Thanks to the tweeters who wished me well on my trip to Midway Atoll.
There were enough of them/you to prompt a quick summary of the visit.
I was at Midway from 17 to 27 November to lead an Elderhostel group for
Oceanic Society Expeditions. OSE is the ecotour subcontractor at Midway and
they asked me to lead the trip in part because of my previous experiences
with the US Fish and Wildlife Service at Midway.
For this particular trip, OSE participants did seabird monitoring for the
USFWS. During November, seabird monitoring at Midway essentially means
albatross monitoring. Midway holds the largest Laysan Albatross colony in
the world, with some 430,000 pairs, and contributes significantly to the
world Black-footed Albatross population, with about 20,000 pairs. We
tracked egg laying by both species in several plots placed in various
habitat types. I did seabird and natural history interpretation for the
group and we joined FWS tours, as well. Busy week. And fun.
I managed one life bird (Common Black-headed Gull) and a few species I
hadn't seen at Midway before (Garganey, Whimbrel, Long-billed Dowitcher).
Besides albatrosses (that includes one Short-tailed, BTW), we observed
Red-tailed Tropicbirds, Red-footed Boobies, Great Frigatebirds, Black
Noddies, Brown Noddies, White (Fairy) Terns, Bonin Petrels, and
Wedge-tailed Shearwaters. Canaries and Common Mynas, both introduced, also
are common at Midway. Regular wintering shorebirds included Ruddy
Turnstone, Pacific Golden-Plover, Bristle-thighed Curlew, and Wandering
Tattler. We also saw Hawaiian Monk Seals, Spinner Dolphins, and Green Sea
Turtles at close range.
Yes, the weather was pleasant. I believe it was sunny and 80 degrees there
while Seattle saw snow. But we had days of rain and wind, too; Midway is
outside of the tropics.
Access to Midway is limited, but it is now open to the public for the
first time in 50 years. USFWS has contracted with Midway Phoenix
Corporation to keep the island "open" when the Navy and its environmental
remediation contractor depart next summer. In turn, Midway Phoenix has
subcontracted with three outfits to provide tourist opportunities. There is
a sport-fishing venture (primarily catch and release), a dive-and-snorkel
company, and the ecotour organization. OSE offers several programs,
including dolphin research, monk seal research, seabird monitoring, and
more. Some birding trips are scheduled, too. I don't mean this as
advertising, but if you want more OSE info, call them at (800) 326-7491 to
ask about their Midway programs.
It's good to be back where the risk of sunburn is low.
--
Scott Richardson
NE Seattle
salix at halcyon.com