September 17: Southern Giant Petrel feeding on a bull seal

When the Giant Petrels feed on the carcasses of seals, they make a hole in the skin, and then poke their entire heads down inside the carcass. Their blood soaked plumage is a striking sight particularly  on the lighter coloured Northern Giant Petrels and the white Southern Giant Petrels.  Carcasses of dead seals though so not lay around long. The Giant Petrels and Skuas feed voraciously upon them, leaving little more than a deflated skin behind.

Northern Giant Petrel after a feed. Photo: Lionel Whitehorn

Northern Giant Petrel dripping with seal blood. Photo: Lionel Whitehorn

Northern Giant Petrel feeding on a seal. Photo: Lionel Whitehorn

September 16: Northern Giant Petrel

A Northern Giant Petrel feeding on a carcass.

Northern Giant Petrel. Photo: Lionel Whitehorn

NGP feeding on a carcass on the beach. Photo: Lionel Whitehorn

September 15: Redpoll Finches

These little Redpoll finches Acanthis flammea were introduced to Macquarie Island. They are usually seen flitting around in the tussock and the grasses of the plateau. They are the smallest birds that we have here on the island, and their little cheep cheep calls are sometimes the only wildlife sounds  that I would hear whilst walking on the plateau over winter.

Redpoll finch. Photo: Lionel Whitehorn

Redpoll finch. Photo: Lionel Whitehorn

Redpoll finch. Photo: Lionel Whitehorn

Redpoll finch: Photo: Lionel Whitehorn

September 13: Southern Giant Petrels

A few great shots of the Southern Giant Petrel Macronectes giganteus flying above Station by Lionel Whitehorn.
They are most easily distinguished from the Northern Giant Petrel by the greenish beak tip.The SGPs also appear in a beautiful white variation here on Macquarie Island.

Southern Giant Petrel. Photo: Lionel Whitehorn

Southern Giant Petrel. Photo: Lionel Whitehorn

Southern Giant Petrel. Photo: Lionel Whitehorn

Southern Giant Petrel. Photo: Lionel Whitehorn

September 12: Diving Cormorant

The Macquarie Island Blue Eyed Shag, or King Shag, Phalacrocorax albiventer purpurascens, is endemic to Macquarie Island.
Thanks Lionel for sharing this great diving great sequence.

Blue-eyed Shag. Photo: Lionel Whitehorn

Blue-eyed Shag. Photo: Lionel Whitehorn

Blue-eyed Shag. Photo: Lionel Whitehorn

Blue-eyed Shag. Photo: Lionel Whitehorn

August 31: The first skua of spring

This Great Skua Stercorarius skua lonnbergi was nestled in behind one of the 'beach balls' at Bauer Bay.  It is the first Skua that I have seen since they disappeared from the Island  over winter. Soon the elephant seals will be giving birth to their pups, and the Skuas will be here on mass to take advantage of a ready food source.

Great Skua shelters from the wind on the beach at Bauer Bay. Photo: Jacque Comery

August 12: Skeleton

 Nothing hangs around long enough to decompose here. This skeleton was not here  yesterday... today it is picked clean. A good meal for someone.

Skeleton on west beach. Photo: Jacque Comery

Skeleton. Photo: Jacque Comery

July 13: Snowy Antarctic Terns

The Antarctic Terns were not deterred by snows on station, rather they seemed to take advantage of the excellent camouflage it offered them, whilst they rested up after recent storms. They all sit facing into the wind, nestled down into hollows in the snow. We more often see them flying about, and they are most elegant in flight, zipping over the tops of the cresting waves. They are fast and very manoeuvrable, so I have found it a rare pleasure to be able to photograph them whilst they sit still!
When these guys are in breeding plumage their little black caps will be all filled in. New caps to impress the ladies!


Ready for take off. Photo: Jacque Comery

 

Antarctic Terns on the snowy beach front. Photo: Jacque Comery

Facing into the wind, and acting invisible. Photo: Jacque Comery

July 11: Macquarie Island Blue Eyed Shag

This cormorant is endemic to Macca. On this rainy day these birds were sitting out on the rock stacks, enjoying the misty conditions.


Macquarie Island Blue-eyed Shag. Photo: Jacque Comery

June 15: Kelp gull

Kelp Gull. Photo: Jacque Comery