Kate Helmstedt (School of Mathematics and Physics, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia) and colleagues have published in the Journal of Applied Ecology on prioritizing and costing eradication of invasive mammals on islands, using four Australian islands as examples.  One of these, Macquarie, supports breeding populations of seven ACAP-listed species of albatrosses and petrels.

The paper’s summary follows:

“1. Many highly diverse island ecosystems across the globe are threatened by invasive species.  Eradications of invasive mammals from islands are being attempted with increasing frequency, with success aided by geographical isolation and increasing knowledge of eradication techniques.  There have been many attempts to prioritize islands for invasive species eradication; however, these coarse methods all assume managers are unrealistically limited to a single action on each island: either eradicate all invasive mammals, or do nothing.
2. We define a prioritization method that broadens the suite of actions considered, more accurately representing the complex decisions facing managers.  We allow the opportunity to only eradicate a subset of invasive mammals from each island, intentionally leaving some invasive mammals on islands.  We consider elements often omitted in previous prioritization methods, including feasibility, cost and complex ecological responses (i.e. trophic cascades).
3. Using a case study of Australian islands, we show that for a fixed budget, this method can provide a higher conservation benefit across the whole group of islands.  Our prioritization method outperforms simpler methods for almost 80% of the budgets considered.
4. On average, by relaxing the restrictive assumption that an eradication attempt must be made for all invasives on an island, ecological benefit can be improved by 27%.
5. Synthesis and applications.  Substantially higher ecological benefits for threatened species can be achieved for no extra cost if conservation planners relax the assumption that eradication projects must target all invasives on an island. It is more efficient to prioritize portfolios of eradication actions rather than islands.”

A male Wandering Albatross on Macquarie Island, photograph by Kate Lawrence

Reference:

Helmstedt, K.J., Shaw, J.D., Bode, M., Terauds, A., Springer, K., Robinson, S.A. & Possingham, H.P. 2016.  Prioritizing eradication actions on islands: it’s not all or nothing.  Journal of Applied Ecology  doi: 10.1111/1365-2664.12599.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 25 January 2016

A live-streaming camera has been switched on to show the fortunes of a group of breeding Laysan Albatrosses Phoebastria immutabilis on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.  The nests are on the property of a private residence on the north shore of Kauai, near the town of Kilauea (click here).

“In 2016, the Albatross Cam moved to a different property featuring four nests on camera (two fertile, two infertile), and a fifth just out of view.  All of the birds were given names by a Hawaiian kumu, or teacher.  The parents of the central fertile nest featured in front of the cam under the ironwood tree are Manawanui (KP796) and unbanded Moana; they laid their egg on November 28, 2015.  The parents on the upper nest to the right of Manawanui and Moana are male Mokihana (KP194) and female Ikaika (unbanded), and their egg was laid November 26.  There is another fertile nest just out of site of the camera, downslope; the egg laid on December 3 is tended by parents Ka`imi (KP093) and Lilinoe (KP688).

There are also two infertile nests being tended by two female-female pairs: Pilialoha (K097) and Mahealani (KP672) are at the lower nest (beneath Mokihana and Ikaika); and Lawakua and Kiwahiwa are at the nest to the left of Manuwanui and Moana’s nest, near the driveway.”

Ornamental shrubs and palms help shade the nests.  A lawn leads away from the nests to a steep bluff over the Pacific Ocean, providing a runway for the adults and, eventually, the chicks, to take off."

A Laysan Albatross incubates on Kauai, photograph by Hob Osterlund

The ‘Laysan Cam’ joins the Royal Cam set to go live in three days’ time at a Northern Royal Albatross Diomedea sanfordi nest in New Zealand (click here).

Last year’s on-camera Laysan Albatross parents continue to nest at the property that formerly hosted the camera.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 24 January 2016

Sonia Tidemann (Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, Port Lincoln, Australia) and colleagues have published in the journal Australian Field Ornithology on observations of seabirds at the Antarctic Balleny Islands, including the Campbell Albatross Thalassarche impavida.

The paper’s abstract follows:

On 27-28 February 2014, at the Balleny Islands in Antarctica, penguins on two islands were observed by close approach via zodiac craft, and counts of all pelagic bird species were made from a passing ship.  Most penguins on Sabrina Island and Chinstrap Islet were Adelie Penguins Pygoscelis adeliae.  Percentage of Chinstrap Penguins P. antarcticus to Adelie Penguins was 7.3 on Sabrina Island and 10.7 on Chinstrap Islet.  Four species - Campbell Albatross Thalassarche impavida, White-headed Petrel Pterodroma lessonii, Mottled Petrel P. inexpectata, and King Penguin Aptenodytes patagonicus - were recorded for the Balleny Islands for the first time.

Campbell Albatross, photograph by Aleks Terauds

Reference:

Tidemann, S.C., Walleyn, A. & Ryan, J.F. 2015.  Observations of penguins and other pelagic bird species in the Balleny Islands, Antarctica. Australian Field Ornithology 32: 169-175.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 23 January 2015

So far, 11 of the 35 eggs originally laid this season in the mainland colony of Endangered Northern Royal Albatross Diomedea sanfordi at New Zealand's  Taiaroa Head have hatched.  Twenty fertile eggs remain to hatch.  Watch a video clip of an egg hatching here.

One of these chicks is set to be watched by a live-streaming "Royal Cam" from the 26th, with infra-red capability so goings on at the nest after dark can be followed (click here and here to learn more about the set up).  

A hatchling emerges from the 2015/2016 breeding season

The Royal Cam goes live in four days' time

Sprinklers are set to keep the chicks cool if the temperature gets too high (click here).

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 22 January 2015