Thats a big bird!!!

Yesterday i spent the day a couple of hours awaya from dunedin at gore at an event known as the feild days; 3 days for famers to take the day off and see all the machinary they require have tractor contests, buy supplies and meet all those old neighbours etc. It was a large version of the black isle show for everyone at at home i guess.! sun was shinning and spent the day wondering around and then ending the afternoon watching the tractor pull contest!

Onto today;
I wonder what it would be like to just fly over the sea for years and never touch the ground in 4 years! The albatross is the bird for this, to see these birds we drove all the way through dunedin across the harbour along the otago peninsula witch is 13km long as a result of volcanic processes. Right to Taiaroa head where the Royal Albatross Colony is found. A reserve managed by the department of conservation where reserach has been carried out for over 70 years on these birds and the area.It is where the northern royal abatross are found; the worlds only mainland breeding colony.

I went on a 60minute tour witch provoided an educational talk on the birds a video clip about the birds an dthe area and then half an hour in the observatory where if you lucky on a windy day you can see the birds fly. Spending 85% of there life at sea, when they finaly touch down on land they may quite enjoy the sit down so you will not always see them flying. Today they were out in force and aparently we came at a very good time and were lucky to see severaly flying around as well as 3 nesting with chicks. The observatory is very clever pissitioned, and windows tinted so you can see the birds but they cant see you. It was really interesting and they really are incredable birds; at 9month old they take there first flight and do not touch down on land for 4-5years contantly at see to then return and bond with another bird, they are a pair for life and rear one chick normally every 2 years.

There is contant research ongoing and the birds are tagged and wieghed when born, they have public in as tours to controll number of visitors to reduce human impact on the colony. Along with trying to control rats, cats, stotes and other types of predators to the chicks.

The views were amazing over the surronding area, as we drove back stopping at afew bays and areas on the otago peninsula. The rugged coastline makes for incredable coatly views.