Albatross Festival

The best thing about going back by ferry is that the journey itself can also be the birding highlight.
三宅島を出港してすぐから忙しかった。まずカツオドリ、そしてカンムリウミスズメが3羽、３羽、2羽、2羽……。
「アホウドリ、アホウドリ！」亜成鳥だった。

新島に近づいた頃、オオミズナギドリの群れ越しに浮いている、大きな白を発見。またアホウドリだ！　船が近づいたせいで飛び立ってしまったけれど、真横を通ってくれたので、しっかり成鳥だと確認できた。

"And a good south wind sprung up behind;
The Albatross did follow,
And every day, for food or play,
Came to the mariner's hollo!"
（The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge）



アホウドリ
At one point, off the Toshima island, we even had five Short-tailed Albatrosses in a sight; one adult, two immatures and two juveniles. I did not know which one to look!  It was my first time to watch the Short-tailed albatross.  So as you could imagine, I was extremely happy!  
I was told that the chance of seeing the Short-tailed has been increasing in the last few years probably due to the success of the conservation projects in Torishima and Ogasawara.   



後半はクロアシアホウドリも何羽か確認した。「アホウドリより、筋肉質な感じ」と教えてもらったけれど、アホウドリが、ブーメランというか弓のようなカーブが印象的なのに対して、クロアシは翼が角ばっている気がする。一緒に飛ぶと、大きさの違いも歴然だ。
We saw at least twelve Short-tailed and four Black-footed Albatrosses during the journey.