By 2011, six of the 11 seabird species had recolonized the mainland but this did not include the endemic frigatebird. In the same year, through collaboration with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Ascension frigatebird decoys and sound recordings of bill clacks were set up on Letterbox Peninsula and Crater Cliff. The idea was that the frigatebirds, being colonial breeders, would be attracted to the area and choose it as a nesting site. It is unknown whether or not the decoys had an influence, but 2012 saw the first two pairs of frigatebirds nest on the mainland for the first time in over 180 years. One mainland fledgling was successfully raised for 2013. |