Muriwai Gannet Colony_2018 11 04_4371

            Muriwai Gannet Colony | Australasian Gannet (Morus serrator)  -  Muriwai Regional Park is a windswept rugged coastline stretching 35 miles north. It is one of New Zealand's most spectacular black sand surf beaches. At its southern end, Otakamiro Point is the site of one of this country's few mainland Gannet breeding colonies.  The best time to visit the gannets is between October and February. The birds return here between July and October to re-establish contact with their life-long mates. After mating, one egg is laid and incubated in shifts by both birds until the gannet chick is born, naked and blind, 45 days later. The chicks hatch in November then leave for Australia at 15 weeks old returning to breed when they are between 3 and 7 years old  /  Australasian Gannet (Morus serrator), also known as Australian gannet and tākapu, is a large seabird of the booby and gannet family Sulidae. Adults are mostly white, with black flight feathers at the wingtips and lining the trailing edge of the wing. The central tail feathers are also black. The head is tinged buff-yellow, with a pale blue-grey bill edged in black, and blue-rimmed eyes. Young birds have mottled plumage in their first year, dark above and light below. The head is an intermediate mottled grey, with a dark bill. The birds gradually acquire more white plumage in subsequent seasons until they reach maturity after five years. These birds are plunge divers and spectacular fishers, plunging into the ocean at high speed. They eat mainly squid and forage fish that school near the surface. The species faces few natural or man-made threats, and since its population is growing it is considered to be a least-concern species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The species ranges over water above the continental shelf along the southern and eastern Australian coastline, from Steep Point in Western Australia to Rockhampton, Queensland, as well as the North and South Islands of New Zealand, Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands. Nesting takes place in colonies along the coastlines of New Zealand, Victoria and Tasmania—mostly on offshore islands, although there are several mainland colonies in both countries. Highly territorial when breeding, the Australasian gannet performs agonistic displays to defend its nest. Potential and mated pairs engage in courtship and greeting displays. The nest is a cup-shaped mound composed of seaweed, earth and other debris, built by the female from material mainly gathered by the male. One clutch of a single pale blue egg is laid yearly, though lost eggs may be replaced. The chick is born featherless but is soon covered in white down. Fed regurgitated fish by its parents, it grows rapidly and outweighs the average adult when it fledges. In New Zealand, almost all breeding colonies are on or around the North Island. Muriwai, near Auckland, comprises a mainland colony on Okatamiro Point, estimated at 1,385 pairs in 2016, while nearby Motutara (Pillar Rock) had 187 pairs. Gannets established a colony on Tikitiki Rock (Nine Pin Rock) in the outer Bay of Islands in 2007, which had around 70 pairs by 2017. A small colony was established at Young Nick's Head in 2008
   

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Taken in: New Zealand / Auckland Region / Muriwai (show map)

Taken on: November 4, 2018

Tags:

Harvey Barrison

HBarrison

North Island

Auckland

Muriwai

Muriwai Gannet Colony

Australasian Gannet

Taxonomy:binomial=Morus serrator

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Sets appears in: • NZ Auckland + Piha and Karekare Rainforest Wine Tour

Groups appears in: • Wildlife Photography • Flickr Addicts more » • Birds in Flight! • Full Frame Sensor group • Auckland • Nature, wildlife, and the great outdoors • ***The Wildlife Photography • Seabirds • Animals (All Kinds) • Birds In Flight • Birds Photos - Check out the new discussions! • National Wildlife Federation's Wildlife Watch • Encyclopedia of Life Images • National Geographic | World Wide • National Wildlife Magazine Photo Group • Sea Birds • New Zealand Group(Anything taken in New Zealand) • National Geographic Society • Nikon D800-D850 and Nikon Z7-Z9 Users Group • Wildlife and Landscape Photography • *** Nikon photography *** « less

Camera: Nikon D800, f/10.0, 1/2000 sec, 300mm, ISO 1000 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon D800
Lens:	70.0-300.0 mm f/4.5-5.6
Aperture:	f/10.0
Exposure Time:	0.001 sec (1/2000)
Focal Length:	300mm
ISO:	1000
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Manual
Light Source:	Fine Weather
Gain Control:	High gain up
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Elements 17.0 (Windows)
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