These lists haven't changed in some time. If you've just left the island and realize something essential or useful missing from the list, please let me know so that I can add it.
In general, I believe that you could come to both field camps with essentially nothing and survive given what is available in camp. However, it wouldn't be very comfortable, and hence these 'what to bring' lists. But, each person is different, and so please modify depending on your own tastes.
I encourage you to purchase and arrange the training yourself and then be reimbursed by me (adds credit card points and generally makes things easier--you know your own availability better than me). However, if you are low on cash, then I can pay up front. Purchasing health (including evacuation) coverage is, however, the responsibility of the student/researcher/volunteer (I don't cover that). Please don't make me harass you about the training. You are required to have all the necessary training, and it is your responsibility to arrange the courses. You will not be allowed to fly out to the island unless I have a copy of all of the required training certificates.
Three more thoughts.
First, these are field camps. There are times you will be cold, wet and incredibly harassed by bugs (at Coats only). You will be expected to work long hours, and then cook for others at the end of the day. Hauling the gear and water around is incredibly tiring. Yet, these are very unique, beautiful locations to visit and the memories made will be cherished on many "ordinary" if pleasant days in the south for the rest of your life. Please come mentally prepared for exhaustion but also breathtaking beauty.
Second, you don't get to choose your field campmates. Living day in and day out with anyone can become tiring. However, please act professionally and considerately. Don't eat the last Fudgeo. Avoid religion and politics--it is too easy to offend unintentionally. If you may have offended someone, apologize, even if you don't think you should. If someone offends you, please move on, and assume they were just having a bad day. There are good and bad sides to everyone. To paraphrase Saving Private Ryan, send your beef up the chain of command. Communicate with the camp leader and/or with me. Don't let things fester.
Third, the happiest people in camp are often those with a hobby. Photography, birding, knitting, reading, yoga, cooking/baking.... Whatever gets you through rainy days without cabin fever--and gives you a reason to have some "you" time. Camp is good time for a goal, provided the hobby doesn't overtake your regular work. Hobbies that get you outside are always particularly good, as these are beautiful places but it is sometimes easy to forget that in a work day.
But, mostly, have FUN!
On a non-FUN note: Medical/evacuation insurance. It is essential that you have medical/evacuation insurance. You may also consider extended medical coverage (follow up doctor appointments), disability, loss of income and life insurance. Note that as a student or independent contractor, you are not covered by any type of disability or other compensation. Scholarships, etc. do not count as income in terms of worker's compensation (if you are being paid as a research assistant, that would change things). If you are volunteering for a government agency (Environment Canada, US Fish & Wildlife Service) you will be minimally covered, but this will likely be insufficient should you require significant medical expenses or loss of income. You should ask those sponsors for a copy of their insurance policy. If you are Canadian and volunteering on a J1 visa via a federal agency, they will require you to have your own medical insurance with a number of stipulations.
I don't provide medical/evacuation insurance nor provide advice on what coverage policy is best because I usually don't know, and because I could then be liable if I gave you poor advice. You know your own medical situation much better than I do, and need to make sure your insurer knows about your medical situation. You also need to make sure that your medical plan covers you for evacuation under whatever conditions appear in the field (see below). Call your medical insurer and ask about their policy.
While travelling outside of your home province within Canada, your coverage under your provincial health plan is limited. Therefore, it is important to obtain travel insurance to help cover the costs (e.g., emergency medical evacuation, hospital stays, etc.) of any medical emergencies that may arise. The Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association Inc. (CLHIA) provides some documents that you may find helpful in your search for a travel insurance plan. For example, p.3 of CLHIA’s “A Guide to Travel Health Insurance” (available for download here) provides a list of important questions to ask potential insurance providers. Please note that this is not an all-inclusive list of questions, but is a good starting point. The CLHIA also provides a helpful Glossary of Insurance Terms.
It is possible that if you are covered under your parents' policy or the school policy, that they will not cover you under particular situations. When selecting a travel insurance plan, I encourage you to determine what type of exclusions apply (i.e., under what conditions can the insurer successfully deny you coverage?) Please see below for some potential exclusions. This list is intended to provide examples and is therefore not-all inclusive:
- Some policies will exclude travel if the purpose is for paid work or schooling
- Some policies only apply to a particular type of travel (e.g., vacation)
- Certain activities (climbing, firearms, sports, SCUBA diving, etc.) may be excluded
- Coverage for pre-existing conditions, or emergencies that can be linked to pre-existing conditions, may not be covered.
- Procedures (i.e., coverage may only apply if emergency medical evacuation is coordinated by the insurance company, etc.)
One insurance company that does not exclude rock-climbing is Travel Underwriters. Travel Underwriters insurance plans can be purchased through several insurance brokers (see here). Please note that I am not endorsing Travel Underwriters, but simply providing an example of a potential company that may be suitable for your needs. If you do select this company, be sure to confirm with an agent that your activities (climbing, carrying a firearm, being paid, going to school, etc.) will not exclude you from receiving coverage.
In general, I believe that you could come to both field camps with essentially nothing and survive given what is available in camp. However, it wouldn't be very comfortable, and hence these 'what to bring' lists. But, each person is different, and so please modify depending on your own tastes.
I encourage you to purchase and arrange the training yourself and then be reimbursed by me (adds credit card points and generally makes things easier--you know your own availability better than me). However, if you are low on cash, then I can pay up front. Purchasing health (including evacuation) coverage is, however, the responsibility of the student/researcher/volunteer (I don't cover that). Please don't make me harass you about the training. You are required to have all the necessary training, and it is your responsibility to arrange the courses. You will not be allowed to fly out to the island unless I have a copy of all of the required training certificates.
Three more thoughts.
First, these are field camps. There are times you will be cold, wet and incredibly harassed by bugs (at Coats only). You will be expected to work long hours, and then cook for others at the end of the day. Hauling the gear and water around is incredibly tiring. Yet, these are very unique, beautiful locations to visit and the memories made will be cherished on many "ordinary" if pleasant days in the south for the rest of your life. Please come mentally prepared for exhaustion but also breathtaking beauty.
Second, you don't get to choose your field campmates. Living day in and day out with anyone can become tiring. However, please act professionally and considerately. Don't eat the last Fudgeo. Avoid religion and politics--it is too easy to offend unintentionally. If you may have offended someone, apologize, even if you don't think you should. If someone offends you, please move on, and assume they were just having a bad day. There are good and bad sides to everyone. To paraphrase Saving Private Ryan, send your beef up the chain of command. Communicate with the camp leader and/or with me. Don't let things fester.
Third, the happiest people in camp are often those with a hobby. Photography, birding, knitting, reading, yoga, cooking/baking.... Whatever gets you through rainy days without cabin fever--and gives you a reason to have some "you" time. Camp is good time for a goal, provided the hobby doesn't overtake your regular work. Hobbies that get you outside are always particularly good, as these are beautiful places but it is sometimes easy to forget that in a work day.
But, mostly, have FUN!
On a non-FUN note: Medical/evacuation insurance. It is essential that you have medical/evacuation insurance. You may also consider extended medical coverage (follow up doctor appointments), disability, loss of income and life insurance. Note that as a student or independent contractor, you are not covered by any type of disability or other compensation. Scholarships, etc. do not count as income in terms of worker's compensation (if you are being paid as a research assistant, that would change things). If you are volunteering for a government agency (Environment Canada, US Fish & Wildlife Service) you will be minimally covered, but this will likely be insufficient should you require significant medical expenses or loss of income. You should ask those sponsors for a copy of their insurance policy. If you are Canadian and volunteering on a J1 visa via a federal agency, they will require you to have your own medical insurance with a number of stipulations.
I don't provide medical/evacuation insurance nor provide advice on what coverage policy is best because I usually don't know, and because I could then be liable if I gave you poor advice. You know your own medical situation much better than I do, and need to make sure your insurer knows about your medical situation. You also need to make sure that your medical plan covers you for evacuation under whatever conditions appear in the field (see below). Call your medical insurer and ask about their policy.
While travelling outside of your home province within Canada, your coverage under your provincial health plan is limited. Therefore, it is important to obtain travel insurance to help cover the costs (e.g., emergency medical evacuation, hospital stays, etc.) of any medical emergencies that may arise. The Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association Inc. (CLHIA) provides some documents that you may find helpful in your search for a travel insurance plan. For example, p.3 of CLHIA’s “A Guide to Travel Health Insurance” (available for download here) provides a list of important questions to ask potential insurance providers. Please note that this is not an all-inclusive list of questions, but is a good starting point. The CLHIA also provides a helpful Glossary of Insurance Terms.
It is possible that if you are covered under your parents' policy or the school policy, that they will not cover you under particular situations. When selecting a travel insurance plan, I encourage you to determine what type of exclusions apply (i.e., under what conditions can the insurer successfully deny you coverage?) Please see below for some potential exclusions. This list is intended to provide examples and is therefore not-all inclusive:
- Some policies will exclude travel if the purpose is for paid work or schooling
- Some policies only apply to a particular type of travel (e.g., vacation)
- Certain activities (climbing, firearms, sports, SCUBA diving, etc.) may be excluded
- Coverage for pre-existing conditions, or emergencies that can be linked to pre-existing conditions, may not be covered.
- Procedures (i.e., coverage may only apply if emergency medical evacuation is coordinated by the insurance company, etc.)
One insurance company that does not exclude rock-climbing is Travel Underwriters. Travel Underwriters insurance plans can be purchased through several insurance brokers (see here). Please note that I am not endorsing Travel Underwriters, but simply providing an example of a potential company that may be suitable for your needs. If you do select this company, be sure to confirm with an agent that your activities (climbing, carrying a firearm, being paid, going to school, etc.) will not exclude you from receiving coverage.
WHAT DO I NEED FOR COATS island (and other nunavut seabird field sites)?
Training
First Aid. Standard First Aid is required. Wilderness First Aid can be a plus, although Standard is as, if not more, useful than Wilderness. Wilderness often focuses on camping/backpacking and the instructors spend time making splints, shelter, etc. out of branches. Given that we already have sufficient shelter and access to first aid equipment (and no trees), Standard First Aid is often more useful.
Firearms. A Possession and Acquisition License (non-restricted) is required, which means passing the Firearms Safety Course. In addition, where possible, individuals will take a practice firearms refresher one-day course with Environment Canada prior to the field season. If not possible, then training will occur on site the first day in the field. Watching the bear safety video is also required.
Health coverage. All individuals are required to have sufficient health care coverage to cover evacuation from the island.
Animal care. You must be added to my Animal Use Protocol. You need to email animalcare@mcgill.ca and complete the 'Theory' and 'Wildlife' portions. Then I can add you to my AUP.
Climbing. A climbing course is required. Something equivalent to 'Introduction to Rock-Climbing'. If possible, a personalized course is ideal, but this is often not available. Some useful information, which you can relay to your instructor or concentrate on in the course:
For descending we use one rope with no belay. It’s mostly scrambling with little weight on the rope, because your legs usually take most of the weight as it’s not typically vertical. But you need to know how to properly rappel and ascend for a few short vertical sections (with lots of easy holds). To descend you will have a normal figure 8 descender with a prussic as back up. We prefer to attach the prussic to the main rope above the figure 8, and attach the prussic to a biner on the front of the harness. When you are descending you’ll have one hand on the rope below you, applying tension for the descender, and one hand on the rope above you, to guide the prussic. We have gri-gri’s in camp as an alternative to figure 8's.
To go up you will have two ascendors, both with a biner through the top so they can’t come off the rope. The ascenders attach to your harness via sewn webbing or new style (loops) daisy chain. We don’t use step aiders, but it will be useful for you to practice briefly with them just so you can if you need to.
When going down and up you will need to know how to get by an obstacle in the rope. Sometimes the rope is horizontal, or diagonal if you have to move along a ledge, so you will have to pass biners, or sometimes you will need to switch ropes. When descending this means utilizing one of your ascenders so you can always maintain two points of attachment while you maneuver your prussic and descender past the obstacle, and when ascending you will utilize your prussic. It’s good to practice this under tension if possible to teach you to work through it.
Gear to practice with: Ascendors are the petzl Ascension Ascendors. Figure 8’s are like the Black Diamond super 8 Descender. We also have some that are of the Q design so more friction is possible. All your biners will be locking screw gate biners, with one big pear biner on the front of your harness
Schedule
You will arrive in Iqaluit and, often, be picked up by someone from the Nunavut Research Institute and taken to the rental car company and/or dropped off at summer residences. We usually rent a truck for ~$200 per day. We need to pick up groceries from NorthMart, propane, gas (in jerry cans) and bear spray (which we cannot bring on a commercial plane). We then fly out with Kenn Borek, usually two days later. It becomes very costly to be stuck in Iqaluit for many days (which sadly sometimes happens). If you have some spare time in Iqaluit, I encourage you to walk around town. Visit Sylvia Grinnell park, Apex, Visitor's Centre and the old Hudson's Bay company and the Legislative Assembly. Search out carvers (outside carving on a nice day, or via the jail, or via the Visitor's centre, or having dinner at the Frobisher). You can often get beautiful carvings for a reasonable price by asking around.
What to bring
Other than boots, a sleeping bag, sun block and a watch, the items on this list are intended as a guide only and are not required. They are merely ideas and suggestions. You can choose to ignore any or all of them if you wish (except for the four items stated earlier). I would like to think that you could get through your time at Coats with next to nothing beyond what is to be provided (Jo certainly seems to), but there are many things that will make your life more comfortable and your stay more enjoyable.
Please keep in mind, we travel to Coats Island in relatively small aircraft with limited space and weight restrictions. Therefore be a bit conservative in your packing. If you do plan on traveling in Nunavut after you leave the island, then remember you are going to need things that are not on this list such as tent, stove, etc. You can likely leave things in Iqaluit while at Coats. Please bring a soft case (back pack, duffel bag) rather than a hard suitcase, as it is much easier to carry and you will have to carry it a considerable distance form the plane. I pack everything into garbage bags within the luggage so that things don't get wet.
In case of emergencies while you are on the island, you can have friends and family leave a message with my wife Melanie (519-317-9962), or else they can contact the Department of Natural Resource Sciences at McGill. There is no way for folks to reach you directly on the island. There is a satellite phone you can use on the island, but you are restricted to 10 minutes per week of use.
Coral Harbour and Ivujivik are "dry" towns and it is illegal to bring alcohol into those communities. Please do not bring alcohol into camp.
Expect the full range of weather, from wet, cold and super windy (-5- +5C), to hot, still, and buggy (15-25C). The key is to bring a layering system that will cover you for all of these conditions, below is only a suggestion, if you prefer different clothing options, go for it. We all sleep in the same cabin in bunks, so bring earplugs in case someone snores. There’s foam for the beds but no pillows or bedding. You will have to hike out all your gear, so bring what you can fit in a big pack.
Clothes
1 pr waterproof hiking boots.
1 pr comfortable footwear for camp such as sandals or sneakers.
1 pr rubber boots. The tundra can get very wet and saturated. Likewise, if you are ever out on the cliffs, rotten eggs and murre poop are best encountered via rubber boots.
Light rain/wind gear - We provide you with heavy raingear good for working in but it is bulky and cumbersome if you want to go hiking. I recommend breathable rain gear for hiking (one set, jacket and pants, is sufficient; note that saltwater spray when working near the beach compromises the water repellency of GoreTex). You might also consider some cheap rubber gear for working with seabirds, as it may fit better than what is available in camp. Note: if a murre poos on your nice GoreTex rain gear, and it will, your rain gear will be irrecoverable. For the same reason, rubber boots are often very useful.
Down vest or coat. Something you can layer under waterproof gear when it's cold and stormy.
Warm mitts/gloves with removable liners.
Thin mosquito proof gloves that can be worn hiking or when taking notes.
Climbing gloves if you have them.
Shorts and t-shirt for warmer weather if or when it arrives or just as undergarments (T-shirts)
Warm hat (tuque; I like one for cold days and one for sleeping)
Peaked hat for sun protection can also be good
Wool socks (I usually take 4 pairs of warm wool socks and 2 pairs of light wool socks)
Sock liners to prevent foot rot.
Gloves - Some people like a thick pair of gloves for keeping hands warm sitting around camp and also a thin pair of gloves for handling birds and generally working in.
Long underwear, I like to have a pair or two (top and bottom) of both light and heavy.
Fleece pants and jacket - Fleece is particularly nice for the island's wet environment because it dries quickly and is very warm. Again, it's nice to have one thin and one thick. Jeans don’t tend to be a good idea as they take a long time to dry. A pair or two may be good for just sitting around in at camp though.
Work pants, such as carharts or quick dry. Some people like Army surplus wool pants.
Bathing suit and small towel if you wish to bathe in the lakes (they're cold, but very refreshing!).
Light mosquito-proof shirt that you can hike in warm weather
Bug jacket (essential!) MEC makes nice ones.
Watch. A cell phone is a pain in the neck to keep charged and to drag around, so get a proper watch (the $10 kind from Walmart or equivalent).
Toiletries
Shampoo, soap, toothpaste, moisturizer, etc.
Sun block - >15 SPF. We sometimes get enough sun that this may be of use. Lip balm is also useful.
Sun glasses. One good pair and one spare pair.
Bug repellent of your choice (mosquito coils, cigars, etc. can also be useful).
Lotion for dry skin
Chapstick
Moist wipes – Sometimes an “instant shower” can be preferable than a shower in the cold.
Personal first aid kit - We have one out on the island, but you may prefer your own type of headache medicine, tape, etc.
Personal medications/medicine for allergies - At its most serious this would be a couple of Epipens {Epinephrine}for anaphylactic shock or meds for other chronic afflictions (i.e., if you know you are susceptible to ear infections, strep throat, bladder infections, etc. bring antibiotics for that). Most likely, you will probably need to get prescriptions from your doctor for antibiotics, Epipens, etc. This is worthwhile and could even save your life.
*We have an outdoor shower set up which can you boil hot water in a kettle for, and that allows you to take a shower, but to do so you may have to brave the cold or rain on occasion.
Entertainment and personal comfort
We have electricity through a generator and/or solar panels. Sometimes the generator doesn’t work and on cloudy days the solar panels may have insufficient juice. But generally we have enough electricity to charge personal items, batteries, laptops, etc. There is not enough electricity, however, for major appliances.
Music - Discman/MP3 player for personal music listening, especially during long hours of plot work. Others have brought up a satellite radio, which is certainly fun to have around.
Batteries - We can use re-chargeable batteries because there is electricity available to re-charge them. You might bring your own battery re-charger though as the one we have for the project (for AA batteries) is often full and research objectives get priority.
Sunglasses
Reading books (many people just bring a Kindle or Nook now).
Good binoculars - We have binocs for the project, but honestly they are not fantastic. It depends how much you are into recreational birding. We also have some spotting scopes that you can use– again not great either. 8X40 is ideal, especially if they focus within 3 feet to get very close band numbers.
Camera/small video camera, spare rechargeable batteries (we have a generator and solar panels for charging)
Headlamp and/or candle lantern. It can get a bit dark even in June especially in the cabin.
Watercolors/color pencils
Pocket knife/leatherman
Daypack (25-40 L that will fit your rain gear, snacks, climbing gear, water, science gear, etc.)
Sleeping bag (a requirement) – Rated to about 0 degrees C is sufficient for some folks, although you might bring a warmer bag (down to -15 degree C) if you tend to get cold. On cold nights, I sleep with a tuque on and often stick clothes (sweaters, pants, etc.) around my feet to warm them up inside the sleeping bag (putting my parka ; on warmer nights, I find the sleeping bag too warm.
Liner for sleeping bag (much easier to wash than the sleeping bag itself). A fleece liner is more versatile than a cotton and means that a 0 degrees C bag is more than ample.
Therma-rest type of seat
Pocket warmers – Can be nice for those who tend to get cold, particularly for the first few weeks.
Thermos/travel mug for warm drinks
Durable water bottle
Watch (a requirement) - Especially good if it has an alarm. A cell phone is equally fine if you don't mind lugging it around with you and it has enough charge to last for a day (there is no cell phone service, so just put it on airplane mode to save the battery).
Personal journal
Any special food (special chocolate, cheese, whatever) that makes you happy... But be prepared to share if it makes it out when others are around.
Letter-writing equipment (paper, pen, stamps, envelopes, post cards, etc. – I recommend self-sticking stamps ones as the lick and stick variety tend not to work well in the damp)
Ear plugs (if they will help you sleep in a shared cabin)
Pillow case, or even a small pillow. I usually just bring the case and shove clothes in it.
