Whilst driving past Leicester on West Falkland last week i came across this little fellow. The chick is a Rufous-chested Dotterel (Charadrius modestus) and judging by the length of its legs i can only assume that it is its body that grows!!!

After reading Alan’s Blog, yesterday i decided to pop down to Yorke Bay Pond to take a look at my first Lesser Yellowlegs. I missed on seeing the other bird several weeks ago. I managed to get 10-15m from the bird before it flew across the other side of the pond, it was very timid.

The tussac bird (Cinclodes antarcticus antracticus) is  one of the characters of the Falkland Islands. Whilst at Rockhopper point if you overturn rocks they will rush in to eat the "jumping jacks". This fellow suggests tht he has had a good feed of these in recent times!!

Without shadow of a doubt Sunday was the worst day i have ever witnessed on the Islands, hail and gusting winds led me to look around the islands from the comfort of a land rover. At Long Pond  there were 12 Silvery Grebes. As I lay on the banks of the pond they became curious and came over for a look.

Upland Geese (Chloephaga picta leucoptera) are very prevalent in the Islands. Below is a fairly recently hatched gosling.

Black-crowned Night -herons (Nycticorax nycticorax falklandicus) frequent the small pond (in particular the juveniles). The juvenile pictured below is about to land. The second picture is of two adults fighting at Weaner Pool.

Sea Lion Island is a small Island situated to the south-east of the Falkland Islands. The Island is rat,cat and mouse free making it a vitally important breeding ground for many Falkland Island species(particularly the endemic Cobb’s Wren). At this time of the year many of the birds are producing the next generation. It also hosts the largest Elephant Seal colony in the Falkland Islands.

Pictured below is the endemic Cobb’s Wren (troglodytes cobbi), its conservation status is classed as vulnerable. These birds are very nimble and difficult to photograph. It is named after Arthur Frederick Cobb an ornithologist who was born in 1877 and was identifed after he had shot it using rice as the charge. the specimen was sent to the Uk and identifed as a new specie by the Natural History Museum in London.

The other endemic specie to the Falkland Islands is the Falkland Steamer Duck (Tachyeres brachypterus). The bird is flightless. Pictured below is a duckling.

Tussac grass (which can grow to 3 metres in height) provides a breeding ground for many young birds. The juvenile Black-chinned Siskin (Carduelis barbata) was captured by the small pond, which along with Elephant Corner/Weaner Pool is my favourite spot on the Island. The Juvenile resembles the female.

The 2 pictures below are of the Black-throated Finch (Melanodera melanodera melanodera), the first is a juvenile and was  taken at the Gulch, like the Siskin this resembles the female. Like the Siskin both birds were unable to fly more than a couple of feet. The second picture is of an adult male.

Woke up early yesterday morning and since it was calm and sunny I decided to go down to Yorke Bay Pond for a look. Came across these sandpipers (3), convinced they are white-rumped Calidris fusicollis but would appreciate confirmation.

On a small area of water towards FIGAS was this pair of Crested Ducks (Lophonetta specularioides specularioides) with 6 young.

Lots of speckled (Anas flavirostris) teal around the Penisula, also came across a silver teal (Anas versicolor fretensis).

As spring develops so do the flowering plants. Imeediatley below is the Arrow-leaved Marigold (i think this is correct for some reason i refer to it as Marsh marigold) and at the bottom Dusty Miller (Primula magellanica).

Decided to head out to East of Surf Bay and Yorke Bay Pond with the camera this afternoon to brush away some of the cobwebs after the darts competition last night.

Breeding male Two-banded Plover (Charadrius falklandicus)

Tagged female Two-banded Plover

Rufous-chested Dotterel (Charadrius modestus) in breeding plumage

Magellanic Snipe (Gallinago paraguaiae magellanica)

Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus)

Awful day in the Islands today, strong north easterly wind. Took a drive down to the lighthouse at Cape Pembroke and the sea was quite spectacular

On the south side of the penisula was a fair bit of "small bird" activity. Long-tailed Meadowlark’s, Falkland Thrush’s, Dark-faced Ground-tyrant’s, a couple of Black-chinned Siskin’s and 4 Tussacbirds all on the kelp line.  Tussacbird’s are very inquisitve and are more common on the Islands without the presence of predators suchs as cats and rats.

Tussacbird

Also on the shoreline was a Southern Elephant Seal.

After viewing Alan’s Blog on the Antarctic Fur Seal, i am certain that this is the same seal i spotted in the same place last Monday. Without seeing Alan’s Blog i didn’t realise that it could of been different from the Southern Fur Seal. A lot to be learnt me thinks!!!

Whilst this is a birding blog there are other delights to be seen in the Falkland Islands. I have blogged a couple of Elephant Seal pictures.

Yawn!