Salisbury Plain & Prion Island - Blog 3

A sheltered night in Rosita Harbour passed without a lot of wind sounds and a tossing boat. Rain, fog and low overcast clouds had been with us since departure from New Stanley.  After an early breakfast we decided to go to Salisbury Plain.  The sea was rough, but by staying closer to shore than normal we were able to lessen the impact of the wind.  Every time I have been to Salisbury Plain it has been filled with tens of thousands of King Penguins, beaches blanketed with sleeping Elephant Seals and Fur Seals defending their territories.  We motored the length of the beach in dense, cold rain with crashing surf pounding the empty beach.  There were only a couple of Elephant Seals and no Fur Seals to be seen.  The King colony existed only in a few thousand individuals scattered here and there.  It did not take us long to agree we could not see most of Salisbury Plain through the heavy rain and coupled with the dangerous surf we did not want to attempt a landing.  We decided to move on to Prion Island not too far away.

Prion Island now contains boardwalks to keep people to selected paths and areas.  It is a nesting site for endangered Wandering Albatrosses.  I like these boardwalks that have been built in some locations because they are easier than trying to wade through, climb over and keep from tripping into the mud surrounding a lot of tussock grass growth.  This also defines the safe distance between observers and ground nesting birds.  The boardwalk is good for the plants, the landscape, the wildlife and hikers like me.  But imagine building these elevated wooden boardwalks in wildness areas ten thousand kilometers from the nearest hardware or lumber store.

There were two young Wandering Albatross chicks on the nests and a chick with parent.  They were a pleasant and hopeful sight for me.  All were soaked from the rain but seemed perfectly content with their circumstances.  Both chicks appeared well fed and waiting for returning parents with more food.  One was about 7 months old and still covered with a downy coat.  The other was beginning to fledge and I judged it to be about 9 months old.  As is my habit I sat down and quietly watched each chick.  Giant Petrels and Skuas patrolled the area and also had nests in the vicinity.  South Georgian Pintail Ducks and Tom Tits were also in abundance.  The longer I sat the more birds seemed to materialize in the grass.  Even though I was bundled for the weather the wind, rain and cold make immobile sitting uncomfortable and ultimately short in duration.  I would have liked to have had the time to stay for several days. I have never seen an albatross parent feed its chick though I have seen the parents around the nest area.  I will have to put that on my agenda for a better set of weather days when I can just be there for hours on end.

We returned to the Golden Fleece and had some warm tea, then a late lunch.  Discussions around the table led to the conclusion that the weather was going to hold and we might go to Possession Bay for the night and perhaps slightly better micro-weather.  Jerome moved the Golden Fleece through the rough seas to our next “hopeful anchorage.”

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