Dawn broke under a low cloud, with some fog and drizzle surrounding the ship. Not ideal weather conditions for photography. Nevertheless, I donned the waterproofs, thermals, neck warmer, hat, gloves and cameras, and headed straight to the bar! Not for a pint but for a mug of strong coffee and some shortbread biscuits to get the brain going at 6am. As soon as I stepped outside to my spot at Deck 4 Aft, the wind chill was very noticeable. We were heading south, towards South Georgia and the ice of Antarctica, and is was much colder than we had experienced as of yet. Throw the drizzle and fog in, and it made for an uncomfortable first hour. However, despite the cold, once I cast my watering eyes out to the sea, all I could see was clouds of Prions. They were everywhere! Antarctic Prions to boot, with a handful of Thin-billed (or Slender-billed) Prions as well. They were circling the ship and it was difficult to concentrate on individuals as they were wheeling around so quickly. Northern Giant Petrels and Cape Petrels were in evidence, with a single Brown Skua causing a bit of havoc.

A quick look around the corner into the biting wind, I could see a nice group of Wilson's Storm Petrel off the bow albeit a bit distant. I walked quickly to the bow and quickly picked up a Grey-backed Storm Petrel in amongst the group. If the brain hadn't been quite awake yet, it certainly was now with my heart galloping and the adrenaline flowed. Again, the bird was distant so no photographs. I was hoping to pick up some Common Diving Petrels but none materialised despite my best efforts in the polar wind. After the rush of seeing another Grey-backed Storm Petrel, I headed back to the shelter of the Deck 4 Aft and the cloud of Antarctic Prions. I was no sooner back and settled into my nook when I picked up some big albatrosses coming along the wash of the ship...more Wandering Albatross, with Southern Royal Albatross thrown in for good measure. We had four Wanderers in amongst the Prions and Giant Petrels that morning. Black-browed Albatross were also evident and continued to be around the ship for the entire day. 

Wandering Albatross Wandering Albatross (sub-adult) shortly after dawn

Wandering Albatross and Antarctic Prion Wandering Albatross (juvenile) in amongst Antarctic Prion

Wandering Albatross and Antarctic Prion Wandering Albatross (sub-adult) with Antarctic Prion

Southern Giant Petrel and Antarctic Prion Southern Giant Petrel with Antarctic Petrel 

In amongst the Prions were also some White-chinned Petrels, Grey-headed Albatross and the ever-present Black-browed Albatross. Southern Royal Albatross began to make an appearance as we headed further south. A couple of Great Shearwater and Sooty Shearwater brought a familiar feel to proceedings, as they are the typical large shearwaters we see of the coast of Ireland during Autumn, but the blizzard of Antarctic Prion they were flying amongst reorientated the geography in my head.

Wandering & Black-browed Albatross and Antarctic Prion Southern Royal Albatross in amongst the Antarctic Prion with a Black-browed Albatross in the background

Southern Royal Albatross, Black-browed Albatross and Antarctic Prion Southern Royal Albatross in amongst the Antarctic Prion with a Black-browed Albatross in the background

White-chinned Petrel White-chinned Petrel with Antarctic Prion

Great Shearwater Great Shearwater

​Late morning, Jim was giving a talk on the albatrosses and seabirds we should expect on the route down to South Georgia. I grabbed a coffee and some more biscuits (thank goodness for elasticated pants), and headed down to the lounge. Like a typical male mass-goer of old, I sat down the back of the room to ensure I could sneak away should I see anything through the window. With one eye on the screen and my full aural attention, I kept one eye on the window. From where I was sitting, I could see Southern Royal Albatross, Giant and Cape Petrels and Prions glide by. Then, a large all dark shearwater or albatross, glided past the window. Then it glided past again...sweet baby jesus it was a Light-mantled Sooty Albatross!! I quietly legged it out of the room and up on deck. There, flying around the ship and in amongst the melee of Antarctic Prions and Black-browed Albatross were a handful of Light-mantled Sooty Albatrosses. And such incredible beasts!! All grace and beauty in a streamlined form. They just glided effortlessly around the ship, sometimes at head height, and at times flying in parallel in a courtship dance. A dream bird to see and I was like a kid in a sweetshop. I think some of the passengers thought I was bonkers, jumping up and down, running around like a headless chicken, screaming obscenities in the excitement when an albatross flew by or a Cape Petrel flew within a foot of my head. This is what it was all about. This is what the utterance of Southern Oceans conjures up for me in my mind. Clouds of seabirds and majestic albatrosses. This day did not disappoint. 

Light-mantled Sooty Albatross Light-mantled Sooty Albatross Light-mantled Sooty Albatross Light-mantled Sooty Albatross Light-mantled Sooty Albatross

Light-mantled Sooty Albatross Light-mantled Sooty Albatross with a Black-browed Albatross

After the excitement of the Light-mantled Sooties, I scanned the area for what else could be out there. I came upon a small feeding flock of Giant Petrels and then noticed a small shearwater skirt by. I couldn't believe it. I followed it but it kept quite a ways out and never came in too close. I rattled off a few images and kept watching it. I managed to get one of the passengers standing next to me on to it with their camera (few passengers had binoculars) and he managed to get a few more images. It is possible to get Manx Shearwater down this far south, but it would be rare. The only other species I could think of off the top of my head was Little Shearwater. The bird flew onwards and was lost to sight. I had resigned that encounter as one that got away.

After lunch, I was hanging out with Jim on Deck 5 aft for the "wildlife hour", where Jim and Colin Baird point out to the passengers any birds and any whales encountered. We were scanning the area when Jim picked up an Atlantic Petrel coming in towards the ship. I got on to the bird and was delighted to connect with this species. While they do occur in this region, it is not always guaranteed to see one. A full fledged tick!! In the end, we had at least 5 individuals in the space of an hour or so, indicating that this particular spot was good for them.

Atlantic Petrel Atlantic Petrel

Incredibly, I also managed to either relocate the same or find a different small shearwater at the same distance out I had seen the one an hour or two earlier. I eventually got Jim on the bird and we spent at least 5 minutes tracking it, calling out features as we observed. The "common sandpiper"-like flight behaviour, the open face and short wings led us to conclude that it was a Little Shearwater!!! This was a new species for Jim in these waters. An excellent species to add to the trip list. 

Light-mantled Sooty Albatross, Black-browed Albatross and Antarctic Prion A pair of Black-browed Albatross and Light-mantled Sooty Albatross sweep through a flock of Antarctic Prion

After about 90 minutes of standing in the biting wind and cold conditions, it was time to head to the warmth and comfort of the bridge to keep an eye on what was coming down the line! The captain and the officers of the Sea Spirit were very tolerant of passengers being on the bridge, provided that the ship was not coming into shore or during rough conditions. From the bridge, and from the walkway around the bridge outside, a great 180 degree view was provided. As I was watching Giant Petrels, Cape Petrels and Black-browed Albatrosses wheel around in front of us, I picked up a blow from the port side and about halfway out to the horizon. It was a big blow. A very big and tall blow. The first officer spotted it as well and got excited. I threw up the bins and all I could see was a pale grey and mottled back that went on and on and on until a tiny dorsal fin finally appeared...Blue Whale?! BLUE FRICKIN' WHALE!!!! My heart started going like the clappers and the adrenaline was pumping. I didn't know what to do. I started to leg it out the door to tell the others. So as I opened the door to leg it out,  and then realised that the bridge could talk to all the expedition staff, but then I saw Jim running downing the corridor towards the bridge shouting "did you see that?!?!" and so I just turned around and went back outside. I didn't get any photographs because I simply forgot to. However, we all got great views of the whale and high-fives were being thrown everywhere. What a moment! I'll never forget the rush I felt when I realised what I was looking at. Unbelievable.

After a calming cup of coffee (and some homemade chocolate chip cookies - can you see a pattern forming here?), it was back out on deck to check what else was going by. I soon picked up some Grey-headed Albatrosses coming along the wash of the ship, in amongst the usual suspects. A very attractive and graceful albatross, which are about the same size of the Black-browed Albatross. Southern Fulmars also started to make an appearance now as well, indicating that we were heading south towards the polar convergence. We didn't need the appearance of Southern Fulmar to tell us we were heading towards the polar convergence; the air temperature and wind chill was a reminder of that! A very pale Light-mantled Sooty Albatross stood out from some distance and thankfully, came into investigate the ship providing some fantastic views. 

