13 - 28 November 1999
by Tim Earl
Participants: Mike Stentiford, Anne and Winston Bull, Eddie Buxton, John Clarke, Pauline Chapman, Rosemary Edwards, Pauline Kelly, Derek Judge and Shirley Poignand, Roger and Margaret Long
Winchester Monday 13th November
All went to plan with the two groups meeting as we disembarked in Southampton, a good breakfast and taxis to Winchester. The Wykham Arms was terrific with an excellent lunch followed by a walk along the flooded meadows.
Our taxi to Brize Norton got lost and we
did not arrive until 7pm only to find that the flight was delayed until
1am. After a poor dinner we sat in the officers' lounge until departure.
| COMMON NAME | SCIENTIFIC NAME |
| Little Grebe | Tachybaptus ruficollis |
| Mute Swan | Cygnus olor |
| Mallard | Anas platyrhynchos |
| Common Moorhen | Gallinula chloropus |
| Eurasian Coot | Fulica atra |
| Northern Lapwing | Vanellus vanellus |
| Eurasian Golden-plover | Pluvialis apricaria |
| Herring Gull | Larus argentatus |
| Black-headed Gull | Larus ridibundus |
| Rock Dove | Columba livia |
| Common Wood-pigeon | Columba palumbus |
| Green Woodpecker | Picus viridis |
| White Wagtail | Motacilla alba |
| Winter Wren | Troglodytes troglodytes |
| Long-tailed Tit | Aegithalos caudatus |
| Great Tit | Parus major |
| Blue Tit | Cyanistes caeruleus |
| Eurasian Jay | Garrulus glandarius |
| Black-billed Magpie | Pica pica |
| Eurasian Jackdaw | Corvus monedula |
| Rook | Corvus frugilegus |
| Carrion Crow | Corvus corone |
| European Starling | Sturnus vulgaris |
| House Sparrow | Passer domesticus |
| Chaffinch | Fringilla coelebs |
| European Greenfinch | Carduelis chloris |
| European Goldfinch | Carduelis carduelis |
Ascension Island Tuesday 14th November
After an uneventful flight we arrived in Ascension Island at 10am.
Frigate birds were visible from the start but at a great distance. Views were better than previous trips as many of the buildings had been removed. Towards the end of the stay many birds were coming up - a few close enough for good views.
Pauline Chapman called two common waxbills and five common mynas were seen.
It was Tim's best stop in Ascension ever
- probably due to the later than normal arrival.
| COMMON NAME | SCIENTIFIC NAME |
| Ascension Island Frigatebird | Fregata aquila |
| Common Myna | Acridotheres tristis |
| Common Waxbill | Estrilda astrild |
Darwin - Tuesday 14 and Wednesday 15 November
Darwin proved to be a wonderful place to start the tour. Gone is the long journey into Stanley and a wasted day. As other groups were getting up, we had a lie-in; as they set off for the Camp, we wandered the settlement watching excellent birds, many for the first time.
Ken and Bonnie Greenland were terrific hosts serving superb meals in great quantities. Highlights were oysters from the creek, roast lamb, and a vast fruit pavlova. Darwin is a beautiful settlement with good but basic accommodation, especially in the cottages which are pure early 20th century.
We added an extra trip to the itinerary
and went by boat to the Brody Creek suspension bridge. This added our first
Magellanic penguins, brown-hooded gull, fur-seal and Commerson's dolphin
to the list.
