Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

The project staff went to holidays.
We wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
We will return next year for more and new exciting news.
All the best...

Endemics full of life

Our production of endemic plants in the greenhouse is still full of life. Take a look ...

Anti-predator fence overview

Enjoying the good weather and the calm sea, i went to take some pictures of the anti-predators fence overview on the Low Altitude Biological Reserve. After much effort and hard work, this is the aspect.

Birthday video presentation

On 26th of November, the SPEA made ​​his birthday party with the Corvo citizens, where a anniversary commemorating video was shown to all the present people. This set of images shows some field work and the willingness of the "Safe Islands for Seabirds" team. Congratulations SPEA!

18th SPEA Birthday

SPEA - Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds will celebrate its 18th anniversary on 25 November. We are organizing a party at the Oceans Bar on Corvo island, on 26th Saturday. The party will start at 22h. We are expecting you!

Hypnos strengthens is wing muscles

Here is another Hypnos video, about is first wings preparation, trying to strengthen the wing muscles to do the flight into the ocean. From this date forward he made ​​it every night.

See other videos of Corvo Honeymoon in:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL56823F844553878D

+ Important Moments in Corvo Honeymoon

Our project "Corvo Honeymoon" has been a success. The chick flight in perfect conditions towards the ocean. We are currently updating the latest movies on the "special moments" gallery, of our "Hypnos" Cory Shearwater  before he left the nest.

Some images of the normal behavior inside the nest.

In this video we can see the first time that the chick ventures to outside of the nest.

Watch for upcoming videos.

S.O.S. Cory's Shearwater Campaign ends

Commemorating video of the Campaign "S.O.S. Cory's Shearwater 2011" closing session. 226 Cory's Shearwaters were collected and returned during this year. Our thanks to all Corvo people for their support.

New tenant in Recovery Center

The Corvo bird recovery center have a new tenant. It's a "Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo Rothschild". Came from Faial with a wound in a wing that unable him to fly. The Corvo Island Natural Park with his technician Pedro Domingos and SPEA are doing efforts to get a fast recovery and a soon releasing on his origin island.

Learning the Corvo native flora

Integrated with the "Environmental Club", our team organized a activities session for the students, for them learn the Corvo island native flora. We applied an educational game with seven of the most important plants for identification.

They also had the opportunity to draw the plants that are being produced in the greenhouse on the Mouzinho da Silveira school. Here are some of the fabulous drawings.

VII SPEA Congress of Ornithology on Madeira

The VII SPEA Congress of Ornithology and I Macaronesian Ornithology Days, was held in Machico, on Madeira Island, between 29 and 31 October. The event had as partners the Madeira Natural Park, the Ornithology Spanish Society and the Biosphere I Cape Verde Association, The Machico council, among others.

During this three days more than 150 interested in birds, scientists and students participated. Our team presented the preliminary results of the "Safe Islands for Seabirds" project.

We started with Sandra Hervías that presented the study of "the Cory's Shearwater breeding success and the impact of rodents and cats". Carlos Silva presented the data from "Recovery of the Vila Franca islet habitat" in São Miguel.

The event was a success, with interesting scientific data presentations, accompanied by sharing and discussion the results, which greatly stimulate the Ornithological research and the Macaronesian habitats conservation.

Storm Petrel Rescued

Was found in the last October 21 this Storm Petrel Oceanodroma leocorhoa, next to the "Porto da Casa" harbour. Been ringed, we gather the biometric and later the bird was released. Had more than 20 people of audience, including the Birdwatchers who still around here.

S.O.S. Cory's Shearwater night patrols

Began on the 19 October evening the SOS Cagarro project nights patrols. Already been found, some Cory's juveniles that fallen from the nest in the streets, attracted by the street lights.

Every night we patrol trying to search the inexperienced and susceptible birds. We thank everyone from Corvo for their provided help.

Here is an example of a Cory's Shearwater captured and keeped on a box. All birds are ringed, weighed, measured and released in the next morning. Feel free to join us.

