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Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com

The Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) is a small wading bird, one of two species of turnstone in the genus Arenaria. It is now classified in the sandpiper family Scolopacidae but was formerly sometimes placed in the plover family Charadriidae. It is a highly migratory bird, breeding in northern parts of Eurasia and North America and flying south to winter on coastlines almost worldwide. It is the only species of turnstone in much of its range and is often known simply as Turnstone.

At all seasons, the plumage is dominated by a harlequin-like pattern of black and white. Breeding birds have reddish-brown upper parts with black markings. The head is mainly white with black streaks on the crown and a black pattern on the face. The breast is mainly black apart from a white patch on the sides. The rest of the underparts are white. In flight it reveals a white wingbar, white patch near the base of the wing and white lower back, rump and tail with dark bands on the uppertail-coverts and near the tip of the tail. The female is slightly duller than the male and has a browner head with more streaking.

Non-breeding adults are duller than breeding birds and have dark grey-brown upperparts with black mottling and a dark head with little white. Juvenile birds have a pale brown head and pale fringes to the upperpart feathers creating a scaly impression. (wikipedia)

This was taken along the West Pier, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin. The birds have come in from Iceland and other northern parts to spend the winter along the Irish coasts. Always busy feeding, chattering and can be quite tame.

Shorebirds of Ireland, Freshwater Birds of Ireland and The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition with Jim Wilson.
www.markcarmodyphotography.com

The Black Guillemot or Tystie (Cepphus grylle) is a medium-sized alcid.

Adult birds have black bodies with a white wing patch, a thin dark bill, and red legs and feet. They show white wing linings in flight. In winter, the upperparts are pale grey and the underparts are white. The wings remain black with the large white patch on the inner wing.

Their breeding habitat is rocky shores, cliffs and islands on northern Atlantic coasts in eastern North America as far south as Maine, and in western Europe as far south as Ireland.They are one of the few birds to breed on Surtsey, Iceland a new volcanic island. In the UK it is a fairly common breeding bird in western and northern Scotland and Ireland. In the rest of Great Britain they only breed at St. Bees Head in Cumbria, the Isle of Man and on east Anglesey in north Wales. Some birds breed in Alaska where their range overlaps with the similar Pigeon Guillemot.

These birds often overwinter in their breeding areas, moving to open waters if necessary, but usually not migrating very far south.

They dive for food from the surface, swimming underwater. They mainly eat fish and crustaceans, also some mollusks, insects and plant material. (wikipedia)

This was an adult winter bird at the mouth of Dun Laoghaire harbour earlier in the Spring of 2025.

The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson
Shorebirds of Ireland with Jim Wilson.
Freshwater Birds of Ireland with Jim Wilson NOW OUT OF PRINT
www.markcarmodyphotography.com

The Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus) is a small gull that breeds in much of Europe and Asia, and also in coastal eastern Canada. Most of the population is migratory and winters further south, but some birds reside in the milder westernmost areas of Europe. Some Black-headed Gulls also spend the winter in northeastern North America, where it was formerly known as the common black-headed gull.

The summer adult has a chocolate-brown head (not black, although does look black from a distance), pale grey body, black tips to the primary wing feathers, and red bill and legs. The hood is lost in winter, leaving just 2 dark spots. Immature birds have a mottled pattern of brown spots over most of the body. It breeds in colonies in large reed beds or marshes, or on islands in lakes, nesting on the ground. Like most gulls, it is highly gregarious in winter, both when feeding or in evening roosts. It is not a pelagic species and is rarely seen at sea far from coasts.

It is a bold and opportunistic feeder. It eats insects, fish, seeds, worms, scraps, and carrion in towns, or invertebrates in ploughed fields with equal relish. It is a noisy species, especially in colonies, with a familiar "kree-ar" call.

This species takes two years to reach maturity. First-year birds have a black terminal tail band, more dark areas in the wings, and, in summer, a less fully developed dark hood. Like most gulls, black-headed gulls are long-lived birds, with a maximum age of at least 32.9 years recorded in the wild. (wikipedia)

The species is resident along all Irish coasts, with significant numbers arriving from the Continent in winter. Breeds in small numbers on islands in larger lakes in western Ireland.

However, the species is Red-listed in Ireland due to its rapidly declining and localised breeding population. The European population is regarded as Secure, despite declines in several countries.