| COMMON NAME | SCIENTIFIC NAME |
| Magellanic Penguin | Spheniscus magellanicus |
| Antarctic Giant Petrel | Macronectes giganteus |
| Rock Shag | Phalacrocorax magellanicus |
| Imperial Shag | Phalacrocorax atriceps |
| Black-crowned Night-heron | Nycticorax nycticorax |
| Black-necked Swan | Cygnus melanocorypha |
| Upland Goose | Chloephaga picta |
| Kelp Goose | Chloephaga hybrida |
| Ruddy-headed Goose | Chloephaga rubidiceps |
| Falkland Steamerduck | Tachyeres brachypterus |
| Speckled Teal | Anas flavirostris |
| Crested Duck | Anas specularioides |
| Turkey Vulture | Cathartes aura |
| Variable Hawk | Buteo polyosoma |
| Magellanic Oystercatcher | Haematopus leucopodus |
| Blackish Oystercatcher | Haematopus ater |
| Two-banded Plover | Charadrius falklandicus |
| Rufous-chested Dotterel | Charadrius modestus |
| South American Snipe | Gallinago paraguaiae |
| White-rumped Sandpiper | Calidris fuscicollis |
| Snowy Sheathbill | Chionis alba |
| South Polar Skua | Catharacta maccormicki |
| Dolphin Gull | Larus scoresbii |
| Kelp Gull | Larus dominicanus |
| Brown-hooded Gull | Larus maculipennis |
| South American Tern | Sterna hirundinacea |
| Dark-faced Ground-tyrant | Muscisaxicola macloviana |
| Correndera Pipit | Anthus correndera |
| Austral Thrush | Turdus falklandii |
| Common Myna | Acridotheres tristis |
| House Sparrow | Passer domesticus |
| Black-throated Finch | Poephila cincta |
| Black-chinned Siskin | Carduelis barbata |
| Long-tailed Meadowlark | Sturnella loyca |
Port Howard
What an exciting start to the day… it was Margaret Long's birthday so we celebrated with Buck's Fizz before splitting up to go our separate ways - Pebble Island (Mike) and Port Howard (Tim).
As we left Darwin Lodge the phone rang. The Governor Mr Donald Lamond invited us for afternoon tea on 28th November.
We arrived at Port Howard to be met by Graham.
Roger, Margaret and Anne Bull were put on a Zodiac as the first wave of
people to be dropped on Narrows Island for the day.
After leaving them on the island, Graham set off through the kelp (the party were already looking at plants some distance away). His prop snagged, the pin sheared and as he went into reverse the screw dropped to the bottom. Graham was left drifting in an off-shore wind.
He had left the short-wave radio with the picnic on the island and was forced to start rowing. After some time Roger noticed his plight and eventually helped him ashore, with the shipwrecked craft, some 400 yards away. They started using the radio to summon help but nobody heard them.
Meanwhile, after a wait of 30minutes, Tim raised the alarm and we finally contacted Graham. A former RNLI lifeboat was launched and the party rescued.
We had organised a cake for Margaret which was eaten after our return from Mt Maria in the late afternoon - she said it would be a birthday to remember.
On Saturday we drove out almost to Fox Bay stopping at many spots along the way until reaching two large ponds where we watched our first black-necked swans, flying steamerducks, silver teal, chiloe wigeon, yellow-billed pintail and white-tufted grebes.
Mike's group arrived some days later but a replacement
prop had not been found and the group were thus forced to do two land trips
- to Fox Bay one day, stopping at the ponds and a gentoo colony, and Port
Henry. Birds were few but the group saw life in the islands including a
visit to a miniature pony farm and sheep shearing.
| COMMON NAME | SCIENTIFIC NAME |
| Gentoo Penguin | Pygoscelis papua |
| Magellanic Penguin | Spheniscus magellanicus |
| White-tufted Grebe | Rollandia rolland |
| Antarctic Giant Petrel | Macronectes giganteus |
| Rock Shag | Phalacrocorax magellanicus |
| Black-crowned Night-heron | Nycticorax nycticorax |
| Black-necked Swan | Cygnus melanocorypha |
| Upland Goose | Chloephaga picta |
| Kelp Goose | Chloephaga hybrida |
| Ruddy-headed Goose | Chloephaga rubidiceps |
| Falkland Steamerduck | Tachyeres brachypterus |
| Flying Steamerduck | Tachyeres patachonicus |
| Chiloe Wigeon | Anas sibilatrix |
| Speckled Teal | Anas flavirostris |
| Mallard | Anas platyrhynchos |
| Yellow-billed Pintail | Anas georgica |
| Silver Teal | Anas versicolor |
| Turkey Vulture | Cathartes aura |
| Variable Hawk | Buteo polyosoma |
| Crested Caracara | Caracara plancus |
| Magellanic Oystercatcher | Haematopus leucopodus |
| Blackish Oystercatcher | Haematopus ater |
| Two-banded Plover | Charadrius falklandicus |
| Rufous-chested Dotterel | Charadrius modestus |
| South American Snipe | Gallinago paraguaiae |
| Brown Skua | Catharacta antarctica |
| Dolphin Gull | Larus scoresbii |
| Kelp Gull | Larus dominicanus |
| South American Tern | Sterna hirundinacea |
| Rock Dove | Columba livia |
| Dark-faced Ground-tyrant | Muscisaxicola macloviana |
| Correndera Pipit | Anthus correndera |
| Austral Thrush | Turdus falcklandii |
| House Sparrow | Passer domesticus |
| Black-throated Finch | Poephila cincta |
| Black-chinned Siskin | Carduelis barbata |
| Long-tailed Meadowlark | Sturnella loyca |
Sea Lion Island Saturday 18th, Sunday 19th and Monday 20th November
We had a wonderful 'non-boat pelagic' on Saturday when a pod of Orcas killed twice in an hour 200m off Elephant Beach. A flock of 40 southern giant petrels came in immediately, accompanied by kelp gulls. They were joined by three Cape petrels, three southern fulmars and a couple of black-browed albatrosses.
