the BIO technician

The Final Post from Midway

2009-08-20T17:56:00.000-07:00

On the eve of my departure from Midway Atoll, I would like to post a few pictures that didnt quite fit into the other posts, but are still worthy in my opinion.

Midway is an amazing place that all of you should visit someday if given the opportunity. That being said, most of you will not be given the opportunity which brings me to my next point. I am lucky and grateful for being here and experiencing this. Although I will be leaving, pictures will continue to make their way onto the BIO technician from midway. I will soon have access to a photo editing program, so look out.

Up until now, all pictures have been raw, straight from the camera, and unedited. A gritty look at life on one of the world's most remote islands.

All is not lost though, as I am slated to be the new caretaker for the Lanphere Dunes unit of the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge.....details below......

That is still several long plane rides , and several thousand miles away, so I am getting ahead of myself.

A juvy booby.

A "pier party"

Halsey the back yard white tern chick who would pass away only a few days after this picture was taken.

More white terns

A tough looking red-tailed tropic bird chick

Not so tough.

rollin' deep

I think I'm being followed

A herd of laysan ducks

A red-tailed tropic bird pair

Fledgeling Albatross practicing flapping during a rain storm.

My next Assignment......Details Coming Soon.

The Iwa

2009-08-08T12:05:00.000-07:00

The Iwa or Great Frigate Bird.

Traditionally seen as a bad omen by ancient seafarers.

An Iwa chick.

This fascinating sequence was captured by Seagull Steve whose blog "Bourbon Bastards and Birds" can be accessed via the link on the right hand side of your screen.

It illustrates how the Great Frigate Bird got its Hawaiian name. Iwa means thief. Great Frigate birds are commonly seen chasing birds like the Red-Tailed Tropic Bird (pictured here), or the various Booby species in an effort to get them to throw up their last catch, which the GRFRs will promptly steal.

This C-130 was stranded on Midway recently.

The reason was a collision with an Iwa that resulted in a basket ball sized hole that can be see to the left of the propeller just above the feul tank.

This Red-Footed Booby doesn't know Iwa means thief.

I've had my hands full

2009-08-06T13:15:00.000-07:00

A Gooney egg. Gooney is a coloquial name for the albatross. Why they went with Albatross instead of Gooney I dont know. You may thing Albatross sounds more dignified, than why Booby instead of Gannet? This egg was layed several months ago, and must be handled carefully as its contents have been stewing in the sun and are under tremendous preassure.

A white tern that had gotten itself stuck in an invasive species of algae that thives in some of the duck ponds. Moments after this picture was taken, the tern was seen flying away after preening its feathers and drying off a bit.

This male Laysan Duck is sick. It is infected with the botulism toxin. This particular duck was the first one I treated personnaly, injections, tube feeding, and all. Four days later he was released with a clean bill of health.

A live .50 cal round from WWII.

A brown noddy chick. These have been popping up all over the island recently. More on that later.

Geckos

2009-07-26T11:13:00.000-07:00

Three different varietals of the Midway Fly Trap.

A Movin' Picher Show

2009-07-19T13:16:00.000-07:00

Deploying the Device

2009-07-14T16:27:00.000-07:00

Today we deployed satellite transmitters on 2 fledgling Laysan Albatross. These 30 gram units allow researchers to track the position of the birds in almost real time as they transit to feeding areas across the Pacific. This allows conflicts with fishermen and plastic marine debris to be more well understood.

After capture, the chicks are weighed in an old road cone. Low tech, but functional. This particular cone was actually a piece of marine debris that washed up on the beach a few years back.

Next, they recieve a band.

Feather samples were taken from each chick for DNA analysis. The birds are strong, and require a team of technicians and biologists to control them.

Takin' it Easy

2009-07-11T12:00:00.000-07:00

Unlike these Laysan Ducks and the Bristle-Thighed Curlew who are obviously on their way to go do something important, I have the day off.

This gives me time to stop and smell the Roses, or in this case, Morning Glories. These are native to the N.W. Hawaiian Islands, and carpet the beaches.

Escape from the Jaws of a Tiger

2009-07-09T22:53:00.000-07:00

On the boat ride over to Eastern Island today we saw a Tiger Shark attacking a fledgling Laysan Albatross. The Albatross bit the shark in the nose........and lived.

A welcoming committee waited for us on the pier.

Thousands of these Japanese Emerald Beatles were swarming around everywhere.

We were there to do some restoration work on the wetlands. The Laysan Ducks were interested in all the activity.

Very interested.

The Terns were out in full force.

