The Private Life of the Gannets (1934)

A brief documentary about the tiny island of Grassholm. Just off the coast of Wales, this is a popular location for the breeding of gannets. Thousands of them perch on the precarious rocks nesting in pairs before heading to sea - dive bombing the fish with speed generated by their six foot wingspan. There's some ceremonial "billing" - the mated pairs showing their affection, before they prepare for combat with some marauding seagulls who want not just their eggs, but also their regurgitated food too! It's a bit over-scored, but the informative narrative tells us plenty about the 6 week gestation period for these birds that only lay one egg per year, but may live for up to fifty years. Assuming these tiny and vulnerable chicks survive at all then they must learn to fly, to feed and the photography here captures their story quite actively and engagingly. Just a shame we have no natural sound.