From The Archives

As I was messing around with the blog today trying to change format and upload videos and such  I discovered that I actually had a bunch of photos uploaded that were just sitting there all alone patiently awaiting words to go along with them. 

These pictures were from an incredible trip I took back in way March.  In my early days (before marriage and kids) I used to do this kind of thing all the time and actually got paid to do it! But it has been a long time so I was super excited to get the chance to go out with one of my former bosses and hassle some Harlequin Ducks out in Prince William Sound again.  This trip was a quick follow up to the work we did looking at the effects of the Exxon Valdez Oil spill on the Harlequin ducks.  We captured ducks and collected a small sample of liver tissue which was was analyzed to see if the birds are still being exposed to oil. 

The boat pictured below is the Discovery. We lived aboard the boat for 10 days while we were capturing ducks. Jeff and I first met on this same boat way back in 1996. Actually three couples met on this boat on that same trip all ended up getting married!  

The morning commute.

Removing birds from the mist net.

I some how ended up on the bottom of this tangle.

A happy girl and her duck.

Beautiful duck!

I assisted our vet and administered anesthia during the liver biopsy surgery.

The release.

The crew.

Old friends. I started working for Dan in 1995, my first year in Alaska.

Searching for the elusive Stellar's Sea Monkey.

Good times and an incredible group of people to work with. I do hope that someday when the boys are a bit older I can get back out and do this more often.