[An intermittent missive from a British expat in the Falkland Islands.....Now completing our 4th year here..]
Hi,
I realise it's been a while since my last update, and a lot has happened in the world and the Falkland Islands since then....... A cruise ship, Le Boreal, was evacuated just offshore, and 357 people were looking for beds for the night! My wife and I have spent some time travelling in the UK and Patagonia, and are about to make another journey soon. These and other activities have conspired to delay me updating this blog. That, and I am a compulsive procrastinator!
So, to get up to date, here are some photos from the past week. I thought I would revert to the penguin theme!
We came across this friendly fella, a King Penguin, on Surf Bay during one of our regular walks. He approached us - not the other way around - and may have mistook us for friends!
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| Calling for friends? |
Often, penguins come ashore when moulting or if their feathers are oiled and have lost their waterproofness. But this guy seemed healthy enough.
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| Walking with penguin. |
Some other exciting news in Stanley was the bottling of beer from Falklands Beerworks, a local micro-brewery. About 4 beers are made by the brewer, Jeff, and Rockhopper is my favourite, although the others are tasty, too.
In an effort to combat the side-effects of beer, I regularly Nordic Walk, and have encouraged small groups to explore the environs of Stanley.
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| King and Magellanic penguins |
Yesterday evening was warm, sunny and calm, and as we hiked through the sand dunes, we were greeted by a vast swathe of beach covered in penguins! Not only several hundred of the resident Gentoos, but 5 King penguins, and a number of migratory Magellanic!
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| Nordic Walkers and penguins on the shore. |
Previously, we had only ever seen Gentoo penguins on this beach. It is very quiet and surrounded by a barbed-wire fence, due to the minefield - a legacy of the Argentine occupation in 1982.
However, in this case, it is probably now beneficial from a penguin point of view. They are too light to trigger the mines, and it means they aren't pestered by people or dogs being exercised on the beach!
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| Where else in the world can you watch penguins so easily? OK, apart from Cape Town. |
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Peter's Penguin Post!
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Meanwhile, my birthday had been marked by a couple of trips to my favourite islands in the archipelago. Photos to follow. And many thanks to the kind messages from friends. Sadly, no free bus pass was forthcoming - there are no public buses here...
And a surprise package on the doorstep. What can it be???!!
Must start writing the Christmas Card! Season's Greetings to all!
Peter
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