This thing is a firing position from the 2nd World War. It is made out of the top of a tank from the 1st World War. When the Japanese fleet was bearing down on Midway, some 18 year old soldier would have been inside there aiming his machine gun at the beach and waiting to die. Lucky for him, the Battle of Midway actually took place in the open ocean several miles from the Atoll Itself.

Another relic of the War.

This Brown Noddy chick supervised the whole thing from the stump of an old Ironwood Tree.

The People's Atoll: Vol 2 "Death From Above"

2009-07-08T22:08:00.000-07:00

These two F-18 Hornets made an emergency landing on Midway today. Evidently one has a broken engine. If you have ever seen a movie about fighter jets, you know that you never abandon your wing-man.

Scary, kind of like the Marines that came out of the cockpit.

They are armed and ready to go make some freedom.

Chicks Man.

2009-07-07T16:22:00.000-07:00

A ruthless, and feared predator......If you're a small fish

Yeah, that never really gets old.

Ah.......cute too.......in a pterodactyl sort of way.

Celebrity Albatross: Part II

2009-07-04T12:21:00.000-07:00

The CHAIRMAN MAO

The GLEN PLAKE

The MOBY

The FIRE MARSHALL BILL

The FRIDA KAHLO

The Peoples Atoll Vol: 1

2009-07-03T15:11:00.000-07:00

This will be the first in a ten part series that explores Midway Atoll from the people's perspective. In other words I will try to show the parts of Midway that are here strictly for the Human residents.

This is my "street". It is the only street in my "neighborhood". Other residents include the Atoll's Biologist, Mechanic, and 2 seasonal technicians. Bio technicians as a matter of fact. The path is barely wide enough for a golf cart, but even this requires constant stops to move birds out of the way. Bikes work best. It is not unusual to wake up in the morning and find out a neighbor from further down the lane, returning home late, decided to park a cart in your front yard rather that contend with dozens of angry snapping Albartoss chicks. Been there, done that. The chicks are getting old enough to cause damage with their beaks. Most all of the vegetation seen here, while wildly exotic, fragrant and pretty is not native and takes up valuable nesting habitat for the Albatross. My favorite is the fluffy pink thing that has been flowering non-stop since I got here.

Molesting Chicks........For Science.

2009-06-30T21:10:00.000-07:00

Bird banding requires the bander to crimp a metal ring around a birds leg. Birds have hallow bones, making their legs particularly delicate. Why then would you ever consider using pliers and stainless steel bands anywhere near them? The answer is simple. Birds, unlike humans have faces that look exactly the same. All birds in a given species look virtually identicle. Given our species affinity for aggressive land use, we need to be sure that our activities do not interfere with the vitality of wildlife populations. It is important than to be able to recognize the individuals.

Hence, bird banding. To a birder, this is like making the haj, of touching the wailing wall. It is the closest you can really interact with a bird, and have a good reason to do it. Of course we can tell ourselves that we are doing the good work, and helping people learn the good knowledge. The real reason though? Glory, its all about the glory. Yes, those are my hands on the pliers, and the glory goes to me.......What about those other hands in the picture? I said me, all me.

This is what is inside that towel.

This one is still a little young to get a band. Besides if you get close to a parent like this, they will go for the jugular.............or eyes depending on what kind of mood they are in.

Walk it Off

2009-06-27T23:54:00.000-07:00

So, it's tough out there for the Albatross. Foraging bouts lasting days and covering thousands of miles, stormy seas, tiger sharks etc.

However, we the capitalist Uber-consumers make it worse. Much Worse.

This Albatross chick is surrounded by Vebensina sp, an invasive that was introduced during the European invasion of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The plant grows fast in the summer creating a canopy around the chicks. This has several consequences:

1) Parents may have a difficult time finding and feeding their chicks
2) Nesting density in decreased in areas with the invasive plant. This is a big deal when the
nesting colonies are located on islands that are only a few acres in size.
3) Chicks like this one are not able to stretch, and flap their wings. This practice is crucial for
chicks that have a chance of fledging.

This particular chick was daylighted during an intensive ecological restoration effort. (weed pull)

Another problem associated with the European Invasion is the Mosquito. They spread avian pox, which although not usually lethal has the potential to deform the eyes and beaks of infected chicks. The Albatross did not evolve with this pressure, and have no natural defence. Occupation of these remote atolls by people increases the pooling of fresh water (in our piles of garbage), and in turn the number of mosquitos.

Albatross eat our plastic. This decomposing carcass is barely recognizable. It will soon turn to dust. The plastic will be there forever, maybe even be consumed by a curious chick that is unfortunate enough to walk by.

