So it has come to an end, my time on Bird Island is officially over! The final two weeks have been full on final handover work, preparing for the long journey home and making sure all is in order for the winter the new team are about to embark on. But most of all these two weeks have been a goodbye to an island, and a job, that has given me so much! I'll always remember this place as the most amazing experience!!!
There will be a few more updates on the blog yet, some from my journey
home via King Edward Point, Signy, Falklands and Ascension, and some
looking back on my time on Bird Island when I can sort through all the
photos and videos! But for now, here are some photos from the final two
weeks:
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| Looking over to South Georgia on a rare sunny day! |
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| Looking back at the peaks of La Roche and Tickell on BI with a gentoo colony on the right and a mac colony behind it |
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| Looking back at base below the peaks of Gazella and La Roche with South Georgia across Bird Sound |
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| The sun was shining on my last visit to 'the office' - paradise! |
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| An occasional ellie can be seen lounging on the beaches |
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| Fur seal puppies like playing about on the rocks between lengths of the bay |
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| Lounging in the sun, puppies know how to live! |
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| Shake it off! |
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| Puppies swimming in the clear waters |
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| The puppies are already very feisty, growling as you pass by... |
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| ...but they mainly just enjoy life on the beaches... |
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| ...lounging around... |
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| ...and having a scratch, pups are very cute! |
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| Natural Arch - always great to see coastal features like this, but when full of penguins and seals it's even better! |
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| A chinstrap joins the gentoos to moult |
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| With many adults gone Little Mac looks a little quieter but is full of all the chicks ready to fledge in mid-February... |
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| ....but just a week later most of them have gone! |
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| Mac chicks practise their call and get ready to fledge |
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| Northern giant petrel |
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| The northern geep chicks are nearly ready to fledge, they won't be far behind me in leaving BI |
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| Chicks are always hungry and begging for food! |
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| Southern giant petrel |
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| The southern geep chicks are still fluffy but a few feathers are starting to come through |
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| Spirit geep chick is still doing well and getting whiter and fluffier!! |
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| The skua chicks are all grown up now... |
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| ...but they will have to learn to defend their territory and their food like the adults do... |
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| ...fighting with each other when necessary... |
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| ...all for some tasty brains! |
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| Blue-eyed shags are stunning birds... |
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| ...the chicks start brown when ready to fledge but will mature over the coming years |
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| Pipits are still a common sight along the beaches and in the tussock |
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| A couple of light-mantled sooty albatross and a chick |
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| A pair of wanals (female in front) on their nest... |
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| ...preening is good bonding behaviour |
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| I may now be leaving, but life on BI inevitably continues - the wanal chicks are now hatching! |
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| Some of the chicks are already showing quite nicely! |
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