Where does the time go! Many parrots are on eggs now and I haven’t even reported on my pre season plans as I promised in my last entry. So let’s do this in chronological order.
What is it like to be back on Bonaire for my third full field season? Well of course it’s fantastic. Bonaire feels like home and having wild parrots in the garden is simply the way it should be. There was a lot of organising in the first month. Permission requests for this and that and a lot of admin. I don’t mind getting this stuff organised but it does limit the time it’s possible to spend in the field. Adjusting to early starts was harder this time but my body clock has accepted it now.
Pre season plans. Well I’ve been building nest boxes because I want to see whether the birds are limited by the number of natural cavities. The problem with this is they are unlikely to use the boxes within the timescale of this research project and if they don’t use them it doesn’t actually mean the are not limited. It could just be that they don’t like the design or the positioning. Rowan arrived and we made a few more preparations like improving access to some nest and putting the camera in Oliva’s nest again. So check out www.parrotwatch.org to see what’s going on in there.
Parrot advocacy! We are very much involved with Salba Nos Lora (Save our parrot) an NGO here on Bonaire. And we had a hectic couple of weeks in which we held an art competition, exhibition and auction. I am pleased to say UK Parrot Society is supporting SNL for this parrot awareness through art other campaign work. Somehow it all came together and it was a great way to raise awareness and over 1400 guilders (£400). The winning art from the competition will now somehow be merged together to create a new campaign poster highlighting the parrot’s protected status.
And so to the present and we find the birds are on eggs. Eeeek! hold on tight as this means the season has really begun. Fortunately for us we have Rhian Evans working with us this year. She has just completed her first intense week and she is doing extremely well. It was only in the last hours on Friday that we managed to see any sign of fatigue. As a mountain marathon runner and a rock climber we were sure she’d have what it it takes. Her arms and legs are covered in some impressive scratches as she hasn’t yet learnt how to slip through the bush without being torn apart but rather than complain she has shown off her wounds with pride!
Parrot Bloggers
Search by:
