Seychelles Magpie Robin Success Story

Last week we completed the breeding seabird census which is one week of the year that we have to cover the whole island to record breeding numbers. However as well as the expected sights of the woodland floor covered with sooty tern eggs and the canopy full of lesser noddy nests, we encountered something else which was rather special.
We were in an area on the south west corner of the island, under the shade of the trees counting the 5 species of seabird within our 300m² plot, when our two magpie robins that have started to frequent the hill joined us to capitalise on the disturbed ground which we were creating with our feet. We stopped for a moment to enjoy their presence and as we did there was the sound of a third bird higher up in the glade. Now there had been 3 birds at one time that we aware of, using the hill, but this sound was different, we knew it was the sound of a youngster. Quickly we made our way up the hill towards the noise and there sure enough to our amazement was a healthy young magpie robin, still with a bright yellow gape, squawking!
A huge smile came across my face this was such a discovery; on two fronts, it was the first time in the history of the magpie robin on Aride that these birds had ever proven to have bred on the hill and secondly it was the first pair of Aride born magpie robins that had ever successfully produced a fledgling.
I have always felt it to be such a privilege to work with birds such as the magpie robins, and previous to coming to Aride it was only something I would ever dream of, or read about in the RSPB’s Birds magazine. Still an endangered species with just approximately 190 birds on 5 islands in the Seychelles these birds are still up against it. But now here I was witnessing this species pushing out the boundaries, and succeeding against all odds. When I first arrived sky-blue blue was a young female still with her juvenile feathers and now here she was, a mother. But the best part of this story has to be that there has been no need to provide nest boxes or feeding and watering stations for this pair, they have done it alone and the only assistance required from the Aride team is to be but witnesses – wonderful.

One of the best Aride jobs ever - counting roseate tern nests!

Last Sunday it was time for just two people to go into the colony and count the nests and eggs, it was not a job neither Chloe nor I had done before and with the birds very prone to disturbance I was more than a little apprehensive to say the least. But we had discussed our plan of attack and were ready and prepared for the task in hand. We both had a soft spot for these birds and were looking forward to getting up close and personal with them. Due to a lack of food last year none of the birds survived, but this year was looking good we have seen numerous birds flying along the beach, so fingers were crossed that there would be over 500 pairs, which would be amazing.

Roseate terns have become a real rarity in the UK, I remember as a teenager I used to make the trip to Cemlyn Bay on Anglesey that used to a couple of pairs and sometimes I might just to get a glimpse of them, through my inadequate telescope. Here on Aride we have the only woodland nesting colony in the World and the only colony in the granitic Seychelles – so it is of major significance. Hence the excitement...

After breakfast we headed up the hill path, now out of bounds, the sootys had taken up residence in many spots along the path, most of them were defending eggs and they barked at us with their very dog-like call. Beautiful birds, so well defined, clean cut and perfectly built for flight, long wings, short legs and streamline bodies, as we walked through they scuttled out of the way like little old men with their hands behind their backs dressed in their dinner suits. We tried to reassure them, but they were duty to bound come what may to stay with their eggs, some even refused point blank to move and we stepped over them. There seemed to be a good number of birds in the periphery of the woods along the path - so may be it is going to be a good season.

As we diverted off the path, the roseates sounded quiet and for a minute I thought oh know may be the colony has suffered persecution from poachers, but then like magic, their high pitch calls rang through and I caught sight of their pale grey bodies and black heads bobbing about in amongst the leaves. We made a plan to walk to the top of the colony and enter in form the side and keep going across or taking sections in this way. Chloe had prepared recording sheets and small pieces of paper, these were for putting into each nest when it was counted to try and avoid double counting. I nervously collected 50 pieces ready in my hand and we entered the mass of birds. The noise was tremendous, calling and squawking, unlike the sootys gruff call they were high pitched and sounded at times like geese.
We were both in bare feet purposefully so as to ensure that we could be sensitive about where I was putting my feet, at times the eggs were particularly well camouflaged and my walking shoes just made my feet feel big and bulky. I tiptoed through the nests shouting out to Chlo the number of eggs in each and then placing a square of paper beside each. It worked brilliantly and without the paper it would've been pretty much impossible.

