September 21: GP and the seal pup

Such is life on a small island, that everyone has to eat, and nothing is wasted.

A dead seal pup makes a meal for a Giant Petrel. Photo: Lionel Whitehorn

NGP eating a seal pup. Photo: Lionel Whitehorn

Guarding the meal. Photo: Lional Whitehorn

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 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 4: Northern Giant Petrel nests

The opportunity arose to assist the Tasparks Rangers with the annual Northern Giant Petrel census and nest marking. We set out over two days through snow squalls and wind, to scour the north-west featherbed, looking for every bird on a nest we could see. The Rangers would then carefully approach the nest and check if the bird had a band on its leg, and confirm that it was sitting on an egg. We then GPS logged the location of the nest so that the summer scientists can come through and check on the success rate of incubation, and also band the chicks. We searched  the tussocks and rock stacks, usually finding the  birds nesting up in close to tussock mounds, or rocks. The NGPs Macronectes halli, are a flighty bird, and their drive to not abandon their nest upon the approach of humans was strong, and quite incredible to witness. If the birds flee the nest there is a chance that Skuas will swoop in and eat the eggs. Much stealth was used in sneaking up on the nest, but care also had to be taken not to startle the birds either.
The opportunity to see these huge birds on nests was a wonderful privilege. Their beautiful blue eyes and soft grey plumage will stay etched in my memories.

NGP on a nest. Photo: Jacque Comery

Northern giant petrel on a nest tucked in to a rock ledge. Photo: Jacque Comery

An interesting nest site for this NGP. Photo: Jacque Comery

August 14: Walk to Waterfall Bay

In a last minute decision, I decided to  join Rich our Comms Tech on a walk down to Waterfall Bay for the weekend. We left VJM at around 0730hrs in beautiful sunshine, and covered the 24 km down the Waterfall Bay in around six and a half hours.
In a change from my recent trips in ice and snow and a hard slippery track, the plateau was awash with snow melt and very wet, and excruciatingly boggy. The muddy sections sucked your boot back down like chewing gum. Upon arrival I got dry clothes on and then collapsed into an afternoon nap. The two Rangers joined us that night , and Anna cooked up a feast of tofu and noodles. I slept soundly snuggled up in the hut, at the most southern point that I have been on the Island so far.

View south towards Waterfall Bay hut. Photo: Jacque Comery

Giant Petrel resting in the tussock. Photo: Jacque Comery

Giant Petrel. Photo: Jacque Comery

View back up the Waterfall Bay jump down. Photo: Jacque Comery

July 18: Another day at Brother's Point

 Day two at Brother's. I awoke to a splendid day of sunshine and a snow covered beach.  I seized the chance to explore down around the water line, catching glimpses of colour on the black pebbles.
By mid morning though, the cloud and snow rolled in and again I retreated to my spaceship to finish my book, cook some food, do my radio sched with VJM (Station),  and had a nice sit by the light of my candle, just appreciating  how wonderful it is to be able to  sit in a hut, read, eat , sleep and daydream in the sub-Antarctic.

Sitting on the beach at Brother's. Photo: Jacque Comery

Lichen on the rocks. Photo: Jacque Comery

Shell on the beach. Photo: Jacque Comery

Critters. Photo: Jacque Comery

Snow covered beach, looking back to Sandy Bay to the north. Photo: Jacque Comery

Jac vs Giant Petrel. That is the footprint of a very big bird! Photo: Jacque Comery

Daydreaming in the hut at the end of the day.  Photo: Jacque Comery



June 23: Low flying birds

On windy days (so essentially everyday!), the sea birds perform low flying maneuverers over Station. You feel as if by stretching up high enough you could touch their bellies on the way past.
Whilst flying into the headwind slows them down, they are still evading my lens! At least I have 9 months to practice.

Kelp Gull on West Beach. Photo: Jacque Comery

Antarctic Tern on West Beach. Photo: Jacque Comery



A Giant Petrel flies low over the Isthmus. Photo: Jacque Comery





Feisty Giant Petrel in flight. Photo: Jacque Comery

June 11: King Penguin Chick census

Again, keeping busy helping the Rangers for an hour or so today I walked down to Gadgets Gully with Ranger Anna to count the number of chicks in the King Penguin crèche near Station.
This involves staring at these little critters through binoculars, and trying to count them , whilst they simultaneously make it challenging by waddling all over the place, and just generally being hilarious.  I failed miserably trying to count whilst these guys were flapping their silly little fluffy wings about and falling all over the place, my giggling interfering with my counting concentration.  I got a regular 150ish, and Anna seemed to come up with between 170 and 190.  Checkout the photo, imagine them moving, then imagine counting them!
The Giant Petrels hang about this crèche waiting for a meal of a stray chick. The adult birds remain quite passive about the whole thing, and seem to rarely defend a chick.  One little fella became a meal that day, but the Giant Petrels were fed for another day.  Such is nature.