Light-mantled Sooty Albatross Light-mantled Sooty Albatross Light-mantled Sooty Albatross (a very pale individual)

Grey-headed Albatross Grey-headed Albatross Grey-headed Albatross (juvenile)

Northern Giant Petrel Northern Giant Petrel (note dark tip to bill)

As the Prions were still wheeling about the ship, I ventured down to Deck 2 where they were flying very, very close and approaching eye level. I spent an hour trying to get some decent flight shots of the Antarctic Prions and the odd Thin (Slender)-billed Prions. It was great watching them skim and glide over the waves in an effortless fashion while into a strong headwind. Magic birds. 

Antarctic Prion Antarctic Prion

Antarctic Prion Antarctic Prion and Thin (Slender)-billed Prion

Antarctic Prion Thin (Slender)-billed Prion

As the day drew to a close, we toasted the Blue Whale and Little Shearwater in the bar that evening. The prospect of what the following full day at sea would bring, made for a very fitful and anxious sleep. 

Dawn broke as we approached the Eastern Falkland Islands and our destination for the day: Port Stanley. Stanely is the capital of these Islands, with a population of just over 2,000 people. The main attractions of the capital are the museum, the government buildings and the church. My interest lay in the birds, and in particular, the Rufous-chested Dotterel and Correndera/Falkland Pipit. Having only a certain amount of time in the area, I had to decide what to do. I could go for the Dotterel and Pipit in the bogs at the top of the town, or else get a taxi out to Gypsy Point (4 miles/6km away) for some Magellanic Penguins and the possibility of 2-Banded Plover. While I was think about what I was going to do, I watched Northern and Southern Giant Petrels, Northern and Southern Royal Albatross, Grey-headed Albatross, Black-browed Albatross, Wandering Albatross, Southern Fulmar, Cape Petrel and Wilson's Storm Petrel fly around the ship as we steamed through the channel towards the Stanley. Thin-billed Prions were also making an appearance in small numbers and Common Diving Petrels were scampering away from the bow of the oncoming ship. 

Wilson's Storm-Petrel (ventral view; note the feet sticking out beyond the tail)

Black-browed Albatross (sub-adult)

After a health-hearty breakfast, an "omelette with everything" as one does, everyone donned their wet gear and headed for the Zodiacs. The plan had been to moor alongside the dock in Stanley and have a "dry" landing. However, as with all expedition landings, the weather had other plans for us. A very strong and inconsiderate wind blowing from a unfavourable direction prevented the Captain from bringing the ship alongside. So, it was a rough, bumpy and wet Zodiac trip across the channel to town. While we were waiting to tie alongside, a pair of Commerson's Dolphins swam around the Zodiacs. With my camera gear in my dry bag, I was not able to get any photographs. To be honest, I was just so thrilled to get such good views of the dolphins that getting a photograph didn't really bother me. It was my first time seeing this species and they are a stunning mammal. 

Once we disembarked from the Zodiacs and took of the wet gear, Jim gave me directions of where to go for the Dotterel. My mind was set on spending the time looking for this species and hopefully some close, open views of Magellanic Snipe. There was a chance for 2-Banded Plover and Silvery Grebe along the town front later on, so I decided on the gamble of heading upwards. It took Jim three or four visits to the area he was sending me that he finally found the Dotterels. With so little time to properly stake out an area for photographs, making a decision and sticking to it was key. With that, I set off on my own and headed for the open moorland. Jim was working and guiding a group of passengers from the ship in a bird walk around the town and eventually up the moorland where I would be.

While walking up the hills, it was strange concoction of elements hitting the senses: hearing the calls of House Sparrows, seeing the flags of English Premier League football clubs in the windows of people's homes, watching the Falkland race of Austral Thrush looking for worms in the gardens, where some of the oldest and functioning Land Rover makes and models reside in driveways and looking at Turkey Vultures prowling the skies at roof height; a very surreal picture begins to unfold right in front of one's eyes. 

Turkey Vulture at just over head height along the gardens of the Stanley properties. The crows of the region!

I had to stop to take it in, to remind myself of where I was. The island had an uncanny resemblance to the islands of West Cork that I know and have been going to for years. The soaring Turkey Vultures sort of brought it all back home that I was not on Cape Clear now.

