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
Falkland Islands
February 19, 2025 - February 28, 2025
Sunrise over Argentina
Kate's new favourite bird – the Magellanic Snipe
A bit of a weird photo, but all of that white is condor poo and if you zoom in, there are about a dozen condors on the cliffs
And another 20 or so condors here
A little Fire-eyed Diucon
Faro San Isidro
Total Distance: 11.62km
Duration: —
1740051540 1740068700Elevation: -5.20m – 53.60m
Total ascent: 168.20m
Total descent: 203.20m
Walking down to one of the most southerly spots in south America – San Isidro lighthouse
Local cormorant
A female Austral Negrito picking around in the dry seaweed
Seaside cinclodes
That tree tells you how windy it is (always) here
Wild weather across southern patagonian islands
Duck and ducklings
Up above the beach is an amazing landscape of sphagnum moss
It is really weird to walk on – very spongey
Cormorant
Heading to an island north of Punta Arenas – Isla Magdalena
Isla Magdalena is a Magallanic penguin colony
Not the prettiest of pengiuns, but pretty funny as they wander off to the ocean to feed
Trying to convince themselves to head out into the cold water
Nesting time
Most have finished moulting, but this guy has a bit to go
so proud
A little two-banded plover (female) hanging around with her penguin friends
This is the villain of the colony – the Chilean Skua – if any animal could be "evil", it would probably be these guys.
An enormous 2700 passenger cruise ship interrupting the scenery
Skuas finishing off a penguin or gull chick
A gang heading out to the ocean
Nearby colony of cormorants on their little mud mounds
And a Skua picking away at a very alive gull chick… pretty horrible reality of nature.
Back to pretty penguins
Local native geese – this is the Upland Goose
Lots of gulls here too
Isla Magdalena and Isla Marta
Total Distance: 30.80km
Duration: —
1740130200 1740136920Elevation: -10.20m – 24.40m
Total ascent: 94.80m
Total descent: 66.60m
After Isla Magdalena, this is Isla Marta, full of sea lions
And cormorant colonies up top
A Southern Giant Petrel cruising the shore
Back in Punta Arenas, these are Red Shovellers, quite pretty little ducks
And a Lesser Yellow Legs (inventive names these)
From Punta Arenas, we drove out in the the Pampa towards Argentina
Some Rheas, or Ñañdus, obviously related to ostrich, emus and kiwis
One of the prettiest ducks – a Chiloe Wigeon
and the attractive rear-end of a shoveller
Back to the Magellanic snipe
Unusual rock formations, formed by repeated freezing and thawing
And we have left Punta Arenas and flown to the Falklands – a proud Dolphin Gull greets us
Might as well be a small town in England
But these are flightless steamer ducks… they make quite a range of bizarre noises – male in front with the female doing her thing
The local cathedral with whale-bone arch
The main town of Stanley has about 3000 people
The Governor's residence
Fish, chips and warm beer… very british
Local night heron
Sun setting in Stanley with a dutch tall ship ready to sail
A soft sunrise in Stanley
Giant petrels
The war is still quite present – there are military placements all around the islands
Skua
The Lady Elizabeth was damaged whilst rounding Cape Horn in 1913. It was too expensive to repair and ended up breaking its moorings in 1936 before ending up at this spot.
All of our friends
A male kelp goose
There is some serious money here
Boarding a little plane (Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander) to fly to the outer islands.
Hiding down the back…
Stanley to Carcass Island
Total Distance: 200.21km
Duration: —
1740317400 1740322020Elevation: 0.00m – 1800.00m
Total ascent: 1800.00m
Total descent: 1800.00m
Cruisers cruisers cruisers
The unusual rocks from above
Peaty rivers
That little orange roof is where we will be staying later in the week
More cruisers
Heading into Carcass Island with the remote Jason islands in the background
On the ground on Carcass Island
Carcass Island foreshore
Total Distance: 1.69km
Duration: —
1740327300 1740334740Elevation: -1.20m – 15.40m
Total ascent: 58.20m
Total descent: 59.00m
Our first of many albatross
This is apparently the oldest shearing shed in the Falklands
Our striated caracara friends
Sunrise on Carcass Island
Carcass Island
Total Distance: 6.93km
Duration: —
1740390000 1740401580Elevation: -0.60m – 96.20m
Total ascent: 206.60m
Total descent: 194.20m
Elephant seals having an argunment
Ribs for dinner
Young elephant seal
Life's tough
White-bridled Finch
Long-tailed Meadowlark
Elephant seal chilling in the shallows
Striated Caracaras – there are heaps of these and they have no fear
Elephant seals generally seem pretty angry with the world
Really not the prettiest
Angry
Always angry
At least this one seems a bit more chill
Just a little guy
You have to be careful where you wander – they tend to blend into the beach
A Ruddy-headed Goose – common here but quite rare in Chile
ex-elephant seal
One of the (much) bigger guys
The little settlement of half a dozen buildings where we stayed
Carcass beach
Total Distance: 8.14km
Duration: —
1740406020 1740419220Elevation: 0.40m – 48.00m
Total ascent: 221.40m
Total descent: 224.40m
Walking around the island
Austral thrush – also in Chile but they seem prettier here
Some Gentoo Penguins randomly way up the top of a hill… no idea why they chose to settle there
They wander up from the beach all the way up the top of the hill
Penguins on white sand… pretty weird
Some magellanic penguins hanging out near the gentoos
Skua
Baby skua waiting to eat something
This one probably fits in a backpack…
Giant petrel cleaning up
Launching into the day
There had been some penguin pox in the area
The steamer ducks having a significant disagreement
They really get quite aggressive
Carcass cormorants
Total Distance: 6.76km
Duration: —
1740476340 1740486240Elevation: 0.80m – 177.80m
Total ascent: 378.20m
Total descent: 371.80m
A very short house… actually covering the water supply
Still on Carcass Island, we walked up over the hill in the middle
Over to a large colony of Imperial Cormorants
The young cormorants had zero fear and would wander right up to you.
