The first Wedge-tailed Shearwater egg of the reproductive season at Freeman Seabird Preserve is here!

Volunteer Spotlight: Colleen Kelly

The first ‘Ua‘u kani (Wedge-tailed Shearwater) egg of the reproductive season is here, and it was found by a very special community member. Colleen Kelly is a resident at Black Point, and one of the many neighbors of Freeman Seabird Preserve in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. She has remained a dedicated shearwater advocate since restoration efforts started at the preserve 14 years ago. Every Saturday in winter she brings banana smoothies for all the volunteers weeding at the preserve. From January through March, volunteers work tirelessly at Freeman Seabird Preserve to remove alien weeds, plant native species, and improve the existing rock nesting sites on the terrace. Due in part to these habitat restoration efforts led by Hawaii Audubon, the number of shearwater parents raising chicks is increasing, with a record of 408 active nests in 2021.

Colleen not only keeps the volunteers refreshed, but she also shares more time with shearwaters than most of us get to. Her yard is a nesting site for ‘Ua‘u kanis, and she has coexisted peacefully with them for many years. “I appreciate having another form of life around me. I’m careful, and I let them be. They are noisy at night, all they are doing is communicating, they’re letting other birds know they’re coming in from the sea. My neighbor’s kids come to see them and count them, and it’s nice to see them enjoy nature.”

These series of pictures taken by Colleen help us see the different stages of a Wedgie chick.

1. 3 ½ weeks old, a ball of floof!

2. 9 ½ weeks old. The head fuzz has disappeared first.

3. This chick is almost ready to fledge! It will do so once the chest fuzz and butt fuzz disappears.

Due to her closeness to the nesting colony, Colleen has been able to witness first-hand the results of protection efforts through the years. “The bird count keeps going up. Audubon has been doing a good job to make it safe for them. When I started about 8 years ago, I had 15 nests in my yard, and now I have 62 nests, meaning 124 birds, since both male and female take care of the chick.”

Colleen is an inspiration to all of us! She is the living example that while one person cannot care for the whole world, they can create change by caring for one bird at a time. We can’t help but think, if each of us were as determined as she is to protect a local species, how would the world look?

Thank you, Colleen, for your many years of dedication and for being a light in your community!

June 9th, 2022
Written by: Gabriela Lamanna
Edited by: Michelle Hester

Learn More:

Hawaii Audubon
https://hiaudubon.org

Meet your Neighbors: Shearwater story by Martha Brown
https://www.freemanseabirdpreserve.com/_files/ugd/d4054d_f8b979196ded475f909a29456383c161.pdf

Volunteer Spotlight: Colleen Kelly

The first ‘Ua‘u kani (Wedge-tailed Shearwater) egg of the reproductive season is here, and it was found by a very special community member. Colleen Kelly is a resident at Black Point, and one of the many neighbors of Freeman Seabird Preserve in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. She has remained a dedicated shearwater advocate since restoration efforts started at the preserve 14 years ago. Every Saturday in winter she brings banana smoothies for all the volunteers weeding at the preserve. From January through March, volunteers work tirelessly at Freeman Seabird Preserve to remove alien weeds, plant native species, and improve the existing rock nesting sites on the terrace. Due in part to these habitat restoration efforts, the number of shearwater parents raising chicks is increasing, with a record of 408 active nests in 2021.

Colleen not only keeps the volunteers refreshed, but she also shares more time with shearwaters than most of us get to. Her yard is a nesting site for ‘Ua‘u kanis, and she has coexisted peacefully with them for many years. “I appreciate having another form of life around me. I’m careful, and I let them be. They are noisy at night, all they are doing is communicating, they’re letting other birds know they’re coming in from the sea. My neighbor’s kids come to see them and count them, and it’s nice to see them enjoy nature.”

These series of pictures taken by Colleen help us see the different stages of a Wedgie chick.

1. 3 ½ weeks old, a ball of floof!

2. 9 ½ weeks old. The head fuzz has disappeared first.

3. This chick is almost ready to fledge! It will do so once the chest fuzz and butt fuzz disappears.

Due to her closeness to the nesting colony, Colleen has been able to witness first-hand the results of protection efforts through the years. “The bird count keeps going up. Audubon has been doing a good job to make it safe for them. When I started about 8 years ago, I had 15 nests in my yard, and now I have 62 nests, meaning 124 birds, since both male and female take care of the chick.”

Colleen is an inspiration to all of us! She is the living example that while one person cannot care for the whole world, they can create change by caring for one bird at a time. We can’t help but think, if each of us were as determined as she is to protect a local species, how would the world look?

Thank you, Colleen, for your many years of dedication and for being a light in your community!

June 9th, 2022
Written by: Gabriela Lamanna
Edited by: Michelle Hester

Learn More:

Hawaii Audubon
https://hiaudubon.org

Meet your Neighbors: Shearwater story by Martha Brown
https://www.freemanseabirdpreserve.com/_files/ugd/d4054d_f8b979196ded475f909a29456383c161.pdf