But we did bird a little bit, and there are some distinctly odd birds on the islet. A Green Breasted Mango was on the flowers by the main lodge. A Yellow-belllied Sapsucker had drilled and was policing sap wells on the mangroves by our deck. Green and Great Blue Herons fished the shallows between the islet and the reef. Ruddy Turnstones worked through the seaweed mats on the windward side. A Belted Kingfisher hunted the lagoon, along with an Osprey.

I spent some time stalking birds with the big lens. They are remarkably variable in their tolerance for big pale Alaskans with cameras. The Great-tailed Grackle was spooky; the Double-crested Cormorant was mellow. The Yellow Warbler was utterly uncooperative.

Meals - three a day - are served at our tables on the lodge deck. Just a foot or so above the sand, the sand fleas aren't a problem. The food is quite good given the constraints, and seems to be in a half-anglicized Garifuna traditional fare. Considering everything must come over by open boat, the variety is remarkable. The staff is charming.

But it is a bit isolated. There is one phone and it takes credit card calls only. I had a series of hassles with my credit card, and I learned just how expensive it is.

Nancy struggled a bit with a bug and extreme itch reactions to sand flea bites. Oddly, despite dozens of bites, I didn't have any itching.

Female Great-tailed Grackle	Brown Pelican	Double-crested Cormorant
Ruddy Turnstone	Brown Pelican Diving	Brown Booby