Keith Salvesen (2,11)
THE ORIGINAL FLYER
Recent weather conditions have mostly been perfect for launching the new BMMRO boat and continuing with ongoing marine mammal research. The field work at the moment is one aspect of the ‘Saving Abaco’s Dolphins after Hurricane Dorian’ project.
Acoustic research involves deploying specialised recorders to monitor sub-surface noise levels such as ship-generated sound. This helps to determine the effects of underwater noise pollution on marine mammals. Areas of concern can be identified and monitored. Naturally the dolphins take a keen interest as well, and there is plenty of opportunity to enjoy their company out on the water.
More general research includes compiling intricate records of dolphins encountered, noting specific characteristics. The dorsal fin is generally the most helpful ID marker, as they are all different – especially when there is some wear and tear to go by.
BMMRO records for dolphins go back a long way, and often involve two or more generations of the same family. Amazingly, during the last few days, a dolphin was encountered whose mother was first seen as a calf in 1992…
BMMRO are hosting a meeting in Hope Town to explain recent work and its results
BMMRO intern Jaylen gets to admire dolphins at close quarters in the Sea of Abaco
Dolphin Research . Sea of Abaco . Bahamas . BMMRO – all photos © BMMRO
‘TERN, TERN, TERN’: THE UN-NOTORIOUS BYRD COUSINS There are twelve species of tern – ‘swallows of the sea’ – that to a greater or lesser extent may be found on Abaco. Whether they will actually be visible at any given time is less certain, though. For a start, the only resident species is the lovely Royal Tern, available at many locations on Abaco and the cays throughout the year. The rest are migratory or just passing through.
PERMANENT RESIDENTS
ROYAL TERNS Thalasseus maximus PR1
MIGRATORY TERNS: SUMMER
In the slightly less commonly-found category are the summer migrant terns that, by definition, are only in residence for around half the year. Four of these are fairly common in certain areas, and actually breed on Abaco; these include arguably the prettiest of all, the bridled tern. The other two tern species (gull-billed and sandwich) are more rare and as far as I can make out do not breed locally; or perhaps only rarely.
LEAST TERN Sternula antillarum SR B 1
BRIDLED TERN Onychoprion anaethetus SR B 2
ROSEATE TERN Sterna Dougallii SR B 2
SOOTY TERN Onychoprion anaethetus SR B 2
GULL-BILLED TERN Gelochelidon nilotica SR 3
SANDWICH TERN Thalasseus sandvicensis SR 4
MIGRATORY TERNS: WINTER
There is one very rare winter resident migratory tern species, with few records of sightings for Bahamas and until early 2019, no photographic record for Abaco until Sally Chisholm saw one at Treasure Cay and managed to capture it for posterity.
FORSTER’S TERN Sterna forsteri WR 4
OCCASIONAL & RARE VISITORS
A further four tern species are very much occasionals that drop by. Three of them pass over the Bahamas on their longer migration, but may make a pit-stop around Abaco to take on fuel. Likelihood of sighting one? Slender but not impossible… the Caspian tern below was photographed on Abaco. The fourth, the Arctic Tern, is a very rare vagrant, a bird well away from its usual home or migration route as the result of storms or faulty satnav or sheer happenstance. Don’t travel to the Bahamas intent on seeing one.
CASPIAN TERN Hydroprogne caspia TR 4
The remaining species are the transient black tern and common tern; and the vanishingly rare vagrant Arctic tern. No photos of any of these I’m afraid. Here’s a handy checklist of all the tern species.
ELECTIVE MUSICAL DIGRESSION
Written by Pete Seeger, Turn x 3 was released in 1965, the title track on the second album by The Byrds. At a rather febrile time in US history (Vietnam, draft riots, civil rightists v cops and so on), this unusually palliative and thoughtful song with its religious connotations to some extent stood for peace and hope in a time of turmoil.
https://rollingharbour.files.wordpress.com/2019/06/4-02-turn-turn-turn-to-everything-there-is-a-season.mp3 PS the somewhat laboured title of this post shoehorns in the name of another Byrds album, ‘The Notorious Byrd Brothers’
Photo credits: Keith Salvesen (1, 2, 3, 5, 18); Tony Hepburn (4); Alex Hughes (10, 11); Bruce Hallett (6, 7, 12); Woody Bracey (8, 13, 16); Duncan Wright (9); Dick Daniels (14); Sally Chisholm (15); Keith Kemp (17)
‘CARRION SCAVENGING’: TURKEY VULTURES IN ABACO BAHAMAS Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) manage to be simultaneously majestic, hideous, revolting and socially vital, all packed into a single species… Right now there is a slew of online excitement about them, although it can’t be because it is ‘International Turkey Vulture Appreciation Day, which is on September 4th. Anyway, it’s always a good time to join a flock of admirers.
