iNat Nature Survey at Nelson's Spring on Nevis this year
During this year's 2024 visit to Nevis, I asked Miriam Knorr of NHCS (Nevis Historical and Conservation Society) if there was something I could do to be helpful. Miriam replied that it would be great if I would go iNatting at Nelson's Spring in order to create a similar survey to the one I performed at Fort Ashby in 2022. These surveys are designed to help NHCS by gathering information that helps advance their work on Nevis.
Here is the Fort Ashby report:
https://www.inaturalist.org/posts/64478
Nelson's Spring is a large freshwater spring on the eastern coast of Nevis in the Cotton Ground area. The spring has created a fairly large freshwater pond which, surprisingly, backs right up against the beach on the east side. Admiral Lord Nelson, the great British naval hero, while he was a young officer stationed on Nevis, he used to use the Spring to provision all British ships with freshwater as they were sailing past.
I first saw Nelson's Spring more than 20 years ago when it was shown to me by the late Jim Johnson. It was one of the most glorious natural areas I have ever seen in my life, breath-takingly beautiful, and extremely rich in species. I was shown it from the beach side where we peeked through a wall of living vegetation like opening the curtains on a stage a little bit. The pond was in dim light with a ceiling composed of interior of the canopies of coconut palms. It looked like a nature church. The surface of the pond was all covered in flowering water lilies. The air between was filled with countless colorful butterflies and dragonflies in flight.
Unfortunately, many years after I first saw the pond, for some unknown reason, earth-moving equipment was brought in and all the trees and bushes were cleared from the entire area. Then, after that, cattle were brought in to graze the grasses. This resulted in the entire area becoming very degraded, trampled, disturbed and polluted. What a shame. Also invasive cattails got introduced somehow, and they spread like crazy through the entire area.
Finally, just a few years ago, NHSC decided to do what they could to try to rescue the area, to see if they could restore some of its original beauty and richness. It is my job to try to help out with this process.
This morning Nikki and I went into town to go to The Market to buy fruit and veggies for our meals for the final 10 days that Ed and I are here on Nevis. Then we went over to the beach at the RestHaven ruins to see if any interesting shells had washed up there now. After that we drove south on the main road until we came to Nelson's Spring. If you look towards the ocean, the freshwater pond is clearly visible from the main road. We parked the car on the southeastern side, and got out and started to walk around the edge of the area, making observations of all various organisms as we went. I got tired and hungry after an hour or two, and my injured foot started to hurt a lot, so then we drove back to the hotel at Oualie.
Today I was only able to survey a small part of the Nelson's Spring area. I hope to do at least one more visit there before we leave Nevis on May 12th.
The next day Friday May 3rd, both Ed and I got in a taxi and went to Nelson's Spring again, this time starting my observing near the ocean on the south side. We stayed two hours.
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RESULTS OF THE OVERALL SURVEY:
ANIMALIA:
BIRDS:
Gallinule -- one adult and three chicks
Magnificent Frigatebird -- two out over the ocean
Western Cattle Egret -- several
Mammals:
Domestic Sheep -- droppings, and a live herd
Domestic Cattle -- droppings
Fish
Fish in the small streams and under the duckweed
INSECTS:
Western Honeybee
Fly (very small)
Beetles:
Omophoita albicolis I saw at least two of them
Spined Assassin Bug -- One was trapped in the insect net when I was trying to catch a butterfly. Nice bug!
True bugs:
Brachyplatys subaeneus I saw one.
LEPIDOPTERA/BUTTEFLIES:
White Peacocks -- many
Small yellows -- many
Cloudless Sulphurs -- several
Blues -- several
Green and yellow caterpillar on unknown plant (Senna?)
Gulf Fritillary -- several near the ocean
Monarch -- two not far from the ocean
ODONATA
Banded Dragonets -- several
Also a clear-winged species of dragonfly, somewhat greenish in color ad larger than the Dragonets.
Damselflies;
Rambur's Forktail
CRABS:
Land Crabs -- burrows seen
Atlantic Ghost Crabs -- burrows seen
Blackbacked land crab -- shed claw cover
MOLLUSCA:
GASTROPODA:
Physidae -- live in the pond right under the duckweed
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FUNGI
Agricales, gilled mushrooms -- one species
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PLANTAE
TREES:
Country Almond
Neem
Indian Mango
White Cedar
Coconut Palm
Royal Palm -- planted
BUSHES/SMALL TREES
Twisted Acacia
White Leadtree
Turkey Berry
Sea Grape
Castor Bean
Coinvine
SOFT PLANTS AND WEEDS
Coral Vine
Trailing Daisy
Tridax Daisy
Bellyache Bush
Herb of Grace
Creeping Tick trefoil
Turkey Tangle Frogfruit
Little Ironweed
Goatweed
Marsh Fleabane
Teasel Gourd
Asian Spiderflower
Giant Milkweed -- a few very young plants near the main road
Cuban Jute
Nodeweed
Dayflowers
Brazilian Bachelor's Button
Rough Cocklebur
Stinking passionflower
FRESHWATER PLANTS
Duckweed
Water Lettuce
Water Lily
Southern Cattail
GRASSES
Brownseed Paspalum
and many others