Flight postponed

A fledging northern royal albatross failed to take full flight and ended up in the sand dunes at Aramoana this week.

Royal Albatross Centre operations manager Chris McCormack said the Department of Conservation picked up the unnamed female and took her back to Taiaroa Head, where she was given supplementary feed.

She was one of only 10 chicks left at the colony, and it was hoped her second attempt at flying would be more successful, he said.