All Albatross eject a bolus before they fledge. Alot like an owl pellet, it contains the undigestible parts of their diet. Things like squid beaks. There is one squid beak visible in this bolus which is comprised mainly of plastic. The Albatross whos cause of death is known to be plastic impaction have an average of 1.5 oz. of plastic in their system. The average amount of plastic in an Albatross that fledges from Midway is 1.0 oz.

Albatross eat squid, flying fish eggs etc. These things float on the surface of water like plastic. This stuff was all brought to Midway by Albatross parents.

So was this stuff.

And this stuff. SO, I think to myself, I don't throw my garbage in the ocean, I am not resposible for this. Then I remember that awesome seared Mahi Mahi I had once, and think about the fisherman I support who does throw his garbage in the Ocean. Ever taken a cruise, before recent legislation, they threw all their crap overboard too. Ever shop at Walmart. Capsized cargo vessels on their way from Asia to the U.S. heavily supplement the plastic eaten by the Albatross. Childrens toys for example are unusually common.

This unfortunate chick is one of many called "droop wings". They have lead poisoning from eating the lead paint chips peeling off the "historic" navy buildings left over from the war days. It will not survive. It has been estimated it would cost the government around 4-5million dollars to fix this problem permanately by removing the lead paint. Lets take a moment to think about what we currently spend our tax dollars on. Remember "Shock and Awe"? God Bless America!

To end on a positive note. Many Albatross like this black-foot will survive, live for decades, and possibly provide some of the inspiration for the change we need.

Grand Central Station

2009-06-26T17:46:00.000-07:00

This is the "G-1". It is the plane I came in on. It is the plane I will leave on. For a museum piece that is nearly 70 years old it runs pretty well. Last week it brought in a film crew ,the second visiting the atoll this summer, and there will be more.....many more. Evidently the plastic floating around in the Pacific Garbage Patch is becoming a big deal.

Today is "plane day". Quite the happening event here. I am expecting cookies from Mom. There will be some island residents leaving for various reasons, including Gene the bike guy. Need a flat tire fixed, maybe some monkey bar handle bars, he's or he was your man. He will be missed. There will also be new people coming in.

This is the NOAA research vessel Hi'ialakai. It is full of heavily tanned, hard drinking sailors who are really into coral, clouds, and other ocean-related stuff.

Very interesting. Good People.

Evidently this monster is parked just over the horizon. It is a converted oil-drilling platform, and the most expensive ship in the world, at over 1 Billion Dollars. It is supposed to detect nuclear missiles, and is highly classified. Agents from the MDC or missile defence council will be crawling all over the island for the next couple of weeks while N. Korea carries out its nuclear tests over the fourth of july. They shuutle to and from the atoll in a ship ironically called the "DOVE".

Very lame. Scary People.

I did not take this picture.

Finally the USS Walnut shown here in a picture not taken by me, is due in about a week. The other half of my luggage is rumored to be on this vessel. To be honest, it has been so long, I forget what is actually in there. Hopefully some clean socks.

The Frea...uh....."special" Albatross

2009-06-24T20:29:00.000-07:00

Moby Dick, the Albino Laysan Albatross. Technically, not an albino, notice the pigment in the eyes.

What happens when Red-tailed Tropic birds nest in close proximity to.......

Normal Laysan Albatross

The LAAL X RTTR Hybrid....not really.

Finally, I would ask that anyone with small children leave the room......

Ladies and Gentlemen I give you the four-legged beast. This Black Foot Chick seems to have a nested twin protruding out of its side.

The Noddys -- Noio Koha and Lae hina

2009-06-23T20:14:00.000-07:00

The Noio Koha or Brown Noddy - These sea birds are ground nesters. They build their nests on the edges of the runways, and other open areas. This makes them an ideal target for photography. An adult is doing its best to look scary and guard the nest.

This one is less vigilant.

A brown Noddy Nest, like many seabirds they lay only 1 egg per year. Hopefully the eggs will start to hatch soon, and I can post some pictures of the chicks.

The Black Noddy or Lae hina nest high in the trees, and are much harder to photograph. They are slightly smaller than the Brown Noddy.

They build more complex nests than the brown ones. I am guessing that is what this one is doing.

A male Black Noddy doing his best to impress a female.

Celebrity Albatross

2009-06-21T22:13:00.000-07:00

THE FRIAR TUCK

THE BILLY-RAY CYRUS

THE MARTIN SCORSESE

1st LADUs Treated for botulism Released

2009-06-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

This duck is a part of the next group slated for release after being treated for avian botulism. There were several mortalities, but so far two have been treated and released, with three including this one on deck in the aviary.

