Cape Royds Nest Check 2011-12

Cape Royds is a small colony of about 2100 nests. It has declined in size since 2000, when there were 4000 nests. The decline was due to a large iceberg that grounded about 60 km (40 miles) north and caused McMurdo Sound to be completely ice covered. This made it difficult for Royds penguins, who had to walk much longer distances than they like. Therefore, many penguins left Royds to find nests in colonies closer to open water. In 2007 water was much closer, only a few kilometers away, penguins started to return to Cape Royds. In 2008, the open water was again about 75 km away and the penguins had to walk further to get here, many decided not to, and there were fewer nests. About half of the nests that were started were lost as the brooding parent could not wait for the foraging parent to return. Hunger forced them to abandon the eggs. The open water was about a 2km from the

colony at the start of the 2009 season and made it much easier for the penguins to reach the colony, but for some reason egg laying was delayed by several days. This also delayed hatching and meant that many chicks would not be ready when the winter conditions closed in. As the 2011 season begins, we are anxious to see what will happen. Every season presents new mysteries to solve.

 

Cape Royds Nest Check | Bird Biography-Nest History

Welcome to Nest Check 2011-12

 

Follow along with us as the Adélie Penguins at Cape Royds raise their chicks. We have now chosen all the nests that we will track for the rest of the season. Seven of the pairs are banded and we have 3 banded males and 4 banded females. I have been tracking Nest #4 since the begining of the season and all the pictures are now up on the archive page. Although there is no band on these birds they have had a successful nest in this location before and I can tell the male from the female by thier beaks.

The classic story Mr. Popper's Peguins, has been turned into a movie staring Jim Carrey and six wonderful gentoo penguins. We have decided to name three of our pairs after these loveable characters. Many classes have submitted fantastic names for the other pairs. You can see our selections below and we thank everyone for your good ideas

 

First eggs of the season were seen at Cape Royds on Nov 12.

 

 

Below is the daily log of the weather for Cape Royds. Data is taken everyday at 10am. Click HERE to see the Weather Archives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DATE TEMP WIND SPEED PRESSURE NOTES
1-16-12 -1 oC 8 mph from SE 29.1" clear and windy
1-15-12 -5 oC 12 mph from S 29.1" cloudy and breezy
1-14-12 -3 oC 10 mph from SE 29.1" clear and calm
1-13-12 -4 oC 8 mph from S 29.1" clear and cold

 

Click on the Nest # to go to the archives. Click on any picture to see a larger version.

 

Nest #1 Male band #1050. He is 10 years old and raised his first successful nest when he was 5. Since then he has raised 2 nests of chicks at Cape Royds. When we arrived at the colony he had built his nest and was waiting for a female to show up. She arrived on Nov 12. Their nest is on the flats in a group of about 15 other pairs and close to a large rock.

This pair along with #3 and #6 have been chosen to be named after the loveable Gentoo characters in the movie Mr. Popper's Penguins. The male will be Stinky and the female will be Loudy.
 
   
Nest #2 Male band #4762. This male is 5 years old and this will be his first nest at Cape Royds. His mate showed up on Nov 13. His nest is surrounded by large rocks and will be well protected from the Skuas. Ms Segadelli's classs named this pair. They re Jack and Rose.
   

Nest #3 Our pair has a 15 year old female with the band #1902. She has raised four families at Cape Royds in the last 10 years and since she is our oldest female we have named her Captain after the character in the Mr. Popper's Penguins movie. Her mate will be Lovey. Their nest is close to Nest #1 in the Corral group on the flats. Ms. Crystal's class from California has named one of the chicks Buddy, we will make it the bigger one.
   
Nest #4 These birds are not banded, but I can tell the female from the male by their beaks. There are subtle, yet distinct differences in penguin beaks. They arrived early in the season and had their first egg by Nov 12, their second by Nov 14. Last year they nested here and raised chicks. The nest is right next to Nest #5 and in the Rocks N section, on a slope with many large rocks around it. Should be safe from the Skuas. Theirs was one of the first eggs in the colony. We saw it on Nov 12. From the suggestions of Ms. Erslers classes in Grayslake Illinois, we have chosen Spinner (male) and Bella (female).
   
