Penguin peril

My family made the trek from Westville to Plett to spend 2 weeks with me, happiness! But of course birds don't stop breeding because I have guests and so I gained 3 helpers. On the first trip to Robberg we came across an adult African Penguin that didn't seem to be doing so well. We shaded it and decided to continue with what we came to do and check on the bird on our way back. Fieldwork is so much easier with a dedicated helper! Dad was the best field appy and made my work so much faster! After checking on all the nests, including one with the first chick of the colony, we headed back to the beach, and the penguin. It was still there and looking decidedly listless. We put it into a backpack to make the half hour hike back to the car. From there it went to Tenikwa, and then on to SANCCOB, and hopefully was released back into the wild.

My fieldwork site, the island. Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Adult African Penguin.

Shirley on her way to fieldwork on the island. Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Dad and I hard at work. Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

On the edge. Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Happy to have my dad here! Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Me, Nic and dad. Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

My boetie!

First chick for Robberg!

These birds breed in the extremes. Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Hot hot hot! Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Gathering the penguin to be put into the backpack. Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Starting the walk back, penguin on dad's back. Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Loggers off!

10 days after putting the GPS loggers on the rehab Kelp Gulls, Shirley, Demi and myself went back to Tenikwa to take them off. Surprisingly, the one I thought would be the more likely of the two to come off was still quite firmly on, whereas the one I thought we had put on very well, was hanging by a few feathers. I carefully took the tape off the feathers and relieved the birds of their packages. The one upset gull showed it’s displeasure by taking advantage of my handling complacency and bit me in a rather sensitive part of my anatomy, I was not impressed! It was a quick visit and once home I downloaded the data, it seems that all is well for the breeding season with regards to the GPS loggers!

The logger was still firmly on the juvenile. 

The grumpy bird that bit me!

GPS loggers

After the trip to Cape Town and receiving all sorts of new toys, I was finally able to try the GPS loggers out! Tenikwa kindly agreed to allow me to use two of their rehab Kelp Gulls as guinea pigs! I was rather nervous about it all, I was using a technique to attach the GPS loggers that I had never used before, and had never seen anyone do it either! A conversation and a quick flip through some photos was the extent of my knowledge and although it seems a simple method, pride comes before the fall.. Shirley came with, as well as Demi, and by the time we reached Tenikwa I was a bundle of nervous energy. That morning had been spent charging, programming and packing the loggers, any time spent dormant was a waste of the mere 120 hour battery life. There were three gulls in the rehab centre but I had brought only 2 loggers with.  Of the three, one was a juvenile and became the first guinea pig. The procedure seems a simple one, using a cardboard template lift a row of feathers and slide a strip of tape underneath, repeat until there are enough strips of tape to cover the logger. Then you place the logger on the feathers and wrap the ends of the tape around it. Simple. What a mission! It takes some practice to be able to do it quickly and neatly. The first one took some time and wasn’t as neat and precise as I would have liked, but it was on and with some fluffing and preening the bird settled down and seemed to adjust to the extra appendage. The second guinea pig was an adult which was a permanent member of the aviary as it was minus half a wing. This time things went a whole lot better! The logger was attached far more neatly, and easily, than the first. The bird was released back into the aviary and also had a fluffing and preening session but also seemed to settle down. Now the big question is will they stay on?! That is one of my major concerns that the loggers will stay attached for the 10 – 14 days I am aiming for. The other being that I can recatch the birds I deploy the loggers on. In any case this is going to be an interesting and exciting field season!

The GPS loggers in heat shrink tubing.

The tape in place ready for the logger.

Wrapping the tape firmly around the logger.

Attached and ready to go!

Shirley holding her first ever Kelp Gull! A firm hold on the head after I was bitten..

Investing the new appendage..

The two birds with their GPS loggers.

Sea savvy

The latest trip to sea was a special one, we released a rehabilitated Cape Gannet. This was the Gannet that I ringed at Tenikwa over a week ago. After a smooth launch, we cruised away from the beach towards open water, and it was time! The bird was taken out of the transport box, which by this time stank of gannet, and was thrown overboard, which meant Mark leant over the pontoon and plopped the bird into the water. It had a good washing (ugh covered in human!) and then successfully had a water take-off and flew off into the horizon. The rest of the day was good, we chased down two whales and managed to get all the data needed from them, and I was able to spend some time taking photos of the whales from the chair. This was the last time I will be going out with Gwen and Meredith on the boat, as they now move down to False Bay to chase whales while I start work on the commercial whale watching boats. Let the work begin!

Cheers bird!

Freedom!

Flying off to the horizon.

Whale!

Whale with an arrow flying true.

A blow hanging in the air.

A view of Nature's Valley from the sea.

Me up in the lookout seat! Photo by Mark Brown.

Tenikwa

Tenikwa is a wildlife rehabilitation and awareness centre, and Mark has agreed to ring any of the rehab birds that are ready to be released, and so after ringing in Nature’s Valley with the kids on the holiday program we headed off to Tenikwa. I have been at Tenikwa once before and ringed 2 Kelp Gulls that were ready for release. On that occasion they also had a kitten in the surgery/work room that was being helped. On this occasion they had a baby Vervet Monkey that had been confiscated from the illegal pet trade, poor lil guy. But as far as ringing went, I ringed a Cape Gannet, a Burchell’s Coucal (both new species for me), a Kelp Gull and a Laughing Dove, all in for a variety of reasons. And then I enquired after the kitten. The kitten had grown into a big beautiful Serval, surprise surprise! We had a quick look at some of the centre, definitely somewhere I would love to go for the full guided tour!

Ringing my first Cape Gannet. Photo by Mark Brown.

How cool are those feet!

A beautiful bird.

Burchell's Coucal.

The all grown up kitten, the Serval.

A Cheetah that is part of the awareness program.

A Leopard that is part of the awareness program.