So onwards I went, nodding to the Land Rover drivers who were giving the ol' West Cork "one finger off the steering wheel" wave of acknowledgement. Reaching the top of the hilly "street", I ventured over the wire fences and started walking slowly across the bogs and heather. There were remnants of the Falklands War from 1982 scattered about, with rusted gun turrets and a few old helmets apparent in an area that saw fighting. It was a tad surreal. While searching for the Dotterel, some Black-faced Siskins flew by but not much else. A couple of distant pipits flying east could only have been Correndera Pipit but better views would be required to tick that species. The beautiful melodious song of the Long-tailed Meadowlark was audible but I couldn't find them either! After nearly an hour, I finally tracked down a couple of Dotterel in a distant fenced off section of the bog. I was thrilled!! This was a real bonus to find them so quickly given Jim's previous searches. Without his knowledge, I may not have been able to find them. After climbing over a couple of fences, I managed to sneak up on the Dotterel by lying down on my ever expanding belly (thanks to the copious amounts of food on the ship and my ability to eat it all), and crawling along with the camera at the ready. Once I found a suitable position to lay down and ensuring my background was clean(ish), I spent an hour with the birds allowing them to fly around and walk towards me. Quite stunning and a great experience. It was the wind coming in off the sea and the general quietness of the area that appealed to me most. 

Rufous-chested Dotterel (simply stunning)

While lying on the heather and bog, I was fortunate that a male Long-tailed Meadowlark came into investigate. The male bird, such a stunning creature, fed amongst the heather and chased off the Dotterel at one point, threw out a few snatches of song, before flying off again. 

Long-tailed Meadowlark (Military Starling) - a resplendent male. 

Once I had had my fill of the Dotterel, I moved off and went in search of Magellanic Snipe and Correndera/Falkland Pipits. Just as I was traversing another fence, I saw Jim and his group, just like the Pied Piper and his followers, coming down towards me. With a few well-known hand signals exchanged between us while looking through our binoculars, I intimated that the Dotterels were close. I waited for Jim and my fellow passengers and showed them where the birds were. Everyone was happy to have seen them. With Jim's guided walk now complete, it was great that the two of us could wander around and go birding ourselves, just the two of us, like we used to do when I was a kid. It was a really nice moment for me, and I was delighted to have had the chance to do it. As we walked around the area, we stumbled upon some Magellanic Snipe, more Rufous-chested Dotterel and a few Correndera Pipits as well.

Correndera or Falkland Pipit (best images I could manage - tricky to get close to)

Magellanic Snipe out in the open! Such stunning and cryptic birds. Bigger and paler than their European cousins. We saw quite a few in this area of bog/moorland. With some patience and slow movements, it was possible to get close to this beautiful bird.

However, the highlight of our walk around the area was stumbling upon a quite tame Meadowlark. We slowly crept up to the bird, taking turns to go point and using the one-two inline technique we have used for years now when sneaking up on a bird to take some photographs. This was the closest that Jim had ever got to a Meadowlark so I let him lead for most of the stealthy stalking. We were both delighted to have got so close to a male Meadowlark and also to secure some shots. We then slowly retraced our steps and decided to head back into town for some lunch. On our way back to the road, we passed some small flocks of both Upland and Ruddy-headed Geese in the fields. 

Long-tailed Meadowlark (Military Starling)

Once we had a bite to eat in one of the (strange) local pubs and had a pint of the local ale (excellent stuff, too!), we headed back out to look for the Falkland race of Austral Thrush and check the front of town for more waders, gulls and terns. Jim also wanted to pop into the local Sainsbury's(!) to pick up some supplies. Most of the crew do this here in Stanley, as it is generally not possible to get things like Cadbury's chocolate and other familiar items in Ushuaia. Turkey Vultures were gliding overhead as we exited Sainsbury's and Dolphin Gulls were chilling on the grass along the coastal path running along the front of town. Kelp Gulls and South American Terns flew past busy looking for food, while Falkland Steamer Ducks, or Loggers as they are known as locally, were busy chowing down on bivalves and mussels over the sea wall. Rock Shags were also busily feeding in the shallows. 

Falkland Island Steamer Duck or Logger (a male)

Kelp Gull 

Dolphin Gulls

As I had yet to photograph the Falkland race of Austral Thrush, Jim and I headed out towards the cemetery which is a little way out of town. No sooner had we reached the end of the road that Sainsbury's was on when we spied a couple of Thrush having a wash in a small pond in the garden of the Falklands Conservation building, an end-of-terrace house along Stanley front. They were very jittery and quite flighty but I managed to get a couple of images before we decided to push on. Time was against us as we had to get back to the collection point for the ship. 

