The Flock to Marion 2022 has provided so much enjoyment to me as a birder and photographer, appreciating our remarkable sea-bird diversity, learning along the way and revisiting this life-changing experience.  We still share the same beautiful memories of our first exploration of the Southern Ocean Islands organized by Birdlife South Africa two years later. Although the Mouse Free Project has not officially started, we are eagerly awaiting the day when this project finally begins to drop the bait on the Island, which will ultimately rid Marion of its House Mice Invasive Problem, which is threatening our sea-bird population. The mouse-free Marion project is expected to commence in the winter of 2025 #Flocktomarion was such a successful and well-supported project that it received an award from South African Tourism in the “Unique Destinations” category. With this in mind and the pending anniversary of the Flock to Marion 2022, we decided to provide a comprehensive record of all the species seen on this “once-in-a-lifetime adventure”.   Using the Birdlife South Africa Final Species List, we sourced images to showcase how remarkable this Pelagic trip was. The MSC Orchestra proved to be the finest vessel for the seven unforgettable days; as we sailed out of Cape Town Harbour, we needed to pinch ourselves to ensure this wasn’t a dream. After three years of careful planning and many hurdles, Birdlife South Africa’s Flock to Marion was underway.

 

ALBATROSSES

 

Shy Albatross

 

Northern Royal Albatross

 

Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross

 

Wandering Albatross

 

 

Sooty Albatross

 

Grey-Headed Albatross

 

Light-mantled Albatross

 

Tristan Albatross

 

  We were heading into the roughest, stormiest ocean in the world. We were going where no cruise liner had dared venture, the Southern Ocean, specifically Prince Edward and Marion Island. Peter Harrison referred to these seas as the roaring forties, the furious fifties, and the screaming sixties and how right he was. With Marion’s excitement fading away as we travelled northward towards Durban, who could have predicted the sighting of a critically endangered Tristan Albatross? We had the good fortune to have been part of a small group of flockers at the stern of the vessel when the Tristan Albatross made a dramatic and spectacular appearance. As we all said goodbye and travelled homeward bound, we knew we had witnessed Something special on this epic voyage. Birdlife South Africa “Giving Conservation Wings” BirdLife South Africa is an NGO focused on conserving South Africa’s birds and their habitats. BirdLife South Africa is BirdLife’s country partner.

International, the largest global conservation network. BirdLife South Africa is a registered non-profit, public benefit organization and the only dedicated bird-conservation organization in South Africa.  In January 2022, BirdLife South Africa partnered with MSC Cruises South Africa to take 1500 avitourists (bird enthusiasts) on a once-in-a-lifetime voyage on a cruise ship to Marion Island, one of the Prince Edward Island group and a South African foreign territory. During the 7-night expedition, the guests were treated to lectures from experts in the fields of sea birds and marine mammals, guided by 40 onboard expert guides, viewed a plethora of rarely-seen and endangered marine wildlife, including Wandering Albatross and Blue Whales, and treated to the renowned MSC hospitality onboard. Never before has a cruise ship ventured into this part of the Southern Ocean, making this a world first. One further objective of the voyage was to raise funds for the conservation cause’ Mouse-Free Marion’ (www.mousefreemarion.org), which aims to restore the ecosystem on Marion Island and save millions of sea birds threatened by invasive mice.

The total funds raised on the voyage exceeded R3 million, making this trip a conservation success and a unique, never-before-attempted tourism adventure. The unique nature of this undertaking, the immense amount of organization (especially under pandemic conditions), the success of the wildlife viewing, and the positive contribution to local conservation make this activity most worthy of recognition. These Islands are safeguarded by the Prince Edward Island Marine Protected Area to preserve and care for the Fauna and Flora on and around the Islands. It is an important breeding area for 29 bird species: five albatross, 14 Petrel, and four Penguin species, amongst others. “The Flock to Marion 2022” was part of the awareness campaign for the Mouse-Free Marion Project and forms part of an ongoing conservation project to eradicate Marion Island of the common house mouse (Mus musculus).  Mice were introduced to the South African sub-Antarctic Marion Island by sealers in the early 19th century. Over the last two centuries, they have significantly reduced the abundance of Sea Birds. Since 2015, it was estimated that more than 5% of the summer-breading albatross fledglings are killed yearly. It would naturally include mortality rates amongst the other breeding sea birds on the Island. 

 

PETRELS

 

White Chinned Petrel

 

Great Winged Petrel

 

Soft Plumage petrel

 

Northern Giant Petrel

 

Southern Giant Petrel

 

Grey Petrel

 

White-headed Petrel

 

Blue Petrel

 

Kerguelen Petrel

 

These mouse-eradication projects are a worldwide problem on many isolated islands.

