Bird Study Heaven

Whilst the seals have been providing plenty of entertainment recently the main focus for Lucy and I has been the start of the 2016-17 bird season. For us that means looking for signs of each species returning, mating, nesting and eventually laying their eggs!

Fieldwork began on the 1^st September but the unusually long winter down here has meant that ice and snow cover, plus the frozen ground, has interrupted the start of the season slightly. Many of the birds are a bit late in returning or breeding. Consequently Lucy and I have been able to spend more time preparing for the season finishing off important tasks like: painting quadrat markers, painting inside the field huts, getting all nest tags and marker stakes up to the study areas, checking our field equipment, preparing all the data documentation etc.

132 rocks needing a yellow makeover at Big Mac - no problem for team bird!

Luckily the birds weren’t too late and recently they have started their seasons. Our first sights of grey-head and black-browed albatross’ were on the 10^th September (actually early for the black-browed!), whilst the first grey-heads returned to one of the regular study colonies on the 16^th September. It is amazing to see and hear these pretty birds back on the island!

Return of the grey-heads :)

Pure joy! - Lucy has her grey-heads back

Meanwhile my main study species, the giant petrels, have been around in small numbers all winter but they are now coming back in full force and showing nesting and breeding behaviour.

Catching up with old friends! - I'm now spending plenty of time with my geeps

The first northern geep egg was found on the 17^th September and there will be plenty more over the coming weeks!

The first geep to lay her egg :)

The first of so, so many field notes!

Besides our main study species of albatross, petrels and penguins (for whom monitoring will soon begin in earnest as well!) there are plenty of other birds around for us to start work with. Pintails, skuas and pipits are all being closely watched whilst we are awaiting the first signs of the burrowing petrels returning. But the star of the show at the moment is the blue-eyed shag. In a quick check of one of the colonies we were very surprised to have a shag land on a nest just above our heads and place some nesting material down as it starts its season!

"Ermmmm... that didn't fill my nest much! Time to go get some more!"

Absolutely stunning birds!

With so much going on at the moment the field season is getting us all very excited! We are certainly glad to be back out in the field every day working with such amazing birds! Plus when we come back to base there are still plenty of seals around to add yet more entertainment!

"I'm bigger than you, stay away furry!"

"Oh yh?! We'll see about that ellieblob!"

Lucy and James very happy to spend an evening with a big ellie - although this guy is still small by ellie standards!

Bird Island is certainly one of the best wildlife experiences and we are all very privileged to be working here!

"Oh my god! It's a lep!" - The leopard seals are still around in good numbers, but never less than exciting to see!

Squealy good entertainment

As a seabird zoologist my first thought is always for feathery creatures with wings (or in the case of penguins, flips!). But whilst the bird season is only just starting - we have had our first 3 grey-head and 1 black-brow sightings and the northern geeps have started making nests - there is still time to enjoy the sight of the seals, aka. squeals!

"I am blondie, I am the master of the pingus!"

The fur seals are starting to increase slightly in numbers; for the most part they really enjoy the ice, scratching on it and sliding around the bays. But there are some that don't seem impressed!

"Barrels are more comfortable than ice!"

It's behind you! - This furry isn't happy being on the ice with hungry leps around.

"Stay away!" (the furry survived the leps curiosity)

Of course how can we mention one lep without looking at some more! The amount of ice still around means we are getting large numbers of them. In fact, we sighted 11 different leps in one day not long ago, a record for this year, and we are getting some of the highest numbers ever recorded.

They look so peaceful whilst asleep, but they are very good predators.

Unfortunately the work with seals isn't all observations and photographs at this time of year. Their diet is also an important line of study and there is only one way to ascertain that!

"What are you doing with my poo you silly human?"

Lucy investigating the feathers and bird feet found in a lep poo - such a glamorous job!

Of course we mustn't forget the third seal species on BI - the ellies! This time of year some big males are just starting to come ashore, awaiting the females arrival who will then give birth before mating again for next seasons pups!

The adult males are certainly HUGE! It is great to start seeing them come ashore now.

When you have been on BI for so long we start to loose track of 'normality' and blend in to our new home. On this occasion Lucy decided she would join the ellie fraternity!

The seals are certainly a very interesting aspect of life on 'Seal' Island, but I think I'll stick to my birdies for now. Won't be long until geep eggs are laid and the penguin breeding seasons begin!

James is very happy with his study species - but I have put the word out to my little pingus and soon we will take back the island for the bird world! Mwah ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!

Springtime?!?

August is a transition time for the bird work on BI. During August the last surveys are done for the 2015/16 season and final preparations are made for the first surveys of the 2016/17, which start on the 1st September.

Pipits survive the winter foraging along the water line; as our only songbird when they start calling it is a wonderful sign of spring!

With the final pintail counts completed in August and final all-island checks of the wanal chicks completed by, or on, the 1st September it certainly feels like the end of a season. Working with the wanals is a particular highlight at this time of year as the chicks start to develop their feathers and become a bit more adventurous, leaving the nest and starting to wander around!

The fluffy chicks are getting bigger

But unfortunately, despite now being on the lookout for signs of it, spring certainly isn't here just yet! The snow and ice are still in control of the island and trudging through it all on our surveys can be a challenge at times - especially when we still manage to find holes, some of which are head height!

Lucy enjoyed watching me try and climb out of a 6ft hole!

Of course, if we ever needed confirmation that winter is still very much holding on to BI all we need to do is look out the window! Leopard seals have been around in good numbers recently, on occasion we have had up to 6 leps hauled out within view of our front door!

The leprasaurus' always look so happy with themselves!

It's a hard life for a lep!

It is not just the leps either. There are some birds that are clinging on to the winter conditions as well with terns in good numbers feeding in the bays and even the occasional snow petrel (also referred to as snope) feeding on the waters surface.

Terns and snopes looking for food

Despite seeing the snow, ice and winter wildlife we can say that spring is at least on its way though as we have had the first actual sign of the new season beginning - the northern giant petrels are pairing up and starting to mate!

Northern geeps are getting ready for the new season

It won't be long now until the mollymawks start returning, the gentoos start nesting and come October we will see sooties and the return of the macs! It really is beginning to feel like the season is changing - if only the snow and ice would recognise that as well!!

The sun occasionally tries to bring on spring, I'm sure it'll get there eventually!