The return to Egg Island

Mike recently had the chance to go back to Egg Island with a team of ornithologists (bird botherers in layman's terms) to chase the elusive Bulwer's petrel and white-faced storm petrel that have been seen there (on one occasion each). So abandoning Fran in a paddock somewhere near the back of beyond (a fact he was hassled about by the birders constantly during that night) Mike packed several kilograms of camera equipment and headed down to the wharf. They didn't find the birds they were looking for, but they did catch lots of Madeiran storm petrels in a net. Though very cute, they are renown for biting fingers and for crapping copiously. Luckily they're only about the size of a blackbird.

Fran had a nice peaceful night comforted by the adopted cat, Kitty. Mike apologised profusely on his return, and in his defence - he did spend an hour looking around the back of beyond to find Fran so she could also come on the trip.

Flee! The bird botherers are coming!!

Steffan removing a Madeiran storm petrel from the mist net watched by ANRD's Marine Scientific Officer, Elizabeth Clingham

Steffan showing the concentration needed to remove the exceedingly ferocious storm petrel from the net

Annalea measuring a storm petrel watched by Fiona (on left), Joe-The-Vet (and BBC correspondent in this instance) and Kevin. For the photographers out there - note this was hand-held at 1/3 sec!

Fiona displaying considerably more calm than Steffan in subduing a storm petrel

Any closer and the shit will really hit the fan