(foghorn blowing)
(waves crashing)
- [Narrator] Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve is a refuge
for tens of thousands of nesting seabirds each summer.
And at its center is an isolated sea stack,
surrounded by the rich waters of the north Atlantic.
Bird Rock.
(birds squawking)
The largest species that nest on these cliffs
are the Northern Gannets.
Among the first to arrive, and last to leave.
(waves crashing)
(birds squawking)
Gannet pairs reunite at the Reserve in March,
having spent the winter apart,
foraging as far south as the Gulf of Mexico.
And each summer, they return here to breed.
Northern Gannets are monogamous.
It remains a mystery how they find each other
among the thousands of nests,
and tens of thousands of birds, that have gathered.
But each year, they do.
(birds squawking)
They return to the same nesting spot,
renewing a relationship that could be over a decade long.
(birds squawking)
In June, the first chicks hatch.
It will take 13 weeks for this fuzzy chick
to grow and transform into a sleek juvenile.
To feed this growth,
each parent takes turns leaving the nest.
Seeking shoals of fish sometimes over 100 kilometers away.
(birds squawking)
By September, surrounded by other nests,
this chick outweighs its parents.
Feathers have replaced its downy fuzz,
providing the needed waterproof protection
for its life at sea.
(birds squawking)
As chicks begin to outgrow their nests,
fights break out amongst neighbors
defending their territories.
It's a tense time, and the dynamics of the colony
shift with the changing season.
(birds squawking)
The chick joins thousands of others
as a new instinct takes hold.
The urge to fly.
(dramatic violin music)
They are strengthening flight muscles
that will soon be put to the test.
Waiting for the right conditions for their first flight.
Because each chick will get just one chance to fly.
One chance to make it to the sea.
It's October when this moment arrives.
Chicks across Bird Rock begin to move
towards the edge of the cliffs, preparing to take flight.
Looking to the horizon, the chick flaps its wings
in escalating tempo and vigor, until, without warning...
(dramatic violin music)
Chicks that don't master this first flight,
will likely perish in the surf below.
(dramatic violin music)
Those that make it past the cliffs
still face a challenging future.
Only one third will survive their first year at sea,
as they learn to hunt on their own.
These juveniles have begun a journey
that may bring them back to Cape St. Mary's, and Bird Rock,
after up to three years at sea.
(dramatic violin music)
After their young depart,
the adults turn their attention to one another.
Many will linger at Bird Rock with their mates
for a few weeks before leaving on their own migration South.
And the Reserve will be here for their return.
(birds squawking)