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[Lani]

Royal Albatross ~ Ranger Sharyn Afternoon Weight Check! Gives Thumbs Up - All Is OK! 👍 💗 1.25.24

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8LupRqxR6I&t=2s

Jan 24, 2024
Ranger Sharyn visits the nest in the afternoon for the 2nd weight check up of the day. I can only imagine how busy the rangers are now with chicks hatching and requiring twice daily health checks, looking for the pips on the incubated eggs & watching over the eggs that are currently hatching in the incubator!! Many thanks to the rangers and the DOC staff for their dedication and love for these albie chicks!!

Sharyn gives us a thumbs up - meaning all is OK with the chick!

Sharyn does a through visual check on the chick today and she sprayed the chick's bottom with the AIL and also around the nest. Is is just me, or does the chick look bigger today?? ☺ Sharyn weighs the chick and puts it back under LGL who is happy to have her little one back underneath her. Sharon pulled up some grasses and nesting material and threw it to the side and pulled fresh grass and presented it as a gift to LGL. LGL loved the new grass gift and started moving it around as soon as Sharyn left. ♥ Thank you for watching!

Video captured & edited by Lady Hawk

1/25
Afternoon Sharyn. A lovely feed this afternoon with Mum and chick followed by a weight & health check with Ranger Sharyn.
Chick's weight 425g.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1750399294765736411

[Lani]

Royal Albatross - 1/28
A photo of Top Flat chick with foster parent WLB yesterday, snuggled in on her feet. Very cute!

http://AllABoutBirds.org/Albatross
Image credit: Sharyn DOC Ranger



Top Flat chick was removed from LGL and given to above foster parent for a few hours. LGL had been on nest 5 days and had not had enough food to feed chick when it was returned to the nest. When dad LGK returned to see new chick for first time. Ranger had returned their chick to them. It's been hot during the day. Remember this is their summer season... So feedings and weighins are closely monitored daily. Sometimes twice daily for some nests. Thank God for these hardworking and devoted rangers!

1/28
Hi everyone it was an eventful day yesterday but it did end very well.

Rangers arrived for morning checks. LGL - TF chick weighed and checked and WYL - TFT egg checked and off to the incubator.[/size]
https://twitter.com/i/status/1751389287462076544

Paddle wave by TF chick during afternoon weigh and check by ranger Megan.

[Lani]

Royal Albatross - 1/30
TF chick's weight & health check this morning saw chick's weight had popped up to 630g.
Thanks to LGL's 2 earlier feeds. She also fed chick this afternoon.

🎥Here is the video of LGL's return yesterday
https://youtube.com/watch?v=E5MfaCOAEsU

Sharyn's update and live links.
Track the chicks weight
https://doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/albatrosses/royal-albatross-toroa/royal-cam/track-the-chicks-weight/

Read more about the rangers work
https://doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/albatrosses/royal-albatross-toroa/royal-cam/rangers-work-for-royal-albatross/

Gular Fluttering in Birds
https://youtube.com/watch?v=IZCuDo5kOZs&t=1s

[Lani]

Royal Albatross - 1/31  Top Flat Track chick has hatched! Weight 270g

Jim arrives, sprays BOK's (swapped with WYL yesterday) nest with AIL & places their little chick under her with a thank you.
Later in the day, a health & weight check with Sharyn.

Congrats BOK & WYL
Royal Albatross ~ BOK's Egg Has Hatched & Returned! Ranger Sharyn Does A Weight Check! 1.31.24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wdeaqk2Oefg

Jan 31, 2024
Egg-citing news! BOK & WYL's egg has hatched today and was returned to BOK! The video opens with Ranger Megan coming to the Royalcam chick and taking its weight. Then ranger Jim brings the newest hatchling back to the nest and is introduced to Mom. ♥

Later, Ranger Sharyn does a weigh check on the little one! She introduces the Chick to Mom once again!
She gives a thumbs up -all is ok!! Thank you for watching!
Video captured & edited by Lady Hawk

Ranger Sharyn checking BOKs chick and weighing. Thumbs up.

