muttonbird

We did our annual muttonbird trip yesterday (yes I know, the season is goes on for a while, but we have enough. I'm a great believer in variety, and they do provide that.) It's not a particularly pleasant job, but at least I make it quick and clean, and ecologically speaking its the sensible way of doing it. It's very much what the islanders have done for centuries, and it was certainly how the early one - and the other predators (snakes you can find down the holes when you reach down them) depend on to get them through the cold season. The natural mortality is quite high anyway, or we'd be neck deep in sharp beaked sea-birds. The locals have a great belief in the oil's health benefits, and I keep planning to try it, but it is very smelly stuff.