Country Island Photos Part 1

Well, Its been far to long since I've last updated my blog! Truth be told, I'm STILL sorting through photos... So for now, here is a little sampler of my Country Island photos!

North Beach at Sunset

Some bog flora, highlighted by the Sundews in the middle! 

Lesser Yellowlegs

Whimbrel

Short-billed Dowitcher

Willet

Tern and it's reflection

Tern nest, most likely a Common Tern due to it's clutch of three.

Another Tern nest in a more rocky area.

Tern chicks!

One hiding...

And another chick chilling out in our banding kit

Tern chicks being fed a Herring

Roseate Tern. This guy was banded as an Adult on CI in 2011.

Another Roseate Tern banded on CI.  If I remember correctly, he was banded as a chick in the early 2000s.

 A Roseate Tern coming back with a fish to feed its chick!

A bunch of terns mobbing a predator, most likely the Merlin that hung around for much of the Summer!

Tern + Lighthouse

Tern + Lighthouse

Common Tern.  This one has a radio transmitter tag on it!

Same bird again!

That it for now, will update with more photos soon!

Country Island Wrap-up

Living and working on a remote island with seabirds in their colonies is a unique experience that I'll forever cherish.  About two weeks ago, our 2013 Country Island field season came to an end.  The departure was bittersweet because the work was so much fun, but it was also great to integrate back into society, and to touch base with family and friends again!  The first couple days back on mainland was kind of strange, it was kind of like there was a culture shock after having been away from society for so long.

It was kind of weird at first to drive back to Halifax, observing four hours of deciduous forests (not many deciduous trees on CI...), houses and other people, whereas the past three months there were just a few of us on a 19 hectare island.  The first time I used my debit card again, not having to go to the washroom in an outhouse, taking more regular showers, taking my hat off at meals.... it was all an adjustment for the first couple of days, although it doesn't take long to 'catch on'.  It was also great to eat fresh food again, although we really ate well all season long!! Our last meal on the island was a pea, corn, chick pea, fava bean, chicken stir-fry with a peanut butter sauce on top of Quinoa (heck I probably forgot a couple more ingredients...)!  But to have fresh meat and vegetables was a real treat!

As mentioned, departing Country Island comes with its pros and cons.  It was a real pleasure to get to work with some lovely ladies (as they boasted when they updated my Facebook status when I forgot to sign out! ;) :p). But it truly was great working with all of them, and they really were lovely!  There were many great moments living with them, battling storms, making t-shirts, braving the cold ocean for a swim in the first couple days of July, kicking their butts at cribbage, annihilating the bird record (123 species), and much more!

Over the last couple of weeks I've been processing through my thousands of photos to a more manageable number. In the coming weeks, I'll be updating this blogs with many, many pictures...

I don't have them quite ready to show yet, so for now, you can check out these picture of a tern wearing a Leafs hat!

GO LEAFS GO!