Mouse Free Marion Project

Mice were accidentally introduced to Marion Island, most probably by sealers in the early 19th century, and have had a devastating impact on the ecology of the Island. A warmer and drier climate over the last 30 years has contributed to an increase in the densities of mice on the Island each summer, causing a shortage of invertebrates, upon which the mice had been surviving in the winter months. This shortage of food has driven mice to find alternative food sources. As on other oceanic islands, the mice found many seabirds had no defence against their attacks and were literally “sitting ducks”. The scale and frequency of attacks have increased since they were first observed in the early 2000s and have escalated dramatically in the last few years. Without immediate action, Marion Island’s seabirds face local extinction. Left unchecked, the mice are predicted to cause the local extinction of 19 of the 28 species of breeding sea-birds currently found on the Island, some within the next 30 years. In an ambitious undertaking, the Mouse-Free Marion Project aims to remove the introduced House Mice, which endangers the long-term survival of the sea birds and other native species of South Africa’s sub-Antarctic Marion Island. In the southern hemisphere, winter helicopters brought by sea across the ‘Roaring Forties’ from South Africa will spread rodenticide bait from underslung bait buckets in overlapping swathes across the entire Island – the only method that has so far proven successful in eradicating rodents from large islands. At 30,000 hectares, Marion will be substantially larger than all previous rodent eradication efforts undertaken on islands in a single operation. Flock to Marion provided the perfect setting to highlight the plight of our sea birds on the Prince Edward Islands, threatened by the House Mouse (Mus musculus). Anton Wolfaardt presented ongoing research and a comprehensive feasibility study on the eradication process through a series of lectures on various conservation programs on Marion Island. Mouse Free Marion would create awareness and solicit funding to proceed with the project of baiting the entire Island over a calculated period of two weeks to eradicate these mice and save our seabirds.

 

SHEARWATERS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  The Bird Guides (In no order of preference) 

• Prof. Peter Ryan (Such a dry sense of humour, very dry. Seen on the decks every day, bare feet or in his slops). You can get his book Sea-birds of Southern Africa here.
• Trevor Hardaker (Disappointed that we missed his onboard lecture on Sea-bird Photography) (Sasol Birding Map of Southern Africa & Zest For Birds Pelagic Trips)
• Faansie Peacock (We all used Faansie’s new Birding App FireFinch on the #Flock it was and still is so convenient) (The Birds of Southern Africa: The Complete Photographic Guide: with app and calls: with app and calls)
• Vincent Ward (A wealth of information and always on the lookout for Something new). Join Vincent at Cape Town Pelagics.
• Daniel Danckwerts ( Keen eyes and always onto Something and a great loud voice to get the message across) Rockjumpers
• Cliff Dorse (Very vigilant and always calling the birds, such a standout Guide) Zest For Birds
• Dominique Paul Rollinson (Ian Sinclair was right when he said, “Make sure you standing near Dom” Birding Encounters
• Gary Allport (Found the Long Tailed Jager for us )
• Prof. Ken Findlay (We were always updated on all the Cetaceans)
• Dalton Gibbs
• Mayur Prag
• Michael Mills
• Vanessa Stephen
• Dylan Vasapolli (The Italian, birding right to the end, he was calling House Crows in the Durban Harbour) Birding Encounters
• Niall Perrins ( Did not Join due to COVID 19) (Sasol Birds of Southern Africa)
• Jordan Ralph
• John Kinghorn
• Toni Geddes
• Vernon Head
• Justin Nicolau ( Did not Join due to COVID 19)
• Adam Riley ( Put the whole vessel on RED ALERT with his call on the Tristan Albatross)
• Kieth Valentine
• David Hoddinott
• Heinz Ortman
• Greg de Klerk
• Andre Bernon
• Julian Parsons
• Riaan Botha
• Tim Carr ( great work ethic and very keen eyes on the water)
• Ian Pletzer ( nice to see this Plettenberg local again, worked in tandem with Tim Carr)
• Garret Skead ( always a pleasure to stand next to this top cape town Birder)
• Rob Leslie
• Tristan Spurway (Thanks for Sharing your images of the Flying Squid and Devil Ray)
• Bruce Dyer (Has been down to the Southern Ocean sooooo many times and he has many stories to share, he is always great company)
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•  
• 

  Flock to Marion 2022, Supporting the Mouse free Marion Project, Birdlife South Africa

 

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•  

MSC Orchestra

https://www.msccruises.co.za/our-cruises/ships/msc-orchestra#:~:text=MSC-,Orchestra,-MSC%20ORCHESTRA

• Gross tonnage: 92.409 tons
• Number of passengers: 3223
• Crew members: About 940
• Number of cabins: 1.275, incl. 17 for guests with disabilities
• Length/Beam/Height: 293,80 m / 32,20 m / 59,64 m
• Maximum speed: 22,90 knots
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•  

 

 

 

Prince Edward and Marion Islands

Prince Edward and Marion Islands are remote and isolated sub-Antarctic islands located in the southern Indian Ocean. Here’s a short review of these two islands:

Location: Prince Edward Island is situated approximately 1,600 kilometres (994 miles) southeast of South Africa.

Geography: It is a volcanic island characterized by rugged terrain, rocky shores, and a harsh climate. The Island is relatively small, measuring about 45 square kilometres (17 square miles).

Wildlife: Despite its harsh conditions, the Island supports a variety of wildlife, including sea-birds, seals, and various species of penguins. The surrounding waters are rich in marine life.

Conservation: Prince Edward Island is a nature reserve with limited human habitation. Conservation efforts are in place to protect its fragile ecosystem.

 

JAEGERS

 

 

 

 

Marion Island:

• Location: Marion Island is located about 1,900 kilometres (1,181 miles) southeast of South Africa, making it one of the most remote islands in the world.
• Geography: Like Prince Edward Island, Marion Island is also of volcanic origin and features rugged terrain, with its highest peak reaching over 1,200 meters (3,937 feet) above sea level.
• Wildlife: Marion Island is known for its unique and diverse wildlife. It is home to various bird species, seals, and a large population of Subantarctic fur seals. The Island is also known for its population of introduced rabbits.
• Research: Research stations have been established on Marion Island, primarily for scientific research and monitoring of its ecosystem.
• Conservation: Marion Island, like Prince Edward Island, is designated as a nature reserve, and conservation efforts are in place to protect its delicate environment.

