Wildlife Cameras that are really good

[Liz01]

14:42 control by Rebecca - she does a great work there

[Liz01]

9:50 AM OKG has returned.

[Liz01]

February 18

The little one is too big for the small bag.



Sharyn Broni (DOC)
Today is the first of full week of weekly chick weighing at this nest site. You can see how the chicks growth is tracking compared to the averages for males and females and the previous Royalcam chicks on this link:

https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-a ... ks-weight/

This morning's weigh in occurred at 9.23am to 9.25am NZT, this chick is now 19 days old and growing before our very eyes at 1.3kg this morning.

[Liz01]

Feeding by OGK




Zoom video

[Liz01]

February 19

7:21 parent change over. She was only one day over the sea!




he didn't wont leave his little one

[Liz01]

7:44 he gave up

[Liz01]

17:35 a unwanted visitor

[Liz01]

Februar 25

The little one is getting big



Sharyn Broni (DOC) Mod •
Today the chick at the Royalcam nest is 26 days old and weighs 1.82kg. Rewind back to around 10.40am NZT to see the action. As the chicks grow a basket is used to weigh them in. OGK and YRK have been coming back for change overs quite frequently which has lead to healthy weight gains for their chick. The heaviest chick today is 2.72kg.

Change of parents is every 2 days. That is a very good sign.
This chick is well supplied

[Liz01]

4:06 PM Parent change- Mom flies in. Both parents trampled on the chick, it protested.

[Liz01]

February 28

11:33 am Mom flies in
preening each other




dad goes up .. he was there for a long time. He doesn't like to part with his chick

[Liz01]

February 29

Interesting nest swap- Dad comes home.
Transition to post guard stage has begun.



Henry, a grey heron visit OGK - I've made a zoom video

[Liz01]

March 3

Good Morning

Our chick is weighed again.






Sharyn Broni, DOC:
Today this chick is 33 days old and weighs 2.34kg at 10.55am NZT. It is no wonder that the smaller YRK is having trouble covering the chick. The heaviest chick at Observation Post Flat weighed in at 3.44kg. The Top Flat Track parents OGK and YRK are continuing to changeover regularly and we are very close to the post guard stage here now.

Check out the Track the Chicks Weight graphs on this link:
https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-a ... ks-weight/

The growth is fast at this stage as they need a bit of weight on to see them through the winter. It is autumn in New Zealand now and the days are getting cooler.

We have some sad news to share. Last week we lost a chick to predation. A necropsy was carried out and confirmed the chick had been killed by a mustelid, most likely a stoat. This came as a shock to all of us as there has not been a known albatross chick death due to predation since 1997. DOC carries out predator control at Pukekura/Taiaroa Head 365 days a year but the area is not predator free.

The chick had just gone into the post-guard stage (left alone for the first time) the afternoon before but was found dead the next morning. We have since rebaited our traps, placed a second type of bait in the traps as an additional lure and have also put out some different traps as an alternative capture method.

There are now 24 chicks on the headland.

[Liz01]

March 4




March 5
Sharyn Broni (DOC)
Breaking News

DNA results for this seasons Northern Royal Albatross chicks are in.

For the last two seasons there has been a bias towards female chicks. However this season we have more males than females throughout the colony.

The Royalcam chick is a female bringing us to 4 out of 5 Royalcam chicks being female.

Over the long term we would expect all these biases to even out to be 50/50.

On the 3 March, day 33 the chick weighed in at 2.34kg. This is very close to the weight that last years female chick, Karere, was at the same age.

The graphs on the Track the Chicks weight page show the average growth of male and female chicks, not the full range of what weights could be at any given age.

[Liz01]

March 7

7:49 am That little Girl is eating grass. I saw it never before.



10:04 am YRK flies in.


See a graph showing the average weight for both male and female albatross chicks.




https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-a ... ks-weight/

[Liz01]

March 8th

Mom feeds Pippa, then she leaves



Info by Ranger Sharyn Broni (DOC)
Today the Royalcam chick is 38 days old and YRK (the mum) can no longer keep the chick comfortably covered. After having three feeds since her return yesterday YRK has left the chick alone and will be now in search of more food.
The down insulates the chicks against the weather fairly well and we can see a new layer of down which is more dense than the original down is on the chicks head and neck.

[Liz01]

March 9th

11:55 am Happy reunion, Dad comes home



Info by Sharyn Broni (DOC):
Day 39 and the chick has successfully spent the night alone. Dad (OGK) has returned with a meal and may stay for a while.
The chicks are much more alert and defence when alone. The down is thickening and the chick growing fast on squid and fish.
Although mum (YRK) fed three times yesterday before leaving the chicks do not need 3 meals a day. Skipping days between a meal can also safely happen. Weights will continue to be monitored weekly on Tuesdays and follow up weighing later in the week.

[Liz01]

March 10

10:52 am Little Pippa is weighed



Info by Ranger Sharyn Broni (DOC) thank you Sharyn!
Today, on a bit of a wet but great for the albatross day, the Royalcam chick (40 days old) weighs 3.2kg. View the weighing between 10.50am and 11am this morning. The top weight amongst the 24 chicks is 4.5kg today.

[Liz01]

March 11th

Mom can't leave Pippa It took a second attempt, then she flew away to take care of herself and bring food to her chick.


She came back at 4:29 pm and fed Pippa at 4:38 pm.
At 5:43 pm Dad came home and Mom flew away again.
Feeding by Dad was at 6:22 pm

[Liz01]

March 13

Peter hopped past


First steps out of nest bowl


She was the second night alone. That means, she is without food the second day. I hope a parent will pop in soon.

[Liz01]

March 14th

Good day everyone

Pippa is without food the second day. or is it the third day ? New Zealand is one day ahead ..

OK: Pippa was last fed on March 12 around 16:30

In New Zealand, today is May 14th at 9:33 pm. No reason to be worry, it's normal. And the rangers have an eye on Pippa and the other chicks.