All the while the Orcas' fins (probably a male and female which had separated from the pod of 5f + 2m minimum) were slicing through the action. We do not know what the prey was but between the two kills an elephant seal's back broke the surface.
The Orcas had been seen for a couple of days by a previous group (we arrived two hours before this event) and their presence may have explained why a Cape petrel shot in front of the landrover as we were driving down from the airstrip. There was a stiff 30 knot wind blowing and Tim assumed it was temporarily lost. However, it was heading straight for the area where the Orcas were to kill later.
The same thing happened on Sunday except that the petrels and fulmars were absent. A seawatch later produced four Cape petrels, a southern fulmar and three sooty shearwaters.
Early risers for a pre-breakfast walk on Monday were rewarded with great views of sedge wren, drumming snipe overhead and a late-to-bed short-eared owl found by John Clarke. It gets light at 3.30am (dark at 10pm) so this chap was really 'hanging one on' into the late hours.
A walk around the island produced further sightings of nine Cape petrels, six brown-hooded gulls, sooty shearwaters and our first white-chinned petrels. The Cape petrels were close inshore feeding off the remains of a beaching of pilot whales about three weeks earlier. This explains the previous sightings of this normally pelagic species.
White-rumped sandpipers on the runway were searched carefully with the reward of one Baird's sandpiper among them. It is amazing to think that these birds had come from the northernmost parts of arctic Canada and probably never seen humans before us.
Lunch at a rockhopper penguin colony was followed by an interesting tramp back to the lodge on which we sorted the differences between Cobb's and sedge wrens.
A pod of Orcas (one male, four females and two youngsters) was seen briefly in the late afternoon.
A report on Tuesday from Winston Bull of a great egret he saw two days earlier had us scurrying to the sea lion cliffs. We did not find the bird but were rewarded with views of a female peregrine of the race Cassin.
The group split again with Mike off to
Port Howard and Tim to Carcass Island.
| COMMON NAME | SCIENTIFIC NAME |
| Gentoo Penguin | Pygoscelis papua |
| Rockhopper Penguin | Eudyptes chrysocome |
| Magellanic Penguin | Spheniscus magellanicus |
| Silvery Grebe | Podiceps occipitalis |
| Black-browed Albatross | Thalassarche melanophris |
| Antarctic Giant Petrel | Macronectes giganteus |
| Southern Fulmar | Fulmarus glacialoides |
| Cape Petrel | Daption capense |
| White-chinned Petrel | Procellaria aequinoctialis |
| Sooty Shearwater | Puffinus griseus |
| Rock Shag | Phalacrocorax magellanicus |
| Imperial Shag | Phalacrocorax atriceps |
| Black-crowned Night-heron | Nycticorax nycticorax |
| Upland Goose | Chloephaga picta |
| Kelp Goose | Chloephaga hybrida |
| Ruddy-headed Goose | Chloephaga rubidiceps |
| Falkland Steamerduck | Tachyeres brachypterus |
| Chiloe Wigeon | Anas sibilatrix |
| Speckled Teal | Anas flavirostris |
| Crested Duck | Anas specularioides |
| Silver Teal | Anas versicolor |
| Turkey Vulture | Cathartes aura |
| Striated Caracara | Phalcoboenus australis |
| Peregrine Falcon | Falco peregrinus |
| Magellanic Oystercatcher | Haematopus leucopodus |
| Blackish Oystercatcher | Haematopus ater |
| Two-banded Plover | Charadrius falklandicus |
| Rufous-chested Dotterel | Charadrius modestus |
| South American Snipe | Gallinago paraguaiae |
| White-rumped Sandpiper | Calidris fuscicollis |
| Baird's Sandpiper | Calidris bairdii |
| Snowy Sheathbill | Chionis alba |
| Brown Skua | Catharacta antarctica |
| Dolphin Gull | Larus scoresbii |
| Kelp Gull | Larus dominicanus |
| Brown-hooded Gull | Larus maculipennis |
| South American Tern | Sterna hirundinacea |
| Common Tern | Sterna hirundo |
| Short-eared Owl | Asio flammeus |
| Blackish Cinclodes | Cinclodes antarcticus |
| Dark-faced Ground-tyrant | Muscisaxicola macloviana |
| Correndera Pipit | Anthus correndera |
| Cobb's Wren | Troglodytes cobbi |
| Sedge Wren | Cistothorus platensis |
| Austral Thrush | Turdus falcklandii |
| Black-chinned Siskin | Carduelis barbata |
| Canary-winged Finch | Melanodera melanodera |
Carcass Island
We arrived on Carcass in bright sunshine and after our first sample of 'Auntie's' cooking set off in two Rovers to a gentoo colony overlooking the settlement. We walked back the two miles and enjoyed a wonderful supper.
