Black foots and Bonins

Black-footed Albatross are another endangered species found in the NWHI. Laysan has quite a few breeding pairs! Like Laysan Albatross, these birds have an elaborate mating dance and usually establish pair bonds for life (or at least for a long time). Both parents take care of the egg and chick, coming back every week or so to feed the fluffball. It is really common to see several chicks run up to a returning adult and beg for food - and those chicks often get clobbered. Also, the adults "discipline" chicks that are roosting nearby their own. Ouch!

Chickie getting fed:


Chick with a good view of the rainbow:


King of Laysan?


Discipline:


Bonin Petrels return to Laysan in August to get ready for the next breeding cycle. They establish lifetime pair bonds and return to the same burrow every year. They dig everywhere! It is really hard to find places to walk without crushing a burrow - so we always have to dig it out cuz a bird is very likely in there. Females lay in January and both parents incubate for about 2 months until the chick hatches. Bonins time their reproductive cycle as to not overlap with shearwaters who also dig, and are much bigger and outcompete the petrels. Wedge-tail shearwaters return in the spring and often evict or kill Bonin chicks.

Bonin Chick:


Bonin butt:


Bonin molting into grown-up plumage:

Laysan Albatross

Laysan Albatross tend to return to the islands in Oct-Nov to find their mates and start their dances. Once they find their mate, they lay one egg and incubate it (taking turns) for about 2 months. Once the chicks hatch the parents continue taking turns with the chick (alternating flying as far away as Alaska to feed) until it is old enough to thermoregulate. Then, chicks are left alone while parents leave and return every week or so to feed them. Fledging occurs in late June thur July for most chicks.


Chickies practicing:



Sky call, part of the mating dance:


Family:




Older chick:


Adult:

Aloha!

So, I made it back to the "real world" in one piece, and mostly sane. I spent March thru August on Laysan Island, in the NW Hawaiian chain...so about 930 miles NW of Honolulu. This year I was camp leader for the Hawaiian Monk Seal population assessment study. We have just over 200 seals, including the 28 pups from this year.

Laysan is about 1 x 1.5mi and 7mi around. There is awesome diversity of habitat on island, including a volcanic rock ledge, a shipwreck, vegetated interior, hypersaline lake, and lots and lots of beach.

Aerial view of Laysan, north end of the island on the bottom:


I spent 10 days on Midway before leaving for Laysan. The Kahana (the ship many people know from the show Lost) brought be down to the island. Here is the Captain's, Mario, pirate flag:



Camp was moved to higher elevation...err farther away from the waves for winter:





My Tent:


New Lua...stinky
View from the Lua: