Another visit to IVFC

This week the team had once again the opportunity to visit and monitor fieldwork in the islet of Vila Franca do Campo (IVFC). However, since the summer struggles to appear over here the results were not the best, leaving us with the usual and totally wet , note that the endemic vegetation (heather and fire trees) grow easly, download the data of Automatic Recording Units (ARUs), ring some cory`s shearwater to the islet population census and trying to listen the calls of seabirds to end the evening.

Back to Corvo and to the "different summer" plaguing the archipelago.

SOS Manx shearwater 2012

One more year...and once again manx shearwater juveniles start to abandon their nest and to appear in Vila do Corvo. We appreciate the precious help of people who have rescued these birds, which in Azores, only breed in the Western group.
So, I say goodbye with the feeling of having started the day well and with good wishes to those who course the unknown ocean for the first time.

Mapping - the last days

These last days of summer and good weather we are trying to complete the alien vegetation map of Corvo Island. With the help of Beatriz and Rosemary we were able to map around 60% of th island total area. They finish the volunteer program but the work goes on.

The preliminary data show the Great leaf Hydrangea has the most abundant specie that occur in higher altitude of Corvo.

The image below is possible to see:

- in black the distribution of Big Leaf Hydrangea

- in red the distribution of Tamarisk

- in blue the distribution of the Australian Cheesewood

Soon we will update this information and publish online.

We appreciate all the help given by the volunteers.

Hello, we would like to share two photos with you.

Because it is at this time of year when Cagarros are born, the first photo is of a newborn chick in the nest.

 The second photo is of another chick of the same age but this one had more bad luck than the first. It was killed by a cat, which threw it out of the nest eating only a small part of its body.

Unfortunately, the number of cats on the island of Corvo continues to grow, since the owners still have no option to sterilize their cats.

Endemics plants

Bom dia!

 

This very last weekend we (the new volunteers!) had the great opportunity to travel to Pico Island and to reach the highest summit in Portugal. Pico is located in the Central Group of the Archipelago, and its peak is 2351 m high! We managed to walk all the way to the top experiencing all kind of weather conditions: fog, cloud, rain and, luckily, when reaching the top crater and the Piquinho we could enjoy a clear blue sky and sun all around .

 We took this chance to compare the vegetation between islands and we were surprised by the abundance and diversity of endemic plants that are spread over Pico. Plenty of Azorean Heather, Azorean Cedar, Azorean Holy tree, Azorean Blueberry...it´s not what we are used to seeing in Corvo!While here (Corvo Island) the endemic species are reduced to small patches (some of them unreacheable up in the Caldeirão), in Pico they make up the main characteristics of the landscape. We learnt about a few more species such as Daboecia azorica and Calluna vulgaris, not present here in Corvo. All together they make a beautiful mix, as one day in the past they did everywhere in the Azores.

Mapping trough the island

Four weeks have passed and the team continue to map the exotic vegetation existing on Corvo island. The mornings pass between maps, pens and binoculars on the hands, good physical shape and a dose of good humour. During the afternoon the job is to transfer the maps onto the computer. 

Creating the maps allows us to visit places that we already miss and enjoy the good weather which has finally decided to show up on the island. And it was during the mapping of an area close to the Biological Altitude Reserve where we observed the heathers (Erica azorica) and Azorean endemic shrub (Viburnum treleasei) which we planted a few months ago. And fortunately the latter is growing fast and is totally adapted to the moss.

Most wanted Rodents at RBC?

Once again I am writing to tell you about our search  for rodents in Corvo`s Biological Reserve. So far this has only led to the capture of one "victim" of black rat Rattus rattus, which was a long time ago. This week, in addition to the usual monitoring of the bait boxes, we are trying to capture some rodents. If there are any rodents in RBC, watch your back because the team is watching you.

See you next week!

Common tern, boy or a girl?

Last week, we went down into the wonderful lagoon of Caldeirão, and by instinct or not we followed a different route than usual to reach the common tern's (Sterna hirundo) colony. By coincidence or not, we found one of these friends injured above a rock, close to the water.

So, after finishing the tern census, we brought him to recover at the Bird's Recovery Center in the village. It was on Pedro Domingo's watch that we dicovered that the boy was in fact a girl, after an egg appeared!

The female tern is at the Center with a great appetite and feeding by herself, and will stay there until she has made a full recovery - which we hope will happen very soon.

So we wish her a fast recovery.

LIFE human flag at Corvo

Like we promised, here we have the link video of the Human flag that was made on Corvo, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of LIFE program which has been contributing to the management and conservation of Nature. I hope that you like and enjoy the magnificent view of Caldeirão lagoon and above all have fun with it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIJUYBhzwlU 

A look over IVFC

Today I am writing directly from Vila Franca do Campo islet, LIFECorvo "control" base, which I had the opportunity to visit for the first time. A place where the team have been developing field work, where heathers and firetrees occupy space between giant reeds and where the Cory`s shearwater call invades the night and continue until the dawn.

So, I say goodbye with the hope that the effort and will of those who are contributing to the restoration of the Reserve, will help conserve the place that some seabirds call "nursery".

One day to "Feel the Spirit"

At the end of the school year, there is nothing better than contribute to a cleaner environment. An iniciative of the Natural Park of Corvo Island and the Science Club who spent the afternoon cleaning the Coast trail.

Can you see the difference? Do you feel the spirit?

Veronica dabneyi in bloom

New Volunteers

Hello everyone!!