[Lani]

"Northern royal albatross banded at Taiaroa Head have a stainless steel band on the right leg and 1–3 coloured bands on the left leg.
There are exceptions to this, eg the opposite is the case for birds that are from the Chatham Islands.

The colours we use are: black, blue, green, lime, yellow, orange, red, white and pink.

We read the colour bands from the top down, for example, green on top and orange below would read as GO.

Except for black, record the colour by its first letter, for example, red = R. Black should be recorded as K to avoid confusion with B for blue."

This season's Royal Cam family
LGK and LGL (Top Flat) WYL and BOK (Top Flat Track) 2023/24

Top Flat (TF)
Egg
Laid: 7 November 2023
Chick hatched: 23 January 2024
Female
Known as: LGL (Lime/Green/Lime bands)
Age: 15 years, hatched 2008
Breeding since: 2017/18
Male
Known as: LGK (Lime/Green/blacK bands)
Age: 12 years, hatched 2010
Breeding since: 2017/18
Family history to date
Following a failed egg in 2017 LGK and LGL have raised 2 Royalcam chicks, Karere and Tiaki.

LGK, LGL and Tiaki were GPS tracked.

Top of Flat Track (TFT)
WYL and BOK

Egg
Laid: 14 November 2023
Female
Known as: BOK (Blue/Orange/blacK bands)
Age: 10 years, hatched 2013
Breeding since: 2022/23
Male
Known as: WYL (White/Yellow/Lime bands)
Age: 9 years, hatched 2014
Breeding since: 2022/23
Family History to Date
WYL and BOK were first time breeders during 2022/23 but their egg did not hatch.

A photo of Top Flat chick with foster parent WLB yesterday, snuggled in on her feet. White-Lime-Blue

[Lani]

Royal Albatross cam
2/3 TFT chick fostered to the TF nest with LGL

Ranger Colin weighed both chicks this morning & TF chick weighed over 800g. BOK's chick needs a feed & switching with TF chick temporarily will achieve this naturally.

LGL has fed TFT chick twice so far.

Albatross ~ Ranger Colin Swaps The Chicks Into Each Other's Nest! LGL Feeds TFT Immediately 2.3.24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKbM5HBesZ0

Feb 3, 2024
Ranger Colin takes TF (Top Flat) and TFT (Top Flat Track) chick weights. He then returns in about an hour and he swaps the chicks into each others nests.The younger chick TFT went to LGL and LGL's chick TF, went to BOK's nest. The reason for this swap is BOK's chick needs to be fed this morning and she seems to be depleted of food so the two chicks have been switched temporarily to achieve this feeding naturally. Right after Colin departed, Mama LGL began to feed TFT chick and gave a good feeding to her foster chick!! Well done LGL! Thank you for watching!

Video captured & edited by Lady Hawk

[Lani]

Royal Albatross - 2/5   Nice round tummy's this morning
Check ups at both nests this morning. Top Flat chick with LGK, weighed 1.01 kg on day 13. TF chick will now be weighed once a week.

Top Flat Track chick weighed 505g on day 5 after a nice breakfast (8:45) with WYL. 

https://twitter.com/i/status/1754302201391141020

Ranger Sharyn:
Kia ora koutou (hello everyone)

Today TF chick weighs 1.01kg and is 13 days old. This weight has been entered on the Track the chick’s weight graph:
https://www.doc.govt.nz/nat...


How is my baby doing Colin? 