Healthy Adult LADUs. Hopefully capture, treatment, and monitoring of the sick ones helps them stay that way.

Mau-o-ku are everywhere

2009-06-18T22:46:00.000-07:00

White Terns eat fish.....lots and lots of fish. You should probably enlarge this picture by clicking on it for full enjoyment.

These two like to hang around outside the Midway Mall which includes the general store, library, internet cafe, barber shop, and the All Hands Club, our local bar.

The invasive Ironwood tree from Australia is harmful to the albatross, but increases the nesting habitat available to the White terns. This chicks have special claws on their feet for the first few weeks of life that helps them hang on to their "nest".

This is why they are sometimes called fairy terns

Botox hits Midway

2009-06-16T19:49:00.000-07:00

This ~55 day old duckling believe it or not is still alive, and not sedated. It has most likely been exposed to botulism toxin. Several have been found in this condition over the past week. Botulism toxin is produced when a protein source (a dead bird) is introduced into a low oxygen environment (the bottom of a seep or duck pond) in the presence of bacteria. Humans have been known to inject this same substance into their faces to maintain a youthful appearance.

1/2cc of a botulism anti-toxin is injected into the breast muscle by biologist John Klavitter assisted by Ken Foote. This will bind to the toxin and help the duckling pass it out of its body.

Fluids are replenished with a 10cc sub-cutaneous (just under the skin) injection in each leg.

Finally the duckling is topped off with 5cc of Pediolite and Water.

These ducks have been treated, and are resting. They will be kept in an aviary while their condition is monitored, and hopefully improves.

The Bonin Petrel

2009-06-15T11:26:00.000-07:00

There is no Hawaiian name for this bird. They are creatures of the night on midway who spend the day foraging at sea. They dig burrows for their nests. Here is an adult doing some house keeping.

A bonin chick. Any time I walk off the trail I have to be very aware of their burrow homes. Most people here have collapsed a burrow. So far all mine have been unoccupied (they dig a new one every year). This does not stop me from hitting my knees and digging sand in a rescue attempt every time it happens. Remember your training and you will survive.

A fledgeling that has been hanging around our doorstep lately. I have not seen him in a while. He is probably slaying small fish in a distant sea by now. Be brave bold petrel.

The Koa'e'ula

2009-06-13T14:17:00.000-07:00

The Koa'e'lua or red-tailed tropic bird is the species we handle the most here on Midway. This one is incubating a chick. At least twice a week we go out and monitor, capture, and band these birds.

You will probably have to enlarge the picture by clicking on it to see the chick and the red tail.

The bands will stay on for life, which can be decades for the Koa'e'ula. Birds banded here have turned up in Japan and the Philippines.

We call these DFCs or downy feathered chicks.

Here is a PFC or partially feathered chick.

This is an albino albatross who hangs out with a tropic bird. Quite the identity crisis.

Ka'upu vs. Moli

2009-06-11T23:20:00.000-07:00

Although these two species look different, it is their personalities and behavior that provide the most striking comparison.

The black-footed albatross are more wary of people. The nest near the Islands most remote beaches. A finger put too close to their bill is likely to come off.

The Moli or Laysan Albatross nest right in the middle of "town". This one greets me every morning as I head off to work.

Unlike the bone splitting snaps of the Black-Feet, the Moli's more petite beak produces sort of a nibble, but it rarely comes to that.

I have not yet decided which one is superior.

A trip to the unihabited Eastern Island

2009-06-10T13:25:00.000-07:00

First, sorry about the lack of posts lately. A botulism scare has resulted in increased monitoring of the Laysan duck population, and a longer work day.

Sunrise through clouds of water vapor and birds

Laysan ducks enjoying the "Monument Seep". The duck loafing on the woody debris is a male who was born on Laysan Island and is considered one of the founders of the Midway population. The other two adults (with the eye rings) are female. There are two broods of ducklings here, one mostly downy, the other with feathers.

The 'Ewa'Ewa or Sooty terns. People who work near the nest sites of these birds for any extended period of time must wear ear protection.

A grounded 'Ewa 'Ewa. (Probably sitting on her nest.)

The Pakalakala or grey-backed tern. Alot like the 'Ewa 'Ewa but with a ..............

The 'A or Red-footed Booby.

An 'A with a chick. This is an extremely difficult shot to get........

NOT!

A better view of the red feet.

The ka'upu

2009-06-05T23:28:00.000-07:00

The ka'upu or black-footed albatross are found on Midway; although, there are fewer of them here than the Moli.