39 Birwatchers no Corvo

The peak of the migratory birds started, Corvo is one of the most desirable Birdwatchers destinations, from all over the world. Currently there are 39 observers of 11 different nationalities on the island and we received most of the days visitors from Flores.

We often see them equipped with the best and the biggest telescopes and cameras in rushing from one place to another in search of the rarities. Like in the army, they are in constant communication through walkie-talkies to not miss anything. The image below of a Nycticorax violaceus juvenile was captured by the Digiscoping method on Topo / Sand Beach.

Have been observed hundreds of U.S. and Europe migratory birds, both at sea and land. Let's wait for the bad weather west storms that should come this weekend for the perfect conditions to observe more rarities.

The fence construction proceeds hard

The visit of the European Commission monitor for the project ended today, which allowed him to observe that our team putted already 360 stainless steel vertical posts, support 95 poles, used 2.5 tons of cement, 2m cubic of sand and 4m cubic of gravel, 3000 liters of water and 1500 meters of mesh placed by our team. All this only in 18 days with a team of eight people. After the dedication and excellent work by all, the mesh was finished yesterday. Now we need to continue the improvements and submissions.

Opened the season of S.O.S. Cory's Shearwater

On last week at the Cultural and Environmental Interpretation Center, held the opening event of the SOS Cory's Shearwater 2011 campaign. The main entities of the Island were represented, which were able to attend the presentations of the Corvo Island Natural Park and SPEA. Now we are waiting for the fall of juveniles.

More than 70 pipes in place

The anti-predator fence that our team is building on Topo Biological Reserve is rapidly developing. We already have over seventy pipes in place.

Our day to day activities have been: hauling buckets of sand, water and gravel, making cement, filling the wheelbarrow, placing pipe, aligning pipe, load the jeep, unload the jeep.

We are all in high espirits and the good weather is helping the works that are developing at good rythm.

The first pipe of the fence is up!

The Scots arrive

Hello, we are Karen and Katherine, better known on Corvo as "The Scottish girls"! We are on sabbatical from RSPB to help the SPEA project team. I (Karen) work in Perthshire in Scotland as an Advisory Officer working with farmers and landowners to provide the best habitats for birds and wildlife. Katherine is Warden at the RSPB Lakenheath Fen reserve in Norfolk, England, where she looks after the wetland/reedbed habitats and species.

Since we arrived on sunny Corvo on the 12th September, we have helped with the mammal monitoring, including placing, collecting and analysing waxcubes; helping Sandra and Pipa check the mice and rat traps and analysing the mice and rats caught. We have also helped in the greenhouse, weeding and re-potting native plants and spreading seed on the lower reserve. One of the best jobs so far has been to help Pipa check the Cory´s shearwater nests. It was fantastic to see the fat fluffy ´Cagarro´ chicks and the reason that this project is so important. We also had a close up encounter with an adult Cory´s Shearwater that had been found in the village caught up in fishing line. We went along with the project team to release the bird in the harbour and had a magnificent view of it fly back off to sea.

We have enjoyed our time on Corvo with the SPEA project team and with one more week to go hope to continue to help with the important work to help bring back the populations of seabirds on Corvo.

Karen & Katherine

3rd day of the Sustainable Entrepreneurship Workshop

On the last day of the workshop we made one more call, as a result of bad weather that hit the island, this time with Dr. Elizabeth Davis who demonstrated to the participants how to pass the "Entrepreneurship to the Business Idea." This lecture consisted of a theoretical and practical component, we also thank Azucena Martin who collaborated on the practical session in the afternoon.

We could talk about one of the most successful workshop moments, a vegetarian meal made ​​with products from the island, by Catarina Ferreira, the owner of "O Rotas" restaurant. Recently considered the best for this type of food in the Azores and Portugal. Finally, to make the mouths water of those not present, here's the menu: Cheese fondue and spinach and cheese cakes for starter, Feijoada pineapple as a main dish and for dessert the famous "Segredo".

