30 April
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)
We have now
introduced a forum for guests of Bird Island to participate in. Only
visitors to Bird Island are currently allowed to post to the forum,
although anyone can read the posts.
http:www.birdislandseychelles.com/forum/
Miscellaneous bits and pieces
It is
very interesting to walk round the island these days after the high tide
to see what flotsam and jetsam has arrived on our shores. We have
recently been getting all sorts of debris, palm trees which are not
native to Seychelles, planks of wood and doors, laundry basket lids etc.
We suspect that as the prevailing current is from the North East all
this is coming from areas which have suffered the effects of the
Tsunami.
Butterflies
Vanessa Cardui
This is the time of
year that we see a lot of butterflies. We have the Hypolimnas Misippus
which is quite common but a couple of weeks ago Robbie saw a different
one. He photographed it and we sent it to James Lawrence who did a study
of our butterflies two years ago. James says it's previously
unrecorded on Bird Island and not so common in Seychelles. It is called
Vanessa Cardui (picture - right) and it's a migrant. He thinks that as this one is in such
a good condition it is not a migrant and has hatched here. This is good
news as obviously we have the right conditions for it.
Sooty Terns
Despite earlier
panics that the birds would lay earlier than anticipated (before the
colony area was properly prepared for them)it would seem that the Sooties have reverted to their normal
pattern and are now landing around sunset and leaving in the early
hours. We have attempted to burn the colony but the grass is not dry
enough yet to burn well. If the current very dry weather continues then
we will try again next week.
Turtles
On the island our
Turtle season runs from July to June and now coming towards the end 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:
53
Total
number of nests: 36
Hawksbill Turtles:
Total number of emergences:
272
Total number of nests:
184
30 April 2005:
220 nests in total
Total Number of emergences (including
those which did not result in a nest): 325
Estimated Turtle hatching dates: (Based
on an average 58 days incubation) -
hatching can vary depending the temperature and
rainfall. The nests which still have to hatch are now ones laid by
Green Turtles as the last Hawksbill laid on 14 February.
May: 05, 10, 20, 21, 23
Emerging Hawksbill Turtles
June: 01, 06, 19
Hatching
Success:
30 April 2005
Total Nests hatched:
179
Nests seen Hatching:
142
Hatchlings Live:
15585 (Average
live per nest = 109.75)
Nests which hatched
earlier than expected
(hatchlings not seen):
37
Nests completely eaten by crabs: 5
Nests Relocated:
50 (in
danger of being eroded away by the sea.)
Nests lost as a result of
erosion: 20
 Back
to Turtle Project
Birds
Fairy Terns:
We have now got in place two different 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 30
April: Fairy Terns incubating eggs: 61
Fairy Terns with Chicks: 26
Chicks alone: 111
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. Also more chicks have grown sufficiently to be left 'home alone'
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 30 April:
Noddy Terns incubating eggs: 20
Noddy Terns with chicks: 15
Chicks alone: 165
Adults on nest no egg: 0
Lesser Noddy Terns:
The Lesser Noddy breeding season has
begun and we have put in place a programme of nest monitoring the same
as the Fairy and Noddy Terns, the only difference being the sample of
nests is 150, with half for Robbie and the other half for Elsa and
Gareen. It is more complicated to monitor these birds as they nest in
the trees so we have attached a mirror to a long stick so that we can
peer into the nest with it!
Tropic Birds:
The current number of established nesting sites is 63. These nesting sites are scattered all over the island, with the main
concentration around the chalets. To date we have ringed 72 adults and
41 chicks. Currently 6 birds are incubating eggs and there are
6
chicks.
Last year we decided that we would make a path in the
vegetation on the east side of the runway. This decision was made
because there are many Casuarina trees, the buttress roots of which
offer ideal nesting sites for the Tropic Bird, but because there is a
lot of Scaevola which prevented access these potential sites where not
available. We have now cleared a meandering path through the vegetation
which in actual fact is a lovely walk in the shade. Very useful when the
tide is very high along the east coast. Already we have had two nests
established.
Back
to Tropic Bird project
Migrants/Vagrants:
Nothing very interesting around at all. Normally at this time of year we
can expect to see migrants/vagrants stopping over on their way north,
but so far nothing, the wind is still blowing more from the north. Well
I suppose we can't expect to have a rarity every month!
Migrant Count - Since last News Update:
Grey Heron in flight at Passe Cocos
In addition to
this Robbie's weekly count with the maximum number of birds seen on any
day since the last update on 1st March is below:
185 Frigatebirds, 36 Grey Plovers, 9 Lesser Sandplovers, 13 Greater
Sandplovers,
9Crab Plovers, 83 Whimbrels, 281 Turnstones, 6 Sanderlings,
15 Curlew Sandpipers, 2 Ringed Plover,
3
Greenshanks, 22 Crested Terns, 58 Bridled Terns, 55 Saunders Little
Terns, 3 Moorhens, 1 Common Sandpiper,
1
Oriental Pratincole, 1 Jack Snipe, 1 Red-billed Tropicbird, 1 Wattled Starling, 1 Red-footed Booby, 1 Grey Heron
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