Terns

I've been trying for years to get a good photo of the terns. They fly pretty fast and are pretty feisty. They will poop on you if they are in the mood for it.  They love to pester the gulls and skuas. It looks like several pairs have taken up residence on a rock outcropping not far from the ponds were the gulls and skuas like to take their afternoon baths. The three species seem to antagonize each other endlessly (and loudly). 

I got a few lucky shots today, they are really sleek and dainty birds. 

If these birds are nesting that means they are Antarctic terns, not Arctic terns who make the 10000 mile commute every year to feast on the summer abundance in the southern ocean. The Arctic terns will also occasionally have a white spot on their foreheads depending on the time of year. This white spot means they are in their non breeding plumage. Below is a great photo a friend took that shows the difference between the two:

Humpback Breach

A humpback surprised us with a breach!

Big splash!

Looking back towards station from the water. William looms 10 miles away in the background. 
 

Out with the Birders

Cuddly elephant seals. 

Snotty loaf.

A young leopard seal came to visit and hauled it's self all the way to the top of the boat ramp.

I got to go out with the birders and help them with their work on my day off. All of these photos were taken under their permit, supervision, and also with a zoom lens. The point of taking photos is not to disturb the animal and hopefully to capture their natural personalities. 

This skua presiding over the largest colony in the area, waiting for someone to make a mistake. 

The chicks are already pretty big, and will be large enough to be left alone in the colonies soon.

Cozy poop covered rock for a nap.

Smaller colony with station in the background. 

Family portrait. Big feet.

Brand new, probably less than a day old Skua chick. 

Blue eyed cormorant taking off. 

The cormorant chicks grow very fast, and this was a very successful year for them. Many nests still have two or three chicks. The one with it's wings outstretched is a fledgling. 

Chicks, adults, juvenile. 

Sometimes chicks wander too close to another penguins pile of rocks and it gets yelled at. 

This one really likes that particular poo covered rock. 

Poo puddles from the recent rain. So smelly, so gross. 

An Adelie checking out his neighbors new rock.

This one's got a rock too. 

Skua chicks are the cutest, and also have the slimmest chance to fledge.

The giant petrel chicks are starting to hatch now as well. 

That egg is about to hatch! 

I love the giant petrel eyes. 

Very well fed, very happy Adelie chick. 

 

Tiny Worlds for New Years

New Years Eve and New Years Day were both work days, but we had great calm weather. We ended up staying up until midnight anyways. This is as dark as it gets around midnight. 

I got a new macro lens I've been trying out on tiny plants around station. 

Last years dried pearl wort flowers and this years flower buds on the right. 

Lichen.

Moss fruiting bodies.

More moss fruit.

Some Antarctic hair grass and a limpet shell. 

Penguin feather on moss. 

Orange lichen! 

 Fun panorama of the glacier. 

Glacier Calving

I got my camera out in time to capture this on video. The glacier was popping and cracking and telling us that something big was going to happen for at least a half hour before this happened. 

Marr Ice Piedmont Glacier Calving from Marissa Goerke on Vimeo.

Another Christmas on Ice

Another Christmas on ice!  The vessel finally left and we were able to have a nice meal with our new smaller population. 

I decorated one of the gingerbread houses.

And made two apple pies. Someone made a very impressive gingerbread igloo.

I made a sheathbill tree topper for the tree. I think it turned out pretty good. 

Since we just got here and are just settling in, we didn't do a gift exchange yet, we will do that in a couple months.