01 March
2005
Welcome to the news page of our website.
This page is all about what's happening
on the island and how the various conservation projects are progressing.
If you would like us
to advise you when we have an update of the news page or a new web page
please email us at:
thelodge@birdislandseychelles.com
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Please note that we have NOT Increased our rates for this year. This
means that for the 5th consecutive year we have not increased our rates
(Unlike the majority of properties in Seychelles)
BIRD
ISLAND STAFF WIN BIRDWATCHER OF THE YEAR AWARD
The Seychelles Bird Records Committee (SBRC) title of “Birdwatcher of
the Year” was presented to the staff of Bird Island on Sunday February
6th. The award, which includes a certificate, a pair of binoculars and
the field guide Birds of Seychelles, is given annually to the
Seychellois who sends in the most interesting bird records to the
committee during the previous 12 months.
Presenting the award, Secretary of SBRC Adrian Skerrett said, “Usually,
we give the award to an individual person, but this year we had a
problem. Should it be Robby Bresson who found the first Stone Curlew for
Seychelles on Bird in 2004? Or Georges Norah whose outstanding
photographs have helped identify several rare species on Bird Island? Or
Margaret Norah, who has been meticulous in sending in records to the
committee? Or one of the other excellent birdwatchers of Bird? It was
decided that there was no reason to give the award to one person and the
fairest solution was to award it to all the staff of Bird Island”.
Georges and Margaret Norah received the award on behalf of Bird Island
with some of the staff who had shown the most interest in birds also
present. These were Robbie Bresson, Steven Barbe, Elza Richard, Lizanne
Moncherry ,Rosemay Vinda , Juliette Crispin, Maurina Labonte and Gareen
Nanon.
“Bird Island is one of the best places to see rare birds in Seychelles,”
noted Adrian However, “It is the first landfall for many birds that have
crossed the Indian Ocean. that is not enough if no-one bothers to
identify the birds and make sure the information is preserved.
Fortunately, the staff of Bird Island are excellent at gathering this
information.
The records of rare birds seen in Seychelles are assessed by a panel of
local and overseas bird experts to confirm their validity and are
published for everyone to see in the local journal Birdwatch, on
the SBRC web site and (for new records for Seychelles) in the BirdLife
International publication Africa Bird Club Bulletin. Record forms
are available from Adrian Skerrett at Mahe Shipping Co Ltd or can be
downloaded from the web site.
Over the years, no fewer that twenty-four species
never previously recorded in Seychelles have been found on Bird Island,
which is also the only island in the country to have recorded more than
100 migratory species. Three of these were also new for the entire
African region and one of them new for the entire Southern Hemisphere.
“An interest in birds is shared by many of the staff
of Bird Island,” said Adrian Skerrett. “Hopefully with an extra pair of
binoculars available for use by any of them this will continue to grow.”
Gareen joins
our Conservation team.
We have a new
member in our conservation team. Gareen Nanon started work last October
as a Chambermaid and has shown a keen interest in all our conservation
programmes. She is currently working with Elza until she feels confident
to work on her own. It is interesting to note that apart from Robbie
none of our team had any conservation knowledge prior to working on
Bird. All our our staff who help out do so on a voluntary basis in
addition to their usual job.
Sooty Terns
Strange things
are happening with the Sooty Terns. Normally in February we see and hear
a few hundred birds, but for the last couple of weeks they have been
gathering in serious numbers, similar to what we would see at the end of
March and April.
We embarked on
programme of clearing more ground for them at the end of the season last
year. We have probably cleared sufficient ground to accommodate an extra
10,000 pairs.
Turtles
On the island our
Turtle season runs from July to June and now we are in the middle of
our 10th season of turtle monitoring.
The
first Green Turtle of the
season laid on 17th August 2004 and the first Hawksbill
laid on 26th September 2004.