This is an adult bird in winter plumage, roosting on a dead tree in Cuskinny Marsh Nature Reserve in Cobh, Co. Cork.

The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson
Shorebirds of Ireland with Jim Wilson.
Freshwater Birds of Ireland with Jim Wilson NOW OUT OF PRINT
www.markcarmodyphotography.com

The Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) is a starling-sized passerine bird that breeds in the northern forests of Eurasia and North America. It has mainly buff-grey plumage, black face markings and a pointed crest. Its wings are patterned with white and bright yellow, and some feather tips have the red waxy appearance that give this species its English name. Females are similar to males, although young birds are less well-marked and have few or no waxy wingtips. Although the Bohemian Waxwing's range overlaps those of the Cedar and Japanese Waxwings, it is easily distinguished from them by size and plumage differences.

The breeding habitat is coniferous forests, usually near water. Many birds desert their nesting range in winter and migrate farther south. In some years, large numbers of Bohemian Waxwings irrupt well beyond their normal winter range in search of the fruit that makes up most of their diet.

Waxwings can be very tame in winter, entering towns and gardens in search of food, rowan berries being a particular favourite. They can metabolise alcohol produced in fermenting fruit, but can still become intoxicated, sometimes fatally. Other hazards include predation by birds of prey, infestation by parasites and collisions with cars or windows. The Bohemian Waxwing's high numbers and very large breeding area mean that it is classified as being of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. (wikipedia)

This was a small part of a flock of 120 birds seen recently in a housing estate in Lucan, South County Dublin.

The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson
Shorebirds of Ireland with Jim Wilson.
Freshwater Birds of Ireland with Jim Wilson NOW OUT OF PRINT
www.markcarmodyphotography.com

The Common Blackbird (Turdus merula) is a species of true thrush. It is also called Eurasian Blackbird (especially in North America, to distinguish it from the unrelated New World blackbirds), or simply Blackbird where this does not lead to confusion with a similar-looking local species. It breeds in Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to Canada, United States, Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, the Falkland Islands, Chile, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. It has a number of subspecies across its large range; a few of the Asian subspecies are sometimes considered to be full species. Depending on latitude, the common blackbird may be resident, partially migratory, or fully migratory.

The male of the nominate subspecies, which is found throughout most of Europe, is all black except for a yellow eye-ring and bill and has a rich, melodious song; the adult female and juvenile have mainly dark brown plumage. This species breeds in woods and gardens, building a neat, mud-lined, cup-shaped nest. It is omnivorous, eating a wide range of insects, earthworms, berries, and fruits.

Both sexes are territorial on the breeding grounds, with distinctive threat displays, but are more gregarious during migration and in wintering areas. Pairs stay in their territory throughout the year where the climate is sufficiently temperate. This common and conspicuous species has given rise to a number of literary and cultural references, frequently related to its song. (wikipedia)

A very fine male Blackbird was picking up fallen berries from the Rowan tree that a flock of Waxwings were feeding on.

The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson
Shorebirds of Ireland with Jim Wilson.
Freshwater Birds of Ireland with Jim Wilson (now out of print)
www.markcarmodyphotography.com

The Western Jackdaw (Corvus monedula), also known as the Eurasian jackdaw, European jackdaw, or simply jackdaw, is a passerine bird in the crow family. Found across Europe, western Asia and North Africa, it is mostly resident, although northern and eastern populations migrate south in winter. Four subspecies are recognised, which mainly differ in the colouration of the plumage on the head and nape.

The Western Jackdaw is a black-plumaged bird with a grey nape and distinctive pale-grey irises. It is gregarious and vocal, living in small groups with a complex social structure in farmland, open woodland, on coastal cliffs, and in urban settings. An omnivorous and opportunistic feeder, it eats a wide variety of plant material and invertebrates, as well as food waste from urban areas. Western jackdaws are monogamous and build simple nests of sticks in cavities in trees, cliffs, or buildings.

Names in English dialects are numerous. Scottish and north English dialects have included ka or kae since the 14th century. The Midlands form of this word was co or coo. Caddow is potentially a compound of ka and dow, a variant of daw. Other dialectal or obsolete names include caddesse, cawdaw, caddy, chauk, college-bird, jackerdaw, jacko, ka-wattie, chimney-sweep bird (from their nesting propensities), and sea-crow (from the frequency with which they are found on coasts). It was also frequently known quasi-nominally as Jack.