   
Nest #5 The banded female #4481 is only 4 years old. She was sighted in the colony as a 2 and 3 year old, but this is her first attempt at a nest. She arrived at this nest on Nov 19th. You can see how clean she is which means she has not be laying in the mud like the rest of the penguins. The male is greeting her and she did not waste any time in moving in. Their nest is next to Nest #4 and in the Rocks N section of the colony. Should be a secure nesting site. Ms. Rapp's class from Chicago Illinois has named this pair Chilly (male) and Sheleg ( female).
   
   
Nest #6 Male band #0919. This is a very old bird, we estimate about 16 years. He has raised chicks many times, but not every year. This is not his usual nesting site. Maybe he will be lucky here with his mate, who is on the nest in front of him. They are on a slope at the edge of a very large breeding group. We hope his neighbors will help fend off the Skuas. This is the thrid pair we have named after the characters in Mr Popper's Penguins. The female will be Bitey and the male will be Nimrod. Erin from Sacred Heart school has named the first chick AJ.
 
   
Nest #7 Female band #3891. She is 8 years old and has rasied chicks in the past. Last year she successfully raised two healthy chicks. Their nest is close to a small rock face and surrounded by other breeding penguins. This is a good site. We combined ideas from two classes, Ms. Falvey in Kingston, Massachusetts, and Ms. Schaefe class in Mascoutah, Illinois to create the names for this pair. The male is Spirit and the female is Juliet. Mrs. Ramsey's class in Scott City, Kansas has named this chick Jacki-Scott. This nest will only have one chick, the other egg has been lost.
   
Nest #8 Female band # 2851. This female is 10 years old and first started breeding when she was only 4, young for a penguin. She has not raised chicks every year, but successfully raised 2 last year. We hope she can do the same this year. Their nest is on a slope and they are surrounded by many other penguin. This should be a secure place to raise chicks. This nest was named by the students in Ms. Leo's class at Jackson ES in Massachusetts. They are Penny (female) and Vasya (male). Vasya was named by the students in their partner school: Mikhail Timonin's class in Tarkhanovo Secondary School in the Republic of Mordovia (Russia). Dec 25. Mrs Leo's class has named one chick Tux, and Mikhail Timonin's class has named the other one Vasilisa. They are growing fast and getting fat, this is good.
   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Today is Jan 16, 2012. This is our last day at Cape Royds. We have folded the tents and put away the equipment. I hope you have enjoyedthe 2011-12 Nest Check. Our 8 nests raised 11 chicks, well ahead of the colony average which is a 50% survival rate to this point in the season.

If you miss a Daily Picture you can catch up on our Journal Page HERE

Daily Picture: Notice the difference in the size of these nest mates. One may have hatched much sooner or one may be more aggressive getting food. As I watched this nest, both chicks were getting fed, but the larger one was getting more as it could reach the parents beak easier, was stronger and could reach higher. We will not know if the smaller one makes it. He will have to grow in a hurry to make fledging weight and size before winter comes.

  
 

Nest #1 Loudy is on the nest, one chick. This chick is 22 days old today
 

 Nest #2 Jan 14. Jack is on the nest with a mate. We do not know if this is Rose or not, but we will look for Jack next year on this nest. Come back in Nov 2012 to see what happens to the pair.

 
 
 Nest #3 Lovey is on the nest, two chicks. These chicks are about 20 days old
 
Nest #4 Spinner and two big chicks. These chicks are 31 days old today, just over a month.
 
Nest #5 Sheleg is on the nest with one chick who is 2 weeks old today.
 
Nest #6 Nimrod is here with two chicks who are about 25 days old today.
 

Nest #7 Juliet and Jacki-Scott are here today. This chick is 3 weeks old today.
 

Nest #8 Vasya is here, Tux and Vasilisa are about 29 days old today.