Background and some information about the island
Coats Island has been photographed and videotaped. Type "Coats Island" in "Google Images" to see many images of the research, "Google Scholar" to read some of the many, many papers about Coats and Google Maps to see satellite images of the island. You can also read the Wikipedia entry.
Coats Island is located at the northern end of Hudson Bay. It is a big island: the largest uninhabited island in the northern hemisphere south of the Arctic circle. Most of the island is flat, but the northern end rises up to the cliffs where we study seabirds. Once the home of the Saddlemuit people, which died of influenza near the turn of the century, the island is now uninhabited. The seabird colony consists of two sub colonies, and we work almost exclusively at the west subcolony, which is home to about 15 000 pairs of thick-billed murres and a dozen or two pairs of glaucous gulls. For more background on the geography and wildlife of Coats Island, click here.
The murre study has been ongoing since 1981, with the exception of 1982, 1983, 2012 and 2014, and represents a part of the life work of Tony Gaston, an Environment Canada Research Scientist and one of Canada's greatest ornithologists. Many birds are banded, and we know the individual history of a great many birds.
Working/volunteering at Coats means putting in a lot of hard work, but it is also can be a lot of fun! Above all, it provides a rewarding experience and an opportunity to watch, interact, and handle Nunavut seabirds. Some of the work is admittedly boring and repetitious— lots of plot work for example. Other times, work can be wonderfully interesting—such as handling murre chicks! My expectations are that every individual is willing to give his/her best effort in a conscientious and reliable manner each day for long hours (even during the less interesting times and when the going gets rough) for the entire field season. You can expect roughly one day off in seven. Some volunteers take a few days or weeks off at the end to tour Nunavut--Auyuittuq and Kimmirut are common destinations.
The living arrangements at are semi-primitive and could perhaps be best described as glorified camping. We sleep communally in a cabin that can hold up to six people. You have your own bunk, but privacy is limited. The office is in the same cabin as the sleeping bunks, while a kitchen is a 20 or so meters away. There is also a composting toilet.
Food shopping
This annual event takes a good deal of time one day each year prior to the start of our field season. All food is bought at NorthMart in Iqaluit. The selection is often rather limited, and so if there is anything special that you really want, please bring it with you. Admittedly, shopping for several weeks for many people may even seem to be a daunting task. I recommend first making a general list of the sorts of foods you like to eat every day. Also make a list of foods you enjoy to have less frequently, say once a week. These lists will be helpful in making some calculations to help you plan on quantities of food to shop for. Definitely plan on eating three full meals each day at field camp and maybe even a snack each day as we will be working long hours and in cold weather. Now, start to make some preliminary calculations based on the number of days in camp. These numbers will be good multiplication factors to use. Now come up with a personal shopping list based on the foods you like and the above multiplication factors. Have a look at the example under "Middleton Island" below.
You can use the above method to come up with approximate quantities for a general shopping list for yourself for the field season. Even though I am asking each person to have a generalized shopping list, please realize that all food purchased for the field camp is a communal resource! That is, don’t get peeved if someone is eating the granola bars that you put in the shopping cart later in the season! If there is something you really like and can’t seem to do without, then by all means buy a little bit extra realizing that others will likely enjoy this too. Also, you will surely see something while shopping that you hadn’t thought of. Again, please add it to your cart (but remember to do so in moderation). A few little additions will help to fill any potential shortfall I the pantry (as will the food already on the island). If you take a lot of something that you hadn’t anticipated, then maybe slightly reduce something else on your list. Remember your list is only a general guideline!
Finally, here are some final notes to keep in mind in making up your shopping list…
Cooking amenities… We have a propane stove/oven.
Storage… We have a small freezer on the Island, and we hope, each year, that it still works. Therefore we can take small amounts of frozen meat. In some years, Inuit assistants shoot a caribou that we can then eat a portion of (the rest goes back to the community).
Fresh food… I encourage you to bring fresh produce when you leave for the Island, but keep shelf lives in mind. Also, I will try to arrange for some fresh produce to make it out to the Island periodically during the season if there are extra flights.
Alcohol/ tobacco… You may choose to purchase beer/ wine/ spirits / tobacco to bring onto the Island, but you will have to purchase these items with your own money. Alcohol is not available for purchase in Iqaluit (except at bars, which cannot be brought with you).
Meals
In general, breakfast and lunch is left up to each individual, but dinner (6pm) is a time where everyone comes together for a communal meal. Having the evening meal together brings a sense of community to our research station. With that said, communal meals require a little planning and everyone’s willingness to pitch in. Obviously, not everyone considers themselves a cook, but certainly everyone can find a way to contribute (ie. opening cans, setting/clearing the table, or doing extra dishes). There will be a schedule for meal preparation and dish duty. The person who cooks then washes up the next night. It may sound like a lot of extra work, but typically it turns out to be any given individual’s turn only once or twice a week and the benefits of tasty meals and conversation are well worth the extra effort.
Time zone
Although nearby Coral Harbour uses Central Time, we use Eastern Time (time in Iqaluit) to stay on schedule with pilots. Thus, locals from Coral Harbour will often be one hour behind "us".
Water
We collect and melt snow for water at the start of the season. As long as some snow remains, there is a meltwater creek by camp that we use for water. Eventually, water is collected by ATV in barrels attached to the back of the ATV. Collecting water is very time-consuming and difficult at that point, and so water use for showers and laundry is limited later in the season. I encourage people to take a swim in a nearby lake if they wish to wash off.
Phone
You are restricted to 10 minutes per week of outgoing calls by satellite phone. Incoming calls are not possible.
Showers and laundry
There is a solar shower that will be set up for personal washing purposes beside the kitchen. You can heat water for the shower by either setting it in the sun (recommended) or by heating water on the stove (cold, cloudy days). Laundry is done by hand in the lake, which is a 30 minute hike away.
Emergency
See the phone list on the wall in the cabin for numbers to call in an emergency situation (PCSP, Conservation Officer, RCMP, etc.). If someone needs to contact you on the Island in case of emergency, they can call PCSP in Resolute. Otherwise, the best approach will probably be to contact the Department of Natural Resource Sciences at McGill.
Mediation
In case of interpersonal conflicts (unlikely, but they do happen sometimes), or if you become at all disgruntled about anything, discuss and attempt to resolve the issues first by consulting with the camp leader (usually me)—then, if needed, give me a call if I am not on the island—right away, don’t let it fester!
What to do on my day off?
Hikes are a common pastime. There are enjoyable hikes to the east colony (2 hours round-trip), beer bottle beach (3 hours round trip), the walrus haul out (4 hours round trip), Iceland gull colony (6 hours round trip) or Cape Prefontaine (walrus island; 8 hours round trip). Such trips should only be undertaken in groups, involve opportunities for photography and respectful visits to archaeological sites. It's often fun to go for a swim, too, in a nearby lake.
Fishing is good, especially in August, but requires a territorial fishing license. In that case, bring a fishing rod. The tastiest fish are ogac (greenland cod). Other common hobbies are photography, birding, knitting and reading.
Permitting
1. All McGill activities require approval through the McGill Animal Use Protocol.
2. **All interactions with birds require approval through the Canadian Wildlife Service's Migratory Birds Permit. That permit instigates a Nunavut Planning Commission and Nunavut Impact Review Board review (two separate reviews with their own paperwork).
3. We also need a Nunavut Wildlife Permit. To export any wildlife tissues from Nunavut, we need an Export Permit which we obtain in Iqaluit before leaving once we have a Wildlife Permit.
4. **Kivalliq Inuit Owned Lands Association permit.
5. **Water exemption.
6. Banding Permit. All banding must occur under a sub permit or Master Permit.
**These permits require translation into Inuktitut.
First Aid. Standard First Aid is required. Wilderness First Aid can be a plus, although Standard is as, if not more, useful than Wilderness. Wilderness often focuses on camping/backpacking and the instructors spend time making splints, shelter, etc. out of branches. Given that we already have sufficient shelter and access to first aid equipment (and no trees), Standard First Aid is often more useful.
Firearms. A Possession and Acquisition License (non-restricted) is required, which means passing the Firearms Safety Course. In addition, where possible, individuals will take a practice firearms refresher one-day course with Environment Canada prior to the field season. If not possible, then training will occur on site the first day in the field. Watching the bear safety video is also required.
Health coverage. All individuals are required to have sufficient health care coverage to cover evacuation from the island.
Animal care. You must be added to my Animal Use Protocol. You need to email animalcare@mcgill.ca and complete the 'Theory' and 'Wildlife' portions. Then I can add you to my AUP.
Climbing. A climbing course is required. Something equivalent to 'Introduction to Rock-Climbing'. If possible, a personalized course is ideal, but this is often not available. Some useful information, which you can relay to your instructor or concentrate on in the course:
For descending we use one rope with no belay. It’s mostly scrambling with little weight on the rope, because your legs usually take most of the weight as it’s not typically vertical. But you need to know how to properly rappel and ascend for a few short vertical sections (with lots of easy holds). To descend you will have a normal figure 8 descender with a prussic as back up. We prefer to attach the prussic to the main rope above the figure 8, and attach the prussic to a biner on the front of the harness. When you are descending you’ll have one hand on the rope below you, applying tension for the descender, and one hand on the rope above you, to guide the prussic. We have gri-gri’s in camp as an alternative to figure 8's.
To go up you will have two ascendors, both with a biner through the top so they can’t come off the rope. The ascenders attach to your harness via sewn webbing or new style (loops) daisy chain. We don’t use step aiders, but it will be useful for you to practice briefly with them just so you can if you need to.
When going down and up you will need to know how to get by an obstacle in the rope. Sometimes the rope is horizontal, or diagonal if you have to move along a ledge, so you will have to pass biners, or sometimes you will need to switch ropes. When descending this means utilizing one of your ascenders so you can always maintain two points of attachment while you maneuver your prussic and descender past the obstacle, and when ascending you will utilize your prussic. It’s good to practice this under tension if possible to teach you to work through it.
Gear to practice with: Ascendors are the petzl Ascension Ascendors. Figure 8’s are like the Black Diamond super 8 Descender. We also have some that are of the Q design so more friction is possible. All your biners will be locking screw gate biners, with one big pear biner on the front of your harness
Schedule
You will arrive in Iqaluit and, often, be picked up by someone from the Nunavut Research Institute and taken to the rental car company and/or dropped off at summer residences. We usually rent a truck for ~$200 per day. We need to pick up groceries from NorthMart, propane, gas (in jerry cans) and bear spray (which we cannot bring on a commercial plane). We then fly out with Kenn Borek, usually two days later. It becomes very costly to be stuck in Iqaluit for many days (which sadly sometimes happens). If you have some spare time in Iqaluit, I encourage you to walk around town. Visit Sylvia Grinnell park, Apex, Visitor's Centre and the old Hudson's Bay company and the Legislative Assembly. Search out carvers (outside carving on a nice day, or via the jail, or via the Visitor's centre, or having dinner at the Frobisher). You can often get beautiful carvings for a reasonable price by asking around.
What to bring
Other than boots, a sleeping bag, sun block and a watch, the items on this list are intended as a guide only and are not required. They are merely ideas and suggestions. You can choose to ignore any or all of them if you wish (except for the four items stated earlier). I would like to think that you could get through your time at Coats with next to nothing beyond what is to be provided (Jo certainly seems to), but there are many things that will make your life more comfortable and your stay more enjoyable.
Please keep in mind, we travel to Coats Island in relatively small aircraft with limited space and weight restrictions. Therefore be a bit conservative in your packing. If you do plan on traveling in Nunavut after you leave the island, then remember you are going to need things that are not on this list such as tent, stove, etc. You can likely leave things in Iqaluit while at Coats. Please bring a soft case (back pack, duffel bag) rather than a hard suitcase, as it is much easier to carry and you will have to carry it a considerable distance form the plane. I pack everything into garbage bags within the luggage so that things don't get wet.
In case of emergencies while you are on the island, you can have friends and family leave a message with my wife Melanie (519-317-9962), or else they can contact the Department of Natural Resource Sciences at McGill. There is no way for folks to reach you directly on the island. There is a satellite phone you can use on the island, but you are restricted to 10 minutes per week of use.
Coral Harbour and Ivujivik are "dry" towns and it is illegal to bring alcohol into those communities. Please do not bring alcohol into camp.
Expect the full range of weather, from wet, cold and super windy (-5- +5C), to hot, still, and buggy (15-25C). The key is to bring a layering system that will cover you for all of these conditions, below is only a suggestion, if you prefer different clothing options, go for it. We all sleep in the same cabin in bunks, so bring earplugs in case someone snores. There’s foam for the beds but no pillows or bedding. You will have to hike out all your gear, so bring what you can fit in a big pack.
Clothes
1 pr waterproof hiking boots.
1 pr comfortable footwear for camp such as sandals or sneakers.
1 pr rubber boots. The tundra can get very wet and saturated. Likewise, if you are ever out on the cliffs, rotten eggs and murre poop are best encountered via rubber boots.
Light rain/wind gear - We provide you with heavy raingear good for working in but it is bulky and cumbersome if you want to go hiking. I recommend breathable rain gear for hiking (one set, jacket and pants, is sufficient; note that saltwater spray when working near the beach compromises the water repellency of GoreTex). You might also consider some cheap rubber gear for working with seabirds, as it may fit better than what is available in camp. Note: if a murre poos on your nice GoreTex rain gear, and it will, your rain gear will be irrecoverable. For the same reason, rubber boots are often very useful.
Down vest or coat. Something you can layer under waterproof gear when it's cold and stormy.
Warm mitts/gloves with removable liners.
Thin mosquito proof gloves that can be worn hiking or when taking notes.
Climbing gloves if you have them.
Shorts and t-shirt for warmer weather if or when it arrives or just as undergarments (T-shirts)
Warm hat (tuque; I like one for cold days and one for sleeping)
Peaked hat for sun protection can also be good
Wool socks (I usually take 4 pairs of warm wool socks and 2 pairs of light wool socks)
Sock liners to prevent foot rot.
Gloves - Some people like a thick pair of gloves for keeping hands warm sitting around camp and also a thin pair of gloves for handling birds and generally working in.
Long underwear, I like to have a pair or two (top and bottom) of both light and heavy.
Fleece pants and jacket - Fleece is particularly nice for the island's wet environment because it dries quickly and is very warm. Again, it's nice to have one thin and one thick. Jeans don’t tend to be a good idea as they take a long time to dry. A pair or two may be good for just sitting around in at camp though.
Work pants, such as carharts or quick dry. Some people like Army surplus wool pants.
Bathing suit and small towel if you wish to bathe in the lakes (they're cold, but very refreshing!).
Light mosquito-proof shirt that you can hike in warm weather
Bug jacket (essential!) MEC makes nice ones.
Watch. A cell phone is a pain in the neck to keep charged and to drag around, so get a proper watch (the $10 kind from Walmart or equivalent).
Toiletries
Shampoo, soap, toothpaste, moisturizer, etc.
Sun block - >15 SPF. We sometimes get enough sun that this may be of use. Lip balm is also useful.
Sun glasses. One good pair and one spare pair.
Bug repellent of your choice (mosquito coils, cigars, etc. can also be useful).
Lotion for dry skin
Chapstick
Moist wipes – Sometimes an “instant shower” can be preferable than a shower in the cold.
Personal first aid kit - We have one out on the island, but you may prefer your own type of headache medicine, tape, etc.
Personal medications/medicine for allergies - At its most serious this would be a couple of Epipens {Epinephrine}for anaphylactic shock or meds for other chronic afflictions (i.e., if you know you are susceptible to ear infections, strep throat, bladder infections, etc. bring antibiotics for that). Most likely, you will probably need to get prescriptions from your doctor for antibiotics, Epipens, etc. This is worthwhile and could even save your life.
*We have an outdoor shower set up which can you boil hot water in a kettle for, and that allows you to take a shower, but to do so you may have to brave the cold or rain on occasion.
Entertainment and personal comfort
We have electricity through a generator and/or solar panels. Sometimes the generator doesn’t work and on cloudy days the solar panels may have insufficient juice. But generally we have enough electricity to charge personal items, batteries, laptops, etc. There is not enough electricity, however, for major appliances.
Music - Discman/MP3 player for personal music listening, especially during long hours of plot work. Others have brought up a satellite radio, which is certainly fun to have around.
Batteries - We can use re-chargeable batteries because there is electricity available to re-charge them. You might bring your own battery re-charger though as the one we have for the project (for AA batteries) is often full and research objectives get priority.
Sunglasses
Reading books (many people just bring a Kindle or Nook now).
Good binoculars - We have binocs for the project, but honestly they are not fantastic. It depends how much you are into recreational birding. We also have some spotting scopes that you can use– again not great either. 8X40 is ideal, especially if they focus within 3 feet to get very close band numbers.
Camera/small video camera, spare rechargeable batteries (we have a generator and solar panels for charging)
Headlamp and/or candle lantern. It can get a bit dark even in June especially in the cabin.
Watercolors/color pencils
Pocket knife/leatherman
Daypack (25-40 L that will fit your rain gear, snacks, climbing gear, water, science gear, etc.)
Sleeping bag (a requirement) – Rated to about 0 degrees C is sufficient for some folks, although you might bring a warmer bag (down to -15 degree C) if you tend to get cold. On cold nights, I sleep with a tuque on and often stick clothes (sweaters, pants, etc.) around my feet to warm them up inside the sleeping bag (putting my parka ; on warmer nights, I find the sleeping bag too warm.
Liner for sleeping bag (much easier to wash than the sleeping bag itself). A fleece liner is more versatile than a cotton and means that a 0 degrees C bag is more than ample.
Therma-rest type of seat
Pocket warmers – Can be nice for those who tend to get cold, particularly for the first few weeks.
Thermos/travel mug for warm drinks
Durable water bottle
Watch (a requirement) - Especially good if it has an alarm. A cell phone is equally fine if you don't mind lugging it around with you and it has enough charge to last for a day (there is no cell phone service, so just put it on airplane mode to save the battery).
Personal journal
Any special food (special chocolate, cheese, whatever) that makes you happy... But be prepared to share if it makes it out when others are around.
Letter-writing equipment (paper, pen, stamps, envelopes, post cards, etc. – I recommend self-sticking stamps ones as the lick and stick variety tend not to work well in the damp)
Ear plugs (if they will help you sleep in a shared cabin)
Pillow case, or even a small pillow. I usually just bring the case and shove clothes in it.
Background and some information about the island
Coats Island has been photographed and videotaped. Type "Coats Island" in "Google Images" to see many images of the research, "Google Scholar" to read some of the many, many papers about Coats and Google Maps to see satellite images of the island. You can also read the Wikipedia entry.
Coats Island is located at the northern end of Hudson Bay. It is a big island: the largest uninhabited island in the northern hemisphere south of the Arctic circle. Most of the island is flat, but the northern end rises up to the cliffs where we study seabirds. Once the home of the Saddlemuit people, which died of influenza near the turn of the century, the island is now uninhabited. The seabird colony consists of two sub colonies, and we work almost exclusively at the west subcolony, which is home to about 15 000 pairs of thick-billed murres and a dozen or two pairs of glaucous gulls. For more background on the geography and wildlife of Coats Island, click here.
The murre study has been ongoing since 1981, with the exception of 1982, 1983, 2012 and 2014, and represents a part of the life work of Tony Gaston, an Environment Canada Research Scientist and one of Canada's greatest ornithologists. Many birds are banded, and we know the individual history of a great many birds.
Working/volunteering at Coats means putting in a lot of hard work, but it is also can be a lot of fun! Above all, it provides a rewarding experience and an opportunity to watch, interact, and handle Nunavut seabirds. Some of the work is admittedly boring and repetitious— lots of plot work for example. Other times, work can be wonderfully interesting—such as handling murre chicks! My expectations are that every individual is willing to give his/her best effort in a conscientious and reliable manner each day for long hours (even during the less interesting times and when the going gets rough) for the entire field season. You can expect roughly one day off in seven. Some volunteers take a few days or weeks off at the end to tour Nunavut--Auyuittuq and Kimmirut are common destinations.
The living arrangements at are semi-primitive and could perhaps be best described as glorified camping. We sleep communally in a cabin that can hold up to six people. You have your own bunk, but privacy is limited. The office is in the same cabin as the sleeping bunks, while a kitchen is a 20 or so meters away. There is also a composting toilet.
