Antigue 9. 'Sail and Snorkel' Cruise

 Early in our holiday, we booked a trip on a catamaran along the coast to a barrier reef where we could do some proper snorkelling and view the coral and also come back under sail. Well that was the theory but unfortunately by the time Thursday arrived the wind had strengthened so the sail stayed furled and only Holly, who had snorkelled before, was able to make it away from the boat. Second time in my life I have failed to view a coral reef. Unfotunately, I hadn't given Holly the camera!! So here some shots of our resort from the sea and the nearest I got to underwater paradise when swimming around the resort. (Last two shots commercial images for my records)

Antigua 8. Premium Perches at the Lagoon

We walked to the nearest large lagoon three times during our stay and enjoyed time watching the various water birds at different times of day and lighting conditions. Most of these are from a late morning visit when the sun was high and the birds fairly inactive. 1-3 Pelicans spend a lot of time preening and their feathers blend well with the old trunks that they rest on. 4 Ruddy Turnstones like our Turnstones like to roost in groups while the Cattle (5) and Great White Egret (6) use high perches to get the best view. Other IDs - 7,8  Black-Crowned Night Herons; 9 Belted Kingfisher diving and 10 Spotted Sandpiper (winter plumage).

Antigua 7. Birds, Lizards and Focus-Stacked Insects

We are now back in the UK having been blown in by the gale this morning and I am continuing to sort through the images taken of the wildlife.

The local lizards and small birds (1,2 Leach's Anole Lizard, 3,4 Lesser Antillean Bullfinch male and female and 5,6 Banaquits) love licking up any sugar crystals. 7 Gulf Fritillary, 8, 9,10 Focus-stacked images from the early morning macro session - Tropical Chequered Skipper, Watt's Anole Lizard, Bluebottle. 

Antigua 6.Colourful St John's

St. John’s, one of the oldest towns in the Caribbean,  was originally built after the French invasion of 1666 and is laid out in a grid pattern leading towards the busy harbor. Fires  in 1769 and 1841 destroyed many of the original buildings, but there are still many buildings over 150 years old with diverse architecture including Georgian and Victorian buildings. Today it is a town of contrasts between the luxury cruise ships and passengers that visit the bustling tourist trading areas and the local folk with their markets and slower pace of life. We concentrated our time with the latter aspect.

Antigua Day 5 Early Morning Macro

The previous evening we had found an area where the butterflies were roosting so we returned in the morning to see what we could capture with out macro lenses. THe insects etc were covered with dew drops early on. 1. Another type of Wasp spider possibly the St John's Cross Spider. Scrub Hairsteak 3. Great Southern White Male 4. Tropical Chequered Skipper 5. Tropical Buckeye 6. Little Yellow 7.8. to be identified 9. Lizard species 10 Tetrio Sphinx Moth caterpillar