Aerial Baiting of YCA

National Parks contracted a chopper to deliver poison bait (Fipronil) aerially to wipe out existing yellow crazy ants. The bait is dropped from a big bucket (not shown - you can see the attachment cables below the body) as the pilot follows GPS maps of the surveyed supercolonies. I tagged along at the landing zone this morning while they fueled up (hand cranked out of of the back of the truck) and lubed up (hand greased all the moving parts).  There was a bit of down time where our friend Brendan learned not to get too close to the tail rotor, and I got to take a virtual ride in the cockpit, where I shot down some bogies, pointed to the triumph, and waved below to the masses.  Then I got to feel the wind in my hair as they lifted up and headed out.

Pete and Dennis Visit

My supervisors visit for a couple weeks, and we have a great time hanging out and talking science.  Not sure the next time we'll all be in once place again, so we snap one for posterity.  It's starting to sink in that the time's coming to an end here...

Charity Ball

Salvage Ship

Daniel Roux Cave

Our friend Braydon took his family through the Daniel Roux cave, and (our fellow North American bud) Joe and I joined the fun.  After decending a series of ladders bolted into the rock, you walk through refreshing chilly freshwater, come upon a small rock bar and room, and then plunge into salt water.  When you turn off the torches you can see a bit of daylight coming up through the bottom of the water.  And it looks like the water is filled with fireflies, which are really small luminescent fish.  Crazy beautiful!

Sunrise over Lookout

Headed out early to catch the sunrise over the golf course lookout and watch the frigate birds cruising the thermals. The trail to the lookout passes a little grove with an old Chinese cemetery.

Christmas Island Goshawk