Our trip to Eastern was cancelled for today due to weather reports of high winds expected to reach gale force by nightfall. We didn’t have to rush so much in the morning – that was the good news. Our progress at Eastern had made it to the door of the Clipper House by breakfast. Yellow areas are complete.
Plot map for Eastern Island on left (334 acres total)
Plot map for Sand Island on right (1200 acres total)
Staying on Sand today, we headed out knowing it was likely we would have rain and wind all day. The birds were happy to have both – we imagined the ones nesting were wishing their partners would return so they could fly. There was excitement in the air.
We started counting only to discover they were spraying herbicide in our plot so we postponed that one for a day or two. While we worked we had put our packs in large garbage bags, we had rain gear with us – we were ready. It didn’t rain though and we were like individual saunas with our protective clothing.
We changed plans and headed to a different area some distance away. The rain hit us while riding, my pack no longer wrapped in plastic - it was soaked through including an extra
t-shirt I had brought. I learned my rain coat was not waterproof and I had rain running down my neck and arms inside. We pulled into the old runway building we were skirting our way around. While there I snapped some vintage shots.
t-shirt I had brought. I learned my rain coat was not waterproof and I had rain running down my neck and arms inside. We pulled into the old runway building we were skirting our way around. While there I snapped some vintage shots.
We finished a sector across from where we worked the first day. This included sand dunes up to the beach, more verbesina, nau paka and also sea grape. The latter two are a tangle of roots with enough opening, some birds like to go under it to nest. It is very hard to keep straight lines and requires painting each nest so we all know if it has been counted. The closer we are to the beach, the more black foot albatross there are. They are noisy, snappy, and gorgeous birds. It was great to check a sector off the list as partials are accumulating.
Having finished ours in the morning, the leaders of several groups decided to share a huge sector in the afternoon – the sector from hell, basically made up of burrows among ironwood with lots of downed trees. There is plenty of verbesina as well and since there is a seep in the sector we found other vegetation to amply disguise the burrows.
The lumps of sand are what the burrowing petrels kick out of the holes they dig
Our task was to the left of this old cart track and we went up, over, and/or through whatever
Petrel hole just cleared with bird inside - he is free to continue prepping for nesting season
We notice a large amount of Black Foots within the ironwood forest, not normal for them. Two factors have changed, the beach line moved outward and the forest is younger than the genetic return pattern of the birds. We realize how little we understand about time and space and appreciate that these creatures just try to adapt to conditions whether altered by humans or long periods of dynamic natural phenomenon.
The bill and feet are so black, the rest looks air brushed
We are filthy and tired from climbing over logs and through vegetation. Our shoes and sleeves are full of sand. Someone will say as we hit a new difficulty “at least it isn’t raining.” The next one says, “at least we don’t have mosquitos.” When it gets really bad, someone says, “at least it isn’t snowing.” The white terns (fairy terns) entertain us and keep our moods up, often flying right over our heads or in front of our faces or watching us from a nearby branch.
Happy for this day to end we ride back, shower up and meet in the lounge of Charlie barracks to watch a Christmas movie, Elf. Sue, the manager of Midway FWS, joined us with popcorn and cookies to munch.
Dear sharon and Gil
ReplyDeleteNice to see and read that Midway is a breeding ground for life instead of a support for war tools and such. love Jody