30th June 2007

After spending a week lugging 8 kg of food in buckets up a hill twice a day I’m glad that we only got 15 instead of 20 chicks this year! That combined with the constant aroma of fish that surrounds me I’m glad that I now have an assistant, Andrew Cole who also works for RSPB and other staff have been extremely helpful in doing the odd babysitting stint.

The blood analyses have revealed that we have nine males and six females, giving the Norwegians (who sexed the birds at the nest based on bill and leg measurements and general size) a couple of surprises as two of their ‘girls’ turned out to be boys!