Aloha,
Since last posting we have banded over 1,000 additional Albatross chicks. We are now complete with our intense banding and only have a few stragglers that we missed the first couple times around the island to band. We have to be very patient and courteous when banding in the vicinity of endangered Hawaiian Monk Seals that come ashore to rest. Rules state that we must maintain a minimum distance of 50 meters from a lone seal and 150 meters from a mom and pup. This makes banding the albatross that hang out on the beach a small problem. But after 3 of 4 circuits around the island all the birds should be banded. In addition to banding birds we have to keep a close eye out for dead banded chicks, so we can remove the bands and keep a tally of reproductive success and fledge rates for the 2 species. We also pick up bolus' that grade school kids back in HI will dissect to learn about the consequences of our plastic pollution. A bolus is a mass of all the stuff that an Albatross cannot digest. In a perfect world the bolus will contain mostly squid beaks and a few pumice rocks. But in reality these are all to often packed with plastic and other man made floating marine debris. When plastic is deposited in to the sea it floats around and fish lay their eggs onto it. This is then spotted by an adult Albatross flying above and is swallowed. If they have a chick to feed this plastic will then get fed to the chick. In some real bad cases chicks will actually die due to a belly full of plastic. The plastic stuffs the belly leaving little or no room for the food, and though well fed they will starve to death.
On a lighter but still grim note, a BBC film crew has arrived in the Atoll to film and photograph Tiger Sharks hunting and eating fledged Albatross in a lagoon off of East Island, just south of Tern. The Albatross fledglings will line up on the windward side of the island to stretch and test their wings for flight. Once wing control is gained some birds will make their first and often last flight into the lagoon on the east side of the island. Tiger Sharks have keyed in on this behavior and begin showing up in the lagoon in conjunction with the fledging Albatross chicks. The BBC crew has set up a filming platform in the lagoon and has positioned divers in the water to try to film this action as it takes place. The documentary they are in the process of making focuses on the South Pacific. Tomorrow Angela and I will make a trip over to East to swap out the Turtle Techs and hopefully we will be able to witness the Tigers looking for a snack!
Hope all are well, Tim
Monday, June 18, 2007
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Turtle Camp and Spinner Dolphins
Aloha,
Sorry for not posting in a while but since we have started the Albatross chick banding we have been working early in the morning and late in the evenings. We band when it is cooler so as not to stress out the birds in the heat of the day. As of Saturday we have banded 1259 Black Footed Albatross and 692 Laysan Albatross. The Black Foots tend to fledge a little earlier than the Laysans, so that is why we have been focusing our attention more on them. The work is long and tiring but walking the island an seeing all the chicks banded makes it all worth while.
Peak turtle laying has begun and following closely behind are the two turtle technicians. They arrived on island on the 2nd of June and after a brief orientation and preparation we set there camp up on a smaller more remote island within the atoll. East Island is am 11 acre island that lacks some of the more developed vegetation that Tern has. So Wednesday of last week we filled 2 boats with all their gear and spent a day setting up the camp. On the way we were lucky to spot a pod of about 50 Spinner Dolphins feeding. What a thrill! The camp will be occupied by one or the other techs until late in July. They are nocturnal (as this is when the turtles lay eggs) and they do circuits of the island, pit tag the turtles, etch numbers into their backs, and drop a data logger into the nest pit. The data logger records temperature and will be retrieved at a later date and the data will be downloaded and the temperature will tell them if the nest produce male turtles or females (as the sex of the hatchlings are determined by temperature). So for the remainder of my time out here, twice a week I will ride with either Angela (Refuge Manager) or Dave (Assistant Manager) out to East Island to swap out the techs. During this time i will hopefully get to witness Tiger Sharks stalking the lagoon looking for an easy snack of an Albatross fledgling that lands in the water. I will be sure to write if and when this occurs!
Hope all are well.
Aloha. Tim
Sorry for not posting in a while but since we have started the Albatross chick banding we have been working early in the morning and late in the evenings. We band when it is cooler so as not to stress out the birds in the heat of the day. As of Saturday we have banded 1259 Black Footed Albatross and 692 Laysan Albatross. The Black Foots tend to fledge a little earlier than the Laysans, so that is why we have been focusing our attention more on them. The work is long and tiring but walking the island an seeing all the chicks banded makes it all worth while.
Peak turtle laying has begun and following closely behind are the two turtle technicians. They arrived on island on the 2nd of June and after a brief orientation and preparation we set there camp up on a smaller more remote island within the atoll. East Island is am 11 acre island that lacks some of the more developed vegetation that Tern has. So Wednesday of last week we filled 2 boats with all their gear and spent a day setting up the camp. On the way we were lucky to spot a pod of about 50 Spinner Dolphins feeding. What a thrill! The camp will be occupied by one or the other techs until late in July. They are nocturnal (as this is when the turtles lay eggs) and they do circuits of the island, pit tag the turtles, etch numbers into their backs, and drop a data logger into the nest pit. The data logger records temperature and will be retrieved at a later date and the data will be downloaded and the temperature will tell them if the nest produce male turtles or females (as the sex of the hatchlings are determined by temperature). So for the remainder of my time out here, twice a week I will ride with either Angela (Refuge Manager) or Dave (Assistant Manager) out to East Island to swap out the techs. During this time i will hopefully get to witness Tiger Sharks stalking the lagoon looking for an easy snack of an Albatross fledgling that lands in the water. I will be sure to write if and when this occurs!
