Atlantic Au Revoir

It’s another goodbye blog from us today; this time to our Atlantic Petrels. One of the jobs we’ve been working on recently has been to revisit our Atlantic Petrel study burrows to count the number of chicks who have made it to fledging age. This gives us an idea of how successful the breeding season has been. We can compare this to data from previous years to see what is happening in the long term.

Hunting for Atlantic Petrel burrows (David Kinchin-Smith)

Atlantic Petrel burrows are big; one of the signs we look out for (David Kinchin-Smith)

Atlantic Petrels are one of the more mysterious of the birds on Gough, and are also one of the most threatened. They nest underground in large burrows, only returning to the island under cover of darkness. There are many unanswered questions about how these birds live, and how we can protect them. They are endemic to the Tristan island chain, with the overwhelming majority breeding on Gough (around 1.8 million pairs). They are also Critically Endangered. This is mostly because mice predate a large proportion of chicks before they are old enough to fend for themselves. Sadly, very few will ever grow old enough to leave the island and fly out to the Ocean that they are named for. Because such a large proportion are reliant on Gough the threat our mice pose to the species cannot be underestimated. If our population was to disappear, it is likely that Atlantic Petrels would become extinct.

An adult Atlantic Petrel (David Kinchin-Smith)

Atlantic Petrels return to the island around March, and lay one egg towards the end of June, often in the same burrow that they used in previous years. The chicks hatch in August and will not fledge for 135 days, an extraordinarily long time for this size bird.

An Atlantic Petrel chick (Em Witcutt)

More soon on another of our burrow nesters; the Soft-Plumaged Petrel. In the meantime, have a very merry Christmas! 

Em

Gony, Gony, Gone!

Not too many words in this blog. Just some nice pictures to celebrate all things albatross! We’ve just returned from a trip to Gonydale to do a final fledgling count of our Gonys (Tristan albatrosses), and there really weren’t many left. However, as one season draws to a close, the next begins……adult Tristans are returning to Gonydale in some number, pairing up and prospecting for nests. And we should have eggs by the end of the month! 

Pairs which have successfully raised a chick this year will take this next season off in order to moult and recover body condition. That means the adults returning to Gough now will likely be birds which failed to raise a chick in 2016 or were successful last year.We will bring you news (and pictures) of this next season’s Gony chicks once they hatch. Incubation will last some two and a half months and once hatched the chicks will not fly for around eight to nine months!

But in the meantime……..we have our first Sooty Albatross chicks! The first was discovered on 4^th December (also my sister's Birthday!) and chicks have been popping up along Gough's sea cliffs during the last week. Chicks will be brooded for the next couple of weeks and will remain with us until fledging around April/May. So enough words, here are some photos……

David

A Gony family at Gonydale (David Kinchin-Smith)

Still downy a few weeks ago (David Kinchin-Smith)

Not long until take-off (David Kinchin-Smith)

Huge feet! Or small hands.....(David Kinchin-Smith)

Taken at a respectful distance (David Kinchin-Smith)

One proud parent (David Kinchin-Smith)

Our Molly chicks growing fast! (David Kinchin-Smith)

Mini-Molly

Exciting news from the island today… we have our very first Yellow-Nosed Albatross chick!!

STOP PRESS: New-borns on Gough Island (Em Witcutt)

Found during my regular monitoring rounds, it was something of a relief to spot a tiny bundle of grey fluff in place of an egg. The first egg was found on the 22^nd September, and Molly’s usually have to incubate for between 64 and 70 days before the eggs hatch. This means that chicks could have arrived any time from about a week and a half ago, and I’ve been waiting with baited breath! My monitoring colony has 5 chicks, and there are plenty more appearing all over the island. I also came across a good number of eggs in the process of hatching; the chicks hidden inside making very sweet ‘pipping’ noises to their parents, and even some with holes in the eggshell.  Hatching can be a lengthy process, but I’m hoping that many more will have broken free by the time I next visit the colony.

Caught in the act; a hatching egg (Em Witcutt)

Molly chicks are very sweet. Tiny and defenceless at the moment, they are entirely dependent on their parents for food, warmth and protection from the ever-present Skuas, who would sweep them up in an instant if given the opportunity. The adults will continue to take turns in caring for the youngster for now. However, the chicks will grow quickly, and will soon be too big for the Skuas to handle. 

Their parents will then leave them to fend for themselves, and both head out to sea in search of food for their offspring. This change in behaviour is timed to perfection. As the chick grows, so will it’s need for food. Soon enough one adult would no longer be able to satisfy their greedy youngster, and both are needed to meet its demands.

