BBC Wildlife - UK (2021-12)

58 BBC WILDLIFE December 2021

these noisy seabirds.

It didn’t take me long to realise that

photographing frigates involves a lot of

sitting in boats, rising and falling with the

tides. But the rewards are worth it.

I remember one late afternoon, I’d

been bobbing on the water near the island

for hours. I was waiting for the high tide

to take me close to the mangroves, so I

could photograph the birds perched on the

greenery against a striking sunset. I had been

trying for weeks to get this image, but was

foiled every time by the tide being out of

synch, the birds being in the wrong spot or

the horizon being swathed in cloud.

But today was the day. As the tide rose,

the moment came. The boat drew level

with the canopy just as the sky was painted

a deep magenta and there, right in front of

me, was a female with her white chick. I was

Females spend several days near the lek, listening

to the cacophony before deciding which of the

red-throated tenors to select

almost choking on the pungent fishy smell

emanating from the island and being eaten

alive by mosquitoes, but I pressed on, taking

picture after picture. At any moment, the

tide would start to recede and the sun would

start to set.

F

rigates are fascinating

creatures and I never tire

of watching them. They’re

accustomed to humans, and

neither my presence nor the

clicks and whirrs of my camera bothered

them in the least. Their behaviour takes

an interesting turn as the breeding season

starts, with the birds besieged by months

of conflict. Tensions rise between the

males, whose characteristic throat pouches

resemble red fruits on the green leaves of

the mangroves. Each male is focussed on

winning a female, building a nest and siring

a chick. They must prove themselves to their

potential mates, and fight hard to dominate

the lek (usually in the upper branches of the

mangrove). The males perform courtship

songs with gusto and inflate their necks

like balloons, all the while squabbling over

the most prominent position on the stage,

sometimes attempting to intimidate the

competition by spreading their long wings.

Females spend several days near the lek,

listening to the cacophony before deciding

which of the red-throated tenors to select as

a mate. She approaches her chosen beau, and

a partnership is established.

Both the male and female partake in

nest building. Construction takes just a few

days, but protecting the finished dwelling is

a constant battle, since nesting material is a

precious commodity. The birds battle fiercely

Fluffy white chicks will spent

a year being doted upon

by their mothers in the nest

and slowly learning to fly

by mimicking the adult

birds’ movements

OFRIGATES