australian gannet

One of the highlights of my January trip to Point Danger was seeing the gannets at various ages. These photos don’t do it justice – nothing can.

It is an experience that requires more then just one hour. I have no idea how to have more experiences like this, nor how I can afford it. Pelagics? All I know is that gannets are up there with red tailed black cockatoos.

This one has a little bit of green on its head. Any reason why?

And this one still has a downy patch amongst the newish black. (or the wrong way around. (I love, love, love watching the young.)

When gannets return to the nest, they greet each other by doing an activity called ‘bill fencing‘. The BBC calls “this gannet equivalent of kissing.” This is when they tap their bills against each others necks and faces to reaffirm their pair bond. It’s hard to describe and I may have misinterpreted it, but it is still an astonishing site to see.

My photos do not do the act justice. It is incredibly tender and beautiful. It cements why I love the species so much.

It is pretty obvious that I love photographing adults feeding chicks. It doesn’t matter what the species. I was only able to witness this a couple of times. I love how persistent the younger chicks are! It looks so much more comical due to their size. [Read more…] about Australasian Gannet Feeding Chick At Point Danger

Another of my favourite things to witness at Point Danger were the fights between individual gannets. I only saw a couple, but they were definitely a sight to behold! Watching normal fights are fascinating, but the sheer size of these birds leave you in awe. I think at one point one was pulling at another birds wing! In this video, you can see just how violent the gannets can be. (I think the birds in that video are a different species).

Melanie explained how the fights were mostly between the birds on the edge of the colony, who are the younger ones trying to establish their territory. Space is scarce so it is very competitive! I’m not sure if it is just the males who stay, or the age of the birds. Maybe first year?

Regardless, it was a highlight of the day. Something I would never have seen if I didn’t seek out a proper colony.