A large percentage of the nests only had one egg in, but there were some with two and even three and four - amazing. We worked our way through methodically, breaking the colony into sections so it was manageable. In places the noise from the birds was so loud I had to shout the numbers out for Chlo to record them. The terrain was quite difficult and it was hard work to be nimble, quick, but as accurate as possible and of course avoid breakages.

It was a relief to see that sections of the colony settled down again as we moved on, as the Seychelles skinks were all waiting in the wings as soon as we pushed the birds of their eggs, for an easy meal. We needed to be as quick as we could or otherwise our visit would be detrimental to numbers and that was the last thing we wanted. It surprised me how quickly the birds settled again and they would snuggle down on top of their eggs and with their sharp beaks there was no skink that would take them on.

The area we had cleared was proving to be very successful, the birds were in the area freshly opened up by felling the small Pisonia and also on the tree felled last year, which we had taken the re growth off. The birds would walk up and down this objecting to our presence. Every now and again I would look up for my bent position as I nest counted and just glance at the scene in front of me - it was outrageous, beautiful and such a privilege to be here doing this, although a big nature conservation responsibility. The birds themselves were stunning, their red legs and beaks looked unnatural, but set off perfectly by their black caps and rosy tummies. There was one individual that particularly objected to my presence and invasion on its privacy. It sat on its nest until the last, and in fact almost refused to move at all, located on a small terrace I was at eye-level with her, no more than 2 foot away, with beak open I could see down her throat, I smiled, this was out of this world.

It took us about an hour all told and once completed we sat out of sight at the western end and just watched and listened, the sweat was pouring off me , Chloe did a tally up and we had recorded 524 nests, fantastic. We watched the birds return to their positions sitting back on top of the eggs in amongst the leaves and really nestling in, they looked quite comical, tummies down, tails up. The noise had subsided and it was just a gentle back ground level of high pitched chattering, as they squabbled a little and chattered to each other.

We headed down the hill smiling, as we got to the beach the light was bright after being under the canopy with our heads bent down for so long, it had been a very special day and one I’ll remember for some time, one of the best yet.

Aride in the south east Monsoon

It will be the second south east monsoon that I have the privilege to see on Aride Island, however living on a small island like Aride a change in the wind direction and climate can have a huge effect on life. Aride is known for its difficult landings at the best of times, but the large waves that the south east monsoon winds can create, means launching and landing on this special place is not for the faint hearted.

As the monsoon approaches there are many days when the winds subside and the sea goes like oil, like a sheet of glass it becomes so clear, snorkelling trips are a real treat, the rich shallow, turquoise waters which cover the reef are full of underwater delights from fish to turtles. But we know that during these times what we are experiencing is merely the calm before the storm.

In between the monsoons the wind will fool us, it will change directions many times and will often revert back to the north west, and we enjoy the calm of the southern beach sheltered by the granite outcrop of Aride behind. However when the winds finally turn we prepare for a very different life on the island. It is one of few visitors, and long periods of limited trips to neighbouring shores. We stock up our food cupboards and close the windows and doors to prevent the salt laden winds from penetrating into our possessions and clothes. We know that the island is going to become a very different place for two or three months, as we swop the calm seas, perfect sandy beach and pure blue skies for the big waves, white horses, rocky beach and cloudy unsettled skies.

However this time of year brings visitors of a different kind, the south east monsoon marks the arrival of thousands of seabirds, which come to Aride to breed. At first they arrive in small numbers, as we hear the familiar calls sometimes as early as January. But with the turn of the winds the island becomes alive as the many, many terns come to share this wonderful place and make it their own.

