Española Island
Today was an extremely pleasant day. The sun was shining high up in a wonderful clear blue sky throughout the whole day. The richness of the wildlife found on this island is nothing less than overwhelming. We took only a few first steps on the island and we encountered friendly animals right on the trail, ready to share their world with us.
The bird of the day was without a doubt the waved albatross. During our walk we encountered several grown albatross chicks. Today we noticed that the chicks have already changed most of their down for the adult plumage. They still show some remnant down on some parts of their bodies which gives them a comical look. Since we are visiting this island week after week, I have had the privilege, as a naturalist, to observe the whole albatross breeding and growth process beginning with their arrival to the island in April. You can check a previous report I made on August 26th this year. In this report you can see a very young albatross chick and you will find more detailed information about their natural history. At the same time you can compare the difference in size and appearance with the one pictured today.
The last albatross chicks are almost ready to leave the island and will be gone by the end of this month. This week we have a small group from the Audubon Society with us on Polaris. We have had a remarkable day. We were lucky to see some of the last albatross of the season.
Today was an extremely pleasant day. The sun was shining high up in a wonderful clear blue sky throughout the whole day. The richness of the wildlife found on this island is nothing less than overwhelming. We took only a few first steps on the island and we encountered friendly animals right on the trail, ready to share their world with us.
The bird of the day was without a doubt the waved albatross. During our walk we encountered several grown albatross chicks. Today we noticed that the chicks have already changed most of their down for the adult plumage. They still show some remnant down on some parts of their bodies which gives them a comical look. Since we are visiting this island week after week, I have had the privilege, as a naturalist, to observe the whole albatross breeding and growth process beginning with their arrival to the island in April. You can check a previous report I made on August 26th this year. In this report you can see a very young albatross chick and you will find more detailed information about their natural history. At the same time you can compare the difference in size and appearance with the one pictured today.
The last albatross chicks are almost ready to leave the island and will be gone by the end of this month. This week we have a small group from the Audubon Society with us on Polaris. We have had a remarkable day. We were lucky to see some of the last albatross of the season.
