Noddy Update from Cousine Island
This sea-bird season has been a particularly tough one compared to other years, with chicks being especially hard hit.
Shortly after the chicks had hatched this year, the adult lesser noddies disappeared for sometime and many little chicks died in their nests from starvation.
Its been presumed that the adults had moved off far out to sea to find food. This may be due to the Indian Ocean Dipole phenomena causing a fluctuation in fish numbers and distribution. It could also be a result of diminishing worldwide fish stocks due to over fishing. A better answer will be formed if scientists publish any findings.
But the good news is that many adults returned and successfully raised those chicks that had survived. Soon these little chicks found that they had wings and began exercising them. Once strong enough they were able to test their wings with short flights from one branch to another and back to their nest for their evening feed. Eventually they took longer trips, flying to the beach, forming small aggregations in the afternoon - some of them bravely hovering over the waves. In a few more weeks they will be strong enough to go out foraging for themselves and join the adults when they leave Seychelles.
Where will the lesser noddies go? Well that still remains a mystery to science . . .
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Sign up for our Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/MAEFD
