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10 February 1989: On that rare day on South Georgia, when air temperatures exceeded 60F, many thousands of Black-browed Albatrosses soared high above their island fortress. Photo by guide Bret Whitney.
The Logbook Abstract for our Society Expeditions cruise aboard the M. V. 'World Discoverer,' which gives the noon data (including position and weather) and landing data for each day of our itinerary, can be found at this link.
Symbols:
P - Puerto Williams, on Isla Navarino, Chile (brief observations while waiting to board the 'World Discoverer')
H - Cape Horn (species seen/reported during our landing there)
D - Drake Passage (species seen at sea between our departure from Cape Horn and approach to Nelson Island)
A - Antarctic Peninsula (all areas from Elephant Island south)
o - South Orkney Islands (primarily Signy Island) and vicinity
Ss - southern Scotia Sea (between Orkneys and South Georgia)
G - South Georgia and immediate vicinity (including Cooper and Prion Islands)
Sn - northern Scotia Sea (between South Georgia and the Falklands)
F - Falkland Islands and immediate vicinity (primarily Carcass and New Islands, and cruising between the two)
M - species seen between the Falklands and the entrance to the Straits of Magellan (sightings essentially ended as we entered the Straits of Magellan at dusk on 17 February)
KEYS FOR THIS LIST
One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant
Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl)
BLACK-NECKED SWAN (Cygnus melancoryphus)
UPLAND GOOSE (Chloephaga picta)
KELP GOOSE (Chloephaga hybrida)
RUDDY-HEADED GOOSE (Chloephaga rubidiceps)
FLYING STEAMER-DUCK (Tachyeres patachonicus)
FLIGHTLESS STEAMER-DUCK (Tachyeres pteneres)
FALKLAND STEAMER-DUCK (Tachyeres brachypterus)
CRESTED DUCK (Lophonetta specularioides)
Light-mantled Albatrosses at their nest. This is surely among the most elegant of all seabirds. Photo by guide Bret Whitney.
YELLOW-BILLED PINTAIL (SOUTH GEORGIA) (Anas georgica georgica)
YELLOW-BILLED TEAL (Anas flavirostris)
Spheniscidae (Penguins)
KING PENGUIN (Aptenodytes patagonicus)
EMPEROR PENGUIN (Aptenodytes forsteri)
ADELIE PENGUIN (Pygoscelis adeliae)
GENTOO PENGUIN (Pygoscelis papua)
CHINSTRAP PENGUIN (Pygoscelis antarcticus)
MAGELLANIC PENGUIN (Spheniscus magellanicus)
MACARONI PENGUIN (Eudyptes chrysolophus)
SOUTHERN ROCKHOPPER PENGUIN (Eudyptes chrysocome)
Diomedeidae (Albatrosses)
YELLOW-NOSED ALBATROSS (ATLANTIC) (Thalassarche chlororhynchos chlororhynchos)
At Salisbury Plain on South Georgia, tens of thousands of King Penguins hold their single egg atop their feet, warmed and protected by a thick fold of abdominal skin. Photo by guide Bret Whitney.
GRAY-HEADED ALBATROSS (Thalassarche chrysostoma)
BLACK-BROWED ALBATROSS (BLACK-BROWED) (Thalassarche melanophris melanophris)
LIGHT-MANTLED ALBATROSS (Phoebetria palpebrata)
ROYAL ALBATROSS (SOUTHERN) (Diomedea epomophora epomophora)
ROYAL ALBATROSS (NORTHERN) (Diomedea epomophora sanfordi)
WANDERING ALBATROSS (SNOWY) (Diomedea exulans exulans)
Procellariidae (Shearwaters and Petrels)
SOUTHERN GIANT-PETREL (Macronectes giganteus)
NORTHERN GIANT-PETREL (Macronectes halli)
SOUTHERN FULMAR (Fulmarus glacialoides)
ANTARCTIC PETREL (Thalassoica antarctica)
Getting up close to nesting Gray-headed Albatrosses is usually not possible these days… we shall see. Remind me to someday tell you the story of how this photo came into existence. Photo by guide Bret Whitney.
CAPE PETREL (Daption capense capense)
SNOW PETREL (Pagodroma nivea)
KERGUELEN PETREL (Aphrodroma brevirostris)
SOFT-PLUMAGED PETREL (Pterodroma mollis)
WHITE-HEADED PETREL (Pterodroma lessonii)
ATLANTIC PETREL (Pterodroma incerta)
BLUE PETREL (Halobaena caerulea)
FAIRY PRION (Pachyptila turtur)
ANTARCTIC PRION (Pachyptila desolata)
SLENDER-BILLED PRION (Pachyptila belcheri)
GRAY PETREL (Procellaria cinerea)
WHITE-CHINNED PETREL (Procellaria aequinoctialis)
GREAT SHEARWATER (Ardenna gravis)
SOOTY SHEARWATER (Ardenna grisea)
From a photograph, it’s impossible to get an accurate feel for the size of these Wandering Albatrosses, here at their nest on Prion Island. The bill is nearly a foot long! The male (left) was actively adding mud and grass to the nest mound as the female incubated their single egg. Photo by guide Bret Whitney.
