Wildlife Cameras that are really good

[Liz01]

Party time at the Taiaroa Head

[Liz01]

February 11th

Good Morning

11:16 LGK has received a tracker.







LGL will receive one when she is in next, weather conditions allowing.

[Liz01]

Wing stretching


back to his little one





The tracker for LGL will be deployed tomorrow.

[Liz01]

The devices are solar powered and they will remotely transmit the data to us, which we will share weekly.

This is part of a larger study of Northern Royal Albatross.

This device weighs 20g and will stay on until the back feathers molt.


Department of Conservation Mod
This is an example of the tracking capabilities, from the Salvin's Albatross trackers. The same trackers are being used on the Royal Cam parents and the same researchers are installing them.

[Liz01]

Sharyn Broni (Ranger, DOC)
The entire Northern Royal Albatross population which is endemic to New Zealand, breeds in only 4 locations. Three of these locations, including Taiaroa Head are a very small portion of the world population of Northern Royals. If populations collapse was to occur on the main breeding area in the Chatham Islands the species would be in serious trouble.

Following today's deployment of a GPS tracker of LGK's back feathers, LGL has returned relieving LGK of nest duties

LGL will likely receive her device tomorrow. The chick will be monitored once again by a ranger even though at over 1kg of weight a chick on its own and uncovered is going to be fine.

It is natural for the albatross to preen around the area of the device as some ruffling of feathers is unavoidable during this process. It is, or course, a change for them to have a device on their backs and it will come off in around a year when these particular feathers molt.

The devices are transmitting a data point every 40 minutes during the day and every 2 hours during the night. They are solar powered so power conservation is necessary at night.

We are extremely lucky to have the Royalcam pair tracked this year. This is part of a wider study of the world wide Northern Royal Albatross population. With only 20,000 individuals on 4 breeding sites they are a vulnerable species. Up to 30 trackers are being deployed on Northern Royals on the Chathams but here at Taiaroa Head we will get to see them on land and know where they are out on the ocean. A comparison between Chathams and Taiaroa albatross could be informative.

Changes in climate, prey location, and fishing activity are likely to affect these birds. Solid data is required to affect future decision making in these areas.

We should get our first map of LGK's progress next week.

14:18 Parents swap! LGL is back

[Liz01]

14:33:46 ready to take off

[Liz01]

February 12th

Good Morning everyone!

LGL is feeding her chick with the surprise at the ending... a long piece of squid tentacle that she regurgitates up

[Liz01]

13:31 LGL receives its GPS transmitter



Info by Sharyn Broni, DOC Ranger
It is natural for the albatross to preen around the area of the device as some ruffling of feathers is unavoidable during this process. It is, or course, a change for them to have a device on their backs and it will come off in around a year when these particular feathers molt.

The devices are transmitting a data point every 40 minutes during the day and every 2 hours during the night. They are solar powered so power conservation is necessary at night.

We are extremely lucky to have the Royalcam pair tracked this year. This is part of a wider study of the world wide Northern Royal Albatross population. With only 20,000 individuals on 4 breeding sites they are a vulnerable species. Up to 30 trackers are being deployed on Northern Royals on the Chathams but here at Taiaroa Head we will get to see them on land and know where they are out on the ocean. A comparison between Chathams and Taiaroa albatross could be informative.

Changes in climate, prey location, and fishing activity are likely to affect these birds. Solid data is required to affect future decision making in these areas.

[Liz01]

16:16 Parents swap! That was fast! LGK is back

LGK has arrived back at the nest. This time LGL has relinquished the nest somewhat less reluctantly, although she would prefer to stay. At the last attempt, that was 1 day after his departure, she did not want a change.
The little chick was very busy with nesting work while its parents debated whether to switch :-)

[Liz01]

February 14th

Good Morning everyone!

LGK has arrived back at the nest~12:59 pm 2021/02/14

Parents swap!


Sunday health check by Ranger Sharyn~8:35 am 2021/02/14
LGL was delighted and very talkative Sharyn gave her a handful of bundles of grass.

[Liz01]

February 16th

Kia ora koutou (hello everyone)

Today the Royalcam chick is 23 days old and had a weekly weigh in at 9.12am NZT this morning. Here is a video highlight. Just a quick stop as there are a lot of nests to check.

The weight was a healthy 1.7kg. (3.75lb) Check for updates on the Track the Chicks weigh page later today.

https://www.doc.govt.nz/nat...

Now that the chick is 3 weeks old there are some changes taking place in its appearance.

[Liz01]

The chick yawns a lot, and Dad yawns every now and then. The little one preens itself and is flapping with it's winglets. That's pretty cute.

[Rita]

Liz: Thank you for linking this video.

I have seen the close-ups this morning already and also how the chick flaps its winglets. It even tries a little shimmy. So cute.

[Liz01]

Rita, you're welcome
I'm very busy with the cameras.. there are too many!

What To Expect On The Royal Albatross Cam: February | Post-Hatch Guard Stage by Cornell Lab Bird Cams

[Liz01]

Februar 17



7:49 pm Dinner by Dad

[Liz01]

February 18

Good Morning

All information is provided by Sharyn Brony, DOC Ranger

Here is the link for following LGK and LGL's flight paths:


In the interactive map you can select LGK or LGL and also click on the map to measure distances. Note that the albatross will have flown much more than the distance in a straight line.

https://my.wildlifecomputers.com/data/m ... 139976bcfe

Very exciting news regarding the sole Antipodean albatross chick from the Chathams. Here is the media release:
Sole Antipodean albatross chick from Chathams being tracked
The travels of the only Antipodean albatross/toroa/hopo chick from the Chatham Islands in seven years are being tracked by a satellite transmitter.
https://www.doc.govt.nz/news/media-rele ... g-tracked/

You can track individual albatross on the Albatross tracker app:
https://docnewzealand.shinyapps.io/Pitt ... sTracking/

Some important points to note about the tracking:

During the day a data point is set every 40 minutes. There is a lag so you will not be seeing the location in real time. The data points are pretty accurate but there is some discrepancy, eg if you zoom in it appeared that LGL had been all over the place in the vicinity including Aramoana when in fact she had been on the nest the whole time.

At night, to conserve the solar power energy a location point is received every 2 hours but not uploaded till the morning when the device has more energy.

The data points are linked by straight lines. Albatross do not fly in straight lines. Check out this video regarding dynamic soaring.

[Liz01]

The chick is now 25 days and it will not be long till the post guard stage begins and LGK and LGL are spending most of their time away from the nest to find enough food for themselves and the chick.

7:43 Little one is doing a very healthy ps

[Liz01]

Little one is trying to make its bed bigger ~9:56 am 2021/02/18
She tries with their little paddles and spreads straw in the nest .That looks cute!
Most of time he/she is preening herself /himself. She chats a lot! Unfortunately you don't hear it.

[Liz01]

Visit by an Red -LGK Show me your little one! ~6:49 pm 2021/02/18
Red wasn't welcome.



Cute little one is preening itself, Juvenile are singing~7:12 pm 2021/02/18

[Liz01]

February 19

Hello everyone

It looks like LGL is on her way back home



it is a total relief to see where she is. otherwise one worried when one of the parents was gone for a long time