Accommodation is simple, basic and clean in former shepherds' cottages.
Our second day on this wonderful island was spent in the north looking for elephant seals - without luck for Tim's group but success for Mike - shorebirds and seabirds. Some group members spent the day walking back to the settlement, enjoying the sunshine and spectacular views.
No Baird's sandpipers were found, despite checking more than 50 white-rumped, but Tim's group were rewarded with a whimbrel, an uncommon bird in the Falklands.
Seawatching was superb with hundreds of black-browed albatrosses passing by in the strong wind. They were accompanied by lots of sooty shearwaters and a few white-chinned petrels. The highlights were a further Cape petrel and three common diving-petrels.
The warm hospitality of Rob McGill continued with a horse-ride for Shirley and Derek. It was a super stay.
Mike's group arrived at Carcass for the last Camp stop of their tour. Mike found a short-eared owl, our second of the trip,
They were delayed for an extra day's stay
when a storm blew up. A bimble in the afternoon was 'terrific in the strongest
wind we have ever walked against,' Mike recorded in his notes. The group
found two camel crickets under a dolphin skull outside the top cottage.
| COMMON NAME | SCIENTIFIC NAME |
| Gentoo Penguin | Pygoscelis papua |
| Magellanic Penguin | Spheniscus magellanicus |
| Silvery Grebe | Podiceps occipitalis |
| Black-browed Albatross | Thalassarche melanophris |
| Antarctic Giant Petrel | Macronectes giganteus |
| Cape Petrel | Daption capense |
| White-chinned Petrel | Procellaria aequinoctialis |
| Sooty Shearwater | Puffinus griseus |
| Common Diving-petrel | Pelecanoides urinatrix |
| Rock Shag | Phalacrocorax magellanicus |
| Imperial Shag | Phalacrocorax atriceps |
| Black-crowned Night-heron | Nycticorax nycticorax |
| Upland Goose | Chloephaga picta |
| Kelp Goose | Chloephaga hybrida |
| Ruddy-headed Goose | Chloephaga rubidiceps |
| Falkland Steamerduck | Tachyeres brachypterus |
| Chiloe Wigeon | Anas sibilatrix |
| Speckled Teal | Anas flavirostris |
| Crested Duck | Anas specularioides |
| Turkey Vulture | Cathartes aura |
| Variable Hawk | Buteo polyosoma |
| Striated Caracara | Phalcoboenus australis |
| Magellanic Oystercatcher | Haematopus leucopodus |
| Blackish Oystercatcher | Haematopus ater |
| Two-banded Plover | Charadrius falklandicus |
| Rufous-chested Dotterel | Charadrius modestus |
| South American Snipe | Gallinago paraguaiae |
| Whimbrel | Numenius phaeopus |
| White-rumped Sandpiper | Calidris fuscicollis |
| Snowy Sheathbill | Chionis alba |
| Brown Skua | Catharacta antarctica |
| Dolphin Gull | Larus scoresbii |
| Kelp Gull | Larus dominicanus |
| South American Tern | Sterna hirundinacea |
| Blackish Cinclodes | Cinclodes antarcticus |
| Dark-faced Ground-tyrant | Muscisaxicola macloviana |
| Correndera Pipit | Anthus correndera |
| Cobb's Wren | Troglodytes cobbi |
| Austral Thrush | Turdus falcklandii |
| Black-chinned Siskin | Carduelis barbata |
| Canary-winged Finch | Melanodera melanodera |
| Long-tailed Meadowlark | Sturnella loyca |
Pebble Island
The introduction to Pebble Island for both groups was a cross-country drive to see coscoroba swans. A brief view of barn swallow delayed Tim's group, but we were soon at Betts Pond where the two extraordinary swans, with six cygnets, were enjoyed by everyone.