MANX SHEARWATER (Puffinus puffinus)
LITTLE SHEARWATER (SUBANTARCTIC) (Puffinus assimilis elegans)
COMMON DIVING-PETREL (Pelecanoides urinatrix)
SOUTH GEORGIA DIVING-PETREL (Pelecanoides georgicus)
MAGELLANIC DIVING-PETREL (Pelecanoides magellani)
Hydrobatidae (Storm-Petrels)
WILSON'S STORM-PETREL (Oceanites oceanicus)
GRAY-BACKED STORM-PETREL (Garrodia nereis)
BLACK-BELLIED STORM-PETREL (Fregetta tropica)
Phalacrocoracidae (Cormorants and Shags)
MAGELLANIC CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax magellanicus)
IMPERIAL CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax atriceps albiventer)
Ardeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns)
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON (Nycticorax nycticorax)
Cathartidae (New World Vultures)
TURKEY VULTURE (Cathartes aura)
Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)
VARIABLE HAWK (Geranoaetus polyosoma)
Rallidae (Rails, Gallinules, and Coots)
PLUMBEOUS RAIL (Pardirallus sanguinolentus)
At times, especially in the vicinity of South Georgia, there were thousands and thousands of handsome Antarctic Prions around the ship. Photo by guide Bret Whitney.
Chionidae (Sheathbills)
SNOWY SHEATHBILL (Chionis albus)
Haematopodidae (Oystercatchers)
MAGELLANIC OYSTERCATCHER (Haematopus leucopodus)
Scolopacidae (Sandpipers and Allies)
SOUTH AMERICAN SNIPE (MAGELLANIC) (Gallinago paraguaiae magellanica)
Stercorariidae (Skuas and Jaegers)
CHILEAN SKUA (Stercorarius chilensis)
SOUTH POLAR SKUA (Stercorarius maccormicki)
BROWN SKUA (FALKLAND) (Stercorarius antarcticus antarcticus)
PARASITIC JAEGER (Stercorarius parasiticus)
Laridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
BROWN-HOODED GULL (Chroicocephalus maculipennis)
DOLPHIN GULL (Leucophaeus scoresbii)
KELP GULL (Larus dominicanus)
ARCTIC TERN (Sterna paradisaea)
SOUTH AMERICAN TERN (Sterna hirundinacea)
ANTARCTIC TERN (Sterna vittata)
Falconidae (Falcons and Caracaras)
STRIATED CARACARA (Phalcoboenus australis)
These Adelie Penguins, flanked by several half-grown youngsters, were engaged in courtship and aggressive displays on a warm (46F), sunny day on remote Petermann Island, along the Antarctic Peninsula. Photo by guide Bret Whitney.
SOUTHERN CARACARA (Caracara plancus)
CHIMANGO CARACARA (Milvago chimango)
PEREGRINE FALCON (Falco peregrinus)
Rhinocryptidae (Tapaculos)
MAGELLANIC TAPACULO (Scytalopus magellanicus)
Furnariidae (Ovenbirds and Woodcreepers)
BUFF-WINGED CINCLODES (Cinclodes fuscus)
BLACKISH CINCLODES (Cinclodes antarcticus)
DARK-BELLIED CINCLODES (Cinclodes patagonicus)
THORN-TAILED RAYADITO (Aphrastura spinicauda)
Tyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers)
DARK-FACED GROUND-TYRANT (Muscisaxicola maclovianus)
Troglodytidae (Wrens)
COBB'S WREN (Troglodytes cobbi)
SEDGE WREN (AUSTRAL) (Cistothorus platensis hornensis)
Turdidae (Thrushes and Allies)
AUSTRAL THRUSH (Turdus falcklandii)
Motacillidae (Wagtails and Pipits)
SOUTH GEORGIA PIPIT (Anthus antarcticus)
Thraupidae (Tanagers and Allies)
WHITE-BRIDLED FINCH (Melanodera melanodera)
Icteridae (Troupials and Allies)
LONG-TAILED MEADOWLARK (Sturnella loyca)
Fringillidae (Finches, Euphonias, and Allies)
BLACK-CHINNED SISKIN (Spinus barbatus)
One afternoon along the Antarctic Peninsula, we spent a couple of hours being dwarfed by these colossal icebergs, which had probably calved off the Ross Iceshelf. Photo by guide Bret Whitney.
DUSKY DOLPHIN (Lagenorhynchus obscurus)
PEALE'S DOLPHIN (Lagenorhynchus australis)
HOURGLASS DOLPHIN (Lagenorhynchus cruciger)
SOUTHERN RIGHT WHALE DOLPHIN (Lissodelphis peronii)
ORCA (Orcinus orca)
SPERM WHALE (Physeter catodon)
SOUTHERN BOTTLENOSE WHALE (Hyperoodon planifrons)
ANTARCTIC MINKE WHALE (Balaenoptera bonaerensis)
FIN WHALE (Balaenoptera physalus)
HUMPBACK WHALE (Megaptera novaeangliae)
SOUTHERN SEA LION (Otaria byronia)
ANTARCTIC FUR SEAL (Arctocephalus gazella)
CRABEATER SEAL (Lobodon carcinophagus)
LEOPARD SEAL (Hydrurga leptonyx)
WEDDELL SEAL (Leptonychotes weddelli)
SOUTHERN ELEPHANT SEAL (Mirounga leonina)
Totals for the tour: 87 bird taxa and 16 mammal taxa