DECEMBER 16 - DAY 1 MIDWAY

Friday

            We slept pretty darn light knowing there were at least 500 moli outside our window.  Their chatter and various sounds have always been very special but here, we had only seen them in the dark.  We were up and awake well before our meeting in the barracks lobby at 6am (still dark) to be escorted a hundred yards to the Clipper House for breakfast then a quick walk on the incredible beach.

Charlie Barracks from the Clipper House - our room is far right, first floor

This is the Clipper House from the beach - where all buffet meals are served, 

barely light after breakfast about 7am

Moli activity at the beach, they run down and take off over our heads  

remember they have a six foot wing span!

This is one of our first sightings of a Black Foot albatross which are common here

They are even larger than the Laysan albatross

            Next was an orientation with medical protocols, a precise map, and rules.  Very well presented by the Midway biologist, Pete, in the FWS building; we will get back there sometime to look at their exhibits and small museum.  Then we had an orientation with team leaders and were put into counting groups, Gil & I are on the same team.  

           Following that we took a cart tour of Sand Island to get a visual perspective of the maps we had.  Somehow 1200 acres can be very confusing in a leftover military compound with the incredible distraction of literally millions of birds.  This will be a trip of many firsts.  We've not only seen our first Black Foot albatross, but the same morning a gorgeous hybrid between a Laysan and Black Foot. 

This hybrid is not as dark as the Black Foot but huge compared to the Laysan

            Next was a trip over to the bike warehouse where we all selected our bikes.  Once we had those it was time for lunch back at the Clipper House.  After lunch we started counting. 

 

3 of our team heading to work our first sector on bikes

 Our first count was sector 48 which is between the beach and runway.   We encountered waist high verbesina that has been killed but not cut back. (If this invasive plant is pulled, the disturbed ground is subject to new invasive plant growth.) 

We line up arm lengths apart and walk straight forward through whatever comes across our path to click nests - whether out in the open or in thickets. 

THIS IS THE ONLY DIRECT COUNT OF NESTS CONDUCTED IN THE WORLD. 

Sector 48 - runway to left, beach farther right

          We completed about 2/3 of this sector and called it a day.  We rode off back to Charlie barracks to clean up for dinner and soon after, bed!

          Volunteers briefly back at Charlie barracks, then head for dinner, making sure we had headlamps for the ride home.  We carry shower caps for the bike seats in case of dew or rain!