After a fun morning kayaking the Kalihiwai Stream yesterday, Margie, Gina and I drive over to Rodney's to see the baby Laysan Albatross 'up close and personal'; very cool! He was hatched in my friend's yard in Princeville, on the North Shore of Kauai, just a few weeks ago.
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| DeShawn |
Rodney said the mom had not left the baby unattended before yesterday, so it was a treat to be able to take some pics of him alone and not hidden by one of his parents.
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| Mom ~ or, is it Dad? |
After about a minute of our taking pictures, the adult albatross started clicking and clacking his / her beak, got up and went over to the chick. Was she yelling at us for being too close, or was she warning her baby that a threat was near? I don't know since I don't speak albatross....
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| Safe and Sound |
Imagine all of our surprise when a few minutes later the adult albatross took four quick steps and then took flight over the ocean. I wasn't expecting that since Rodney said the attending parent doesn't ever leave until the other one shows up to relieve him from 'baby duty'. Both parents weren't there, so I wasn't prepared to take additional photos. I would have loved to capture images of the adult albatross taking off, but by the time I took the cap off my lens and turned my camera back on, she was already soaring high in the air.
Once she left, the baby started pulling pieces of grass & debris around and on top of himself. I wonder if he was trying to disguise / hide himself since he was left alone?
Once she left, the baby started pulling pieces of grass & debris around and on top of himself. I wonder if he was trying to disguise / hide himself since he was left alone?
We were worried about DeShawn being abandoned and possible prey for any (unlikely) stray dogs, so we asked Rodney to keep us posted on the situation. He said one of the parents did come back later yesterday, so all is well.
A pair of Laysan Albatross has been nesting in Rodney's yard for many years, so he is fairly familiar with their habits. He said the parents take turns staying with the baby until one day they just take off and leave him behind for good. DeShawn will stay in Rodney's yard until he takes flight sometime in July. After that, he will not return for three years. Fascinating stuff and it's very cool to see it first hand.
Some interesting albatross facts from Wikipedia:
"Albatrosses are among the largest of flying birds, and the great albatrosses (genus Diomedea) have the largest wingspans of any extant birds. The albatrosses are usually regarded as falling into four genera, but there is disagreement over the number of species.
Albatrosses are highly efficient in the air, using dynamic soaring and slope soaring to cover great distances with little exertion. They feed on squid, fish and krill, by either scavenging, surface seizing or diving. Albatrosses are colonial, nesting for the most part on remote oceanic islands, often with several species nesting together.
Juvenile birds return to the colony three years after fledging, but do not mate for the first time until seven or eight years old. During these four or five years they form pair bonds with a mate that they will keep for life. Pair bonds between males and females form over several years, with the use of 'ritualised dances', and will last for the life of the pair. A breeding season can take over a year from laying to fledging, with a single egg laid in each breeding attempt.
A Laysan albatross, named "Wisdom" on Midway Island is recognized as the oldest wild bird in the world; she was first banded in 1956 by Chandler Robbins.[2]
Of the 21 species of albatrosses recognised by the IUCN, 19 are threatened with extinction. . Numbers of albatrosses have declined in the past due to harvesting for feathers, but today the albatrosses are threatened by introduced species such as rats and feral cats that attack eggs, chicks and nesting adults; by pollution; by a serious decline in fish stocks in many regions largely due to overfishing; and by long-line fishing. Long-line fisheries pose the greatest threat, as feeding birds are attracted to the bait, become hooked on the lines, and drown.
Identified stakeholders such as governments, conservation organizations and people in the fishing industry are all working toward reducing this bycatch."
Some interesting albatross facts from Wikipedia:
"Albatrosses are among the largest of flying birds, and the great albatrosses (genus Diomedea) have the largest wingspans of any extant birds. The albatrosses are usually regarded as falling into four genera, but there is disagreement over the number of species.
Albatrosses are highly efficient in the air, using dynamic soaring and slope soaring to cover great distances with little exertion. They feed on squid, fish and krill, by either scavenging, surface seizing or diving. Albatrosses are colonial, nesting for the most part on remote oceanic islands, often with several species nesting together.
Juvenile birds return to the colony three years after fledging, but do not mate for the first time until seven or eight years old. During these four or five years they form pair bonds with a mate that they will keep for life. Pair bonds between males and females form over several years, with the use of 'ritualised dances', and will last for the life of the pair. A breeding season can take over a year from laying to fledging, with a single egg laid in each breeding attempt.
A Laysan albatross, named "Wisdom" on Midway Island is recognized as the oldest wild bird in the world; she was first banded in 1956 by Chandler Robbins.[2]
Of the 21 species of albatrosses recognised by the IUCN, 19 are threatened with extinction. . Numbers of albatrosses have declined in the past due to harvesting for feathers, but today the albatrosses are threatened by introduced species such as rats and feral cats that attack eggs, chicks and nesting adults; by pollution; by a serious decline in fish stocks in many regions largely due to overfishing; and by long-line fishing. Long-line fisheries pose the greatest threat, as feeding birds are attracted to the bait, become hooked on the lines, and drown.
Identified stakeholders such as governments, conservation organizations and people in the fishing industry are all working toward reducing this bycatch."
For more info on albatross, check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laysan_Albatross
Rodney leaves for the mainland sometime in March, but he invited me to stop by his place anytime this summer to peek in and see how DeShawn is faring. I plan to do that whenever I have the opportunity to travel to the North Shore.
Rodney leaves for the mainland sometime in March, but he invited me to stop by his place anytime this summer to peek in and see how DeShawn is faring. I plan to do that whenever I have the opportunity to travel to the North Shore.
After a fun, interesting and busy week, I'm staying home tonight to read a book and listen to some soft music.
Tomorrow is the Blue Dolphin Whale Watching / Snorkeling excursion I put together for the Meetup group, "Kauai Adventure Club". Eleven people signed up and we check in at 8 am. It's a five hour tour, leaving from Port Allen and traveling up the scenic Na Pali Coast. It should be another fun day. I hope to capture some good shots of whales and dolphins. Wish me luck!
Tomorrow is the Blue Dolphin Whale Watching / Snorkeling excursion I put together for the Meetup group, "Kauai Adventure Club". Eleven people signed up and we check in at 8 am. It's a five hour tour, leaving from Port Allen and traveling up the scenic Na Pali Coast. It should be another fun day. I hope to capture some good shots of whales and dolphins. Wish me luck!
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