Austral/Falkland Island Thrush

On our way to the cemetery, and passing a few Land Rover garages, we stumbled upon a Blackish Oystercatcher feeding along the water's edge!! I had only seen the species in flight in Ushuaia so we stopped to take a few photographs. This is a big Oystercatcher with a real mallet-looking bill. Once I had some record shots in the bag, we walked quickly along the coastal path, passing a flock of sleeping Upland Geese and Black-chinned Siskins feeding on the grass seed heads. As we continued along towards the cemetery, Jim spotted a Steamer Duck sitting up on the grass in amongst some Crested Duck - we were confused as to how it got there (no obvious slipway and a high wall present) and were thinking that it might be a Flying Steamer Duck. Dave, one of the expedition crew, had seen a couple of Flying Steamer Duck flying along the town front as we were approaching Stanley that morning. We crept closer and closer but the bird just didn't fly. We took some photographs for analysis later and were about to head onwards when we realised we had run out of time. We had to head back to the dock and get the Zodiacs back to the ship. It was time to leave Stanley. 

Blackish Oystercatcher

MC002674 Logger possible Flying Steamer Duck

MC002707 Crested Duck Crested Duck

Stanley was a great little town, strange, surreal and a bit weird. I wish I could have spent some time walking around and gone to visit the garden full of gnomes and the garden full of whale bones made into sculptures. Next time. For now, it was goodbye to vegetation, trees, soil, the sound of passerines chirping and singing for at least two weeks. 

We made our way out of Stanley harbour and the channel, and back into the open ocean, and then steamed south towards South Georgia! I stayed up on deck and spent the last remaining hours of light birding the day away. We were treated to fantastic views of Wandering Albatross and Black-browed Albatross, as well as White-chinned Petrel and Sooty Shearwater. However, the highlight was picking up 2 Grey-backed Storm-Petrels flying into the wind off the bow of the ship!! I had thought initially that they were Black-bellied Storm-Petrels, but the lack of white rump, overall grey back and wings pointed to Grey-backed. Thankfully, one of the other passengers, Roger, managed to grab a few record shots. We showed Jim later on, and he confirmed that they were Grey-backed Storm-Petrel, as species he has yet to see! A great bird for the trip list.

Black-browed Albatross

MC003028 Triumvarite

Northern Giant Petrel, Wandering Albatross and Black-browed Albatross in gloomy conditions.

Wandering Albatross being lit by the setting sun

With the prospect of two full days at sea ahead and the weather closing in, it was time for a few beers and to bed at a reasonable hour. An early start beckoned the following day as we began our journey south. 

The plan for the afternoon of the 20th November was to land on Saunders Island. This is the fourth largest of the Las Malvinas/Falkland Islands and is run as a sheep farm. The island consists of three peninsulas connected by narrow necks, which are prone to erosion due to storms. So, after stuffing my face with burgers, salad and a hot dog on Deck 5 of the Sea Spirit during lunch, and recovering from the morning's landing on Carcass Island, we boarded the Zodiacs once again and the landing to Saunders was to begin. As with all landings, the team head across first to secure a safe landing site, map out a route to ensure nobody goes where they shouldn't go, and help all passengers out from and into the Zodiacs. 

Saunders Island. The beach is dotted with Gentoo Penguins in this image, with a handful of King, Rockhopper and Magellanic Penguins also. 

The first sight to greet one are the Striated Caracara that come in looking for food scraps. Then, being downwind of the upland region of  this part of the island, the strong scent of penguin poo is apparent. A little trek up the small sandy dune connecting two peninsulas and the penguins became very apparent. Gentoos! And lots of them. The Gentoos are a big penguin, with only the King and Emperor Penguins being bigger. They are also very elegant and have lots of personality. There were a number of colonies scattered across the top of the sand-spit linking the peninsulas. The majority of the birds were simply lying down with their heads into the wind, marking out their nest site, and sitting on eggs. There was a lot of activity in the colonies, with lots of birds coming back and forth from the sea. I spent some time with these birds before heading onwards along the beach. 

