Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary

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Graeme Hall Swamp is an exapmle of the coastal swamps which were once dotted along the leeward coasts of Barbados from Speightstown to Chancery Lane. Typical of a typical swamp, Graeme Hall supports a specialised vegetation type known as mangrove. The water is brackish and two species of mangroves occur, both of which thrive in these conditions. These are red mangrove, Rhizophora mangle, and the white mangrove, Laguncularia racemosa. Many species of rush-like sledge also flourish in the waterlogged ground. The water contain large fish like CUFFIN, as well as a fish like mollies and THOUSANSD, commonly kept in aquaria. Particularly striking are large numbers of small fiddler carb, Uca burgersi, which scurry along pathways. The males have one 'biter' much bigger than the other while in the females the claws are of equal size. A great attraction of the swamp is the return of EGRETS en masse each evening to nest. Many migrating birds rest here each year and bird shooting no longer occurs at this site.