Fieldwork Round 2 –Back in Sunny Portugal

For the past few weeks I have been busy in the lab at UEA doing analysis of stable isotopes of Carbon and Nitrogen from more lesser kestrel and roller feathers (see my blog post Forensic Ecology for more about this). 

I have also been preparing the samples collected last fieldtrip: cleaning the eggshell samples of all organic material and freeze drying the egg contents. The eggs did not smell as bad as I feared when defrosted, although I worked under the fume hood just in case! The freeze drier is a cooled chamber attached to a vacuum pump. Freeze drying removes the water from the samples. As eggs are 90% water this took 6 days.

Right: Anyone fancy a shot? Egg contents samples looking surprisingly pretty in their variety of colours. They actually look rather drinkable, like a refreshing fruit shot -especially as you cant smell them in a photo!

Left: Egg shots in the freeze drier.

Today I landed in Faro, Portugal, to check up on the progress of breeding season and collect more samples. UK readers it is safe to read on. Faro is the same temperature as UK today: sunny, blue skies and 21⁰C! The only difference is that the air here is wonderfully perfumed with the scent of citrus from all the orange groves.

I will visit over 50 colonies gradually work my way north to the beautiful town of Aveiro, then across Portugal and back south along the Spanish border.

Expect frequent updates on the logged birds and other breeding season news over the next few weeks.

How Many Eggs?

ssssssssssssssssssssssss              A view with my camera pole into Aldina's nest.
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It has been a while since my last post. I have been busy doing ... everything! More about that tomorrow. First of all, some video of eggs in storks nests. The footage is somewhat shaky as the camera is lifted to nest height. How many eggs do they have?

ssssssssssssssssssssssssss           A very large clutch on a wooden telegraph pole in a colony near        ssssssssssssssssssssssssss    Evora landfill. Will all the eggs hatch? Will all the hatchlings fledge?
sssssssssssssssssssssssssss More updates later in the breeding season.
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