Chick crèche. Photo: Jacque Comery

Adult King Penguins. Photo: Jacque Comery



Giant Petrels surround the adult King Penguins. Photo: Jacque Comery

Adults look on as a chick is taken and made a meal. Photo: Jacque Comery



GPs feeding on a chick. Photo: Jacque Comery

Meal for the day. Photo: Jacque Comery

June 3: Green Gorge Trip - Day 2: Hut Day

To stay at Green Gorge Hut, is to be transported to another world. This self contained universe is only half way down island, and yet it feels like you are the only inhabitants of the island. Everything you could possibly need for cooking up a hearty meal, is tucked away in the shelves of the kitchen or in "Shangrila" the storage pantry. We have a gas powered marine stove and oven, and a 'fridge' which comprises shelves on the porch.  With an outside temperature of rarely over 4C,  and no scavenging predators, this is the perfect solution.  Endless entertainment resides in the contents of the bookshelves and scratched old CDs compiled by Rangers and visitors past provide some fun surprises in the car stereo system we use to play music.  Short daylight hours and no distraction of internet and electronics offers a wonderful opportunity to sit and chat, day dream and nap.  Oh, wonderful hut life!
The most was made of daylight hours with several trips outside to photograph the Green Gorge locals.  The blustery westerly winds racing down the valley provided the Giant Petrels the perfect amount of offshore wind to extend their huge wings and hover about with ease.  Another posse of curious King Penguins lives here with their fluffy chicks. They gravitate towards you whenever you chose a spot on the beach to sit quietly with the camera. Inherently inquisitive they have no disregard for any attempt to maintain wildlife approach distances.  One silly chick tried to walk back to the hut with me!
Another layer of Macquarie Island revealed, and every new one is equally beautiful and dramatic as the last. How shall I leave here!

Green Gorge Hut. Photo: Jacque Comery

The wonderful Green Gorge Hut is tucked in the tussock at the edge of the beach. Shangrila is to the right, and the RAPS wind generator can be seen behind the hut.  This place probably has the most spectacular porch view that I have had the privilege of enjoying.

Cooking up some hots snacks in the hut galley. Photo: Jacque Comery

Drying socks and gloves over the heater. Photo: Jacque Comery

Relaxing evening in the hut. Photo: Jacque Comery

Hut bread success. Photo: Jacque Comery

Abbey Road King Penguins. Photo: Jacque Comery

 These four penguins marched along the beach with such self assurance and attitude I couldn't help drawing parallel to the Abbey Road Beatles album cover.  Crashing surf, howling winds, battling elephant seals...no problem... we got Penguin attitude.  Move aside strange biped...

Southern Giant Petrel. Photo: Jacque Comery

 I have spent hours trying to capture photos of these beautiful birds.  Awkward and ungainly on land, they are effortlessly elegant on the wing.  Whilst sitting on the beach with my big lens trying to capture these flighty shy creatures in the distance, this bird flew right up, and crash landed  right in front of me. Eventually folded up it's giant wings and sat right on down.  The most wonderful moments are always those that come to you unexpectedly.

Curious posse of King Penguins. Photo: Jacque Comery

Regal King Penguins. Photo: Jacque Comery



Southern Giant Petrel balancing with the wind. Photo: Jacque Comery

White variation of the Southern Giant Petrel. Photo: Jacque Comery

In the dark winter afternoons the white variation of the Southern Giant Petrels are like bright beacons on the beach, whilst their brown counterparts blend into the scenery.  These birds are very clumsy moving around on land, and take great advantage of extending their huge wings for stability, whilst they  prowl about the edge of the penguin colony for any stray chicks to seize.

May 23: Soaring in stormy skies

The sun casting rays through the clouds, looks magical, and shows no hint of the 50 knots that I am trying to stand upright in to take these shots.  The birds seemingly float above you in these winds.  A beautiful sight.

 

Soaring on the wind. Photo: Jacque Comery

 

Southern Giant Petrel. Photo: Jacque Comery

  

Crepuscular rays to the west. Photo: Jacque Comery

May 9: Sandy Bay King Penguins

The King Penguin colony at Sandy Bay is about a 3 hour walk from Station over the plateau, or about 5 hours around the coast.  The coast route is slower on account of moving across rougher terrain, rocks and through the Poa wallows. By the time I arrived at the colony I was already a little chilly, and discovered I had left my spare batteries behind, so just got a few quick pics in.
The King Penguin chicks are huge compared to the size of their parents. Their big brown fluffy feather coats give them an adorable appearance, and they waddle around the colony seemingly quite oblivious to dangers all around. They are especially vulnerable to being taken by the Giant Petrels and Skuas who lurk in and around the colony awaiting an opportunity to pluck a chick from the group.  When a chick gets dragged off it creates quite a kerfuffle, but none of the adults really comes to the chicks aid.
The old hut pictured was used by the penguin researchers in times past.  These days the island is slowly reclaiming it.


Penguin chicks at old Sandy Bay hut. Photo: Jacque Comery

Southern Giant Petrel making a meal of a chick. Photo: Jacque Comery

Sandy Bay. Photo: Jacque Comery

 

Picked clean. Photo: Jacque Comery

 

King penguins and chicks. Photo: Jacque Comery