2nd day of the Sustainable Entrepreneurship Workshop

The second day of the First Workshop on Corvo Sustainable Entrepreneurship was opened by Luis Silva with the following theme "Pathways and trails of Corvo", followed by Dr. Paulo Felix with "How did the Graciosa cheesecake emerge?" and finally Dr. Manuel Paulino da Costa from SRAM emphasized the importance of the "Biosphere Reserve" brand.

For lunch we tasted typical dishes from the island. "The liver sauce" made ​​by "O Caldeirão" restaurant was also enjoyed by a couple of German tourists. In the afternoon a practical exercise took place to discuss the islands potential and how to develop it sustainably.

With the bad weather the Flores / Corvo boat trips were cancelled, which made it impossible for the Flores speakers to attend. They were still able to take part using the telephone. Then Mrs. Ilda Henriques explained to us how her traditional cheese factory in Fajãzinha worked. Finally, Jose Benedicto replaced Pierluigi Bragaglia for the quality tourism lecture. At dinner, we enjoyed one more dish, "Couves da Barça" from "O Traineira" restaurant. The day ended with coffee and lively conversation at "Os Metralhas" cafe.

Workshop in RTP Açores

Sustainable development was debated on Corvo island last weekend. The initiative was from the project "Safe Islands for Seabirds" which includes the SPEA - Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds, the SRAM - Regional Secretariat of Environment and Sea, and the Corvo Hall .

The project aims to reconcile the experiences and values ​​of the island and provide examples of success elsewhere in the marketing, promotion and dissemination of sustainable regional products.

The organization expected a greater number of participants in Corvo but still this should bear fruit.

News video: Telejornal RTP / A"

1st day of the Sustainable Entrepreneurship Workshop

Last monday, 09 September, held the first day of the Sustainable Entrepreneurship Workshop on Corvo. It began with a island tour, and ended with a new model visit by the participants and trainers on the Environmental Interpretation Center.

We went at night to the Cory's Shearwaters viewpoint colony, to show the full developed chicks to the participants. We were lucky because the beautiful moonlight and excellent weather.

For most participants this was a unique experience, because it was the first time that they saw a Shearwater juvenile.

Executive meeting

It was a "full house" week. From Wednesday until Friday, the project team increased, as there was a meeting of the Executive Committee of the project. Participants included representatives from SPEA, the Regional Maritime Affairs, the Island Nature Park, City Hall and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

Over the three days, we visited different areas of activity of the project and we noted the strong progress in all of them.

There were long days in the office in which we evaluated what has been done and what remains to be done in the near future. The financial situation of the project was analyzed and the most urgent tasks planned such as the delivery of the progress report and the hard work of building the anti-predator fence.

The American rarities arrived!

Yesterday afternoon, we had the first sighting of a Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) just returning from his long migratory journey that begun in North America and ended in Europe. Soon, the usual bird watching tourists will also come to spot these rarities on Corvo.

One more recent sighting

Yesterday, Sunday, on 04 September were observed three individuals of sanderling, Calidris alba. The migratory cycle of birds starts to be more visible. Bring your binoculars and reach rarities!

Seabird predation by cat

After three years of project and countless failed attempts, this pictures show what the team feared and what the project wants to counter. Words for what? The video speaks for itself. Now is expected that this confirmation will promote the importance of seabirds conservation.

Corvo's Honeymoon visible in all browsers

Now the http://cagarro.spea.pt site that emits live Corvo's Honeymoon nest, was redesigned and enhanced to be visible in all browsers. We had technical problems with the ActiveX software reading in Firefox and Internet Explorer. Fortunately we can now follow the Cory's Shearwater development on any computer!

We have already 22,994 visits from 77 different countries, this shows the true interest of the population about this bird.

We restored ten Manx Shearwaters

During this time of the year, Manx Shearwaters (Puffinus puffinus) chicks begin to leave their nest. During the night they are attracted by urban lights, which causes them to fall to the ground, mainly along roads and by the ports. As a way to prevent the birds from being preyed on or even run over, our team make our rounds every night in search of fallen birds. We would like to thank the community in Corvo for all their support with this initiative. We have already restored ten Manx Shearwaters to full health and sent them off to sea. Our rounds will continue and we will work to make this a record year!