Prince Edward and Marion Islands are remote, pristine, and ecologically significant. While they may not be popular tourist destinations due to their extreme isolation and challenging climate, they play a vital role in scientific research and preserving unique sub-Antarctic ecosystems. These islands offer a glimpse into the natural world as they exist in one of the planet’s most isolated and untouched corners, making them valuable for conservation and scientific exploration.

 

 PENGUINS  

 

 

 

 

 

Celebrating the Albatross

A solitary figure gracefully glides through the air in the vast expanse of the open ocean, where the waves meet the sky. With wings outstretched, the wandering albatross dances effortlessly upon the wind, embodying a timeless elegance and a spirit of untamed freedom. Its pure white feathers, kissed by the sun, reflect a subtle iridescence that rivals the sparkle of distant stars. Every movement is poetry in motion as it navigates the currents with a divine precision, an effortless mastery of the vast expanse it calls home. In its eyes, a depth hints at ancient wisdom and an unspoken yearning. As it traverses the endless horizons, the albatross seeks a kindred soul, a partner to share its solitary flight. It longs for a love that transcends the boundaries of land and sky, where two hearts beat in perfect harmony. With each gentle turn, it carries the whispered promises of eternal devotion on its wings, tracing invisible trails of passion in the boundless tapestry of the heavens.

It ceaselessly searches for a mate who understands the language of the wind, the unspoken symphony of desire that resounds in the silent moments between the soaring heights and the tranquil depths. And when, at last, the wandering albatross finds its destined companion, they embark on a grand odyssey together, bound by an unbreakable bond forged in the vastness of their shared dreams. Their love story defies the limitations of time and space as they traverse the endless oceans, their synchronized flight a testament to the power of love and the boundless beauty of the natural world. In the heart of the wandering albatross, love becomes an eternal voyage, a journey of souls entwined, where every beat of their wings echoes the rhythm of their love, and every flight carries them closer to the infinite horizon of their shared destiny.

 

CORMORANTS

 

 

The wandering albatross is a majestic and iconic seabird that has inspired many writers, scientists, and adventurers over the years. Here are ten memorable quotes about the wandering albatross:

1. “He is the largest of living birds, and, save his horn-colored beak and claw-colored bill, is an unspotted bird. He is a snow-white creature. An ocean wanderer, an ocean dreamer.” – Richard Henry Dana Jr.
2. “The wandering albatross: a voyager of the southern seas, a sentinel of the oceans, and a symbol of freedom and grace.” – Unknown
3. “Like a ghostly messenger of the sea, the wandering albatross soars above the waves, a creature of solitude and sublime beauty.” – Jacques-Yves Cousteau
4. “The albatross, with its great wingspan and graceful flight, teaches us the art of patience and endurance in the vast expanse of the open ocean.” – Unknown
5. “A creature of the winds and waves, the wandering albatross embodies the untamed spirit of the Southern Ocean.” – Sir James Cook
6. “The wandering albatross is a living testament to the power of nature’s design, a master of the open ocean skies.” – Unknown
7. “To watch the wandering albatross in flight is to witness poetry in motion, a ballet of wings and wind.” – Unknown
8. “In the lonely beauty of the Southern Ocean, the wandering albatross reigns as a symbol of freedom and a reminder of the wild places left on our planet.” – Unknown
9. “The albatross, a nomad of the seas, carries the stories of distant lands and far-off horizons on its wings.” – Unknown
10. “As long as the wandering albatross continues to roam the southern seas, the spirit of adventure and discovery lives on in our hearts.” – Unknown

These quotes capture the mystique and wonder associated with the wandering albatross, a magnificent bird that has fascinated humanity for centuries.

 

TERNS

 

 

 

Southern Ocean

The Southern Ocean, also known as the Antarctic Ocean, is the youngest and the southernmost of the Earth’s five oceans. It surrounds Antarctica and is defined by the waters that flow from the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans southward and converge around the continent. The exact boundaries of the Southern Ocean have been a subject of debate. Still, traditionally, it is considered to extend from the continent of Antarctica to the southern edges of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Key characteristics of the Southern Ocean include:

1. Unique Ecosystem: The Southern Ocean is known for its unique and diverse marine ecosystems. It is home to a wide variety of marine life, including krill, penguins, seals, and several species of whales. Many of these species are specially adapted to the cold and harsh conditions of the region.
2. Cold and Remote: The waters of the Southern Ocean are some of the hardest on Earth, with temperatures often dropping below freezing. Due to its harsh climate and remoteness, it is one of the most remote and least explored areas of the world’s oceans.
3. Circumpolar Current: The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) flows clockwise around Antarctica and is the most significant current in the world’s oceans. It helps isolate the waters of the Southern Ocean from those of the other oceans, contributing to its distinct characteristics.
4. Role in Climate: The Southern Ocean regulates the Earth’s climate. It absorbs a significant amount of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping to mitigate global warming. It also influences weather patterns and ocean circulation around the world.
5. Research and Conservation: Due to its unique characteristics and ecological significance, the Southern Ocean has been the focus of extensive scientific research and conservation efforts. Several international agreements, such as the Antarctic Treaty System and the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), govern human activities in the region to protect its fragile ecosystems.