The ka'upu is the first albatross I had seen. During an ornithology field trip a couple years ago, we took a boat ride about 10 miles off the coast of California. There is a good chance the ka'upu we saw gliding effortlessly over the water that day hatched out on midway. It is important to remember that the albatross here on Midway are not simply feeding in the bay and surrounding waters, they make 1,000 mile + flights to forrage in distant seas. They only come on land to breed, and can spend decades roaming the open ocean.

Rain Rain......

2009-06-04T10:52:00.000-07:00

Many of the long-term human residents of Midway have a special relationship with the sunshine. The rare rain storm can be a downer. This was the most pathetic looking chick I could find outside my house this morning. Contrary to appearances, the Albatross seem to enjoy the rain. This is the only fresh water they will ever come in contact with. They snap at the air in an attempt to drink, and the chorus of tens of thousands of them sounded like machine gun fire last night.

Having lived in the Pacific Northwest for several years, I can relate to this white tern chick who seems to be taking it all in stride.

All the Laysan Ducks on the other hand seem beside themselves with glee.

The ilio-holo-kai

2009-06-02T23:57:00.000-07:00

The ilio-holo-kai or Hawaiian Monk seal is critically endangered. There are less than 1,500 left in the wild. They are the most primitive of the seal/sea lion type animals, and do not for harems or social groups. They are called monks because of their solitary lifestyles.

The population on Midway Atoll is being closely monitored. Their presence on a beach can shut it down completely........even to the biologists! (These pictures were taken with my digiscoping rig from a safe distance........for the seals.)

This pup has been weened from its mother for less than a week, and finds itself surrounded by marine debris from the "Pacific garbage patch".....please Google it.

The Mau-o-ku

2009-06-02T11:13:00.000-07:00

The Mau-o-ku or white tern has a dominate presence here on Midway. They are also called fairy terns for their habit of hovering in groups around people's heads.

The chicks don't have nests, and are found on tree branches, walls, ash trays....you name it. They sit and wait patiently for their parents to bring them food.

Ring Around the Albatross

2009-06-01T23:11:00.000-07:00

Above: A banded adult wearing 1 plastic field readable band on the right, and a permanent Fish and Wildlife Service stainless steel band on the left. They need to be durable. There are albatross on the island that have a 50+ year resight history.

Below: Chicks with bands

Bird banding or "ringing" as it is known in Europe is a way for researchers to keep track of individuals. This is required in order to quantify vital rates like survival and recruitment (the number of chicks that enter the breeding population.) The Moli is considered vulnerable to extinction by the IUCN. This means it is important to monitor the population so problems can be addressed before it is too late. Today I spent a few hours reading bands on albatross chicks. This is called a re-sight survey, and is similar to what we do with the Laysan Ducks. It is much eisier for albatross because they only have one chick that more or less sits in the same spot all the time. So, rather than being stealthy with binoculars, we just walk right up and read the bands.

A Verbensina Bash

2009-06-01T20:43:00.000-07:00

Today we helped a group of voluntourists here with the Friends of Midaway Atoll (link to your right under "midway links") pull out a bunch of invasive golden crowngeard (Verbensina sp). We replaced or "outplanted" with a native bunch grass. You can see the bunchgrass in the foreground and the Verb with the yellow flowers in the background. At least they don't have lupine here.

1st day of work

2009-06-01T00:53:00.000-07:00

This is "Seagull" Steve Tucker. He is a volunteer here on Midway, and the author of the illustrious BB&B (This can be found under the "Midway Links" section on the right hand side of this page). He is showing me how to survey for Laysan Ducks. This involves moving up to ponds and wetland areas while maintaining a "low profile", and getting close enough to read the leg bands that individually mark these ducks. This low profile described in the survey protocol is important because the ducklings can become separated from mom if they are frightened by observers. This leaves them open to being killed by the Albatross. Albatross do not eat the ducklings, they are simply curious birds with razor sharp bills as long as my hand. The Laysan duck is the second most endangered species of duck on the planet with only a few hundred individuals alive in the wild (so every duckling counts). They survive on two atolls, Midway and Laysan (smaller than midway, located several hundred miles back along the Hawaiian archipeligo). If you enlarge the picture above by clicking on it, you can see a LADU behind Steve, just above the steering wheel. This was not part of the survey. Decommissioned runways are not usually ideal LADU habitat, but this one seems to be making it work.