This granite outcrop, a small dot in the Indian Ocean, provides a breeding destination for species such as the sooty tern, brown noddy, lesser noddy and rare roseate tern. Although all a species of tern, they are very different. The sooty tern, has a very distinctive black and white plumage and is very clean cut, with a black cap and mask, black wings and back, they look like gentleman dressed for dinner in their black suits, as they hold their wings behind their backs, . They are built for flight, with long wings and tail and streamline bodies, and their wide-awake call can be heard echoing along the Aride shores.

The brown and lesser noddys are heard all year round in small numbers, but they too come in on mass and they pepper the beach, and with their all brown plumage, they look like shadows on the sand. They spend a lot of time on the beach, where they display, court, collect nesting material and eat coral fragments, as the latter they need for the producing their eggs. They are comical birds, with short legs and a nodding display, they stumble as they try to impress their partners with funny walks and poses and their calls are more crow-like than that of a tern.
Then there is the roseate tern, a very special seabird that breeds on Aride, the island provides the only nesting colony in the granitic islands. Although in appearance quite delicate, they are bulky terns, with pale plumage, distinctive black cap, red legs and feet, with a rosy chest. Probably one of the most special sights on Aride is the flight of the roseate tern along the beach, with the clear Seychelles’ light catching its pink tinged chest.

But all these wonderful birds will be up against difficult times, the breeding season isn’t easy for them. With the only desire to produce young to keep their species going, they face many obstacles. First they need to find a suitable place to nest, which can be fraught with difficulties as habitats change and present new dangers from year to year, and with that there needs to be a food supply. Last season we saw a change in the sea currents, causing a shortage of fish for our avian friends and many of them failed to breed with young dying in the nests. They also need to stay clear of introduced avian predators such as travelling barn owls which may venture across from neighbouring islands such as Praslin.

But it is not just these natural events that they have to face, which can prevent them from completing their natural cycle. Poaching will play a big part too, as people come and steal both sooty tern eggs and birds and crush others such as roseate terns in this quest.

So our avian visitors of the south east monsoon take their chance when they come to Aride to breed. Nature has ways of coping with the natural events, but will poaching force these birds to such low numbers that next year the south monsoon on Aride will be a very different place?

What next - we have now got HOT Water

Aride moves closer towards the 21st century

At last the pipe finally arrived, the pipe that was going to make life on Aride one hell of a lot easier. The pipe in question was the flexible hose that was needed to take water from the well to fill a tank on the hill.

This was the secret to running water!!
It has been a long story about the pipe, but let’s just say we have now got every type of pipe imaginable on the island - from braided hose to PVC waste pipe, and finally the one needed arrived on the latest shipment.

So GUESS WHAT...

We have got running water and not just running water much, much more...
The water project as it is fondly known has been going on for some time, as many things do here in the Seychelles, especially on a remote island. But it was a simple plan and one Melv has been chipping away at since we arrived, it’s not been easy – but perseverance has paid off.
It all started with the moving of the tank, which needed to go up on the side of the hill, this was going to give us the head we needed to feed the houses by gravity.

From the tank we laid the pipe which was going to take water to each of the properties.

When we went back to the UK for our holiday we returned to Aride with a suit case full of plumbing fittings, well over weight it coast an extra £50 to get it on the plane, we even sacrificed chocolate for a bag of copper fittings and a bit of flux!
So we were all set, we had the pump, to take the water from the well and push it up the hill to the tank, but we needed the pipe...

Well the pipe arrived, unfortunately without any fittings, but by hook or by crook we now have running water. For the first time ever Aride Island has running water, pure luxury, no more carrying heavy buckets from the well. We have got a tap...it’s amazing you can wash your hands, wash up, it’s like magic!

But it doesn’t stop there we have got a shower too – no more pouring a bucket over one’s head – no more sand left in your hair, no more trying to make a bucket of water stretch far enough to make sure all the soap and sand have gone – we’ve got a shower!
But that’s not all; we have even got a WASHING MACHINE...

So its goodbye scrubbing brush, welcome Electrolux, clean clothes yippee!!