Sula basana - Gannet

These huge seabirds - wingspan up to 13/4 metres (nearly 6 ft) - fly with slow, graceful wing beats and suddenly plunge in spectacular style to seize fish below the surface.

At breeding time they gather on rocky islands and rock stacks off the rugged coasts of north and west Wales. In March or April, gannets usually lay just one egg in a nest of seaweed and tufts of grass or sea pinks (thrift).

Along the Welsh coast, gannets are resident birds.

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