By the time this reaches you, the gannet chick I have been following will be nine weeks old!

Last week I had the delight and privilege of spending an entire day near the nest, from early morning until six in the evening. I felt honoured and blessed to observe a full "day in the life" of the chick. Watching it regularly and witnessing its behaviours develop week by week has been such an intimate and wondrous experience.

I always arrive at the nest site holding my breath, hoping all is well before peering over the cliff edge. On this occasion, I found the chick fully awake and looking splendid, while the parent rested. Over the course of the day, I observed many fascinating interactions.

The parent frequently groomed the chick, sometimes even while it slept. Beneath the fluffy white down, flight feathers are growing, and the chick has been self-preening for several weeks, now looking very proficient. I also witnessed playful interactions between parent and chick, including gentle "bill fencing" or wrestling, which seemed like both play and practice for future courtship behaviours.

It is difficult not to anthropomorphise. The chick showed great interest in objects in the nest, exploring them with its bill. At one point, it manipulated a stone before accidentally dropping it off the cliff edge. Later, the chick picked up a long feather, and the parent joined in, creating a playful tug-of-war. Perhaps the parent was preventing the chick from swallowing the feather, but it was fascinating to watch this interaction unfold.

Around 4 pm, the parent that had been out fishing finally returned. After a short greeting ceremony, the parent that had been on duty all day left, and I felt relieved to see the chick being fed. Earlier unrewarded begging had caused some tension, so this was a joyful moment.

As if the day wasn’t already full of wonder, a pod of dolphins swam close past the cliffs. The sound of their exhalations through their blowholes alerted me to their presence. The water was turquoise and clear, with windless conditions. For a few moments, I watched dolphins swimming underwater together, surfacing gracefully for air. Their sleek, gleaming bodies and the soft mist of their blows in the sunlight created a completely magical experience.

This week’s self-kindness invitation is to be mindful of the potential gifts available to you each day. Take moments to enjoy and be grateful for them. A ray of sunshine may break through clouds, a stranger may smile, or you may choose to spend time doing something you love. Noticing and appreciating these small gifts is a profound act of self-kindness.