July 25-26

June 25-26. Preparations for the trips.

On Sunday and Monday we were preparing the gear and clearing the papers.

July 25-26

June 25-26. Preparations for the trips.

On Sunday and Monday we were preparing the gear and clearing the papers.

Season of 2016 is on

July 23. The team has been assembled.

I arrived in Magadan on Friday, July, 23. Irina Utekhina has already arrived from her vacation. Immediately after arrival, I paid a visit to the boat inspection office and arranged the seaworthiness certificate for our inflatable dingy. To my surprise I found there a former Magadan Nature Reserve ranger, who is now the marine inspector. This encounter sped up the procedures dramatically.

By the evening I had made some plans for a sea trip, however the forecast was not good.

Magadan city was, evidently, very similar to the town I left last summer. However' there is a small revolution brewing: the high speed internet cable has reached the town. Although currently price-prohibitive, nevertheless it has made a huge impact on breaking Magadan's isolation.

The Talan Island and end of the surveys

August 6, 2015.

Yesterday evening we were checking the 3 pairs of Steller's Sea Eagles that nest on Talan island. The Spafarieva island was lurking nearby, but we had to overcome the temptation to check its nests. We have not visited this island for the last 3 years due to the weather, but his year the time and fuel constrains were overwhelming.

The three pairs on Talan island were present, but one failed in early June, according to the reports of Dr. Lena Golubova, the queen of the island.  Of the other two, one had 1 chick, but the main (and the oldest) nest was not found! It is well hidden across the crevasses of the South-eastern face of the island, so neither us, no the crew of the Talan island were able to find it.

On the island we were greeted by  Sasha Andreev and Kira Regel, and their granddaughter Mila. Mila was spotted playing with the famous and tame Talan foxes.

The queen of the island was counting Ancient Murrelet young: since they come out of their burrows by night, she was occupied during dark hours.

I have made a great panorama of the island using the drone.

In the morning we set off to the Balagannoe village, with the plan to check nests we had skipped earlier in the summer.

This was done just before the high tide. With the high tide time we came into the Tauy river and checked the Tauy river estuary nests: both had 2 chicks, the closest nest to the village was relocated some 200 m upstream.

This gives us a total of 14 territories with chicks, including 4 territories/nests with 2 chicks.

In the afternoon we packed up the boat and set off to Magadan. 

The surveys trips are completed.