News from the albatross nest
Erik and Erika, a pair of wandering albatrosses that nested on Bird Island. Their chick, Eriksson, started to hatch on 8 March.
This is their story told by scientists who followed their struggle for survival. You can see the amazing journeys the parents made on the map as they foraged for food across the ocean.
Final update - Erika believed dead; Eriksson likely to die
I am sad to say that I believe Erika is really dead. I do not know what the cause was; it could have been a fishing mortality, old age, or some other accident. There could have been a slight chance of her abandoning the nest and giving up, but the transmitter should have kept working if that was the case. The chances of abandonment and the transmitter stopping at the same time are close to none.
If she had lived for another month or two, it might have been possible that Eriksson would have fledged, although probably in poor condition as food from one parent simply isn't enough.
Even though he looks and acts cheery, the chances of him fledging are slim as his growth is falling farther and farther behind the others, but I guess there is never any hurt in hoping for the best.
Albatrosses are dedicated parents, and so Erik's committment as a father continues as he still does not know about Erika's death. He won't know until two years from now when he comes back to breed again and she won't be there to meet him.
I will track Erik so that I can remove the transmitter as soon as I can locate him on land. We don't want to wait until the battery runs out as it will be almost impossible to know where he is to remove it. He was spotted a few days ago, but I was at the other side of the island and couldn't make it back in time. But I expect him to return within the next week.
With the demise of Erika, the removal of Erik's transmitter and the sad but unavoidable destiny of Eriksson we will not be tracking the birds any longer. Therefore, this will be our last regular report. If there is any significant change in Erikssson's future I will send an update.
Thank you for following their story, I am sorry that it has had such a sad ending and that we are not going to see Eriksson fledge.
6 July - Eriksson gets a meal at last
After having waited for a meal for over three weeks, Erik finally returned to feed Eriksson and has been coming and going to and from the nest nearly every day for the past week. As a result the chick is looking much better and is more energetic, constantly keeping busy maintaining his nest.
I still don't know if Eriksson is a boy or a girl. I won't know for sure until his/her bill is fully grown which won't be for another couple of months.
Eriksson soaking up the rays
20 June - Enjoying the midday sun
The sun at this time of year barely rises above the horizon on Bird Island. The picture taken at midday shows Eriksson and his neighbour enjoying what little sunshine manages to reach over North Cliffs.
16 June - Eriksson compared to Claudia!
We had a huge snowfall recently so we went up to pay the chick a quick visit. Even though the nest has disappeared under all the snow, Eriksson looked happy and at peace, waiting for Erik to return with a nice warm meal. The photo of Eriksson and I was taken by seal biologist, Mick Mackey.
Claudia with Eriksson
11 June - Eriksson nervous of hovering petrels
There were a lot of giant petrels flying very low over the nest when I was taking my weekly picture of Eriksson. This made the chick nervous. It kept standing up to keep an eye on them hovering above, and occassionally snapped its bill at them.
7 June - Spot the fluff ball
We had snow on Saturday night, making Eriksson and all his neighbours particularly hard to spot on Sunday morning! It's amazing how well they blend in with the snow. But overall, the chick looked pretty content!
4 June - No sign of Erika and Eriksson looking smaller than the chick next door
The picture shows Eriksson [on the right] pictured next to a flying disc. I put the disc next to a neighbouring chick [on the left] to compare the relative size of the chicks. Eriksson definitely looks smaller and there is still no sign of Erika.
Eriksson compared to its neighbour
27 May - Eriksson chick-napping
I found Eriksson taking a nice nap, head tucked under its little wing. The chick spends a lot of time sleeping as there is only so much it can do while waiting for its parents to bring it a meal. Unlike humans, Eriksson doesn't know about activities such as playing at the park or going to school.
26 May - Claudia tells us what will happen to Eriksson if Erika doesn't return.
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Is Erika still alive? What could have happened to her? What would happen to Eriksson if she isn't?
21 May - Eriksson compared to a football
Eriksson compared to a football
As Eriksson grows Claudia will be putting some random objects next to the chick. As well as helping us to get a sense of how big Eriksson is, it might also reveal what home comforts or treasured possessions scientists take with them to the island.
Still no sign of Erika, but Erik was at the nest a couple of days ago for a nice feed.
[Update from BBC team]
19 May - No trace of Erika for over a week
The last data we received from Erika's satellite tag was 12th May. We have access to the battery voltage of the transmitter, and it seems as though the voltage has remained stable. This means that the device has fallen off or something has happened to Erika.
At this point, there is nothing I can do except keep a very close eye on the nest to see if I spot her coming to feed Eriksson. I will do this until I see her at the nest or until there is no chance of her coming back - however long that may take.
15 May - Sharing the sunset with Eriksson
Eriksson at sunset.
I visited Eriksson at his nest one beautiful evening, and we both enjoyed an amazing and peaceful sunset. [See main image above]. Evenings like that are always special as it's usually too cloudy or foggy to see sunsets here!
10 May - How safe are Erik and Erika?
Erik and Erika have been feeding mainly within 500km of Bird Island. The couple of longer trips were ‘only’ 1000 km or so from the nest. As Eriksson grows, we would expect Erik and Erika to range increasingly farther afield.
