Salt Pond Wetlands
Saint Martin has at least sixteen salt ponds, most of which are both heavily polluted and important wetland habitats. Often ringed with mangroves, they’re a great place to see a variety of birds as well as iguanas and invertebrates.
The first photos in this post are from Étang Chevrise near Orient Bay. In the late afternoon, there was a large flock of pelicans and a mysterious chicken egg on a rock in the water. I also found a number of interesting spiders.
At Étang Guichard, between Grand Case and Friars’ Bay, a family of common moorhens was out feeding. I am particularly fond of moorhen chicks because they are bald.
A few days after that, we also saw moorhen families at the Great Salt Pond, as well as some black-necked stilts and a green heron.