[Lani]

2/7
A wonderful display with a Blue, LKO & LWK putting their wings up

TF chick & TFT chick were fed today. TFT was also weighed. Their Moms are in, swapped with the Dads yesterday. (2/6)

Albie Party Time at Top Flat 
https://twitter.com/i/status/1755195028807586082

[Lani]

Royal Albatross ~ LGL Returns Home! Ranger Weighs TFT Chick! 💕🐥💕 2.12.24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znxKQwrnpa4

TFT gets a weighing and check up this morning. Tomorrow we start the weekly weight checks for TF who is 20 days old today. TFT chick is 12 days old today and may be weighed once a week as well. 💕

Sweet LGL is home after being at sea three days!  When she walks up to LGK she skycalls, LGK skycalls and so does neighbor BOK!  LGL & LGK preen one another briefly - LGK gets up and it is doesn't take LGL long to capitalize on the changeover. But LGK is standing over the nest so she has to push her way in there only 6 minutes after she arrived! They both are looking down at little TF who is vocalizing in its baby voice. GK finally moves his leg and LGL stands over their chick. 🐥 LGK does some gardening close to the cam before he walked out of view. Thank you for watching!

Video captured & edited by Lady Hawk

Beautiful light shining on TF (Top Flat ) Dad and chick.

[Lani]

Royal Albatross 2/14

[Lani]

2/15
Non-breeder activity in the Top Flat area on Sunday.
The nests are in the background.

There is a ‘keeping company’ pair and adolescents of varying ages in the image.



A 'keeping company' pair are likely in their final year of courtship prior to breeding the following season.
Adolescents in the #RoyalCam view on Sunday.

[Lani]

Royal Albatross - 2/18
A little tidy up around the webcam, thank you Sharyn, and skycall greetings for LGL. (Now, you can see both chicks, and they will see each other when parents are gone  )

Top Flat nest - LGL hears TF chick's little yaps and makes her way over to LGK. Time move LGK!

Top Flat Track nest ~ BOK swapped with WYL last night & both chicks have been fed this morning.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1759046552423993557

Grass and cam maintenance with an audience front and back. Thanks Sharyn.

[Lani]

Royal Albatross - 2/20 Weigh Day
Colin weighed the chicks this morning with their Dads watching on. Yes there was changeovers at both TF & TFT nests.

Read Sharyn's update for the chicks weights, info about the imminent post guard stage esp. for TF chick & health checks.

The parents are trusting and patient while chick is being handled by ranger. 
https://twitter.com/i/status/1759908116177760701

[Lani]

Royal Albatross ~ LGK Defends TF Against Adolescents! KA13 Pulls TF's Fluff 😲 WYL Visits LGK 2.22.24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVfbSL3_gYo&t=779s

Feb 22, 2024
LGK spent the night with TF and in the morning defended TF as curious adolescents BGY and KA13 were too close to the nest. LGK chases them off but KA13 returns and approached TF and pulls its downy fluff! You can see the fluff in its bill. LGK chases him off again! Thankfully LGK was here to protect TF!

BOK returns and when WYL gets up off his nest to let her take over brooding of their chick, WYL comes over to LGK and visits for a long time and ends up taking a nap before he departs back out to sea.

TF is in the very beginning of the post-guard stage and LGK and LGL will be staying away for longer periods of time during the next couple of weeks.  TF is a very brave chick getting its fluff pulled! Thank you for watching!

To see the highlights below, please click on the timestamps to advance to that portion of the video.

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Opening - LGK wakes up with TF
02:45 TF busy with gardening!!
04:49 BGY arrives
05:40 KA13 comes into view and LGK chases both BGY & KA13 away
07:33 KA13 comes back & pulls TF fluff -LGK chases off
09:44 BOK arrives back to her nest
11:45 BOK/WYL changeover - WYL comes to LGK to visit and rest

Video captured & edited by Lady Hawk

[Lani]

2/23 "Home Alone"

Top Flat chick spent their first night alone last night.
Dad LGK was back and forth,  then finally left.
TF chick also had his/her first visitor come by, LWK who is in the process of finding a new mate.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1760820404657258801

Ever present LWK (single, no mate) checking in on TF chick
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/47580c7e228e90177ab368d79db9b1e55db4040a23fa15591100f259ddb543d5.png?w=800&h=493

Top Flat chick over night & this morning. The last pic, the Ranger was walking by. Also BOK is with TFT chick.

The health checks for the Top Flat area has moved to Monday due to Top Flat chick being in early post-guard stage.
Images from the #RoyalCam

.