Bird Island, Seychelles workshop – July 4 to July 12, 2024 (8 nights total)

1 night on the main island of Mahe and 7 nights on Bird Island

Bird Island and photography

During the period from 2001-2011, Paul made seven visits to Midway Atoll at the end of the Hawaiian Island chain. To this day, it remains one of the greatest wildlife destinations on our planet with more than half a million seabirds on the main island. But after it closed to the public in early 2012, Paul searched for another tropical avian paradise but one that was easier to get to and which had good accommodation and food.

In 2013, Paul found it. Bird Island in the Seychelles is a small, isolated tropical atoll, ringed by pristine white sand beaches and a beautiful turquoise lagoon. The interior is mainly a coconut palm filled forest bisected by trails. It is postcard perfection at its finest.

The eastern side of the island has largely been cleared of trees and it is here that every April, three-quarters of a million breeding pairs of Sooty Terns come together to court, mate, lay a single egg and then help the chick to fledge by September and October. This is the largest Sooty tern colony in the world. The eggs are laid in late May and 4 weeks later – usually beginning in late June, the chicks begin hatching. Two years ago, I caught the first hatchlings in late June but this year, owing to the late onset of winds (which brings in the fish needed to feed the chicks), they did not start hatching until the first week of July. I would be very confident that our trip, from July 5th to July 12th, will allow us to see and photograph plenty of newly hatched chicks and the interaction, including feeding, with the parents.

The size of the Tern colony, not to mention the noise, is absolutely staggering. The first time you see and hear it, will truly take your breath away. It is one of the great wildlife wonders of our planet but incredibly, very few seem to know about it. Amazingly, on my visits this year and last (my third and fourth visits to the island), I have been the sole guest!

The colony spills out from the open grasslands of the interior onto the nearby beaches, and it is here that we will do much of our photography as the birds are more accessible.

The photographic possibilities with the Terns are endless especially for wide-angle flight shots as the birds come really, really close and sometimes hover literally in the sky right in front of your lens. The sunsets and sun rises are often spectacular, creating a great backdrop to photograph the birds against.

Although the Sooty Terns are the most numerous, there are many other bird species on the island. My favorite are the beautiful and elegant White terns with their pristine white feathers, inky black eye pools and blue bills. We will hopefully find some with impossibly cute chicks and be able to photograph the exchange of fish and squid from the parent to the chick which happens every 1-3 hours.

There are lots of attractive Brown and Lesser Noddies. After 4 visits to the island, I have perfected the technique to create spectacular flights shots when the birds swoop down on the beaches to gather nesting material without breaking flight.

We will have lots of opportunities to also photograph these birds as they return from the sea, in flight, carrying seaweed nesting material.

Other bird species that I have photographed include Ruddy Turnstone, Greater Crested Terns (both common), White-Tailed Tropic Birds, Lesser and Greater Frigatebirds, Seychelles Blue Pigeon (beautiful), Common Moorhen, Madagascar Turtle Doves, Madagascar Fody (males are bright red).

There are also several Giant Aldabra Tortoises that roam freely on the island including Esmeralda, the largest and oldest living member of its species at 182 years of age. Green and Hawksbill turtles nest on the beaches although July is not the season for Hawksbills and the Greens nest during the night.

We might have opportunities for milky way photography with tortoises or terns.

Drone photography is possible on the eastern end of the island (the western end is a no-fly zone due to the island’s runway (although there is only one flight per week).

The sea is clear and warm although at the time we are visiting, the currents can be quite strong so I would caution against swimming out far at some points of the island.

I can pretty much guarantee that you will come away with many great images. And there are photo opportunities all day long. 1) It is often cloudy, 2) when the sun is out, the white sand acts as a giant reflector, softening otherwise harsh shadows, 3) with a little bit of creativity, there are opportunities in the forests.

Unlike so many wildlife destinations, there are no rules and no-one policing us. Obviously, we need to act sensibly and not go charging into the Tern colonies and to take care not to stand on eggs or birds, but it is a rarity to be afforded so much freedom to do as one pleases around such an abundance of wildlife. But like everywhere, this may not last for long, so the message is to get to this destination sooner rather than after photo possibilities may be curtailed.

Flights

Many airlines fly directly into Mahe, the main Seychelles island, from Europe and the Middle East and typically arrive early morning. Most international flights leave in the evening/time.

