Tobago

Sundown on Pigeon Point beach
The friend that I made on the beach. He came all the way down the beach with me to take pictures.
Calabash gourds are marvellous as bird feeders or as outdoor lanterns when used with tea lights. They are meticulously worked and carved into all types of unique shapes. They are useful for so many things.


We met these macaws on an afternoon drive through Bacolet one afternoon. They live at a lovely little boutique called the The Cotton House . Neither Macaw is indigenous to Tobago. The blue and gold was once quite prevalent in Trinidad but are now quite rare. Our Forestry division is currently reintroducing several back into the wild. The red macaws are not usually seen on the islands. They are indigenous to South America. I owned a blue and gold that I had from a completely featherless baby. His name was Zak and he was hand fed andI had no idea how loyal and intelligent they are until I owned one. I would not encourage the black market trade now but it is still painful to see the smuggled babies when they come through from the mainland. The Forestry division is very good now and have clamped down on the smuggling of these beautiful birds. Zak had free rein in our house and walked around terrorizing the other animals and destroying the furniture. When I began travelling for work, I gave him to a farm where there were lots of other macaws for him to bond with. He was very happy until all the birds caught a virus and died. I still feel guilty.This flower is Pride of Barbados. I'm not sure if it is related to the Flamboyant family as the buds and leaves are so similar. I will have to check.