Posted on

Summer On Bird Island

This entry is part 1 of 1 in the series Bird Island
Light-Mantled Albatross over the South Georgia coastline
Young fur seal pups are inquisitive. The heaviest pup weighed this season was a whopping 19.2kg.
Black-Browed Albatross over the ocean
Gentoo penguin chick looking lighter than normal. Nearly ready to head out to sea
Grey-headed and black-browed albatross chicks look almost identical and have a habit of nesting in stunning locations
When the sun breaks through the cloud on Bird Island the colours are often stunning
Gentoo penguin chicks chasing one of their parents for their next meal. The chick that keeps up with the adult for the longest will get fed
Macaroni penguin looking majestic in front of a very blue Scotia Sea
This is Sleven. Upon my arrival on Bird Island I was told that its chances of fledging were very low. It took a while, but 2 months after the rest of the wandering albatross fledged it finally headed out to sea!
Macaroni Soup
Even against the towering mountains of South Georgia a wandering albatross’s 3.5m wingspan is impressive
A blonde fur seal pup coming to check out the camera
Bird island has had a conveyer- belt of ice drifting pass this season. I’m told these bergs have made it further North than the Falklands
Big and brave fur seal
Wandering albatross making a GIANT petrel look tiny
South Georgia Shag against an iceberg
Brown skuas are stunning and annoyingly intelligent. There are very few animals nesting on South Georgia they can’t outsmart in order to get a meal
Wandering albatross at sunset
Another spectacular piece of ice
Bird Island sits between South Georgia and the Willis Islands (pictured here)
As the ice grounds itself it gets battered by the waves and quickly breaks up
Fat Macaroni Penguin chick looking healthy in front of South Georgia’s stunning coastline
Not sure if the Light-Mantled chicks are more or less impressive than the adults
Macaroni Penguins making the daily commute back to shore after a day at sea
A lighter morph fur seal who loves the camera
Black-browed albatross are one of the smaller albatross with a wingspan of just over 2m. Still pretty impressive
The noise that is associated with this display is unforgettable!

A face that can’t be hated
Posted on

BIRD ISLAND…FINALLY!

Bird Island Wahoo!

After 10days at King Edward Point I was well and truly ready to set sail for Bird Island on my transport mark II, the Pharos Fisheries Patrol Vessel. As we headed North past the almighty snow covered scenery we were accompanied by some of South Georgia’s smaller breeders Cape Petrels and White Chinned Petrels.

Leaving Cumberland Bay
White Chinned Petrel against a snowy South Georgia
Cape Petrel in the bay of isles

With the weather still and flat we were confident of getting ashore but as we approached Bird Island visibility came in and engulfed our new home making launching conditions unsafe. 

Bird Island emerging from the fog finally!

It did eventually disappear and finally we made it ashore and it proved to be everything I had hoped for. In my first week as we frantically prepared for the arrival of a years worth of stock I managed to make it around the island in search of one of the islands most beautiful breeders, the light mantled albatross. I also got out to weigh and measure last years wandering albatross chicks as they made it to the 260 day year old mark and approached fledging age. 

Wandering Albatross chick strengthening its wings
Grounded iceberg offshore during the light mantled albatross survey

Here is a preview of my new amazing home and a taster of what is to come over the next few months

Its not often we get clear skies and sunsets so we have to get out and make use of them even if the sunsets after 2300
Gentoo penguin colonies can be found all over the island
We arrived just before the first fur seal pups but even without them the males left very little space for us on the beaches as they held their territories
View across to the Willis Islands from above the Big Mac, Macaroni colony
I have always wanted to see Grey Headed albatross on the nest and now I live on an island with thousands of them.
Brown Skuas are a predator and scavenger on the island but its hard not to respect these intelligent hunters
View down over base from Tonk. The peak in the top left is La Roche, the land in the top right is South Georgia which is separated from Bird Island by Bird Sound, the green buildings are my home and the black dots all over the beaches are Fur Seals!
There are four species of albatross that call this island home. Wandering, Grey Headed, Black Browed and Light Mantled
We didn’t have to wait long for our first Fur Seal pups and OMG they are ridiculously cute!

Leaving South Georgia 2 years ago there was a lot that I was worried about leaving behind but the thought of not seeing Antarctic fur seal pups was genuinely depressing so I am thrilled to be working with these charismatic mammals again!

Absolutely stunning birds! Light Mantled Albatross in the tussock grass