If you have been longing for a place to experience a whiff of nature, where you’d see some of the world’s most beautiful animals, think of St. Vincent. On a small island with humid mountain forests, St. Vincent is home to uniquely coloured parrots that shine different brightly coloured like a rainbow. Albeit small compared to Maine’s own Mount Desert Island, a stay in St. Vincent is a big win for nature lovers.
Found within the chain of small stand-alone islands in the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean, St. Vincent is a part of the sea that forms an arc that extends from the east side of Puerto Rico to nearly South America. Like the north to south Guadeloupe Grenadines, Lucia, Dominica, Martinique, and Grenada, St. Vincent has not less than one species of bird that occurs there but nowhere else in the world.
St. Vincent’s forest is not just famous for its strikingly beautiful parrots but also because of the strong feelings that come with the named whistling warbler – a small, dark retiring warbler with a visible chalky ring around the eye.
Shouldn’t we count ourselves lucky to be among the people who have ventured into the hazy, mysteriously delightful mountain forests of St. Lucia to find these beautiful birds?
Albeit our twin trips were pretty short, but the memories can never be erased. We travelled there to lead birding trips for National Audubon and engaged the assistance of local nature guides to help us see and appreciate the birds.
We felt at home as New Englanders hiking the trail with the name Vermont Nature Trail. The trail led us to a tropical forest that brought us to a custom-made viewing platform that looked out across a lush valley. We talked in hushed tones while waiting in that place that is revered and unique. No sooner had we waited than we heard the raucous, distinct sounds of parrots calling and edging close. A small flock with rapidly flapping wings showing a bright yellow flash winged their way across the open valley.
We all stood silent, in awe.
As we hiked back to where we were parked, the constant repeat of the whistling warbler reverberated throughout the forest. One of such echoes put on one of us a startled face.
But recently, we have heard the unexpected and sad news: the volcano on the northern end of St. Vincent has erupted. Twenty thousand residents have been forcibly displaced because the ash spread to many parts of the island, enveloping the atmosphere.
Albeit it is not possible to understand what the living things like the birds do under these harsh conditions, it is clear that for many of them, life is precious, which are in the hardest-hit areas. State biologists and rangers have been on the lookout for birds and other wildlife struggling to cope so they can be brought back to health in rehabilitation centres.