Hope all are well.
Aloha. Tim
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Albatross Chick Banding
We started Albatross chick banding this week. We are attempting to band every Albatross chick on the island within 6 weeks. The estimation is that there are about 3,000 chicks in total. To band an Albatross you work in teams of 2. One person is the bander/recorder and the other is the catcher. To catch and Albatross you approach a chick, grab it by the back of the neck with one hand and then grab the bill with the other. While holding the bill shut you scope up the bird by placing your free hand around its far wing, under its bell, and pinning the wings to your chest and arms. You then turn your back to the wind. This is done to prevent a bird from breaking its wing in the case a wing wriggles free from your arms (the wing will be pushed forward by the wind instead of back). The bander then quickly but carefully puts a metal FWS band on the birds right leg and a field readable colored band on the birds left leg. The bird is then released gently and away from the Sooty Tern eggs that seem to cover the entire island. If the Sootys are lucky the Albatross will not panic too much and no eggs will get crushed. Although this under taking is a lot of work, it is extremely satisfying to walk the island and see all the Albatross chicks banded and only a few weeks away from flight.
The birds are losing there down and growing their adult feathers rapidly now. It is sad to see the really small, under fed chicks. Although a lot of the chicks will survive to fledging there are some that for one reason or another are not getting fed enough food to reach adult size, grow feathers, and eventually fly. A few of the reasons the chicks are malnourished are, inexperience of the parents, too much plastic ingested (they actually starve because they are full of plastic), or one or both of the parents has died. Sadly every year an alarming number of Albatross die on the long line hooks set by fisherman all over the oceans. To a bird that feeds on floating fish eggs, squid, and other readily available food floating on the surface of the sea, a baited floating hook has buffet written all over it. So if the hooks set by the fisherman don't sink quick enough, Albatross swoop down for and easy meal and end up hooked and dragged under to drown. This is a common occurrence that some fisherman alleviate by setting quicker sinking hooks, in combination with flying streamers and other objects that scare and distract the birds from what seems to them to be a free meal. With a little awareness on both the fisherman's side and the consumers side, the problem of catching Albatross should and could be remedied. More information can be found all over the Internet by simple typing the key words "Albatross and long lines" into a search engine. One website in particular that I found to have some good information on this problem is, www.surfbirds.com/news/albatross.html. Albatross are not the only animal affected by long lining practices. Other pelagic seabirds, sea turtles, seals and other (non targeted) fish, all fall victim to long lines.
The birds are losing there down and growing their adult feathers rapidly now. It is sad to see the really small, under fed chicks. Although a lot of the chicks will survive to fledging there are some that for one reason or another are not getting fed enough food to reach adult size, grow feathers, and eventually fly. A few of the reasons the chicks are malnourished are, inexperience of the parents, too much plastic ingested (they actually starve because they are full of plastic), or one or both of the parents has died. Sadly every year an alarming number of Albatross die on the long line hooks set by fisherman all over the oceans. To a bird that feeds on floating fish eggs, squid, and other readily available food floating on the surface of the sea, a baited floating hook has buffet written all over it. So if the hooks set by the fisherman don't sink quick enough, Albatross swoop down for and easy meal and end up hooked and dragged under to drown. This is a common occurrence that some fisherman alleviate by setting quicker sinking hooks, in combination with flying streamers and other objects that scare and distract the birds from what seems to them to be a free meal. With a little awareness on both the fisherman's side and the consumers side, the problem of catching Albatross should and could be remedied. More information can be found all over the Internet by simple typing the key words "Albatross and long lines" into a search engine. One website in particular that I found to have some good information on this problem is, www.surfbirds.com/news/albatross.html. Albatross are not the only animal affected by long lining practices. Other pelagic seabirds, sea turtles, seals and other (non targeted) fish, all fall victim to long lines.
As a consumer you can do your part by knowing the source of your seafood. This may not seem like an easy task but the Internet is a great tool for researching the types of seafood most directly related to these deaths. And remember, it wasn't too long ago that it was almost impossible to find organic and fair trade goods at your local grocery store and now even Walmart is catching on. The voice of the masses is usually heard, we just need to rally the masses. I will step off my soap box now. Hope all are well, miss you all.
