We booked a week away during the dry season, only to find there was rain every day, albeit mainly at night but when it did come down there was an awful lot! Added to this, temperatures were above those expected with afternoons reaching 34 degrees Celsius. Consequently, humidity was quite high despite the trade winds.
We spent 4 nights in the south, with its predominantly poorer areas, with another 4 nights in the north where tourism is concentrated and more money had been spent on roads and the provision of the island's only dam and reservoir.
It was necessary to be out shortly after first light to see many of the species before they retreated into the forested areas away from roads, tracks and paths.
Lesser Antillean Pewee
St Lucian Warbler
Des Cartier trail
Long-tailed Skipper
St Lucia Anole
St. Lucia Black Finch
Pearly-eyed Thrasher
Bananaquit, the most ubiquitous bird on the island
Antillean Crested Hummingbird
Purple-throated Carib
Bizzy Lizzy, edible and taste like green apples
Gray Trembler
After our tour of Sylvano's Grand Estate. We were pleased to see and identify a bird that he has been seeing over the last few years but couldn't identify. We were also able to get a record shot of the Black-throated Blue Warbler female.
Black-throated Blue Warbler (record shot), a rather rare winter visitor.
Pineapple, the fruit of a bromeliad, producing just one fruit per year.
Lesser Antillean Bullfinch male
Brown Booby and Magnificent Frigatebird on an small island just off Pigeon Island
Tropical Mockingbird
The view from Pigeon Island
Cassius Blue
Giant tree fern
Pitons behind Soufriere, the former island capital
One of the 21 skipper species on the island, possibly Fiery Skipper
Spectacled Thrush
Great Southern Whites
Horses and cows are tethered and left to graze wherever there is grass.
The rain is just something to be ignored.
St Lucian Thrasher
Typical house fronts in the coastal towns
Lesser Antillean Saltator
Gulf Fritillary
On this volcanic island there are some interesting rocks to be found.
Bird sanctuary at Millet
Mobile green grocer at Pigeon Island
Silver linings after the rain
There was rather too much rain
Shadow, guard dog at the second Air B'n'B and a very good boy.
Strong winds catch the surf on incoming waves
All mid to large sized housing had some form of veranda,
many were also on stilts and bright colouring was a must.