Snorkeling and Banding

OK, don't hate me too much. Yesterday, all day, my job was to go find a new snorkeling spot to take visitors to. One of the places we currently take them is just too shallow and fragile, so we went looking for a deeper place. First three places weren't great for coral, most of it was dead. First one had some monster lobsters, though. Second two had great parrot fish and big Bird Wrasses. Took our boat right up to the beach in front of the Clipper House and hopped out for lunch. Told everyone that it was probably the closest we'd all come to being delivered to a secluded beach by yacht. After lunch found a pretty good spot. Big coral heads, deeper water, space between the coral and lots of great fish.

Watched the volunteers (Dana, Kristin, and Brent) band Tropicbirds the other day and today I learned to band Laysan chicks. The Laysans tend to come back to where they were hatched to raise their own young. Kinda cool to look at a band and be able to find out how old the bird is. Their are plastic bands with bigger, easier to read numbers that last about 10 years, and a metal one that stays on forever. The metal ones are hard as heck to get on right. Really have to squeeze hard to get it on and you often have to tweak it. Definitely a two person job, 'cause those chicks don't like to be banded and their beaks are sharp. I've got a pretty good scratch down one leg.

And, of course, there are a lot of "cute chicks" around.The one about is a very young Tropicbird, probably just a couple of days.

Check out mom cuddling her chick and keeping it warm.

Love y'all,

Murray