9th June 2009



Boobies, what curious even cute looking birds, especially the ones with red webbed feet and blue beaks. Sitting in the trees and flying around the anchorage at Chesterfield reef they presented many photo opportunities. The first night out from Chesterfield we discovered their nuisance factor. Not so cute anymore!

Early evening, watching another lovely sunset, sailing gently along with a soft breeze and flat sea, I noticed a Booby circling us coming in for a sticky beak, but no, after its first skittering attempt at landing on the solar panel, we realized he wanted a perch for the night. These birds are very determined, after about four attempts and four sliding tumbles across the smooth solar panels this bird flew off, circled out wide and came in slowly wings and webbed feet spread out for a careful landing. It slid to a halt, wrapped its feet around the edge of the panel and settled down for the night. Not so bad only one bird, poor thing must need a rest. Although I did think silly bird we are taking it away from where it was heading just a longer distance to fly tomorrow. Perhaps they are aptly named!

Night two, another sunset, no wind now, the deep blue sea smoother than the Tamaki Straight and even with the motor chugging along it was a lovely evening. That is until a couple of Boobies arrived and started circling Tuatara eyeing up the rigging for a place to land. Soon there were 6 of the darn things, circling, swinging out wide then coming in for a landing. This time they were eyeing up the mast top. We have some delicate attachments up there so we became more than a little agitated. These are not small birds. More the B52 bomber style rather than the Mig. Out came the air horn, a broom for hitting the mast, the spotlight and of course we were yelling and jumping around but to no avail. The air horn ran down and we still had 2 birds roosting on the mast, one on the top cross tree, one on the solar panel and one on the wind generator. One bird tried, unsuccessfully thank goodness, to sit on the wind cups that tell us our wind speed and direction, its not made for hefty birds. All six had attempted to sit on the moving arrow of the windex, more than once. Luckily there was enough wind to keep the arrow moving so the birds could not balance, after a few twirls on the arrow they each eventually flew off. We realized we had lost the battle completely after we turned on the tricolor light on the mast top, red, green and white lights shining brightly each bird tucked its head under its wing and slept there until well after sunrise the next day.

In the early rays of sunshine we could see Booby poop, down the main sail, over the deck, front and back, dinghy almost everywhere except the cockpit thank goodness. I now know why they needed to stop, they couldn't fly any more with all that stuff inside them. A big clean up and we were all shipshape again, well not quite we couldn't get all the guano stains out of the mainsail. Every time Alan looked in that direction during the day there were some not very nice things being said about those birds.

Night three, same scenario as the night before. Still motoring, the sea now glassy smooth, dinner watching the sunset, but this time no birds. "Thank goodness last night must have been a one off" I said as I went to bed, leaving Alan with first watch duty. The next thing I hear is an almighty racket out side, yelling and the mast being thumped. I looked at the clock, 10pm my turn for watch. In my sleepy state I thought, he doesn't need to make that much effort to wake me; just a gentle shake is usually good enough! Then I realised we had visitors again. The birds had snuck up in the dark( not so silly after all), two had settled on the mast top, one on the top cross tree and one had conquered the twirling windex arrow, perched there, well balanced, head under wing, asleep.. I tried the spot light, no luck. The bright tricolor AND the anchor light didn't shake them so the spot light was like water off a Booby's back. I persuaded Alan to calm down, after he had broken the head of the deck brush on the spinnaker poles, and go to bed. I was on the sunrise watch so for the sake of Alans health I started the clean up as the first rays of sun peeped over the horizon. This time all the guano had landed in the aft part of the boat including the cockpit and the main sail again! After one near miss in the middle of the night I rarely ventured out from under the dodger during my night watch, a forewarning splat on the seat saw me hurriedly ducking under the dodger thrusting my hot chocolate well under cover. An early clean up also meant that the sun had no chance to make the smell worse than it was already. I left the sail for Alan to do, which he did with more mutterings and dire warnings about birds which turn up again to roost.

Night four ..still motoring, the mainsail was down now ready to be covered if a Booby came with in sight. Sunset , lovely again, a little riffle on the water, with any luck a promise of wind over the horizon. No birds, dinner, no birds, first watch, no birds, second watch, one small non Booby lands on the solar panel and settles in for a few hours. We can live with that. Morning comes, clean deck, happy sailors. Sailing again .doubly happy!!

So far so good we get into Cairns tomorrow so one more night on Booby watch, saw one circling about 3pm then he flew off, gone to get his mates .surely not.