Isaac Asimov

Stuff flies around hella fast sometimes.  This makes stuff super hard to see.  This sometimes annoys the shit out of me.  Today, I flushed a Snipe from one of the seeps.  This is the second time I have flushed said Snipe from a seep.  Both times, the bird has blasted off, flying away from me very quickly and completely ruining my chances of identifying it safely.  Lima India Papa.  Long story short, I may have gotten a Life Bird today, but I will possibly never know for certain.  

The most epic photo of the snipe.  You can see white on the trailing edge of the wings, but is it a lot? I dunno.  I saw nothing of the underwings, causing me to sink further into utter despair.  I will keep trying.  Never give up.  Never surrender.

These Green Darners are doing it.  Ass to mouth for some reason.  This is probably the only reason I was able to get a shot of them.  Normally they fly around much faster than even a Common/Wilson's Snipe.

Double Dip Lifer Day

So I saw two species today for the first time in my life.  Of course, this is only a small consolation when I think about a certain duck that my "friends" are seeing in California right now.  You miserable bastards.  Anyway, we spent the entire day over on Eastern Island banding hella goonies.  I got a couple of nice goonybites for my trouble, to go along with a couple of nice lifers.  Mahalo.

Masked Booby.  Thus completes my Booby Trifecta. (unless I can find a Nazca, but I don't even want to think about that...)

Spinner Dolphin.  They just look kind of silly when you look at them captured on camera hanging motionless 2 feet above the water.  But seriously, these things are legit.

Lifers Lifers.

After a day of getting my hands torn to shreds by Black-footed Albatrosses, I went around to some seeps checking for vagrants.  At a place called Sunrise Seep, I believe I found one.  A tattler was present that looked a bit funny. When it finally called, I was pretty confident that I had just found a Grey-tailed Tattler.  In any case, I'm not ticking it off just yet.  I want y'all to take a look and tell me what you think.  Oh, also I saw three Sharp-tailed Sandpipers.  They common.

Gray-tailed? Tattler.  It called like a plover as it was flying away.  I have a shot showing its wing projection as well if anyone wants one.  Holla.

A couple Sharp-tailed Sandpipers.  Straight chillin.

If Only Albatrosses Could Smoke

We banded a few birds yesterday.  I am beginning to get into the swing of things.  I now seen firsthand the devastation that a fully grown bull Black-footed Albatross can inflict on human skin.  It ain't pretty.  No lifers yesterday, but I currently have my sights set on a few target lifers.  Namely the boobies.  Possibly some Wedge-tailed Shearwaters.  I've been told that this is entirely possible, but I've yet to see the goods.  It's time for work again today, so I've gotta run.

Good old-fashioned Laysan Albatross fight.

A Laysan Duck out on the lawn.  This Life bird is probably the rarest animal that I have ever seen.  I think there are only a few hundred left.  

Sleep Through The Most Amazing Time Of Your Life

I spent a good little chunk of yesterday asleep.  Trying to get used to waking up three hours later.  I'm starting to get the hang of it.  I also went on a nice beach walk and saw some seals and turtles.  For some reason, I didn't take many pictures.  I was planning on more lifer photos, but I don't think I took any.  Don't worry, they comin.  The food here is great.  I love buffets, and that's all there is on Midway.  Ima get hella fat if I'm not careful.  Sunday Brunch starts in about an hour.  Mahalo.

The obviously cute Hawaiian Monk Seal.  I believe this is a pup from this year.  It was marked, but I couldn't read the entire number.

An exhausted looking Green Sea Turtle.