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500,000 birds = the largest Black-Browed Albatross colony in the world. The birds nest along the shoreline amid 10ft (3m) tall tussock grasses, which makes getting into a good photographic position difficult. They also feed just offshore, and when the winds are right they will fly in and out of the colony like airliners stacked up at O'Hare. They aren't nearly as graceful when they land though, as they lose lift quickly and crash into the ground. It can be very entertaining to watch these birds, so graceful in flight, land with a thud.

This is one of my favorite all time photos. I scoped out a position amid the tussock, fought off caracaras strafing my head, and waited patiently for an albatross to fly into my field of view. I didn't have the fastest shutter ever, but I got lucky and timed the shot perfectly.

Photo by Mark Rentz

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