Overall, the Southern Ocean is a critical component of the Earth’s oceans and profoundly impacts the planet’s climate and biodiversity.

 

GULLS

 

 

 

“That’s the high point of the whole cruise”

MBE Peter Harrison commented after Johnathan Rossouw recounted to Peter Harrison how we observed and captured some images of the Critically endangered Tristan Albatross.

Inspirational people we met on the Flock. 

With 9000 Birds listed, this man was a legend (Jonathan Rossouw), with stories that go on forever and a wealth of knowledge on almost everything we witnessed; it was a privilege to stand at his guiding station and soak up all the information.  Thanks, Jonathan Rossouw, for making this trip so memorable. As down-to-earth as you get, barefoot or in slops, whatever you do, don’t show him one of your blurry images and ask, “Hey Peter, what type of Prion is this?” trust me you will not go back for more…….. Dr Anton Wolfaardt heads up the Mouse Free Marion Project; thanks to all the guides who helped us identify and list these remarkable sea birds. Dr.Dominic Paul Rollinson is hard at finding many lifers for Flockers on this voyage, still looking for a binocular upgrade to Shrawovski NL. We were blessed to have MBE Peter Harrison(the world’s leading Sea-Bird Artist and author of the latest “Sea Bird Identification” book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Highlights and Memories

 

With Marion’s excitement fading as we travelled northward towards Durban, who could have predicted the sighting of a critically endangered Tristan Albatross? We had the good fortune to be part of a small group of flockers at the stern of the vessel when the Tristan Albatross made a dramatic and spectacular appearance.

We didn’t know it was a Tristan Albatross then, but Adam Riley, who guided this Flock, made the call. It was only a short time before this rare sighting was announced over the ship’s intercom.  With hardly any standing room after the announcement, we celebrated this majestic bird. We were blessed to have MBE Peter Harrison(the world’s leading Sea-bird Artist and author of the latest “Sea Bird Identification” book) at the vessel’s stern. He showed us his reference images and described the differences between the “Grubby Wandering Albatross” and the “Clean Pure White” Tristan Albatross.

 We shared this memorable moment and celebrated our joy of this incredible find. Celebrating this moment with Peter and Johnathan Rossouw from Apex Expeditions, I have to rank this experience as the highlight of my birding career and a climax of the Flock to Marion Expedition.   Nothing could match the vibrance and excitement of the Southern Ocean, and as we headed into the warmer Indian Ocean waters, the birdlife all but vanished. It was challenging to adjust to this slower pace of activity; however, we did see some incredible marine life on the return leg. Whales, dolphins, Flying Squid, and the odd Tropical Shearwater entertained us as we finally arrived in Durban. 

 

Tristan Albatross (Diomedea dabbenena)

Afrikaans:Tristangrootalbatros

Description

It is slightly smaller than Wandering Albatross, with a shorter bill. Plumage takes longer to whiten and does not attain entirely white plumage of old male Wandering Albatrosses. Therefore, birds at sea probably need to be identifiable with certainty. Typical ad. males have mostly dark upper wings with a pale patch on the elbow, but some have more extensive white upper wings; older birds seem to have less black in the tail tip relative to the extent of black in the upper wing than similar-plumaged Wandering Albatrosses, but more data is needed to confirm this trait. Most ad. females retain brown feathers on the crown, back, breast and flanks, resembling immature Wandering Albatross, but old females resemble ad. males. Juv. Like juv. Wandering Albatross.

Voice

Occasionally gives grunts and whinnies at sea, inseparable from calls of Wandering Albatross.

Status and biology

CRITICALLY ENDANGERED due to accidental mortality on fishing gear and high chick mortality due to introduced mice at the colony on Gough Island. It mainly remains in oceanic waters of s Atlantic, typically north of 35°S, but some venture across the Indian Ocean to Australia. Ringing and tracking data confirm occurrence off the west coast of s Africa, but abundance is unknown—global population <20 000 birds. Tristan Albatross Diomedea dabbenena Slightly smaller than the Wandering Albatross, with a shorter bill, plumage takes longer to whiten, never attaining the entirely white plumage of old male Wandering Albatrosses. Birds at sea are probably not identifiable with certainty. typical ad males have mostly dark upper wings with pale patches on the elbow, but some have more extensive white upper wings. Relative to Wandering Albatrosses at a similar stage, they tend to have less black in the tail tip. Most ad females retain brown feathers on the crown, back, breast and flanks, but old females resemble ad males. Voice: Similar to that of Wandering Albatross. In full display, he spreads his wings and throws his head back. Status and biology: Two hundred pairs breed annually, almost all on Gough Island; only 1 or 2 pairs breed on an Inaccessible slat in the Tristan da Cunha group yearly. It remains mainly in the South Atlantic, but some non-br birds disperse into the Indian Ocean, reaching Australia. The abundance of Southern Africa is poorly known due to the difficulty of identifying birds at sea. Breeding adults forage in a broad area from 28-489S, between 50°W and 10°E. Many non-br ads forage in oceanic waters SW of Africa, with a secondary ‘hotspot’ off n Namibia. Favours fairly warm water (15-20°C), >1,000m deep. Breeding biology is similar to the Wandering Albatross’s but suffers high chick mortality due to mouse predation at Gough Island. Eats mainly squid and carrion.

In many ways, these birds are the masters of our blue planet. They can fly enormous distances each year for food, with satellite tracking devices demonstrating how extensive their movements are. It is also noteworthy that young birds, males and females, follow different routes and forage in different parts of the oceans. This unparalleled mobility is due to their incredibly long wings, with the larger species reaching wingspans of 3.5 m – the biggest of any bird.

