Where's Waldo?
Chatty congregation of least and crested auklets.
One of our sites is home to a colony of auklets, both the least auklets and crested ones. They are all very sociable creatures, chattering together perched on rocks as if reviewing the day's gossip, heads and eyes darting this way and that. They also frequently fly en masse overhead, providing mesmerizing spectacles every few minutes.
Least auklets at Kitnik. They nest during June and July on rocky seacoasts including isolated Bering Sea islands such as St. Lawrence Island.
Auklets in flight over the nesting colony.
Trio of crested auklets observing, watching, and undoubtedly savoring moments for future gossip.
What happens on the auklet colony is nest productivity tracking. Nests from previous years are monitored, to see a) whether a bird is present this year, b) whether there is an egg, and c) eventually chicks. Special nests are indicated for GLS birds, those with Geo Locator Sensors which will need to be retrieved.
Tools needed
Kneepads. DEFINITELY kneepads. Map with nest locations, and my handy dandy rite-in-the-rain notebook to document findings. A GPS device helps, too, in case new folks like me on the colony need extra guidance to the nests.
Field notebook, kneepads, map, flashlight to peer into the crevasses, and a GPS for waypoints just in case.
What does work look like here?
There's no rappelling or noose poles here like we use at the cliffs, but there is a ton of rock hopping. Forget crossfit, lunges, and aerobic classes. This is some serious leg exercise, people. And you do NOT want to fall, because these rock are not forgiving. (Ahem... so I've heard.)
The rocky landscape is a haven for auklet nests.
Monitored auklet nests are numbered for identification.
Three dots painted on the rocks below the nest number help orient your search since there are so many other crevasses.
Oh, those rocks!
We monitor each nest (about 60) throughout the day, checking for birds, eggs, and chicks (coming soon!), and of course, documenting each move. Some traps are set in the nests for GLS birds, but alas, no luck so far in capturing one. Far different than capturing with a noose pole! Captures of other birds for data will begin next week, and similar measurements will be taken as discussed in my bird-catching post.
You can see the field of rocks in the photos, and those clever little auklets love to burrow in among the cracks and crevasses between them. Each marked nest is on a map, and the goal is to find them. Easy for Alexis to do since she's been here three years now.
Umm. Not so much for me. Reminds me of Where's Waldo, geocaching, orienteering, and Tourette's syndrome all in one. I was so desperate by the end of the day searching for one last nest, that I actually asked the least auklet following me around if it could read, or if it had seen the number in question. As in asked it out loud.
Alexis saved the day, and we finally finished.
Putting the 'Alas' back in Alaska after a loooong, tiring day.
The chubby little least auklet, with its reddish bill and telltale knob at the base of the upper beak.
The brilliant colors of the crested auklet.
Today's Tweet
Auklets are savvy, chatty, and curious birds, nestling in and preparing for their chicks. All we need to know is that you're on schedule. #nesthunting
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