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| Ardery Blizzards |
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| Ardery Blizzards |
Dear Caseyites and other readers,
Its Sunday morning and an over 60 knot storm makes our Dutch Oven cabins
tremble. Curtains of water are blown off the sea surface as a local Ardery
Island variant to the snowdrifts that we can see above the continent. Even
near the cabins, about 60 m above sea level, salt spray quickly fogs up our
glasses when we venture outside. Clearly a good moment to make up a new
issue of the islands local newspaper. We apologize for the lack of an Ardery
Blizzard issue during the storm of 8-9 Nov, but computerwork for the
research got priority at that time.
SNOW PROBLEMS
Two periods of very heavy snowfall in late October have caused problems for
our artificial nests of which 13 have been placed in the Antarctic Petrel
colony and 10 with the Fulmars. As one can imagine, several decimeters of
snow somewhat disturbed weight readings coming in to our central computer.
Subsequent melts and refreezings have packed some nests in thick layers of
ice. As a general rule, we have decided not to clear the nest sites because
it is part of the natural phenomena that are encountered by the birds and
the effects of which we want to study. Only very slowly sun, wind and the
birds themselves are doing the job, and still not all nests are back to
normal operation. Microchip readings of the identity of birds visiting the
nests are luckily not disturbed by the snow and ice. The snow problems have
forced us to wait with placing the remaining half of the artificial nests
until conditions improve. We've therefore focussed on tagging birds in the
study areas, so that later on we have a wide choice of locations to put in
the artificial nests.
HONEYMOON
Currently, the Antarctic Petrel colony on the northern cliffs of Ardery
Island is deserted. Already in the last days of October all of them left for
sea for what is called their 'pre-laying-exodus'. More romantically, after
the mating in the colonies, this period is sometimes referred to as a
'honeymoon' although it is not likely that the newly married are having a
relaxed time off. At sea, they have to build up energy reserves: the female
to produce the large egg (her 'baby' represents at least 15% of her own body
mass ... imagine that in human terms!) and the male to sit out the very long
first incubation shift without any food. First Antarctic Petrels are
expected back at the colony between 20 and 25 November.
HIGH SPEED LOVERS
Snow petrels do it quickly it seems. We've seen them
only for a short while but they are also already leaving for their
honeymoon. To respond to questions from our readers: yes, they copulate in
their hidden nest sites as well as in the open on their doorstep.
SAR OPERATION FOR MELT PAN
During the aftermath of the blizz of 9 Nov a Search & Rescue operation
had to be organized for the snow-melting pan, used by Jeroen to measure the
amount of snowfall (or other precipitation - see below). The strong winds
had lifted the pan out of the rock-circle that was supposed to keep it down,
and it had taken off with unknown destination. After the weather calmed
down, we searched the area and finally found the pan hundreds of meters
away, in an almost 90 degree angle away from the expected wind-track, and
balancing almost above the water on the outer edge of the islands ice
girdle. Considering the somewhat tricky looking spot, ropes and climbing
belt were put on by Jeroen to recover his important meteorological tool.
Apart from displacing an empty (still about 30 kg's!) gasbottle for almost
10 meters, the blizz did not cause any damage to cabins or items stored
outside.
CYNICAL LOOKS
Since our arrival in early October, Jan has been constantly chasing up
Willem and Jeroen to tie everything down all the time and to put heavy
stones on anything outside. Willem and Jeroen were getting pretty fed up
with this constant nagging and checking of their activities and their
cynical looks upon Jan's constant reminders were clear enough. As you will
understand this potential source of discontent within the small Ardery
Island community has been blown away by the flight of gasbottle and
snow-melter.
WHITE PEAS
During the first blizz, strong gusts of wind took up snow, bits of ice and
small stones, which bashed against the cabins making a hell of a noise.
During the second day of the storm, noise levels rose to ear-torturing
levels. As was painfully experienced while having a short sanitary adventure
outside, the extra noise was caused by pea-sized hail stones coming down in
large quantities.
MONICA SELES
Bird-work is hard work. That's the experience of Jeroen Creuwels doing his
first seabird fieldwork on Ardery Island. It's not so much the abseiling
from the cliffs or climbing them up again: no, it's the bird-banding that
poses the greatest challenge. Petrels, being very long-lived, and exposing
their leg-bands to continuous salt water erosion and wear on the rocky
cliffs, need to be banded with extremely hardened stainless steel bands.
These bands have to be somewhat ovalized to fit the sideways flattened legs
of the petrels. Especially this latter part needs great strength to be put
on the banding pliers, and at the same time great care, because one wrong
movement would crush the bird's leg. Each time that Jeroen puts all his
strength in this operation, he produces a loud groaning and moaning that has
much similarity to the sounds produced by tennisplayer Monica Seles when she
hits the ball. Pity for Jeroen that his line of work doesn't pay
millions.