Aloha, Tim.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Tide Station
The new tide station is in the works. Mike, the tide technician, had to take a plane out here and spend 3 weeks on island because the Coast Guard ship he was supposed to take here broke. Due to the restrictions of weight on the small double engine plane that ferries people to and from the island, Mike was not able to bring all his gear. He is awaiting its arrival on the Oscar Sette, a NOAA ship that is bringing the Monk Seal crew for the summer. So with little to do before his equipment arrives, he and I have surveyed the island's benchmarks, to determine shifts in the land height. Since the water levels that he collects are compared to the height of the land the station is affixed to it is important to determine if there has been any shifting or settling of the island. He has also installed a much needed outdoor shower so we can wash off the salt after our snorkel trips. Once his equipment arrives we will be installing and testing the new tide gauge.
We are gearing up to begin the banding of all the Albatross chicks on the island, roughly 3,000 in all. We are banding them with a FWS metal band consisting of a four number prefix and a five more numbers to determine the individual bird. To better study the Albatross in future years, while limiting the disturbance to the birds, we are also installing a field readable auxiliary color band that will be correspond to the FWS band. These bands will be yellow with black lettering and will consist of one letter followed by three numbers. We will be sweeping the island in teams of two and banding all the birds that meet the feather to down ratio requirements. The birds will begin fledging in late June and early July.
The Monk Seals and the Hawaiian Green Turtles are busy giving birth to pups and digging nest pits, respectively. We now have two seal pups on island and numerous turtle pits. The berms of the beaches look like we have been hit with mortar shells. Once there are seal pups on the island we have to be very careful to remain 100 m. from the pups and mother to insure that we do not disturbed the mother who is highly stressed at this point. I have had to stop doing one of my Albatross plots due to the seal pup.
Hope all are well.
Aloha, Tim.
We are gearing up to begin the banding of all the Albatross chicks on the island, roughly 3,000 in all. We are banding them with a FWS metal band consisting of a four number prefix and a five more numbers to determine the individual bird. To better study the Albatross in future years, while limiting the disturbance to the birds, we are also installing a field readable auxiliary color band that will be correspond to the FWS band. These bands will be yellow with black lettering and will consist of one letter followed by three numbers. We will be sweeping the island in teams of two and banding all the birds that meet the feather to down ratio requirements. The birds will begin fledging in late June and early July.
The Monk Seals and the Hawaiian Green Turtles are busy giving birth to pups and digging nest pits, respectively. We now have two seal pups on island and numerous turtle pits. The berms of the beaches look like we have been hit with mortar shells. Once there are seal pups on the island we have to be very careful to remain 100 m. from the pups and mother to insure that we do not disturbed the mother who is highly stressed at this point. I have had to stop doing one of my Albatross plots due to the seal pup.
Hope all are well.
Aloha, Tim.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Happy Mother's Day
The last scheduled plane landed safely on Tern Island on Friday the 11th. We were sad to say goodbye to Frans and our new friend E.H., who stayed with us for a week working on installing new batteries for our solar power system. But the plane did deliver us a few new friends, Angela (Refuge Manager), Monika (Volunteer) and Mike (tide station technician). All were happy to make it out to Tern. From now until a new flight contract goes through, our only contact with the outside word (and way off this island) will be by boat. The population of Tern is now up to 8 people with a high for the summer being 13 (of which 11 will be staying the entire summer). The barracks are big and you can still feel alone, especially on Sundays when everyone seems to disappear.
I got lucky with this new group of people, they all seem to have been born water babies, and I have no shortage of swimming and snorkeling buddies. On Friday we went for a snorkel off the north end of the island and had some good encounters with White-tip Reef Sharks, a Grey Reef Shark, 2 Spotted Eagle Rays, a monster of an Aluau(sp?), some Box jelly fish, numerous Green Turtles, Trumpet fish, and a Monk Seal, just to name the ones not seen every trip into the water.
Next week we begin the arduous yet fun task of trying to band every Albatross chick on the island. This is no small feat as it seems that they are everywhere. This all has to be done while trying to avoid stepping on the eggs of the 75,000 pairs of Sooty Terns that have invaded the island like a bad Hitchcock movie. The terns hold fast to their eggs and peck and bite your legs while their mates bomb you from above. Ear plugs, shoes and much patience is needed for the task at hand. But we are all looking forward to break from our normal routine out here. Loving my time here but also looking forward to seeing you all again soon back on the mainland.
Happy Mother's Day Mom, happy birthday Dad, and congrats on finishing your Junior year Karen. I love and miss you guys and hope the weather is making a turn for the best back on the Cape. Looking forward to seeing you and Jessica this summer Orrin. Hopefully we can work out something so we can all go to the Red Sox game in August.
Go SOX! Tim.
I got lucky with this new group of people, they all seem to have been born water babies, and I have no shortage of swimming and snorkeling buddies. On Friday we went for a snorkel off the north end of the island and had some good encounters with White-tip Reef Sharks, a Grey Reef Shark, 2 Spotted Eagle Rays, a monster of an Aluau(sp?), some Box jelly fish, numerous Green Turtles, Trumpet fish, and a Monk Seal, just to name the ones not seen every trip into the water.
