For the Love of Turtles

If there is one type of animal that could justifyingly compete for my affections along with birds, it would be turtles. Turtles are my first love. Having been born in the Seychelles and then visited back a number of times since I left at a young age, I was always enamored with turtles as they have a big presence on the islands. You will see a figure of a turtle (by which I mean both sea turtles and tortoises) just about everywhere in the Seychelles - from t-shirts to store fronts and local artwork, including figurines made out of almost anything, and even the local currency! When my family lived in Seychelles, we even had tortoises penned up in our back yard! Some relatives have them now, and I believe they're probably over 50 years old.

A plethora of turtle figurines sold at the local marketplace

An iron turtle built within some railing

A sea turtle sand sculpture made by yours truly

I myself already have a sizable collection of all things turtle, mostly figurines and magnets from almost every place I've traveled or that others have bought for me on their travels. So not only am I that crazy bird lady, but I'm also that crazy turtle lady =) 

A sea of giant tortoises at the botanical gardens on the main island of Mahe.

There's a young fella there, and one with a gnarly scar on his shell

Aren't they wonderful!

Turtles are just so special. They just seem so sweet and unassuming, like they wouldn't hurt a fly. Sea turtles swim around in the ocean, just so chill and carefree (even though they are at risk by many threats). And the giant tortoises of the Seychelles are such gentle creatures that are adored by all. No matter how many times I've seen a giant tortoise, I am always in awe. And I've seen a sea turtle in the wild just a few times, and each time was an amazing (yet very brief) encounter. 

Nick and the Giant Tortoises (sounds like a children's book)

Me and the Giant Tortoises

The Seychelles is a very important place for sea turtles and giant tortoises. It is the area with the largest hawksbill turtle population in the Western Indian Ocean according to Nature Seychelles. Numbers declined greatly between the 1960s until the mid 1990s due to harvesting of nesting females, which are especially at risk because they are diurnal nesters. Environmental factors such as beach erosion and human disturbance are also threats to the sea turtle population. Cousin Island, which I have mentioned before as being a haven of conservation efforts for birds, also plays a key role in conservation efforts of hawksbill turtles. Unfortunately for me, I have not seen a hawksbill turtle in the wild, but I hope that changes someday. 

  

This gal (or guy) was especially fond of me.

Amongst all of us there, she was coming up very close to me... Closer and closer... 

Until she was right in my face! She must have known how much I love her ;-)

What I have seen many of are giant tortoises, though! There are sanctuaries spread out amongst the islands for these gentle giants. I believe that most of the tortoises are the Aldabra Giant Tortoise species rather than the Seychelles Giant Tortoise species. The status of the Seychelles Giant Tortoise is unclear. They were thought to be extinct by the mid 19th century, but there were 12 individuals in captivity that were discovered that may be this distinct species.

Here is an itty bitty baby! It was smaller than a cereal bowl!

Here are some bigger, yet still small, "giant tortoises" on Cousin Island. Notice their tags.

Adult and a juvenile giant tortoise.

At any rate, you are truly amazed once you see a giant tortoise of any species. I believe that they are generally smaller than those of the Galapagos, but they are still VERY large. Some can be as big as a sizable coffee table, and they can live for possibly over 200 years! 

Here I am again with an obliging giant tortoise

Nick and giant tortoise

Chomp, chomp, chomp... 

One individual, Esmerelda, is thought to be the oldest living giant tortoise at about 170 years old. I am pretty sure that I have met this old and wise tortoise previously when I was younger and visited Bird Island, where she resides, and which we did not have a chance to visit on our last trip. I wish I had the pictures that are back home with my mom where Esmerelda, or one of her compadres, gave us a little turtle-back ride. For now, you'll have to settle (not really) for these numerous photos of the beloved giant tortoises from our last trip. Enjoy!

"Oh, hello there!"

I think this is called "The Big Rock." It is home to a number of giant tortoises on La Digue island.

A Great Great Frigatebird Experience

In south Florida, it was always a thrill to see a Magnificent Frigatebird soar overhead, often close to shore. But I've never truly been among them. These high flyers were always farther away from me than I'd like, although I'm happy to take what I can get. But Seychelles was a different story.

It happened because Maureen's uncles were keen on taking a men-only fishing trip, which entailed renting a boat and a couple of guides to help navigate us to some of the Indian Ocean's more abundant waters, while still staying in sight of the island. I was sorry to have to leave Maureen behind, but it's hard to turn down a chance to patrol the seas halfway across the world from where you live. 

