Penguin Adventure – Falkland Islands – Part II Saunders Island – The Rookery

Penguin Adventure – Falkland Islands – Part II
Saunders Island – The Rookery

In Part I of my Falkland Islands blog, I described my journey there in search of the opportunity to see and photograph penguins.

I traveled with a group of three friends and our first stop was Saunders Island, the only island we visited with accommodations at two locations. Our first stop on Saunders Island we spent two and a half days at The Neck in a place we called “Motel 6”. After our final day at the Neck, we upgraded our living quarters and were chauffeured by the driver, James, about a 30 minute drive to what is known as “The Rookery,” a small, charming cabin that could comfortably accommodate four people which had two bedrooms with a pair of beds in each and a common area, small kitchen, and bathroom. During our group’s 3-day stay at the Rookery, we only encountered a lone couple one afternoon and otherwise had the entire area to ourselves. On our second day there, it hit me that this was the most remote location I had ever visited. There was no cell service, no internet, no crowds, I never saw an airplane and only one passing cruise ship. It was just me, my three friends, and thousands of nesting birds only about a 25-minute walk away. I was thrilled to be there, far from civilization and close to one of the most isolated, wild avian habitats photographers can access.

Upon arriving at the Rookery cabin, James had given us directions to where we could see and photograph the Rockhopper rookery. Having never been there before, I did my best to follow his instructions, but after walking 20-minutes I started to wonder if I had somehow missed the exact location. I was further discouraged by the 30+ MPH winds hitting my face as I continued my search. However, I pushed on and after climbing the crest of a hill, I looked below and saw my reward. It was a sight to see, with several hundred nesting Southern Rockhopper Penguins mixed in with Imperial Cormorants.

My next goal was to find the famed “Penguin Shower,” a place where Rockhopper Penguins returning from the ocean in route to the rookery stop under dripping cascades of freshwater to drink and bathe. With the verbal notes and tips I had received from James and my friend Mike Milicia, (BTW check out Mike’s web site) I had put together a list of possible locations, all of which turned out to be incorrect. But even while searching, I came across several great spots to see Black-browed Albatross as well as stunning views of the island and surrounding ocean. Eventually, I found the “Penguin Shower” by walking down the side of a cliff with a 100-foot drop to the ocean below, being careful to follow a very exact path to access the location to view the Shower. Once I was finally in a good position to view and capture it, I immediately understood how special it was both as a photography opportunity and a natural phenomenon. Black-Browed Albatrosses were nesting all over the area and flew directly off the cliff face, where rivulets of water fell like steady rain to rinse the saltwater off the Rockhopper Penguins waiting below. They would not stay long, maybe a few minutes and not every penguin engaged with the falling water, though many did and would sometimes jockey for position or nudge one another out of the way to get their turn under the shower.

On one side, penguins walked up the hill towards the rookery while a steady stream of penguins were departing in the opposite direction within a few feet of me. For the most part, these birds pay no attention to human visitors and go about their business, offering a rare opportunity to capture interesting photos without disrupting their routine. A short video of this extraordinary behavior by Rockhopper Penguins is on my YouTube channel.

Saunders Island was the only location we visited that had nesting Black-browed Albatross, many of which were concentrated in the area near the rookery. This was the first albatross species I had seen, so, I wanted to capture as many photos and videos as possible. On the second and third days staying at the Rookery cabin, I made a point to locate an isolated Black-browed Albatross nest. My goal on those two days was to sit for two hours each afternoon when the sun was at my back with good afternoon light.

While the Southern Rockhopper Penguins and Black-browed Albatrosses were the highlights at the Rookery, there were other birds in the area but in smaller numbers, such as Imperial Cormorants and Brown Skuas, which we encountered at other locations during this trip. We were also treated to the sight of the Long-tailed Meadowlark. This is a stunning bird with a bright red-orange breast. Thankfully, I was able to capture some particularly good photos of a male on the walk from the cabin to the rookery. It was breeding season and the males seemed to spend a lot of time looking to “Tee up” to as much height as possible to sing their mating call. These islands are devoid of trees, so they were never more than three feet off the ground unless they found a fence post.

In Part III we will fly from Saunders Island to Sea Lion Island for even more great photos and videos on what was a fantastic photo adventure. Also Check out my YouTube channel Exploring The Natural World for some of my penguin videos.