The Albatross

Shy Mollymawk (A Lesser Albatross) (Thalassarche cauta steadi)

Taking off

Preparing for splashdown

(note the feet coming out of flight position and dropping)

Winner of the prize

Below: Some of the battles over right to the food. Even though the fights loked very fierce, especially with the very hooked beaks and sheer size and strength of these birds, none of them appeared harmed. After the battles, the victor would spread out to about 2/3 rds wingspan and move back to the food, often holding wings out in a size/dominance and territory display, as can been seen in the above photo. I was close enough to several of these that I was soaked from the sprays of water-- seeing a bird of this size quite literally *run on water* at another bird, sometimes stepping on others in the path, was an amazing sight. In the last photo, you can see that they will raise up so high out of the water with massive webbed feet and wings to literally stand on the surface like a person walking on a full-wave waterbed.