New nest found!!!

Now that Stu has departed from Eureka it's time to give the blog some more variety with a series of special guest authors. Freydis and Sean have joined our happy team and have been busy getting familiar with the place and the local wildlife. The rest of  us have got a bit blasé about musk ox, how did it ever come it that?

Yesterday in a visit to the weather station we are astounded by news that someone (Nicholas Handspiker) has found a nest nearby. Nicholas even provided photographic evidence to satisfy the cynical. Although he's unsure of the exact location he points out the probable area. After 2 unsuccessful transects - on of which we force Nicholas to help with - we find the female on the nest. The female remains close as we measure the eggs (see pic) an even returns to sitting immediately as we return the last egg. Two of the eggs are cracked and flaking and you can hear the chicks pipping clearly. So, one extra nest and within 1.3 km of our weather haven (n=24). We celebrate by eating toast for lunch. Tomorrow our camp departs for the Schei peninsula.
 

Ian