LEFT: Fledgling Tinetto explores his
surroundings. The larger the colony, the
greater the chance of him thriving, but
it is possible that a new colony can be
formed by a handful of pairs. Without
human help, however, Nelson and
Roz would have been unable to nest
successfully in the bayRIGHT: These youngsters swam from
a nearby beach when the gannets’
old boat was threatened with sinking.
It was fixed by local people with the
approval of the Italian League for Bird
Protection and Tinetto returned to itBELOW: The young gannet will attain
his full adult plumage at about five or
six years old. The seabirds tolerate
the presence of humans and boats in
the cove as long as they do not get
too closeNATURE