Back on the Turtle Trail
Since returning to St. Martin, I’ve been out twice surveying the beaches at Grandes Cayes and Petites Cayes for sea turtle tracks and nests. We still haven’t seen any at these beaches, but another volunteer did see a hawksbill turtle on a local beach, so our luck may change soon.
I did get a few bird photos, mostly from the area near Eastern Point. This area is popular with the American kestrel, probably because the low vegetation allows it to hover above and see prey easily. Laughing gulls and magnificent frigatebirds are also often there as well, frequenting the nearby shallows and intertidal area. I believe the frigatebird in the photos may be a young male in the process of changing into its adult plumage. The juvenile has a white head and neck, while the adult male is a very dark brown or black.