But two months on Maximus the gannet has been rescued after being left completely alone on the Bass Rock in the Firth of Forth.

Even his parents abandoned him to migrate south, leaving him to fend for himself without the ability to fly or swim.
He is the latest chick ever to be spotted by the Scottish Seabird Centre at North Berwick on the island, and has become something of a celebrity among volunteers, staff and bird-watching enthusiasts.

He was rescued yesterday morning after it was feared he wouldn't survive the plunging temperatures or be able to get food, and will now be nurtured ahead of a hopeful flight to the west African coast.

Lynda Dalgleish, marketing manager for the centre, said his progress had been monitored on webcams trained on him from the mainland.

"Most of the gannets left around about October time and a few were still here in early November but for some time he's been the only one," she said.

"We had to intervene to save him because there's no way that he would have survived the winter.

"His parents were with him until as late as possible, but their instinct obviously told them he wasn't going to make it and that they had to go."

The latest time a chick has been spotted on the distinctive rock was in November 24, 1963.

No-one is quite sure why this bird stayed so late, although some experts say gannets are breeding later in the year because of global warming and over-fishing.

Once he was escorted back to the centre he was sent to a local family with experience of dealing with gannets, and it will hopefully be able to fly within a few weeks, at which point it will make its way south.

Talks are being held to assess the possibility of tagging him in some way to monitor his progress. Gannets always return to the same spot with the same partner and can live up to 37 years, so when the British summer approaches, staff will be watching with interest to see if Maximus makes it back.

"One of the volunteer guides Maggie Sheddan went out on the boat and caught him," she added.

"He was okay at first but he gave her a nip when she tried to feed him which shows he's got a bit of fight in him.

"The puffins are the big draw for us and at this time of year there are some seal pups as well, but Maximus has really captured the imagination.

"He will fly south, I don't know how far he will get, it may be that he joins other birds in Portugal to learn how to dive and catch fish, and we might see him back here."