Time Flies

Somehow it has already reached the middle of January without me noticing!  Work is very busy which makes the time fly.  Wednesday for us will be mid-season.  Last night for the first time we commented that it was starting to get dark at 10:30pm- it was the first time I've noticed that the nights are starting to draw in a bit, although we are almost a month past the longest day now so it is not suprising.  Hopefully that means you've started to notice the days getting a tiny bit longer in the UK!     

Over the weeks the Adelie penguins have been very busy feeding their ever growing chicks.  When the chicks get large enough to be left alone, both parents spend their days at sea fishing.  The chicks which now look like big balls of fluff, form creches, huddling together for warmth and protection.

On days when it is snowy or rainy the colonies are filthy from all the penguin guano and the chicks end up rather grubby!

The chicks are very mobile and very comical, providing endless entertainment.

A month behind the Adelies in their breeding cycle, the chinstraps have now just finished hatching.  The chicks are still quite small and are being guarded by their parents.  This one has two - on a cold day they bury their heads under their parents where it is warmest, and often just two bottoms can be seen! 


These two penguins were investigating a Weddell seal sleeping on the rocks.



The skuas have chicks now too.  Some of these are getting quite big - fed largely on a diet of eggs and baby penguins.  Young skuas are very mobile and start exploring their surroundings as soon as they hatch.  They are fiercely defended by their parents against anything that may harm them.

And to finish, here are a couple of pretty ice formations that had formed over a semi frozen stream last week.