Food shopping
This annual event takes a good deal of time one day each year prior to the start of our field season. All food is bought at NorthMart in Iqaluit. The selection is often rather limited, and so if there is anything special that you really want, please bring it with you. Admittedly, shopping for several weeks for many people may even seem to be a daunting task. I recommend first making a general list of the sorts of foods you like to eat every day. Also make a list of foods you enjoy to have less frequently, say once a week. These lists will be helpful in making some calculations to help you plan on quantities of food to shop for. Definitely plan on eating three full meals each day at field camp and maybe even a snack each day as we will be working long hours and in cold weather. Now, start to make some preliminary calculations based on the number of days in camp. These numbers will be good multiplication factors to use. Now come up with a personal shopping list based on the foods you like and the above multiplication factors. Have a look at the example under "Middleton Island" below.
You can use the above method to come up with approximate quantities for a general shopping list for yourself for the field season. Even though I am asking each person to have a generalized shopping list, please realize that all food purchased for the field camp is a communal resource! That is, don’t get peeved if someone is eating the granola bars that you put in the shopping cart later in the season! If there is something you really like and can’t seem to do without, then by all means buy a little bit extra realizing that others will likely enjoy this too. Also, you will surely see something while shopping that you hadn’t thought of. Again, please add it to your cart (but remember to do so in moderation). A few little additions will help to fill any potential shortfall I the pantry (as will the food already on the island). If you take a lot of something that you hadn’t anticipated, then maybe slightly reduce something else on your list. Remember your list is only a general guideline!
Finally, here are some final notes to keep in mind in making up your shopping list…
Cooking amenities… We have a propane stove/oven.
Storage… We have a small freezer on the Island, and we hope, each year, that it still works. Therefore we can take small amounts of frozen meat. In some years, Inuit assistants shoot a caribou that we can then eat a portion of (the rest goes back to the community).
Fresh food… I encourage you to bring fresh produce when you leave for the Island, but keep shelf lives in mind. Also, I will try to arrange for some fresh produce to make it out to the Island periodically during the season if there are extra flights.
Alcohol/ tobacco… You may choose to purchase beer/ wine/ spirits / tobacco to bring onto the Island, but you will have to purchase these items with your own money. Alcohol is not available for purchase in Iqaluit (except at bars, which cannot be brought with you).
Meals
In general, breakfast and lunch is left up to each individual, but dinner (6pm) is a time where everyone comes together for a communal meal. Having the evening meal together brings a sense of community to our research station. With that said, communal meals require a little planning and everyone’s willingness to pitch in. Obviously, not everyone considers themselves a cook, but certainly everyone can find a way to contribute (ie. opening cans, setting/clearing the table, or doing extra dishes). There will be a schedule for meal preparation and dish duty. The person who cooks then washes up the next night. It may sound like a lot of extra work, but typically it turns out to be any given individual’s turn only once or twice a week and the benefits of tasty meals and conversation are well worth the extra effort.
Time zone
Although nearby Coral Harbour uses Central Time, we use Eastern Time (time in Iqaluit) to stay on schedule with pilots. Thus, locals from Coral Harbour will often be one hour behind "us".
Water
We collect and melt snow for water at the start of the season. As long as some snow remains, there is a meltwater creek by camp that we use for water. Eventually, water is collected by ATV in barrels attached to the back of the ATV. Collecting water is very time-consuming and difficult at that point, and so water use for showers and laundry is limited later in the season. I encourage people to take a swim in a nearby lake if they wish to wash off.
Phone
You are restricted to 10 minutes per week of outgoing calls by satellite phone. Incoming calls are not possible.
Showers and laundry
There is a solar shower that will be set up for personal washing purposes beside the kitchen. You can heat water for the shower by either setting it in the sun (recommended) or by heating water on the stove (cold, cloudy days). Laundry is done by hand in the lake, which is a 30 minute hike away.
Emergency
See the phone list on the wall in the cabin for numbers to call in an emergency situation (PCSP, Conservation Officer, RCMP, etc.). If someone needs to contact you on the Island in case of emergency, they can call PCSP in Resolute. Otherwise, the best approach will probably be to contact the Department of Natural Resource Sciences at McGill.
Mediation
In case of interpersonal conflicts (unlikely, but they do happen sometimes), or if you become at all disgruntled about anything, discuss and attempt to resolve the issues first by consulting with the camp leader (usually me)—then, if needed, give me a call if I am not on the island—right away, don’t let it fester!
What to do on my day off?
Hikes are a common pastime. There are enjoyable hikes to the east colony (2 hours round-trip), beer bottle beach (3 hours round trip), the walrus haul out (4 hours round trip), Iceland gull colony (6 hours round trip) or Cape Prefontaine (walrus island; 8 hours round trip). Such trips should only be undertaken in groups, involve opportunities for photography and respectful visits to archaeological sites. It's often fun to go for a swim, too, in a nearby lake.
Fishing is good, especially in August, but requires a territorial fishing license. In that case, bring a fishing rod. The tastiest fish are ogac (greenland cod). Other common hobbies are photography, birding, knitting and reading.
Permitting
1. All McGill activities require approval through the McGill Animal Use Protocol.
2. **All interactions with birds require approval through the Canadian Wildlife Service's Migratory Birds Permit. That permit instigates a Nunavut Planning Commission and Nunavut Impact Review Board review (two separate reviews with their own paperwork).
3. We also need a Nunavut Wildlife Permit. To export any wildlife tissues from Nunavut, we need an Export Permit which we obtain in Iqaluit before leaving once we have a Wildlife Permit.
4. **Kivalliq Inuit Owned Lands Association permit.
5. **Water exemption.
6. Banding Permit. All banding must occur under a sub permit or Master Permit.
**These permits require translation into Inuktitut.
WHAT DO I NEED FOR MIDDLETON ISLAND?
Training
First Aid. Standard First Aid is required. Wilderness First Aid can be a plus, although Standard is as, if not more, useful than Wilderness. Wilderness often focuses on camping/backpacking and the instructors spend time making splints, shelter, etc. out of branches. Given that we already have sufficient shelter and access to first aid equipment (and few trees), Standard First Aid is often more useful.
Health coverage. All individuals are required to have sufficient health care coverage to cover evacuation from the island. Insurance must meet the guidelines specified by the US government if you require a J-1 visa.
Animal care. You must be added to my Animal Use Protocol. You need to email animalcare@mcgill.ca and complete the 'Theory', 'Advanced' and 'Wildlife' portions. Then I can add you to my AUP.
Schedule
You will arrive in Anchorage and, usually, be picked up. The next day involves getting food, propane and anything else needed. The day after, we usually go to the Merrill Field Airport (not the international airport) and fly out in a Navajo. The Navajo is a small plane and there is little room. For those of us that deal with finances/cost of chartering flights: Cost to charter the plane is typically about $2000 US from AAT or Security Aviation (check both for the best price). The FAA flies to the island most Wednesdays. In the past, it was possible to use the empty legs of those shuttles, but that hasn't been an option recently. There is, however, the possibility of getting a passenger fare to Middleton on a flight to Tatitlek with http://www.reeveairalaska.com, which costs about $800 (this no longer seems to be an option as Reeve lost the contract to AAT).
What to bring
Other than rubber boots, a sleeping bag, and a watch, the items on this list are intended as a guide only and are not required. They are merely ideas and suggestions. You can choose to ignore any or all of them if you wish (except for the three items stated earlier). Expect the full range of weather, from wet, cold and super windy (-5- +5C), to hot and still (25+C). The key is to bring a layering system that will cover you for all of these conditions, below is only a suggestion, if you prefer different clothing options, go for it. I certainly wouldn't buy everything on the list, it's just a suggestion.
Please keep in mind, we travel to Middleton Island in relatively small aircraft with limited space and weight restrictions. Therefore be a bit conservative in your packing. If you do plan on traveling in Alaska after you leave the island in August, then remember you are going to need things that are not on this list such as tent, stove, etc. You can leave things in the office in Anchorage while on Middleton. A soft case (back pack, duffel bag) is usually better than a hard suitcase, as it is much easier to carry and you will have to carry it a considerable distance form the plane. Many people bring small totes for electronic gear and garbage bags for clothes so that things don't get wet.
In case of emergencies while you are on the island, you can have friends and family leave a message on Scott Hatch's cell phone (to be provided). Messages will be checked at least once a day. There is no way for folks to reach you directly on the island. There is a phone you can use on the island for out going calls on a limited basis, but all calls (except local Anchorage calls, which are free) must be made with a pre-paid calling card (which may be purchased in Anchorage before departure). As of 2016, there is now wifi on the island, but it is unreliable, and has sometimes stopped working for a week or longer. Usually, Skype or equivalent calls can be made via the wifi. The wifi is paid for as part of a shipping traffic network, and their work is priority, and we need to be respectful of their needs and also that using up a lot of bandwidth causes the Internet to slow down for everyone. Usually, wifi is fast in the morning and then is throttled through the day as people start overusing the bandwidth.
Occasionally we have mail go in and out from the island. Have all letters/packages addressed to Scott Hatch (to be provided).
Clothes
Rubber boots (A requirement). You do not need chest waders, just a pair of rubber boots that you can slosh around and jump into puddles with. Boots should come up to about knee high. Personally, I recommend the brand “Xtra Tuff” which can be purchased here in Anchorage for about $75 (or more for some styles such as insulated, steel toe, etc…).
Felt liners to put inside rubber boots if you are someone that tends to get cold feet. Some people like to have 2 sets so they can always have a dry pair available.
Comfortable footwear for camp such as sandals or sneakers - You do not need hiking boots for the terrain on the island, but bring them if that is a personal preference.
Light rain/wind gear: We provide you with heavy raingear good for working in but it is bulky and cumbersome if you want to go hiking. I recommend breathable rain gear for hiking (one set, jacket and pants, is sufficient; note that saltwater spray when working near the beach compromises the water repellency of GoreTex). You might also consider some cheap rubber gear for working with seabirds, as it may fit better than what is available in camp. Note: if a kittiwake poos on your nice goretex rain gear, and it will, your rain gear will be irrecoverable.
Warm hat (I like to have a toque for cold camp days and one for sleeping)
Peaked hat; Good for sun protection.
Down vest or coat. Something you can layer under waterproof gear when it's cold or stormy.
Warm mitts/gloves with removable liners.
Thin gloves for handling birds. It is important to feel the bird, but it can really help prevent having your hands get cut from bird bites. Fingerless gloves are also good.
Gardening gloves: Good for digging rhinoceros auklet and tufted puffin burrows, as well as for gardening.
T-shirts
Wool socks (I usually take 3 pairs of warm wool socks and 3 pairs of light wool socks)
Gloves - Some people like a thick pair of gloves for keeping hands warm sitting around camp and also a thin pair of gloves for handling birds and generally working in.
Long underwear, I like to have a pair or two (top and bottom) of both light and heavy.
Fleece pants and jacket - Fleece is particularly nice for the island's wet environment because it dries quickly and is very warm. Again, it's nice to have one thin and one thick. Jeans don’t tend to be a good idea as they take a long time to dry. A pair or two may be good for just sitting around in at camp though. Hiking boots are another good option if you like to go on walks.
Work pants, such as carharts or quick dry. Some people like Army surplus wool pants.
Running gear should you be interested in morning/evening jogs down the runway and along the gravel roads we have on the island.
*Temperature is cold for the first month (can be below freezing) so make sure you have enough clothes to keep you warm in May. Jeans don’t tend to be a good idea as they take a long time to dry in the damp chilly climate of Middleton. A pair or two may be good for just sitting around in at camp though. Make sure to bring warm clothes for sleeping, as you will be sleeping in a tent. You can view the current weather at Middleton at the following web sites:
http://www.alaska.net/~nwsar/html/wsi/wsi.html
http://weather.noaa.gov/weather/current/PAMD.html
Toiletries
Shampoo, soap, toothpaste, moisturizer, etc.
Towel. Some people even bring a bathing suit to wade around in the ocean (it's cold and the currents are strong, so you cannot go deep).
Sun block - >15 SPF. We sometimes get enough sun that this may be of use. Lip balm is also useful.
Sun glasses. One good pair and one spare pair.
Bug repellent – There tends not to be too many bugs on the island, but they can be annoying at times. We do get bird fleas on the island which can be particularly bad.
Lotion for dry skin
Chapstick
Moist wipes – Sometimes an “instant shower” can be preferable than a shower in the cold.
Personal first aid kit - We have one out on the island, but you may prefer your own type of headache medicine, tape, etc.
Personal medications/medicine for allergies - At its most serious this would be a couple of Epipens {Epinephrine}for anaphylactic shock or meds for other chronic afflictions (i.e., if you know you are susceptible to ear infections, strep throat, bladder infections, etc., bring antibiotics for that). Most likely, you will probably need to get prescriptions from your doctor for antibiotics, Epipens, etc. This is worthwhile and could even save your life.
*We have an outdoor shower set up with hot water that allows you to take a shower, but to do so you may have to brave the cold or rain on occasion.
Entertainment and personal comfort
We have basically unlimited access to 110 V power for personal devices
Music - We have a fairly nice stereo out on the island for personal music listening, but also bring along an mp3 player for personal listening.
Batteries - We can use re-chargeable batteries because there is electricity available to re-charge them. You might bring your own battery re-charger though as the one we have for the project (for AA batteries) is often full and research objectives get priority.
Sunglasses
Reading books (many people just bring a Kindle or Nook now)
Bird Guide - I recommend National Geographic or Sibley (one copy of Sibley is on island)
Good binoculars - We have binocs for the project, but honestly they are not fantastic. It depends how much you are into recreational birding. You really don’t need binoculars for the work we are doing on the island, but binos are nice to have on days off. We also have some spotting scopes that you can use– again not great either.
Camera and spare camera batteries
Small video camera - Remember we have electricity to re-charge the batteries!
Letter writing equipment: Paper, pen, stamps, envelopes, post cards, etc.; I recommend self-sticking stamps ones as the lick and stick variety tend not to work well in the damp Middleton environment.
Headlamp and/or candle lantern
Watercolors/color pencils/sketchbook
Pocket knife/leatherman
Seeds - If you start a vegetable garden early in the year (lots of guano fertilizer available!), then there can be substantial greens to eat later in the year. Lettuce, carrots and radish work best, and it is necessary to start early. Make sure to fence out the rabbits! Seeds can be bought in Anchorage.
Daypack (25-40L that will fit rain gear, snacks, science gear, etc.)
Sleeping bag (a requirement) – Rated to about 35 degrees F is sufficient for some folks, although you might bring a warmer bag (down to 0 degree) if you tend to get cold
Liner for sleeping bag (much easier to wash than the sleeping bag itself). A fleece liner is more versatile than a cotton liner and means that a 35 degrees F bag is ample.
Sleeping pad - We do have old bed mattresses at the island that some people use inside their tents, as the tents are large enough to accommodate them.
Therma-rest type of seat
Pocket warmers – Can be nice for those who tend to get cold, particularly for the first few weeks.
Thermos/travel mug for warm drinks
Water bottle
Watch (a requirement) - Especially good if it has an alarm. A cell phone is equally fine if you don't mind lugging it around with you and it has enough charge to last for a day (there is no cell phone service, so just put it on airplane mode to save the battery).
Personal journal
Ear plugs (if they will help you sleep)
Pillow case, or even a small pillow. I usually just bring the case and shove clothes in it.
Any special food (special chocolate, cheese, whatever) that makes you happy... But be prepared to share if it makes it out of your tent.
Background and some information about the island
Middleton Island has been blogged and blogged and blogged about, researched, photographed and videotaped. For even more--type "Middleton Island" in "Google Images" to see many images of the research, "Google Scholar" to read some of the many, many papers about Middleton and Google Maps to see satellite images of the island.
Middleton Island is located in the Gulf of Alaska south of Prince William Sound. It is a small island, approximately 8 km long and 1.6 km wide, located near the edge of the continental shelf. Overall, the topography of the island is generally flat with the exception of the prominent sea cliffs which separate the upland habitat from an expansive coastal flat. The upland is almost exclusively tundra with few trees, several to many grass species, and an abundance of salmonberry bushes (which are greatly appreciated in midsummer)! The cliffs are moderate to steeply graded soil cliffs where many seabirds nest. The coastal flat is tundra and marsh (with lots of summertime wildflowers) turning into rocky beach as one approaches the coast.
Middleton Island is a biologically important site as it supports colonies of seven species of pelagic seabirds including pelagic cormorant (Phalacrocorax pelagicus), glaucous winged gull (Larus glaucescens), black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla), thick-billed murre (Uria lomvia), common murre (Uria aalge), rhinoceros auklet (Cerorhinca monocerata), and tufted puffin (Fratercula cirrata), as well as a suite of shorebirds and passerines. During each summer, seabird research is conducted at this site for nearly 3.5 months (early May- 15 August) by personnel from the Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation and various collaborators.
Middleton Island is not what one might describe as a pristine island seabird colony. There is a variety of infrastructure on the island now being used by seabirds as artificial nesting habitat. Such infrastructure includes an abandoned radar tower decommissioned by the U.S. Air Force in the early 1960’s as well as the surrounding Air Force complex. The radar tower is of particular importance on Middleton Island as this structure has undergone dramatic renovations at the hands of USGS personnel to enhance it as nesting habitat for black-legged kittiwakes and pelagic cormorants. Furthermore, renovations now allow for unparalleled monitoring of individual nest sites for these two species. Such enhancements have also provided the opportunity to conduct unique field experiments to investigate parameters of the breeding biology and physiology of black-legged kittiwakes.
Working/volunteering at Middleton means putting in a lot of hard work, but it is also can be a lot of fun! Above all, it provides a rewarding experience and an opportunity to watch, interact, and handle Alaskan seabirds like no other field camp I have seen or heard of. Some of the work is admittedly boring and repetitious— lots of feeding fish to kittiwakes for example. Other times, work can be wonderfully interesting—such as handling puffin chicks! My expectations are that every individual is willing to give his/her best effort in a conscientious and reliable manner each day for long hours (even during the less interesting times and when the going gets rough) for the entire field season. You can expect roughly one day off in seven, and typically only one person gets any given day off. Many volunteers take a few days or weeks off at the end to tour Alaska--Denali, Kodiak and the Seward Peninsula are common locations.
The living arrangements at Middleton Island are semi-primitive and could perhaps be best described as glorified camping. Each person has a relatively spacious personal tent measuring roughly eight feet by eight feet. There is also a communal living area affectionately known as "Le Chateau" which consists of a somewhat refurbished old building that remains from the Air Force complex from the 1960s. This building houses some of the more comfortable living accommodations (i.e. gas stove for cooking, a gas range, sink, large table, food, wood stove, stereo, washing machine, etc... ) as well as the office equipment (e.g. computers, files...).
Food shopping
This annual event takes a good deal of time one day each year prior to the start of our field season. We shop at Costco (primarily) and Fred Meyers (specialty items). In some years in the past, this event has been done with little or no planning resulting in an excess of food at the field camp and sometimes consumer/financial waste. In the last couple of years, we did much better by taking some small steps to minimize our waste, and to reduce our cache of foodstuffs at the Island in the process. Please take the time to read this section carefully and then take some time to prepare a food shopping list prior to the food shopping trip. A few guidelines to help facilitate this process follow.
Admittedly, shopping for groceries for three and a half months is certainly not an easy process and may even seem to be a daunting task. I recommend first making a general list of the sorts of foods you like to eat every day. Also make a list of foods you enjoy to have less frequently, say once a week. These lists will be helpful in making some calculations to help you plan on quantities of food to shop for. Definitely plan on eating three full meals each day at field camp and maybe even a snack each day as we will be working long hours and in cold weather. Now, start to make some preliminary calculations. We will be on Middleton Island for 3+ months--about 100 days, or 14 weeks. These numbers will be good multiplication factors to use. Now come up with a personal shopping list based on the foods you like and the above multiplication factors.
For example…
“Andy” (a real example from years past) really likes to eat fruit. He eats fruit every day. Therefore he might purchase 100 servings of fruit for the field season. He plans on eating a mix of canned and dried fruit. Therefore he might purchase 67 cans of fruit and 8.5 lbs of dried fruit (1/4 lb or 1/8 kg per day x 33 days) for the season. As he typically eats fruit at lunch, he could assume that a serving of fruit might represent one third of his lunchtime meal each day. Therefore, he might estimate that the above quantities (67 cans of fruit and 8.5 lbs of dried fruit) will constitute about one third of his shopping list for lunchtime meals for the duration of the field season. (Editor's note: I've copied this from past instructions, but I don't know anyone who actually does this. We just grab whatever at Costco, but do think a little bit ahead of time what you want to eat.)