They glide seemingly effortlessly and with minimal flapping by exploiting wind speed differences through dynamic soaring and slope soaring. This enables them to travel almost 1,000 km/ day without their heartbeat elevating greatly.

When they drift on the water, you can see how massive they are, dwarfing other seabirds except for the giant petrels. That being said, they are divided into two groups (spanning four genera): the white-backed ‘great albatrosses’ are the true giants, but the dark-backed

‘Mollymawks’ are considerably smaller. Some of the smaller species may dive underwater, but albatrosses feed primarily by seizing fish, squid, krill, and fishery discards from the surface.

They breed on remote oceanic islands where they form lifelong pair bonds (with occasional indiscretions) that are established through dancing. Sexual maturity only reaches around age five, and breeding is postponed for several years while pair bonds are formed. Coupled with the longest incubation period of any bird and the fact that young may only fledge after 280 days, albatrosses have a disastrously slow reproductive rate.

Furthermore, pairs often take a year’s sabbatical between breeding attempts.

This means that any birds lost to accidental sea fisheries bycatch, plastic ingestion, or other threats have a major impact on their overall population, and albatrosses are the most threatened bird family worldwide. Fortunately, these threats have largely been mitigated by ongoing conservation efforts. A current priority is eradicating predatory alien mice from their breeding islands.

In support of the Mouse Free Marion project in conjunction with Birdlife South Africa and the Department of  Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment   Text care of Firefinch Bird App and Proff. Peter Ryan (Guide to Seabirds)

 

STORM PETRELS

 

 

 

PRIONS

Whale birds of the Southern Ocean

Prions (pachyptila) Afrikaans: Walvisvoel | Prion is derived from the Greek for ‘saw‘, referring to the serrated margin of the upper mandible created by a series of palatal lamellae. These filter small prey, functioning similarly to baleen in whales, giving the Prions the nickname of whale birds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slender-billed Prion (Alex Aitkenhead)

 

 

DIVING PETRELS

 

 

 

GANNETS

 

 

PHALAROPES

 

 

DOLPHINS

 

 

 

 

ISLAND ‘ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE’

Massacre at Marion: Mouse eradication project gathers pace

Wandering albatrosses on Marion Island. (Photo: Ben Dilley, courtesy of Mouse-Free Marion Project)

By Yves Vanderhaeghen

27 Sep 2023

2

The team spearheading an operation to rid Marion Island of mice which are annihilating seabirds and other life say the project’s success is vital for conservation.

• Marion Island is home to millions of seabirds from 28 species.
• Mice are putting 19 species at risk of extinction.
• Mice are now attacking adult Wandering Albatrosses, imperilling the bird’s survival on Marion.
• Six hundred tonnes of poison bait is to be distributed across the island.
• The funding target to launch the operation is $25-million.

 

• 

Mouse attacking the crown of the head of a wandering albatross. (Photo: Stefan Schoombie, courtesy of Mouse-Free Marion Project)

Grey-headed albatross, ‘scalped’ by a mouse on Marion Island. (Photo: Tom Peschak, courtesy of Mouse-Free Marion Project)

A “zombie apocalypse” has been playing itself out on Marion Island in the Southern Indian Ocean for more than a decade, as flesh-eating mice massacre vulnerable seabirds, having already laid waste to invertebrates and otherwise tenacious vegetation.

The urgency to do something about it has been growing, but the process of conducting feasibility studies on island rodent eradication, meeting regulations and trying to raise the funds for a massive extermination operation has been a slow one.

 

Mark D Anderson, the CEO of BirdLife South Africa – which has been spearheading the Mouse-Free Marion rodent eradication project in conjunction with the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment – is adamant, however, that a terminal blitz on the rodents will take place soon.

The high stakes justify the painstaking progress, because, says Anderson, “the outcome is binary: either we succeed or we fail. A pregnant mouse remaining is failure. Two mice of opposite sexes remaining is failure. So, we’ve got to do everything in our power to make sure we’re successful.

“It is after all an almost half-a-billion-rand project. And if we’re not successful, how long will it be before the work is undertaken again? Decades, perhaps.”

Anderson and Mavuso Msimang, the chair of the Mouse-Free Marion Non-Profit Company, will be giving a presentation on the crisis on Marion Island at the annual Oppenheimer Research Conference, which this year takes place from 4-6 October in Midrand, Gauteng.

The title of the presentation is, “Saving Marion Island’s seabirds – the world’s most important bird conservation project”.

An isolated volcanic outcrop about 2,000km from Cape Town, Marion Island, with its sister, Prince Edward Island, was declared a Special Nature Reserve in 1995 and falls under South Africa’s stewardship.

South Africa established a research station on Marion in 1948.

Marion is a perfect breeding ground for seabirds, although, between the relentless winds associated with the Roaring Forties and icy temperatures, it is hostile to terrestrial animals and plants.

However, its 30,000-hectare surface (roughly 30,000 rugby fields) teems with birdlife.

Wandering albatrosses on Marion Island. (Photo: Tom Peschak, courtesy of Mouse-Free Marion Project)

 

Ornithologists estimate that the island is home to millions of seabirds from 28 species, including penguins, giant petrels, diving petrels, storm petrels, terns and prions. But it is also called “Albatross Central”, as it is the breeding ground for about a quarter of the world’s wandering albatrosses and the grey-headed Albatross, the sooty albatross and the light-mantled albatross.

