The albatross

The Royal Albatross Centre, on Taiaroa Head/Pukekura, Dunedin New Zealand

I took a break last week and headed south to Dunedin to return to the Royal Albatross Centre at Taiaroa Head/Pukekura. This is the time of year when albatrosses return to the peninsula to nest for the 2020/2021 season (as well as the 2019/2020 chicks fledging!).

The story of the Toroa/Royal Albatross and the extraordinary life they live (in the air and on the water) is beguiling.

They are one of the world's largest birds, and have the largest wing span of any bird in the world—11 feet wide! When a chick fledges and sets off from the peninsula it will spend 3-4 years at sea, often circumnavigating the globe, and will not touch land in all that time. The first time it sets down on land will be its return to Taiaroa Head/Pukekura, where it was born, in order to mate and nest.

I took lots of videos while at Taiaroa Head/Pukekura. This photo was an accidental capture. I had intended to take a video moments earlier, but the record button didn't press. So when I turned the video off at the end, I was actually turning it on! My phone was then hanging down in my hand and I captured a long video of the underside of my chin (but very happy to capture this black-backed gull flying overhead in the process!)

I'm looking forward to sitting down and writing something worthy of this magnificent bird and the city that loves it.

M xx