Thursday, September 27, 2007

albatross, part two



My third encounter with an albatross *







was with this one.


It had preyed upon the wrong fish, an unatttractively prickled pufferfish, which had then lodged firm in its throat.
A stronger soul than me was able to pull it out.



I spread its wings out as a matter of honour, rather than leave it a tangled sorry mess: this seemed the decent thing to do.

One wing stretched from the ground to my nose: The total wingspan was 2 metres, even though it was still a juvenile, as indicated by its chest feathers.


Later I dragged him back out to sea. A sea-bird doesn't belong on the sand, even after its life force has left it behind.

*(Please go to february for the previous albatross post. My link refuses to work.)

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

great photos fifi....you have captured elegance in the face of death.

how good is it to walk along a beach and come across things that have so much of a story to tell.

meli said...

i don't know what to say. i always thought albatrosses were like big poems. it's sad to see a dead one. i guess that is a different kind of poem. or the same one, from a different angle. i'll shut up now.

jane said...

poor worn out thing...
I stuffed an albatross once. It was a fairly huge job. Fully grown and smelt of the sea. I think it lived out its days on a farm in Riverstone. a long long way from the sea. I'm glad you gave it a burial at sea.

meggie said...

Fifi, I read your previous post, & have left a comment there. I feel you have a due reverence for the magnificent bird, that once lived.
I am sure it's soul salutes your repsect.

shula said...

So glad you did, too.

riseoutofme said...

A fitting tribute to a magnificent bird.

Maybe you were a flying creature in a previous life?

Suse said...

That was beautiful that you spread its wings wide before returning it to the sea.

Arcturus said...

Incredible pictures, esp. the last one.

You're a good soul, Fifi. You really are.