Laimi, prieku, veselību un mieru Jaunajā gadā!

(GT)Sharyn Broni (Ranger, DOC) Mod
Happy New Year everyone and all the best for a great 2023!
All the eggs and nests are fine following the fireworks and the helicopter activity at Aramoana last night. Although it sounded close on the cam the helicopter was over 1 km from the headland and outside the no-fly zone which surrounds Taiaroa Head to protect the albatross. (Note: emergency flights are still allowed in this area.)
All the nests have come through the extreme heat on the 29th December, despite 2 breeders looking like they might desert while being irrigated (their eggs were moved as a precaution and a dummy egg placed in each nest).
Most nests required 2 hours of irrigation to see them through the heat before the weather cooled.
The years just keep getting hotter, lets try to turn that around in 2023.
Here is a list of actions an there effects from the Ministry of Environment that is worth a look:
https://environment.govt.nz/what-you-ca ... ke-action/
Check out the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals also, there are different levels of ideas based on how committed you can be to taking action.
(GT)Sharyn Broni (Ranger, DOC) Mod
Kia ora koutou (hello everyone)
At 62 days of age this egg has approximately 17 days left to hatch. The embryo will get larger inside the shell as the air cell grows, ready to break through the membrane that surrounds it. It is at this stage that the chick starts breathing oxygen and will start vocalizing prior to hatching.
(GT)Sharyn Broni (Ranger, DOC) Mod
Kia ora koutou (hello everyone)
L arrived back on the nest midafternoon today (6th of January). The egg is 63 days of age now and changeovers could become more frequent as we head towards the start of hatching.
In just over a week we will start to check for signs of hatching at this nest. There is only one egg due to hatch ahead of this one although given the range of hatching dates it could be a close call as to which is out first.
Read more about what to expect during hatching here: https://www.doc.govt.nz/nat...
Virtually all the eggs will be hatched in the incubators as the increasingly hot summers make the risk of fly strike too great. We see the effects of climate change on these large birds quite markedly. During the 1950's for example, this type of work would have been unnecessary. By the 1990's conditions were more frequently hot enough to cause fly strike at some nests some of the time. It was during the 1990's that methods to repel flies and also to keep toroa cooler on the nest began. By 2018 fly strike is almost a certainty if the egg is left at the nest to hatch.
The dummy egg holds the parents on the nest while the egg hatches in the incubator over several days. The nest will be sprayed with AIL (Avian Insect Liquidator) to clear out any flies that may be living in the nest. The newly hatched chick has AIL applied to it prior to it being returned to the nest.There is another pair with a fertile egg beyond the long grass past the South Plateau nest who we may see more of all going well. If so, it will be 3rd time lucky for BLY and LOL who have lost chicks the last 2 seasons for various reasons. BLY the male is 14 and LOL the female is 11. Their egg was laid 9 days after GLY and L's egg.
Non-breeders
Socializing has started in earnest amongst the younger toroa arrivals the ecstatic displays are an important part of mate selection and forming a pair bond. This, like all other aspects of the life of a toroa, is a lengthy process that can take, on average, 3 years.
(GT)Sharyn Broni (Ranger, DOC)
Kia ora koutou (hello everyone)
Remember this?
Well, it has taken 7 years but MOANA is back!
2321 days since fledging she has been sighted, although it may not be the first time she has been back she is reasonably steady on her legs. (Non-breeders who arrive at night might not get picked up in the rangers daily rounds)
This morning Moana is sitting by another breeder over towards the Taiaroa Head Lighthouse where I was able to confirm her unique Stainless Steel band number.
Sharyn Broni (Ranger, DOC) Mod
Kia ora koutou (hello everyone)
Today the South Plateau egg of GLY and L has pipped and has been removed to the incubator to hatch in safety. GLY is now on a dummy egg to ensure that he stays on the nest. The nest was sprayed with AIL to ensure flies are not living in the nest when the chick is returned to the nest.
The hatching process itself will take a few days. Most chicks are hatched on day 79 but there is a small range either side of this.
2 other eggs are in the incubators today, all 3 are the first to start hatching.
(GT)Sharyn Broni (Ranger, DOC) Mod
Kia ora koutou (hello everyone)
The first chick of 2023 has hatched. Not the Royalcam chick, but I have news that the Royalcam chick will be out tomorrow.
Here is a pic of the first chick post-hatching.
Please note: details of this chick and its family will not be shared here.
We will share hatching progress of the Royalcam chick at a later stage.
Technical Note: The IR light is likely to be off tonight, otherwise it is likely to be switching off and on. We are looking into the issues and potential replacement.
GT tulkojumsSharyn Broni (Ranger, DOC) Mod
Kia ora koutou (hello everyone)
The chick from South Plateau hatched overnight and fluffed up in the incubator before being returned to the nest at 10.57 am 21st January. In the incubator room, the chick weighed 305g. This is a healthy and average weight for a newly hatched chick. Avian Insect Liquidator was again sprayed in the nest and was applied to the chick in the incubator room prior to being returned to the nest.
Earlier we had a changeover at the nest when L arrived and GLY headed out to the ocean. It shouldn't be too long before GLY returns again.
During the next week, we can expect to see the chick being weighed twice a day to check on growth and feeding. Realistically the chick may not be fed today as it still has contents from the yolk sac.
Feeding is initiated by the chick begging. The breeder's bills turn pink as the feeding hormones kick in. There will be an obvious difference in bill colour between the breeders and non-breeders now.
It may seem surprising that they are so tolerant of this intervention. The albatross is very loyal to the nest and the contents and will look after what is out there, even a chick a few weeks old would be accepted. It is their natural inclination to stay in the nest and after 3 full seasons of hatching the chicks in the incubator, we have very few issues.
Read more about what to expect on Royalcam here:
Sharyn Broni (Ranger, DOC) Mod
Kia ora koutou (hello everyone)
The chick from South Plateau hatched overnight and fluffed up in the incubator before being returned to the nest at 10.57 am 21st January. In the incubator room, the chick weighed 305g. This is a healthy and average weight for a newly hatched chick. Avian Insect Liquidator was again sprayed in the nest and was applied to the chick in the incubator room prior to being returned to the nest.
Earlier we had a changeover at the nest when L arrived and GLY headed out to the ocean. It shouldn't be too long before GLY returns again.
During the next week, we can expect to see the chick being weighed twice a day to check on growth and feeding. Realistically the chick may not be fed today as it still has contents from the yolk sac.
Feeding is initiated by the chick begging. The breeder's bills turn pink as the feeding hormones kick in. There will be an obvious difference in bill colour between the breeders and non-breeders now.
It may seem surprising that they are so tolerant of this intervention. The albatross is very loyal to the nest and the contents and will look after what is out there, even a chick a few weeks old would be accepted. It is their natural inclination to stay in the nest and after 3 full seasons of hatching the chicks in the incubator, we have very few issues.
Read more about what to expect on Royalcam here: https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-a ... to-expect/
In the next week you will be able to follow the chick's growth here on Track the chick's weight:
https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-a ... ks-weight/