He prayeth well...

He prayeth well

who loveth well

both man and bird and beast...

I went to check 

on the albatross chicks

First this one

with a mane of feathers

like the wig of a court judge

and further along

I found this watchful chick

- only the two remain in this bluff area

do you remember 

how they looked back in February

so fluffy and small..(above)

We were asking a

neighbour

how often the parents returned 

to feed the chicks

when from the cliff bluff block

exited a parent

and 

with her ungainly waddle

she drunkenly lurched

across the road

gave a sort of call

and made her way towards 

the first of the chicks

who peered out from behind the tree

in hungry anticipation

she eyed the chick

clacked her beak

like a set of castenets

and rapped the chick 

over the head

uh oh, I thought

wrong chick

but I was wrong

This must be the traditional 

 albatross way to greet

one's young

so she set to

and regurgitated

squid

fish

krill 

eggs of the flying fish

plus stomach oil

for her youngster's dinner

The albatross nests in October

and spends a year raising the single chick

both mum and dad

sharing the duties of parenthood

they return every few weeks

to feed the chick

Give me more...

The chick will grow heavier than the parents

using the reserves 

to build body condition 

and growing flight feathers

in preparation for fledging

They fledge on their own

with no help from the parents

who will return to the nest 

and not even know the chick has left...

The chick has innate migratory behaviour

genetically coded navigation routes

which help him 

when he first sets sail

in the big wide world

Not now...I need a rest...

this one is a Laysan Albatross

with pink feet and pink bill

Another species,

the black footed albatross

the Ka'upu

also lives in Hawaii

The Albatross is pelargic

which means open oceaned.

Sailors have always regarded the albatross 

as a good luck sign

convinced that land was near

This is something of a myth

as the albatross can spend 

up to five years at sea

never touching land

He mates for life

and can live for 50 years

While awkward on land

and having difficulty

in taking off and landing

the albatross is graceful 

and impressive in flight

So well designed is he

that he can travel for miles 

without flapping his wings

and he sleeps 

while coasting along on the winds.

The information I read 

stated that he can travel 

2000 miles a day

in search of food.

That is 83 miles per hour

Is that possible?