Last Ny-Alesund Post

Tomorrow I will be leaving Ny-Alesund. I was able to install the new coils, junction box, and sensor cables. We have been having a slight problem of one of the coils has a bunch of noise. It is the coil on the top, so we thought it might be due to wind or not being securely anchored down, but that has been eliminated. Today I will be changing out cables and/or a coil to see if we can get the noise out!



My coils partially covered in dirt and rocks.

Between the Polar Institute where I am working and my room (about a 3 minute walk), there are two nests of Arctic Terns on the ground. I haven't been dive bombed since last week, and have stopped carrying my bird stick to fend off attacks. I just find it interesting that the birds will make their nests right off of trafficked roads and not out in the bird preserves surrounding the settlement. Also, there are no trees. At all. None. After living in Oregon where there are trees everywhere it is a bit disconcerting. Wouldn't it be easier for predators to get at the nests when they are on the ground?



I finally got a picture of the terns dive bombing the resident Svalbard reindeer.

Every day it seems, there is a cruise ship that makes a shore leave here in Ny-Alesund. I didn't really understand why, there is not much to see that cannot already be seen from the boat. I found out that Ny-Alesund is of historical value because it was the jumping off point for many explorers to go to the north pole. They have a bust for Roald Amundsen, the Norwegian explorer who was the first person to reach both the North and South poles.



Have I mentioned how beautiful it is here?







A few geese and goslings looking for food. They were going right by one of the tern's nests without any trouble.

I'm off to look at the noise in the coils. I need to get it all figured out today!