Under the Spell of Barbuda

A magical day!

There are things you can’t reach. But you can reach out to them, and all day long. The wind, the bird flying away. The idea of god. And it can keep you busy as anything else, and happier. -Mary Oliver

As we sped across the shallow lagoon, we spied a dark cluster of birds soaring hundreds of feet above the mangrove revealing the sanctuary’s location. As George tucked the boat into a corner of the mangrove, we found ourselves in the midst of the largest rookery this side of the Atlantic. Barbuda’s frigate colony outsizes the one in the Galapagos. An exact count isn’t known but sources I consulted say there are between 2500-6000 nesting pairs in this lagoon, a good percentage of the world-wide population estimate of 70,000-100,000. The birds are long-lived, averaging 20 years, but George said people think they can live 40 years. They don’t really have any natural predators, he added- mostly humans destroying wetlands habitat. Rats and stoats in some settings will raid the young but George confirmed that most people do not consider them good eating. Adult males will, however, raid unattended nests, destroying the nests and eating eggs or the young.

Airborne;those upside down jellyfish(free stock photo), a gawky baby, hello!; the tourists and George, goats deciding which way to go.

We looked around us. The frigates sure don’t have much need of personal space! Males strutting their stuff on their perches, others bringing nesting materials to their loves while fellow competitors swoop in to snatch the sticks, a few chicks, nesting females, resting birds of all ages- and even a few dead ones- crowded in closely. Ocean boobies sat amongst the frigates, casually surveying their neighbors. The air filled with chirps and drumming, the sound of wings flapping, and yes, the smell of guano. One juvenile sat blinking his eyes less than a foot from me, sleepily regarding me in the midday sun. Some stretched out their wings and flapped(a cooling mechanism); males inflated and deflated their pouches. None of these birds cared that we had just crashed their living quarters. Most looked right past us. We were enthralled.

I am so excited about frigates- and Barbuda- that I spent most of a day(and a whole lot of cell data) researching the particulars of the birds, their habits, as well as the history of Barbuda. A few interesting factoids: female frigates lay one egg. The babies are born after 53–61 days of incubation. The chicks are born naked but soon become balls of fluff. The dads hang around for three months total, so that leaves about a month of nurturing by my calculation. As the chick becomes a juvenile, it practices hunting by playing at stick stealing. They finally gain independence around one year, diving for flying fish or pirating from fellow sea birds. Frigates can soar indefinitely at heights over 2 miles. Their wings though, are not waterproof, so if they fall into the water they cannot get out. George said he once saw two frigates help a bird out that ended up waterlogged. I wrote so many pages! Our explorations were in danger of turning into a dissertation, so I will drop a resource here if you’re interested in learning more. https://travisaudubon.org/murmurations/bird-of-the-week-magnificent-frigatebird

George patiently waited while we oohed and ahhed, feasting on the scene unfolding around us. While Joe observed and snapped photos(that men and questions thing), I peppered him with questions as I nerded out on these birds. We love their nicknames: man-o-war and pirates of the sea. Did I mention the upside down jellyfish and other birds we saw?

As the sun climbed higher in the sky, we zipped back towards Codrington, the only town on Barbuda(island population ~1600). We set our for Claire Frank’s ArtCafe, about a 3/4 mile walk, so the Doyle book said. Apparently, we did not follow the directions. We meandered down a few turns passing goats, many homes, some untouched since Hurricane Irma, others under construction. We passed a horse or two out for unaccompanied walks, others tethered while busily eating grass. We were thirsty, dusty and hot, ready for the sea grape-infused vodka tonic and rum punch Claire mixed for us soon after our arrival.

The ArtCafe is a magical place. Cool, thick brightly painted walls with open windows airily sheltered us from the sun. The cafe adjoins Claire and Mackenzie Frank’s home. Their grown daughters, children in tow, busied themselves caring for the children and working in a guest house they were building. As Claire prepared the lobster-themed lunch we’d requested, I leafed through the piles of books in island history, cuisine, and seafaring. Claire’s vibrant silk painting and the crafts of local artisans are for sale in this cozy space. There is even artfully packaged pink sand from the fabled beaches and sea salt scooped from the communal salt plant as possible souvenirs.

