Black Boobies Aren't Real

The Island is now overrun with college kids and there will soon be hoards of VIPs swarming the beaches again.  There is a greeting rage at Brooks tonight and then a VIP rage at All Hands Club tomorrow.  Should be a fun weekend filled with the spirit of rage.  I went birdwatching today and this is what I saw.

I was momentarily stunned when I saw this bird.  It appeared to be a Black Booby, which to my knowledge doesn't even exist.  After a minute, I found out it was simply a Brown Booby covering up all of its lightly toned bits.

Pacific Golden-plovers using the Midway runway how nature intended.

Sleepy, zzzzz...

Well today was a normal work day.  After work, I helped Scott put data logger tags on some Laysan Albatrosses.  It was fun.  Then we went on a "petrel walk", looking for Tristram's Storm-petrels.  We were unsuccessful.  Maybe in another few weeks.  After that it was a rage fest at Captain Brooks.  I have gotten quite good at the puzzle that they keep at the bar.  It's a bunch of wooden discs that you move around from peg to peg until you put them in the right place.  It is very difficult, but I am a genius and have mastered it.  This is perhaps the latest TPAD I have written.  Goodnight world.

I haven't shown off my Pacific Golden-plovers in a while.  Here are a couple hanging out with a Ruddy Turnstone at the northern seawall.  So golden.  So shiny.

When it's hot out, this is what these guys do.  They face downwind and let the cool breeze blow up through their feathers into their nether regions.  So refreshing.

Where Is The Rage?

We continued setting up our albatross plots yesterday.  It was fun.  I got to ride my bike past the Golden Goony again.  Which was hella fun.  We were disappointed later when we tried to tune in to The Hangover 2 on the projector in our living room, but were rejected by Technology.  LIP.  I drank a whopping two beers yesterday evening, which is probably my Island High count so far (yes I feel cowardly).  Tonight is rumored to be an epic Ping Pong Battle over at the All Hands Club.  The All Hands Club is cool.  It's kind of like the Farallones Social Club, but with pool tables, ping pong, a bar, Foosball, pinball, bathrooms, etc.  Maybe I'll get the camera out and demand that people sit for black and white portraits.  Here are some more birds.  I have yet to take a single photo of a non-bird, seal, or turtle.

One of 423 Pacific Golden-plovers that call Midway home.
 

Ruddy Turnstone.  Showing nicely.