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It is that time of year again: when small balls of fluff start appearing all over the Hawaiian Islands as Laysan Phoebastria immutabilis and Black-footed P. nigripes Albatross chicks begin hatching.

At Ka'ena Point Natural Area Reserve, an hour outside of urban Honolulu on Oahu, one of the USA's Hawaiian Islands, 57 Laysan Albatross eggs were laid this breeding season.  Although this is the same number as in the previous season, this year has seen an increase in hatching success with 34 chicks hatching (60%).  This represents an increase from the 28 hatchlings in 2010, and is a record high for the colony.

The predator-proof fence is in the final construction phases to protect the colony and it is possible that the fence is already having an effect by lowering the predation rate (even though predator control has not yet begun) by preventing the continual immigration of predators into the colony.  The fence is scheduled to be completed next month with predator removal following immediately thereafter.

It is hoped that the record-setting trend will continue by having a higher fledging rate and thus overall breeding success following the removal of predators.

Click here to access earlier ACAP news items on the Ka'ena Point albatrosses and the predator-proof fence.

For more information, visit the Ka'ena Point Ecosystem Restoration Project at www.restorekaena.org and click here for the project's Final Environmental Assessment. 

Read one person's account of a recent visit to Ka'ena Point at http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/hawaii/2011/blog/day-2-kaena-point-albatross-monk-seals-and-whales..oh-my

Lindsay Young, ACAP North American News Correspondent, 16 February 2011