In some cultures, a jackdaw on the roof is said to predict a new arrival; alternatively, a jackdaw settling on the roof of a house or flying down a chimney is an omen of death, and coming across one is considered a bad omen. A jackdaw standing on the vanes of a cathedral tower is said to foretell rain. (wikipedia)

I am a big fan of Jackdaws. They have great character and are quite handsome birds.

The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson
Shorebirds of Ireland with Jim Wilson.
Freshwater Birds of Ireland with Jim Wilson
www.markcarmodyphotography.com

The European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola) is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a subspecies of the Common Stonechat. Long considered a member of the thrush family Turdidae, genetic evidence has placed it and its relatives in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It is slightly smaller than the European Robin. Both sexes have distinctively short wings. The summer male has black upperparts, a black head, an orange throat and breast, and a white belly and vent. It also has white half-collar on the sides of its neck, a small white scapular patch on the wings, and a very small white patch on the rump often streaked with black. European Stonechats breed in heathland, coastal dunes and rough grassland with scattered small shrubs and bramble, open gorse, tussocks or heather. They are short-distance migrants or non-migratory. The male's song is high and twittering like a Dunnock. Both sexes have a clicking call like stones knocking together. Saxicola rubicola hibernans occurs in northwestern Europe in Atlantic coastal areas, in southwestern Norway, Great Britain, Ireland and northwestern France. (wikipedia)

This is an adult female taken not far from Tresco Abbey on the Isles of Scilly.

There are just three deer species in Ireland – red deer, sika deer and fallow deer. Fallow deer are the most numerous and most widespread nationally. Fallow deer have a dappled coat in summer, also turning to grey in winter. Fallow are larger than sika but smaller than red deer. This is the only Irish species of deer where the bucks have palmate (broad flattened) antlers. The coat coloration is quite variable including Black, White, Brown, Yellowish etc. With the exception of Black and White, the rest have a white underbelly and white rump patch with a black line surround and a black line from the top of the shoulder to the tip of the tail. Common Fallow (the most numerous) are light brown with white spots in summer and this grey and darkens in the winter. Size wise, the fallow is between the Sika and the Red. With adults bucks weighing about 55kg and Does weighting 40-45 kg.

Fallow deer have been present in Phoenix Park, Dublin since the 17th century when they were hunted for sport by the gentry of the day. The present-day herd is descended from those deer who were chased for enjoyment and hunted for food.

Some 200 fawns can be born each year in Phoenix Park. As part of a continuing study, hair and nail clippings are taken from the newborn animal for DNA samples, for official records.

Fawns are colour-tagged shortly after birth and allocated an individual identification number.

This was my first time going to see the rut of the Fallow Deer in Phoenix Park and it was a brilliant sight to see. The calls of both the male and female deer was fantastic and the clashing of the antlers created a great atmosphere. It was a privilege to witness such wildness within the confines of Dublin city. This is a big male who was resting on the periphery of Oldtown Wood in Phoenix Park.

There are just three deer species in Ireland – red deer, sika deer and fallow deer. Fallow deer are the most numerous and most widespread nationally. Fallow deer have a dappled coat in summer, also turning to grey in winter. Fallow are larger than sika but smaller than red deer. This is the only Irish species of deer where the bucks have palmate (broad flattened) antlers. The coat coloration is quite variable including Black, White, Brown, Yellowish etc. With the exception of Black and White, the rest have a white underbelly and white rump patch with a black line surround and a black line from the top of the shoulder to the tip of the tail. Common Fallow (the most numerous) are light brown with white spots in summer and this grey and darkens in the winter. Size wise, the fallow is between the Sika and the Red. With adults bucks weighing about 55kg and Does weighting 40-45 kg.

Fallow deer have been present in Phoenix Park, Dublin since the 17th century when they were hunted for sport by the gentry of the day. The present-day herd is descended from those deer who were chased for enjoyment and hunted for food.

Some 200 fawns can be born each year in Phoenix Park. As part of a continuing study, hair and nail clippings are taken from the newborn animal for DNA samples, for official records.