The trip began as uneventfully as you'd expect of any fishing trip. The engine droned on while a line trailed off the stern of the boat. Nothing was biting, but I couldn't have cared less, since I wasn't the one holding onto the pole. Besides, I was trying to best position myself for watching the shearwaters glide about, once I realized that we weren't alone out there.

 

I don't remember how long it was before the first frigatebird appeared, but when it did, the fishermen seemed as interested as I was, which is to say, very. They immediately sprang into action, and brought the boat around a direct course with it. Then we saw another, and another.

 
At first, I couldn't understand what the birds had to do with us, although I certainly welcomed the turn of events. While I had assumed that the guides had known all along where we would end up fishing, it turned out that the fishermen were seeking guidance from a higher power: Great Frigatebirds. Who knows better than a frigatebird where the fish are? We merely had to free-ride on their vigilance.

 

From that point on, I was finally among frigatebirds. They circled the boat for extended periods, sometimes only 30 or 40 feet above us! Frigatebirds don't plunge-dive like Northern Gannets or Brown Pelicans (their feathers have practically no waterproofing), so they're forced to catch their food at the surface. One of the most incredible sights of the day was watching them chase down flying fish, and snap them up as they leapt out of the water.

Seychelles, having been settled by pirates in the 17th century, is an entirely appropriate place to find frigatebirds. Frigatebirds, like pirates, are kleptoparasites, and make their living largely by theft out on the open seas. I didn't witness any major aerial showdowns that day, but I still got quite a show, and a great Great Frigatebird experience.

The Resilient Seychelles Magpie-Robin

The story of the Seychelles Magpie-Robin is one of heartbreak and hope. This beautiful bird, which is neither a magpie or a robin, was once quite common among the granitic islands of the Seychelles. Just to give you a bit of background, the Seychelles comprises of up to 115 islands, many of which are very small islands that may only be little mounds of sand. And I say up to 115 because depending on water levels, some islands may just not be present at times. Out of all these islands, 41 are granitic, and only some are inhabited or have accommodations for people. And amongst these granitic islands, the Seychelles Magpie-Robin used to be numerous and carefree. 

Seychelles Magpie-Robin

Seychelles Magpie-Robin: All black with white wing patches

However, like many stories you hear about endangered birds, once man settled in, the livelihood of the species declined rapidly. The first human settlers arrived in the Seychelles around 1770, and from that point on, there was destruction of habitat and introduction of predatory mammals (rats, and then cats to control the rats) that caused the decline of the Seychelles Magpie-Robin, along with other avian species of the islands. Furthermore, the Seychelles Magpie-Robin was revered for its beautiful song, and because these birds hadn't had quite enough time to evolve a fear of humans, their tameness made it that much easier for many to people cage them and keep them as pets. And when numbers diminished, it was considered an even greater prize to have rare birds as pets. 

Seychelles Magpie-Robin in a tree

Seychelles Magpie-Robin on the ground

By the late 19th century/ early 20th century, the Seychelles Magpie-Robin had become extinct from most of the granitic islands. By 1990, there were only a mere 21 individuals in the world, and all on one single island, Frégate . BirdLife then stepped in, and through valiant efforts to control and/or eradicate both mammal and avian predators, provision of nest boxes and translocation, they were able to bring the numbers up to an estimated 154 individuals today. 

Seychelles Magpie-Robin amongst the leaf litter

Seychelles Magpie-Robin

Cousin Island, as mentioned in the White-tailed Tropicbird post, has been the go-to island for translocating and conserving many endemic Seychelles avian species, including the beloved Seychelles Magpie-Robin. Cousin is managed by Nature Seychelles, and through constant monitoring and conservation efforts, the number of individuals of endangered birds are rising. 

View from the shore of Cousin Island

Seychelles Magpie-Robin in its typical foraging posture

So here we have the beginning of a success story of the resilient Seychelles Magpie-Robin. Upon visiting Cousin Island, we were able to see why these birds were so prized as pets and why now there are such strong efforts to conserve them. They are indeed very tame and friendly, coming within just a couple of feet from us. Our tour guide (and conservationist) would go right up to them and they would sing and flit about in delight at his presence as he was rustling the leaf litter, where these magpie-robins find their food. It was fun to watch these playful birds as they hopped about with their semi-erect posture, often with cocked tails, and their black feathers giving off a midnight blue sheen in the sunlight. 

Pair of Seychelles Magpie-Robins sifting through the leaf litter

Pair of Seychelles Magpie-Robins foraging

Seychelles Magpie-Robin showing off its lovely midnight blue sheen in the sunlight

The guide showed us one item they were looking for, a skink. There is a funny relationship between the Seychelles Magpie-Robin and skinks - the bird will prey on the skinks (as well as small invertebrates), but the skinks will also prey on the bird's eggs and chicks. Here you will see that there are two skinks that inhabit Cousin Island: the slender Seychelles Skink, and the thicker Wright's Skink. 