Marion is not an impregnable fortress, however. Researchers have found that it is now home to 46 alien species, of which 29 are invasive.

One of these, and the only mammal among them, is the house mouse – Mus musculus.

The mice most probably jumped ship from seal-hunting brigs in the early 1800s, about 150 years after the island was first sighted by the Dutch East India Company in 1663.

It didn’t take them long to take over.

William Phelps, a sealer who spent time on Marion from 1818-1820, wrote that “… the whole island was infested with common house-mice, which had… been introduced from some sailing vessel, probably with the stores of the gang; and they had multiplied until their name was legion.

“They thickly populated the beaches and inhabited the caves; they burrowed with the birds in the banks and were found among the mountains’ snows.”

It is not clear how anything survived this invasion. Still, it is thought that an equilibrium of sorts was maintained until, Anderson reckons, climate change enabled the mice “to breed more regularly over a longer period and have bigger litter sizes”.

 

Not to mention the cats which, introduced in 1948 to kill off the mice at the research base, bred so furiously that they, in turn, were “hunted, trapped, and had a virus let loose on them” until by 1991 there were none left. Apart from mice, the cats were also killing half a million seabirds a year.

Conservationists then had to look at what could be done about the mice.

Successful eradication operations have been carried out on rabbits, rats and mice on Macquarie Island in the Pacific Ocean, rats on the Shiants in the Hebrides, and St Agnes and Gugh in the Isles of Scilly.

The biggest project was on South Georgia island in the Atlantic Ocean, which in 2018 was declared free of rodents.

In the 20 years up to 2018, the number of mice on Marion increased by about 430%.

As a result, says Anderson, “the frequency of mouse attacks is increasing very significantly. It’s exponential, and it’s related to the fact that the invertebrates on which the mice used to prey have been decimated, so the mice are feeding off the seabirds and their eggs as an alternative food source” to replace their diet of weevils, moths and seeds.

In a 2015 study, mice were found to be killing one in 10 albatross chicks.

Not only has this escalated, says Anderson, but “one of our concerns is that the mice are now starting to feed on adult wandering albatrosses as well.

“The loss of chicks obviously has a big impact, but once you start killing adult birds of breeding maturity, then the impact on populations increases. And this is a more recent phenomenon.”

These deaths are not a clinical process.

Wandering albatross chick. (Photo: Otto Whitehead, courtesy of Mouse-Free Marion Project)

 

The mice “nibble” mercilessly on chicks through the night. If they survive, they will spend the day exhausted, in pain, trying to recover until the mice attack again the next night.

As videos first taken in 2009 showed, the mice will also “scalp” the older chicks, attacking the crown of the head as the bird attempts to protect itself.

 

Attacks on adult birds are aimed at the rump and wings, eventually felling them so that a feeding frenzy is launched at the stomach and the bird is eviscerated.

 

“It’s an absolutely gruesome death,” says Anderson.

Wildlife photographer Thomas Peschak described the horror in a 2019 National Geographic podcast: “All of a sudden in this landscape of black and green and grey there is this red that pops out at you… and you’re just going, ‘Well, what is that?’ You come around this boulder and you are looking at a bird that has been scalped.

“The entire back of its head and the entire neck have been eaten away.”

He added: “I’ve watched every single season of The Walking Dead and this is rougher than any one of those episodes.”

It’s little wonder that ecologist Otto Whitehead dubbed this a “zombie apocalypse.” If nothing is done, 19 of the 28 seabird species breeding on Marion Island will be at risk of extinction.

 

Night camera shot of a mouse attacking a great-winged petrel. (Photo: Stefan Schoombie, courtesy of Mouse-Free Marion Project)

He notes that “one only needs to look at Gough Island to see how bad things can get in terms of impact on the survival of albatross chicks. Marion is not there yet, but it is heading that way, and eradication is crucial to prevent things from getting out of hand.

“There is a chance that the eradication will fail, of course. But there is also a good chance that it’ll succeed. It’s a much less complicated environment (in terms of habitat complexity) than Gough Island, where the eradication attempt failed.”

Prof Peter Ryan, one of the project’s scientific advisers, stresses that “the need to act has been ramped up this year. Reducing chick production will wipe out populations, but over a very long time. But killing adults, it will go a lot quicker.

“This year we suddenly had seven adult deaths, in an area that wasn’t being monitored closely, so we don’t know how many attacks there were to result in seven deaths. That is a game changer.

“The first wanderer attacks were recorded in 2002, but they were very sporadic. The first attacks on sootys were in 2009, and then in 2014-15, we had big outbreaks of attacks on the light-mantleds and sootys. And it’s taken off since then.”

 

Two grey-headed albatrosses ‘scalped’ by mice on Marion Island. (Photo: Ben Dilley, courtesy of Mouse-Free Marion Project)

 

Ryan cautions that while attention is on the damage to birdlife, “the impact on invertebrates has been even more devastating, and this has been clear for 20 to 30 years, but people don’t care about invertebrates so it’s hard to muster a lot of support”.

Of those that are hardest hit are endemic weevils and the flightless moth.

There are two species of flightless moth on Prince Edward, and only one on Marion, he says, “so we suspect that probably Marion has lost one entirely already due to mice. You really struggle to find a flightless moth on the island now.

“It’s desperate what the mice have done to the invertebrates; they’re just strip-mining the island of them.”