These are the bands that mark the LADUs. Almost all of the adult ducks wear them. They can be read with binoculars from a fair distance away. Why go through all the trouble? Well, these particular ducks are either pioneers or their descendants from a relatively recent reintroduction effort on Midway Atoll. This means that information about their survival and reproductive status can be very valuable. Previously they were only found on Laysan. That situation leaves the species vulnerable to extinction from a catostophic event like an outbreak of avian botulism for example. Reintroducing them to Midway increases the chances of the species persistence. Fossil records show that before the arrival of Polonesians, the LADU was widely distributed throughout all of the major Hawaiin islands. Europeans furthered this damage by removing them off of all but one of the remote north-west atolls. Now though, fast forward, and it looks like the LADU may march back up the chain of Hawaiian Islands one re-introduction effort at a time. This means lessons learned from the Midway population could help shape the future.

The Moli

2009-05-31T12:29:00.000-07:00

Moli is the Hawaiin name for the Laysan Albatross. There are over 1,000,000 of them here.

They can live up to 60 Years and mate for life

A Moli chick.

They stand about knee high, or around 2 feet. The Adults have a wingspan of over 6 feet.

The sub-adults in this video and are just practicing.

A full dance has 27 steps.

A step can be the sky point or beak clack for example.

Reproductive pairs perform all 27 steps in synchrony.

1st Day on Midway

2009-05-30T11:02:00.000-07:00

Back Yard........

Back Yard Detail: 2 White Terns Cuddling. (The scientific term for this is snuggling)

The front yard........

Front Yard Detail: Adult Moli feeding a chick. The adults can travel over 1,000 miles to find food for their young. They can be gone up to 2 weeks. All the while the chich sits there and waits patiently.

The Guiding Momentum

2009-05-29T11:49:00.000-07:00

Buddy in my House the day I left Arcata. He is wondering why I am up and around at 4am.

Veronica giving me a ride to the Airport, and obviously enjoying it. Couldn't wait to get the house to herself! LOL.

In transit from Arcata to Midway Atoll

2009-05-29T11:34:00.000-07:00

Fog lingering in the Eel River watershed

Nuclear Cooling Towers and Ag Fields in the San Juaquin Valley

Crazy freeway interchange near the Rose Bowl in Pasadena

Lay-over in Cairo

Diomaond Head Peeking Through Resort Hotels and Government Housing Projects in Downtown Honolulu.

Please Stay Posted

life on the rocks

2009-05-27T20:05:00.000-07:00

These are the rocks in the background of Micah and Poonam's wedding photo in the "Weduation 2009" post!

Harbor seals hauled out on a rock that is only exposed at certain tides.

Can you see the Sea Lions?

Here is a better view. You can tell they are sea lions becouse of the way they sit. Sea lions can sit back and push their body up with their front flippers. Just like the big bull in center of this pic. (You will have to click on the picture in order to enlarge it in your window to see this.)

The seals just sort of flop around.

The black and white birds are common murres. They are nesting on the rock. Common murres are members of the Auk family (like the marbled murrelet!). Here they are pictured below in a plate by John James Audubon, circa 1820.

Comments

2009-05-26T22:31:00.000-07:00

After a couple of requests, I have decided to enable the comment feature on tBt. Remember to keep it short, sweet, and rated G. To make a comment look for the link below the post next to the labels.

Please don't make me repost this a couple weeks from now after nobody has commented. Let em fly.......

Dirty Campers

2009-05-26T12:30:00.000-07:00

Signs like these are a common sight in the Redwoods.

This Steller's Jay in this photo by Micah Carnahan in the Prairie Creek Redwoods has become so habituated to the human presence that he will actually approach this close looking for food.

The common raven in this photo taken by researchers in the Prairie Creek Redwoods is wearing a back pack housing a radio transmitter. This will allow bio technicians like my cousin Micah who happens to be working on this particular project with Amy Scarpignato (project leader, and raven holder), following the ravens around with an antenna and receiver. This involves long days hiking through mysterious old-growth redwood forests looking for the android corvids, sometimes they have to camp out...(sounds rough).

Why go through all this trouble??

The answer involves the Marbled Murrelet shown below in a water color by Ram Papish:

The Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) is a small seabird from the North Pacific. It is a member of the auk family. It nests in old-growth forests or on the ground at higher latitudes where trees cannot grow. Its habit of nesting in trees was suspected but not documented until a tree-climber found a chick in 1974 making it one of the last North American bird species to have its nest described. The Marbled Murrelet has experienced declines in their numbers since humans began logging their nest trees beginning in the latter half of the 1800s. The decline of the Marbled Murrelet and its association with old-growth forests have made it a flagship species in the forest preservation movement. (wikipedia)

Well, the listing of the Northern Spotted owl has for all intents and purposes decimated the old growth logging industry in the Pacific Northwest; nevertheless, the Marbled murrelet continues to be in decline. It is now hypothesized that increased human activity has habituated corvids to the presence of our garbage. The increased density of corvids puts pressure on the marbled murrelets in the area. By pressure, I mean: eats their eggs and chicks. This is a problem and needs to be researched.......enter Micah and his colleagues. I hope to post more as I hear more details from their study. Cutting edge Stuff.

