The team this year consisted of Ian Hutton, Jennifer Lavers Alex Bond and various volunteers over for periods through the fortnight to assist.
The Flesh footed shearwaters had the usuals amounts of plastic in the stomachs; but we had extreme trouble finding enough Wedge-tailed shearwaters for good statistical numbers. It appears that the 2016/2017 season was a crash for this species on Lord Howe Island. We found very few on Blackburn Island, and a search of Roach Island failed to locate any chicks at all. Other colonies at Montague Island and Mutton-bird Island Coffs Harbour did not suffer this crash.
The team – Alex, Jennifer and Ian on Roach Island surveying Wedgetailed shearwaters
Monitoring Flesh footed shearwaters in the forest at night