Our 30-minute flight from Mahe to Bird Island will depart Mahe at around 1.45pm on July 5 and we will arrive back into Mahe from Bird Island at 3.30pm on July 12th. The flights to and from Bird island are included as part of the tour.

Fitness/walking

There is no transport on the island, so we get around on foot. While there are plenty of birds within a 5–10-minute walk from our accommodation, the main Sooty Tern colony is about a 20-minute walk away, some of which involves walking on soft sand.  We will most likely go twice a day. The terrain is entirely flat (no uphill). In short, it will help to have some very basic level of fitness. There is no rush to get anywhere so we can take our time (i.e., not necessary to walk fast).

Accommodation on Bird Island

The island has separate villas. Each has a porch with chairs, a single bedroom containing a large 4-poster bed with mosquito net, a ceiling fan with variable speeds, 2 sofas, a desk with chair, a bathroom split into 2 sections – one with a toilet and sink and one with a shower and sink. The shower has hot water.

There is no air-conditioning, but it never feels hot at night. If anything, it can be on cool side early morning. There are multiple shuttered windows in each chalet and if many are open it can actually get too cool as there is always a cool breeze blowing.

There is zero security/theft risk on the island.

Everyone will have their own private villa and will share kitchen facilities with either one or two other villas (i.e. 2-3 persons/kitchen)

There are no laundry facilities on the island, but it is easy to bring laundry detergent and do your own washing. Each villa as an outside clothesline for drying.

Meals

Breakfast and lunch on Bird Island are self-catering. We will have access to at least 3 separate kitchens. The kitchens are fully stocked with cooking utensils, washing detergents etc. and have a large water dispenser with cold water. There is a gas stove with 4 burners, a toaster, fridge, freezer, microwave.

There is a small shop on the island which stocks basic food provisions including:

-          Tomatoes

-          Onions

-          Bell peppers

-          Potatoes

-          Cabbage

-          Courgettes (squash)

-          Apples

-          Oranges

-          Bananas (free)

-          Papaya (free)

-          Eggs

-          Milk (long life)

-          Butter

-          Bread

-          Cheese (packaged)

-          Canned food (e.g., Tuna, chickpeas, kidney beans)

-          Yogurt (plain)

-          Pasta

-          Rice

-          Multiple sauces: (Bolognaise, pesto, ketchup, mayonnaise etc.)

-          Instant coffee

-          Chocolate

-          Oats

-          Limited cereals (muesli, cornflakes)

-          Sodas, beer, wine, spirits

(We will include the guests’ self-catering provisions up to a value of $100 per guest which should more than cover each guest’s requirements).

Dinner is a big 3-course meal which typically consists of lentil soup (excellent) with toasted bread, then fish or chicken with rice and vegetables and then a choice of ice cream. Vegetarian options available.

Weather: This is a tropical island so it can be hot and humid, but other than in the middle of the day in direct sun, it never feels that hot. There is always a strong, cool breeze/wind blowing. At night, it gets cooler especially from around 2-7am. I have never had any trouble sleeping because of the heat. In fact, it’s more the other way round as on occasion it’s felt a little bit too cool with only a sheet. If it gets too hot, the simple solution is to turn on the overhead fan.

It will rain, but these are passing showers and rarely last for more than 5-10 mins. However, a light, waterproof rain jacket is essential.

Clothing wise, it’s very much T-shirt, shorts and sandals. Other than the rain jacket, you won’t need anything heavier. Hat, sunglasses, sunscreen are essential. There are very few bugs on the island to be bothered with (too windy), but no harm bringing mosquito spray to be on the safe side.

Included:

Flights to Bird Island from the main island of Mahe

All accommodations-private villa/shared kitchen

Ground transportation to and from plane

All meals as stated above

Photography instruction in-the-field

Not included:

Flights to and from main island of Mahe

Travel and Medical insurance

Personal purchases (including spirits, laundry, internet fees, phone calls, etc)

Accommodations before or after the tour dates

*A detailed information sheet will be sent upon sign up.

Deposit Information: non-refundable deposit of $2,000 due now to hold your spot. Final payments are due January 15, 2023 via check or wire transfer only, fees on both ends are the responsibility of the participant. Credit cards will not be accepted for any payment other than deposit. Full payments are always welcomed via check or wire transfer . All checks made payable to: Denise Ippolito LLC.

Please be sure to check your calendar carefully and to check out my Workshop Policy Page.

Note: Purchasing travel insurance is strongly recommended as with any tour.

photo credits-Paul McKenzie