We are Rosemary and Beatriz and we just arrived in little beautiful Corvo last week. Rosemary is from England and I am from Spain. We are here to develop our field experience in environmental science and management, which we studied at univeristy.We came as here as part of Ecotrain programme, financed by Leonardo Da Vinci from European Comission.

We are staying here for nine weeks helping the team of SPEA. We will be mapping the invasive plant species around the island using GIS and satellite photos, and wandering around surveying the vegetation and enjoying the amazing sourrounding views.

During the last week we´ve been learning already how to identify the plant species. We were helping as well programming and setting the ARUs that capture the calls of the Cory´s Shearwater breeding colonies. We were lucky to see a Cory sat on its nest inside a stony wall near the cliffs! And we also found one sitting on the path near the beach while setting the mammal traps at midnight.

We also have participated with the local children on a litter pick on the beach. It was very hot and sunny and we almost got burnt as we forgot to use any sun cream!! But it was all worth the effort, as the beach looked so much better. Afterwards, we went for a well earned coffee and a pastel de nata!!! This is an amazing Portuguese cake and had been made just a few minutes ago at the café.

This week we are hoping the fog will clear so we can start our project work mapping the plants, and keep enjoying such beautiful scenery!

First Little sherwater of the year

Once again, the team had the opportunity to release a juvenile of little shearwater (Puffinus assimilis), which was found by a corvino. To all the corvinos which have been part in the release of juveniles, Thank you Very Much.

Have a nice trip, friend!!

Corvo Human Flag in Caldeirão

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the LIFE Program and the Natura 2000 Network, SPEA has organized a human flag in the Island of Corvo.

This initiative involved 20 Corvo inhabitants and had the support of the local school and the Natural Park of Corvo.

In this Natura 2000 site, one of the most beautiful landscapes from Corvo, the participants draw a LIFE logo 20m across that turned into the number 20, to celebrate this special date and enhance the importance of these two Nature Conservation tools.

Our thanks to all involved and we are working on the film that we intend to release soon!

“International Workshop on Island Natural Restoration”

Last week LIFECorvo Project team had the pleasure and the privilege of share and exchange knowledge, with other LIFE Projects during the “International Workshop on Island Natural Restoration” at Corvo island, 14-17 of May.

From 19th to 20th April we returned to Vila Franca do Campo Islet to continued the restoration of the endemic vegetation. At first look, small leaves try to survive within the dense and abundant vegetation. 
 The day was calm and we started weeding and cutting the grass.

The result was an amazing surprise, the thounsands of endemic plants that were planted during last three years, have grown and now they are beautiful and 1.50m height.
 After 3 years, the effort and work of LIFE Laurissilva Project team had not been in vain. We are looking foward to continue the work this new year with a new willingness. The endemic vegetation is recovering and Cory's Shearwaters start to occupy their nests.

Commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the LIFE Programme

Join us on 5^th May 2012 in the lagoon of Caldeirão and help us to create the largest LIFE human flag on Corvo Island.

 

Come to celebrate with us this important day for the LIFE Programme financed by the European Comission which has been supporting environmental and nature conservation projects since 20 years ago.

Plantations in the Altitude Biological Reserve (RBA)

The project RBA received about 3000 endemic plants (Erica azorica) last week and we expect than they will form small patches of endemic vegetation in the future. Since caws normally eat these plants in other parts of the island we planted at the highest elevations of the RBA helping plants to survive.
 

We wish that "survival of the strongest" does not happen in the RBA and all plants survive and grow.

Biological Reserve of Corvo gains life

After several weeks, the project team ended plantations in the Biological Reserve of Corvo. Now, we have to wait that the 5000 endemic plants remain and grow, giving color to the Cory's Shearwaters's hotel.

Ps: For the second year, there are available rooms to rent, is there any Cory interested in?

T. Pippa.

Tree day celebrations

The March 21, widely known as the tree day, was marked by the Corvo children celebrations. We used grown plants  from the greenhouse production. We started in the morning with the kindergarten.

We planted Azorean-piconea, Azoren-cedar and Azorean-fire-tree. All of them, native species.

During the afternoon, we were planting in Topo Biological Reserve. We counted with the help of Corvo Natural Park and Integrated Primary School Mouzinho da Silveira 3rd cycle students.

Was a funny day and allowed us to contribute to the island Nature.

Special encounter

Our team had today a special encounter during the subaquatic footages to the new documentary.

During February, the LIFE project " Safe Island for Seabirds" extended their work to different islands of the archipelago, dividing the team geographically for the different tasks in role. This situation didn't allow a fast update of the blog and led to some comments by the followers of the blog. We regret this situation and promise to catch up as soon as possible.

The tasks that have been developed are:
- Atlas of the winter birds on the island of Flores and Corvo;
- Count of waterbirds on the island of Corvo;
- Birdwatching in Flores;
- The placement of recording systems in seabird colonies (Flores);
- Data analysis from rats and cats blood samples, with the support of the IMAR in Coimbra;
- Plantation of 3,000 plants at Corvo Biological Reserve;
- Plantation of 2000 plants at Vila Franca do Campo Islet (São Miguel), with the support of the project LIFE Laurissilva;
- The donation of neir 300 endemic plants to the inhabitants of the island of Corvo;
- Transplanting plants to project nursery;
- Control of weeds in the biological reserve and the islet;
- processing and editing of the project documentary;
- And the analysis and identification of invertebrates.

We thank all the followers for your interest for the project blog and the conservation of seabirds.