Loading search...
The Naturetrek group arriving on the Falkland Islands on November 3rd was greeted by a wonderful cloudless afternoon and a temperature of 20ºC: a taste of the warm weather in store during a tour that was blessed with both fine summer conditions and exceptional wildlife experiences.
King Penguins
The Falklands is synonymous with penguins and as we moved from island to island we were treated to some memorable moments as inquisitive Rockhoppers tweaked at our trouser legs and immature King Penguins lined up in their Bud Flanagan 'fur' coats to watch our progress. The spectacle of big penguin rookeries is always enthralling and even by the end of the tour, by which time we had visited dozens of colonies, it was hard to leave when the time came. Our tally of five species included large numbers of Rockhoppers and Gentoo, the great King Penguin colony at Volunteer Point plus a few stray individuals elsewhere; at least six Macaroni along with several 'Rockaroni' hybrids, and the ubiquitous Magellanics which honeycomb the turf with their network of burrows and fill the night air with braying. You are never far away from a penguin on the Falklands and our itinerary allowed us many opportunities to make use of that fact!
November is a month of great activity among the resident birds on the islands as they rush to rear their young during the relatively short summer. The bird list may not be large but many of the species are widespread and abundant, not least the Upland Goose which occurs everywhere, including the middle of Stanley! Goslings of varying size were a common sight and on several islands we also saw families of the smaller and more petite Ruddy-headed Goose, although they are later nesters and many were still on eggs. The third of the trio of Falklands geese is the very handsome Kelp Goose and we encountered many pairs around the coastlines although their goslings do not usually appear until a little later in the month. Out on the vast tracts of White-grass and Diddle-dee moorland one of the most characteristic birds was the beautiful Rufous-chested Dotterel which shares this bleak habitat with Black-throated (or Canary-winged) Finches, Long-tailed Meadowlarks, Falkland Pipits, and in many places, Two-banded Plovers. Falkland Thrushes were also numerous here, indeed this adaptable Blackbird-sized thrush seems to thrive in any situation from settlement gardens to the most exposed mountain slopes. The former are almost invariably surrounded by pine wind-breaks and these are favoured by little flocks of the exquisite Black-chinned Siskin, a somewhat more robust version of our European Siskin but well suited for the harsher South Atlantic conditions.
A visit to West Point Island on a day excursion from Carcass Island provided one of the tour highlights. During the 7-mile crossing we saw several Wilson's Petrels dancing over the waves, and a Common Diving Petrel but the real excitement came when the skipper decided to take advantage of the calm conditions to take us on a circuit of the island. As soon as we neared West Point, a pod of about 25 Commerson's Dolphins came racing in from every direction and took up position swimming in front of the vessel. From our vantage in the bows we looked down at these extremely handsome piebald dolphins just a few metres below us and a great many photographs were taken. Two of the larger Peale's Dolphins joined in the fun then, as we rounded West Point, the Commerson's dropped back and about 20 Peale's took up the bow-riding position. After some 25 minutes we were rejoined by the same, or more, Commerson's which accompanied us until we tied up at the jetty on West Point, completing a fantastic hour in the company of these endearing creatures! Circling around the island also enabled us to appreciate the grandeur of the towering cliffs intersected by deep gullies in which thousands of pairs of Black-browed Albatrosses and Rockhopper Penguins were nesting. Most visitors are denied this opportunity by rough seas and we considered ourselves extremely fortunate to have enjoyed the spectacle of this huge colony. Once ashore on West Point we made our way to the most accessible of the rookeries and spent several hours getting up-close and personal with the nesting penguins and Black-browed Albatrosses. I am always amazed at the extreme tameness of these enigmatic ocean wanderers and I was given a vivid demonstration when one albatross, on its way to a take-off point after being relieved from incubation duties, found I was occupying a clump of tussac grass it wanted to use and decided to use my head instead. The sight of his enormous bird about to launch itself onto my face encouraged me to move with rather untypical haste and I scrambled clear just as it landed where my head had been!! It then sat just a metre away glaring at me for my impudence before continuing along the row of flattened tussac to a place where it could spread its wings and take to the air.
As usual, Sea Lion Island (where we stayed for 3 nights) provided a superb finale to the tour. The teeming birdlife, hundreds of snorting and belching Elephant Seals and comfortable tourist lodge are all guaranteed; however, the local Orcas are far from predictable and whilst November is one of the better months for sightings we can never be certain they will oblige. Fortunately we were not to be disappointed and following an initial glimpse of a big male from the aircraft as it approached the island, we had daily encounters culminating with an impressive performance from at least six animals on our final day. This pod, which included two females with small calves, spent hours stalking Elephant Seals just a few hundred metres off shore and everyone from the lodge gathered on the low cliffs overlooking the beach to enjoy this rare sight. The Elephant Seals trapped in a small lagoon were less impressed by the fins circling outside the rocky perimeter of the pool but, fortunately for them, the tide was not high enough to allow the Orcas access through the one entry channel so the seals on this occasion were spared.
A magical tour concluded with a somewhat choppy boat trip around Kidney Island and some sightseeing in Stanley ending what was certainly my best ever visit to these incredibly unspoilt islands. We had seen virtually all the bird species we expected plus a few bonuses - in the form of vagrant Neotropical Cormorant and Eastern Kingbird on Pebble Island. We had our belongings (and person) subjected to investigation by the ultra-confiding Tussacbirds and Striated Caracaras, visited huge frenetic seabird colonies and strolled on pristine white sand beaches which would be the envy of any seaside resort in the world. Flora such as the blaze of bright yellow gorse surrounding every settlement, delicate Lady's Slippers and the freshly emerged Pale Maidens helped add splashes of colour to the landscape, but together with all these natural history impressions we also brought back with us enduring memories of ever-friendly Falkland Islanders and a unique Falkland way of life which I hope will never be changed.
To find out more about our Falkland Islands tour, click here.