Northern Gannet
Fou de Bassan · Jan-van-gent
A northern gannet belongs on the open sea, so this was an exceptional visitor: after a storm it ended up behind our dyke. It stayed for two days, walking and resting, and then left again. Gannets are white seabirds with a wingspan of almost two metres. To catch fish they dive into the sea from tens of metres up at about 90 km/h, while air sacs under the skin protect their head and neck from the impact. On land they are rather clumsy, as you can see from its posture in the second photo.
Photos · 2