What is to be done?

It’s clear that a few mousetraps won’t suffice.

Eradication is seen as the only solution, and the process to achieve this started in 2015, says Anderson, when a feasibility study was commissioned, “but it’s only in the last three years that things have really started moving”.

It will be a massive task.

“The mice are found across the island, and this would be the largest island by a large margin from which mice have been eradicated in a single attempt if we’re successful.

“Logistically, Marion Island presents some challenges. It is 30,000 hectares for starters, so that’s big. Then, there is no port, so everything has to be taken from the ship to the island by helicopter.

“It will take about 10-20 days to offload the gear, the helicopters and the team, depending on the weather conditions.

“You’re flying helicopters in pretty difficult flying conditions, with strong winds in particular. We’ll use six helicopters, which will spread almost 600 tonnes of bait over every square metre of the island.”

The eradication operation is being run by New Zealander Keith Springer, who has had extensive experience in rodent eradication. The project is managed by Dr Anton Wolfaardt, who has more than 20 years of experience working in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic.

Springer says that the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and the Environment’s polar research vessel SA Agulhas II, which is used to resupply the scientific bases at Gough and Marion Islands and in Antarctica, will deploy the eradication team and pick them up again.

South African helicopter companies will shortly be invited to tender for the project implementation.

Springer points out that the bait is not just dumped by the helicopters, as a water-bomber might do on a fire.

“We use a bucket slung beneath the helicopter to disperse the bait. Below a hopper which holds the bait is a motor-driven spinner. The bait falls into the spinner and is flung out in a 360o pattern. We expect that each bucket will be able to deposit a swath of bait about 80 metres wide.

Bait bucket viewed from a helicopter. (Photo: Courtesy of Mouse-Free Marion Project)

“We fly in parallel flight lines across the whole island distributing bait, and then do it again, from a slightly different angle. The objective is to get a bait pellet in every potential mouse territory on the island. This is where some of the pilot skills come in – it’s not easy to stick absolutely on a plotted line shown on your instruments, without deviating more than a couple of metres either side of the line, and do that all day.”

This can only happen, says Anderson, if the weather cooperates.

“The team will be on the island for the better part of five months, and they will wait for two weather windows. We’ll have top meteorologists watching the weather, and when there’s a week to 10-day weather window, they’ll be ready to roll.

“They’ll fly the helicopters during that period. Then they’ll do a second bait drop during a subsequent weather window a few weeks or even months later.”

The bait used comprises a cereal matrix, with an anticoagulant rodenticide poison, Brodifacoum, in it.

Six-hundred tonnes of poison bait will be distributed across the island using bait buckets suspended from helicopters. (Photo: Courtesy of Mouse-Free Marion Project)

Anderson says the work will be done in winter, when the mice are at their hungriest and when they’re not breeding.

“They’ll take the bait, which is on the surface, into their underground burrows and cache it, or consume it. The majority die underground, within three to four days.”

As for collateral damage, Anderson says there will inevitably be some.

But, “the important thing is that this is a once-off intervention. If you think about managing the Kruger Park, for example, that is forever, literally. Here, we go in, we do it well, with biosecurity in place post-eradication: job done!

“There’s almost no conservation work where you say you’re going to move in and be able to say, problem solved. That’s nice.”

The operation’s success, which will be undertaken in 2026, will only be known two years after the baiting is completed and after sniffer dogs and cameras have fully swept the island. However, failure could be signalled earlier if any mice are detected in the meantime.

There is still something standing in the way of getting rid of the mice: money.

The funding target is to raise $25-million (R469.2-million), but “we’re still about $19-million short”, says Anderson.

“We’re pulling out all the stops. The South African government has committed R60-million, with the likelihood of more”, and one of the biggest individual donors is pharmaceutical magnate Frederik Paulsen, who has donated $1.5-million. He is also a director of the Mouse-Free Marion Project NPC Board.

Asked about criticism that this operation would be a case of playing God, Anderson says that “unfortunately in this situation, one has to essentially be playing God because the problem is not going to resolve itself.

“It may be resolved when every last seabird is gone, and the mice have got nothing else to feed on, and we can’t wait till then.

“But nobody likes killing. I agonise over the things we need to do. Whether it’s removing Himalayan tahrs from Table Mountain, or dealing with house crows in Cape Town and Durban, we’ve got to think of what the long-term benefits are, as custodians of biodiversity on the planet.

“The mice don’t belong there. They need to go,” says Anderson.

They need to go because, says Mavuso Msimang, “it is imperative that protected areas serve their purpose in providing safe spaces for the species that call them home.

 

WHALES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEALS

 

 

OTHER NOTABLE SIGHTINGS

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUPPORTING THE MOUSE FREE MARION PROJECT

Thanks to all the photographers for the remarkable images that were used to create this article.

 

Flock to Marion 2022, a different perspective (Articles written by others)

https://www.birdguides.com/articles/trip-reports/the-ultimate-pelagic/

February 2022 Newsletter

Flock to Marion: a chance of a lifetime

 

Flock to Marion

 

 

February 2022 Newsletter

The “Flock to Marion” voyage raises over three million Rand for the Mouse-Free Marion Project

 

https://fb.watch/ncjid0S7TV/?mibextid=MnnKW6

 

 

Newspaper article in Sweden on the #flocktomarion2022

https://www.kalmarposten.se/oland/nina-fran-oland-kom-ivag-pa-sitt-livs-resa-total-lycka-d2095312/

Nina from Öland set off on the journey of a lifetime: “Total happiness”

Nina Fransson and her sister run the hotel Villa Ingrid in Borgholm and My and Nina’s Bakery at Lundegård’s campsite north of Borgholm. But alongside the companies, Nina has a great passion and hobby – namely bird watching. For almost 30 years, Nina’s interest in birds has grown stronger. At the same time, she has had a dream trip, to be able to go on a cruise without having to go ashore anywhere.