They were accompanied by flying steamerducks and about eight black-necked swans.
An hour later we were at Tamar Point to search through a rockhopper penguin colony looking for the distinctive sight of orange macaroni penguin plumes. The bird was located by James McGhie to the delight of all the penguin fanatics, of which there were many.
A slumbering sea lion was found at the base of cliffs and in the excitement a peregrine was disturbed from its nest. Perhaps the best views so far were obtained of king cormorant as many pairs engaged in the enchanting neck-twisting display.
A long drive out to the north of the island resulted in many great bird sightings including erect-crested penguin and king penguin for Mike's group and a royal/macaroni penguin hybrid for both groups.
The lunch stop at Green Rinco saw both groups enjoying visiting birds - Tim's saw a juvenile red-backed hawk and several white-rumped sandpipers, while Mike's had Chilian swallows swooping around them. They had six penguin species in a day - a record perhaps, and the most memorable birthday for Pauline Kelly who helped the party with champagne brought out from the UK.
Tim drove the second Rover for his group
without getting 'bogged' thus saving James the £3 advert he had planned
to put in the Penguin News.
| COMMON NAME | SCIENTIFIC NAME |
| King Penguin | Aptenodytes patagonicus |
| Gentoo Penguin | Pygoscelis papua |
| Erect-crested Penguin | Eudyptes sclateri |
| Rockhopper Penguin | Eudyptes chrysocome |
| Macaroni Penguin | Eudyptes chrysolophus |
| Magellanic Penguin | Spheniscus magellanicus |
| White-tufted Grebe | Rollandia rolland |
| Black-browed Albatross | Thalassarche melanophris |
| Antarctic Giant Petrel | Macronectes giganteus |
| Rock Shag | Phalacrocorax magellanicus |
| Imperial Shag | Phalacrocorax atriceps |
| Black-necked Swan | Cygnus melanocorypha |
| Coscoroba Swan | Coscoroba coscoroba |
| Upland Goose | Chloephaga picta |
| Kelp Goose | Chloephaga hybrida |
| Ruddy-headed Goose | Chloephaga rubidiceps |
| Falkland Steamerduck | Tachyeres brachypterus |
| Flying Steamerduck | Tachyeres patachonicus |
| Chiloe Wigeon | Anas sibilatrix |
| Speckled Teal | Anas flavirostris |
| Crested Duck | Anas specularioides |
| Yellow-billed Pintail | Anas georgica |
| Silver Teal | Anas versicolor |
| Turkey Vulture | Cathartes aura |
| Variable Hawk | Buteo polyosoma |
| Striated Caracara | Phalcoboenus australis |
| Crested Caracara | Caracara plancus |
| Peregrine Falcon | Falco peregrinus |
| Magellanic Oystercatcher | Haematopus leucopodus |
| Blackish Oystercatcher | Haematopus ater |
| Two-banded Plover | Charadrius falklandicus |
| Rufous-chested Dotterel | Charadrius modestus |
| South American Snipe | Gallinago paraguaiae |
| White-rumped Sandpiper | Calidris fuscicollis |
| Snowy Sheathbill | Chionis alba |
| Brown Skua | Catharacta antarctica |
| Dolphin Gull | Larus scoresbii |
| Kelp Gull | Larus dominicanus |
| Brown-hooded Gull | Larus maculipennis |
| South American Tern | Sterna hirundinacea |
| Common Tern | Sterna hirundo |
| Dark-faced Ground-tyrant | Muscisaxicola macloviana |
| Barn Swallow | Hirundo rustica |
| Chilean Swallow | Tachycineta meyeni |
| Correndera Pipit | Anthus correndera |
| Austral Thrush | Turdus falcklandii |
| Black-chinned Siskin | Carduelis barbata |
| Canary-winged Finch | Melanodera melanodera |
| Long-tailed Meadowlark | Sturnella loyca |
Saunders Island
This was a major highlight of the trip with visits to the albatross colony and The Neck. The colony was simply superb with a stiff wind allowing the birds to cruise past within inches of us. The albatrosses were on eggs but we saw no chicks.
