What a great first day of Seabird Camp 2021!
We started off with some “I spy” to help focus in on the physical characteristics that help us identify our local cliff nesting species then did a little race to try to find pictures of them. We discussed dangers to seabirds and the campers magically turned into “foxes” and went on an egg hunt in the areas surrounding E-shop. Campers were rewarded with Goldfish crackers if they “hunted” an egg. It was a great lesson on predator/ prey relations. There was active participation from everyone!
After reviewing, or learning, the physical traits, we played “Bird on Your Back” where the campers each had a photo of a seabird found on St. Paul Island hanging on their back and they had to ask each other questions to figure out which bird they were. I think we all agreed the Northern Fulmar was the toughest to guess.
We had a virtual visit from Ranger Kendra Bush of the USFWS/National Maritime Wildlife Refuge in Homer, AK, who had sent us a video since she wasn’t able to travel due to COVID restrictions. The video taught us about various feeding habits of some seabirds. She focused on: Least Auklets, Glaucous-Winged Gulls, Laysan Albatross and owls. Fortunately, or unfortunately, we had a specimen to look at of a Laysan Albatross that had washed up on our beach a week before Camp. We then dissected Owl pellets and found lots of bones of rodents that they had eaten. We figured that the Snowy Owls we sometimes see here would probably be eating the Pribilof shrews.
After dissecting the owl pellets and putting some rodent bones in our pockets to take home and show our parents 😊, we headed out for a field trip to the Auklet colony in the East Landing rubble, or talus. It was eerily quiet but for a few chirps under the talus/rubble, which prompted a conversation about how we seem to be seeing fewer and fewer LEAU lately. Cordell piped in with a story comparing St. George because they do see flocks of Least Auklets flying over town heading to Ulakai Ridge (sp?). After the Auklet colony we headed out to Reef Point to observe the seabirds nest sites on the rock ledges. There were plenty of Tufted Puffins, Horned Puffins, Black-legged Kittiwakes, Thick-billed Murres, and a few Red-faced Cormorants and Parakeet Auklets for us to see perched on the cliffs and even flying to and from the cliffs!