Gentoo Penguins

The next port of call was to head over to the edge of the beach and watch the Rockhopper Penguins come out of the water and climb up the steep cliffs to one of their colonies. However, as I slowly made my way along the beach, I came across a small colony of King Penguins!! This was unexpected. Due to the small number here, the expedition team would have rather us see King Penguins for the first time in the massive colonies on South Georgia, rather than the small colony that has established itself on Las Malvinas/Falkland Islands. Needless to say, it was absolutely breathtaking to see these enormous birds (1 metre tall!!) waddle up the beach, stand around in groups, or in pairs, just being themselves. There were last year's juveniles also present, with their downy brown feathers. The first explorers that came across the King Penguin colonies thought the juveniles were a different species and called them Wooly Penguins. It was a real treat to see these magnificent birds. Groups huddled together, just staring into space or at each other; pairs facing into the wind trying to cool down by leaning back on their heels and tails; and adults ignoring their youngsters! As we were going to be seeing hundreds of thousands of King Penguins on South Georgia, I moved on. 

King Penguin

On the way across to the Rockhopper Penguin route on the cliffs, I stumbled across penguin species number 3 of the day - Magellanic Penguin. This would be the last opportunity to see this species, but I was unfortunate in only seeing a handful of these different-looking penguins with their chunky bill and rounder and narrower heads than the other penguin species we had just seen. The Magellanic Penguin nests in burrows amongst the tussac grass on Carcass Island, but on Saunders Island, the grass is heavily grazed by sheep and so is kept quite low. Because of that, the land is prone to erosion and sheep can (and do) put their legs through the soil and collapse Magellanic Penguin burrows. I was mindful not to poke my head into the nesting burrows and to ensure that I didn't collapse the soil into the burrows themselves. So, with that, I moved quickly on. 

Magellanic Penguin

Wondering where the Rockhopper route was? All I had to do was look up and see the "Yellow Penguin" brigade, the Sea Spirit passengers, in the distance! We were all given bright yellow parka jackets at the start of the trip for use on the landings. The parkas are warm and waterproof. However, I found the jacket too bulky for photography and so kept to my own waterproof jacket and lots of layers! As it was easy to spot the Yellow Penguins, I headed over to watch the Rockhoppers go up and also to watch the come back down the cliffs and into the sea. It was generally easy to determine which direction birds were going as they took breaks on the cliffs, meeting halfway and having a chat (squabble!); the generally dirty and stained birds were heading down to the sea having spent time incubating one or two eggs, while the clean birds were heading up and to relieve their mate from incubation duties. Watching the Rockhoppers come in and out of the water were a pair of Snowy Sheathbills who were eating anything that looked edible, including penguin poo. Sheathbills are the only wader found on the Antarctic continent and the only species there without webbed feet! They are quirky looking birds but great fun to watch. I never tired of seeing these enigmatic birds. Dotted along the coastline were a few Kelp Goose as well, feeding and resting on the rocks. 

The Yellow Penguin brigade with the Rockhopper Penguin colony visible up the slope on the right hand side. 

Rockhopper Penguins emerging from the water and on their way up to their colony

Rockhopper Penguins coming down from the nesting colony and heading to the sea.

Snowy Sheathbill

Next part of the island which we were to trek to was upwards to the Rockhopper Penguin nesting colony and onwards again towards an accessible Black-browed Albatross breeding colony. We passed some Upland Goose family groups and Turkey Vultures soaring over the colonies looking for sick, injured or dead penguins to eat. The nesting Rockhopper Penguins held an unexpected surprise: MACARONI PENGUIN! This poor individual was certainly lost looking as it took up a nesting site at the edge of the colony, so we were easily able to pick it out. That made it 5 penguin species in one afternoon! Incredible experience. We spent a bit of time with these Rockhoppers. In amongst the penguins were breeding Falkland Island/King (Imperial) Shags. This was a great opportunity to see this race of Imperial Shag up close. One of the differences to separate the Falkland Island Shag race in the field from the main species is that it has a black cheek rather than a white cheek, such as those found on the South American mainland and seen in the Beagle Channel/Tierra del Fuego. 

Rockhopper Penguins at their nesting colony

The larger, paler Macaroni Penguin sits in the foreground and surrounded by Rockhopper Penguins. The longer, brighter and richer-toned eyebrows are easily noticeable.