Next week we begin the arduous yet fun task of trying to band every Albatross chick on the island. This is no small feat as it seems that they are everywhere. This all has to be done while trying to avoid stepping on the eggs of the 75,000 pairs of Sooty Terns that have invaded the island like a bad Hitchcock movie. The terns hold fast to their eggs and peck and bite your legs while their mates bomb you from above. Ear plugs, shoes and much patience is needed for the task at hand. But we are all looking forward to break from our normal routine out here. Loving my time here but also looking forward to seeing you all again soon back on the mainland.
Happy Mother's Day Mom, happy birthday Dad, and congrats on finishing your Junior year Karen. I love and miss you guys and hope the weather is making a turn for the best back on the Cape. Looking forward to seeing you and Jessica this summer Orrin. Hopefully we can work out something so we can all go to the Red Sox game in August.
Go SOX! Tim.
Friday, May 4, 2007
Serendiptiy
Hi all,
Since the last that I have posted we have had some changes here at Tern Island. Earlier today Laura a fellow volunteer left the island to head home to Montreal. She will be missed. On the up side the flight that she left on brought us fresh fruit and vegetables and letters from loved ones. Thanks to my family and Lindsay for sending along some letters and packages. Also arriving on the flight was an electrician to work on setting up a new bank of batteries to store the power from our solar panels. It is an ongoing struggle to maintain a field site as remote as this one.
Previously in the week we had the opportunity to take an outer island trip to Trig Island. After a quick bird survey and sighting the first Hawaiian Monk Seal pup for the season we weaved our way through a maze of shallow waters to reach Serendipity. A secluded area of coral well protected from the breakers, Serendipity lived up to its name. We snorkeled this beautiful spot until even the hardiest Canadians called it quits due to being cold. Hopefully we will be lucky enough to return to Serendipity later in the season.
Life on Tern has been plugging along. The Sooty Terns are here in full force and hardly a bare patch of ground remains. The sound coming in the open windows is loud enough to make even the loudest talkers have to yell to communicate efficiently. It is weird though, soon it all fades into background noise and becomes just life. A lot of Tristram's Petrels are starting to fledge. Just in time as it is getting almost impossible to work with the burrow cam around all the nesting Sooty Terns. The time has been going by fast but I do miss certain things, Scrappy, Beer, Red Sox games and Spice Cake.
Hope all are doing well, Tim.
Since the last that I have posted we have had some changes here at Tern Island. Earlier today Laura a fellow volunteer left the island to head home to Montreal. She will be missed. On the up side the flight that she left on brought us fresh fruit and vegetables and letters from loved ones. Thanks to my family and Lindsay for sending along some letters and packages. Also arriving on the flight was an electrician to work on setting up a new bank of batteries to store the power from our solar panels. It is an ongoing struggle to maintain a field site as remote as this one.
Previously in the week we had the opportunity to take an outer island trip to Trig Island. After a quick bird survey and sighting the first Hawaiian Monk Seal pup for the season we weaved our way through a maze of shallow waters to reach Serendipity. A secluded area of coral well protected from the breakers, Serendipity lived up to its name. We snorkeled this beautiful spot until even the hardiest Canadians called it quits due to being cold. Hopefully we will be lucky enough to return to Serendipity later in the season.
Life on Tern has been plugging along. The Sooty Terns are here in full force and hardly a bare patch of ground remains. The sound coming in the open windows is loud enough to make even the loudest talkers have to yell to communicate efficiently. It is weird though, soon it all fades into background noise and becomes just life. A lot of Tristram's Petrels are starting to fledge. Just in time as it is getting almost impossible to work with the burrow cam around all the nesting Sooty Terns. The time has been going by fast but I do miss certain things, Scrappy, Beer, Red Sox games and Spice Cake.
Hope all are doing well, Tim.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Close Encounter
Hi all,
Today we went on a boat trip to La Perouse Pinnacle to do an outer island bird survey. After the survey we were allowed some down time to get into the water and snorkel the great reef structure that surrounds the pinnacle. Three of us, Kathryn, Laura, and myself entered the water. After snorkeling around for a while and taking some photos with Kathryn's underwater camera we decided to swim closer to the pinnacle to investigate further. All of the sudden, seemingly out of no where a Grey Reef Shark was upon us. Known for their aggression towards divers and territorial nature all eyes where on the shark. Kathryn, the photographer was able to keep her cool long enough to get some close up photos of the shark. Close enough in fact that some shots cannot hold the whole fish in the frame. Being only a small 4 footer this is pretty close. Although it was small and not posturing we still tried to give the shark some distance. It was not having that. It seemed more curious of us then annoyed and followed closely upon our flippers as we back kicked, attempting to keep our flippers between us and the shark. This must have only last a minute or two before it gave up and swam away. Photos will be posted as soon as Kathryn works on the contrast and tint a little. Needless to say we were all excited and remain so, at least for a little while.
