Hatchlings and Christmas Chicks

The honu are hatching now!  Every morning we walk along the runway, to find Hawaiian green sea turtle hatchlings that have lost their way during the night.

Honu hatchling.  Photo by Mark Sullivan

Because Tern Island is basically a man-made island with a lot of vegetation, structures, and other things that turtles wouldn't normally encounter on a sandy island -- and that they don't run into on any of the other islands in the atoll -- we have to make sure those that get waylaid along the way have a chance to get back out at sea.  Right now we check every morning, and release those hatchlings back into the sea.  Only about one in a thousand will make it all the way to being an adult turtle, but we figure if we save 1,000 hatchlings, that's kind of like saving one adult turtle.

This fall, after most of the seabirds have left, the crew will be moving a 12" PVC pipe to the inland side of the beach.  The pipe acts as a fence for the hatchlings, so should help more of lost ones find their way back to the sea, rather than get lost in Tern's vegetation.  This should further help the honu towards recovery.

Honu hatchling ponders the great moana.  Photo by Mark "Sissy" Sullivan.

The Christmas Shearwater (Puffinus nativitatis) chicks are also growing!  Most of them have some feathers now.  They are funny looking chicks, with a big fat body and little tiny head.  The adults are all dark brown to black, with a tube-nose for getting rid of salt.  They're about as big as both of your hands cupped together.  They arrive at Tern in February, and lay their eggs in March.  Its difficult to get good photos of them because they roost and nest in very dark areas under leafy bushes, and leave the island soon after it gets light.  They are very skittish, and will fly away if you come near them.

Christmas in a bush.  Photo from FWS file.

Christmases breed on islands throughout the central and south Pacific, although we don't know very much about how many there are or how they are doing as a species.  Christmases need good shade for roosting and nesting (on Tern, they sleep and nest only under healthy leafy bushes), and have no defense against rats, cats or other predators.   Christmases also breed on some of the small offshore islands in the Main Hawaiian Islands - so we have to be sure to keep those areas rat-free!

Mostly we see Christmas Shearwaters in the early morning, when they come out from under shrubs to bask in the morning light.  Although Christmases are never very numerous in one location, they are social in the morning, and usually sit in couples, 3s or 4s together, preening in the morning light.  After they warm up, they take off for a day of fishing before returning in the evening.

Merry Christmas!  Christmas Shearwaters are very affectionate with each other, and usually spend the early morning hours basking in the sun and preening each other.  Photo from FWS files.

Christmases are one of my favorite birds because they are so gentle with each other, and quiet when you catch them.  Although they kind of howl at night like Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, they only howl once or twice, and then quiet down -- They don't go on and on for hours, like Wedgies do.  When you catch a Christmas (as for banding), they peep rather pitifully, but don't try to peck your eyes out or bite you, as many birds do.

Seal pup REALLY close up....  Photo by Mark Sullivan.

Traditional Hawaiian cultural practitioner Leighton Tseu has been working with the seal crew these last two weeks.  Uncle has shared lots of stories with us, and reminded us why we are out here.  We will be in his debt for a long, long time.  Thank you, Uncle Leighton!!!  We have very much enjoyed having you here.  The seal crew has taken down their camp, and are getting ready to leave the atoll sometime next week.

Gratuitously cute seal pup photo, by Guess Who.  (yes, Mark Sullivan)

Swan Lake with Net.  Ben Cook and Mark Sullivan provide interpretive marine debris dance.

I will be leaving Tern Island this week (very sadly for me).  The good news is that the new Assistant Manager, Meg Duhr Schultz, will be taking over.  She will supply you with lots of good stories and news about the birds, seals, and turtles until my return to Tern in December.   Meg, Erin and Scott will continue here until that time -- Be safe, Meg, Erin, and Scott, and great adventures!

Paula before departure....

After Departure.... The vessel Searcher, taking Paula away.... and Life in the Atoll continues.

April 25, 2011

Spring is in the air!  Everyone has been very busy this week -- It's the peak of reproductive season for many of the seabirds, while many other birds, the seals and turtles are just ramping up for their reproductive seasons.

The albatross are getting big!  This three-month old black-footed albatross chick is ready for banding, with full feathers across its chest wings and back.  The chicks will be ready to fledge in June.

ʻUa'u kani (wedge-tailed shearwaters, or ʻwedgiesʻ) have nested in the inside of this fallen and rotten telephone pole.  The wedgies are just starting to lay eggs now; their chicks wonʻt fledge until October or November.

The NMFS seal crew checking for seals along the beach.  Only one early pup has been born yet this year -- most will be born in late May or June.   The seal under this bush stealthily avoids detection.... or is zonked out asleep.  Photo by Mark Sullivan.

Sooty terns have started laying eggs as well, although we expect many more.  Sooties will nest in densities of 2-4 per square meter.  Everyone learns to duck, as sooties are not afraid to poke you in the head (foot, ankle) when you approach their nest.

Coral are reproducing this time of year as well -- Lindsey Kramer dragged us all out into the water at the crack of dawn to witness the Pocillopora (cauliflower coral) spawning event.  As it turned out, it was a little too chilly yet for this coral -- so we'll try again next month.  The early morning light provided spectacular lighting, and the fish colors were fantastic.  Thanks for dragging us out, Lindsey!

