[Leica] Falkland Islands

[Jim Nichols]

The Blue-Eyed Shag is a beautiful bird!

Jim Nichols
Tullahoma, TN USA

On 12/18/2019 7:36 PM, Douglas Barry wrote:
> That's an excellent shot of the Imperial Shag (great name that) and 
> while I know little about birds its orange beak bulge does seem oddly 
> unstreamlined considering it breaks the water from a height with its 
> head. I also like the penguins ganging up on the skua, but the 
> albatross is magnificent. A fruitful trip, Jayanand.
>
> Douglas
>
>
> On 18/12/2019 15:02, Jayanand Govindaraj via LUG wrote:
>> The second and final bunch of photographs from the Falkland Islands,
>> featuring all the birds that were the supporting act, for me, at 
>> least, to
>> the charming Gentoo Penguins!
>>
>> We start with the Blue-eyed or Imperial Shag:
>>
>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/SGF/Falklands/South+Georgia-20191030-14029.jpg.html 
>>
>>
>> Next we take the Upland Goose - the first three photographs are two 
>> males
>> locked in a vicious territorial battle that took over 10 minutes to 
>> run its
>> course - one even held the other's head under the water to try and 
>> drown it
>> (no picture of this because as a still it lacks drama!). The last is the
>> victor with his family.
>>
>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/SGF/Falklands/South+Georgia-20191028-15945.jpg.html 
>>
>>
>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/SGF/Falklands/South+Georgia-20191028-15948.jpg.html 
>>
>>
>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/SGF/Falklands/South+Georgia-20191028-16084.jpg.html 
>>
>>
>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/SGF/Falklands/South+Georgia-20191028-16146.jpg.html 
>>
>>
>> We go on, now to the elegant and beautiful Black-browed Albatross. 
>> This is
>> by far the most common albatross seen in these parts, and 80% of the
>> worldwide population breed in the Falklands. The two flight shots are
>> virtually full frame - I might have cropped 5% of the first one - 
>> taken as
>> they whizzed by just over my head to then descend to their nest in a 
>> mixed
>> colony with Rockhopper Penguins, in a gorge:
>>
>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/SGF/Falklands/South+Georgia-20191030-14199.jpg.html 
>>
>>
>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/SGF/Falklands/South+Georgia-20191030-14200.jpg.html 
>>
>>
>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/SGF/Falklands/South+Georgia-20191030-16341.jpg.html 
>>
>>
>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/SGF/Falklands/South+Georgia-20191030-14249.jpg.html 
>>
>>
>> Rockhopper Penguins are among the smallest penguins, and they 
>> actually hop
>> up steep cliffs to reach their breeding areas which are inevitably on 
>> top,
>> as they come back from foraging in the sea. Unfortunately, the best 
>> place
>> to see this behaviour, Saunders Island was in the grip of a violent 
>> squall
>> on the day we landed, so there was no activity at all.
>>
>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/SGF/Falklands/South+Georgia-20191029-16257.jpg.html 
>>
>>
>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/SGF/Falklands/South+Georgia-20191030-14089.jpg.html 
>>
>>
>> I finish with a couple of grebes/ducks:
>>
>> White-tufted Grebe:
>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/SGF/Falklands/South+Georgia-20191028-13117.jpg.html 
>>
>>
>> Crested Duck:
>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/SGF/Falklands/South+Georgia-20191028-13131.jpg.html 
>>
>>
>> Please see LARGE.
>>
>> Comments and criticism, as ever, welcome!
>>
>> Cheers
>> Jayanand
>>
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