Very interesting. I've just been out at Whale island witih David Monticelli who's working 
on Roseates on the Seychelles and we found only 19 nests all of them seemingly 
abandoned though there were 15 adults flying around behaving as if they had nests and 
even two carrying food. The nests all had single eggs except one clutch of 2. One Sooty 
Tern nest as well but no adults seen (though 6 seen from the shore on Friday through a 
'scope). 

This time last year there were 800-1000 nests on Whale Island so it confirms that in 
some years they don't really breed here. Strange thing is at the end of June when I 
checked there were about 150-200 birds flying over the island but the conditions / tides 
have been wrong until now to get over there. David might try and get to Lamu to check 
on the Tenewe Island colony if we can get him permission to get onto it.

Aride have had the lowest no. of breeding pairs this year in 5 years which is also 
interesting...

Colin

On 23 Jul 2006 at 12:38, Neil & Liz Baker wrote:

> Hi all.
> 
> Alawi Hija  rang me this morning, c 600 Roseates around those two
> small mushroom stacks of Chumbe, Zanzibar. He climbed one stack and
> found very young chicks.
> 
> Alawi, please let us have full details asap. Excellent news and at
> just the right time of the year.
> 
> Tony, how does this fit in with breeding further south ?
> 
> Anyone know anyone on Mafia at the moment, it would be good to check
> other possible colonies.
> 
> Coiln, what about the Kenya coast ?
> 
> Neil
> 
> 
> Neil and Liz Baker, Tanzania Bird Atlas, P.O. Box 1605, Iringa,
> Tanzania. Mobiles: 0748-509906 and 0748-834273.
> http://tanzaniabirdatlas.com Subscribe to:
> tanzaniabirds-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> 
> 
> 
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> Yahoo! Groups Links
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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