Short first flight: a Northern Royal Albatross comes to ground after fledging; the headland colony is in the distance across the harbour

Thirty-six eggs were laid in the 2019/20 breeding season of globally Endangered and nationally Naturally Uncommon Northern Royal Albatrosses Diomedea sanfordi in New Zealand’s only mainland albatross colony at Pukekura/Taiaroa Head on the end of South Island’s Otago Peninsula.  From these eggs, 24 chicks have now fledged, with the last leaving the headland on 3 October – giving an overall breeding success of 66.7%.  Fifty-one eggs were laid in the previous 2018/19 season, a record from which 28 chicks fledged (54.9%).  The high number of failures in 2017/18 (with only 13 fledglings) contributed to the record number of eggs the next year, as failed pairs switched demi-populations of the biennially-breeding species.

One of the 2019/20 fledglings landed on the opposite side of the Otago Harbour (see photo above), from where it was collected by the Department of Conservation and returned to the colony; after five days it fledged for a second time during a strong wind, according to the Royal Albatross Centre’s Facebook page.

Atawhai shortly before fledging

The chick watched by the live-streaming ‘Royal Cam’ fledged successfully on 16 September, 230 days after hatching -  but not before being named Atawhai, meaning “to show kindness” in the Māori language, following a public vote.  It is intended to live-stream a new nest from December.  Meanwhile the first adults of this biennially breeding species, recognizable by their colour bands, have started to arrive in the colony for the 2020/21 season.  As has now become a tradition, bells were rung in the nearby city of Dunedin to herald the first bird’s return on 18 September.

"Chick Atawhai Feels the Winds Beneath her Wings on Morning of Fledge"

With thanks to Sharyn Broni, Ranger, Biodiversity, New Zealand Department of Conservation.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 09 October 2020

A downy Wedge-tailed chick in is burrow in the Mokio Preserve, photograph from the Molokai Land Trust

The Mokio Preserve on the Hawaiian island of Molokai has been identified as a “sea level rise safe” site to establish a new colony of Laysan Albatrosses Phoebastria immutabilis. Towards this end decoys and broadcasts of pre-recorded calls have been deployed by the Molokai Land Trust and its partners at the coastal Anapuka Dune Restoration Project site within the preserve and there are plans to erect a predator-proof fence next year (click here).

The latest news is that another Hawaiian seabird, the Wedge-tailed Shearwater Ardenna pacifica, has commenced breeding within the preserve, according to a report by the American Bird Conservancy: “signs of shearwater burrow excavation were noted in three different areas, and included five active nests.  Two chicks were found in nests.  Fossil bird bones have also been found at this site, indicating shearwaters historically nested at Mokio.”  Previously, acoustic monitoring systems (song meters) set up in 2016 and also game cameras had resulted in detections of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters within the preserve.  Signs of burrow excavation were first noticed in 2013 according to the Molokai Land Trust’s Facebook page.

One of the Mokio Preserve's Wedge-tailed Shearwater chicks, video by Josiah Ching, Project Coordinator,  Molokai Land Trust

Currently a temporary fence to keep out deer along with an active trapping programme directed at cats and mongoose partially protects the preserve.  Once the intended predator-proof fence replaces thia deer fence it can be expected it will facilitate growth of the new colony of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters.  Then Laysan Albatrosses may become the next seabird species to commence breeding in the Mokio Preserve.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 08 October 2020

“All for One, One for All – Albatross” by Kitty Harvill

Artists for Conservation (AFC) is holding its annual International Exhibit of Nature in Art this month.  Kitty Harvill, co-founder of Artists and Biologists Unite for Nature (ABUN) writes that she is proud to have her 22 x 15 inch [56 x 38 cm] painting “All for One, One for All – Albatross” depicting all 22 species of albatrosses accepted into this year's juried exhibition.  Her piece was originally created for this year’s first World Albatross Day (WAD2020) on 19 June.  It is available for free downloading as a high-quality poster suitable for printing out and framing (along with several other posters created from art by ABUN members).

“All for One, One for All – Albatross” displayed online in the virtual exhibit

AFC states on its website that it holds the world's top conservation-themed art exhibit and sale.  Most of the artwork in the exhibit is for sale with at least 40% of proceeds benefiting conservation and environmental education, with each artwork dedicated to supporting a conservation organization of the artist's choice.  However, Kitty’s albatross work is marked not for sale.  View all the artwork in this year's virtual exhibit here.

With thanks to Kitty Harvill.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 07 October 2020

 The Minsmere Black-browed Albatross, July 2015, photograph by Peter Hobbs

Black-browed Albatrosses Thalassarche melanophris are meant to be strictly birds of the higher latitudes of the southern hemisphere but occasionally individuals are seen north of the equator.  The latest sighting to hand is of a bird, reported to be an adult, that was spotted flying south down the United Kingdom’s Suffolk coastline on 28 September.  The albatross was first seen two miles (3 km) out to sea near Lowestoft by a local birder (click here).   “It is understood to be only the second recorded sighting of the species in Suffolk – having last been seen off the North Sea and at the RSPB Minsmere Reserve in July 2015.”

Sightings of single Black-browed Albatrosses are made north of the equator in the Atlantic Ocean from time time (click here), including in recent years from Canada and from Denmark.  Perhaps last month’s bird was the same one that was seen farther north on the English coast sitting with Northern Gannets on the Bempton Cliffs in July this year (click here).  Read more earlier UK records of Black-browed Albatrosses here

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 06 October 2020