Keeping Track of the Birds

Well, it's been a solid few weeks of work here on Midway. So far the tax payers are getting their money's worth out of me and my all-star crew of volunteers! The birds are such a joy to work with that we hardly notice when they rip into the skin on our hands, wrists and arms. Lately we've been busy deploying archival data loggers on selected birds (picture on the right). These little devices are pretty slick. We use them to record the position of the selected birds daily when the animals are out at sea foraging. During incubation these birds will take several trip to sea, lasting anywhere from a few days to three weeks, and ranging to the Bering Sea and the Coast of British Columbia. The data logger has a light sensor on it, and it determines the bird's position from the timing of sunrise and sunset (via a pretty complex algorithm). Each tag has enough memory and battery power to collect data for over two years, which enables us to gather data on the birds movements throughout the breeding season (Nov. - July) and through the non-breeding season as well (Aug. - Oct.). These are data logging devices though, they are not transmitters, which means we have to get the logger back to get the data! Fortunately the birds nest in the same area year after year, so this time next year we will be searching for our birds to get our logger back. I have to admit to a little bit of anxiety each time we put one of these tags out (we have 30 of them). I keep thinking, "Well, there goes $750 of my budget. I hope I see it again next year!" Putting these tags on is a three person job, and my crew has been awesome. That is Matt holding one of the Black-footed Albatrosses that we put a logger on yesterday. He and McKenzie have been doing a fantastic job so far. They make my job a lot easier.