After Claire mixed the cocktails, she whisked some small rolls to the table alongside some sweet butter. The warm rolls were baked just up the road at Sunbee’s Bakery. We had already stopped and met Sundavia, who assured us she would still be baking when we walked back.

Then we dug into a refreshing lobster salad cocktail.

Soon after, Claire bright out the piece de resistance, lobster linguini with Parmesan on the side. The sauce packed a pleasant peppery kick.

Codrington! ArtCafe and Sundaiva’s bakery.

As we ate, we visited. Claire laughingly mentioned that she left England for Barbuda more than 30 years earlier for love. Staying doesn’t really need explaining as we relaxed, appreciating the cozy home and full life that Claire and her family lead in this little slice of paradise.

Claire described the history and present situation in Barbuda a little more in detail. We discussed the communal land ownership which gives the right to any Barbudian and their descendants to use up to three parcels of land to build a home, business or use land for agriculture. The open space is shared to fish, hunt and enjoy. A resident comes before the council to pitch their plan. If it is determined sound, the resident is free to build. This concept has come under pressure as the quest for unspoiled shoreline and investment by big money have found the island. You can learn more at: Crossing Continents, The Struggle for Barbuda's Future

   I was so motivated to investigate after we three touched on many topics that I started to write the history in detail here as it is fascinating but also complex. I offer a shabby super summary below as you can read more www.Barbuda.net

 The first people of Barbuda arrived 3000 or more years ago by canoe. Eventually Arawak and Kalinago people resided here; there are petroglyphs created by Arawak in at least one of the local caves. Caribs eventually replaced the peaceful Arawak as they did elsewhere throughout the Caribbean. The fierce Caribs pretty successfully resisted colonization until the British crown gave Barbudato the Codrington family in 1685 for “one fat sheep a year if demanded.” The Codringtons intended to use the island to supply nearby islands with more slaves, as well as food products. Recorded uprisings against the cruelties of slavery began in 1741. Barbudians emancipated themselves after 1834, as they were not named in the Slavery Emancipation Act beginning a modern history of self-determination.

  The afternoon sun began to slant heavily into the western sky. We knew we needed to leave Claire to her art, family, and (gratefully for us) the dishes. Before we left, she returned with a package of frozen venison kabobs for Joe, as well as a description of her preferred method of preparation. We wistfully waved good-bye but brightened at the thought of stopping by Sunbee Bakery.

   We knocked and Sundavia quickly appeared. I caught a glimpse of a shiny convection oven and sturdy tabletop mixer through the open door. Sunbee Bakery is well-equipped to turn out a lot of baked goods in a small space, a familiar feeling to me. That day, she had sandwich rolls, baguettes, and sweet raisin rolls for very reasonable prices (cash only). We choose the first two. We already knew from our lunch at the ArtCafe they would be delicious.

   Then I noticed her t-shirt: “ We all have different abilities, abilitynotdisability” and asked her about it, explaining that I most recently worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist. “Oh,” she exclaimed, “we need you here!” Soon, Sundavia shared that her 17-year old daughter is differently abled and that she started her bakery in part so she could work at home while being available to her daughter. In this rural area, medical and special education services are minimal and people must frequently go off-island. Last fall, Sundavia and her daughter traveled all the way to Portland, OR to obtain medical services at the Shriner’s Hospital. My dad was a dedicated Shriner, so I was thrilled to hear of the generosity and high-quality services they received.

    Joe and I were even more impressed by Sundavia’s determination and ambition. Their family is building a sturdy concrete addition to the bakery that will soon be a café. I look forward to returning! She introduced us to her family’s race horse, sorry that we would not be here on Sunday for the popular weekly event. Before we parted, Sundavia gave me some fragrant leaves from her Bay Leaf(also called Christmas Bush) for tea. It is a botanical also used in rum making.

  We walked back to the pier, stopping at the grocery, hoping for some fresh produce, as more than a week has passed since we were at a store. Claire had warned us we had the wrong day and she was correct. We still managed to find some good cheddar cheese from New Zealand, half and half, eggs, and some digestifs. We’ll manage.

   Soon, full circle, we were at the pier and the fishing boat. We fired up the dinghy engine, lobster at my feet, full of all we’d seen, experienced and received. It would soon be time to sail south back to Antigua.