Send In the Clowns...

For those of you keeping score at home, the first of the albatrosses has arrived. Perhaps a little later than we thought. One employee had 21 October. This guy arrived early this morning, in fact at 12:01 am says a coworker who wasn't sleeping well.

So it's official. October 20. 12:01:22 A.M.

Meet BFAL H611


Black-footed Albatross(Diomedea nigripes)

The Family Diomedeidae, albatrosses, are the largest of the tubenoses(we've gone over a few of them) and seabirds. Noted for their mastery of gliding flight, in a stiff ocean breeze these birds can sail for hours with no perceptible movement of the wings. They rarely approach the shoreline and breed mainly on remote, isolated islands.

The Black-footed Albatross (D.nigripes) is the only all-dark albatross likely to be seen in the N. Pacific. This guy walks in a crouched, hunched over position, unlike others such as the Laysan Albatross(D.immutablis) that should arrive in a week or two.

The BFAL breed October-June in the HI Islands(NW CHAIN, Kaula), the Marshall Islands(Taongi), Johnston Atoll, and Torishima(Izu IS.) off Japan.

Tern Island gets around 6,000 BFAL's, that does not include chicks which I will sadly miss. Tern also expects 2,000 Laysan's.

Not a bad early morning eye-opener on this college football Saturday.

Go 'Bows
and um, sigh, Go Bears

Aloha, good morning from FFS atoll.


20 October 2007, sunrise and front deck of barracks