Green Iguana

Iguanas tend to take on the color of their environment. The one in the photo spends much of his time between two big trees, an amarat and a manjack.Very young ones tend to be an iridescent green.

Cruz Bay Park

The work on the beautification and renovation of the Franklin Powell Parkin Cruz Bay was completed sometime last month, well in time for the next tourist season and before the interruption of any potential tropical disturbances during the Atlantic Hurricane Season, but not in time for the St. John Festival .

Little Cinnamon

Little Cinnamon Bay, between “Big” Cinnamon and Peter Bays, is the only north shore beach on St. John where anchoring (in the sand) near the beach is permissible.

bananaquit and amarat flower

The amarat is often mistaken for the obnoxious wild tamarind, especially when it’s small. The amarat, however, matures into a tall hardwood tree and produces attractive flowers in the spring. It belongs to the acacia family (locally called kasha) but unlike its unfriendly relatives the amarat bark is smooth and spineless. In the photo on top, a bananaquit sucks the nectar from an amarat flower

American Kestral

The telephone pole that I can see from my deck seems to be a favorite perch for this American kestral also known as a sparrow hawk or killy killy