Fawns are colour-tagged shortly after birth and allocated an individual identification number.

This was my first time going to see the rut of the Fallow Deer in Phoenix Park and it was a brilliant sight to see. The calls of both the male and female deer was fantastic and the clashing of the antlers created a great atmosphere. It was a privilege to witness such wildness within the confines of Dublin city. This is a dominant male who was causing all sorts of aggression amongst the herd in Phoenix Park.

There are just three deer species in Ireland – red deer, sika deer and fallow deer. Fallow deer are the most numerous and most widespread nationally. Fallow deer have a dappled coat in summer, also turning to grey in winter. Fallow are larger than sika but smaller than red deer. This is the only Irish species of deer where the bucks have palmate (broad flattened) antlers. The coat coloration is quite variable including Black, White, Brown, Yellowish etc. With the exception of Black and White, the rest have a white underbelly and white rump patch with a black line surround and a black line from the top of the shoulder to the tip of the tail. Common Fallow (the most numerous) are light brown with white spots in summer and this grey and darkens in the winter. Size wise, the fallow is between the Sika and the Red. With adults bucks weighing about 55kg and Does weighting 40-45 kg.

Fallow deer have been present in Phoenix Park, Dublin since the 17th century when they were hunted for sport by the gentry of the day. The present-day herd is descended from those deer who were chased for enjoyment and hunted for food.

Some 200 fawns can be born each year in Phoenix Park. As part of a continuing study, hair and nail clippings are taken from the newborn animal for DNA samples, for official records.

Fawns are colour-tagged shortly after birth and allocated an individual identification number.

This was my first time going to see the rut of the Fallow Deer in Phoenix Park and it was a brilliant sight to see. The calls of both the male and female deer was fantastic and the clashing of the antlers created a great atmosphere. It was a privilege to witness such wildness within the confines of Dublin city. This is a doe that was part of a harem of does in amongst Oldtown wood in Phoenix Park.

There are just three deer species in Ireland – red deer, sika deer and fallow deer. Fallow deer are the most numerous and most widespread nationally. Fallow deer have a dappled coat in summer, also turning to grey in winter. Fallow are larger than sika but smaller than red deer. This is the only Irish species of deer where the bucks have palmate (broad flattened) antlers. The coat coloration is quite variable including Black, White, Brown, Yellowish etc. With the exception of Black and White, the rest have a white underbelly and white rump patch with a black line surround and a black line from the top of the shoulder to the tip of the tail. Common Fallow (the most numerous) are light brown with white spots in summer and this grey and darkens in the winter. Size wise, the fallow is between the Sika and the Red. With adults bucks weighing about 55kg and Does weighting 40-45 kg.

Fallow deer have been present in Phoenix Park, Dublin since the 17th century when they were hunted for sport by the gentry of the day. The present-day herd is descended from those deer who were chased for enjoyment and hunted for food.

Some 200 fawns can be born each year in Phoenix Park. As part of a continuing study, hair and nail clippings are taken from the newborn animal for DNA samples, for official records.

Fawns are colour-tagged shortly after birth and allocated an individual identification number.

This was my first time going to see the rut of the Fallow Deer in Phoenix Park and it was a brilliant sight to see. The calls of both the male and female deer was fantastic and the clashing of the antlers created a great atmosphere. It was a privilege to witness such wildness within the confines of Dublin city.

The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson
Shorebirds of Ireland with Jim Wilson.
Freshwater Birds of Ireland with Jim Wilson
www.markcarmodyphotography.com

The European goldfinch or goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis), is a small passerine bird in the finch family that is native to Europe, North Africa and western Asia. It has been introduced to other areas including Australia, New Zealand and Uruguay.

The goldfinch has a red face and a black-and-white head. The back and flanks are buff or chestnut brown. The black wings have a broad yellow bar. The tail is black and the rump is white. The female is very similar to the male but has a slightly smaller red area on the face.

The goldfinch is often depicted in Italian renaissance paintings of the Madonna and Child. Goldfinches are commonly kept and bred in captivity around the world because of their distinctive appearance and pleasant song. In Britain during the 19th century many thousands of goldfinches were trapped each year to be sold as cage-birds. One of the earliest campaigns of the Society for the Protection of Birds was directed against this trade.

