December 21, 2012: Land ho!

After nearly two days at sea the excitement on board was reaching fever pitch.  We had listened to many presentations about the history of exploration in the Antarctic, Antarctic Wildlife, and our code of conduct according to the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO).  Melissa and I gave our presentation on Oceanites and the research the passengers would witness while on board.  But what we all really wanted to know was, “when are we going to make our first landing!?”  And that day was today.

Kate and Annie loading up for their first Antarctic
kayak excursion!

As the guests loaded into zodiacs to visit the Chinstrap penguin colony on Half Moon Island, Melissa and I were transported [by zodiac as well] to a site called Rugged Rocks about 2.5 nm (nautical miles) from Half Moon.  Though I had very much been looking forward to stretching my legs the steep ascent up Rugged Rocks, over snow, ice, and rock reminded me that I may very well live in one of the flattest places on Earth.  Melissa and I decided to divide and conquer the counting of Chinstrap penguin nests on this island and set to work. 

Though a small island, Rugged Rocks is home to 1,664 pairs of nesting Chinstrap penguins as well as nesting Blue-eyed Shags, Snowy Sheathbills, Antarctic Terns, Kelp Gulls, and Cape (Pintado) Petrels.  It took Melissa and I a little over an hour to count the nests, the topography playing a bit of a role in the amount of time we spent at this site. 

Rugged Rocks

In the afternoon we sailed south to Deception Island, one of the most popular stops on many Antarctic voyages.  As the guests headed towards Whaler’s Bay to hike, view the remnants of an old whaling operation, and mentally prepare for the polar plunge, Melissa and I got a ride back towards the entrance of Deception Island to count the nesting Chinstrap penguins at Entrance Point.  Deception Island is an active volcano, last erupting in 1969.  As we sailed through the entrance, referred to as Neptune’s Bellows we entered into the caldera of the volcano.  On cold days like today you can see steam rising from the beach; stick your hand down into the sand and you may nearly get burned.  It is a beautiful location, especially on days like today when the weather was beautiful—bright sunshine and calm seas.

I had been to Entrance Point on my first trip to the Antarctic three years ago.  The Chinstrap penguins nest high up on top of the ridge meaning we had quite the steep hike ahead of us.  Though the hike is not far to reach the penguin colony, it is extremely steep and the substrate is essentially sand.  Needless to say, for the second time today I was reminded that I live on the flat, coastal plain of North Carolina and should probably have gone hiking in the mountains a few more times before coming south.  While the walk up might not be incredibly enjoyable, the view from the top can’t be beat.  It took us about an hour and a half to count the 696 nesting pairs of Chinstrap penguins, about 10% of which had chicks (1-4 days old); we also found two adult Macaroni penguins attempting to fit into the colony as well.  There is a small colony of Macaroni penguins on the outside of the caldera that is where these birds likely came from.  I remembered seeing Macaroni penguins at this site in the past; they are not breeding and are likely young birds, perhaps trying out their nest building moves before settling down with a mate in their own colony.  Melissa and I did watch a pretty vicious battle as the Macaroni penguin attempted to fend off three Chinstrap penguins as they encroached upon his “nest”.  Being slightly larger and quite ferocious the Macaroni penguin came out on top of this scuffle.  I think we must have watched for 10 minutes, not able to tear ourselves away from this little soap opera.

View of Neptune's Bellows from the top of Entrance Point

With a little time to spare after completing our work we were able to relax and take some photos. We rarely get a chance to be still and watch the birds, so we took full advantage firing off shots of chicks and laughing as one very curious adult bird waddled over to give me the once over.  All in all, a fantastic first day of field work in the South Shetland Islands.

Chinstrap penguin and chick

Leopard seal

Smooth sailing on a Drake Lake (December 18-20, 2012)

The sea gods and goddesses heard my prayers, a Drake Lake it is!

So, what is the Drake Passage and why is it such a big deal?  The Drake Passage is the name of the body of water passing between the southern tip of South America and the Antarctic Peninsula.  With no landmasses to slow the flow of the water and wind as the Atlantic Ocean meets the Pacific Ocean, the conditions are notoriously rough and stormy. For the first night, we had smooth sailing as we passed through the Beagle Channel, with continued favorable conditions as we entered the open ocean around 3:00am on December 19.  The sudden, yet slow rocking of the ship often waking everyone from their slumber (only for most to fall back asleep as the rocking on the ship certainly lends to snoozing).  In this brief moment I sent out a little prayer to the sea gods and goddesses for a smooth crossing, or Drake Lake.  For it is no fun being stuck in one’s cabin seasick for two days.  Based on the weather reports we stood a great chance of having a calm crossing; with a storm brewing off of the southern coast of Chile just after we departed we were able to stay ahead of this weather system and ended up having a beautifully calm crossing with sunny skies to boot!

Profile of the Drake Passage (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Drake-Passage_profile_hg.png)

Making our way through the unusually tame “Roaring 40^os” and “Furious 50^os” we were greeted by Black-browed Albatross, Pintado Petrels, Light-mantled Albatross, Southern Fulmars, Diving Petrels, Southern Giant Petrels, Antarctic Petrels, and a number of Prions darting about the bow of the ship.  Though the air temperature was about freezing, many of us spent time out on the deck watching and attempting to photograph these graceful fliers, many of which are only ever seen at sea. 

Light-mantled albatross

 Early in the morning on December 20 we crossed the Antarctic convergence (typically at about 60^oS), the band of ocean that separates the Southern Ocean from the Atlantic and Pacific.  The Antarctic convergence is not necessarily something you can see (though at times is associated with a dense bank of fog), but you know you have crossed it based on a rapid drop in air and sea temperature as you enter the Southern Ocean.  In addition to a drop of a few degrees in water temperature, the ocean also becomes far more saline (saltier).  It is in this location that we leave behind the fauna and flora of the temperate part of the Southern Hemisphere and enter the realm of polar species.