A proud parent examining its prize (Em Witcutt)

Our chicks won’t be leaving us until April, when they may not return to land for eight years. Expect plenty of pictures as they grow…

Ahhhhh.... (Em Witcutt)

Em


PS It's taken so long for the internet to let me load this post that by now we have over 20 chicks! 

Mind Your Head!

If there’s one bird not to mess with on Gough, it’s the Tristan Skua. Despite being dwarfed by our larger albatross species and Giant Petrels, they are one of the most powerful predators on the island. And it’s not just the other wildlife that falls victim to the skuas; after just a few months in the South Atlantic we have been clattered on the head more than a few times by these territorial birds. This is because over the last month their eggs have been hatching and small chicks have been appearing around the island. So we can’t really blame the skuas for their attacks as they are excellent parents, simply protecting their chicks. It’s just unfortunate that a number of pairs choose to make their nests on the paths, or very close to them!

What you looking at!? (David Kinchin-Smith)

Fleeing for our lives (Em Witcutt)

Tristan Skuas are very similar in appearance and behaviour to Great Skuas (or Bonxies) back at home in the UK. They are thought of as a subspecies of the Subantarctic Skua and Falkland Skua and, fortunately, are one species which isn’t threatened out here. Gough is home to about 1000 pairs with another few hundred non-breeders which gather in groups around the island called ‘clubs’.

Our helipad is one of our busiest skua ‘clubs’ (David Kinchin-Smith)

Skuas are only really capable of incubating two eggs, which they do so by resting them on their feet. Both adults take their turn, with incubation lasting about a month. We discovered our first eggs on 1^st October. Our chicks will fledge after a couple of months of care from their parents, being fed a wide variety of Gough Island seabird delicacies. Adults employ a number of tactics to obtain this food, be it catching birds in flight during the day, walking around and listening to movement at night or even digging up burrows of our underground species. Our chicks will eventually join our skua ‘clubs’ and some birds may even remain on the island for the rest of the year - one of the few species to do so.

An incubating bird earlier this year (David Kinchin-Smith)

Just one week old (David Kinchin-Smith)

It is understandable to have mixed feelings towards Tristan Skuas after discovering their prey carcasses all over the island. However, they are the consummate survivor, devoted parents and need to feed like anything else. They are great birds and have definitely earned my respect.....and that’s not just because of the bruises on my head!

Displaying - wings raised and raucous call (David Kinchin-Smith)

David

Reference.
Ryan, P. et al. (2007) Field Guide to the Animals and Plants of Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island

'Shear' Greatness!

Much of our time over the coming weeks will be spent setting up a new study on Great Shearwaters. These were one of the birds I was most excited about when we first applied for this job. I have wanted to see a Great Shearwater for years. The vast majority breed on the islands around Tristan da Cunha. They occasionally pop up in the waters around Britain, but I’ve never managed to spot one. So when I learned that Gough is home to a million pairs, I couldn’t wait… and they certainly haven’t disappointed.

A beautifully marked Great Shearwater (David Kinchin-Smith)

One of our study birds posing for the camera (Em Witcutt)

They are in the process of laying their eggs at the moment, so tens of thousands are returning to the island every evening. Great Shearwaters nest underground in burrows, so once they have made it home they are well protected from predation and poor weather. However, when flying in from the sea, they are at risk of being predated by Skuas. To prevent this, and to keep the location of their burrows hidden from such clever adversaries, they gather in huge rafts just offshore, waiting for the cover of darkness to swoop in. As the sun sets, all of a sudden the skies are bursting with these beautiful birds, bowling past one another with inches to spare. It is one of the most impressive seabird spectacles I have ever been lucky enough to witness. 

One of the greatest seabird gatherings on earth (David Kinchin-Smith)

Home Sweet Home (David Kinchin-Smith)

While the population of Great Shearwaters is healthy, they do face threats. Similarly to many of our Albatross species, they are often drowned after diving for bait set by long-line fishing boats and being caught on the hooks. It is thought that almost every bird will have indigestible plastic in its stomach after mistaking it for food when fishing. Here on Gough they also have to contend with our killer House Mice, who have learned what easy meals seabird chicks are and take full advantage of their lack of defences. To ensure that these stunning creatures continue to flourish on these islands, we need to know as much as possible about them in order to properly protect them. This study will allow individual birds to be tracked for the next year, which will give us important information about their migration and feeding habits. It is an exciting study to be a part of, and gives us the perfect excuse to spend time with such incredible birds. This week we have been looking into their burrows with our ‘burrow-cam’ to find the birds who will be taking part, and to check on the progress of the breeding season so far. The outlook looks promising; the ground seems to be brimming with birds, and many are incubating eggs already. We’ll be keeping you updated on their progress in later posts.

