An unforgettable day of landings on the Falkland Islands. We began early in the morning for our first landing at Carcass Island. The weather was overcast, slightly windy – a brisk day! We landed on a jetty – a dry landing! Carcass Island was a birders’ paradise. Everyone was amazed at the great variety of species, including Magellanic penguins, plump upland geese, striated cara caras , crested ducks, voracious skuas, and steamer ducks, to name just a few. Many of the birds had babies or were sitting on eggs.
Several hours later, after lunch, we arrived at our second landing, New Island. We were welcomed by the few inhabitants and a small gift shop. The highlight was the large rockhopper penguin rookery alongside black browed albatross on their nests overlooking a dramatic seascape. Slight rain did not dampen our enthusiasm for this magical day on the Falklands.
PS - We were indeed listening to Weather Report's wonderful Birdland whilst blogging tonight!