Seychelles Skink in the sun

Seychelles Skink walking through the leaf litter

The slender Seychelles Skink

You may wonder, before humans came along to stir up the yummy foods on the ground, who did the Seychelles Magpie-Robin rely on? Well, giant tortoises, of course! You will see these oh-so-wonderful and majestic creatures on many of the islands of Seychelles. They are adored by many (if not all) who come in contact them. You're amazed by their size and their gentle nature. But more about them later ;-) 

The chunkier Wright's Skink

Wright's Skink amongst the rocks

Wright's Skink climbs some wooden planks

Here you'll see just a couple of the giant tortoises that inhabit Cousin Island that are friends of the magpie-robin. Even in the Seychelles bird field guide, you will find a picture of a Seychelles Magpie-Robin riding on the back of a giant tortoise, just waiting for a morsel to peak through as the gentle giant shuffles through the leaf litter. I, unfortunately, wasn't able to capture such a moment, no matter how hard I wished it. But we were still able to have a wonderful encounter of some lively Seychelles Magpie-Robins. Bravo to the conservationists who have worked so hard to save these birds who were on the brink of extinction!

Giant Tortoise. Don't think he'll fit through there. 

Giant Tortoise rustling up the leaf litter. You can see that he has many bird visitors from the nice presents they left on his shell. =)

References:
Skerritt, A., & Bullock, I. (2001). Birds of the Seychelles. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Splits, Past and Future

After traveling a great distance, the first thing we want to do is jump off the plane and go in immediate search for all of the local specialties. This was especially so when we flew to the Seychelles islands in 2009, where, being half-way around the world I expected that every single bird we saw would be brand-spanking-new. And this was very nearly so, with very few exceptions. But after landing in our tropical paradise, imagine the anticlimax when one of the first birds we spotted from the car on our ride from the airport was a Common Moorhen. Hadn't we just come all the way from Florida, where we could reliably find at least one simply by opening the front door?!

Common Moorhen. Look familiar?

Now, two-and-a-half years later, I regret not paying those Moorhens closer attention. With the AOU's announcement of a split last year, that Moorhen that I had so disdained represents a life bird! It's better than I deserve, certainly, although I like to think that I've learned my lesson. Never again will I forget to admire the seemingly commonplace, amongst all of the dazzlingly new -- who knows what the future holds? 

This lucky bird gets to keep his name

Common Moorhen. Don't let the name fool you -- this bird is an impostor

In hindsight, the differences between that bird (Common Moorhen) and our birds (henceforth, the Common Gallinule) are slight, but noticeable (not that they would ever have been apparent without this handy illustration by David Sibley). As you can see, the top of the shield is more rounded in the Eurasian counterpart than in his American cousin. It also has slightly more yellow on the lower mandible.

Interestingly, the local Seychelles population (Gallinula chloropus seychellarum) may even be separable from mainland populations, at least in the hand. There was a time, before the land predators came, that the Moorhen began evolving in the direction of flightlessness. As a result, their wings are considerably smaller than in the nominate subspecies (161 mm vs. 180 mm).

Close-up of a Common Moorhen. Notice the shape of the shield, and the amount of yellow on the lower mandible

Close-up of a Common Gallinule for comparison. This is the one you know and love

One additional sighting could be cause for future celebration. It seems that just about everybody expects that sometime soon, the AOU will split Whimbrel into two species: Hudsonian Whimbrel and Eurasian Whimbrel. If/When this happens, our Seychelles trip will have yielded a further armchair tick. The difference from the above split, though, is that we were genuinely excited to see Whimbrels in Seychelles, because they were our first. 

'Eurasian' Whimbrels - Someday I may get to take the quote marks out

  

'Eurasian' Whimbrels

We would later see a Whimbrel at Ft. DeSoto in Florida, but only one, and from farther away. So, strangely enough, we're better acquainted now with the 'Eurasian' than the 'Hudsonian' variety, despite the latter wintering nearby. It's a strange state of affairs, but I'll take what I can get. 

'Eurasian' Whimbrels

While we were traveling, the possibility of future splits was the furthest thing from my mind, even while I relished the progress my life list was making. It all just goes to show that you should never take anything for granted, and that no difference is too slight to try to notice and record. In the long-run, those superficial-seeming differences might prove to be much deeper than they seem.


Reference:
Skerritt, A., & Bullock, I. (2001). Birds of the Seychelles. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.