In Tim's group, Pauline and the leader wandered off to a nearby rockhopper colony but could find no macaroni penguins. Two sea lions were patrolling the base of the cliffs trying to intercept and eat penguins as they came in.
Big rafts of king cormorants formed off the cliffs and disappeared as they performed synchronised diving for fish.
The Neck was superb with more than 6,000 gentoo penguins scattered across the plain in about 10 colonies. Highlight for the groups were 16 king penguins, one of which found us worth a close examination coming right up to and posing for photographers in the group. There were three young birds in their whooly 'teddy-bear'overcoats.
Up on the cliffs above the area we visited big mixed colonies of rockhoppers, king cormorants and black-browed albatrosses living in apparent harmony, accompanied by snowy sheathbills, striated caracaras, skuas and turkey vultures all looking for a chance of a meal.
From Tim's group Shirley and Derek spent the morning filming king cormorants ripping the diddle-dee beds to shreds as they collected nesting material before flying back to their nest sites with it.
Mike's group watched a raft of 100 gentoo penguins imitating dolphins as they swam at speed through the clear water, coming together occasisionally to dive, popping up spread out. This could have been a communal feeding technique.
Tim's group were stranded by the storm, spending an extra night on the island. Suzan Pole-Evans put a vast rib of beef in the oven to cook as the group split into two Rovers - one to search for maidenhar fern with David Pole-Evans, the other visiting a tussock patch opposite the Neck.
Another whimbrel was found sheltering with
about 15 magellanic oystercatchers.
| COMMON NAME | SCIENTIFIC NAME |
| King Penguin | Aptenodytes patagonicus |
| Gentoo Penguin | Pygoscelis papua |
| Rockhopper Penguin | Eudyptes chrysocome |
| Magellanic Penguin | Spheniscus magellanicus |
| White-tufted Grebe | Rollandia rolland |
| Black-browed Albatross | Thalassarche melanophris |
| Antarctic Giant Petrel | Macronectes giganteus |
| Cape Petrel | Daption capense |
| Rock Shag | Phalacrocorax magellanicus |
| Imperial Shag | Phalacrocorax atriceps |
| Black-crowned Night-heron | Nycticorax nycticorax |
| Black-necked Swan | Cygnus melanocorypha |
| Upland Goose | Chloephaga picta |
| Kelp Goose | Chloephaga hybrida |
| Ruddy-headed Goose | Chloephaga rubidiceps |
| Falkland Steamerduck | Tachyeres brachypterus |
| Chiloe Wigeon | Anas sibilatrix |
| Speckled Teal | Anas flavirostris |
| Crested Duck | Anas specularioides |
| Turkey Vulture | Cathartes aura |
| Variable Hawk | Buteo polyosoma |
| Striated Caracara | Phalcoboenus australis |
| Crested Caracara | Caracara plancus |
| Peregrine Falcon | Falco peregrinus |
| Magellanic Oystercatcher | Haematopus leucopodus |
| Blackish Oystercatcher | Haematopus ater |
| Two-banded Plover | Charadrius falklandicus |
| Rufous-chested Dotterel | Charadrius modestus |
| Whimbrel | Numenius phaeopus |
| White-rumped Sandpiper | Calidris fuscicollis |
| Snowy Sheathbill | Chionis alba |
| Brown Skua | Catharacta antarctica |
| Dolphin Gull | Larus scoresbii |
| Kelp Gull | Larus dominicanus |
| Brown-hooded Gull | Larus maculipennis |
| South American Tern | Sterna hirundinacea |
| Dark-faced Ground-tyrant | Muscisaxicola macloviana |
| Correndera Pipit | Anthus correndera |
| Austral Thrush | Turdus falcklandii |
| Black-chinned Siskin | Carduelis barbata |
| Canary-winged Finch | Melanodera melanodera |
| Long-tailed Meadowlark | Sturnella loyca |
Port Stanley Tuesday 28th November
We were all delayed arriving in Stanley by at least 24 hours - Mike's group did not get in until 4.15pm after going back to Hill Cove where they collected a chap who had broken his right arm.
