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| Bird handling is not always easy |
Seven months later, eight hundred
birds down, and a healthy tan to boot - my time on this project is coming to an
end and I think it is safe to say I’ve made the most of it! Since my first
blogpost, the myna eradication work has seen great success as we navigated our
way through the ups and downs of island life.
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| View on top of Spa Hill |
Change is constant on North - in the last
six months we have gone from days so dry the bats drop from the trees, to
unending torrential rain that brings out hundreds of invasive giant African
land snails. The sand on the beaches has moved around the island, stretching
out on some sides and exposing bare rock on others. Boats can no longer arrive
on East Beach, instead anchoring at Petit Anse which has become a calm
oasis, perfect for snorkelling with the local nurse sharks. We have suffered
through seemingly endless clouds of mosquitos only to now be plagued by tiny
little flies that cover every surface.
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| Ready for dissection and biometrics |
Driving around the island in the tired old
gator, there are no longer hundreds of mynas strutting on the plateau - proof
of our success. We are currently mopping up the results of the recent breeding
season, catching many young mynas. These days, an adult myna is a true prize as
the few that are left are the most clever and wary of our cages. I could be
getting paranoid, but it seems the birds recognize us and the gator, and call
out an alarm when we go past.
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| Baby Aldabra Giant Tortoise |
Aside from the eradication work, I have
been fortunate enough to help out on other projects on the island, climbing the
steep rock-face of Spa Hill to ring seabirds and their chicks, and assisting
GIF with the annual marine survey. Perhaps one of the best things to happen has
been the hatching of four Aldabra tortoises, a week before Christmas. These
tiny old souls have become the babies of the environment team, doted upon and
protected fiercely! It definitely doesn't get much cuter than a baby giant
tortoise face-deep in a mango. I find it incredible to think that they will
easily outlive me and grow upwards of 250 kilos!
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| Maxine enjoying the sunset on North Island |
Over the last seven months I have had so
many great experiences and met some wonderful people and I count myself lucky
to have been part of this project. I hope that the new recruits will be as
passionate about the project and the island as we have been. It is a nice
thought that we have contributed in our way to North Island becoming a true ark
for many endemic species.
Maxine Little
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