Adelie Penguins were well into their breeding cycle ... some were nest building ...
... others had eggs ...
... they utilised the available flat ground while Antarctic Cormorants inhabited the steep slope above ...
... this species already had some chicks hatched ...
It was interesting to see some of the pelagic species on their breeding grounds.
A Wilson's Storm-Petrel was flying around a high rocky slope and entering a nest hole between the rocks ...
... a Snow Petrel was visible at its nest site between a large boulder and the snow slope ...
... Gentoo Penguins also had chicks ...
... and a Chinstrap Penguin wandered by ...
... it seemed fitting to see Snow Petrel flying over brash ice ...
There were a few Kelp Gulls including some of ages other than adult ... this third summer bird showed nicely ...
Having retreated from the Weddell Sea north west along the Antarctic Sound we landed the following morning on Half Moon Island where a confiding Brown Skua was capitalizing on the regurgitated stomach contents of a recently beached seal ...
... Chinstrap Penguins were breeding on some of the rocky promontories amid the snow and forming nervous groups prior to heading out to sea ...
Deception Island is a caldera and the ship made its way into the vast lagoon formed by this still active volcano ... we landed at Whalers Bay where much of the land is free of snow by virtue of the heat from volcanic activity. A pool at the top of the beach was attracting skuas ... this Chilean Skua was somewhat out of range ...
... the rufous tones showing well in the lovely afternoon light ...
... also present were some South Polar Skuas and this pale morph bird was a classic example ...
... but to add further interest a dark morph South Polar Skua raised its wings to show the solid blackish under wing coverts ...
... and its smoky black/brown breast contrasted with the mottled brown breast of the accompanying Brown Skua to further confirm its identity.
... while high on the cliffs above a Cape Petrel circled around its nesting site ...
The following day dawned ... although in these latitudes during summertime dusk blends into dawn ... misty and grey with snow flurries in the air ... we cruised the Gerlache Strait in Zodiacs and came upon a very somnolent Leopard Seal on a small ice flow ...
... this was our second Leopard Seal - a species renowned for predating penguins ... we had observed the nervous behavior of penguins repeatedly as they formed small groups on the shore before finally committing to heading into the sea and also watched them dashing for shore under water ... but at no time did we see any predator targeting penguins ...
... along the edge of the ice shelf a group of Antarctic Cormorants swam and head-shook in synchrony ...
... small groups of Gentoo Penguins stood around on the ice shelf ...
... and quite remarkably we then came across another Emperor Penguin on the ice shelf ...
... this was an immature bird with whitish auricular patches ...
... its presence attracted the attention of a Gentoo Penguin ...
Gentoo Penguins were breeding on the land adjacent to the ice shelf on areas where the rock protruded from the ice piedmont ...