A couple more points:

1) The "decimating" of the old-growth logging industry was not for nothing. Please don't get that idea. The habituation of corvids to anthropogenic food sources and the implications on nest predation is an issue that could not even be addressed if the old-growth trees that the murrelets nest in are cut.

which brings me to my next point:

2) Marbled murrelets never touch the ground. They eat, sleep, and generally take care of business out in the open ocean. They only come "on land" when they land on the lateral branches of old redwood trees to build their nests. These lateral branches can be several feet wide.

This study system is fascinating, and typical of the politically charged atmosphere that usually surrounds human use of the planet's last remaining wild areas.

Memorial Day BBQ

2009-05-26T07:09:00.000-07:00

Here at tBt we are not against the troops, we're against the wars.

Watchable WIldlife

2009-05-24T20:53:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you don't have the opportunity to interact with or even see rare and endangered birds. These "calender birds" like the raptors and exotic neo-tropical migrants can be exciting, but hard to come by. Today though, I had to do laundry, and was invited to dinner with the Carnahans. What do you do if you have a bird watching blog, a need for cool wildlife pics, and only a half an hour or so? The answer of course is watchable wildlife. These types of creatures offer an opportunity to witness life in the wild without turning off your car radio. The red-winged blackbird holds a territory in hopes of attracting a mate. He could care less about the BIO technician stumbling around under his tree with a camera. The duck family (seen in the "waterbirds" post) is growing up in a hurry, and seems oblivious to the harsh world that awaits the ducklings when they fledge. I would encourage all of you to spend more time observing and appreciating the common animals we usually take for granted.

The Kinetic Sculpture Race

2009-05-23T16:59:00.001-07:00

What could be cooler that a mechanical fire breathing dragon?

A mechanical fire breathing chicken!

Octomom.....

And the hippypotomous.

OK.

For those of you who havn't been to the Kinetic Sculpture Race, it happens on memorial day weekend in Arcata, CA. Highlights include laps around the square, dead man's drop, a couple dozen miles of Highway 101, and an aquatic crossing of Humboldt Bay. All machines are people powered. These pics were taken during the opening ceremonies when the judges are ceremoniously bribed by the racers.

25 Pounds

2009-05-22T14:57:00.001-07:00

25 Pounds is the weight limit for the gear I bring with me on the flight from Honolulu to Midway atoll. I will be able to have more sent in later, but for the first week or two, I will only have what I can bring on the first flight. I have to make two things clear here. One: this weight limit is not flexible since it represents my part of the cargo capacity on a packed flight in a small aircraft going 1,200 miles over the Pacific (the distance from Oahu to Midway). Two: Midway atoll is not a deserted island, I understand there is a merchantile and a bowling ally left over from the Navy Days. This means things like shampoo and food are available, and only take up precious weight. What I have pictured here is probably pushing the 25 pounds. I plan on using a bathroom scale to test the weight. So far techy stuff like the SD-50 scope, coolpix camera, laptop, and binoculars are the heaviest part. This is a digital world after all. I will probably be wearing most of the other stuff to stay warm on the flight.................which is at night.

Why at night?

Because we will be landing on a tiny atoll that is home to hundreds of thousands of sea birds, most of whom are less active at night. This is also the same reason the plane is powered by propellors instead of jets. Use your imagination, but remember it is not their fault. The birds (like this American Goldfinch) were here first.

Countdown to May 29th, 2009

2009-05-21T16:49:00.001-07:00

I tried to hook up a gadget that would count down the days, minutes, seconds even until I arrive on Midway Atoll. That gadget did not work for me, and produced an html error (it is not called "the COMPUTER technician"). So, let it be known that the countdown has commenced. Stay tuned........

Predator Avoidance

2009-05-21T16:29:00.000-07:00

Picture 1: Can You See the Ca. Quail Pair?

Picture 2: They can See You!

Picture 3: Here is a better view.