They came straight to Government House to join the others for tea and cucumber sandwiches, scones, biscuits and chocolate cake. A pleasant hour was spent with Mr and Mrs Lamont. Letters of greeting were presented from the Bailiffs of Guernsey and Jersey.
After a bit of shopping and a few bird ticks (house sparrow for the first time since Darwin) we hosted Mr and Mrs Lamont for a final celebratory dinner of pure Falklands fare: fish, rib of beef, rhubarb fool, coffee and after-dinner drinks.
Our journey to Mount Pleasant was highlighted
with final views of upland and ruddy-headed geese, white-tufted grebe,
speckled teal and Correndera pipit before bording the flight home.
| COMMON NAME | SCIENTIFIC NAME |
| Gentoo Penguin | Pygoscelis papua |
| White-tufted Grebe | Rollandia rolland |
| Rock Shag | Phalacrocorax magellanicus |
| Black-crowned Night-heron | Nycticorax nycticorax |
| Upland Goose | Chloephaga picta |
| Kelp Goose | Chloephaga hybrida |
| Ruddy-headed Goose | Chloephaga rubidiceps |
| Falkland Steamerduck | Tachyeres brachypterus |
| Crested Duck | Anas specularioides |
| Speckled Teal | Anas flavirostris |
| Turkey Vulture | Cathartes aura |
| Magellanic Oystercatcher | Haematopus leucopodus |
| Dolphin Gull | Larus scoresbii |
| Kelp Gull | Larus dominicanus |
| South American Tern | Sterna hirundinacea |
| Correndera Pipit | Anthus correndera |
| Austral Thrush | Turdus falcklandii |
| House Sparrow | Passer domesticus |
| Black-chinned Siskin | Carduelis barbata |
| Long-tailed Meadowlark | Sturnella loyca |
FULL TOUR LIST
BIRDS
| King Penguin | Pebble one, Saunders 17 |
| Gentoo Penguin | Colonies on Sea Lion, Pebble, Carcass, Saunders (6,000 pairs) Fox Bay and Stanley |
| Erect-crested Penguin | Pebble, one in Rockhopper colony |
| Rockhopper Penguin | Colonies at Sea Lion, Pebble, Saunders |
| Macaroni Penguin | Singles at Tamar Point and North Pebble, One royal/macaroni hybrid, n. Pebble |
| Magellanic Penguin | Widespread: one at Darwin (from the boat) And every other site except Stanley. |
| Little Grebe | Several on the River Itchen, Winchester |
| White-tufted Grebe | Found on most 'ducky' ponds |
| Silvery Grebe | Sea Lion and Carcass |
| Black-browed Albatross | At sea on most islands, big colonies on Saunders Island |
| Antarctic Giant Petrel | Breeding colonies Sea Lion and Pebble. Elsewhere abundant. |
| Southern Fulmar | Sea Lion - three birds at Orca kills, one sea-watching |
| Cape Petrel | Sea Lion - three birds at Orca kills, various other sightings of nine other birds, one fly-past Carcass |
| Slender-billed Prion | One in gale, Carcass |
| White-chinned Petrel | Max three birds Carcass, singles Sea Lion and Pebble |
| Sooty Shearwater | Sea Lion 10+, Carcass 40+ seawatches |
| Common Diving-petrel | Carcass, three seawatching |
| Rock Shag | Common, all sites |
| Imperial Shag | Common all sites |
| Ascension Island Frigatebird | Distant views max 50, five closer, Ascension Island |
| Great Egret | One reported WB Sea Lion |
| Black-crowned Night-heron | Small numbers most sites, 44+ Carcass |
| Mute Swan | Several Winchester |
| Black-necked Swan | Three plus four cygnets near Fox Bay, 15+ Pebble, two Saunders |
| Coscoroba Swan | Pair plus six cygnets Pebble |
| Canada Goose | Several Winchester |
| Upland Goose | Abundant everywhere, 500+ in moult, Carcass |
| Kelp Goose | Common all sites |
| Ruddy-headed Goose | Common all sites |
| Falkland Steamerduck | Common all sites |
| Flying Steamerduck | Two on pond close to Little Chartres, Max eight Pebble |
| Chiloe Wigeon | Small numbers most sites |
| Speckled Teal | Common all sites |
| Mallard | Common River Itchen |