At the moment the diet is likely to consist of fish, squid and crustacea. The fish may well be discards from the local Patagonian toothfish fishery. You can see on the map where Erik has been seen near a fishing vessel.
Given that the local toothfish fishery is very well regulated, and stringent measures are in place to prevent bird bycatch and to patrol for illegal vessels, Eriksson's parents should be safe for the time being. As soon as they start to venture further north, they will come into increasing contact with other tuna and swordfish longline fisheries, where the risk of incidental mortality is much greater.
The wandering albatross is the only winter breeding albatross in the region, and if Eriksson makes it through the winter, the chick will not fledge until December.
[Update from Dr Richard Phillips, Albatross Biologist, British Antarctic Survey]
4 May 2010 - Eriksson gets a visit from mum
Eriksson hunkers down in the nest.
Erika was spotted at the nest by our technician Joe Corner around noon on 1 May, providing Eriksson with a tasty meal. I was on the other side of the island doing our whole-island wanderer census. Unfortunately, Joe did not have his camera with him, and I did not get back until dark by which time Erika was long gone.
Yesterday, he was sitting alone hunkered down on the nest trying not to get blown away by the strong gusts of wind. It must be a weird feeling trying to hold on to something without hands.
Erik spotted out at sea a second time
I heard news of Erik from Jon Ashburner, a biologist currently based at King Edward Point, South Georgia. Sent out to do some work on a fishing vessel, he spotted a wandering albatross with a satellite device. He managed to identify the colour ring on the bird's leg, and it turned out to be Erik!
Erik spotted out at sea.
On the radio yesterday he said he saw Erik again, for a second time. This time they were hauling fish on board and Erik was actually picking up fish scraps.
30 April 2010
I have been out to visit Eriksson alone on the nest. The chick seems to be doing fine despite the wet and cold weather it has already had to endure.
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Eriksson the wandering albatross chick is left alone on the nest.
21 April 2010 - Erik alone on the nest
After looking at the satellite map, I think Eriksson is alone now. The parents are both away from the nest on feeding trips.
Eriksson: a lucky young albatross chick - 15 April 2010
Eriksson has been growing visibly bigger. He's lucky as there's been a little snow but he's still being brooded by one of his parents. Most of the other wandering albatross chicks nearby have been left alone on the nest now. Watch the update below:
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Wandering albatross chick Eriksson is lucky to have such attentive parents to keep him warm in the freezing conditions.
8 April 2010
The red spaghetti pattern around the nest suggests that Erika has been staying near Eriksson recently, while Erik has been foraging further out to sea.
29 March 2010 - Erika foraging out at sea
Data from Erika's tag shows that she is out at sea, heading west of Bird Island. Erik is on the nest with Eriksson.
Satellite tagging Erik and Erika - March 2010
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Derren and Claudia fix satellite tags to Erik and Erika so that we can track their movements.
Introducing Eriksson
On 8 March British Antarctic Survey scientists Derren Fox and Claudia Mischler were at the nest when they spotted a small hole in the egg and realised that Eriksson was starting to hatch. When Derren checked again on 11 March the chick had hatched completely out of the egg while the male was incubating it.
First glimpse of Eriksson.
Although the scientists saw Eriksson hatch, they won't know whether the chick is a male or a female until s/he's much older!
While Eriksson is still small, one adult will stay at the nest to protect him/her while the other finds food. Soon the chick will be big enough to survive for days alone and both parents can go further afield.
While at sea albatross parents turn the food they catch into a lipid-rich stomach oil for the chick. This very high calorie food maximises the energy provided to the chick.
Albatross chicks are huge! At peak weight they can be 50% heavier than the adults. This means that if the adults' return is delayed the chicks can use their fat reserves to sit it out for several weeks if necessary.
The chicks look like they've been caught in a messy pillow-fight, but this down helps them survive bitter winter storms that bring blizzards to South Georgia.
Meet Erika
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Claudia wonders where Erika went for years before returning to Bird Island to breed.
Wandering albatrosses are monogamous and pairs can be together for 20 or 30 years, but Erika and her mate Erik have only been together for a few years and both had chicks with previous partners.
Erika was born on Bird Island and ringed as a chick in 1979. Her leg ring number is 5121209.
Erika incubating her egg
Erika fledged in 1979, and was first seen here again in 1988 (the vast majority of wanderers return to their birth place to breed). However she didn't breed until she was 11 years old. She had three chicks with a different partner between 1992 and 1994, but one didn't make it to fledging.
The first full record of her breeding with Erik is from 1999. Since then they have successfully raised five chicks together. Eriksson will be their sixth if he makes it through the next nine months.
Introducing Erik
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Derren visits the nest on a misty March morning to find Erik, a model dad.
BAS scientists put a leg ring on Erik in 1975, while he was a chick. His number is 5072450. Once he had fledged and left the island he didn't return until 1979.
Erika and Erik on their nest in Wanderer Valley
Erik had another partner before pairing up with Erika. His first two chicks died on the nest, so it wasn't until 1988 that he raised his first chick to fledging.
We think Erik and Erika may have first bred together in 1997 although the female's details were not recorded.
The albatross photographs were taken by Derren Fox and Matt Swarbrick.
Published 28 August 2010
Derren Fox & Claudia Mischler
