Northern Fulmar image capture during AT3002. Photo by Lance Wills. |
I grew up in St. John’s NewfoundIand, were
I also did my MSc. Degree; at Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN).
Newfoundland is an island stuck well out
into the flow of the Labrador Current. For this reason, the Island is famous for both
it’s cold wet foggy terrible weather and it’s incredible diversity of marine
life. Located forty-five minutes from
St. John’s is the second largest colony of Leach’s Storm-Petrels in the world,
and the largest Atlantic Puffin Colony in North America (Witless Bay IslandsEcological Reserve). Add another hour
and a half to the drive and you are on the doorstep of the largest Leach’s
Storm-Petrel Colony in the world (Baccalieu Island Ecological Reserve) or the
second largest Northern Gannet Colony in North America (Cape St. Mary’sEcological Reserve). As someone with an
affinity for the natural world, the attraction is obvious. I worked for the Canadian Wildlife Service,
Environment Canada for close to a decade, and then managed both the Witless Bay
and Baccalieu Ecological Reserves for the provincial government, Department of Environment andConservation. In recent years I have
been conducting offshore seabird surveys for the Canadian Wildlife Service,
under the Environment Canada Seabirds At Sea (ECSAS) program.
These surveys provide important data on
pelagic seabird distribution throughout the year, including patterns of dispersal
from breeding areas, migration routes and wintering areas. Over time, these data will show not only
patterns of dispersal, but also trends in species abundance, diversity and
distribution. Of particular
interest on this cruise is the post-breeding dispersal of Dovekies, or Little
Auks (Alle alle) from their breeding colonies to
wintering areas. Several million
Dovekies (approximately 80% of the world’s population) breed in northwestern
Greenland. Many of these migrate to coastal
waters of northeastern North America via
the Davis Strait. Dovekie chicks
generally leave the colony with one parent (usually male); however, the amount of time spent with the
family group is not well understood. During
this cruise, I will be paying particular attention to Dovekie parent/chick
associations whenever viewing conditions permit. Adults and chicks have different plumages, which allows the distinction to be made: the adults have a solid
white cheek patch that rises well above the eye. The cheek patch of the chick is more buffy;
appears less striking and does not rise as far above the eye. In the right light, the dark brown hue on the
chick’s back can be seen. These data will add to the growing body of data on family group
dispersal during migration, and will provide important insight to this
question.
As would be expected, Dovekies and Northern Fulmars have been the
most abundant species seen to date.
Thanks for sharing your latest adventures. You're our all time favorite birdoligist. Best, Ron and Lauren
ReplyDelete