Other than this life on Tern Island has been passing quickly and routinely. The Albatross chicks are starting to lose their down and look a little more like the adults that care for them. We had our first Tristram's Storm Petrel fledge for the year. And we had to remove a Bulwar's Storm Petrel out from under the sink last night. Unfortunately we believe it is back. Removing the Petrel nightly might quickly become another chore. The Sooty Terns, all 75,000 pairs of them, are in various stages of nesting, and while some are still pairing up we expect chicks to be hatching soon. The racket these birds emit is numbing and ear plugs are a necessity while working in the colonies. As always the work is fun and challenging but maintaining a remote field site that is only 6 feet above sea level is a challenge. Everything that can rust will, and maintenance is an ongoing chore. But it is worth it.
Missing you all, hope all are doing well.
Aloha ~Tim.
Today we went on a boat trip to La Perouse Pinnacle to do an outer island bird survey. After the survey we were allowed some down time to get into the water and snorkel the great reef structure that surrounds the pinnacle. Three of us, Kathryn, Laura, and myself entered the water. After snorkeling around for a while and taking some photos with Kathryn's underwater camera we decided to swim closer to the pinnacle to investigate further. All of the sudden, seemingly out of no where a Grey Reef Shark was upon us. Known for their aggression towards divers and territorial nature all eyes where on the shark. Kathryn, the photographer was able to keep her cool long enough to get some close up photos of the shark. Close enough in fact that some shots cannot hold the whole fish in the frame. Being only a small 4 footer this is pretty close. Although it was small and not posturing we still tried to give the shark some distance. It was not having that. It seemed more curious of us then annoyed and followed closely upon our flippers as we back kicked, attempting to keep our flippers between us and the shark. This must have only last a minute or two before it gave up and swam away. Photos will be posted as soon as Kathryn works on the contrast and tint a little. Needless to say we were all excited and remain so, at least for a little while.
Other than this life on Tern Island has been passing quickly and routinely. The Albatross chicks are starting to lose their down and look a little more like the adults that care for them. We had our first Tristram's Storm Petrel fledge for the year. And we had to remove a Bulwar's Storm Petrel out from under the sink last night. Unfortunately we believe it is back. Removing the Petrel nightly might quickly become another chore. The Sooty Terns, all 75,000 pairs of them, are in various stages of nesting, and while some are still pairing up we expect chicks to be hatching soon. The racket these birds emit is numbing and ear plugs are a necessity while working in the colonies. As always the work is fun and challenging but maintaining a remote field site that is only 6 feet above sea level is a challenge. Everything that can rust will, and maintenance is an ongoing chore. But it is worth it.
Missing you all, hope all are doing well.
Aloha ~Tim.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Sorry, Been Busy
Hi all, for those of you still reading this thing. It is easy to put one foot in front of the next and before you know it a whole week has passed. That is definitely true out here. Time seems to fly by faster than the Albatross. Sorry for the horribly writing, I was a Geography Major in College and despised the creative writing classes I took.
So the past week has offered me a chance to work with some new (to me) technology. Laura, one of the other volunteers, is leaving the island the first week of May, and is in the process of passing on her responsibilities to the other volunteers. I have been lucky enough to take over her Tristram's Storm Petrel plots. Tristam's are small sea birds weighing in at a mere 100 grams. These little suckers dig burrows into the ground to lay and rear their eggs and subsequent chicks. In order to monitor nest, and fledgling success we have to find a way to look into these tiny burrows. In steps the "Peeper 2000". The peeper is a small camera that connects to a long cord, and feeds the image to a sort of virtual reality headset. The observer wears pillow cases to block out the light, extends the camera lens via a cord into the burrow, and documents the findings. Pretty cool. So I got that going for me.
Other than this extremely note worthy addition to my life, all has been going well. One day bleeds into the next making it nearly impossible to even remember dinner from the night before. Well I am off to pizza and a movie (this is actually considered a good Friday night, maybe we will stay up past 11).
Hope all are well, Aloha Tim.
So the past week has offered me a chance to work with some new (to me) technology. Laura, one of the other volunteers, is leaving the island the first week of May, and is in the process of passing on her responsibilities to the other volunteers. I have been lucky enough to take over her Tristram's Storm Petrel plots. Tristam's are small sea birds weighing in at a mere 100 grams. These little suckers dig burrows into the ground to lay and rear their eggs and subsequent chicks. In order to monitor nest, and fledgling success we have to find a way to look into these tiny burrows. In steps the "Peeper 2000". The peeper is a small camera that connects to a long cord, and feeds the image to a sort of virtual reality headset. The observer wears pillow cases to block out the light, extends the camera lens via a cord into the burrow, and documents the findings. Pretty cool. So I got that going for me.
Other than this extremely note worthy addition to my life, all has been going well. One day bleeds into the next making it nearly impossible to even remember dinner from the night before. Well I am off to pizza and a movie (this is actually considered a good Friday night, maybe we will stay up past 11).
