01 January 2005
We would like to wish all our
visitors to the website a very happy and healthy New Year.
We are looking forward to
welcoming back our regular guests to the island as well as welcoming new
visitors.
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
Special Discounts available
for return guests and also for first time visitors for reservations made via the
website.
Visit our
prices page or
contact us directly.
Please note that we have NOT Increased our rates for the coming year. This
means that for the 5th consecutive year we have not increased our rates
(Unlike the majority of properties in Seychelles)
Tidal Wave/Sumatran Earthquake
 We
were called at midday from Mahé
on Sunday 26 December and warned that a tidal wave was heading our way
as a result of an
earthquake off the coast of Sumatra. We were given very little idea by
the various authorities as to how it would affect us on Bird Island. As
we are between 3 and 4 metres above sea level we were naturally
extremely worried if a tidal wave hit us, particularly if it was the size of the one which hit Sri
Lanka. The logistics of evacuating around 90 people from
the island in a very short period was virtually impossible.
We
had already begun to notice strange things happening with the sea before
we had received the warning. Normally at this time of year we experience
very low tides and the reef flats on the east coast always
 dry out. The
reef was drying out but within a matter of minutes it was all covered
again, then it would dry out again. The water was surging in and out,
there were no big waves at all. We hoped that this was all that would
happen. Then we heard that parts of the coastal plains of Mahé, Praslin
and La Digue had been flooded so we crossed our fingers and hoped that
the worst had passed us by. The phenomenon of tidal surges continued all
afternoon and through most of the next day.
We cancelled the
guests who were due to arrive that day as a precaution, told all our
guests of the situation and asked if anyone wished to leave the island
in addition to those leaving anyway, but everyone wanted to stay and
offered their help in anyway. We took the precaution of filling bags of
sand to barricade the generator and cold store
 rooms in case we got a
big surge that came inland. Then we waited. We sat on the beach in front
of the Lodge watching the tidal surges, it was like time lapse
photography.
In the whole 24 hours
that the surges continued not once did the water wash over the high
water mark We experienced no erosion at all and we lost only one turtle
nest.
The series of 4 photos
were taken in the space of 8 minutes. For those who know the island, the
photos were taken on the beach in front of chalets 23 and 24 looking
towards the south end of the runway.
All of us on Bird would like to thank everyone who took the time to
telephone, fax
 or
email us to find out if we were still all well and dry with no damage.
Also we had lots of extra visitors to the website. Here we had quickly
posted a bulletin to advise anyone who checked there, that we were okay.
We are all very aware that we are very lucky to have escaped any damage
at all and we are so sad and horrified by the rising death toll across
the Indian Ocean. An appeal for Sri Lanka was launched by the Red Cross
on Mahé and we were able to donate most of the sheets/pillowcases and
blankets that we took out of circulation this December when we put in
new stock.
Turtles
On the island our
Turtle season runs from July to June and so we are now at beginning of
our 10th season of turtle monitoring.
Our first Hawksbill
emerged to lay on 26th September 2004.
Turtle Statistics since July 2004
Green
Turtles:
Since July we have had 10 nests.
 Relocating turtle eggs
Hawksbill Turtles:
155 nests
01 January 2005:
165 nests in total
Total Number of beachings (including
beachings which did not result in a nest): 237
Estimated Turtle hatching dates: (Based
on an average 58 days incubation) -
hatching can vary depending the temperature and
rainfall.
Green Turtles - estimated hatching
dates - None expected
Hawksbill Turtles -
estimated hatching dates
January: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,
16, 18, 19, 20,
21,
22, 23, 24, 25,
26, 27, 28, 30, 31
February: 01, 03, 04, 05,
06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23,
24, 25, 26, 27
Hatching
Success:
05 December 2004
Nests Hatched:
20
Hatchlings Live:
1384
Nests which hatched
earlier than expected
(hatchlings not seen):
4
Nests Relocated:
31 (in
danger of being eroded away by the sea. )
Nests lost as a result of
erosion: 2
 Back
to Turtle Project
Birds
Tropic Birds:
The current number of established nesting sites is
55. Currently we
have 6 birds incubating eggs, 4 big chicks have been ringed and are
about to fledge. We have also ringed an adult.
Back
to Tropic Bird project
Migrants/Vagrants:
Broad-billed Roller
The
Stone Curlew, (first spotted by Robbie) is still around and we
are hoping to hear soon that it has been confirmed as a first for Seychelles. There is no
sign of the Rock Thrush which was present last month. Also seen
this month was an Eleanora's Falcon, a first for Bird Island. A
Broad-Billed Roller with its beautiful cinnamon back and yellow beak was
seen in mid December.
It is
interesting to note that as the European winter sets in the number of
migrants/vagrants increase on a daily basis.
Migrant Count - Since last News Update:This count gives the maximum number of Birds seen on any one day since
4th December (the last new update)
185 Frigatebirds, 44 Grey Plovers, 23 Lesser Sandplovers, 23 Greater Sandplovers,
12 Crab Plovers, 52 Whimbrels, 203 Turnstones, 16 Sanderlings,
35 Curlew Sandpipers, 1 Pacific Golden Plover, 1 Common Ringed Plover, 2 Curlews,
3
Greenshanks,18 Crested Terns, 42 Bridled Terns, 380 Saunders Little
Terns, 2 Brown Booby, 1 Red Footed Booby, 3 Moorhen, 1 Common Sandpiper,
1 Stone Curlew, 3 White
Wagtails, 1 Broad-Billed Roller, 3 Terek Sandpiper, 1
Oriental Pratincole, 1 Little Stint, 1 Tree Pipit, Eleanora's Falcon, 1
Red-backed Shrike, 1 Eurasian Hobby, 1 Willow Warbler
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