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 Falkland Islands Widlife | |
Happy New Year to my fellow FMers! Here's to a happy and prosperous 2017 for all 
I recently returned from a two-week camping and photography trip to the Falkland Islands. I would like to thank my friend and FM standout Tin Man Lee for encouraging me to go, and for his advice which helped make the most of the trip. I spent 6 nights in Saunders Neck, and 6 nights in Volunteer Point. Had a few days washed out by weather, but still came back home with thousands of images.
This was my second photography specific trip. Like last year's trip to Haines, I had prepared a mental list of shots that I wanted to get, and ideas of how I wanted to use the light to give my images a specific look and feel. Unlike last year though, I am not very satisfied with my effort. I didn't shoot much in 2016, and the rust showed. I didn't get a lot of the shots I wanted to get, and I struggled to use my wide-angle effectively. Looking through the images, I see a lot of repetitive images over different days, and that tells me I wasn't thinking and seeing creatively. Too often, I was settling for the obvious images that presented themselves, instead of putting myself in position to get more unique images. If I was grading myself, I'd say I earned a "C" on this trip. It was a learning experience, for sure.
With that said, let's start off with an image from Volunteer Point. This particular evening, I had a feeling there would be a special sunset. There had been large clouds in the sky all day long, and as the sun headed towards the horizon, the color just exploded in all directions. I wanted a simple composition featuring the sky colors as the background, and penguins with very little foreground. I figured my best chance to get that would be to find a low vantage point and frame the Magellenic Penguins as they came back from the beach to their burrows.
Magellenic Penguins at sunset
Canon 1DX, 100-400 II
Next up is another image from Volunteer Point. Every morning, hundreds of penguins waddle down the "Penguin Highway" towards the beach to catch fish to bring back for their chicks. In doing so, they put themselves at great risk, as the waters are patrolled by predators such as Sea Lions. In a future set, I'll share some images of such an encounter. On this day, though, the penguins were safe. Here, Gentoo Penguins (with a few Magellenics thrown in for variety) pause for a group portrait before heading out to the ocean to fish.
Gentoo Penguins at sunrise
Canon 1DX, 100-400 II
The third image was taken at Saunders Neck. The Striated Caracara (or Johnny Rook, as the Falklanders refer to them) is a threatened species. Ever curious and with little fear of humans, they often approach to within arm's reach. In fact, one of them tried to fly off with my second camera when I set it down on the ground! Here, the Striated Caracara is foraging on the remains of a small crustacean on the beach.
Striated Caracara on the beach
Canon 1DX, 100-400 II
The fourth image also comes from Saunders Neck, and features a Magellenic Oystercatcher.
Magellenic Oystercatcher
Canon 1DX, 100-400 II
The fifth image is a Gentoo Penguin egg from the colony on Saunders Neck. The colony is home to an estimated 10,000 Gentoo Penguins, and certainly smells like it.
Gentoo egg
Canon 1DX, 100-400 II
The sixth image takes us back to Volunteer Point at sunrise. The purple skies are reflected in the water as it recedes back towards the surf. A Gentoo Penguin takes in the view before running and diving into the waves.
Gentoo Penguin at sunrise
Canon 1DX, 100-400 II
The penultimate image of this set comes from the King Penguin colony at Volunteer Point. Some 1500 pairs of this strikingly attractive penguin call this colony home. During the month of December, courtship rituals and mating can be seen. Here, a couple enjoy a tender moment together away from the din of the colony.
King Penguins courting
Canon 1DX, 100-400 II
Lastly, a reminder that the life of a penguin, like all wild animals, is fraught with danger. Here, Gentoo Penguins in the background look on helplessly as two Falkland Skuas savagely feast on their chick.
Gentoo Penguin chick lost to Skuas
Canon 1DX, 100-400
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