Sneaking a peek with our 'burrow-cam' (Em Witcutt)

Caught on camera (Em Witcutt)

Em

not so Giant Petrels

Em and I have just returned from a trip to Low Hump on the South West side of the island. This is the home of our main study colony of Southern Giant Petrels. We’ve been visiting the colony every couple of weeks for the last few months to monitor the productivity of these nesting petrels.

As their name would suggest, Southern Giant Petrels are large. With some birds having wingspans of over 2m and big males weighing over 5kg, they are like stocky albatrosses. The bill must be one of the most impressive in the seabird world, as I hope the image below conveys.

What a bill! And eye! (David Kinchin-Smith)

Our adults returned to Gough in August. At Low Hump the birds nest amongst grassy tussocks, and often under bogferns and Phylica trees to shelter from the elements. The first eggs were discovered early in September and our first chicks towards the end of October. Incubation is shared by both adults and lasts around 8-9 weeks; shifts can sometimes be up to 10 days!

It’s a long walk to Low Hump, but we must visit fairly frequently in order to record both partners of a pair on the nest. Every adult is uniquely marked with a numbered ring, allowing us to identify individuals from year to year.

Rewarded with stunning views.....(David Kinchin-Smith)

.....and birds (David Kinchin-Smith) 

Almost all the eggs have now hatched in our study colony and our chicks will remain with us until around April when they fledge. Our nest checks this time brought the rather unusual sight of an adult brooding two chicks where previously there had been one. All we can think is that a chick from a nearby nest had been abandoned and has now been adopted by the super parent from nest 37!

Where there had previously been one..... (David Kinchin-Smith)

A larger chick, no longer brooded (David Kinchin-Smith)

Gough is likened to Jurassic Park, and our Giant Petrels certainly support that comparison. Ryan et al. (2007) describes the birds often having “fierce physical contests over food” where they may “charge with wings spread, neck and chin feathers raised and tail cocked and fanned to look as intimidating as possible”. For me, this behaviour combined with their remarkable rumbling call makes them Gough’s dinosaurs.

Southern Giant Petrels are another species that fall foul to long line fisheries, and are listed as Vulnerable because of it. They are an incredible, prehistoric seabird that we must protect; not to mention excellent parents!

Very attentive parents (David Kinchin-Smith)

David

Reference.

Ryan, P. et al. (2007) Field Guide to the Animals and Plants of Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island

Rock-a-Bye Baby

Gough’s Rockhoppers have been busy incubating for the last month or so, and now their eggs are beginning to hatch. A few days ago we discovered our first chicks and now the beaches are a’rocking with the cheeps of many little penguins!

Welcome to Gough Little Rockhopper! (David Kinchin-Smith)

So before some more very photogenic Rockhoppers (especially for my Mum), here’s a bit of penguin science for you......

The Tristan Group holds more than 90% of the global population of Northern Rockhoppers, with Gough being home to between 30,000-80,000 pairs. In 1984 the island boasted a population of 144,000 pairs, and it is quite concerning that the reason for this decline is largely unknown. As such the species is listed as Vulnerable. Adults are instantly recognisable by their lavish golden plumes, which protrude rather comically from above their eyes; these are longer than those on the closely related Southern Rockhopper. But what the chicks lack in eyebrow they certainly make up for in cute-factor. Adults stand just tall enough to be able to peck you above your wellington boot, so from the picture you can get an idea of just how very small our chicks are!

Truly magnificent eyebrows! (David Kinchin-Smith)

Rockhoppers return to Gough each year towards the end of the winter (late July/August time). As is quite often the case in seabirds, these penguins generally retain the same mate from year to year. The nest is a relatively simple, shallow scrape created by the female, which she then decorates with small sticks and stones brought by the male. She lays two eggs, and perhaps rather unusually, the first egg is often smaller than the second. It is incredibly rare for Rockhoppers to raise two chicks; the larger b-egg hatches first, giving this chick an advantage over the other in obtaining most of the food. The chick from the a-egg simply cannot compete with its larger sibling. We discovered our first eggs in early October and now chicks are appearing everywhere!

Incubating and inquisitive (David Kinchin-Smith)

Incubation is shared between adults, with each taking it in turns to head out to sea and feed. Small chicks are then brooded solely by the male, with the female returning with feeds for the little hungry mouths. However, the poor male remains unfed for his three to four week careful guard and is very ready for the female to take over after this stint. He then heads out to sea to feed up whilst the larger chicks form crèches and are fed by the females for a further week. Our chicks will be fledging towards the end of December and into January so we will update you on their progress nearer that time.