You can use the above method to come up with approximate quantities for a general shopping list for yourself for the field season. Even though I am asking each person to have a generalized shopping list, please realize that all food purchased for the field camp is a communal resource! That is, don’t get peeved if someone is eating the granola bars that you put in the shopping cart later in the season! If there is something you really like and can’t seem to do without, then by all means buy a little bit extra realizing that others will likely enjoy this too. Also, you will surely see something while shopping that you hadn’t thought of. Again, please add it to your cart (but remember to do so in moderation). A few little additions will help to fill any potential shortfall I the pantry (as will the food already on the island). If you take a lot of something that you hadn’t anticipated, then maybe slightly reduce something else on your list. Remember your list is only a general guideline! Food is purchased communally, in general, so you will likely not need to have your own list. Keep any items you would specifically like in mind when you go shopping.
Finally, here are some final notes to keep in mind in making up your shopping list…
Cooking amenities… We have two gas ranges, a gas oven, a toaster, a drip coffee maker, a bread maker, and a microwave in the Chateau. (“Chateau” refers to the lovely 1950s, cold-war vintage building we call home on Middleton).
Storage… We do have a refrigerator and a chest freezer on the Island. Therefore we can take frozen meat, vegetables, and/or other perishables in moderation, but keep in mind that these appliances are to accommodate groceries for up to ten people.
Fresh food… I encourage you to bring fresh produce when you leave for the Island, but keep shelf lives in mind. Often, fresh produce will be sent in by Scott periodically during the season, but this is not guaranteed depending on flight schedules. There is, however, the possibility of having a garden (radishes, lettuces and carrots are great later in the season), and quite a bit of local food if you search it out (fiddleheads, salmonberries, rhubarb).
Alcohol/ tobacco… You may choose to purchase beer/ wine/ spirits / tobacco to bring onto the Island, but you will have to purchase these items with your own money.
As there is quite a lot of food already on the island, you will be provided with a list of food items NOT to buy before we embark on the food-shopping trip to Costco/Fred Meyer
Meals
In general, breakfast and lunch at Middleton is left up to each individual, but dinner (~8:15pm) is a time where everyone comes together for a communal meal. Having the evening meal together at Middleton brings a sense of community to our Island research station. With that said, communal meals require a little planning and everyone’s willingness to pitch in. Obviously, not everyone considers themselves a cook, but certainly everyone can find a way to contribute (ie. opening cans, setting/clearing the table, or doing extra dishes). There will be a schedule for meal preparation and dish duty with two or more people sharing this responsibility each night. It may sound like a lot of extra work, but typically it turns out to be any given individual’s turn only once or twice a week and the benefits of tasty meals and conversation are well worth the extra effort.
Water
We bring back water in 5 gallon jugs from a fresh water spring on the island, and then filter the water. We similarly collect water from a small stream for cleaning, showering, and laundry. Some people like to add powdered drinks to the water to avoid any unpalatable characteristics, but the water is safe to drink. The water from the small stream has not been certified for human consumption and therefore is to be collected/ transported only in designated containers and used for cleaning, showering, and laundry. Showers and laundry account for the vast majority of the use of this “gray” water, so please pitch in and keep the water supply at a useable level, particularly if you shower and/or do laundry frequently. It is time-consuming and difficult to carry water back and forth--this is often the most unpleasant part of the summer. Please pitch in and do more than your share; even if someone else was the last person to do laundry, you can always step up and collect water when you have some spare time.
Phone
As we have (slow) Internet, it's usually possible to Skype from the island. Often, you have to choose a time of day when no one else is using the Internet, like 6AM (or 10AM on your day off), to get decent Skype. There are a couple of places where sometimes you can get a cell phone connection (one bar, only texts) with Cordova. I think this only works on AT&T.
Showers
There is a solar shower that will be set up for personal washing purposes outside of the Chateau. You can heat water for the shower by either setting it in the sun (recommended) or by heating water on the stove (cold, cloudy days).
Laundry
We have a washer and dryer located in the Chateau for clothes washing. The machines are not hooked up to running water though, and so you will need to fill the machine once for the wash cycle and again for the rinse cycle. As the washer is huge and uses a lot of water, sharing loads is a good idea, as is recycling rinse water for use as wash water by the next person (large buckets can be used to collect rinse water). There will be laundry detergent at camp for you to use.
Your conduct at the FAA
Due to complaints by FAA personnel in recent years, we ask that you not use any FAA facilities other than to get water and to use the phone outside. When FAA personnel are on the island, do not visit the vicinity of the FAA quarters after about 8:00 p.m.
Emergency
See the phone list on the wall in the office for numbers to call in an emergency situation (USGS, USCG, poison control, etc…). If someone needs to contact you on the Island in case of emergency, they can call the island directly and leave a message with the FAA (number to be provided), but that only works half the time (FAA, usually a 2-person crew are present on a week-on/week-off schedule. Otherwise, the best approach will probably be to contact Scott at home (number to be provided).
Mediation
In case of interpersonal conflicts (unlikely, but they do happen sometimes), or if you become at all disgruntled about anything, discuss and attempt to resolve the issues first by consulting with the camp leader—then, if needed, give me a call—right away, don’t let it fester!
What to do on my day off?
Hikes are a common pastime. I particularly enjoy visiting the intertidal pools at the northeast end of the island at extreme low tides (usually early in the morning in mid June--consult the tide charts for the extreme low tides). Sea stars, anenomes, chitons, nudibranchs, even octopi have been encountered. Beach combing is also fun, especially on the east side of the island where currents from Japan impart many treats. Glass balls are reasonably common (maybe one every six or seven trips, usually early in the season). Parties and 'Field biologists olympics' are always fun to organize.
There are enjoyable hikes around the island, or simply to see the seal haul out (low tide, east side), killer and sperm whale skeletons (south end), remnants of fox farmers (south end), the ship (DO NOT enter), bank swallow colony (east side) and many other locations. A fun goal is to circumnavigate the island--but it takes a very full day! Other common hobbies are photography, birding, knitting and reading.
On other days, it is fun just to watch TV shows or movies on the computer, or play video games. Many an entire show have been watched at Middleton. However, it is sometimes easy to get sucked into the computer when one of the nicest things about Middleton is being able to see wildlife in Alaska.
There is also the FAA aviation weather camera that takes a photo every 10 minutes. On Mother's Day or birthdays, it is often fun to stand in front of the camera at an agreed upon time for 20 minutes holding a sign with a message to the outside world.
Permitting
All permitting is coordinated with Scott Hatch, Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation. All McGill activities must be approved via the McGill Animal Use Protocol. Scott holds a banding Master Permit and all handling must be permitted through the Banding Permit. In addition, an Alaska Fish & Game permit and a US Fish & Wildlife Service Migratory Birds Permit are necessary. The former is necessary to export tissues out of Alaska. Up to 1 L of blood can be brought back to Canada without a permit. Anything else requires CFIA approval.
A typical season:
Typically, field camp members arrive in Anchorage late on day 1. On day 2, we go shopping at Costco using the ISRC Costco membership card. Costco only takes American Express or cash, and so it is important to have a cash (or an AMEX card), or to figure out how to repay whomever is paying for shopping, if necessary. Those interested in buying liquor (and over 21) can buy it at Costco. The frozen or fresh food gets taken over to the airport for storage in their freezer/fridge. We then head over to Fred Meyer’s for things not available at Costco (phone cards, fancy cheese, etc.). On day 3, we fly out to Middleton.
There are two options for sleeping: a military style cot or a mattress. The cot is very hard to put up as you need to use a crowbar to wedge the bar into place. But, after that, it is nice because you are off the ground and things don’t get wet. The mattress is warmer, but can also tend to act as a sponge if things get very wet. We use Bomb Shelters for tents. They are quite spacious for a tent. The main downside is that the flies are in poor condition due to continuous UV every summer. It’s often necessary to use some Gorilla tape to tape up a few rips and to put around anything poking out of the poles (screws, etc.). The Bomb Shelters have ground sheets.
Some general rules. Avoid unnecessary trips; use the ATV’s only to get water and firewood. It’s a nice walk to the FAA for the phone. Don’t speed—there’s nowhere to go on the island, so you can never be late. Drive only on the roads. Do not drive on the airstrip or through the ditches. Stay on the right side of the road, especially at dangerous angles. The FAA and their contractors are sometimes on the island and driving pickup trucks very fast. There’s only one result if you hit them, and it won’t be you that’s the winner. Keep an eye out; practice defensive driving. Take care of the ATVS as they are getting old, and we do not have any spares. Do not leave an empty or low gas tank for the next person. Make sure the switch is in the off position to prevent gas leaks.
Work hours. Typically, work is from 900h to 1830h with a break for lunch from 1300h to 1400h. One person does attendance each day and works from 800h to 2000h (with breaks). During auklet work in the late summer, a few people will be working late (2300h to 0100h) and will be compensated with a nap where possible. Once a routine is established, each person gets one day off a week regardless of weather. In general, breakfast and lunch are free for all, but dinner is set at 2015h and is cooked communally. Depending on camp size, 1-2 people will be assigned dinner duty and another 1-2 people will be assigned dishes.
Drinking water is collected from a small spring (the stream by the old fox farmer’s house, by the swallow box at the north end just before the road splits off to the barge). Make sure to scrub out the filters (with a sponge) every week or so, or whenever they clog up with algae. Scrubbing the bottom of the white tubs every few weeks will also help reduce the build up of algae. Wash water is collected from a small pond. The wash water is used for dishes, laundry, showers and other cleaning. The washing machine uses a lot of water; if you do laundry, expect to collect wash water. Sharing loads is a good way of maximizing use. You can buy laundry detergent at Costco at the start of the field season. Getting wash water:
Out of courtesy, leave the ATV at the tree away from the building and do not use the phone after 9PM, unless in case of emergency, when the FAA are on the island.
Do not peak around the murre building and stay a safe distance away. They are very wary of disturbance.
Keep a safe distance from bald eagle nests; it is eagle to harass them.
Do not enter the ship or climb to higher levels. It is very rusty and dangerous.
Be very careful in areas with auklet burrows, such as the Rhino Trail. Avoid collapsing burrows.
Check what the current law prescribes for any wildlife items; in most cases you cannot take them off the island or to Canada.
Injured wildlife. Wherever there is an abundance of life, there is also an abundance of death. Most offspring won’t make it to the next generation. You will find many injured and starving chicks over the course of the summer. Given the remoteness of Middleton, the cost/effort of rehabilitating an orphaned bird is not worth the low success rate of rehabilitation and release. If you wish, you can care for an injured bird and arrange for transportation from Anchorage to the Alaska Sea Life Centre in Seward, so long as it does not interfere with your daily duties. Please do not keep an entourage of orphaned chicks around fed on capelin; this will skew our studies.
The ideal wildlife biologist has no impact whatsoever on the animal (s)he studies, but in practice we need to handle and sample individuals. We try and minimize impact both for moral reasons and to not impact our data quality. That being said, I imagine the birds would rather we did not study them/catch them/sample them. In some (very rare) cases, birds are injured, especially in the leg during hooking. In most cases we just release the bird, make a note and continue to observe the bird because birds have an incredible ability to cure themselves. If you agree to come to Middleton, please be aware that you will cause discomfort/stress a small number of birds as part of the ongoing studies. However, in the bigger picture, there would be almost no kittiwakes and few cormorants at Middleton without our ongoing efforts to feed and provide sites for birds. Learning more about them is part of that effort.
It is very easy to hurt a bird (break wings or legs) through mishandling. Be careful and expeditious when handling birds, especially when they are annoyingly pecking you or trying to fly away.
SOP 1. Cleaning windows.
Windows get dirty making it difficult to see birds’ band combinations during feeding and resighting. Usually, we clean the windows once a week until incubation. During incubation, birds are fairly inactive and so poop less, and windows get less dirty. More importantly, birds can lose eggs when disturbed during incubation and so we do not wash the windows then. Once birds have chicks, the chicks poop a lot, and so we wash the windows whenever we weigh the chicks (every five days). As a general rule, if you open a window, you might as well clean it. Knock on the window before opening it (a general rule whenever opening the window) so as to let the bird know you are there and so the bird is less surprised. Use biodegradable soap (simply green) in a bucket with water. Another bucket to rinse. Takes two people. One person carefully removes the window (don’t break it!) and gives it to a second person who cleans it with a window squeegee. The first person then rinses it in the second bucket with a second squeegee and puts it back in. Make sure that the reflective side is outward. To find the reflective side, look at your reflection with the sunlight behind you (don’t hold it up to the light—you need light to bounce off not through). The easiest way is by looking down the ground. Because they are very sensitive to disturbance, we usually don’t wash the cormorant windows except when the chicks are being weighed.
SOP 2. Feeding birds.
A major part of the work at Middleton is feeding the kittiwakes with Atlantic capelin. This has been ongoing for nearly 20 years. The feeding occurs three times a day: 9AM (breakfast), 2PM (lunch) and 6PM (supper). Typically, three panels are assigned as ‘fed’ panels (A, C and E) and two as control ‘unfed’ panels (B and D). Usually, one person feeds each panel throughout the summer so that they can get acquainted with the individual quirks of each bird. I encourage people to develop relationships with individual birds as I think it helps avoid the tedium of feeding the birds three times a day for 100 days. Birds are fed using nitrile gloves. Each panel has a ‘Pocket PC’ with the ‘feed’ program loaded. The program will prompt you through the 24 windows that are fed. First, you will be asked to list who is present (band combination of adults present + number of chicks). Then, you will be asked to tap the individual button as it gets fed (two fish to BRO, means two taps to BRO; three fish to A-chick, means three taps to A-chick). There is also a ‘Remove’ button to delete the last entry if you mistakenly tap once too many and a ‘Stolen’ button if a fish is stolen by a bird not at the window. You will place a fish in the feeding tube (we used to put it on a dish, but then other birds would come and steal them). Try and avoid having the fish stolen by other birds—pull it back quickly if that is about to happen. Many incubating birds will not eat unless you dangle the fish close to them. If the bird does not take the fish for 30 seconds, it is time to move on to the next window. It is important to clean the feeding tubes with a brush and “simple green” frequently, especially once it gets warm. Otherwise, flies and maggots accumulate. Make sure to remove enough fish from the freezer the night before so that there are unfrozen fish the next day; the birds do not like frozen fish. The birds also do not like rotten fish, so make sure cover leftover fish or put in the refrigerator as flies lay eggs on smelly, uncovered fish. It is important that you judge fish consumption so that you have enough of fresh, unfrozen fish each day. When it gets warm (eventually), it will be important not to keep leftover fish outside of the fridge for too long. Put excess fish parts in a trash bag or bucket and frequently take out to the compost bin. We don’t want to simply throw fish parts out in masses because we could be feeding unfed (control) birds which will bias the data. We might also encourage gulls to the area, which also sometimes like to eat kittiwakes. Feeding continues daily until complete failure of nest (or for 12 days if failure happens in the first 10 days after laying because there is a possibility of relaying). Once failure happens, the feeding tube is taking out and the hole is plugged and feeding ceases at that site.
SOP 3. Resighting kittiwakes, checking for eggs/chicks and window labels.
As part of the annual monitoring scheme, we record the annual survival of kittiwakes and cormorants. In many cases, individual projects (i.e. graduate theses, etc.) also require knowing survival in subsequent years, but the particular investigator may not come out to observe those data, relying on you instead. Estimates of survival usually occur using program MARK that accounts for resighting probability and survival independently. It is important to have the resighting probability very high so that survival can be estimated accurately. Many individuals show up at the start of the season and then are not seen again because they lose their site. Thus, it is important to resight as many birds as possible early in the season. For the first few weeks, resighting is done daily, usually after the 9AM feeding.
For the kittiwakes, this involves recording the band combinations of each bird present at each site in the tower. We do this for about a month and assume by that point we have resighted all birds. There are pages for this in the resighting binder. Make sure to record the “slash”. For instance, BO/BS not BOBS, as that could be BOB/S or BO/BS. The kittiwakes ‘names’ are recorded by their colour bands: blue, orange, light green, dark green, red, white and yellow. The unique colour band combination identifies any individual that has previously been banded and brought into our ‘family’. This is how we identify each individual: left leg and then right leg, top to bottom (i.e. blue over orange over blue on the left leg and blue over silver on the right leg would be ‘BOB/BS’; the reversed leg combination would be ‘BS/BOB’. The slash separates the left leg from the right). Pay very careful attention to the colour band combination. It is very easy to reverse legs or switch colours. For resighting, make sure to see and record both legs every time; don’t rely on the window panel labels. When recording the combination in the book, place males on the left and females on the right for each column (or, decide as a group, for the reverse). This makes it much easier to keep track of each individual and to input the data in the end. Record the status of the nest, the number of eggs (* is used for egg) and the number of chicks (^ is used for chick). This would look like “BOB/BS BS/BOB 3” for BOB/BS and BS/BOB at nest with status 3, or “BOB/BS BS/BOB 2^” for BOB/BS and BS/BOB at a nest with 2 chicks. Once a nest has one or more eggs or chicks, nest quality is no longer recorded. The estimate for survival is highest if resighting probability is high and there is some movement between adjacent sites. Thus, it is important to be expansive with your recording of sites. If you can just barely make out the site, still include it. In that case you will often need to have an A, B, C added to the window (A27A, A27B, etc.). Birds without bands are recorded as ‘NB’ and those with just one band would be, for instance, (‘-/S’ or ‘S/-‘). It can’t be stressed enough: do not rush this job.
If you find a bird with a new egg/chick, add it to the label (A* 6/17 for A egg on Jun 17; B^ 7/18 for B chick on July 18). Likewise, if an egg/chick disappears, mark it as lost with the date. This data is also recorded in the resighting binder on the back page, alongside the number of chicks/eggs on the first page (1*, 1*1^, 2^, etc.). Cause of death is often obvious: the bird starved, the site was taken over, etc. Make sure to record the site of any new eggs or chicks on a clipboard or rite in the rain book, and weigh eggs and chicks (see SOP 8 and 9).
SOP 4. Cleaning tower.
Whenever it rains, water gets into the tower and makes a cold puddle on the flower. After feeding in the morning, use the squeegees to sweep water down the middle hole or out the door where the kittiwake release hatch is (when birds aren’t nesting yet). It is so much nicer to work when the floor is roughly dry. Make sure to clean the feeding tubes with a brush and disinfectant regularly. Take turns to clean the fish table, cooler, and fridge regularly; otherwise, it can get quite smelly.
SOP 5. Sexing kittiwakes.
It is important to know the sex of each kittiwake that has a nest. There are four ways of behaviourally sexing the kittiwake: feeding, copulation, standing, and begging.
1. Begging: The female begs; she does this by raising her head up and down repeatedly and squeaking (high-pitched whine). Make sure that this is very intense begging, with the female repeatedly tapping the male’s bill.
2. Courtship feeding: The female begins by begging. The male regurgitates and feeds the female, sometimes more than once.
3. Stand: The male stands on the female. It differs from a copulation in that there is no contact.
4. Copulation: The male will be on top during a copulation; you must actually see contact as just seeing one bird on top of another is not enough. If there is no contact, it counts as a stand.
A kittiwake can also be sexed using head-bill length. At the start of the season, record the sex of each individual in the resighting binder and window panels based on the previous year’s sexing (and assuming that all partnerships are male-female). Nonetheless, errors are made and some birds have ‘changed sex’ over time. Thus, try and sex all birds in each year without reference to the previous year. Make sure to record, in the resighting binder, any behaviours that allow you to sex birds. There will be a few birds that are of unknown sex (neither member of the pair was present the previous year). Concentrate very heavily on those birds. Try and spend at least 20 person-hours each year standing in the middle of the tower so that many windows can be seen and waiting for a sexual activity to occur. Whenever you see something during feeding, attendance and other activities, make sure to write it down. It can be useful to have a piece of paper dedicated to that on the desk, which can then be input into the resighting binder when time allows.
SOP 6. Labelling windows.