Published April 17, 2022 • Updated Tuesday 13:04

Photos from the trip: Håkan Johansson / Private

Photos from the trip: Håkan Johansson / Private

– Through tips from a friend on southern Öland, I found out almost two years ago that BirdLife South Africa organized the world’s largest cruise for birdwatchers called Flock To Marion 2021. It is a “once in a lifetime” trip that has never been organized earlier. We jumped in right away when we found out. My special resident Håkan, who lives in Skåne, came to my house at the bakery in Lundegård and said “of course we will go”. We booked the same day, says Nina.

There was never any talk about the matter for Nina Fransson and Håkan Johansson. But the world wanted different. The trip was canceled due to the pandemic and would instead be canceled the following year, ie 2022.

– But just before it was to go at the end of January this year, the omicron variant of covid-19 came from South Africa and there was a riot in Durban. It was a tough time when you had to decide – go or not go, keep the tickets or book off. We decided to go. It would be the journey of a lifetime, says Nina.

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What was required was a maximum of 48 hours old PCR test. On January 21 this year, Nina and Håkan went from Kastrup via Istanbul to Cape Town in South Africa and tested negative. After three days in Cape Town, they once again needed to take a PCR test to get one step closer to the cruise.

– It was empty everywhere in Cape Town in principle, and we were very careful. A doctor came to our hotel and took a PCR test on us and the next morning we went to the boat. We were ten Swedes who more or less knew each other since before who would join. In total we would have been 25, but the others booked off, says Nina.

– There we had to do one last antigen test. 1500 passengers, birdwatchers, photographers and nature lovers would all take the test. We saw at least six people who were allowed to turn around and be quarantined in Cape Town. When all Swedish friends were on board, everythingAnd so the journey began for real, almost two years after they decided to go. The ship Msc Orchestra left Cape Town on January 24 to cruise towards the Prince Edward Islands. It is an archipelago consisting of two islands in the Southern Ocean, Prince Edward Island (Prince Edward Island) and Marion Island (Marion Island).

– Due to a storm, the ship had to leave port earlier than planned that day. Those who had not arrived in time were allowed to go out to the cruise ship in lifeboats. From Cape Town, which we started from, we would cross towards Marion Island and Prince Edward Island and round them, but there were still remnants of the storm left, so we had to cross it as well, says Nina.

The reason why the bird watching cruise “Flock To Marion” was started as a one-time expedition was to raise money for a project, “The Mouse-Free Marion Project”. Marion Island is a 30,000 hectare island, which is home to many amazing bird species. But there is a problem.On the island there are also crowds of mice that attack the birds alive in search of food.

– In the 19th century, sailors came past the island with their boats and happened to bring the mice there that multiplied. They are the biggest threat to, for example, albatrosses. BirdLife South Africa did the project to protect the birds, Nina states.

If the project did not exist, 18 of the 28 bird species found on Marion Island would be locally extinct. With the help of helicopters, poison for mice should be spread all over the island to get rid of the invasive species, the only method that has been shown to work. The project is currently at the end of the planning stage and the challenge operation is planned to be carried out during the winter of 2024. It will secure the island’s ecosystem.

– We saw documentaries on board where the mice attacked the chicks. Very awful. So the purpose of the cruise was to raise money for the project to save the bird species. We did not go ashore on the islands, but were on the sea. On the entire cruise, we saw nothing more than Marion Island, Prince Edward Island and the Southern Ocean in a full week. We lay and slid. So nice.

– All the time you saw birds following the boat. We saw dolphins, many whales and penguins. We saw four species of the penguins. It was amazing to see his first hiking albatross. It was the best part of the whole trip I think. It was nice that everyone on the trip had the same interest as well, and was there for the same thing.In addition to the 1,500 passengers and an almost equal crew, there were also 40 professional guides on board.

– We never needed to be crowded. Due to the travelers’ specific interest in birds, I was completely alone at the gym when I was there one day, even though there were 1500 passengers. Usually it’s a luxury cruise ship, so there were theaters and everything on board. The crew has probably never had so little to do as during that week – everyone was mostly looking for birds, laughs Nina.

The ship Msc Orchestra is 294 meters long and has 13 floors of passenger decks and four floors for the crew. The travelers lived in their own cabins.

– We had a cabin with a balcony, so if you wanted to be alone for a while you could stand and look there. In the middle of the night, you were not allowed to have lights on or curtains drawn, because then the birds slam against the windows. But it was so wonderful to go out on the balcony in the middle of the night and breathe the sea air, without lighting up.

– It was so cool to see all the albatrosses and all the seabirds that came so close to the boat. A hiking albatross has 3.6 meters between the wingspan and they weigh 12 kilos. We saw ten different species of albatrosses. They nest down there.

One week after they boarded, the journey came to an end. On January 31, they went ashore again.

– When we landed in Derban and everything had gone well, it was ultimate happiness. It really became the journey of our lives.

https://www.birdguides.com/articles/trip-reports/the-ultimate-pelagic/