David

Reference.

Ryan, P. et al. (2007) Field Guide to the Animals and Plants of Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island

Pairing up at the start of the season (David Kinchin-Smith)

Some of our nesting Seal Beach birds (David Kinchin-Smith)

An adult enjoying a well-earned nap.....(David Kinchin-Smith)

.....and apparently so is this chick (David Kinchin-Smith)

Remember, Remember, the eggs of November...

As seabird fieldworkers, one of the questions we are asked most often is ‘How do you count the birds?’ It certainly isn’t an easy task, and it’s one that we have been spending a lot of time on recently. This week we finally finished our incubation counts for Atlantic Yellow-Nosed Albatrosses, Sooty Albatrosses and Northern Rockhopper Penguins. For each species, we have to work out how many pairs of birds are incubating eggs within a number of study areas. This is a huge undertaking, but is worthwhile as it helps us to understand any long-term changes in behaviour or population sizes. Each species came with its own challenges. The Penguins huddle together in huge groups and nip at our legs as we walk through, and trying to find a Sooty Albatross nest through thick fog is nigh on impossible! Not that we're complaining; it was a lot of fun and gave us a great excuse to explore new parts of the island.

We finished just in time; the Penguin eggs will be hatching any day now so we’ll be back out in the colonies counting chicks very soon. We’ll then leave them in peace until they are almost ready to fledge, when we’ll go back to count how many have made it through this most vulnerable stage of their lives. By comparing all of these numbers, we will know how successful this year’s breeding season has been for each of the 3 species. 

Room with a view; a particularly imposing Molly nest (David Kinchin-Smith)

Hunting Sooty Albatross nests up in the hills (David Kinchin-Smith)

Sooty Albatrosses also nest on coastal cliffs (Em Witcutt)

Not ideal counting conditions! (Em Witcutt)

Sooty Albatrosses blend into their rocky background very well... (Em Witcutt)

How many Penguins can you see? (David Kinchin-Smith)

Standing out from the crowd... a semi-leucistic Rockhopper Penguin (Em Witcutt)

Em

Life on the Edge

Sooty Albatrosses (or 'Peeoos' to the Tristanians).....slightly manic looking or stunning? I definitely think the latter. Actually, perhaps a combination of the two. It is estimated that Gough is home to around 5,000 pairs of sootys which equates to about a third of the global population; this makes the island the most important site for the species in the world!

A very striking profile (© David Kinchin-Smith)

On Gough the sootys nest on the sea cliffs and inland crags up to heights of 400-500m. On Tristan they can be found nesting well above 1000m! Each year the pairs nesting along the sea cliffs to the south of base are monitored for productivity, and this year I’m very fortunate to be continuing this research. Nests are remarkable structures, constructed with the bill and resembling a muddy chimney pot. Pairs of birds are highly affectionate, knocking their bills together and preening each other on a regular basis. Paired birds will also fly alongside, matching the other’s movements in perfect synchrony. It is possible to see the birds watching each other very closely during these beautiful flights in order to mirror each other exactly.

Pairs flying in perfect synchrony (© David Kinchin-Smith)

Sootys on Gough are busy incubating for now and they will continue to do so until sometime in the middle of December when hatching begins. A single egg is laid in October and it is incubated for around 10 weeks, with parents sharing the responsibility; adults may have shifts lasting close to two weeks whilst the other bird heads out to sea to feed up. At the moment I am visiting my nests each week and I record which bird is incubating (as they possess a unique number on a leg ring) and if there have been any nest failures. December is going to be very exciting month when chicks start appearing!

A monitored nest and what a view! (© David Kinchin-Smith)

Eggs now, chicks in December (© David Kinchin-Smith)

Chicks will remain on their chimney pot nests for around 5 months, until they fledge in May. Fortunately, Sootys do not suffer from the horrendous mouse predation on Gough that the Tristan Albatrosses do. However, the species is Endangered, mainly from birds drowning from long-line fishing practices; they mistake baited hooks for live prey and are dragged under. A fairly hard-hitting statistic is that the population on Gough has halved in the last 30 years. But something is being done! Marine Protected Areas are going somewhere towards combating such declines, amongst other things. Please find out more at: https://acap.aq/

David

Reference.

Cuthbert, R. & Sommer, E. (2004) Gough Island Bird Monitoring Manual Research Report. Published by the RSPB Conservation Science Department - RSPB Research Report No. 5

Ryan, P. et al. (2007) Field Guide to the Animals and Plants of Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island