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?
