Ascension Island

Two months ago I was offered a wonderful opportunity to join the conservation team on Ascension Island as a Seabird Scientist. At the time, I had the most wonderful job, working in a place that I love dearly with some of the most amazing people I have ever met but I had to jump at the opportunity. Frigatebirds, Tropicbirds, Masked Boobies, Fairy terns… species which I could only dare to dream of!

Fairy Terns 

The following few weeks were chaotic with what felt like a million things to organise. Thank you to those who put up with me during that stressful time and apologies to lots of good friends who I never managed to see before I left.

After 4 flights (Glasgow- London- Johannesburg- St Helena- Ascension) I spotted my first Frigatebird as we drew nearer the landing strip. I was finally here!

Arrival onto Ascension

There has been much to take in as I discover more about island life, the bird colonies and the research which we are conducting. Most of my time is spent in awe, taking in the phenomenal views and admiring the incredible wildlife which resides here.

Green Mountain

Driving to the research sites is always eventful; waving to every person you see and giving a wide berth to other road users such as land crabs, sheep and donkeys. One of our main sites is the Letterbox peninsula in the East of the island. It is home to nesting Masked Boobies, Brown Boobies, Red and Yellow-billed Tropicbirds, Black Noodies, Fairy Terns and the endemic Ascension Island Frigatebird. We monitor the productivity of Frigatebirds following their re-colonisation here after the feral cat eradication in 2006. They are asynchronous and each colony is made up of displaying males, newly laid eggs, small chicks patiently awaiting the return of its parent and fledglings hanging around the outskirts. What an incredible sight!

Letterbox peninsula 

Frigatebird colony showing a range of age classes

Ascension Island Frigatebird: Male (back), Female (Foreground)

I have also been learning the ropes about the nesting Sooty Terns; mapping the colonies, recording density plots and attaching GPS trackers to adult birds to learn more about where they are feeding. They nest in the lava fields at Mars Bay in the South West of the island and have an estimated population of 250,000.

Nesting Sooty Tern

Sooty Terns nesting at Mars Bay