The Diaries
 
November 19th 2008
:: 2008 :: 10/27 - 10/28 - 10/29 - 10/30 - 10/31
11/01 - 11/02 & 11/03 - 11/04 - 11/05- 11/06 - 11/07 - 11/08 & 11/09 - 11/10 - 11/11 - 11/12 - 11/13 - 11/14 - 11/15 - 11/16 - 11/17 - 11/18 - 11/19 - 11/20 - 11/21 - 11/22 - 11/23 - 11/25 - 11/26 - 11/27 - 11/28
11/29 - 11/30
12/01 - 12/02
- Sudden visits -  

South coast-velvet makers
Photo Max GUEROUT

South coast
Photo Max GUEROUT

Yesterday, two birds of passage came on the island: a large yellow green bird of colour, which feeds on butterflies which live around the velvet makers, it’s probably not a sea bird; a swallow also flew around the buildings of the station and our tent all evening.

The usual birds: Masked Booby, Booby with red feet, frigates, curlew and oystercatchers are the only ones that we see evolving all day long.
The Booby fly towards the open sea to go fishing for the fare for which the babies wait, they generally return in groups, forming the V characteristics of migrant birds.

The frigates, which fly all day just like kites, without moving a wing, content themselves with attacking the Booby coming back from the fishing to make them throw up the fish that they fished, and steal them. About twenty of them evolve above the island giving the impression of never putting a foot on the ground.

Study of the foundations of the weather building destroyed
Photo : Laurent HOARAU

The work of cleaning and scouring continues on the site, tiresome and painful under the sun and in dust. We also verified the foundations of the old destroyed building of the weather station, which is in the middle of the excavations, are well descended up to the archaeological ground. We had a small hope that the concrete flagstone of the floor remained above, but this hope was opposed. One thus should not intend to find archaeological vestiges in the hold of this building, but it is probable that certain objects, even human remainders can be found in the surroundings, in the layer of cuts which comes from the foundations.

We succeeded in finding all the characteristics of a bottle out of blown glass, found near the bones. The puzzle of about fifteen pieces was reconstituted with patience and a roll of scotch tape.