Refuge Manager

This is my boss Steve B.

More Albatross Banding

That's a Sooty Tern on my hat and a Black-footed Albatross chick in my arms.

East Island Turtle Camp Set up

I haven't been back to East Island since the camp was set up but here are some shots of the tent being put up.

Busy Times

We are still madly banding albatross chicks because some are very close to fledging. Much of our other work can't be ignored so it makes for long tiring days. I will be back and forth occasionally to the East Island turtle camp and will get some pictures of the camp and the island once the albatross banding is complete.

East Island Turtle Camp

This morning about 8 a.m. most of the people on the island started moving gear for the turtle camp down to the boat dock. We loaded gear and 2 people in one boat and more gear and 4 people in another small boat. We left Tern about 9 a.m. and about 30 minutes later were threading the reef to get into East Island. We anchored both boats and one person from each boat carried a second anchor up the beach and placed it carefully. We then stretched the boats between the 2 anchors and pulled them close enough to shore so we could wade about waist deep to get to the boats and started carrying loads up the beach to the camp site. With 6 of us working we emptied the boats in about 30 minutes. There is a permanent wooden platform for a tent on the island so for the next 2 hours we helped Irene and Tammy get their tent and camp set up. The 2 women will alternate 48 hour shifts in the camp, working nights, to study the large nesting Green Sea Turtle population. Every 48 hours a boat from Tern will make the run to East Island to pick up one researcher and drop off the other. The camp will also be kept supplied with fresh water and food at the same time. After our part in the set up was complete, Steve, the refuge manager, and myself did a count of the albatross on the island. There were nearly a 1,000 albatross of 2 species. A busy but interesting morning.

Masked Booby Color Variant

We found this unusually colored Masked Booby Chick on an incubation count several days ago. The chick with the darker beak is the normal coloration.

Sooty Terns

As I've said before, the Sooty Terns are a constant presence when working in the colonies. Here is a behavior that takes place every day as I work. I took these pictures myself and am reaching with the camera, so that explains the grimace. In the picture with 3 Terns, one is roosting on my hat and 2 are flying.