Cat visits the "Corvo's honeymoon" nest

Following the first nest predation on the "Corvo's honeymoon", were taked new security measures. We placed a motion detection camera to film the entrance of the nest. Were recorded several observations of this cat near the chick. Fortunately he decided to abandon it, perhaps because the tight access. Each day that pass the bird will become larger and the chances of being predated decrease. Hopefully it goes well!

Parent feeds the chick

After the first nest predation on "Corvo Honeymoon," our team set up the surveillance system in another nest. Now we can follow even closer this Cory's Shearwater family in a burrow. In the video below we can see the parent feeding is chick on is most natural and spontaneous behavior. Many moments of the bird growth will be displayed. Stay tuned ...

Another cory's shearwater returned to Nature

Today, another Cory's Shearwater returned to nature. It was found in a well from wich it could not leave. Fortunately the local community is used to work with us and they promptly told us that the bird was trapped. After the rescue, it spent the night resting in a box created for the S.O.S. Cagarro program, which is completing 10 years of activity, and was finally returned this morning to the stormy seas of Corvo island.

The scale model of Corvo arrived

The environmental interpretation center received last friday the island model. The center is being equiped by the Corvo Island Natural Park and SPEA with a new exhibition to promote the natural wonders of this island, the model was the first piece.

It will allow the tourists and residents visit throughout the island, even the most inaccessible places. When the weather does not permit a tour, this new model will be a great tool of divulgation.

Here we see the team that helped to carry the model from the "Porto da Casa" harbour to the interpretation center after a deserved rest.

The new greenhouse look

Due to the high temperatures inside the greenhouse during these summer months, the plants inside it required special treatment. We weeded each plant one by one, and placed them outside to expose them to more natural temperatures with shorter periods of sun exposure.

“Lua de Mel no Corvo” nest was predated

During the night between the 30th - 31st of July, the Cory's Shearwater chick that we were following with a webcam on the webpage “Lua de Mel no Corvo” was predated. The other two nests that were in the same barn also lost their chicks. This is a critical developmental period for the Cory's Shearwater nestlings, as they are particularly vulnerable to predators that decimate seabird colonies during this time.

The above photo depicts a predated chick at the entrance of the barn where was located the nest that we were following on the page http://cagarro.spea.pt . All the chicks were preyed upon by a domestic cat that was captured in photos from our video surveillance.

This event just proves the importance of continuing with our project “Safe Islands for Seabirds - LIFE07 NAT/P/000649 and upon completion, the necessity for project partners to develop an effective plan to control predators on the island.

"Recovery of Atlantic Habitats" Exhibition

We are proud to show the work done at Corvo island and at Vila Franca do Campo islet, integrated in the "Save Islands for Seabirds" LIFE project, through an photographic exhibition entitled "Recovery of Atlantic Habitats".

The exhibition will be at the Priolo Environmental Center (http://www.centropriolo.com) in São Miguel island until August 15.

Completion of the high altitude biological reserve fence

We are building an electric fence in the High Altitude Biological Reserve. This area has more than 10ha large and it is used in the scope of the project by agreement with the "Comisssão dos Baldios" (The committee for the management of the public lands).

The grazing of the cattle in this area destroyed the natural vegetation cover, and the fence that we had in place so far still had some places where the cattle could get in.

This fence with more than 2 km long is being improved and will prevent the entrance of the cattle and thus protect the recovery of the vegetation.

The works are going at a good rhythm and we hope to close the area in a few days.

The chick was born

In the afternoon of the 24th of July, the little Cory's shearwater was born in the nest followed at the site "Lua de Mel no Corvo" (http://cagarro.spea.pt). Everything is ok and we will closely follow its development.

The beginning of the seed collection period!

Pelagic birdwatching

On July 7 I joined a fishing boat to do pelagic birdwatching. The day was excellent weather and a calm sea. We could observe hundreds of birds, from different species, the species that stood out were:

1 - Puffinus puffinus

2 - Puffinus gravis

3 - Puffinus griseus

4 - Calonectris diomedea borealis