The window labels on ‘cheat cards’ or white duct tape placed next to each window are valuable tools for determining the status of each nest quickly. The duct tape will readily attach on dry days. If you put one up on a wet day, smooth it out and make it stick on a dry day. Tacks can also be used. The window label should have (1) the window number (A1, A2, etc.), the band combination and sex of each member of the pair (“M BOB/BS” on second line; “F BS/BOB” on third line). If a new bird is present on resighting for three days in a row, you can assume the site has been taken over and replace the label with a new label. You will then record the data of each egg laid and each chick hatched over the course of the season on separate lines, so make sure there is room for that. (“EA 6/16” on 4th line for A egg laid on 16 June; “EB” 6/18 on 5th line for B egg laid on 18 June; beside it place “lost 6/19” if it was lost on 19 June; “CA 7/15” on 6th line for A chick hatched on 15 July).
SOP 7. Marking birds with picric acid.
Once they start incubating, it is difficult to see a bird’s band combination. Rather than continually tap on the window and aggravate the bird into standing up, we mark the birds with a yellow dye (picric acid). The dye must be diluted 1:3 with water before use. You can dilute more than that and it continues to be visible. A syringe with a long tube is available in the tower. Fill the syringe with picric acid, and squirt it through the slit (try and avoid feeding tubes). This works best once birds have eggs and no long fly away—and is not really necessary before then. We usually only mark the birds in the attendance rows (top two rows of A and B, and middle row of D and E) as those birds we observe seven times per day. You can also mark ‘fed’ birds if you find it aggravating to bother them to stand up. Be very careful to avoid the bird’s eyes and eggs. The acid can be lethal to the eggs. Mark the bird high on the breast or the back of the neck/head where it will be easily visible. Birds tend to sit in a particular direction, and so it also a good idea to mark the side of the bird that usually faces the window. The dye will fade over time, and so mark the bird once the dye is no longer clearly visible. Once birds are no longer actively sitting on eggs or young chicks it is no longer necessary to mark them. Once you mark a bird, circle with a pen or highlight in yellow the bird on the card/tape next to the window so that attendance can be made quickly. It is often useful to mark the individual in the pair with yellow in the band combination because it makes attendance quicker (one doesn’t need to think quite as long), but this is not essential. We now use a different, less toxic dye, i.e. Nyanzol.
SOP 8. Marking kittiwake eggs.
Check for productivity (new eggs/chicks) twice a day, once after the morning feed and once after the dinner feed. Mark any changes on the window labels and on a clipboard/rite in the rain book. Weigh each egg on the day it was laid and measure length and breadth. Also, mark it with the nest number. A eggs are written in red marker, B in blue, and C in green. Do this as you do resighting/productivity check. Also, record any lost eggs/chicks and the cause (if the cause is unknown, write ‘unknown’). Make sure the resighting book and window labels are up to date!
SOP 9. Weighing and banding kittiwake chicks.
Once the chicks start hatching, morning and afternoon checks must be performed to detect them. When a new chick is noticed, the following are the required procedures:
All kittiwakes with nests should have unique colour bands. It is important that at the start of each season we fix all birds with missing or messed up bands. Use the computer database to figure out the correct colour band combination; in most cases you just need to look at who was there the year before. Band birds that are unbanded or banded as a chick (a silver band and no or one colour band on the other leg) and that have established a nest site. This should occur in late May when nest sites and breeding pairs are more firmly established. Use combinations that have not been crossed out on the band combination sheet in the tower banding binder. It is very important that as soon as you band a bird, you cross the combo off the sheet. When banding a bird, please take all measurements listed on the data sheet, including: weight, wing, culmen, tarsus and headbill. Squeeze the colour bands tightly with the pliers so that they overlap slightly. Please check band numbers twice. If the bird pukes, collect its regurgitation in a Ziploc bag, mark it with MDO, the window number, the species (BLKI), the colour band combo, and the date, and freeze it. Use all bands in order of sequence. Keep a close record of all bands used (applied and lost) in data books and computer spreadsheet.
SOP 11. Attaching a device to the back of adult kittiwake.
It takes two people. Once you have the bird, one person places the bird in his or her lap with the face (bill) towards them but covered and back free to the second person. The device should go as far back as possible without interfering with the uropygial (preen) gland which is at the base of the tail on the lower back. There are number of large feathers on the back. Place a tape, a cable tie, and another tape, under the feathers. Work them in good and get the feathers to stick onto the tape. Place the device on top. Now, wrap each end of the tape around and onto the device, making sure that they overlap. Tape tapes best to tape. A little bit of super glue under the tape will help it stick to the device and the other end of the tape. Pull the cable tie tight. Check to make sure no flight feathers are caught. Pull lightly on the device to make sure it is well stuck on and that everything is clean with no bits sticking out. Release the bird.
SOP 12. Making bands.
The bands are made of darvic plastic imported from Europe via the French team. They come in large sheets which have been cut into small strips appropriate for bands. Boil water in a frying pan. Grip one end of the strip in Leatherman or other pliers. Once it becomes flexible (a few seconds), pull it out and wrap it around the tip of the leatherman with your fingers, and place it in the holes of the mould. To avoid burning your fingers, you can use a towel to help wrap strips around the pliers. After the mould is finished (you’ve filled all the holes), put the mould back into the frying pan. The bands will then expand. Use a spatula to make sure they are all flat and the same size, and that they don’t pop out of the hole.
SOP 13. Recording nest condition (0-3).
When resighting prior to egg laying, the status of the nest can be expressed within 4 levels:
Level 0=There is nothing in the nest, no twigs or anything indicating a potential nest construction.
Level 1=There is indication of initiated nest construction. Options vary from few piled twigs to a ring of twigs (floor can be seen in middle).
Level 2=The nest construction is of an advanced level. To distinguish from level 1, in level 2 the floor of the nest is fully covered in twigs.
Level 3=The nest is complete, which is indicated by a clear “bowl” shape, with enough space for 2/3 eggs to fit in the “bowl”.
Intermediate levels can be used. For example, 0.5 indicates a small amount of nest material that is unorganised, while a 2.5 indicates an almost finished nest.
SOP 14. Resighting cormorants, and egg/chick checks.
As with the kittiwakes, cormorant survival is part of the ongoing monitoring scheme. This is also how we attach individual parents to their reproductive success and monitor the lifetime reproductive success of each individual. Cormorant resighting is usually recorded every three days in a separate binder. Males and females are readily distinguishable because the male has a larger bill. Males have red bands and females have green bands. Record the band number (RXXX for males, GXXX for females) of the bird(s) present and the number of eggs (*) or chicks (^). Keep males on the left and females on right in the data binder columns for ease of inputting the data later. Cormorants are very sensitive so never open the window. Use the back end of the cormorant hook to push up against the breast of the cormorant to see under them. Be very careful to see the band number and number of eggs/chicks every time.
SOP 15. Rhinoceros auklet burrow checks.
The purpose of the rhino burrow checks is to determine reproductive success, timing of breeding and chick growth rates. Sixty auklet burrows are to be found (60 adults with eggs or warm eggs), usually at the rhino trail. The goal is 50 burrows but inevitably 5-10 will be discarded, so we aim for 60. Historically, the first auklet chick (hatch date) has been the 5-16 June. Given a 52 day incubation, that means that the first eggs are typically laid on the 14-25 April. You want to start searching after most eggs have been laid, so start searching for eggs on 15 May. The colony on the ship trail is a second option if you get bored with the rhino trail colony, but requires using the ATV; I find it easier to work at locations that don’t need the ATV. Do not work at the colony below the tower as we could potentially bias our productivity data when we collect bill loads later in the season. Be very careful not to collapse burrows as the ground is very soft. Try and crawl on roots rather than bare ground. If the rhino camera is available and functional, always charge the rhino camera battery the night before use. Find an active burrow (lots of packed dirt with evidence of birds going in and out; footprints; signs of recent diggings; feathers; guano). Put your hand in and use a stick and/or the rhino camera to view as far as you can. Figure out what direction the burrow goes. When you can go no farther, dig a new access hole and continue. Burrows are often 5 or more feet and have ‘dead ends’. It can take an hour to completely excavate a hole. Persistence often pays off. This can be a very tedious task as often an afternoon is spent with nothing found. Don’t give up! Other times a couple of people can find 14 in a morning. Choosing the right burrows is key. Rhino ‘grubbing’ takes a certain amount of Zen. It is particularly enjoyable in the rain, as even when it is stormy out the west side of the island is often quite calm and it is fun to be under all the salmonberries. Often, one can feel warmth from the bird or the twigs used to make the nest just before getting to the nest chamber. Eventually, you will feel a warm egg and/or the bird. Also, sometimes one will find a warm egg without finding the bird. Sometimes rhinos bite, but not usually very hard. Don’t pull back as their bill is hooked; rather, wait for them to let go. Some people use gloves with the finger tips cut out as it is often important to feel the bird. After initial contact (or preferably before), search them out with the camera. Once a bird and egg is found, a stake is placed beside the burrow and a note is made in the notebook about where the stake is relative to the entrance hole and where the bird is relative to the hold (“stake 50 cm up the hill from access hole; put camera in downwards and to south (towards FAA)”). A common problem is lost burrows. It is a lot of work finding the auklets; don’t waste that work by losing the burrows. Use a liberal amount of flagging tape and take good notes. A cold egg should be revisited as birds will neglect eggs in the first 10 days. Burrows on flat ground are often preferable because it is difficult to dig out burrows that go directly back into the hillside (if anyone has read ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’ they’ll know what I mean. It is very important that all of the various access holes are covered by using chicken wire and garbage bag. Sticks are placed into the sides of the access hole (not in the tunnel itself) for structural support, and then are covered by chicken wire and garbage bag, and then dirt. The nest chamber should be completely dark. Once burrows are found, they should be rechecked on a 5 day schedule until chicks hatch. You can then determine the date when the chick is at least 5 days old. Next, weigh and measure wing chord when the chick is between 5 and 10 days, and again when it is between 20 and 25 days, and check every 10 days thereafter to determine fledging success (typically fledging is at 55 days). The goal for chick growth is to determine chick growth at the linear growth phase (age 5 to 25 days), so that grams per day can be measured. Two points spread out between day 5 and 25 are needed. Band the chick on the second visit and record the band number. Remember, chicks can move around a fair bit in the tunnel, especially when they get bigger, and so you might need to use the camera to locate and eventually dig out a missing chick (kittiwake hook can help for that, too). It is often optimal to work in pairs with one person looking at the camera screen while the other manipulates the camera to find contents. Do not take the camera out in or immediately after heavy rain, to preserve the life of the camera and because the ground becomes unstable around the burrows when saturated. What do you need? A trowel, critter cam, notebook, a pencil, markers, stakes, flagging tape, garbage bag, chicken wire, and wire cutters. Once chicks, a scale, bands, and a bag.
SOP 16. Tufted puffin burrow checks.
The purpose of the puffin burrow checks is (1) to determine reproductive success, timing of breeding and chick growth rates, and (2) for everyone to help out studying the most gorgeous bird on the island. Sixty puffin burrows are to be found (60 adults with eggs or warm eggs), usually at the end of the dump road. Historically, the first puffin chick (hatch date) has been July 1-6. Given a 46-day incubation, the first eggs are typically laid on May15-20. You want to start searching after most eggs have been laid, so start searching for eggs on June 1. Most of the comments on rhinos apply here. Be very careful not to collapse burrows as the ground is very soft. There are many rabbit burrows, but they are usually bigger. Always charge the camera battery the night before use. Find an active burrow (claw marks; feathers; poop). Put your hand in and use a stick and/or the camera to view as far as you can. Figure out what direction the burrow goes. When you can go no farther, dig a new access hole and continue. Burrows are often 5 or more feet and have ‘dead ends’. They are often shorter than the rhino burrows but have more dead ends/are more labyrinthine, and there are fewer roots to worry about. Whereas rhinos are quite pleasant on a stormy day, puffins are quite miserable on very windy day. Like with the rhinos, persistence often pays off, as does ‘Puffin Zen’. Eventually, you will feel a warm egg and/or the bird. If the puffins bite, don’t pull back as their bill is hooked; rather, wait for them to let go. Some people use gloves with the finger tips cut out as it is often important to feel the bird. After initial contact (or preferably before), search them out with the camera. The camera is more useful for puffins than rhinos as the burrows are larger and so the camera is less likely to get stuck. Once a bird and egg is found, a wire with a flag is placed beside the burrow and a note is made in the notebook about where the stake is relative to the entrance hole and where the bird is relative to the hold (“stake 50 cm up the hill from access hole; put camera in downwards and to south (towards Gold Point)”). Don’t waste all that work by losing the burrows. A cold egg should be revisited as birds will neglect eggs in the first 10 days. It is very important that all of the various access holes are covered by using chicken wire and garbage bag. Chicken wire and garbage bag are wedged into the hole and covered in dirt. The nest chamber should be completely dark. Once burrows are found, they should be rechecked on a 5 day schedule until chicks hatch. You can then determine the date when the chick is at least 5 days old. Next, weigh and measure wing chord when the chick is between 20 and 25 days, and again when it is between 35 and 40 days, and check on day 55 to determine fledging success. Band the chick on the second visit and record the band number. What do you need? A trowel, critter cam, notebook, wire with flagging, chicken wire, garbage bag, and wire cutters. Once chicks, scale and bag.
SOP 17. Glaucous-winged gull nest checks.
The purpose of the gull nest checks is (1) to determine reproductive success, timing of breeding and chick growth rates, and (2) to get out and enjoy being on an island in Alaska. Two plots are usually monitored every four days (one plot every other day). One plot is at the bottom of the rhino trail (‘north plot’) and the other is an island accessed from the ship trial (‘south plot’). The south plot is only accessible at low tide so you must check the tide before going. Usually, gull nest checks take 3-4 hours and take three people, although it is possible with two people. Usually, checks happen after the 9AM feeding and the team takes a lunch because they are unlikely to make it back in time for lunch at the chateau. For the south plot, the entire island is covered. For the north plot, the area between the old beach and a pond is covered. Flagging tape is used to mark each end of the plot, with each flagging tape attached about 10 m apart. Three people can easily cover 10 m. In groups of three, one person is in charge of keeping the group straight, and walks between the two sets of flagging tape (at either end of the plot). The team then moves 10 m up the plot, and repeats the process, until the entire plot is covered. It is important to be diligent and not miss any nests, or else reproductive success and timing of breeding estimates will be biased. When a nest with eggs or chick is found, a stake is placed and labeled with a number. The stake is placed 1 m in the direction of camp from the nest. Once the shrubberies grow tall, it can be very difficult to re-find a nest. Mark it well! The length and breadth of the egg is then measured with calipers. Make sure you get the widest part for the breadth. Then, use a non-toxic marker and mark it several times as the “A” egg. Choose a different colour for the “B” and “C” eggs, so that they can be distinguished even if the letter is hard to read. A eggs are marked in red, B eggs are marked in blue, and C eggs are marked in green. If a B or C egg is encountered, measure and mark it as well. If two eggs have been laid since the last check, label the smaller one as the higher letter (label the bigger A and the smaller B, or the bigger B and the smaller C). In subsequent visits, make sure to visit each nest and record contents (by recording them in order it is usually easy to find each missed nets; nest 6 must be between 5 and 7; towards the end where only 1-2 nests are found per visit, record the location of the nest relative to other nests (‘north of 24’)). It is typical to get 40-60 nests per plot. Once chicks hatch, mark their head with a colour (A chicks get a particular colour, B chicks get a particular colour; avoid red which can be perceived as blood by the adults). Add a temporary band. Record the weight and wing chord of each chick. Try and assign a nest to each chick, although you will soon find that you get ‘runners’ and chicks that move long distances from their nests. Collect any regurgitation and label it with location (MDO, plot number), date, species (GWGU) and nest number. What do you need? Calipers, stakes, flagging tape, three colours of markers. Once chicks are predicted to hatch: bag, Pesola scale, wing ruler and Ziploc (to collect puke).
SOP 18. Rhinoceros auklet bill loads.
Starting in mid-July, visit the auklet colony (around 11pm) and quietly remain hidden until adults begin to arrive with bill loads. As adults land (rather, crash into the salmonberry bushes) use fish nets to capture birds. If a bird is on the ground, don’t move. It is likely to walk into you (and more likely to do that, than for you to catch it, unless it is very close). A former graduate student referred to auklet catching as being a ninja of the night. It certainly requires fast reflexes and some skill and practice. You may not actually capture the auklet, but rather scare it enough for it to drop its bill load. Look carefully around the entire area with a head lamp for dropped fish. Fish may be scattered. Collect 20 bill loads per night for five nights scattered 5-7 nights apart. Work from one end of the colony to the other, sampling a new part each night. Do not sample any of your growth monitoring burrows. If you cave in a burrow, immediately check for injured chicks, clear the hole, and repair it. The next morning, weigh and identify all fish sampled. There is a field guide to fishes commonly found in auk bill loads at Middleton that you may find helpful. Weight the whole sample and then individual fish. Measure the length of each fish nose to end of the tail fins. Cloudy/rainy days (not so wet that ground is too soft) are often darkest and best. What do you need? Small plywood planks for moving on (act as snowshoes that prevent caving in burrows; kneel on these); Ziploc bags and sharpies; nets.
SOP 19. Tufted puffin bill loads.
Starting in mid-July, collect bill loads using three techniques: muzzle and screening. For the muzzle technique, place a pipe cleaner muzzle over the head and bill of ten puffin chicks. Leave muzzles on for 24-36 hr. Attach a string around the puffin chick’s leg and tie it to a nail stuck in the ground (in the burrow) to facilitate recapture. Collect bill loads upon arrival, placing each load in a separately labeled Ziploc bag. For the screening method, place screens over 50-60 burrows first think in the morning (5AM), making sure the screens are firmly placed in the burrow entrance. Puffins can be determined to get back to their chicks! Stay, and collect bill loads as they are deposited. Gulls will often steal bill loads, so you need to be fast. Place each bill load in a separately labeled bag. If you cave in a burrow, immediately check for injured chicks, clear the hole, and repair it. Work from one end of the colony to the other, sampling a new part each time. Do not sample any of your growth monitoring burrows. Be sure to count your screens and muzzles TWICE before you begin, and mark all screens/burrows with stakes. Weigh and measure fish as for auklets. What do you need? Screens/muzzles; Ziploc bags and sharpies; nets.
SOP 20. Cormorant banding.
Cormorants’ bands are bigger and slightly different, but attachment is similar to the kittiwake ones. The colour bands are numbered and come only in two colours: either red (for males) or green (for females). Cormorant chicks receive only a silver band which is recorded in the cormorant banding binder. The adult cormorants either receive only a colour band (if they have been previously banded as chicks), or both colour and silver bands (if they are new on the tower). When banding cormorants, the bander must be prepared for a very strong body and long, maneuverable neck with painful beak at the end. It is best to have an assistant when banding cormorants for the first time.
SOP 21. Camp log.
Make daily entries in the journal. Record general observations for all species, daily activities of personnel, weather, unusual events, and funny stories. Record the first observation of all eggs and of all chicks of all avian species, as well as any mammals observed, and first flowering of any plants. Have fun with this. Entries need not be long. Even a few sentences about each day will serve as a nice record of your time at Middleton. I also encourage everyone to make a bird list at least once per week, and upload it to eBird at the end of the summer. All you need is an Excel spreadsheet. On each date (a new column for each date), you can then record number of birds or an “X” for species you do not count (e.g. kittiwakes). Numbers (even approximate) are always more useful than “X”.
First Aid. Standard First Aid is required. Wilderness First Aid can be a plus, although Standard is as, if not more, useful than Wilderness. Wilderness often focuses on camping/backpacking and the instructors spend time making splints, shelter, etc. out of branches. Given that we already have sufficient shelter and access to first aid equipment (and few trees), Standard First Aid is often more useful.
Health coverage. All individuals are required to have sufficient health care coverage to cover evacuation from the island. Insurance must meet the guidelines specified by the US government if you require a J-1 visa.
Animal care. You must be added to my Animal Use Protocol. You need to email animalcare@mcgill.ca and complete the 'Theory', 'Advanced' and 'Wildlife' portions. Then I can add you to my AUP.
