Delayed updates

I originally wrote this Feb 17, but forgot to send it. Oops...


Things have generally started to slow down around here, though we do still
have occasional busy days. We had a wave of bad weather this week with the
worst being Tuesday where winds hit 66 mph at the main camp and 98 mph at
the bird blind! 98 miles per hour. That's a lot of miles. In many places
they would call that a hurricane. Here its just a weather day. It did mean
we mostly stayed inside all day and caught up on data entry/ watched some
movies. We managed to go out later that afternoon and do basic resights,
but everyone avoided the hills and particularly gusty areas. I did get to
run down one hillside like I had a tether attached so I could lean way
forward and despite feeling like I was running fast not actually going all
that far.

We've also started getting fledge weights on the chinstrap penguin chicks.
This involves getting up before sunrise (so about 4:45am these days),
trudging out to the penguin blind (which is really more of a small shack
than a blind), changing clothes, going down to the intertidal, and looking
for the small, very confused looking birds nervously contemplating what
will happen when they make that eventual leap into the great unknown.
Usually the first thing they will come across is another rock- it takes
them a while to learn how to steer in the water.

Anyway, when we find these birds that are just about to fledge, we snatch
them up and weigh them before sending them on their way. Weight at fledging
can say a lot about a chicks chances at survival to the next year so it is
really important data. Unfortunately today was the first day we went out
and the chicks all got together and made a pact to wait a few days longer.
So Tony and I searched in vain, go zero weights off zero fledglings, and
came trudging home to try to go back to sleep for another hour or so. (Feb
23 update- Matt went out and got 53 fledge weights this morning, so they
are definitely getting things together)

I say trudging a lot because with all the wind the last couple days, it has
also snowed and been cold (a couple degrees below freezing- and yes I
realize the east coast is currently going through some freezagedon again).
So our paths are now all snow/ice covered and make walking difficult again.
Hurray… Last year it didn't snow until late February or March and that
barely stuck. I think this last coating will melt, but it still makes
things difficult for the time being.

We also have a new camp leader flying in tomorrow (got delayed, should be
here Feb 23 or 24), which will be interesting. I have met him before and
really like him, it just means changing the dynamic of the camp again.

The new guy is the head of the penguin program too, which will be great to
get some questions about penguins answered, but also means I will be back
to being in charge of all things seal related. Its great to have the extra
responsibility, but it can also be a little terrifying to have the extra
responsibility! It will be fine though and realistically we only have a
couple more weeks of work here before we begin closing camp, inventorying
everything, and prepping for the ship to arrive and take us away and back
into the real world where I hear everything is happy and peaceful and
nothing dumb is happening with politics ever… We get the New York Times
digest here, I know that may not be exactly how the world is at the moment.
Oh and no, I did not see Star Wars yet! I'm working on it!

In other news (added 23 Feb), we rescued an entangled juvenile fur seal
today. It had some nylon twine around its neck that was starting to cut
into the skin. We were able to grab him really quickly, remove the twine,
and send him on his way. It was my first experience disentangling an animal
(that I hadnt intentionally ensnared...). Its nice to do some good and
have an actual, tangible positive impact every now and then, even if its
just on one animal.