Critters

19th October 2024

As we speak we have a Barbados bullfinch holed up in our bedroom. The little blighter is not having any of our gentle encouragement to leave the room and is ignoring all open windows and doors. He seems to like it above the wardrobe. So far the fallout has not been too shitty but obviously we want him gone … blasted little critter. Other birds are everywhere, two types of hummingbird are frequently seen, the daft green heron perches on the diving board … there is nothing there for you mate. We have also had a brief glimpse of an osprey on the top of the mahogany tree. WOW.

As for other creatures that call Pollards “home”…….

The green monkeys visit almost daily. They feast on the hog plums causing a huge shower onto the grass usually about an hour after we have raked them up!! Four wheelbarrows of the stuff today. Lorks.

Brian says ….“Dey tief more dan people, dey should be in jail” he is hilarious, we have developed a great relationship already.

Little lizards are everywhere… my younger brother Mark used to call them lizardi and so they have become named. Their poo is alarming – like mouse poo but we now know it has a tiny white end, so we can tell the difference phew.

We have both millipedes and centipedes. Easy to tell apart when you know how. The latter is a nasty critter and delivers an extremely painful sting. My mother tried to kill one with her flip flop and mishit, quick as a flash it flipped its sting into her finger. Honestly within a minute or two the finger was so swollen the tip went blue. Elevation, ice and some serious rum anaesthetic was dispensed that evening. I don’t think you need telling which is which from the photos … the evil critter stands out a mile.

The Frangipani hawkmoth caterpillar is absolutely huge and quite beautiful as opposed to its future self which is absolutely huge and dull as ditchwater. A huge toad couple have taken up residence in the pool room and we have (as are ubiquitous throughout the island) so many of these tiny frogs who start their serenade as the light falls and as the fireflies come out like fairy lights.

An update on the bullfinch .. once again my hero .. Richard has gently rescued him and set him free into the tree. No beasts were harmed in the blog.