Schedule
You will arrive in Anchorage and, usually, be picked up. The next day involves getting food, propane and anything else needed. The day after, we usually go to the Merrill Field Airport (not the international airport) and fly out in a Navajo. The Navajo is a small plane and there is little room. For those of us that deal with finances/cost of chartering flights: Cost to charter the plane is typically about $2000 US from AAT or Security Aviation (check both for the best price). The FAA flies to the island most Wednesdays. In the past, it was possible to use the empty legs of those shuttles, but that hasn't been an option recently. There is, however, the possibility of getting a passenger fare to Middleton on a flight to Tatitlek with http://www.reeveairalaska.com, which costs about $800 (this no longer seems to be an option as Reeve lost the contract to AAT).
What to bring
Other than rubber boots, a sleeping bag, and a watch, the items on this list are intended as a guide only and are not required. They are merely ideas and suggestions. You can choose to ignore any or all of them if you wish (except for the three items stated earlier). Expect the full range of weather, from wet, cold and super windy (-5- +5C), to hot and still (25+C). The key is to bring a layering system that will cover you for all of these conditions, below is only a suggestion, if you prefer different clothing options, go for it. I certainly wouldn't buy everything on the list, it's just a suggestion.
Please keep in mind, we travel to Middleton Island in relatively small aircraft with limited space and weight restrictions. Therefore be a bit conservative in your packing. If you do plan on traveling in Alaska after you leave the island in August, then remember you are going to need things that are not on this list such as tent, stove, etc. You can leave things in the office in Anchorage while on Middleton. A soft case (back pack, duffel bag) is usually better than a hard suitcase, as it is much easier to carry and you will have to carry it a considerable distance form the plane. Many people bring small totes for electronic gear and garbage bags for clothes so that things don't get wet.
In case of emergencies while you are on the island, you can have friends and family leave a message on Scott Hatch's cell phone (to be provided). Messages will be checked at least once a day. There is no way for folks to reach you directly on the island. There is a phone you can use on the island for out going calls on a limited basis, but all calls (except local Anchorage calls, which are free) must be made with a pre-paid calling card (which may be purchased in Anchorage before departure). As of 2016, there is now wifi on the island, but it is unreliable, and has sometimes stopped working for a week or longer. Usually, Skype or equivalent calls can be made via the wifi. The wifi is paid for as part of a shipping traffic network, and their work is priority, and we need to be respectful of their needs and also that using up a lot of bandwidth causes the Internet to slow down for everyone. Usually, wifi is fast in the morning and then is throttled through the day as people start overusing the bandwidth.
Occasionally we have mail go in and out from the island. Have all letters/packages addressed to Scott Hatch (to be provided).
Clothes
Rubber boots (A requirement). You do not need chest waders, just a pair of rubber boots that you can slosh around and jump into puddles with. Boots should come up to about knee high. Personally, I recommend the brand “Xtra Tuff” which can be purchased here in Anchorage for about $75 (or more for some styles such as insulated, steel toe, etc…).
Felt liners to put inside rubber boots if you are someone that tends to get cold feet. Some people like to have 2 sets so they can always have a dry pair available.
Comfortable footwear for camp such as sandals or sneakers - You do not need hiking boots for the terrain on the island, but bring them if that is a personal preference.
Light rain/wind gear: We provide you with heavy raingear good for working in but it is bulky and cumbersome if you want to go hiking. I recommend breathable rain gear for hiking (one set, jacket and pants, is sufficient; note that saltwater spray when working near the beach compromises the water repellency of GoreTex). You might also consider some cheap rubber gear for working with seabirds, as it may fit better than what is available in camp. Note: if a kittiwake poos on your nice goretex rain gear, and it will, your rain gear will be irrecoverable.
Warm hat (I like to have a toque for cold camp days and one for sleeping)
Peaked hat; Good for sun protection.
Down vest or coat. Something you can layer under waterproof gear when it's cold or stormy.
Warm mitts/gloves with removable liners.
Thin gloves for handling birds. It is important to feel the bird, but it can really help prevent having your hands get cut from bird bites. Fingerless gloves are also good.
Gardening gloves: Good for digging rhinoceros auklet and tufted puffin burrows, as well as for gardening.
T-shirts
Wool socks (I usually take 3 pairs of warm wool socks and 3 pairs of light wool socks)
Gloves - Some people like a thick pair of gloves for keeping hands warm sitting around camp and also a thin pair of gloves for handling birds and generally working in.
Long underwear, I like to have a pair or two (top and bottom) of both light and heavy.
Fleece pants and jacket - Fleece is particularly nice for the island's wet environment because it dries quickly and is very warm. Again, it's nice to have one thin and one thick. Jeans don’t tend to be a good idea as they take a long time to dry. A pair or two may be good for just sitting around in at camp though. Hiking boots are another good option if you like to go on walks.
Work pants, such as carharts or quick dry. Some people like Army surplus wool pants.
Running gear should you be interested in morning/evening jogs down the runway and along the gravel roads we have on the island.
*Temperature is cold for the first month (can be below freezing) so make sure you have enough clothes to keep you warm in May. Jeans don’t tend to be a good idea as they take a long time to dry in the damp chilly climate of Middleton. A pair or two may be good for just sitting around in at camp though. Make sure to bring warm clothes for sleeping, as you will be sleeping in a tent. You can view the current weather at Middleton at the following web sites:
http://www.alaska.net/~nwsar/html/wsi/wsi.html
http://weather.noaa.gov/weather/current/PAMD.html
Toiletries
Shampoo, soap, toothpaste, moisturizer, etc.
Towel. Some people even bring a bathing suit to wade around in the ocean (it's cold and the currents are strong, so you cannot go deep).
Sun block - >15 SPF. We sometimes get enough sun that this may be of use. Lip balm is also useful.
Sun glasses. One good pair and one spare pair.
Bug repellent – There tends not to be too many bugs on the island, but they can be annoying at times. We do get bird fleas on the island which can be particularly bad.
Lotion for dry skin
Chapstick
Moist wipes – Sometimes an “instant shower” can be preferable than a shower in the cold.
Personal first aid kit - We have one out on the island, but you may prefer your own type of headache medicine, tape, etc.
Personal medications/medicine for allergies - At its most serious this would be a couple of Epipens {Epinephrine}for anaphylactic shock or meds for other chronic afflictions (i.e., if you know you are susceptible to ear infections, strep throat, bladder infections, etc., bring antibiotics for that). Most likely, you will probably need to get prescriptions from your doctor for antibiotics, Epipens, etc. This is worthwhile and could even save your life.
*We have an outdoor shower set up with hot water that allows you to take a shower, but to do so you may have to brave the cold or rain on occasion.
Entertainment and personal comfort
We have basically unlimited access to 110 V power for personal devices
Music - We have a fairly nice stereo out on the island for personal music listening, but also bring along an mp3 player for personal listening.
Batteries - We can use re-chargeable batteries because there is electricity available to re-charge them. You might bring your own battery re-charger though as the one we have for the project (for AA batteries) is often full and research objectives get priority.
Sunglasses
Reading books (many people just bring a Kindle or Nook now)
Bird Guide - I recommend National Geographic or Sibley (one copy of Sibley is on island)
Good binoculars - We have binocs for the project, but honestly they are not fantastic. It depends how much you are into recreational birding. You really don’t need binoculars for the work we are doing on the island, but binos are nice to have on days off. We also have some spotting scopes that you can use– again not great either.
Camera and spare camera batteries
Small video camera - Remember we have electricity to re-charge the batteries!
Letter writing equipment: Paper, pen, stamps, envelopes, post cards, etc.; I recommend self-sticking stamps ones as the lick and stick variety tend not to work well in the damp Middleton environment.
Headlamp and/or candle lantern
Watercolors/color pencils/sketchbook
Pocket knife/leatherman
Seeds - If you start a vegetable garden early in the year (lots of guano fertilizer available!), then there can be substantial greens to eat later in the year. Lettuce, carrots and radish work best, and it is necessary to start early. Make sure to fence out the rabbits! Seeds can be bought in Anchorage.
Daypack (25-40L that will fit rain gear, snacks, science gear, etc.)
Sleeping bag (a requirement) – Rated to about 35 degrees F is sufficient for some folks, although you might bring a warmer bag (down to 0 degree) if you tend to get cold
Liner for sleeping bag (much easier to wash than the sleeping bag itself). A fleece liner is more versatile than a cotton liner and means that a 35 degrees F bag is ample.
Sleeping pad - We do have old bed mattresses at the island that some people use inside their tents, as the tents are large enough to accommodate them.
Therma-rest type of seat
Pocket warmers – Can be nice for those who tend to get cold, particularly for the first few weeks.
Thermos/travel mug for warm drinks
Water bottle
Watch (a requirement) - Especially good if it has an alarm. A cell phone is equally fine if you don't mind lugging it around with you and it has enough charge to last for a day (there is no cell phone service, so just put it on airplane mode to save the battery).
Personal journal
Ear plugs (if they will help you sleep)
Pillow case, or even a small pillow. I usually just bring the case and shove clothes in it.
Any special food (special chocolate, cheese, whatever) that makes you happy... But be prepared to share if it makes it out of your tent.
Background and some information about the island
Middleton Island has been blogged and blogged and blogged about, researched, photographed and videotaped. For even more--type "Middleton Island" in "Google Images" to see many images of the research, "Google Scholar" to read some of the many, many papers about Middleton and Google Maps to see satellite images of the island.
Middleton Island is located in the Gulf of Alaska south of Prince William Sound. It is a small island, approximately 8 km long and 1.6 km wide, located near the edge of the continental shelf. Overall, the topography of the island is generally flat with the exception of the prominent sea cliffs which separate the upland habitat from an expansive coastal flat. The upland is almost exclusively tundra with few trees, several to many grass species, and an abundance of salmonberry bushes (which are greatly appreciated in midsummer)! The cliffs are moderate to steeply graded soil cliffs where many seabirds nest. The coastal flat is tundra and marsh (with lots of summertime wildflowers) turning into rocky beach as one approaches the coast.
Middleton Island is a biologically important site as it supports colonies of seven species of pelagic seabirds including pelagic cormorant (Phalacrocorax pelagicus), glaucous winged gull (Larus glaucescens), black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla), thick-billed murre (Uria lomvia), common murre (Uria aalge), rhinoceros auklet (Cerorhinca monocerata), and tufted puffin (Fratercula cirrata), as well as a suite of shorebirds and passerines. During each summer, seabird research is conducted at this site for nearly 3.5 months (early May- 15 August) by personnel from the Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation and various collaborators.
Middleton Island is not what one might describe as a pristine island seabird colony. There is a variety of infrastructure on the island now being used by seabirds as artificial nesting habitat. Such infrastructure includes an abandoned radar tower decommissioned by the U.S. Air Force in the early 1960’s as well as the surrounding Air Force complex. The radar tower is of particular importance on Middleton Island as this structure has undergone dramatic renovations at the hands of USGS personnel to enhance it as nesting habitat for black-legged kittiwakes and pelagic cormorants. Furthermore, renovations now allow for unparalleled monitoring of individual nest sites for these two species. Such enhancements have also provided the opportunity to conduct unique field experiments to investigate parameters of the breeding biology and physiology of black-legged kittiwakes.
Working/volunteering at Middleton means putting in a lot of hard work, but it is also can be a lot of fun! Above all, it provides a rewarding experience and an opportunity to watch, interact, and handle Alaskan seabirds like no other field camp I have seen or heard of. Some of the work is admittedly boring and repetitious— lots of feeding fish to kittiwakes for example. Other times, work can be wonderfully interesting—such as handling puffin chicks! My expectations are that every individual is willing to give his/her best effort in a conscientious and reliable manner each day for long hours (even during the less interesting times and when the going gets rough) for the entire field season. You can expect roughly one day off in seven, and typically only one person gets any given day off. Many volunteers take a few days or weeks off at the end to tour Alaska--Denali, Kodiak and the Seward Peninsula are common locations.
The living arrangements at Middleton Island are semi-primitive and could perhaps be best described as glorified camping. Each person has a relatively spacious personal tent measuring roughly eight feet by eight feet. There is also a communal living area affectionately known as "Le Chateau" which consists of a somewhat refurbished old building that remains from the Air Force complex from the 1960s. This building houses some of the more comfortable living accommodations (i.e. gas stove for cooking, a gas range, sink, large table, food, wood stove, stereo, washing machine, etc... ) as well as the office equipment (e.g. computers, files...).
Food shopping
This annual event takes a good deal of time one day each year prior to the start of our field season. We shop at Costco (primarily) and Fred Meyers (specialty items). In some years in the past, this event has been done with little or no planning resulting in an excess of food at the field camp and sometimes consumer/financial waste. In the last couple of years, we did much better by taking some small steps to minimize our waste, and to reduce our cache of foodstuffs at the Island in the process. Please take the time to read this section carefully and then take some time to prepare a food shopping list prior to the food shopping trip. A few guidelines to help facilitate this process follow.
Admittedly, shopping for groceries for three and a half months is certainly not an easy process and may even seem to be a daunting task. I recommend first making a general list of the sorts of foods you like to eat every day. Also make a list of foods you enjoy to have less frequently, say once a week. These lists will be helpful in making some calculations to help you plan on quantities of food to shop for. Definitely plan on eating three full meals each day at field camp and maybe even a snack each day as we will be working long hours and in cold weather. Now, start to make some preliminary calculations. We will be on Middleton Island for 3+ months--about 100 days, or 14 weeks. These numbers will be good multiplication factors to use. Now come up with a personal shopping list based on the foods you like and the above multiplication factors.
For example…
“Andy” (a real example from years past) really likes to eat fruit. He eats fruit every day. Therefore he might purchase 100 servings of fruit for the field season. He plans on eating a mix of canned and dried fruit. Therefore he might purchase 67 cans of fruit and 8.5 lbs of dried fruit (1/4 lb or 1/8 kg per day x 33 days) for the season. As he typically eats fruit at lunch, he could assume that a serving of fruit might represent one third of his lunchtime meal each day. Therefore, he might estimate that the above quantities (67 cans of fruit and 8.5 lbs of dried fruit) will constitute about one third of his shopping list for lunchtime meals for the duration of the field season. (Editor's note: I've copied this from past instructions, but I don't know anyone who actually does this. We just grab whatever at Costco, but do think a little bit ahead of time what you want to eat.)
You can use the above method to come up with approximate quantities for a general shopping list for yourself for the field season. Even though I am asking each person to have a generalized shopping list, please realize that all food purchased for the field camp is a communal resource! That is, don’t get peeved if someone is eating the granola bars that you put in the shopping cart later in the season! If there is something you really like and can’t seem to do without, then by all means buy a little bit extra realizing that others will likely enjoy this too. Also, you will surely see something while shopping that you hadn’t thought of. Again, please add it to your cart (but remember to do so in moderation). A few little additions will help to fill any potential shortfall I the pantry (as will the food already on the island). If you take a lot of something that you hadn’t anticipated, then maybe slightly reduce something else on your list. Remember your list is only a general guideline! Food is purchased communally, in general, so you will likely not need to have your own list. Keep any items you would specifically like in mind when you go shopping.
Finally, here are some final notes to keep in mind in making up your shopping list…
Cooking amenities… We have two gas ranges, a gas oven, a toaster, a drip coffee maker, a bread maker, and a microwave in the Chateau. (“Chateau” refers to the lovely 1950s, cold-war vintage building we call home on Middleton).
Storage… We do have a refrigerator and a chest freezer on the Island. Therefore we can take frozen meat, vegetables, and/or other perishables in moderation, but keep in mind that these appliances are to accommodate groceries for up to ten people.
Fresh food… I encourage you to bring fresh produce when you leave for the Island, but keep shelf lives in mind. Often, fresh produce will be sent in by Scott periodically during the season, but this is not guaranteed depending on flight schedules. There is, however, the possibility of having a garden (radishes, lettuces and carrots are great later in the season), and quite a bit of local food if you search it out (fiddleheads, salmonberries, rhubarb).
Alcohol/ tobacco… You may choose to purchase beer/ wine/ spirits / tobacco to bring onto the Island, but you will have to purchase these items with your own money.
As there is quite a lot of food already on the island, you will be provided with a list of food items NOT to buy before we embark on the food-shopping trip to Costco/Fred Meyer
Meals
In general, breakfast and lunch at Middleton is left up to each individual, but dinner (~8:15pm) is a time where everyone comes together for a communal meal. Having the evening meal together at Middleton brings a sense of community to our Island research station. With that said, communal meals require a little planning and everyone’s willingness to pitch in. Obviously, not everyone considers themselves a cook, but certainly everyone can find a way to contribute (ie. opening cans, setting/clearing the table, or doing extra dishes). There will be a schedule for meal preparation and dish duty with two or more people sharing this responsibility each night. It may sound like a lot of extra work, but typically it turns out to be any given individual’s turn only once or twice a week and the benefits of tasty meals and conversation are well worth the extra effort.
Water
We bring back water in 5 gallon jugs from a fresh water spring on the island, and then filter the water. We similarly collect water from a small stream for cleaning, showering, and laundry. Some people like to add powdered drinks to the water to avoid any unpalatable characteristics, but the water is safe to drink. The water from the small stream has not been certified for human consumption and therefore is to be collected/ transported only in designated containers and used for cleaning, showering, and laundry. Showers and laundry account for the vast majority of the use of this “gray” water, so please pitch in and keep the water supply at a useable level, particularly if you shower and/or do laundry frequently. It is time-consuming and difficult to carry water back and forth--this is often the most unpleasant part of the summer. Please pitch in and do more than your share; even if someone else was the last person to do laundry, you can always step up and collect water when you have some spare time.
Phone
As we have (slow) Internet, it's usually possible to Skype from the island. Often, you have to choose a time of day when no one else is using the Internet, like 6AM (or 10AM on your day off), to get decent Skype. There are a couple of places where sometimes you can get a cell phone connection (one bar, only texts) with Cordova. I think this only works on AT&T.
Showers
There is a solar shower that will be set up for personal washing purposes outside of the Chateau. You can heat water for the shower by either setting it in the sun (recommended) or by heating water on the stove (cold, cloudy days).
Laundry
We have a washer and dryer located in the Chateau for clothes washing. The machines are not hooked up to running water though, and so you will need to fill the machine once for the wash cycle and again for the rinse cycle. As the washer is huge and uses a lot of water, sharing loads is a good idea, as is recycling rinse water for use as wash water by the next person (large buckets can be used to collect rinse water). There will be laundry detergent at camp for you to use.
Your conduct at the FAA
Due to complaints by FAA personnel in recent years, we ask that you not use any FAA facilities other than to get water and to use the phone outside. When FAA personnel are on the island, do not visit the vicinity of the FAA quarters after about 8:00 p.m.
Emergency
See the phone list on the wall in the office for numbers to call in an emergency situation (USGS, USCG, poison control, etc…). If someone needs to contact you on the Island in case of emergency, they can call the island directly and leave a message with the FAA (number to be provided), but that only works half the time (FAA, usually a 2-person crew are present on a week-on/week-off schedule. Otherwise, the best approach will probably be to contact Scott at home (number to be provided).
Mediation
In case of interpersonal conflicts (unlikely, but they do happen sometimes), or if you become at all disgruntled about anything, discuss and attempt to resolve the issues first by consulting with the camp leader—then, if needed, give me a call—right away, don’t let it fester!
What to do on my day off?
Hikes are a common pastime. I particularly enjoy visiting the intertidal pools at the northeast end of the island at extreme low tides (usually early in the morning in mid June--consult the tide charts for the extreme low tides). Sea stars, anenomes, chitons, nudibranchs, even octopi have been encountered. Beach combing is also fun, especially on the east side of the island where currents from Japan impart many treats. Glass balls are reasonably common (maybe one every six or seven trips, usually early in the season). Parties and 'Field biologists olympics' are always fun to organize.
There are enjoyable hikes around the island, or simply to see the seal haul out (low tide, east side), killer and sperm whale skeletons (south end), remnants of fox farmers (south end), the ship (DO NOT enter), bank swallow colony (east side) and many other locations. A fun goal is to circumnavigate the island--but it takes a very full day! Other common hobbies are photography, birding, knitting and reading.
On other days, it is fun just to watch TV shows or movies on the computer, or play video games. Many an entire show have been watched at Middleton. However, it is sometimes easy to get sucked into the computer when one of the nicest things about Middleton is being able to see wildlife in Alaska.
There is also the FAA aviation weather camera that takes a photo every 10 minutes. On Mother's Day or birthdays, it is often fun to stand in front of the camera at an agreed upon time for 20 minutes holding a sign with a message to the outside world.
