I know that my postings have been sporadic lately. I have to admit that I've been a little lazy in getting to my blog, mostly because I've been so relaxed with the hot Hawaiian sun beating on me and the cool Pacific inviting me in for a refreshing dip. The times that I have tried to log on have been unsuccessful until now, 11:00 p.m. Hawaiian time on this cloudy, starless Wednesday night. Since I was actually allowed onto my blog, I will post a little something. Hopefully, this thing will work tonight.
We have been mark-recapturing wedge-tailed shearwaters for the last 3 weeks. When you go out wedgie catching, you have to wear thick leather gloves and long sleeves so that they can't easily bite you. And they try really hard to find a chink in the armor. The first night we were out catching, the one I was holding let his cute little head bob backwards onto my hand. How sweet! I thought. Dave quickly corrected me. "Um, he's trying to find a place to bite you." Those little guys bite pretty hard -- I got bit on the cheek last week. It's healing up fine, but still. Not the face!
I reached the 600 mark on my red-tailed tropicbird mark-recapture! I am very pleased! But I miss working with those birds. When you spend so much of your time catching, banding, observing, holding, interacting with the birds, it's hard not to get a little attached. I still see the tropicbirds on the island, and as I see them, I give a salute. They were fun to work with.
The sooty terns have landed in full force on the island. They are absolutely everywhere. On every square inch of open space the other birds have left available there is a sooty tern. Even under bushes, the poor tropicbirds have to sqwak just to get an offending sooty out of their personal space. When we do our plots or weed, the sooties peck at our toes and hands if we get too close. They hover right over the ground, like a living fog, screeching at their own kind, at other birds, at us. It's a little overwhelming. Today I was a little ways off the runway, in a little patch of grass not too populated by sooties. As soon as they started yelling at me, I almost teared up -- "I can't take this anymore today," I thought, and booked it out of there. Yes, a bird made me think twice about my plans, I admit it. But you would too if you got screeched at, stabbed, and bombarded by these little mites all day.
I love it here.
The last 2 and a half weeks have been eventful... Tern Island style. What I mean by that is that most of what has been going on has been the same old, same old bird stuff, which nonetheless is exciting to me and the rest of the people on this little island.
I am in love with a new bird, even though the albatrosses will always be my first love. The Bulwer's petrel is a little black bird, almost a cross between a Tristram's storm-petrel and a Christmas shearwater. Bulwer's have the cutest little feet that look way too small for their bodies. Their call is unusual -- it's like a little dog "woof." No joke. Amongst all the screechings and cawings, to hear the "woof! woof! woof!" is a bit out of place.
We have been mark-recapturing wedge-tailed shearwaters for the last 3 weeks. When you go out wedgie catching, you have to wear thick leather gloves and long sleeves so that they can't easily bite you. And they try really hard to find a chink in the armor. The first night we were out catching, the one I was holding let his cute little head bob backwards onto my hand. How sweet! I thought. Dave quickly corrected me. "Um, he's trying to find a place to bite you." Those little guys bite pretty hard -- I got bit on the cheek last week. It's healing up fine, but still. Not the face!
We've been doing a ton of cheeseweeding and rock hauling the last couple of weeks. Specifically, we've been concentrating on clearing out the major rocks from Shell Beach so that sea turtles will have a smoother place to lay their eggs when the season comes (sometime in May). I tell you what, my skin is about as dark as I think God intended -- spending all day in the sun will do that I suppose.
I reached the 600 mark on my red-tailed tropicbird mark-recapture! I am very pleased! But I miss working with those birds. When you spend so much of your time catching, banding, observing, holding, interacting with the birds, it's hard not to get a little attached. I still see the tropicbirds on the island, and as I see them, I give a salute. They were fun to work with.
The sooty terns have landed in full force on the island. They are absolutely everywhere. On every square inch of open space the other birds have left available there is a sooty tern. Even under bushes, the poor tropicbirds have to sqwak just to get an offending sooty out of their personal space. When we do our plots or weed, the sooties peck at our toes and hands if we get too close. They hover right over the ground, like a living fog, screeching at their own kind, at other birds, at us. It's a little overwhelming. Today I was a little ways off the runway, in a little patch of grass not too populated by sooties. As soon as they started yelling at me, I almost teared up -- "I can't take this anymore today," I thought, and booked it out of there. Yes, a bird made me think twice about my plans, I admit it. But you would too if you got screeched at, stabbed, and bombarded by these little mites all day.
I love it here.
Great job with the blog. Thanks for the seabird fix.
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