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Bahama Parrots are only found on two islands in the archipelago:
Abaco and Inagua. In adapting to the islands they have developed different nesting
behaviours. On Abaco the parrots nest in limestone cavities in the ground, and they nest
in trees on Inagua. These parrots are feeding in an Orange Geiger tree in Matthew Town.
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Campers snorkelled at a great nearshore reef in Man-O-War Bay, and also at Union Creek.
At Union Creek some of the boys were looking into old conch shells to find juvenile fish.
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The group stands in front of the entrance to the Inagua National Park. The National Park is accessed by driving through a maze of salt pans.
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The group stops to look in the canal at Morton's salt. Many juvenile and larval fish are sucked into the
canals through the pumping stations. As a result, they have become home to snapper, barracuda, tarpon,
grunts and many other species of fish.
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Sandy Point Environmental Camp (SPEC) - Annual Field Trip to Inagua, 2007.
This April, a group of campers from Sandy Point Environmental Camp visited Inagua, the southernmost Bahamian island. Along for the trip were SPEC campers Valentino
Pinder, Nickheem Roberts, Teresha Burrows, Zaneo Delancy, Dario Gaitor and Rashea Burrows. Chaperones were Nickheem's Dad, Nicholas Roberts, BMMRO Research Assistant Kiya Gornik
and SPEC Director Olivia Patterson.
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Burrowing Owl
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The purpose of the trip was to do a comparative study between the islands of Abaco and Inagua. Campers had the chance to explore new habitats and to see many new species.
This was the third off-island field trip for SPEC. To date six chaperones and 17 campers have had the opportunity to visit Inagua with SPEC directors.
Inagua is most well known for having the largest breeding population of West Indian Flamingos in the world. Inagua is also home to the world's largest solar salt operation, Morton's Salt.
Morton's ship salt around the world for purposes such as de-icing roads and packing fish.
SPEC rented a house in Matthew Town, the only settlement on the island. We were there for four days and three nights, the perfect amount of time to see the highlights
and to get a feel for the island. Our house was in a quiet corner of town, and we were lucky to have Bahama Parrots and Burrowing Owls right in the area.
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West Indian Flamingo chicks are born with white feathers. They become pink as they grow up.
The colour in their feathers comes from the crustaceans they eat. The pinker they are, the healthier they are.
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Our guide was Mr. Colin Ingraham of Great Inagua Tours. Colin has many years of experience as a nature guide and bonefisherman, so he knows the island like the
back of his hand, especially the maze of salt pans where flamingos, ducks, roseate spoonbills and other birds can be found.
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Valentino Pinder stands proudly at the top of the Matthew Town lighthouse.
There are more than 100 steps to the top! Behind 'Tino is a Morton's Salt pumping station, one of the locations where sea water enters the solar
salt process.
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There are two national parks on the island: Inagua National Park and Union Creek Reserve. Inagua National Park was created to protect the feeding and
breeding grounds of the flamingos. Inagua's flamingo population was brought back from near extinction by two resourceful hunters turned wardens. Union Creek
Reserve is a natural mangrove creek system that is home to many turtles and rays. The University of Florida has been researching turtles there for years.
Both parks are part of the Bahamas National Trust Park system.
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