Permitting
All permitting is coordinated with Scott Hatch, Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation. All McGill activities must be approved via the McGill Animal Use Protocol. Scott holds a banding Master Permit and all handling must be permitted through the Banding Permit. In addition, an Alaska Fish & Game permit and a US Fish & Wildlife Service Migratory Birds Permit are necessary. The former is necessary to export tissues out of Alaska. Up to 1 L of blood can be brought back to Canada without a permit. Anything else requires CFIA approval.
A typical season:
Typically, field camp members arrive in Anchorage late on day 1. On day 2, we go shopping at Costco using the ISRC Costco membership card. Costco only takes American Express or cash, and so it is important to have a cash (or an AMEX card), or to figure out how to repay whomever is paying for shopping, if necessary. Those interested in buying liquor (and over 21) can buy it at Costco. The frozen or fresh food gets taken over to the airport for storage in their freezer/fridge. We then head over to Fred Meyer’s for things not available at Costco (phone cards, fancy cheese, etc.). On day 3, we fly out to Middleton.
There are two options for sleeping: a military style cot or a mattress. The cot is very hard to put up as you need to use a crowbar to wedge the bar into place. But, after that, it is nice because you are off the ground and things don’t get wet. The mattress is warmer, but can also tend to act as a sponge if things get very wet. We use Bomb Shelters for tents. They are quite spacious for a tent. The main downside is that the flies are in poor condition due to continuous UV every summer. It’s often necessary to use some Gorilla tape to tape up a few rips and to put around anything poking out of the poles (screws, etc.). The Bomb Shelters have ground sheets.
Some general rules. Avoid unnecessary trips; use the ATV’s only to get water and firewood. It’s a nice walk to the FAA for the phone. Don’t speed—there’s nowhere to go on the island, so you can never be late. Drive only on the roads. Do not drive on the airstrip or through the ditches. Stay on the right side of the road, especially at dangerous angles. The FAA and their contractors are sometimes on the island and driving pickup trucks very fast. There’s only one result if you hit them, and it won’t be you that’s the winner. Keep an eye out; practice defensive driving. Take care of the ATVS as they are getting old, and we do not have any spares. Do not leave an empty or low gas tank for the next person. Make sure the switch is in the off position to prevent gas leaks.
Work hours. Typically, work is from 900h to 1830h with a break for lunch from 1300h to 1400h. One person does attendance each day and works from 800h to 2000h (with breaks). During auklet work in the late summer, a few people will be working late (2300h to 0100h) and will be compensated with a nap where possible. Once a routine is established, each person gets one day off a week regardless of weather. In general, breakfast and lunch are free for all, but dinner is set at 2015h and is cooked communally. Depending on camp size, 1-2 people will be assigned dinner duty and another 1-2 people will be assigned dishes.
Drinking water is collected from a small spring (the stream by the old fox farmer’s house, by the swallow box at the north end just before the road splits off to the barge). Make sure to scrub out the filters (with a sponge) every week or so, or whenever they clog up with algae. Scrubbing the bottom of the white tubs every few weeks will also help reduce the build up of algae. Wash water is collected from a small pond. The wash water is used for dishes, laundry, showers and other cleaning. The washing machine uses a lot of water; if you do laundry, expect to collect wash water. Sharing loads is a good way of maximizing use. You can buy laundry detergent at Costco at the start of the field season. Getting wash water:
- Make sure the pump has enough gas and that the dam is high enough.
- Make sure the intake is relatively free of algae and 100% submerged. Otherwise it will only pump in bursts (not good).
- Unscrew the black cap and make sure there’s water spraying out. If not, then fill it up.
- Turn on the machine by turning the switch on the back right.
- Push the choke (grey triangle) to the right. Once the pump starts, push it all the way to the left.
- Put the speed onto bunny. Once the water is coming out of the hose, you can push it back to turtle to reduce water pressure (easier to handle).
- Pull the pull cord. It often takes a few pulls. Don’t yank the cord off (it’s a real pain to put back together!) but it takes a good, strong pull.
Out of courtesy, leave the ATV at the tree away from the building and do not use the phone after 9PM, unless in case of emergency, when the FAA are on the island.
Do not peak around the murre building and stay a safe distance away. They are very wary of disturbance.
Keep a safe distance from bald eagle nests; it is eagle to harass them.
Do not enter the ship or climb to higher levels. It is very rusty and dangerous.
Be very careful in areas with auklet burrows, such as the Rhino Trail. Avoid collapsing burrows.
Check what the current law prescribes for any wildlife items; in most cases you cannot take them off the island or to Canada.
Injured wildlife. Wherever there is an abundance of life, there is also an abundance of death. Most offspring won’t make it to the next generation. You will find many injured and starving chicks over the course of the summer. Given the remoteness of Middleton, the cost/effort of rehabilitating an orphaned bird is not worth the low success rate of rehabilitation and release. If you wish, you can care for an injured bird and arrange for transportation from Anchorage to the Alaska Sea Life Centre in Seward, so long as it does not interfere with your daily duties. Please do not keep an entourage of orphaned chicks around fed on capelin; this will skew our studies.
The ideal wildlife biologist has no impact whatsoever on the animal (s)he studies, but in practice we need to handle and sample individuals. We try and minimize impact both for moral reasons and to not impact our data quality. That being said, I imagine the birds would rather we did not study them/catch them/sample them. In some (very rare) cases, birds are injured, especially in the leg during hooking. In most cases we just release the bird, make a note and continue to observe the bird because birds have an incredible ability to cure themselves. If you agree to come to Middleton, please be aware that you will cause discomfort/stress a small number of birds as part of the ongoing studies. However, in the bigger picture, there would be almost no kittiwakes and few cormorants at Middleton without our ongoing efforts to feed and provide sites for birds. Learning more about them is part of that effort.
It is very easy to hurt a bird (break wings or legs) through mishandling. Be careful and expeditious when handling birds, especially when they are annoyingly pecking you or trying to fly away.
SOP 1. Cleaning windows.
Windows get dirty making it difficult to see birds’ band combinations during feeding and resighting. Usually, we clean the windows once a week until incubation. During incubation, birds are fairly inactive and so poop less, and windows get less dirty. More importantly, birds can lose eggs when disturbed during incubation and so we do not wash the windows then. Once birds have chicks, the chicks poop a lot, and so we wash the windows whenever we weigh the chicks (every five days). As a general rule, if you open a window, you might as well clean it. Knock on the window before opening it (a general rule whenever opening the window) so as to let the bird know you are there and so the bird is less surprised. Use biodegradable soap (simply green) in a bucket with water. Another bucket to rinse. Takes two people. One person carefully removes the window (don’t break it!) and gives it to a second person who cleans it with a window squeegee. The first person then rinses it in the second bucket with a second squeegee and puts it back in. Make sure that the reflective side is outward. To find the reflective side, look at your reflection with the sunlight behind you (don’t hold it up to the light—you need light to bounce off not through). The easiest way is by looking down the ground. Because they are very sensitive to disturbance, we usually don’t wash the cormorant windows except when the chicks are being weighed.
SOP 2. Feeding birds.
A major part of the work at Middleton is feeding the kittiwakes with Atlantic capelin. This has been ongoing for nearly 20 years. The feeding occurs three times a day: 9AM (breakfast), 2PM (lunch) and 6PM (supper). Typically, three panels are assigned as ‘fed’ panels (A, C and E) and two as control ‘unfed’ panels (B and D). Usually, one person feeds each panel throughout the summer so that they can get acquainted with the individual quirks of each bird. I encourage people to develop relationships with individual birds as I think it helps avoid the tedium of feeding the birds three times a day for 100 days. Birds are fed using nitrile gloves. Each panel has a ‘Pocket PC’ with the ‘feed’ program loaded. The program will prompt you through the 24 windows that are fed. First, you will be asked to list who is present (band combination of adults present + number of chicks). Then, you will be asked to tap the individual button as it gets fed (two fish to BRO, means two taps to BRO; three fish to A-chick, means three taps to A-chick). There is also a ‘Remove’ button to delete the last entry if you mistakenly tap once too many and a ‘Stolen’ button if a fish is stolen by a bird not at the window. You will place a fish in the feeding tube (we used to put it on a dish, but then other birds would come and steal them). Try and avoid having the fish stolen by other birds—pull it back quickly if that is about to happen. Many incubating birds will not eat unless you dangle the fish close to them. If the bird does not take the fish for 30 seconds, it is time to move on to the next window. It is important to clean the feeding tubes with a brush and “simple green” frequently, especially once it gets warm. Otherwise, flies and maggots accumulate. Make sure to remove enough fish from the freezer the night before so that there are unfrozen fish the next day; the birds do not like frozen fish. The birds also do not like rotten fish, so make sure cover leftover fish or put in the refrigerator as flies lay eggs on smelly, uncovered fish. It is important that you judge fish consumption so that you have enough of fresh, unfrozen fish each day. When it gets warm (eventually), it will be important not to keep leftover fish outside of the fridge for too long. Put excess fish parts in a trash bag or bucket and frequently take out to the compost bin. We don’t want to simply throw fish parts out in masses because we could be feeding unfed (control) birds which will bias the data. We might also encourage gulls to the area, which also sometimes like to eat kittiwakes. Feeding continues daily until complete failure of nest (or for 12 days if failure happens in the first 10 days after laying because there is a possibility of relaying). Once failure happens, the feeding tube is taking out and the hole is plugged and feeding ceases at that site.
SOP 3. Resighting kittiwakes, checking for eggs/chicks and window labels.
As part of the annual monitoring scheme, we record the annual survival of kittiwakes and cormorants. In many cases, individual projects (i.e. graduate theses, etc.) also require knowing survival in subsequent years, but the particular investigator may not come out to observe those data, relying on you instead. Estimates of survival usually occur using program MARK that accounts for resighting probability and survival independently. It is important to have the resighting probability very high so that survival can be estimated accurately. Many individuals show up at the start of the season and then are not seen again because they lose their site. Thus, it is important to resight as many birds as possible early in the season. For the first few weeks, resighting is done daily, usually after the 9AM feeding.
For the kittiwakes, this involves recording the band combinations of each bird present at each site in the tower. We do this for about a month and assume by that point we have resighted all birds. There are pages for this in the resighting binder. Make sure to record the “slash”. For instance, BO/BS not BOBS, as that could be BOB/S or BO/BS. The kittiwakes ‘names’ are recorded by their colour bands: blue, orange, light green, dark green, red, white and yellow. The unique colour band combination identifies any individual that has previously been banded and brought into our ‘family’. This is how we identify each individual: left leg and then right leg, top to bottom (i.e. blue over orange over blue on the left leg and blue over silver on the right leg would be ‘BOB/BS’; the reversed leg combination would be ‘BS/BOB’. The slash separates the left leg from the right). Pay very careful attention to the colour band combination. It is very easy to reverse legs or switch colours. For resighting, make sure to see and record both legs every time; don’t rely on the window panel labels. When recording the combination in the book, place males on the left and females on the right for each column (or, decide as a group, for the reverse). This makes it much easier to keep track of each individual and to input the data in the end. Record the status of the nest, the number of eggs (* is used for egg) and the number of chicks (^ is used for chick). This would look like “BOB/BS BS/BOB 3” for BOB/BS and BS/BOB at nest with status 3, or “BOB/BS BS/BOB 2^” for BOB/BS and BS/BOB at a nest with 2 chicks. Once a nest has one or more eggs or chicks, nest quality is no longer recorded. The estimate for survival is highest if resighting probability is high and there is some movement between adjacent sites. Thus, it is important to be expansive with your recording of sites. If you can just barely make out the site, still include it. In that case you will often need to have an A, B, C added to the window (A27A, A27B, etc.). Birds without bands are recorded as ‘NB’ and those with just one band would be, for instance, (‘-/S’ or ‘S/-‘). It can’t be stressed enough: do not rush this job.
If you find a bird with a new egg/chick, add it to the label (A* 6/17 for A egg on Jun 17; B^ 7/18 for B chick on July 18). Likewise, if an egg/chick disappears, mark it as lost with the date. This data is also recorded in the resighting binder on the back page, alongside the number of chicks/eggs on the first page (1*, 1*1^, 2^, etc.). Cause of death is often obvious: the bird starved, the site was taken over, etc. Make sure to record the site of any new eggs or chicks on a clipboard or rite in the rain book, and weigh eggs and chicks (see SOP 8 and 9).
SOP 4. Cleaning tower.
Whenever it rains, water gets into the tower and makes a cold puddle on the flower. After feeding in the morning, use the squeegees to sweep water down the middle hole or out the door where the kittiwake release hatch is (when birds aren’t nesting yet). It is so much nicer to work when the floor is roughly dry. Make sure to clean the feeding tubes with a brush and disinfectant regularly. Take turns to clean the fish table, cooler, and fridge regularly; otherwise, it can get quite smelly.
SOP 5. Sexing kittiwakes.
It is important to know the sex of each kittiwake that has a nest. There are four ways of behaviourally sexing the kittiwake: feeding, copulation, standing, and begging.
1. Begging: The female begs; she does this by raising her head up and down repeatedly and squeaking (high-pitched whine). Make sure that this is very intense begging, with the female repeatedly tapping the male’s bill.
2. Courtship feeding: The female begins by begging. The male regurgitates and feeds the female, sometimes more than once.
3. Stand: The male stands on the female. It differs from a copulation in that there is no contact.
4. Copulation: The male will be on top during a copulation; you must actually see contact as just seeing one bird on top of another is not enough. If there is no contact, it counts as a stand.
A kittiwake can also be sexed using head-bill length. At the start of the season, record the sex of each individual in the resighting binder and window panels based on the previous year’s sexing (and assuming that all partnerships are male-female). Nonetheless, errors are made and some birds have ‘changed sex’ over time. Thus, try and sex all birds in each year without reference to the previous year. Make sure to record, in the resighting binder, any behaviours that allow you to sex birds. There will be a few birds that are of unknown sex (neither member of the pair was present the previous year). Concentrate very heavily on those birds. Try and spend at least 20 person-hours each year standing in the middle of the tower so that many windows can be seen and waiting for a sexual activity to occur. Whenever you see something during feeding, attendance and other activities, make sure to write it down. It can be useful to have a piece of paper dedicated to that on the desk, which can then be input into the resighting binder when time allows.
SOP 6. Labelling windows.
The window labels on ‘cheat cards’ or white duct tape placed next to each window are valuable tools for determining the status of each nest quickly. The duct tape will readily attach on dry days. If you put one up on a wet day, smooth it out and make it stick on a dry day. Tacks can also be used. The window label should have (1) the window number (A1, A2, etc.), the band combination and sex of each member of the pair (“M BOB/BS” on second line; “F BS/BOB” on third line). If a new bird is present on resighting for three days in a row, you can assume the site has been taken over and replace the label with a new label. You will then record the data of each egg laid and each chick hatched over the course of the season on separate lines, so make sure there is room for that. (“EA 6/16” on 4th line for A egg laid on 16 June; “EB” 6/18 on 5th line for B egg laid on 18 June; beside it place “lost 6/19” if it was lost on 19 June; “CA 7/15” on 6th line for A chick hatched on 15 July).
SOP 7. Marking birds with picric acid.
Once they start incubating, it is difficult to see a bird’s band combination. Rather than continually tap on the window and aggravate the bird into standing up, we mark the birds with a yellow dye (picric acid). The dye must be diluted 1:3 with water before use. You can dilute more than that and it continues to be visible. A syringe with a long tube is available in the tower. Fill the syringe with picric acid, and squirt it through the slit (try and avoid feeding tubes). This works best once birds have eggs and no long fly away—and is not really necessary before then. We usually only mark the birds in the attendance rows (top two rows of A and B, and middle row of D and E) as those birds we observe seven times per day. You can also mark ‘fed’ birds if you find it aggravating to bother them to stand up. Be very careful to avoid the bird’s eyes and eggs. The acid can be lethal to the eggs. Mark the bird high on the breast or the back of the neck/head where it will be easily visible. Birds tend to sit in a particular direction, and so it also a good idea to mark the side of the bird that usually faces the window. The dye will fade over time, and so mark the bird once the dye is no longer clearly visible. Once birds are no longer actively sitting on eggs or young chicks it is no longer necessary to mark them. Once you mark a bird, circle with a pen or highlight in yellow the bird on the card/tape next to the window so that attendance can be made quickly. It is often useful to mark the individual in the pair with yellow in the band combination because it makes attendance quicker (one doesn’t need to think quite as long), but this is not essential. We now use a different, less toxic dye, i.e. Nyanzol.
SOP 8. Marking kittiwake eggs.
Check for productivity (new eggs/chicks) twice a day, once after the morning feed and once after the dinner feed. Mark any changes on the window labels and on a clipboard/rite in the rain book. Weigh each egg on the day it was laid and measure length and breadth. Also, mark it with the nest number. A eggs are written in red marker, B in blue, and C in green. Do this as you do resighting/productivity check. Also, record any lost eggs/chicks and the cause (if the cause is unknown, write ‘unknown’). Make sure the resighting book and window labels are up to date!
SOP 9. Weighing and banding kittiwake chicks.
Once the chicks start hatching, morning and afternoon checks must be performed to detect them. When a new chick is noticed, the following are the required procedures:
- 1. The chick’s date of birth must be written on the white duct tape tag.
- 2. The chick’s number must be added to the chick schedule. Chick schedule is to be constantly updated in order to keep up with new hatchlings, dead chicks and ones for re-measurement.
- 3. The chick’s date of birth must be written in the resighting binder containing its nest information.
- 4. The chick is to be weighed with the provided scales. The weight is also recorded in the binder mentioned in point 3.
- 5. The chick’s wings are measured with a smaller wing line for chicks and recorded in the binder as well.
- 6. The chick’s culmen, headbill, and tarsus (diagonal) are measured with a caliper and also recorded in the binder.
- 7. Chicks are measured every 5 days, where day 0 is the day they hatched.
- 8. In the interval between days 25-30, the chicks must be banded. Their banding information (colour and silver band number) is recorded both in the resighting binders and the banding binder. Every year there is a previously established combination of a silver band (either on the left or right foot) and a single colour band (ex. white) on the opposite foot. For example, in 2010 the code might have been “W/S”, while in 2013 it is “S/W”. The bands must be placed on the correct feet and squeezed tightly. The colour bands should slightly overlap, while the silver bands should touch ends and have a clearly readable number.
All kittiwakes with nests should have unique colour bands. It is important that at the start of each season we fix all birds with missing or messed up bands. Use the computer database to figure out the correct colour band combination; in most cases you just need to look at who was there the year before. Band birds that are unbanded or banded as a chick (a silver band and no or one colour band on the other leg) and that have established a nest site. This should occur in late May when nest sites and breeding pairs are more firmly established. Use combinations that have not been crossed out on the band combination sheet in the tower banding binder. It is very important that as soon as you band a bird, you cross the combo off the sheet. When banding a bird, please take all measurements listed on the data sheet, including: weight, wing, culmen, tarsus and headbill. Squeeze the colour bands tightly with the pliers so that they overlap slightly. Please check band numbers twice. If the bird pukes, collect its regurgitation in a Ziploc bag, mark it with MDO, the window number, the species (BLKI), the colour band combo, and the date, and freeze it. Use all bands in order of sequence. Keep a close record of all bands used (applied and lost) in data books and computer spreadsheet.
SOP 11. Attaching a device to the back of adult kittiwake.
It takes two people. Once you have the bird, one person places the bird in his or her lap with the face (bill) towards them but covered and back free to the second person. The device should go as far back as possible without interfering with the uropygial (preen) gland which is at the base of the tail on the lower back. There are number of large feathers on the back. Place a tape, a cable tie, and another tape, under the feathers. Work them in good and get the feathers to stick onto the tape. Place the device on top. Now, wrap each end of the tape around and onto the device, making sure that they overlap. Tape tapes best to tape. A little bit of super glue under the tape will help it stick to the device and the other end of the tape. Pull the cable tie tight. Check to make sure no flight feathers are caught. Pull lightly on the device to make sure it is well stuck on and that everything is clean with no bits sticking out. Release the bird.
SOP 12. Making bands.
The bands are made of darvic plastic imported from Europe via the French team. They come in large sheets which have been cut into small strips appropriate for bands. Boil water in a frying pan. Grip one end of the strip in Leatherman or other pliers. Once it becomes flexible (a few seconds), pull it out and wrap it around the tip of the leatherman with your fingers, and place it in the holes of the mould. To avoid burning your fingers, you can use a towel to help wrap strips around the pliers. After the mould is finished (you’ve filled all the holes), put the mould back into the frying pan. The bands will then expand. Use a spatula to make sure they are all flat and the same size, and that they don’t pop out of the hole.