THE FACTS
The word ‘vulture’ derives from the latin word ‘vulturus‘ meaning ‘ripper’, ‘shredder’, or ‘very loud Metallica song*‘.
TUVUs have very good eyesight, and an acute sense of smell that enables them to detect the scent of decay (from the release of the chemical ethyl mercaptan) from a distance. A breeding pair will raise two chicks, which revoltingly are fed by the regurgitation of all the rank… oh, you fill in the rest…
These vultures are often seen in a spread-winged stance, which is believed to serve multiple functions that include drying the wings, warming the body, and baking bacteria. Possibly it also reduces the miasma of rotting meat that may surround them after a good meal.
TUVUs like best to perch on a vantage point – utility posts or wires are ideal.
You won’t ever hear them sing or call. They lack a SYRINX (the avian equivalent of a larynx), and their vocalisation is confined to grunting or hissing sounds. Here’s a hiss (at 10 / 15 secs).
10 SCAVENGED TURKEY VULTURE FACTS FOR YOU TO PICK OVER
- One local name for TUVUs is ‘John Crow’
- An adult has a wingspan of up to 6 feet
- Sexes are identical in appearance, although the female is slightly larger
- The eye has a single row of eyelashes on the upper lid and two on the lower lid
- TVs live about 20 years. One named Nero had a confirmed age of 37
- LEUCISTIC (pale, often mistakenly called “albino”) variants are sometimes seen
Leucistic TUVU * TUVUs are gregarious and roost in large community groups * They have few natural predators (perhaps for reasons of their hygiene deficiency) * Though elegant in flight, and users of thermals, they are ungainly on the ground and in take-off * The nostrils are not divided by a septum, but are perforated; from the side one can see through the beak
REVOLTING CORNER / DEPT OF ‘WAY TOO MUCH INFORMATION’****
SQUEAMISH? THEN LOOK AWAY NOW
UNATTRACTIVE HABITS The Turkey Vulture “often defecates on its own legs, using the evaporation of the water in the feces and/or urine to cool itself, a process known as UROHIDROSIS. This cools the blood vessels in the unfeathered tarsi and feet, and causes white uric acid to streak the legs”. The droppings produced by Turkey Vultures can harm or kill trees and other vegetation. Maybe don’t park your nice car under one of their perching posts…
HORRIBLE DEFENCES The main form of defence is “regurgitating semi-digested meat, a foul-smelling substance which deters most creatures intent on raiding a vulture nest. It will also sting if the predator is close enough to get the vomit in its face or eyes. In some cases, the vulture must rid its crop of a heavy, undigested meal in order to take flight to flee from a potential predator”
DIETARY NOTES TUVUs tend to prefer recently dead creatures, avoiding carcasses that have reached the point of putrefaction. They will occasionally resort to vegetable matter – plants and fruit (you could view this as their side-salad). They rarely, if ever, kill prey – vehicles do this for them, and you’ll often see them on roadsides feeding on roadkill. They also hang around water, feeding on dead fish or fish stranded in shallow water.
ECO-USES If you did not have birds like this, your world would be a great deal smellier and less pleasant place, with higher chance of diseases from polluted water and bacterial spread. TUVUs kept the highways clear and work their way round the town dumps recycling noisome items. Humans need them although, conversely, they don’t need humans.
FORAGING TUVUs forage by smell, which is uncommon in birds. They fly low to the ground to pick up the scent of ethyl mercaptan, the gas produced by the beginnings of decay in dead animals. Their olfactory lobe in the brain is particularly large compared to that of other animals.
SEX TIPS Courtship rituals of the Turkey Vulture involve several individuals gathering in a circle, where they perform hopping movements around the perimeter of the circle with wings partially spread. In humans, similar occasions are called ‘Dances’. A pair will fly, with the female closely following the male while they flap & dive… then they land somewhere private and we draw the veil…
My favourite graphic of all time Credits: Craig Nash (1); Keith Salvesen (2); Nina Henry (3, 5, 6); amy-at-poweredbybirds (4); Charlie Skinner (7); Xeno-Canto / Alvaric (sound file); Birdorable (TUVU cartoon); depressingnature.com (puking TUVU); Source material OS & magpie pickings. Adapted and updated from a previous version written a while back
*As Metallica so appropriately wrote and sweatily sang (luckily there’s no verse referencing urination, defecation and puking). ALERT don’t actually play the video – the song hasn’t aged well! In fact… it’s terrible. Woe woe indeed…
The vultures come
See the vultures come for me
Fly around the sun
But now too late for me
Just sit and stare
Wait ’til I hit the ground
Little vultures tear
Little vultures tear at flesh