Turtle Statistics since July 2004
New turtles tagged this
season so far: 18
Green
Turtles: Total number of emergences:
29
Total
number of nests: 22
Hawksbill Turtles:
Total number of emergences:
272
Total number of nests:
184
01 March 2005:
206 nests in total
Total Number of emergences (including
those which did not result in a nest): 301
Estimated Turtle hatching dates: (Based
on an average 58 days incubation) -
hatching can vary depending the temperature and
rainfall.
March: 01, 03, 04, 05, 07, 08,
09, 10, 11,12, 16, 17, 20, 22, 23, 24,
25, 28
April: 02, 06, 07, 08, 09,
10,13, 15, 19, 21, 27
Hatching
Success:
01 March 2005
Nests seen Hatching:
98
Hatchlings Live:
11726 (Average
live per nest =119.65)
Nests which hatched
earlier than expected
(hatchlings not seen):
33
Nests completely eaten by crabs: 2
Nests Relocated:
46 (in
danger of being eroded away by the sea.)
Nests lost as a result of
erosion: 11
 Back
to Turtle Project
Birds
Fairy Terns:
We have now got in place two programmes for monitoring Fairy Terns.
1 At the beginning of
each month we make a count of ALL Fairy Terns either incubating eggs,
with chicks or chicks alone in the selected area.
Count of Fairy Terns 01
March: Fairy Terns incubating eggs: 60
Fairy Terns with Chicks: 20
Chicks alone: 21
It is interesting to note
however, that not all eggs counted last time are still there as they
been lost either by Mynah bird predation or due to the fact that they
were laid in a very precarious place! The overall number of eggs is
higher.
2 The second programme is
being undertaken by Elza with Gareen helping her, and Lizanne. They have
selected 25 Nesting sites each and are monitoring them on a weekly basis
using a method set down by the Seychelles Seabirds Group. This involves
checking the 'nest' (Fairy Terns don't make a nest just lay an egg on a
depression on a branch or in a fork.) on a weekly basis and recording
the contents until the chick has either left the nest completely or has
died. When all nests are empty we can then calculate the
percentage of success.
Common Noddy Terns:
We are carrying out identical monitoring programmes for the Ground
Nesting Common Noddies. The same girls are involved.
1. A monthly count of all Common Noddies
nesting on the ground in the selected area
2. Elza with Gareen helping and Lizanne. They have selected 50 nesting
sites each and are monitoring them on a weekly basis.
Count of Noddy Terns 01 March: Noddy Terns incubating eggs: 298
Noddy Terns with chicks: 276
Chicks alone: 97
Adults on nest - no egg 60
Tropic Birds:
The current number of established nesting sites is 59. These nesting sites are scattered all over the island, with the main
concentration around the chalets. To date we have ringed 63 adults and
38 chicks. Currently 9 birds are incubating eggs and there are 2 small
chicks.
Back
to Tropic Bird project
Migrants/Vagrants:
Nothing really exciting
this month, the
Stone Curlew, (first spotted by Robbie) seems to have left, but
it may well be lurking in bushes and hasn't been spotted.
The Snipe species which has been around has been confirmed by Adrian
Skerrett as a Jack Snipe which is yet ANOTHER first record for
Bird island AND Seychelles.
We have also seen and Georges is being despatched with the camera to
photograph it - an Intermediate Egret.
Migrant Count - Since last News Update:
In addition to
this Robbie's weekly count with the maximum number of birds seen on any
day since the last update on 3rd January is below:
301 Frigatebirds, 45 Grey Plovers, 18 Lesser Sandplovers, 21 Greater
Sandplovers,
6 Crab Plovers, 37 Whimbrels, 226 Turnstones, 9 Sanderlings,
39 Curlew Sandpipers, 1 Pacific Golden Plover, 3 Common Ringed Plover, 2 Curlews,
3
Greenshanks,15 Crested Terns, 37 Bridled Terns, 200 Saunders Little
Terns, 2 Brown Booby, 2 Moorhens, 3 Common Sandpiper,
1
Oriental Pratincole, 1 Jack Snipe , 1 Intermediate Egret
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