Albatross Island

Rachael Alderman wears no protective gear as she clambers over the rocks, moss and guano towards a nesting albatross. They might have wing spans almost twice her height, they may have beaks capable of breaking bones, and they may be in nature’s most vulnerable state of protecting their unborn, but still she wears no protective clothing. Alderman knows the bird will not leave its nest as she approaches. She knows this characteristic made them easy prey for hunters in the early days of colonial settlement, and makes it easy today for scientists, like Dr Alderman, to tag them and conduct their annual population counts. However, she also knows, better than most, that these are big, powerful birds and serious injury could be inflicted if one decided aggression was the best way to greet her. “I’ve had some superficial wounds,” she says with a laugh. Protective clothing? “I don’t think that’s necessary. You get very good at learning to read the bird’s behaviour. Occasionally you cop a bite, resulting in a bruise or two.”