Summertime!

The season is in full swing at Signy by the time we reach mid-summer and for the first time this season the sun has shown itself for nearly two full days!

With the sun shining on the huts at Gourlay the views are that much more spectacular

The Adelies were the first species to lay their eggs and as such they are at the most advanced breeding stage. The chicks are now pretty big and spill out from under the adults, although they are not yet quite big enough to be left unguarded.

One of many Adelie colonies on Signy

Spot all the fluffy chicks sticking out from under the adults!

The Adelies are great characters, the most boisterous and aggressive of the three penguin species here on Signy they can be heard calling almost continuously.

An Adelie calls and displays to its partner each time it returns to the nest

With the chicks getting that much bigger, and with the sun shining, the views we are getting of them are increasing rapidly. The peeping noises of the chicks can be heard almost as much as the calls of the adults and most of them can be seen standing up, stretching their flippers and begging for food!

Adelies lay two eggs and a number of nests are able to keep both chicks growing well

When the sun is out, the chicks are out so as to not get too hot, although some still prefer the comfort of the parents

Looking up at the sky, it's a bright new world for this chick!

Although the Adelies may be the most advanced they are by no means the only species very active at the moment. The Chinstraps are well in to incubation now and although there are a few stragglers just laying their eggs the majority will be starting to hatch in about a week's time.

Although most nests have eggs in them, that doesn't mean the nest can't be spruced up with a few new stones still!

The eggs are well incubated, even on sunny days as the air temperature and wind chill are still hovering around freezing!

It is not just the penguins that are active at this time of year. All our resident bird species are progressing with the breeding season. Our flying bird species - including: Snow Petrel, Wilson's Storm-Petrel. Antarctic Prion, Cape Petrel, Antarctic Tern, Brown Skua, Southern Giant Petrel and Snowy Sheathbill - are all now on nests with eggs to incubate. One of my favourites at the moment has to be the Snow Petrels, these strikingly beautiful birds can often be seen flying around, courting and displaying to each other.

Snow Petrel

Snow Petrels - along with Wilson's Storm-Petrels and Antarctic Prions - nest under rocks and in crevices so as to avoid the notice of predators. With Signy being such a rocky island there are so many places for them to breed that we are occasionally lucky enough to stumble across a nest site.

Often first found by the calls of the adults emanating from the rocks, Snow Petrels are now nesting for the season

All three species can be seen during the day, particularly the Snow Petrels, but they tend to be much more active at dusk and during the night when predators are less active and less likely to be able to see them coming ashore to the nest. However, there is one species that is active during the day that also nests under rock crevices; Snowy Sheathbills are more typically found near penguin colonies where there is a ready source of food available for this scavenging species.

Snowy Sheathbill

The predators that are being avoided by all these species are also busy making their own nests and incubating their own eggs. Brown Skuas are a regular sight across the island looking for anything they can predate so that they can be in full condition to raise their own chicks when the eggs hatch.

Brown Skua

Southern Giant Petrels can also predate and scavenge on the penguins and smaller petrels and prions. They are the largest flying species of bird on Signy and are still a particular favourite of mine from my time on Bird Island. Although the breeding colonies here on Signy are not visited as often as those on Bird Island we are still able to collect valuable data on the breeding success of this species each year.

A white morph Southern Giant Petrel - sometimes referred to as a 'spirit geep'

Although the birds are all busy during the summer breeding, the seals we have here are at a different stage of their life-cycle. Weddell, Elephant and Leopard Seals have all bred earlier in the year and pups have long-since been weined and gone their own ways. But that doesn't mean activity stops, in fact there are always seals about to see. Elephant Seals are a daily occurrence and they will continue to increase in numbers throughout the season. But Weddell and Leopard Seals are more infrequent sightings, particularly the Leps, and are most likely to be seen when there is ice in the bays.

Yep, this is a summer scene! Weddell Seals on ice in the bays around Signy

For the most part the seals are just ashore to sleep and relax whilst digesting their most recent meals.

A Weddell shows it's impressive teeth whilst having a yawn and a scratch!

Of the four species of seal we see on Signy (the fourth being Fur Seals - a fifth species, the Crabeater Seal, is a rarity but could also be seen if we are lucky!) the most infrequently seen is the Leopard Seal. Top predators these seals can grow up to 4 meters long and will eat penguins, skuas or anything they can get a hold of in the water or on the waters surface.

Leopard Seal

Leopard Seals are always an impressive sight, even if that is just whilst they are relaxing on the ice!

Two Leopard Seals on ice in the aptly named Hydrurga Cove (Hydrurga leptonyx is their scientific name)

With so many amazing species, and so much to see, an Antarctic summer is a very special time - even if the sun does only shine on the odd occasion!