Beginning in the month of
October on the tiny coral atoll of Midway (made famous by the World War
II battle fought here), hundreds of thousands of Laysan Albatrosses
begin to arrive on this far northwestern Hawaiian atoll. They have
summered and fed in the North Pacific, and are now looking to reunite
with their partner after many months of separation at sea. These birds
mate for life, and somehow they find each other among the crowds and
after a short greeting immediately begin the process of mating. For
unpaired birds the fun is just beginning! Starting in mid March they
court potential mates with complex dances, bows, nasal groans, and bill
snaps. It is fascinating to watch the antics of these bizarre pairs!
In late January chicks begin to hatch, and the duties of both
parents intensify. They must now alternate at brooding the chick for
three or four weeks. They must rely solely on local food resources at
this time. As the chick gets older, the parents start to roam further,
returning with more solid foods. As soon as a parent lands the chick
immediately begins pecking at the adult’s bill until the parent
disgorges its food. The chick inserts its own bill crosswise and gobbles
down the meal!
Life on tiny Midway during this time becomes very interesting indeed!
Surrounded by almost 500,000 pairs of Laysan Albatross, most trying to
rear a single chick, it is literally wall to wall birds. Almost every
square yard of suitable space is inhabited by birds! The sight, the
sound, the smell, the sheer numbers are beyond description. Only by
experiencing it yourself can you come to understand the spectacle of
Midway during Albatross season!
Finally it is summer and time
for the chicks to fledge. The downy feathers are replaced with their
flying plumage. They mass along the beaches facing into the wind and
spread their wings to catch air. The first few attempts end in failure,
but soon they are making short sorties out over the ocean, with the
incoming wind bringing them back to the beach when they land on the
water. When they finally get the hang of it, they are off, soaring on
the sea breezes out to open ocean. These comical little chicks have
turned into a beautiful soaring Albatross!
TIPS FOR LAYSAN ALBATROSS
PHOTOGRAPHS: If you are lucky enough to find yourself on Midway Atoll
during Albatross season there will be no lack of birds to photograph.
Adults arrive in October and stay through until July. Chicks hatch in
late January and finally leave in August. September really is the only
month with no birds around! During this trip I utilized every lens in my
arsenal, from ultra-wide angle to my 400mm telephoto. The skies are
often overcast in the spring so I would bring a small strobe for fill
flash. It can be very rainy and windy as well, so plan to protect your
equipment accordingly. Auto-focus is of immense help for soaring birds.
A tripod will help stabilize your camera for those chick close-ups. I
used primarily ISO 100 speed film, and often had to push a full stop to
get the shutter and f-stop combinations I liked.