Falkland Island/King/Black-cheeked Shag (a race of Imperial Shag)

The walk along towards the Black-browed Albatross (BBA) colony was quite steep and a bit slippy on the over-grazed grass, so care was required. However, the sight that was set out in front of us was mind-blowing. There, no more than 20 metres in front us, was a colony of BBAs sitting on their raised mud nests. It was jaw-dropping. Having spent the previous two days watching them at sea, it was phenomenal seeing one so close and on land. As we arrived at the site, Jim had established an imaginary line along which we were asked to stay behind, ensuring we were the required minimum distance from the breeding birds. Anyone who strayed over the line was quickly asked to move back. This is important for not just the birds, but also to ensure that the company are allowed to visit again, and that all other companies also toe the line and obey the rules for observing wildlife in these incredible places. I wish the same could be said for seabird colonies on certain islands around Ireland that get invaded during the breeding season by photographers who do not give the birds the space they deserve. 

Black-browed Albatrosses on their nests of raised mud; wing stretching on the colony; coming into land with the feet out to act as air brakes; looking out on its domain

While we sat there, a BBA landed in right in front of us and proceeded to walk right up to us. I couldn't believe it. I started shaking, the adrenaline flowing through my veins. I had to take a deep breath, compose myself and start shooting! At one point, the individual was too close to fit in the frame with the 400mm lens and ended up being too close to fit in the frame with the 70-200mm lens I had. Staggering. The size of the bird is difficult to convey in images without anything to compare it against. I think that Jim has photographs of the bird and my feet in the frame, as he was about 20 people up from me. Hopefully, if he did take those shots, they may illustrate the sheer size of these birds. The Albatross continued to look around at each and every person along that imaginary line we were to say behind. It was so special to witness that. Once the bird had had its fill of the yellow penguins, it took a couple of steps and took off with ease into the wind. 

Black-browed Albatross coming up for a look; holding its ground; headshot of BBA; taking off (note a Striated Caracara in the background)

Sadly, it was time to head back to the Zodiacs, as our time was up. The various companies who provide these trips, book time slots in each area where landings are allowed or Zodiac cruises are allowed. No two boats are allowed to be in the same place at the same time. This prevents too much disturbance to the wildlife, but also gives the paying passengers the feeling that they are on their own in these wild and remote places. Giving the whole "expedition" feel. On the way back to the Zodiacs, we spotted some Long-tailed Meadowlarks but also a few Dark-faced Tyrants up the slopes! Nice. New species for me. I scrambled up the slope hoping to get a photograph and managed to get one or two I was happy with. Super little bird and one that could be best described as a cross between a Chat and a Wheatear. We also came across some Striated Caracara sheltering from the wind, which was very strong that day, behind some some sea cabbage. 

Dark-faced Tyrant

Long-tailed Meadowlark

Striated Caracara sheltering behind some sea cabbage

One of the dangers of nesting on an island that is also run as a sheep farm is that there are sheep on the prowl, despite the best intentions of fencing off the nesting areas. Now and again, a sheep can get in and the Rockhoppers are not happy about it. There were also some Brown Skuas hanging around the colonies, waiting for a penguin to become inattentive so that the Skua can get in and steal an egg.

Rockhopper Penguin with an invasive species and some sheep-proof fencing.

Brown Skua surveying the Rockhopper Penguins. This sighting meant I had now seen all the species in the Skua/Jaeger family!

Once we were back at the meeting point to go back on the Zodiacs, more Striated Caracara were hanging around the area, looking for some food. Looking back across to the Rockhopper Penguin and Black-browed Albatross sites, one could see Striated Caracara and Turkey Vultures just cruising along the cliff faces and slopes, looking to pounce and find an easy meal. It was quite something seeing both flying together. The Striated Caracaras hanging around the Zodiac landing area were very tame, coming up and investigating shoe laces, bags, the lifejackets...anything that all!

Striated Caracara

Turkey Vulture and Striated Caracara

While waiting to get on the Zodiacs, and back to the Sea Spirit, I noticed some rusting metal pots. When I asked Jim what these were, he said that they were used by whalers/sealers to boil penguins in order to extract the fat from the birds. I can only imagine that it was very easy for the whalers/sealers to simply walk up to the birds, grab then and pop them into the pots. Even down here has not escaped our cruel ways. 

Penguin boiler.

After a biological wash-down of the footwear, bags, jackets and waterproof pants, I headed for my room, took off the boots and waterproofs and headed to the bar to pick up a Beagle Red Ale and ponder on the day's sights, sounds and smells. Disbelief washed over me as I realised that this was really happening. I was on an adventure of a lifetime. Tomorrow would be a day in Port Stanley. I couldn't wait....