BANDED FOR LIFE
Jeroen's peculiar sounds during the physical effort of banding petrels might
raise the question why this is necessary? As explained in the Ardery
Blizzard Nr.1, we are here to start a project that uses body condition of
petrels to monitor changes in the Southern Ocean environment. To be able to
detect such changes in body condition within a season or in between years,
individual birds need to be recognizable. Selected groups of birds in study
areas are thus given uniquely numbered bands for visual (and microchips for
electronic) identification. Such bird-marking is equally important for the
longer term purpose of measuring annual survival/mortality rates. Adult
mortality is traditionally low in most petrels, with only 3% to 5% dying in
between one year and the next. Should it become clear from annual
observations of banded birds that mortality is on the increase, you know for
sure your bird populations are in trouble. What is hoped for is that
programs checking on issues like body condition and breeding success are a
more timely indicator of imminent change. The banding of study groups,
however, is indispensable for either way of investigation.
WRONG TRADE
Bird-work is also fun. This has been discovered by Willem, our technical
tradie. During the first weeks, most of his time was spent in the Dutch Oven
to prepare all the artificial nests, cabling and computer recording system.
Most of this work is done now, and more and more he is assisting with the
outdoor fieldwork. Responding to ancient instincts of the hunter-collector
he shows great joy in catching the birds that need to be banded. Each time
when returning to the banding site with a new 'prey' in his hands there is a
proud and happy expression on his face. The increasing load of bird-shit on
his trousers and the scars on his hands from the sharp Fulmar bills are
happily accepted as some sort of more lasting proof of his success. He has
also taken on the job of daily checks of the Snow Petrel study areas with so
much pleasure that there is reason to fear that this guy is in the wrong
trade.
WILSON'S ARRIVED
As observed by Jane, Sharon & George at Robinsons Ridge, also on Ardery
Island the Wilson's Storm-petrels returned on the evening of the 12th of
November. With their swallow-like appearance (small blackish bird with white
rump) and flight patterns they seem to bring the message that summer is
coming, in spite of the freezing storm outside at the moment of this
writing.
That wraps up this issue of the 'Ardery Blizzard'. We hope you enjoyed
it. Stay warm, and don't do anything we wouldn't do...
Jan, Jeroen and Willem
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THE 'ARDERY BLIZZARD' IS BROUGHT TO YOU
BY YOUR WINDBLOWN BIRD-TEAM
IN THE DUTCH OVEN DEPARTMENT
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Dear Caseyites and other readers,
Since the previous issue of the Ardery Blizzard we've had ten days of
glorious weather on our little Antarctic island. We've worked like crazy in
the bird colonies and built up a considerable backlog in the administrative
parts of the work. During the last three days the weather is a bit doubtful
and after catching up with computerizing the most essential field data it is
now time to share with you Ardery Islands' hottest news items and
gossips.
HTK
A Dutch reader has requested to do a bit less about birds (sorry, that's
what we are here for) and to report more on what is called in Dutch 'Huis,
Tuin, en Keuken-zaken' ('house, garden and kitchen-affairs'; an expression
used for the common things in daily life). Although daily life can be pretty
boring, we'll do our best. Anyway, such news is often hidden in other types
of messages: for your convenience they'll be marked HTK in some
newsitems.
LUCKY B
During the second day of the 17-19 Nov blizzard (the one of flying snow pans
and gas bottles) Jeroen had no choice but to go out for a no longer
postponable visit to our dunny, which is strategically positioned about 40
meters downwind from the cabins (HTK). The moment that Jeroen ventured his
head into the outdoor elements, his glasses were blown straight off and
disappeared instantly out of his -reduced- field of vision. Unaware of the
small drama, Jan and Willem watched him from behind the cabin windows.
Thinking that his stumbling around in the battering winds was a search for
additional stones to hold down the outdoor supplies (HTK), they praised such
sense of duty in harsh conditions. After some time of desperately seeking
his glasses, Jeroen's original reason to step outside became too pressing so
he went to the dunny without his glasses and sat down to get himself
blizzed. As you may have guessed, this guy is really a Lucky B., because
while seated there, what lies just in front of him in the snow? Correct, his
glasses! After the incident Jeroen has been sighted with considerable wiring
from around his neck to his glasses. 'You never know your luck' our
radio-buddy Fester at Casey Station always says, but Jeroen suspects he may
have used up his good fortune by now.
DOWNWIND MISFORTUNES
Being used to the sheltered inland conditions in his home area back in
Holland, Willem had little experience on how to have a leak (HTK) in a bad
storm. The downwind procedure may be quite o.k. in moderate winds, but has
some serious disadvantages when it really blows. The downwind vacuum created
by the body may lead to weird air-turbulence. During the peak of the storm,
when it was hard to stay on your feet anyway, Willem leaned backwards
against the wind to let the water run.... and got himself sprayed. Like all
intrepid Antarctic expeditioners he has quickly adopted the far safer
perpendicular method.
FINANCIAL MARKETS
The Ardery Island Stock Exchange is experiencing a 'Black December' because
of heavy over-investments by local companies into the T-shirt business.
Rumours are that especially the Jan-Holding Co. is heading towards
bankruptcy after large investments into two competing T-shirt factories. A
trust-fund temporarily covered the debts, but the situation is looking
grim.
