The survey gets us out and about all over the island, to the little nooks and crannies that we don't usually visit. We still have some pretty ice around.
Whilst out and about on the chinstrap survey, it has actually been the Adelies who have been the most photogenic as the chinstraps are just sitting dutifully on their eggs. There is much more activity in the Adelie colonies. The chicks are already suprisingly large!
This pair is almost too big to fit underneath its parent. It is good to see many nests still with two chicks- in a really poor year they can only find enough food to rear one.
Whilst out surveying we came across something quite special. Spot the odd one out!
This Adelie is leucistic, meaning it has a pigment disorder resulting in a partial loss of pigmentation in its feathers. This form of leucism is known as Isabellinism- where the bird has a uniform reduction in the pigment melanin all over, giving it a honey colour everywhere that should be black. It has brownish toenails and an almost red beak. It is not an albino, which would have no colour at all and pale eyes.
It looked perfectly happy with its fellow colony buddies.
Finally to finish, here is some more ice in the bay.
On base we are starting to prepare for Christmas. We put the Christmas tree and decorations up yesterday and my Christmas cakes are maturing, waiting to be iced. The temperatures are hovering around minus two- probably warmer than the UK at present!
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