Approaching the South Shetland Islands in the late afternoon we sail over the Hero Shelf/Shackleton Fracture Zone, a region of the open ocean known for abundant wildlife as shallower depths and upwelling bring increased productivity.  Increased productivity meaning more food!  It is here that we see our first humpback whales, far off in the distance, and pick up some of the largest flocks of Pintado Petrels I have ever seen, dancing on the water just behind the ship.  For surely that was a good omen as we sailed on to our first destination in the Antarctic Peninsula, Half Moon Island.

Just a few of the hundreds of Pintado (or Cape Petrels) following the ship this evening.

At home at the end of the world

It is always a treat when things in one's life come full circle.  About 10 years ago I travelled out of the United States for the first time with a group of students from the UNCW Honors Scholars Program (now Honors College).  Dr. Kate Bruce and Dr. Mark Galizio took approximately 14 college students on a life-changing trip to the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador; I was so fortunate to be one of the students on that trip.  I am sure my parents remember that phone call, all of these years later, of me saying excitedly, “Hi! I need a check so I can go to the Galapagos Islands. Now!” And perhaps they will recall their response of, “Who is this?” [Which continues to be their response when I call to ask for monetary donations to this day.]

It was in large part because of Kate, Mark, and that trip that I was bitten (or rather stricken) by the travel bug.  And as most of you know, I do love to travel...and am willing to go quite a distance to see the most beautiful places on Earth.  To that end, I have been sharing my adventures in Antarctica over the past two years with Kate and Mark every chance I get.  Both avid birders and world travelers, I have always felt that they just HAD to come to Antarctica.  Well, apparently I was just convincing enough—I am so excited that they will be travelling to the Antarctic aboard the Ioffe with me this year!  In fact, we will set sail later this afternoon!

Andean sparrow, all poofed up while preening

Yesterday I met up with Kate, Mark, and their daughter Annie for a birding adventure in the Tierra del Fuego National Park.  I had been to the park two years ago, on my first trip to the Antarctic and was really keen to return.  Most of this desire stemming from the fact that the Magellanic Woodpecker evaded me last time and I really wanted to see this bird!  I knew Kate and Mark would enjoy the hunt as well.  So with binoculars, cameras, and spotting scope in hand, we took off through the woods to track down this bird.  After checking off a fair number of common species in this area (and Mark threatening all Andean sparrows with extinction should they continue to trick us into thinking they were something cooler) we heard a single, loud KNOCK.  Any one who has ever hiked with a birder (my apologies to you as you likely thought you were actually going on a “hike”) knows that moment in which we stop, dead in our tracks, turning our heads just so to wait for that next sound to key in on where that bird might be.  This also involves “shushing” of the rest of the hiking party; after all, you might scare the bird.  And here we stood for a few minutes, waiting for any hint as to where this bird might be, for there was no mistaking this knock, it could only be from a very large woodpecker, THE woodpecker that has haunted my dreams. Eventually the bird moved and we followed its flight path ultimately getting a fantastic view of the Magellanic Woodpecker.  We watched it preening for about 10 minutes before it took off.  Fist bumps were passed around and we continued on, walking along various trails in the park to see as many species as we could.

Female Upland goose and goslings 

Male Upland Goose

It was so wonderful to be out birding with Kate, Mark, and Annie.  It felt like I was home, yet we were hiking at the end of the world.  For the first time in the 10 years that I have know them, I get to be the local expert and show them what I consider to be the most beautiful place in the world.  Full circle indeed.

It is now time to board the Ioffe and set sail for the Antarctic Peninsula.  I will post about our trip when I get to Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands on December 29!

Our bird list from Tierra del Fuego National Park:

South American Tern

Black Neck Swan

Rock Cormorant

Chilean Skua

Kelp Gull

Black-faced Ibis

Upland Goose

Flying Steamer Duck

Crested Duck

Chimango Caracara

Black Chested Buzzard Eagle

Magellanic Woodpecker (woo hoo!)

Sharp-tailed Rayadito

Chilean Swallow

Southern House Wren

Ground Tyrant

Dark-bellied Cincloides

Austral Negrito

White-crested Elaenia

Tufted Tit Tyrant

Hooded Siskin

Black-chinned Siskin (Female, yellow morph)

Patagonian Sierra Finch

Austral Thrush

Antarctic Field Season Part I: South Shetland Islands, Eastern Antarctic Peninsula and Falkland Islands

Sailing route December 18 - 29, 2012
http://staging.oneoceanexpeditions.com/antarctic/itineraries.php#D

On December 18, 2012 I will board the Akademik Ioffe in Ushuaia, Argentina to set sail for the Antarctic Peninsula.  On this 11 day trip we will be sailing to the South Shetland Islands and then through the Antarctic Sound to visit penguin colonies throughout the eastern Antarctic Peninsula.  On Christmas day, we will turn north and sail to Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands.

During this trip we will visit Chinstrap penguin colonies in the South Shetland Islands and Adelie penguin colonies in the eastern Antarctic Peninsula.  A stop at Snow Hill will hopefully bring Emperor penguin sightings, of which I have only ever seen juvenile birds...fingers crossed for stragglers leaving the colony to spend their winter at sea!  In the Falkland Islands, we hope to see Rockhopper, Magellanic, and even King penguins, rounding out our adventure to visit the most regal of Antarctic birds.

As I travel, I will write more detailed accounts of our research activities on each island and the species of penguins that I encounter.  

Almost time to board my flight, next post from Ushuaia!