Saunders IslandĪ Penguin Paradise because we saw all 5 species of Falklands Penguins- Gentoo, King, Magellanic, Rockhopper and one Macaroni which was probably the most photographed bird of the trip! Some of the Kings looked scruffy because they were moulting. I was sitting by a tussock watching an albatross on a nest, it flew off and landed on the other side of the tussock and looked at me through the grass giving me an interesting photo.
This was the opportunity to sit and closely observe Black-browed Albatrosses with Rockhopper Penguins amongst them. We were able to get close to a couple of Striated Caracaras. There were also Rockhopper Penguins amongst the Albatrosses. What a sight with most on nests and some paired off enjoying each others company. We also experienced seeing and hearing over 113,000 Black-browed Albatrosses. We walked by hundreds of Gentoo Penguins, some of whom were carrying stones for nest building, others were just going to and from the sea. On his death the Islands were eventually taken over by the ‘Wildlife Conservation Society of New York City’. In the extreme North-West of the Falklands.I discovered ‘Birdland’ in Bourton-on-the Water in the 1970s and found that Len Hill, the Curator, had purchased Steeple Jason and Grand Jason in 1970 for £5500.
We were also treated to a feast of cakes cooked by the owner Rob Mcgill’s Chilean team. We saw and were able to photograph the endemic Cobb’s Wren, a Southern Caracara and a lone Magellanic Penguin amongst other birds. Great food, well appointed adequately sized cabin, hot drinks always available (including delicious hot chocolate!), skilful captain and crew, open bridge policy, a delightful cabin steward, Michael, who arranged the towels into animals-a bear, an elephant, a monkey and a penguin, the places visited and lectures form the main memories of this cruise. Here, Brenda reviews the trip in her own words. Brenda Hotham set off on a cruise round the Falklands recently aboard the MV Ortelius.
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