Tropical Storm Fiona was scheduled to pass directly over Anguilla on the evening of September 16, 2022. Preparations were made across the island just in case the storm ramped up prior to landing. At my house, that means securing everything that is not nailed down including furniture, plants and bird feeders.
With that task accomplished, I took a drive around our wetlands to see what sort of bird activity was happening. In my experience, birds are a clear indicator of what kind of weather is in store for us. If birds are present on the ponds, you can pretty much plan that things won’t be too bad. If there are no birds, it’s time to run!
One has to pause when you realize all but one of the boats has been hauled from Island Harbour! The Magnificent Frigatebirds were keeping their usual guard position over the harbour. A very encouraging sight!
Although numbers were low, there were still enough birds around to feel pretty confident we would be ok.
We were lucky that Fiona stayed a Tropical Storm and made a slight turn to the south, giving Anguilla a bit of a break. It did bring buckets of rain making our cisterns and gardens smile.
In the aftermath, the seabirds seemed to be rejoicing in the fact that the bait fish were on the move. My waterfront location gave me a front row seat to rafting juvenile Brown Boobies, a variety of terns and a precocious pelican.
As Fiona passed Anguilla, she strengthened significantly bring destruction to those in her path. Although we dodged this bullet, our thoughts go out to all the islands impacted. We have been there, and know what you are experiencing.
Check out our YouTube companion reel showing a few moments we shared with our seabird friends.