What a sunset for our first day.
There is nothing like leaving the operating station at daybreak and seeing a titanex in the sunrise.
The gorgeous lagoon.
The South side of the Atoll with a more ocean like view.
Another lovely sunset in paradise.
Followed by a great sunrise.
Pretty morning sky. Nice antenna too. :-)
The naupaka plants were all over the Atoll, and we got there in the prime fruit bearing season.
I'm sure the crabs don't see the naupaka fruit fall in this configuration often.
Morning glories are native to the Hawaiin chain. They are everywhere on Midway Atoll.
Canaries are not native, but someone years ago let a few out, and now they are happy and thriving all over Sand Island.
One of the natives coming by to check out all the noise.
Petrels would sit right in our path. They were not afraid of us at all.
Petrels return every year to their nests in the ground. If you stepped on one, you had to dig it out.
At dusk the Petrels take to the air filling the sky. Right out of the movie, The Birds. In fact, it is said that Alfred HItchcock came here to make the sound track for his movie.
A very tame brown noddy
More brown noddies.
A pair of White Terns.
Another pair in the ironwood trees.
White Tern
Baby Terns.
Laysan Ducks on Eastern Island. Almost extinct on their own island of Laysan, the F & W crew on Midway Atoll built 3 seeps and transplanted a few ducks here. Now there are hundreds on a second habitat giving the species a better chance to survive. One day several of us accompanied Matt Brown, the F & W .......to police the area around 3 of the seeps on Eastern Island. It was our only chance to see this uninhabited historic island that was the target of the Japanese during he Battle of Midway.
Closeup of the Laysan Duck with the distinctive white patch around the eye.
The Laysan Ducks have also been introduced on Sand Island. These two were seen crossing the road (why did they cross the road?) near the Midway Mall.
Sea Turtles relaxing on the beach.
A monk seal and turtle on a dock.
Frigate Birds landing on an ironwood tree. These large pine trees were introduced by the cable company 100 years ago and have taken over the Island.
Great Frigate Birds high above the Atoll.
Great Frigate Birds resting on what they can find on Eastern Island. Trying to return the Island to it's natural environment the trees have been leveled along with every building that stood here.
The remains of a dead Frigate Bird. All over Midway Atoll you see rotting carcasses of birds who ingest the plastics floating on the ocean. Eventually there is so much they can't survive. Please don't discard plastics in the ocean. It is their planet too.
Another wonderful end of a busy day.
The 17th saw a large storm hit the Island. This is the last we saw of the titanex at the cw site before it came crashing down and broke.
The best part of a storm is the rainbow after it.
There are actually 2 rainbows in this picture but the one on the right is barely visible.
Last sunset on the 18th. We departed Monday afternoon, October 19th.
The storm of the 17th brought in the first dozen of the Laysan Albatross (known as the Gooney Bird). We were EXTREMELY lucky to meet this little guy about an hour before heading to the airport. James and I rode our bikes around the Island in search of one and just as we were about to give up, out he came from the woods. What serendipity!!!! In about 2 weeks there will be a million of his buddies keeping him company.
Here is a video I shot of the gooney while James was filming him also.
In the air coming home. While on Eastern Island we could barely see the runways under the growth. From the air they are still quite clear.
The last look back at the atoll from our G1. 1 week and 61,000 Q later and it was all coming to an end. Now for some sleep.
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