http://www.surfbirds.com/blog/falklandbirder/ en-us Webligo BlogHoster On the 9th November a Dove sp was reported in a hen house in a private garden down at Moody Brook, It was again report yesterday but by the time I got there it had found its way out again and vanished.   I had a look first thing this morning without luck, so went back this lunch time and saw it inside the hen house.             I can confirm that it is an adult Eared Dove a rare vagrant to the Falkland Islands http://www.surfbirds.com/blog/falklandbirder/12704/ Yesterday I was told of a quite tame Red Backed Hawk on a nest just outside Goose Green. This morning I went to have a look and see if it would be possible to get some images, I found her quite easily and got the below images. Female sitting on the nest with two recently delivered Upland Goose goslings to feed her two chicks. I will over the coming weeks keep a photographic record of the growing chicks http://www.surfbirds.com/blog/falklandbirder/12617/ While on Sea lion last week I had the opportunity to observe the deployment of a satellite tag on a female Southern Elephant Sea by Dr Filippo Galimberti & Dr Simona Sanvito with the assistance of Zoe Luxton of the Falkland Islands Government veterinary department. The Southern Elephant Seal that received the tag was born on Sea Lion Island at 11:45 on the 8th November 1997, which makes today her 12th birthday, she gave birth to her first pup at the age of 5 years and gave birth to a female pup this year in the evening of the 18th October. She weighed 640kg when she returned to shore to give birth and weighed 500kg when she received the tag on the 2nd November. She was expected to suckle her pup for a further 4 or 5 days before returning to the sea. Dr. Filippo Galimberti giving paula a sedative that has been calculated to her weight. After 5 minutes work starts on collecting data and preparing for the deployment of the satellite tag.                  Zoe Luxton monitoring the breathing and heart rate of the animal Great care is taken to make sure that the area where the tag is to be attached is clear of abbrasions and cuts which might cause discomfort to the animal. The satellite tag being attached using a poxy type resin. The tag will come off the animal when it has it's annual moult in Jan/Feb next year. Finally Dr. Filippo Galimberti collected swabs from the nose and mouth before the animal came round from the seditive. The whole procedure took about 20 minutes, later I watched the female suckle her pup none the wirse for her ordeal. Click on the link below for more interesting reading and understanding of the valuable research work that Dr Galimberti & Dr Sanvito have been undertaking on Sea Lion for the past 14 years   www.eleseal.org       http://www.surfbirds.com/blog/falklandbirder/12616/ Went down to Yorke Bay this evening after work to have a look about, not long after getting there I saw a Lesser Yellowlegs feeding at the edge of the pond. It was very wary of me and flew across the other side of the pond. This was very different from the bird in October behaviour so I suspected it could be a different bird.                   After examining the photographs I can confirm that it is a different individual from the one I found in the same location on the 19th October. October's Bird Today's Bird October's Bird Today's Bird  http://www.surfbirds.com/blog/falklandbirder/12579/ This morning I went out on a launch to Berkeley Sound to give Customs clearance to a tug & barge that had come into collect bunkers from a tanker. Around the back of the barge there were a few Cape Petrels (Pintado Petrel)and couple of Southern Fulmars feeding. Cape Petrel (Pintado Petrel) Southern Fulmar     Other seabirds seen today included Black Browed Albatross, Sooty Shearwater, White Chinned Petrel. http://www.surfbirds.com/blog/falklandbirder/12572/ While on Sea Lion Island earlier this week I saw a number of Rufous Chested Dotterel with 3 coloured plastic and 1 metal ring on them. While I do appreciate that it is necessary to ring birds for scientific information, I do wonder if there is a need to put 4 rings on each bird. I see a bird that just does not look right, but then again maybe it likes it's jewellery. Blue over metal & Yellow over Orange Red over metal & Red over Green Not to be out done a few Two Banded Plovers also had some jewellery on as well. Green over metal & Red over Orange Yellow over metal & White over Blue http://www.surfbirds.com/blog/falklandbirder/12571/ Sea Lion Island not only has Southern Sea Lions on it but is also home to the most Southern Elephants Seals to be found in the Falkland Islands. Below are some of the images of marine mammals taken on Sea Lion Island. Southern Elephant Seals on the Southern beach Soon after giving birth to there single pup the female Southern Elephant Seals are ready to be mated with by the huge bulls. The pups suckle from their mothers for just 23 days before the female leaves and returns to feed at sea. In the 23 days the pups go from little black sacks of skin to big fat lazy lumps. They then spend the next 8 to 14 weeks on the beach before hunger forces them to leave to feed.     A Southern Sea Lion giving a pup Southern Elephant Seal some hassle at Elephant corner. An Antarctic Fur Seal with some nasty wounds on it's flippers.  http://www.surfbirds.com/blog/falklandbirder/12563/ Monday morning saw me boarding a plane to Sea Lion Island which is located 10miles south of mainland East Falklands and has a land mass of 2,236 acres. The purpose of my visit was to give Customs & Immigration clearance to the cruise vessel Ushuaia. Unfortunately J The Ushuaia was delayed so I had the whole day on Sea Lion Island to do some birding. Below are some images of the 45 species of birds seen during the 1½ days I spent  there. Juvenile Striated Caracara with stolen Gentoo Penguin egg Adult breeding pair of Striated Caracara  3 of 12 Silvery Grebe on Long pond Silver Teal in the California Clubrush on Long pond  Female Kelp Goose sitting on her nest near the lodge The endemic Cobb's Wren, an abundent species on Sea Lion Island             The endemic Falkland Steamer Duck on on Tussac pond                     Crested Duck                       Female Upland Goose                         Male Upland Goose                    http://www.surfbirds.com/blog/falklandbirder/12562/ Spent this weekend with my family exploring around Goose Green farm. Below are images of some of the birds seen during the weekend. Juvenile Black Crowned Night Heron at Goose Green settlement  A pair of Black Necked Swns at Cobb's pass Southern Carcara at Burnside  A pair of Upland Geese flying over Goose Green reservoir Falkland Thrush sitting on her nest at Egg Harbour house Dark Faced Ground Tyrant at Egg Harbour house http://www.surfbirds.com/blog/falklandbirder/12548/ I took the below sequence of a Dark Faced Ground Tyrant Muscsaxicola macloviana hovering on Saturday at Egg Harbour.                                        http://www.surfbirds.com/blog/falklandbirder/12547/