Hi Nagi,
I hope you will consider sending email directly to Friends of Midway Atoll.
They have raised $75,000 for the drone project and they are seeking an
additional $25,000 in funding for the project. The website suggests that if
the human census and the drone census produce similar results that there
will be a more permanent change for how counts are conducted.
The assumption seemed to be that this would be less intrusive for the
albatross and that was why I raised the question.
I remember the Bolsa Chica crash and I believe that was deliberate--
teenagers who thought it was acceptable to disturb the colony?
Thank you,
Ronda
On Fri, Nov 21, 2025 at 9:01 AM Nagi Aboulenein <
nagi.aboulenein at gmail.com>
wrote:
>
Sorry, didn't include Tweeters in my original reply. Here it is again,
>
with Tweeters now included.
>
>
Usage of drones would be very worrisome - there was an incident a few
>
years ago, where a drone crashed into an Elegant Tern nesting colony at
>
Bolsa Chica in southern California, resulting in a total nesting failure
>
for the entire colony for that year.
>
>
Drones don't just crash because of stupid operator mistakes - drones can
>
also crash due to technical failure, power loss, etc. Results of a drone
>
crash on nesting success would worry me a lot.
>
>
Thanks!
>
-;
>
Nagi Aboulenein
>
>
>
On Friday, Nov 21, 2025 at 08:35, Ronda Stark via Tweeters <
>
tweeters at u.washington.edu> wrote:
>
Thank you to everyone for taking the time to share their experiences!
>
>
On the website, I see they are planning to conduct the usual census and
>
they are also raising funds to purchase drones to conduct an aerial census
>
and compare results. Can anyone comment on that approach?
>
>
Bob, were you part of a scientific study? I thought visitation to the area
>
was greatly restricted.
>
>
Ronda
>
>
On Fri, Nov 21, 2025 at 12:17 AM Carla Conway <mikiconway at gmail.com>
>
wrote:
>
>>
Hi Ronda,
>>
Thank you so much for planning a gift to FOMA, it will be greatly
>>
appreciated. FOMA also supports scientific research and conservation by
>>
providing funding for projects such as the annual nesting albatross census.
>>
They covered the cost of meals for our group when I was a nest census
>>
volunteer in 2021-22 and it helped a lot!
>>
Smiles,
>>
Carla
>>
>>
On Thu, Nov 20, 2025 at 8:59 PM Scott Richardson via Tweeters <
>>
tweeters at u.washington.edu> wrote:
>>
>>>
I've appreciated FOMA's dedication to both the natural history and
>>>
cultural history of the atoll. The umbrella makes a lot of sense for the
>>>
place. Their website covers a lot!
>>>
>>>
Scott
>>>
>>>
On Nov 20, 2025, at 19:05, Ronda Stark via Tweeters <
>>>
tweeters at u.washington.edu> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
Thank you for posting about Wisdom. I am planning to gift to Friends of
>>>
Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. If you happen to know anything about
>>>
their work please contact me.
>>>
>>>
Ronda
>>>
>>>
On Thu, Nov 20, 2025 at 12:12 PM Ellen Blackstone via Tweeters <
>>>
tweeters at u.washington.edu> wrote:
>>>
>>>>
Wisdom, the Laysan Albatross that is at least 75 years old, is back on
>>>>
Midway Atoll!
>>>>
>>>>
https://friendsofmidway.org/
>>>>
>>>>
Cheers all around!
>>>>
>>>>
Ellen Blackstone
>>>>
Edmonds WA
>>>>
ellenblackstone AT gmail DOT COM
>>>>
_______________________________________________
>>>>
Tweeters mailing list
>>>>
Tweeters at u.washington.edu
>>>>
http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters
>>>>
>>>
_______________________________________________
>>>
Tweeters mailing list
>>>
Tweeters at u.washington.edu
>>>
http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters
>>>
>>>
_______________________________________________
>>>
Tweeters mailing list
>>>
Tweeters at u.washington.edu
>>>
http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters
>>>
>>
_______________________________________________
>
Tweeters mailing list
>
Tweeters at u.washington.edu
>
http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters
>
>