Polly want a cracker?

One walking group of the RMHYC leaves at 6:15 in the morning.  It sounds dreadful but we frequently get to see a beautiful sunrise over the Sea of Abaco. Our walk takes us all over the island, but we have 3 main routes: East Bay to town, the Jib Room walk up to Mermaid Beach, and the Eastern Shore route by the ferry.  

One morning a flock of Bahama parrots (AKA Abaco Parrot) decided to join us over head.  The parrots make a very distinctive squawking sound and if they are close enough it is impossible not to identify them by their dark green feathers and rosy red throat and white crown.  Christopher Columbus noted seeing these parrots in his journals back in 1492.  These parrots are rare today and can be found only in Abaco and Great Inaqua.  The decline of habitat, hunting and capture as pets have greatly decreased the population.  The feral cat population prey on the nesting female which are frequently killed or maimed in the attack. 

The parrots are protected today by the Bahamian Wild Bird Protection Act of 1952 and the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna.  Fruit of the poison wood, pigeon berry and wild guava are some of the favorite foods of the Abaco parrot.  They also enjoy seeds from the cones of the Caribbean Pine.  

The last photograph shows how well the parrots  blend into the surrounding environment. If they weren’t so noisy flying overhead, we may have never noticed them once they landed in the trees.

Joy