Hope all are well, Aloha Tim.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Plane Arrives Safely on Friday the 13th
We had a plane arrive on Friday the 13th. Nothing eventful happened with the flight except it did hit and kill one Sooty Tern and bring us fresh fruit and vegetables and a new volunteer, Kyle. I know I have only been out here for a little over 4 weeks but the fresh fruit and vegetables are a great treat, not to mention the ice cream and candy. Some of the other people on the island have been without fresh stuff for over 8 weeks. Rough life considering we have every other food on the face of the earth at our disposal.
So I have the honors of cooking the fresh tuna that arrived on the plane. I am up for the challenge and plan on seared tuna on a baguette with spinach leaves and grated carrots, accompanied by a salad and roasted potatoes. I am hungry just writing about it. I hope I can pull this one off.
Kathryn received an underwater digital camera on the flight so expect to see some underwater shots posted on the website soon. Thanks Mom and Dad, Grandma and Pop-pop, and Lindsay for sending me mail. It is really nice to know people half way across the world are thinking of me. Plane days can feel like Christmas.
Along with tons of snorkeling and boogie boarding I have been filling my days with birds and maintenance. We banded some Trstram's Storm Petrels and I continue on with my Albatross reproductive plots. We have lost a lot of chicks due to days over 85 with little or no wind. The down covering their bodies is great for the insulation at night but can be a killer on those really hot days. The island has taken on a stink of death, which shouldn't last super long (the heat takes care of the decomposition rather quickly). Although it is a natural occurrence it is hard to see chicks make it this far and die because of the heat.
Well that is all for now, GO SOX!
Aloha, Tim
So I have the honors of cooking the fresh tuna that arrived on the plane. I am up for the challenge and plan on seared tuna on a baguette with spinach leaves and grated carrots, accompanied by a salad and roasted potatoes. I am hungry just writing about it. I hope I can pull this one off.
Kathryn received an underwater digital camera on the flight so expect to see some underwater shots posted on the website soon. Thanks Mom and Dad, Grandma and Pop-pop, and Lindsay for sending me mail. It is really nice to know people half way across the world are thinking of me. Plane days can feel like Christmas.
Along with tons of snorkeling and boogie boarding I have been filling my days with birds and maintenance. We banded some Trstram's Storm Petrels and I continue on with my Albatross reproductive plots. We have lost a lot of chicks due to days over 85 with little or no wind. The down covering their bodies is great for the insulation at night but can be a killer on those really hot days. The island has taken on a stink of death, which shouldn't last super long (the heat takes care of the decomposition rather quickly). Although it is a natural occurrence it is hard to see chicks make it this far and die because of the heat.
Well that is all for now, GO SOX!
Aloha, Tim
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Happy 85th Birthday Pop-pop
HAPPY 85TH BIRTHDAY POP-POP. WISH I COULD BE THERE TO CELEBRATE WITH YOU. STAY HEALTHY! STAY HAPPY!
LOVE YOU ~TIM
LOVE YOU ~TIM
Thursday, April 5, 2007
East Island, Big and Little Gin.
Though it has been a busy week so far, it has also been one of the most exciting. We took a boat trip to some of the outer islands to do some seabird censuses. It was a great day on the water, clear skies, cool temp, and seas cooperated with only a slight swell. We first went to East Island. East Island is where the old Coast Guard field station was set up. The Coast Guard lived on the small 12 acre island in a tent city. Now East Island has been reclaimed by the turtles, seals, seabirds and unfortunately flotsam. So much plastic and other debris was piled all over the island. In the summer, during the turtle mating season, East Island has a one resident that lives in a tent, works by night, and monitors the sea turtles nesting on the shores. A large pole also houses a camera that can be maneuvered by computer on Tern Island to aid in the sea turtle monitoring. Our goal for the day was to count the nests and chicks of the seabirds nesting among the marine debris (all told we found 11 glass floats on the island). After a picnic lunch we shoved off and traveled a few nautical miles south to Gin Island and its neighbor, Little Gin. These are small islands that have no vegetation, but plenty of life. The sea turtles and Monk Seals were so thick on both the shores we couldn't risk anchoring. Two people from each of the boats (2 total) had to jump and swim ashore to complete the census of the nesting birds. 3 more glass floats were found for a total of 14 on the day.
I am currently working on uploading more photos onto my webshots website, but it can take a while to get them all up with this satellite Internet connection.
Hope all are well. Aloha ~Tim.
I am currently working on uploading more photos onto my webshots website, but it can take a while to get them all up with this satellite Internet connection.
Hope all are well. Aloha ~Tim.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Offload Completed
So for yesterday and today we all worked on a resupply of the Island. Yesterday starting real early in the morning the Oscar Sette, a NOAA ship from Honolulu can to resupply the island. In total we had 19 pallet tubs and numerous fuel canisters. It took the entire day to load all the stuff of the large NOAA ship, onto smaller boats and then onto the island. Today we completed the long hard task of assorting, labeling and putting away all the food and supplies. The food storage room is packed to the brim.
Other than these very eventful days the days have been bleeding one into the other. I have only been here for a little over two weeks and feel like I have been here a couple of months. Not to say the days aren't flying by, because they are. But when you live in close quarters with only 5 other people on an island slightly over 1/2 mile long and not very wide at all you get to know the people and the island rather quickly.