Gotta dig deep for lunch
Carcass to Saunders flight
Total Distance: 39.82km
Duration: —
1740485340 1740486060Elevation: 10.00m – 500.00m
Total ascent: 490.00m
Total descent: 490.00m
Another short flight to Saunders Island
Saunders rookery
Total Distance: 1.32km
Duration: —
1740502680 1740506400Elevation: 1.00m – 33.00m
Total ascent: 63.00m
Total descent: 39.40m
One of many Black-browed Albatross
Lots of babies all along the cliffs
They fly in along the coast at just above your head
Small towers of fluff
Couldn't pick between the two photos, so you get both
Their wings almost clip the ground as they fly in
Not the most graceful when they land, but they make it work.
So many albatross to photograph…
Saunders rookery sunset
Total Distance: 1.22km
Duration: —
1740511620 1740514680Elevation: 21.00m – 31.20m
Total ascent: 27.00m
Total descent: 25.40m
So many albatross
Waiting for food to return
Saunders rockhoppers
Total Distance: 3.87km
Duration: —
1740563400 1740573360Elevation: -6.40m – 68.40m
Total ascent: 255.20m
Total descent: 240.20m
And further along the coast, a colony of Rockhopper Penguins
These guys are very well fed.
There is actually a penguin "shower". The rocks drip water from overhead and they wander under to wash off the salt.
Snowy Sheathbills wander through the colony picking at anything they can find.
Probably also fits in a backpack
Roooooouuuuund
Some are still moulting
Most are almost ready to head into the ocean, so they have all moved down over the cliff edge
But these areas are also farmland, so along with the wildlife, there are sheep… pretty weird
Saunders beach
Total Distance: 3.80km
Duration: —
1740579000 1740589440Elevation: -5.00m – 49.60m
Total ascent: 224.60m
Total descent: 220.40m
The local dolphins – Commerson's dolphins
Pretty cool and super close to shore
Out to sea – hundreds of cormorants, gulls and albatross
Unfortunately a (small) cruise ship came in this day, littering the beach with tourists
But the penguins didn't seem to care too much
Poor little guy getting left on his own
Gentoo penguins seem to make their young chase them before feeding them to help them build strength
Saunders rookery sunset
Total Distance: 1.20km
Duration: —
1740593700 1740597720Elevation: 24.20m – 40.60m
Total ascent: 55.60m
Total descent: 50.60m
Saunders rookery sunrise
Total Distance: 1.12km
Duration: —
1740635280 1740639240Elevation: 23.80m – 39.80m
Total ascent: 29.40m
Total descent: 23.60m
Saunders Cliff Point
Total Distance: 2.73km
Duration: —
1740643680 1740649020Elevation: 13.20m – 74.20m
Total ascent: 90.40m
Total descent: 88.00m
Our little cabin for a few days
The old shipping container is the old cabin… must have been pretty rough
This is the original British settlement in the Falklands – actually settled 1766 – over 20 years before Australia!
Must have been a pretty difficult life early on
Saunders to Stanley flight
Total Distance: 248.41km
Duration: —
1740657300 1740665580Elevation: 1.00m – 390.00m
Total ascent: 972.60m
Total descent: 991.40m
Plane coming in to take us back to Stanley
Flying back towards Stanley – there are various tiny little communities like this around the islands
Generally the landscape is flat with no trees, but quite a lot of water around
This is the military base (and the main airport)… not allowed to take any photos of it (shhh)
Stanley – home to around 3000 people
The Lady Elizabeth
Volunteer Point
Total Distance: 143.56km
Duration: —
1740739500 1740770280Elevation: -2.20m – 196.00m
Total ascent: 1780.80m
Total descent: 1879.40m
After flying back to Stanley, we head out to Volunteer Point… got there just as the cruise ship passengers were piling into their cars to leave
Volunteer Point is all about the King Penguins
Really beautiful birds
Apparently while we were there, one of the vultures took a live chick!
Less pretty when moulting
But the little ones are super cute
It was a little bit windy
On the beach, there was one out of place rockhopper. It doesn't take long for the wind to cover you in sand
A wave washed off the rockhopper though
Still pretty sandy
Lots of giant petrels around
Moulting gentoo
The mothers often make the babies chase them for food to get them to run and lose a bit of weight
Down the beach, a collection of petrels seemed to have got themselves a gentoo
Not much left
Petrels eating the gentoo in the background
The penguins share their space with sheep
Not all eggs are successful
Some of the young don't really fit at home any more
Soaking up a bit of sun
We have all been this guy…
Some white-tufted grebes
Two variable hawks… look closely at the bottom one – it has a small rodent which the top one (the parent) just dropped to teach it how to hunt
The line of rocks here is natural. These "stone runs" likely formed during repeated thawing and freezing during the last ice age, when the Falklands were "periglacial", not fully g…
Heading back to Stanley on our last evening
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