The Hatching

The next couple of days continued with more and more opportunities to watch and photograph the gannets and the other seabirds nesting on the cliffs.

Apparently, due to the cold weather, the chicks were a little late starting to hatch.

Here is one under the rubbery feet of the adult.

Several days before the chick hatches it begins calling from the egg. The adult transfers the egg to the top of its feet. Many chicks do not survive because the adult does not transfer the egg to the top of the feet and they are crushed.

The next view is of an egg with a crack at one end as the chick begins to hatch.

This next one is of the first chick as it hatches. Not easy to see under the adult protecting it but the broken shell is on the right and the gray, partially hatched chick is on the left under the adult.

Two days later the chick is out of the shell and out in the world. It is blind and wobbly but manages to eat often.

The chick feeds by pecking at the beak of the adult who opens its mouth. The chick puts its head way in to get partially digested fish from the gullet. All you can see of the chick in this image is its long neck!

This chick yawns and disappears under its parent.

About 80% of the eggs laid hatch and by three weeks old the chicks are two/thirds the size of the adults. They are fed well and often and expend no energy.

I guess I’ll just have to go back to see the next stages!

Today was the annual Bala Butterfly Count. It started a cool and windy day but warmed up a bit. The dogbane was in full bloom and I was told that it is the favourite necataring plant of butterflys while it blooms. I have always appreciated it for its sweet scent.

Bog Coppers were found again around the wild cranberry plants along my shoreline.

The images above were taken with 1Dmk2N and my 500 with a 2x converter.

All the images in these blogs are the sole property of Eleanor Kee Wellman and may not be used for any reason without the written permission of the photographer.

More Northern Gannet images on my website: eleanorkeewellman.com