Brushtail Penguins

Gourdin Island is a tiny island near the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula.  It is a magic spot and one of the rare places where all three species of brushtail penguin breed: Gentoo, Chinstrap and Adelie. Sitting anywhere on this island, watching the comical coming and going particular to these birds makes even the most staunch grumpy person smile, in fact penguins are the answer to world peace.  Make a group of world leaders stop and take notice of penguins and no wars could ever be waged.  Penguins are too much like people and their funny little ways make us laugh.  But make no mistake, these are tough little birds.  They are ruthless with each other if one is caught trespassing or stealing precious stones from a nest!

Penguin behavior on Gourdin Island; Chinstraps on the top, Adelies and a single Gentoo at bottom right.
by Heidi Krajewsky

A Penguin Highway of Chinstraps coming and going from their nests to the sea.
by Heidi Krajewsky

Walrus

Travelling around Svalbard encountering walruses is exciting, especially at sea or on ice.  When they haul out on the beach, the males and females are segregated and not likely to be lying in the same pile. 




Three walruses hauled out on an ice floe by Heidi Krajewsky

Male Walruses sleeping on the beach and scratching.  Smeerenberg, Amersterdamoya  by Heidi Krajewsky

Male Walruses on the beach Smeerenberg, Amsterdamoya by Heidi Krajewsky

Walruses sleeping on the beach, Kapp Lee, Edgeoya.  By Heidi Krajewsky



Polar Bears in Svalbard

Polar Bear standing to get a scent by Heidi Krajewsky

While onboard an expedition passenger ship cruising around Svalbard, the most northerly archipelago of Norway we are always on the lookout for Polar Bears.  Both for our safety as we don't want to travel on land where there are bears nearby but mainly for our curiosity and enjoyment.  These majestic animals really are amazing to see in their environment.... the sea ice!  Here's a few drawings of their postures from a bit of time spent in the company of bears in the ice.

Polar Bear roaming the ice.  They are often on the move looking for hunting opportunities.

Walking away from the ship into deeper sea ice.

Fair Isle, Scotland

Atlantic Puffins!

 



 

Fair Isle is between the Orkney and Shetland Islands in Scotland.  It is wild and beautiful and has many nesting seabirds including Atlantic Puffins.  The following are a few behavior sketches, they must have chicks in the nest now as fish were being brought back to their burrows.

 



Cape Bruny Lighthouse

An unexpected, lovely week spent caretaking the lighthouse at Cape Bruny, at the south end of Bruny Island was a chance to slow down.  We watched Wedge-tailed Eagles soaring overhead looking for prey while the New Holland Honeyeaters would constantly flit from the coastal scrub and provide a chorus to our sojourn.

New Holland Honeyeater on top of a Banksia shrub by Heidi Krajewsky

Afternoon light on the Cape Bruny Lighthouse by Heidi Krajewsky

Cape Bruny Species List June 2015

Wedge-tailed Eagle
White-bellied Sea-Eagle
Scarlet Robin
Flame Robin
Black Currawong
Forest Raven
New Holland Honeyeater
Tawny-crowned Honeyeater
Common Blackbird
Common Starling
Superb Fairy-wren
Pacific Gull
Kelp Gull
Eastern Spinebill
Dusky Robin
Hooded Plover
Sooty Oystercatcher
European Goldfinch
Shy Albatross
Black-faced Cormorant
Great Cormorant
Olive Whistler
Brown Thronbill
Anetchinus (sp?)
Bennet's Wallaby
Pademelon
Tiger Snake (one young found hiding in an old milking shed)

Fagus Fever!

Nothofagus gunnii  or Fagus at Mount Field

There's only one truly deciduous tree in Tasmania, its common name is boring, Deciduous Beech.  Its Latin or scientific name is way more interesting: Nothofagus gunnii and in true Aussie style it has been lovingly shortened or nicknamed simply "Fagus".   This tree is not large by local standards, where several species of gum can tower over 90m nearby.  In fact its rare to see a Fagus over five meters.  But what makes it so special is of course the beautiful colours that the foliage produce in autumn, just before they fall off in the wild wind storms.  Oh yeah, and it only grows up on the mountains of Tasmania, so you can't just gaze at it out your window.  You need to get out into some wild and wonderful places to see it.  It's an annual pilgrimage of sorts!

Nothofagus gunnii by Heidi Krajewsky

Scarlet Robin

Scarlet Robin ready to chase off other males. By Heidi Krajewsky

I just spent four weeks caretaking the old Quarantine Station on Bruny Island.  I lived in a beautiful wooden house built in 1884, sat on the wide veranda and watched Eastern Quolls scamper around in the evening and the robins perch on every fence post during the day.  The males would often chase each other from one fence post to another, then perch on our car.  The car was covered in guano by the time we left the sleepy place.  I didn't complain having to wash it though, the birding was too good while on Bruny!

My Species List for Bruny Island for April 2015

Birds

Black Swan

Pacific Black Duck

Australian Wood Duck

Chestnut Teal

Hoary-headed Grebe

Little Penguin

Kelp Gull

Pacific Gull

Silver Gull

Black-faced Cormorant

Great Cormorant Pied Oystercatcher Sooty Oystercatcher Hooded Plover

White-faced Heron

Masked Lapwing

Swamp Harrier

White-bellied Sea-Eagle

Wedge-tailed Eagle

Australian Magpie

Grey Butcherbird

Grey Currawong

Laughing Kookaburra

Forest Raven

Brush Bronzewing

Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo

Green Rosella

Superb Fairy-wren

Dusky Robin

Scarlet Robin Pink Robin

Grey Fantail

Black-headed Honeyeater

Crescent Honeyeater

New Holland Honeyeater

Yellow Wattlebird

Yellow-throated Honeyeater

Eastern Spinebill

Spotted Pardalote

Forty-spotted Pardalote

Striated Pardalote

Dusky Woodswallow

Tree Martin

Welcome Swallow

Brown Thornbill

Yellow-rumped Thornbill

Grey Shrike-thrush

Olive Whistler

Golden Whistler

Beautiful Firetail

Common Blackbird

European Goldfinch

Mammals

New Zealand Fur Seal

Tasmanian Pademelon

Bennet's Wallaby

Eastern Quoll

Common Brushtail Possum