Not much else to report on now. Hope all is well where ever you are.
Aloha ~Tim.
Other than these very eventful days the days have been bleeding one into the other. I have only been here for a little over two weeks and feel like I have been here a couple of months. Not to say the days aren't flying by, because they are. But when you live in close quarters with only 5 other people on an island slightly over 1/2 mile long and not very wide at all you get to know the people and the island rather quickly.
Not much else to report on now. Hope all is well where ever you are.
Aloha ~Tim.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Off Load Canceled
We were expecting a NOAA ship from Honolulu tomorrow but the ship had to turn back half way here. There was a medical emergency on the ship and it had to return to port. No word yet what the emergency was but we all hope it was not too serious. We were expecting 21 pallet tubs of food and supplies. Now don't get me wrong we are not starving out here by any means but this ship has had some major problems all along. First it was supposed to leave port 2 weeks ago but was delayed due to engine problems. Then it actual leaves yesterday, and we get word that 2 of our diesel drums (back up generator fuel) and 1 gasoline drum was jetsamed. They keep the fuel on the deck on racks that can be tipped overboard in case there was a fire. Well our 3 drums went over even though there wasn't a fire. Now the ship had to turn back for a medical emergency. Oh well, we can only hope everyone is all right.
Last night we all worked on mark recapturing Wedge-Tailed Shearwaters. We caught and read the band numbers or banded 123 adult birds in a little less than 2 hours. It was tough work. Those little guys may be cute to look at but they are something fierce when handled. Pound for pound they are the dirtiest, scrappiest, strongest birds out here. They are burrow nesters so they are designed to kick with a force, and have nails that hurt. They were breaking skin with there beaks even through gloves. It was a late night to say the least.
Laura and I just got out of the water from an after work snorkel trip. It was a treat today to get into the water and come face to face with a Spotted Eagle Ray. They are really big graceful Rays. We also came up on about 6 or 7 small Green Turtles feeding off the algae growing on the coral. All and all it was a great day for snorkeling.
Hope everyone is doing great and enjoying the pictures online. As I take more photos I will be adding them to the website so stay tuned. Kathryn, another girl out here with me is really into the pictures and will be putting hers online as well so I will link to her site when that is complete.
Aloha ~Tim~
Last night we all worked on mark recapturing Wedge-Tailed Shearwaters. We caught and read the band numbers or banded 123 adult birds in a little less than 2 hours. It was tough work. Those little guys may be cute to look at but they are something fierce when handled. Pound for pound they are the dirtiest, scrappiest, strongest birds out here. They are burrow nesters so they are designed to kick with a force, and have nails that hurt. They were breaking skin with there beaks even through gloves. It was a late night to say the least.
Laura and I just got out of the water from an after work snorkel trip. It was a treat today to get into the water and come face to face with a Spotted Eagle Ray. They are really big graceful Rays. We also came up on about 6 or 7 small Green Turtles feeding off the algae growing on the coral. All and all it was a great day for snorkeling.
Hope everyone is doing great and enjoying the pictures online. As I take more photos I will be adding them to the website so stay tuned. Kathryn, another girl out here with me is really into the pictures and will be putting hers online as well so I will link to her site when that is complete.
Aloha ~Tim~
Friday, March 23, 2007
Boat Trips and What Not
Yesterday we took a boat trip out to Trig. This is one of the outer islands in the Atoll. We did a count of the birds that were nesting on the island. It was only a small island and had no vegetation. I was lucky to find two glass Japanese fishing floats. I guess they are worth some money or something. Anyone have any info about this? There was a few seals and a green turtle basking on the island. After, we took a small detour to clean off a NOAA buoy. I got to get into the water and clean off the UV sensors or something. I was just excited to get in the water way out there, a little bit scary but it was fun.
Today I got to band some Red-tailed Tropic Birds. I am glad that I get this experience. After work Laura and I went boogie boarding off of East Beach. East Beach is a small spit off the east end of the island so the waves kind of break off each other. The ride is not too long but it was hot today here and the water felt really good.
Dinner time, Aloha ~Tim~
Today I got to band some Red-tailed Tropic Birds. I am glad that I get this experience. After work Laura and I went boogie boarding off of East Beach. East Beach is a small spit off the east end of the island so the waves kind of break off each other. The ride is not too long but it was hot today here and the water felt really good.
Dinner time, Aloha ~Tim~
Monday, March 19, 2007
Day Of Firsts
Today was a day of firsts for me. We woke up with the sun to mark recapture Christmas Shearwaters. Mark recapture is to catch a bird and read its band if it has one, put a band on if it doesn't and mark it to know you have already handled that bird, in this case we use yellow nail polish on the head. So starting at 0700 hrs we scoured the island looking under every bush for Christmas pairs. In total we found 23 birds and were able to capture 21. It was the first time that I have seen a Christmas Shearwater and the first time that I have banded a bird.