SOP 13. Recording nest condition (0-3).
When resighting prior to egg laying, the status of the nest can be expressed within 4 levels:
Level 0=There is nothing in the nest, no twigs or anything indicating a potential nest construction.
Level 1=There is indication of initiated nest construction. Options vary from few piled twigs to a ring of twigs (floor can be seen in middle).
Level 2=The nest construction is of an advanced level. To distinguish from level 1, in level 2 the floor of the nest is fully covered in twigs.
Level 3=The nest is complete, which is indicated by a clear “bowl” shape, with enough space for 2/3 eggs to fit in the “bowl”.
Intermediate levels can be used. For example, 0.5 indicates a small amount of nest material that is unorganised, while a 2.5 indicates an almost finished nest.
SOP 14. Resighting cormorants, and egg/chick checks.
As with the kittiwakes, cormorant survival is part of the ongoing monitoring scheme. This is also how we attach individual parents to their reproductive success and monitor the lifetime reproductive success of each individual. Cormorant resighting is usually recorded every three days in a separate binder. Males and females are readily distinguishable because the male has a larger bill. Males have red bands and females have green bands. Record the band number (RXXX for males, GXXX for females) of the bird(s) present and the number of eggs (*) or chicks (^). Keep males on the left and females on right in the data binder columns for ease of inputting the data later. Cormorants are very sensitive so never open the window. Use the back end of the cormorant hook to push up against the breast of the cormorant to see under them. Be very careful to see the band number and number of eggs/chicks every time.
SOP 15. Rhinoceros auklet burrow checks.
The purpose of the rhino burrow checks is to determine reproductive success, timing of breeding and chick growth rates. Sixty auklet burrows are to be found (60 adults with eggs or warm eggs), usually at the rhino trail. The goal is 50 burrows but inevitably 5-10 will be discarded, so we aim for 60. Historically, the first auklet chick (hatch date) has been the 5-16 June. Given a 52 day incubation, that means that the first eggs are typically laid on the 14-25 April. You want to start searching after most eggs have been laid, so start searching for eggs on 15 May. The colony on the ship trail is a second option if you get bored with the rhino trail colony, but requires using the ATV; I find it easier to work at locations that don’t need the ATV. Do not work at the colony below the tower as we could potentially bias our productivity data when we collect bill loads later in the season. Be very careful not to collapse burrows as the ground is very soft. Try and crawl on roots rather than bare ground. If the rhino camera is available and functional, always charge the rhino camera battery the night before use. Find an active burrow (lots of packed dirt with evidence of birds going in and out; footprints; signs of recent diggings; feathers; guano). Put your hand in and use a stick and/or the rhino camera to view as far as you can. Figure out what direction the burrow goes. When you can go no farther, dig a new access hole and continue. Burrows are often 5 or more feet and have ‘dead ends’. It can take an hour to completely excavate a hole. Persistence often pays off. This can be a very tedious task as often an afternoon is spent with nothing found. Don’t give up! Other times a couple of people can find 14 in a morning. Choosing the right burrows is key. Rhino ‘grubbing’ takes a certain amount of Zen. It is particularly enjoyable in the rain, as even when it is stormy out the west side of the island is often quite calm and it is fun to be under all the salmonberries. Often, one can feel warmth from the bird or the twigs used to make the nest just before getting to the nest chamber. Eventually, you will feel a warm egg and/or the bird. Also, sometimes one will find a warm egg without finding the bird. Sometimes rhinos bite, but not usually very hard. Don’t pull back as their bill is hooked; rather, wait for them to let go. Some people use gloves with the finger tips cut out as it is often important to feel the bird. After initial contact (or preferably before), search them out with the camera. Once a bird and egg is found, a stake is placed beside the burrow and a note is made in the notebook about where the stake is relative to the entrance hole and where the bird is relative to the hold (“stake 50 cm up the hill from access hole; put camera in downwards and to south (towards FAA)”). A common problem is lost burrows. It is a lot of work finding the auklets; don’t waste that work by losing the burrows. Use a liberal amount of flagging tape and take good notes. A cold egg should be revisited as birds will neglect eggs in the first 10 days. Burrows on flat ground are often preferable because it is difficult to dig out burrows that go directly back into the hillside (if anyone has read ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’ they’ll know what I mean. It is very important that all of the various access holes are covered by using chicken wire and garbage bag. Sticks are placed into the sides of the access hole (not in the tunnel itself) for structural support, and then are covered by chicken wire and garbage bag, and then dirt. The nest chamber should be completely dark. Once burrows are found, they should be rechecked on a 5 day schedule until chicks hatch. You can then determine the date when the chick is at least 5 days old. Next, weigh and measure wing chord when the chick is between 5 and 10 days, and again when it is between 20 and 25 days, and check every 10 days thereafter to determine fledging success (typically fledging is at 55 days). The goal for chick growth is to determine chick growth at the linear growth phase (age 5 to 25 days), so that grams per day can be measured. Two points spread out between day 5 and 25 are needed. Band the chick on the second visit and record the band number. Remember, chicks can move around a fair bit in the tunnel, especially when they get bigger, and so you might need to use the camera to locate and eventually dig out a missing chick (kittiwake hook can help for that, too). It is often optimal to work in pairs with one person looking at the camera screen while the other manipulates the camera to find contents. Do not take the camera out in or immediately after heavy rain, to preserve the life of the camera and because the ground becomes unstable around the burrows when saturated. What do you need? A trowel, critter cam, notebook, a pencil, markers, stakes, flagging tape, garbage bag, chicken wire, and wire cutters. Once chicks, a scale, bands, and a bag.
SOP 16. Tufted puffin burrow checks.
The purpose of the puffin burrow checks is (1) to determine reproductive success, timing of breeding and chick growth rates, and (2) for everyone to help out studying the most gorgeous bird on the island. Sixty puffin burrows are to be found (60 adults with eggs or warm eggs), usually at the end of the dump road. Historically, the first puffin chick (hatch date) has been July 1-6. Given a 46-day incubation, the first eggs are typically laid on May15-20. You want to start searching after most eggs have been laid, so start searching for eggs on June 1. Most of the comments on rhinos apply here. Be very careful not to collapse burrows as the ground is very soft. There are many rabbit burrows, but they are usually bigger. Always charge the camera battery the night before use. Find an active burrow (claw marks; feathers; poop). Put your hand in and use a stick and/or the camera to view as far as you can. Figure out what direction the burrow goes. When you can go no farther, dig a new access hole and continue. Burrows are often 5 or more feet and have ‘dead ends’. They are often shorter than the rhino burrows but have more dead ends/are more labyrinthine, and there are fewer roots to worry about. Whereas rhinos are quite pleasant on a stormy day, puffins are quite miserable on very windy day. Like with the rhinos, persistence often pays off, as does ‘Puffin Zen’. Eventually, you will feel a warm egg and/or the bird. If the puffins bite, don’t pull back as their bill is hooked; rather, wait for them to let go. Some people use gloves with the finger tips cut out as it is often important to feel the bird. After initial contact (or preferably before), search them out with the camera. The camera is more useful for puffins than rhinos as the burrows are larger and so the camera is less likely to get stuck. Once a bird and egg is found, a wire with a flag is placed beside the burrow and a note is made in the notebook about where the stake is relative to the entrance hole and where the bird is relative to the hold (“stake 50 cm up the hill from access hole; put camera in downwards and to south (towards Gold Point)”). Don’t waste all that work by losing the burrows. A cold egg should be revisited as birds will neglect eggs in the first 10 days. It is very important that all of the various access holes are covered by using chicken wire and garbage bag. Chicken wire and garbage bag are wedged into the hole and covered in dirt. The nest chamber should be completely dark. Once burrows are found, they should be rechecked on a 5 day schedule until chicks hatch. You can then determine the date when the chick is at least 5 days old. Next, weigh and measure wing chord when the chick is between 20 and 25 days, and again when it is between 35 and 40 days, and check on day 55 to determine fledging success. Band the chick on the second visit and record the band number. What do you need? A trowel, critter cam, notebook, wire with flagging, chicken wire, garbage bag, and wire cutters. Once chicks, scale and bag.
SOP 17. Glaucous-winged gull nest checks.
The purpose of the gull nest checks is (1) to determine reproductive success, timing of breeding and chick growth rates, and (2) to get out and enjoy being on an island in Alaska. Two plots are usually monitored every four days (one plot every other day). One plot is at the bottom of the rhino trail (‘north plot’) and the other is an island accessed from the ship trial (‘south plot’). The south plot is only accessible at low tide so you must check the tide before going. Usually, gull nest checks take 3-4 hours and take three people, although it is possible with two people. Usually, checks happen after the 9AM feeding and the team takes a lunch because they are unlikely to make it back in time for lunch at the chateau. For the south plot, the entire island is covered. For the north plot, the area between the old beach and a pond is covered. Flagging tape is used to mark each end of the plot, with each flagging tape attached about 10 m apart. Three people can easily cover 10 m. In groups of three, one person is in charge of keeping the group straight, and walks between the two sets of flagging tape (at either end of the plot). The team then moves 10 m up the plot, and repeats the process, until the entire plot is covered. It is important to be diligent and not miss any nests, or else reproductive success and timing of breeding estimates will be biased. When a nest with eggs or chick is found, a stake is placed and labeled with a number. The stake is placed 1 m in the direction of camp from the nest. Once the shrubberies grow tall, it can be very difficult to re-find a nest. Mark it well! The length and breadth of the egg is then measured with calipers. Make sure you get the widest part for the breadth. Then, use a non-toxic marker and mark it several times as the “A” egg. Choose a different colour for the “B” and “C” eggs, so that they can be distinguished even if the letter is hard to read. A eggs are marked in red, B eggs are marked in blue, and C eggs are marked in green. If a B or C egg is encountered, measure and mark it as well. If two eggs have been laid since the last check, label the smaller one as the higher letter (label the bigger A and the smaller B, or the bigger B and the smaller C). In subsequent visits, make sure to visit each nest and record contents (by recording them in order it is usually easy to find each missed nets; nest 6 must be between 5 and 7; towards the end where only 1-2 nests are found per visit, record the location of the nest relative to other nests (‘north of 24’)). It is typical to get 40-60 nests per plot. Once chicks hatch, mark their head with a colour (A chicks get a particular colour, B chicks get a particular colour; avoid red which can be perceived as blood by the adults). Add a temporary band. Record the weight and wing chord of each chick. Try and assign a nest to each chick, although you will soon find that you get ‘runners’ and chicks that move long distances from their nests. Collect any regurgitation and label it with location (MDO, plot number), date, species (GWGU) and nest number. What do you need? Calipers, stakes, flagging tape, three colours of markers. Once chicks are predicted to hatch: bag, Pesola scale, wing ruler and Ziploc (to collect puke).
SOP 18. Rhinoceros auklet bill loads.
Starting in mid-July, visit the auklet colony (around 11pm) and quietly remain hidden until adults begin to arrive with bill loads. As adults land (rather, crash into the salmonberry bushes) use fish nets to capture birds. If a bird is on the ground, don’t move. It is likely to walk into you (and more likely to do that, than for you to catch it, unless it is very close). A former graduate student referred to auklet catching as being a ninja of the night. It certainly requires fast reflexes and some skill and practice. You may not actually capture the auklet, but rather scare it enough for it to drop its bill load. Look carefully around the entire area with a head lamp for dropped fish. Fish may be scattered. Collect 20 bill loads per night for five nights scattered 5-7 nights apart. Work from one end of the colony to the other, sampling a new part each night. Do not sample any of your growth monitoring burrows. If you cave in a burrow, immediately check for injured chicks, clear the hole, and repair it. The next morning, weigh and identify all fish sampled. There is a field guide to fishes commonly found in auk bill loads at Middleton that you may find helpful. Weight the whole sample and then individual fish. Measure the length of each fish nose to end of the tail fins. Cloudy/rainy days (not so wet that ground is too soft) are often darkest and best. What do you need? Small plywood planks for moving on (act as snowshoes that prevent caving in burrows; kneel on these); Ziploc bags and sharpies; nets.
SOP 19. Tufted puffin bill loads.
Starting in mid-July, collect bill loads using three techniques: muzzle and screening. For the muzzle technique, place a pipe cleaner muzzle over the head and bill of ten puffin chicks. Leave muzzles on for 24-36 hr. Attach a string around the puffin chick’s leg and tie it to a nail stuck in the ground (in the burrow) to facilitate recapture. Collect bill loads upon arrival, placing each load in a separately labeled Ziploc bag. For the screening method, place screens over 50-60 burrows first think in the morning (5AM), making sure the screens are firmly placed in the burrow entrance. Puffins can be determined to get back to their chicks! Stay, and collect bill loads as they are deposited. Gulls will often steal bill loads, so you need to be fast. Place each bill load in a separately labeled bag. If you cave in a burrow, immediately check for injured chicks, clear the hole, and repair it. Work from one end of the colony to the other, sampling a new part each time. Do not sample any of your growth monitoring burrows. Be sure to count your screens and muzzles TWICE before you begin, and mark all screens/burrows with stakes. Weigh and measure fish as for auklets. What do you need? Screens/muzzles; Ziploc bags and sharpies; nets.
SOP 20. Cormorant banding.
Cormorants’ bands are bigger and slightly different, but attachment is similar to the kittiwake ones. The colour bands are numbered and come only in two colours: either red (for males) or green (for females). Cormorant chicks receive only a silver band which is recorded in the cormorant banding binder. The adult cormorants either receive only a colour band (if they have been previously banded as chicks), or both colour and silver bands (if they are new on the tower). When banding cormorants, the bander must be prepared for a very strong body and long, maneuverable neck with painful beak at the end. It is best to have an assistant when banding cormorants for the first time.
SOP 21. Camp log.
Make daily entries in the journal. Record general observations for all species, daily activities of personnel, weather, unusual events, and funny stories. Record the first observation of all eggs and of all chicks of all avian species, as well as any mammals observed, and first flowering of any plants. Have fun with this. Entries need not be long. Even a few sentences about each day will serve as a nice record of your time at Middleton. I also encourage everyone to make a bird list at least once per week, and upload it to eBird at the end of the summer. All you need is an Excel spreadsheet. On each date (a new column for each date), you can then record number of birds or an “X” for species you do not count (e.g. kittiwakes). Numbers (even approximate) are always more useful than “X”.
Coats data up to 2017:
Sexing data.
Sexing data from Allison (up to 2019)
tbmu_age.csv (up to 2019)
Chick growth data.
Chick growth data 2018
The most complete, checked version of chick growth data. Should reconcile 2017 with this version.
Counts.
How to band murres
How to do breeding plots: op106.pdf
Diet data summary
Most up to date version of Coats Island counts. Need to reconcile with 2016-17.
Feeding watch data. Should double check raw data, add a column for start end of FW, number of sites, observer, and figure out who did deliveries. Feeding watch data 2018
All banded birds. Needs to get checked, especially 2017-19.
Camp logs 1986-1995
Camp logs 1996-1997
Camp logs 1998-2004
Camp logs 2005-2011
Still needed: feeding watch data, weather, breeding plots, gulls, banding, species log, fish data, data loggers.
Notes on:
Coats Island Thick-billed Murre diet index
This index is used to monitor the diet of Thick-billed Murres Uria lomvia at their westernmost colony in Hudson Bay. It is part of a network of sites set up by EC to monitor Arctic seabirds and the results are used to assess changes in marine food webs in the waters of northern Hudson Bay. The diet index derives from numbers of meals observed delivered to nestling Thick-billed Murres by their parents on selected sites at Coats Island, Nunavut. Watches are carried out three times during each breeding season, first when about half of the nestlings have hatched and then at 7-day intervals thereafter. Additional observations are made casually during other work at the colony, including the discovery of discarded fish on the breeding sites.
Pages:
"Summary all years" gives all records, seen on watches, seen casually, or collected from breeding sites
"Observed deliveries only" gives only the numbers seen on watches, or casually, but omits those collected from breeding sites -
this should be unbiassed by the handling ability or preference of the nestlings.
Columns
The first three columns give order, family and genus of the prey organisms identified.
The remaining columns give the numbers of each prey taxon recorded in each year of observations.
Missing values indicate that the taxon was not identified in a given year. Years without observations are noted in row 4.
The proportion of fish (%) within the given year that was collected from breeding sites, rather than observed being delivered is given at row 41.
Julian date = days from 1 January
The remaining columns give indices by date
Missing values indicate that counts were not carried out, either because the field crew was not present, or because weather was too bad for counting.
Notes by year:
1994: Count was probably influenced by very high numbers early in the season because of early ice break-up in surrounding waters, compared to earlier years.
2002: Overwinter survival of breeding adults was lower than normal, indicating difficult overwintering conditions, perhaps leading to poor condition of survivors and lower attendance at the colony.
2011: Mortality caused by polar bears and mosquitoes meant that many breeding sites on the top ledges were frequently unoccupied, leading to lower-than-normal counts. This reduction in the population index probably does not relate to an actual change in the population size.
2012: no counts as no field party visited the colony.
For further information on the study site and methods, see:
Gaston, A.J., K. Woo and J.M. Hipfner. 2003. Trends in forage fish populations in northern Hudson Bay since 1981,
as determined from the diet of nestling thick-billed murres Uria lomvia. Arctic 56: 227-233.
Sexing data.
Sexing data from Allison (up to 2019)
tbmu_age.csv (up to 2019)
Chick growth data.
Chick growth data 2018
The most complete, checked version of chick growth data. Should reconcile 2017 with this version.
Counts.
How to band murres
How to do breeding plots: op106.pdf
Diet data summary
Most up to date version of Coats Island counts. Need to reconcile with 2016-17.
Feeding watch data. Should double check raw data, add a column for start end of FW, number of sites, observer, and figure out who did deliveries. Feeding watch data 2018
All banded birds. Needs to get checked, especially 2017-19.
Camp logs 1986-1995
Camp logs 1996-1997
Camp logs 1998-2004
Camp logs 2005-2011
Still needed: feeding watch data, weather, breeding plots, gulls, banding, species log, fish data, data loggers.
Notes on:
Coats Island Thick-billed Murre diet index
This index is used to monitor the diet of Thick-billed Murres Uria lomvia at their westernmost colony in Hudson Bay. It is part of a network of sites set up by EC to monitor Arctic seabirds and the results are used to assess changes in marine food webs in the waters of northern Hudson Bay. The diet index derives from numbers of meals observed delivered to nestling Thick-billed Murres by their parents on selected sites at Coats Island, Nunavut. Watches are carried out three times during each breeding season, first when about half of the nestlings have hatched and then at 7-day intervals thereafter. Additional observations are made casually during other work at the colony, including the discovery of discarded fish on the breeding sites.
Pages:
"Summary all years" gives all records, seen on watches, seen casually, or collected from breeding sites
"Observed deliveries only" gives only the numbers seen on watches, or casually, but omits those collected from breeding sites -
this should be unbiassed by the handling ability or preference of the nestlings.
Columns
The first three columns give order, family and genus of the prey organisms identified.
The remaining columns give the numbers of each prey taxon recorded in each year of observations.
Missing values indicate that the taxon was not identified in a given year. Years without observations are noted in row 4.
The proportion of fish (%) within the given year that was collected from breeding sites, rather than observed being delivered is given at row 41.
Julian date = days from 1 January
The remaining columns give indices by date
Missing values indicate that counts were not carried out, either because the field crew was not present, or because weather was too bad for counting.
Notes by year:
1994: Count was probably influenced by very high numbers early in the season because of early ice break-up in surrounding waters, compared to earlier years.
2002: Overwinter survival of breeding adults was lower than normal, indicating difficult overwintering conditions, perhaps leading to poor condition of survivors and lower attendance at the colony.
2011: Mortality caused by polar bears and mosquitoes meant that many breeding sites on the top ledges were frequently unoccupied, leading to lower-than-normal counts. This reduction in the population index probably does not relate to an actual change in the population size.
2012: no counts as no field party visited the colony.
For further information on the study site and methods, see:
Gaston, A.J., K. Woo and J.M. Hipfner. 2003. Trends in forage fish populations in northern Hudson Bay since 1981,
as determined from the diet of nestling thick-billed murres Uria lomvia. Arctic 56: 227-233.