No half-day today. I ate cereal in the room while I checked email and Gil went to breakfast and packed our lunches. We left for Eastern at sunrise. More windy than usual, Eastern was very active on landing.
Eastern Island pulling into the dock
We were working on the other side of the island which meant a hearty walk. Three groups went over to divide and conquer.
We all worked the far side, the leaders had to decide how to divvy up the sections.
Trudging through the sector - few real nests on the runways, mostly practicing parents
The real nests were in the vegetation, note the pink tape (bottom right) marking sector lines
These are real nests, in the shade of the nau paka
At lunchtime Gil tried out his go-pro video camera - trying to determine which conditions a 180 degree visual works best in. He was literally up a tree, filming out over the nau paka we had just counted in.
It seems to work best in motion, on a bike or boat
He got some nice film of the white tern (now we have to learn to edit)
With the tsunami last march, 60% of this island was under water. The inundation line is highly visible even now with ocean debris. The debris is a real problem on all beaches but usually doesn't go inland. With slight warming of the water, it expands and even a half meter of rise combined with winter storm waves is significant.
Inundation line where trash washed up from the ocean during the tsunami
It felt like these birds were reduced to trailer trash through no fault of their own
According to Susan Scott our new bird counter, beach debris is a trendy material for artwork. We have been enjoying some of her pieces on display here. And today we were all exposed to her collecting technique.
Susan Scott with material to make turtles
These are some completed pieces on display at Clipper House
True to form, our long day ended near the seep. This is a terrific success story of bringing the population of 40 Laysan Ducks up to 500 by offering them these fresh water seeps. The pump is operated by the solar panels visible between the pond and the trees. The native bunch grass has also been encouraged to grow by controlling the verbesina. I'd love to see this island in five years when the vegetation is all controlled (if not original).
Eastern Island seep, home to happy Laysan Ducks
While we were loading the boat to return to Sand Island, we noticed these two turtles hauled out near the dock. This morning when we landed, one was also slowly scooting himself up the beach. Now a second has joined him. However tired we are, we are easily reminded that these creatures deserve a safe haven and that is what Midway has become.
Eastern, near the dock - double honu
Riding our bikes back to Charlie barracks, we noticed the lonely hybrid albatross had enticed a Laysan to dance. Is it a real courtship? We have found only one hybrid on a nest so far.
Everybody dances on New Year's eve
it would be interesting to know if the hybrids can breed or are they sterile like so many other hybrids.
ReplyDeleteWe probably saw a dozen hybrids but only 1-2 were reported on nests. Hopefully they will be tracked. I asked everyone in a position to know more about them but if it isn't the focus of a specific study, they aren't studied. I was itching to band them, send chest feathers in for DNA gender ID, etc. but I don't have access to the lab, nor the funding . . .
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