KINDERGARTEN ON DRIFT
We've been regularly pleased by the beautiful trumpeting calls of Emperor
Penguins around Ardery. They seem to be much more frequent than during
previous seasons. On 23 Nov a very unusual event occurred. A group of 29
downy Emperor Penguin chicks on a heavy icefloe drifted along Ardery Island.
Although four adult Emperors hopped onto the floe to visit the kindergarten,
none of them seemed a parent of one of the chicks. Apparently the sea-ice of
their colony has broken out -too?- early. We wonder whether parent penguins
would be able to follow the drift-track of their chicks, which seemed far
too young to go without meals brought in by parents.
FIRST EGGS ON ARTIFICIAL NESTS
Already on 19 Nov the very first Antarctic Petrels had returned from their
honeymoon at sea. More birds followed over the next few days and the first
eggs in our study area were spotted on 24 November. Several eggs were laid
on artificial nests. Our celebrations on this happy event -the real proof
that our systems work- are somewhat overshadowed by Giant Petrels...
BACON, NO EGGS
The life of the Antarctics is still very
complicated because they continue to be harassed by the Southern Giant
Petrels that visit the colony for a snack. Regularly all Antarctics,
including those on eggs, have to fly off because a Giant is running in
between the nest sites snapping its large bill in attempts to catch a
victim. Strangely, the Giants want bacon and no eggs as the unattended eggs
are left alone by them....
BUT SKUA'S PROFIT
Unfortunately, Skuas are on the watch as well and profit from the panic
caused by the Giants by taking the temporarily deserted eggs of the
Antarctics. As you understand, things are not going well at all for the
Antarctics this year. Considering the whole situation it's actually amazing
that there's still some eggs left. Signs are however, that our sample size
of successful breeders in the Antarctic Petrel colony will become extremely
small. We're hoping for a better season in the Fulmar colony where 20
artificial nests are awaiting the return of this later breeding species.
PERSONAL HYGIENE (HTK)
'Hygiene' is a word rarely heard of on Ardery and even less practised (these
are the Dutch Ovens, remember). When every drop of water has to be melted
from snow and the inside of the cabins is too cramped to have a wash without
spraying computers, paperwork, bunks and clothing, there is little
temptation to step outside for a good cleaning. However, during the glorious
weather of the past days, there have been reports of naked men running
around on Ardery sticking their heads and feet into large pans of water and
extensively scrubbing those body parts that would not fit in. A guy wearing
glasses with wires played it really tough and was seen scrubbing himself
with snow only.
LESS ISOLATED
With summer at hand, sea ice has drifted out from between the islands and
there is hardly any refreezing any more. This allows more regular traffic
with the rubber boats from Casey. We had a successful second resupply on 28
Nov. For Willem this has meant the opportunity of a well deserved
mini-holiday on the station after nearly 8 weeks without a day off (HTK) on
the island. He was replaced by Mark Goodall who gave himself an overkill of
physical exercise by carrying gasbottles and other stuff over the snowdrift,
but was still able to give much useful assistance in the fieldwork and cook
delicious meals with goodies supplied by Casey-chef Swivel.
BOFFIN-ROCK-ART
During the last week we have started repainting nestnumbers in the different
bird-study areas on Ardery Island. Numbers were originally painted in
1984/85. Old numbers were still readable or were retraced in combination
with maps or photographs. This type of boffin-rock-art is definitely no
esthetical improvement to the landscape, but like with the banding of the
birds, the marking of study nests is an essential part of any long-term
program (imagine the practical problems if streets/houses in a big city were
not named/numbered). Painting as nestmarker was granted in our research
permit because it can be applied without disturbance to birds during any
part of the season, and paint has a reasonable life span but will eventually
disappear. As soon as there is certainty on returning to Ardery in the long
term, we will gradually switch to using smaller, less obvious plastic or
metal markers. We'll be running a test on Casey this summer to see which
type of attachment would be the best.
STRANGE ODOUR
Willem returned to the island on 30 Nov. Besides leaving a depleted Guinness
stock on Casey he imported a strange smell of cleanliness to Ardery. It took
him two days to regain the familiar bird smell (HTK) and fit in again in the
community. Next one to go out to Casey station is Jeroen, but probably that
will be combined with Elephant Seal work on Browning & Peterson, so
there's no worries about his odour when he returns.
LATEST NEWS
Willem just returned to the office with the news that the first egg has
appeared in the Snow Petrel study areas. It must be summer now, in a few
days the Fulmars will be the last species to start laying. Willem and Jan
were almost inclined to start thinking about the return-trip, but with the
recent updates of the updates of Aurora's schedule we'd better postpone such
thoughts for a while.
That wraps up issue nr.5 of the 'Ardery Blizzard'. We hope that you
enjoyed it again. Stay cool, and please do all the things we would like to
do...
Jan, Jeroen and Willem
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THE 'ARDERY BLIZZARD' IS BROUGHT TO YOU
BY YOUR JOLLYSTRUCK BIRD-TEAM
IN THE DUTCH OVEN DEPARTMENT
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 Blizzard #1-#3 |
Blizzard
#6-#7 |