Later I completed my Black-footed Albatross plots. Basically I go through 4 designated areas and take role call. The Albatross in the study (about 100 nests for both Black-footed and Laysan) have been poultry banded. This is a small band with a number and color corresponding to the nest. This band is temporary and will be removed after the study is complete. So after making sure all were present I broke for lunch. We work and 8 hour day with 1 hour for lunch. It is nice to get out of the heat for a while in the middle of the day.
After lunch Laura and I did some mark recapture on some Red-tailed Tropic birds. Same deal as with the Christmas's. We have to capture 600 over the course of the study. We are slightly more than half way there!
So with and early start comes an early end. We took the opportunity to get in the water and do some snorkeling. This was the first time I have snorkeled here and it was amazing. The water clarity wasn't 100% but it was still the tropics. I saw 3 Green Turtles, 5 White-tipped Reef sharks and numerous other fish that i am sure have long Hawaiian names. After a long day I am exhausted. Bet I sleep well tonight. Hope all is well with you guys.
Aloha ~Tim~
Later I completed my Black-footed Albatross plots. Basically I go through 4 designated areas and take role call. The Albatross in the study (about 100 nests for both Black-footed and Laysan) have been poultry banded. This is a small band with a number and color corresponding to the nest. This band is temporary and will be removed after the study is complete. So after making sure all were present I broke for lunch. We work and 8 hour day with 1 hour for lunch. It is nice to get out of the heat for a while in the middle of the day.
After lunch Laura and I did some mark recapture on some Red-tailed Tropic birds. Same deal as with the Christmas's. We have to capture 600 over the course of the study. We are slightly more than half way there!
So with and early start comes an early end. We took the opportunity to get in the water and do some snorkeling. This was the first time I have snorkeled here and it was amazing. The water clarity wasn't 100% but it was still the tropics. I saw 3 Green Turtles, 5 White-tipped Reef sharks and numerous other fish that i am sure have long Hawaiian names. After a long day I am exhausted. Bet I sleep well tonight. Hope all is well with you guys.
Aloha ~Tim~
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Settling In
So with my first full day off I am beginning to settle in. We all have our own rooms (the old Coast Guard Barracks used to house about 35) so it is nice to have the space. My room came decorated which is a great thing because all we have out here to decorate with is stuff that washes up on the beaches. For the most part this is just trash, but if you are lucky you can find those glass Japanese fishing floats. So with a day off comes the task of trying to fill the hours. We have over 600 movies and tons of books to keep you occupied. We also have a weight room and a 3000 foot runway to jog or walk on. Not to mention we have the entire Pacific Ocean to our disposal, although we rarely go outside our little lagoon.
On Monday we are back at the never ending task of trying to band and document the birds that use this little island as their nesting grounds. But for now all I have to do is to relax and work on my tan. Hope all is well back on the mainland.
Aloha ~Tim
On Monday we are back at the never ending task of trying to band and document the birds that use this little island as their nesting grounds. But for now all I have to do is to relax and work on my tan. Hope all is well back on the mainland.
Aloha ~Tim
Friday, March 16, 2007
Newly Arrived
So after a short 3 hour flight I have arrived on Tern Island in the French Frigate Shoals, a small 35 acre Hawaiian Island. I have volunteered my time for the next 4 1/2 months to study the 16 different nesting seabirds on this island and the other small islands that make up the Atoll. Having left behind many friends and one very special girlfriend I am ready to make some new friends who will share this experience with me. As this is my first post I will not elaborate to much on the specifics of my job out here (as I am sure that if you continue to read over the next 4 months or so you will have a perfect idea of how i spent my time).
After a brief orientation of the island and the way things work out here I learned that I will be taking over the study of the reproductive success of the Black-Footed and the Laysan Albatross. This involves monitoring plots or small sections of the island 3 times a week to determine how many of the eggs that are laid make it to fledging (the chick can fly and is considered an adult). Along with this task I will also aid the other workers on tasks that come up regarding the other species on the island.
I will post a link to the Tern Island website so you can better acquaint your self with my project if you wish.
Oh yeah, I am a horrible speller and can get lazy with using proper grammar. Get used to it. Photos will be added later and more will probably be available through webshots or some other website as well. I will keep you posted. Hope to hear from you guys, and let me know what you think
~Aloha~
After a brief orientation of the island and the way things work out here I learned that I will be taking over the study of the reproductive success of the Black-Footed and the Laysan Albatross. This involves monitoring plots or small sections of the island 3 times a week to determine how many of the eggs that are laid make it to fledging (the chick can fly and is considered an adult). Along with this task I will also aid the other workers on tasks that come up regarding the other species on the island.
I will post a link to the Tern Island website so you can better acquaint your self with my project if you wish.
Oh yeah, I am a horrible speller and can get lazy with using proper grammar. Get used to it. Photos will be added later and more will probably be available through webshots or some other website as well. I will keep you posted. Hope to hear from you guys, and let me know what you think
~Aloha~
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