I've been trying to write a blog post since the 23rd of June. Most of the things that have been on my mind since then have made me pretty fed up, but today I was standing on the beach near the place I live (temporarily) in Montserrat, and I felt capable of writing something pleasant again. So here are a few of my favourite things from the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean.
Leeward Racer
This is a snake native to Montserrat, and I really like them. So far I haven't managed to catch one, but there's time yet.
The tiny Antillean Crested Hummingbird This little hummingbird is my favourite species of anything on the island. It is so small and flappy. I can't help but watch it for ages on end whenever one is about. My co-scientist Emma, and I enter a melting cooing type phase whenever one is nearby, sometimes for up to fifteen minutes, during which time we are just making gurgling noises and holding one sided conversations with nature.
Barry the bee There is a leaf-cutter mason bee that frequently builds nests in our dining room. I have named him Barry. Unfortunately, it's difficult to identify individual bees, so I'm not really sure whether new bees (one I've named Carrie) is actually Barry and I've confused them. Either way, leaf-cutter bees are amazing and construct incredible nests where they lay their larvae by cutting out bits of leaf then gluing them together into a bee-rilliant house. I will cease all bee based chat, because I've already told loads of people about the bee and I imagine it might be getting a bit old.
These interesting beetles Unidentified - conservation folk and zoologists, please help me! They are only in two spots on the island, and the adults walk around in pairs, butt to butt, while the juveniles seemingly have a different pattern and do not pair up. The ones with the pattern (adults, I assumed) that are paired up are always attached to one another - I have never seen them separated, and trust me I've been paying attention. I've tried hard to find out what they are called, but no luck as yet. I am hoping someone might be able to tell me?