| Crested Duck | Common all sites |
| Yellow-billed Pintail | Six on ponds close to Fox Bay, 20+ Pebble |
| Silver Teal | Small numbers most sites, max six Pebble |
| Turkey Vulture | Common all sites, small numbers |
| Variable (Red-backed) Hawk | Common, Port Howard, two pairs Carcass; two pairs plus one chick Pebble; three pairs plus three chicks Saunders |
| Striated Caracara | Small numbers most islands |
| Crested Caracara | Port Howard 15+, Pebble 2, Saunders 4 |
| Peregrine Falcon | Singles Sea Lion, Pebble, Saunders |
| Water Rail | River Itchen, Winchester, one calling |
| Common Moorhen | River Itchen, Winchester, several |
| Eurasian Coot | River Itchen, Winchester, several |
| Magellanic Oystercatcher | Common all sites |
| Blackish Oystercatcher | Common all sites |
| Northern Lapwing | Eastleigh near airport, 100+ |
| Eurasian Golden-plover | Eastleigh near airport, 100+ |
| Two-banded Plover | Common all sites |
| Rufous-chested Dotterel | Common all sites |
| South American Snipe | Common all sites |
| Whimbrel | Singles Carcass and Saunders |
| White-rumped Sandpiper | Good numbers all sites |
| Baird's Sandpiper | Sea lion, one in white-rumped flock |
| Snowy Sheathbill | Common all sites |
| Brown (Antarctic) Skua | Common all sites |
| Dolphin Gull | Common all sites, nesting Saunders |
| Kelp Gull | Common all sites |
| Herring Gull | Winchester |
| Brown-hooded Gull | Singles all sites to Pebble 20+ |
| Black-headed Gull | Common Southampton to Winchester |
| South American Tern | Common all sites |
| Common Tern | Sea Lion three, Pebble two |
| Rock Dove | Port Howard, flock of domestic pigeons |
| Common Wood-pigeon | Common Southampton to Winchester |
| Short-eared Owl | Singles Sea Lion and Carcass |
| Green Woodpecker | One heard Winchester flood meadows |
| Blackish Cinclodes | Common Sea Lion and Carcass |
| Dark-faced Ground-tyrant | Common all sites |
| Chilean Swallow | Single Pebble |
| Barn Swallow | Single Pebble |
| White Wagtail | A few Winchester water meadows |
| Correndera Pipit | A few all sites |
| Winter Wren | A few Winchester |
| Cobb's Wren | Common Sea Lion, Carcass and Pebble |
| Sedge Wren | Sea Lion maximum 10 in tussock |
| Eurasian Blackbird | Common Winchester |
| Song Thrush | A few Winchester |
| Mistle Thrush | Three Winchester |
| Austral Thrush | Common all sites |
| European Robin | Common Winchester |
| Long-tailed Tit | Party of five, Winchester water meadows |
| Eurasian Jay | Several Winchester |
| Black-billed Magpie | Common Winchester |
| Eurasian Jackdaw | Abundant Winchester |
| Rook | Common Southampton to Winchester |
| Carrion Crow | Common Southampton to Winchester |
| Common Myna | Three Ascension |
| House Sparrow | Common Winchester, Sea Lion, Pebble and Port Stanley |
| Common Waxbill | Two Ascension |
| Chaffinch | Common Winchester |
| European Greenfinch | Common Winchester |
| Black-chinned Siskin | Common all sites |
| European Goldfinch | Common Winchester |
| Canary-winged (Black-throated) Finch | A few all sites |
| Long-tailed Meadowlark | Common all sites except Sea Lion |
MAMMALS
| European Brown Hare | Darwin several |
| European Rabbit | Darwin two, Saunders one |
| Feral Cat | Singles near Fox Bay, Carcass and Saunders |
| Orca (Killer Whale) | Two males, five females, two juveniles Sea Lion Island |
| Peale's Porpoise | Two Carcass |
| Commerson's Dolphin | Minimum one Darwin, 2+ Port Howard |
| Southern Sea Lion | Minimum two males and three females Sea Lion Island |
| Falkland Islands Fur Seal | Two in the sea off Darwin |
| Southern Elephant Seal | 120+ Sea Lion Island - the prey of Orcas on three occasions off Elephant Beach, 3+ Carcass |