| |
What is happening on Dyer Island?
Welcome to the weekly update from Dyer Island. In this blog we'll be giving you information about the latest 'goings on', provide
some interesting observations, introduce you to some of the people that work on the island, and follow the progress of some of the
inhabitants on the island such as the African Penguins.true
It's the start of the breeding season for African Penguins here on Dyer Island and there's much nesting activity to be seen.
It is however a tough time for these penguins. It's hot. Very hot. It's the middle of the African summer and there is not
much shade here on the island. More importantly, there is not much guano due to the historical practise of guano scraping
(click on whathere to read more...). This means that
the penguins are having i know to breed on the surface. At this time of the year, many abandon their eggs as it gets too hot
lying out in the sun, and they have to move to the sea to cool down.
It's the first week of field work for the breeding season, and the impacts of the heat are starting to show. While busy with
my nest checks, I came across this colony, where three birds have made their nest in the open  .
In this photo you can see two birds on their nest in the top left and one bird standing above it's nest to the right (most
of the artificial burrows surrounding the birds are occupied with other nesting penguins). They are not very comfortable
however, panting and standing because of the heat.
After watching them from a distance for a little while, I can see that each penguin is incubating 2 eggs. I'm not convinced
that these eggs are going to survive though, the penguins are panting and moving around. A little later in the afternoon
when I came back to check, one of the birds had moved off it's nest completely due to the heat  .
If any Kelp Gulls had been around, these eggs would have made for a quick meal. Not an ideal situation considering the
African Penguin is currently listed as a vulnerable species. Tune in next week and I'll keep you posted on any developments.
Before I sign off, I want to quickly introduce you to some nests we'll be updating you on each week. As part of the research
we're involved in, we need to track breeding success, as well as the chick growth of the African Penguins on Dyer.
Join us as we track these 5 penguin pairs and the growth and hopefully successful fledging of all their chicks.
© 2009 Dyer Island Conservation Trust
|
|
Nest 1 has an adult incubating 1 egg |
Nest 2 has a pair that are nesting |
Nest 3 has an adult incubating 2 eggs |
Nest 4 has an adult incubating 2 eggs |
Nest 5 has an adult incubating 1 egg |
|
|