Who would know you could wear full fleece and tights to go snorkeling?  The water was cold, so we dressed up.  (You have to love Sarah's special snorkeling tights -- Quite the enviable fashion.)  The Early Morning Tern Free Dive Team, from left to right:  Dan Rapp, Lindsey Kramer, Paula Hartzell and Sarah Youngren.

Uncle M29 and this year’s early pup (K60) play in the water together. 

Social play is important for ʻilio o ke kai.  Photo by Mark Sullivan.

And last but not least, a gratuitous beautiful photograph of a mōlī (Laysan albatross), by Mark ("Sissy") Sullivan.

April 2011 at Tern Island

Aloha kākou, e komo mai o Kanemilohaʻi!

Its already April (however that happened) and life continues on here at Tern Island, as it does elsewhere.  Our big news is the arrival of the NMFS seal crew, including Shawn Farry, Mark ("Sissy") Sullivan, Brendan Hurley and Ben Cook.  The seal crew will be monitoring Hawaiian monk seals here at the atoll, as part of a larger effort to monitor and assist this critically endangered species.

The NMFS seal team translocates a newly weaned ʻīlio holo i ka uaua (Hawaiian monk seal) from an outer French Frigate Shoals island to Tern Island.  Seal pups are frequently fatally bitten by sharks on some of the islands (4 of 8 were bitten on this island last year), while they are fairly safe from shark predation on Tern, where we have had no shark-bitten pups.  Protecting the seal pups from shark predation is necessary because the population is so low now that every pup counts.  NMFS seal crew members (left to right) Ben Cook, Shawn Farry, Brendan Hurley, and FWS Volunteer Lindsey Kramer.  Photo by Mark Sullivan.

Proud ʻā makaʻele (masked booby) parents watch over their chick.  The MABO chicks are growing -- We look forward to their goofy 'snow man' suit as they get bigger.  This is one of the few species we can tell males from females easily; the males hiss and the females honk.  Photo by Lindsey Kramer.

We continue trying to improve our monitoring and management efforts for the wildlife at Tern.  The artificial shade shelters we have put up are being used by koaʻe ula (red-tailed tropicbirds), uaʻu kani (wedge-tailed shearwaters), pākalakala (gray-backed terns), and the albatross chicks (mōlī and kaʻupu).   We've been monitoring temperatures in different vegetation types, and the effect on nesting success in albatross; now we're also monitoring temperatures in different artificial nest boxes, trying to find the best design to emulate the fairly constant temperature found in burrows.

A bigger hat for the house: Seabirds that nest in burrows have experienced high mortality due to invasive ant species, the burgeoning uaʻu kani population (they kick other species out of their burrows), and people accidentally crushing burrows while walking. One way we try to minimize these negative effects is to provide some artificial nest boxes that ʻseemʻ like burrows, with a small dark entrance, like the one shown here.  Tristram's storm petrels -- which breed only in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and a few islands in Japan -- are a small burrow-nesting seabird that has been eliminated off many islands where they used to be, due to the introduction of rats and mice.  (Their close cousins, the ʻakēʻakē or band-rumped storm petrel, live on Kauaʻi, and are having a real struggle to survive.)  Tristram's have a higher nesting success rate in these artificial boxes which provide at least partial protection from ants and large people-feet, although the birds prefer to use burrows.  We are always looking for ways to improve the boxes, to better emulate their natural environment, while protecting them from invasive species.  FWS Volunteer Sarah Youngren has found that a larger shade top on nesting boxes lowers the maximum daily temperature experienced by the chicks inside, and so are likely to help increase chick survival in the boxes.  We're trying out a number of designs, but have to do so slowly and carefully, so as not to disturb the birds.  Photo by Sarah Youngren.

Honu (Hawaiian green sea turtle) resting on the beach.  Other green sea turtle species don't bask in the sun like this -- Must be a Hawaiian tradition!  :-)  Photo by Paula L. Hartzell

Team Tern Spring 2011:  Bottom row, left to right:  Sarah Youngren, Curt Youngren, Paula Hartzell.  Second row:  Brendan Hurley, Kristina Dickson, Jimmy Macaulay.  Third row, sitting:  Ben Cook, Lindsey Kramer, Mark Sullivan.  Standing:  Shawn Farry and Dan Rapp. 

[Because Google's Blogspot, the software program being used in this blog, has a 200-character limit for the list of labels in a post, we were not able to include Hawaiian wildlife names in this post's labels.  E kala mai, sorry!]

Next Week -- The exchange of crews on Tern

Aloha kakou!  This week is the final week for the crew currently on Tern:  Ty Benally, Phillip Howard, Sarah Harvey, and Keith Burnett.  They have done a great job, particularly in the face of numerous maintenance (and shark) issues.  This crew has been the first on Tern to quantify shorebird mortality, to look at wedgetail shearwater burrow habitats and chick weights.  They have also participated in the first vegetation monitoring in years, in addition to all the regular bird work. They will be heading out on the 23rd, back to Honolulu and home, after six months on the island.  Trish Jackson will be staying over for a few more weeks, while the new Team Tern comes in.   Thank you all for your hard work, patience with each other, and volunteered time!!!

Sunset on a very wet runway at Tern Island.   Photo by FWS Volunteer Keith Burnett.
Let's hope the runway dries out by Tuesday, or the crew exchange flight may be delayed!