I caught the sunrise this morning as we threaded our way through the Falkland Archipelago. There were the occasional Black Browed (BB) Albatrosses to go along with the many Imperial Shags (Cormorants) flying by the ship.. We didn’t spot any dolphins or whales and soon were turning into Westpoint Bay and another beautiful view!
This Island claims the highest peak of the entire Archipelago (1,250 feet), but more importantly are the Rockhopper Penguins that build burrows to nest among the BB Albatrosses. We were greeted by the family which has owned the island since the 1800’s and make most of their income from visitors. A short detour along the beach revealed Kelp and Ruddy-headed Geese as well as Black Cinclodes, we were off to a fine start!
10AM was our launch time, and soon we were on the island and trudging up a steep hill punctuated by fields of gorse. The wind whipped by us making the relatively cool day feel chilly. It took a while to traverse the two kilometers with great views along the way.
Then we were there! The BB Albatross and Rockhopper rookery. We waited in line as there was a limit on number of viewers at a time and eventually it was out turn to descend to get a first row view of these creatures. I have a hard time describing the beauty and yet tumult of the scene. The two species were interspersed, with huge Albatrosses sitting on mud nests, occasionally giving us a peak of their huge pristine white egg. Next to them were the Rockhoppers, who certainly are aptly named, much smaller birds with typically two eggs on a nest made of twigs and mud.
Above were many flying albatrosses as well as a few turkey vultures and a single Striated Caracara (a member of the Falcon family). It was controlled mayhem. We saw Rockhoppers nuzzling each other and Albatrosses crossing beaks as they courted. Eventually we left the rookery and on the way out saw a long-tailed meadowlark perched on grasses with its bright red breast.
We decided to wait for a lift back as we were now hungry and tired. We soon were riding a 41 year old Land Rover over the rolling meadows, with a lot of lurching going on. At the owners home we were treated to a dining room full of baked treats with some coffee and tea.
Fortified, we went down the hull towards the ship launch area and took a right turn to look for Magellanic Penguins. It was tricky negotiating a steep hill but were soon able to spot these small, burrowing penguins as well as Pied Oystercatchers and Ground Tyrants, a type of flycatcher. Satisfied with our day, we headed back to a late lunch on the ship.