Interspecific Competition

2009-05-21T09:21:00.000-07:00

1st Picture: Fishing Brown Pelicans

2nd Picture: Partially Submerged Diving Brown Pelican

3rd Picture: Gull Atop the Pelican

4th Picture: Gull making away with the Pelican's catch

Interspecific competition, in ecology, is a form of competition in which individuals of different species vie for the same resource in an ecosystem (e.g. food or living space). The other form of competition is intraspecific competition, which involves organisms of the same species.

or....

Parasitism is a type of symbiotic relationship between two different organisms where one organism, the parasite, takes favor from the host, sometimes for a prolonged time.

maybe both..............You decide.

Steller

2009-05-20T16:48:00.001-07:00

Steller's Jay is a common sight in the Pacific Northwest. My experience with the swallows the other day inspired me to go after an easier target. This jay sat there and squawked for about two minutes which gave me some time to get dialed in. The jay was sitting in the upper branch of the tree in the middle-ground of the first zoomed-out shot. I would say I was probably 40 feet away. At this distance, subtle characteristics like the pearl blue "eyebrows" are recognizable. Speaking of recognizable, the tree is starting to look familiar to some of you. It has been featured with every perched bird on TBT except the bald eagles.

Animals and plants named after Georg Steller include:

Steller's Eider – Vulnerable to Extinction

Steller's Jay

Steller's Sea Cow - Extinct

Steller's Sea Eagle– Vulnerable to Extinction

Steller's Sea Lion - Endangered of Becoming Extinct

Cryptochiton stelleri, the Gumboot chiton

Artemisia stelleriana, a species of wormwood

Waterbirds

2009-05-20T09:09:00.000-07:00

I spent an hour on the shores of Gearhart pond in the Arcata marsh trying to catch a picture of a swallow on the wing. I finally got a good pic of a tree swallow, but right before I left, I noticed the duck family that had been cruising around the whole time. I only took one shot of them, and it came out pretty well. Maybe I spent too much time going after the swallows.

Vespicochory

2009-05-19T13:36:00.000-07:00

This is a Trillium ovatum flower. They rarely flower before the age of 12. This is after completing several other life stages. When they first flower, they are pure white. Only those that have been flowering for several years will take on this shade of pink. Their seeds have a fatty protein rich body on them that attracts ants called the elaiosome. The ants take the seeds into their tunnels, and eat the elaiosome. The ants are not able to break through the protective coating of the seed itself, so they discard it in tact into a waste chamber in their burrow. Here the seed has a place to germinate, free from predators, with access to plenty of organic fertilizer from the ants. This phenomenon with the ants and the seeds is called myrmecochory, and is found in many types of plants. Unique (so far) to Trillium flowers is their ability to attract and be dispersed by wasps. This is termed vespicochory.

Bird Song

2009-05-18T11:46:00.000-07:00

**Gear Upgrade** I was gifted a new compact spotting scope and a Nikon Coolpix camera for graduation (Thank You!). Here is the best shot out of the first series of pics from the new rig. Pretty sweet. I still need to learn how to use everything, read instructions etc. I will soon have plenty of time, as I will be moving to an Island, no not even an island, an atoll! (details to come).

Weduation 2009

2009-05-17T20:09:00.000-07:00

I chose these pictures because they offer a unique view compared to those most of you took in during the Weduation 2009 festivities. For those of you who did not attend, the celebration was truly legitimate. Graduating were my cousin (yes, real cousin) Micah Carnahan, I, and the rest of our cohort. Micah also married Poonam the day after graduation. The guy with the wings on his hat was blocking my view of the pageantry.

2009-05-14T18:19:00.001-07:00

Three little birds pitch by my doorstep singing sweet songs

2009-05-14T09:44:00.001-07:00

For these shots, I used one of the Bushnell spotting scopes from the HSU wildlife equipment cache, and my Olympus digital camera. It takes a bit of work to figure out how to hold the camera up to the scope's lens, but after that, digi-scoping is a good way to photograph wildlife without investing in an SLR camera and a telephoto lens. Top to Bottom -> black-headed grosbeak, Three Little American goldfinch Birds, and a bald eagle pair.

The Elusive Spotted Owl....

2009-05-13T18:31:00.000-07:00

Ca.SPOW = California Spotted Owl

This video was taken summer of 2008. I remember being waist deep in poison oak, and very hot while the video was being filmed by my crew mate Eric Kwedar. Spotted Owls need to be protected, from what or by who, nobody seems to be able to agree upon. The photo, taken by chelsea potts is nice. The owl looks like that because she just ate a big fat mouse. In the wild they eat flying squirrels, dusky footed woodrats, and the like. This mouse came from a pet store. Wildlife Conservation is a funny thing.