In the poem The Great Hunger by Patrick Kavanagh, the goldfinch is one of the rare glimpses of beauty in the life of an elderly Irish farmer:

"The goldfinches on the railway paling were worth looking at
A man might imagine then
Himself in Brazil and these birds the birds of paradise" (wikipedia)

This flock of adult and juvenile birds is the biggest I've seen in quite a while. Always a pleasure to watch and listen to this finches.

The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson
Shorebirds of Ireland with Jim Wilson.
Freshwater Birds of Ireland with Jim Wilson
www.markcarmodyphotography.com

The Baird's sandpiper (Calidris bairdii) is a small shorebird. The English name and specific bairdii commemorate Spencer Fullerton Baird, 19th-century naturalist and assistant secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.

Adults have black legs and a short, straight, thin dark bill. They are dark brown on top and mainly white underneath with a black patch on the rump. The head and breast are light brown with dark streaks. In winter plumage, this species is paler brownish gray above. This bird can be difficult to distinguish from other similar tiny shorebirds; these are known collectively as "peeps" or "stints".

One of the best identification features is the long wings, which extend beyond the tail when the bird is on the ground. Only the White-rumped Sandpiper also shows this, and that bird can be distinguished by its namesake feature.

Baird's Sandpipers breed in the northern tundra from eastern Siberia to western Greenland. They are a long distance migrant, wintering in South America. This species is a rare vagrant to western Europe. (wikipedia)

Ireland sees a few Baird's Sandpipers every autumn on the back of autumnal Atlantic storms and the migration of shorebirds from North American which winter in Western Europe or West Africa. It is always exciting to see an American wader on Irish shores. This was taken on the North Bull Island, Co. Dublin.

The Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) is a dragonfly of the family Libellulidae native to Eurasia. It is one of the most common dragonflies in Europe, occurring in a wide variety of water bodies, though with a preference for breeding in still water such as ponds and lakes. In the south of its range adults are on the wing all year round. Adults can be seen on the wing all year round in southern Europe but in northern regions they occur from June to November.

This small dragonfly is seen in a wide variety of habitats, including lakes, ponds, canals and slow-flowing rivers. They are ambush predators, waiting on a prominent perch - such as a leaf or the top of a gate, until prey fly past, whereupon they will fly after it. They are territorial on breeding waters, often attempting to chase much bigger dragonflies away such as southern hawkers. This habit of repeatedly returning to a sunny spot allows you to easily predict where they are going to land, which is why it is one of the easiest dragonflies to photograph. This is one of the most abundant dragonflies in Europe, and populations show no evidence of decline. (wikipedia)

This is a female and was taken at Lullymore peatlands in the Bog of Allen in Co. Kildare. Always a pleasure to see. They even come over to investigate what you are when in their territory, even landing on my shoulder while I was walking around. Love these guys.

The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson
Shorebirds of Ireland with Jim Wilson.
Freshwater Birds of Ireland with Jim Wilson
www.markcarmodyphotography.com

The White Wagtail (Motacilla alba) is a small passerine bird in the wagtail family Motacillidae, which also includes the pipits and longclaws. This species breeds in much of Europe and Asia and parts of north Africa. It is resident in the mildest parts of its range, but otherwise migrates to Africa. It has a toehold in Alaska as a scarce breeder. In the Britain and Ireland, the darker sub-species the Pied Wagtail (M. a. yarrellii) predominates.

It is an insectivorous bird of open country, often near habitation and water. It prefers bare areas for feeding, where it can see and pursue its prey. In urban areas it has adapted to foraging on paved areas such as car parks. It nests in crevices in stone walls and similar natural and man-made structures. The White Wagtail is the national bird of Latvia.

The white wagtail was one of the many species originally described by Linnaeus in his 18th-century work, Systema Naturae, and it still bears its original name of Motacilla alba. The Latin genus name originally meant "little mover", but certain medieval writers thought it meant "wag-tail", giving rise to a new Latin word cilla for "tail". The specific epithet alba is Latin for "white".

There are 9 to 11 subspecies, some of which may have arisen because of partial geographical isolation, such as the resident British and Irish form, the Pied Wagtail M. a. yarrellii, which now also breeds in adjacent areas of the neighbouring European mainland. The Pied Wagtail, named for naturalist William Yarrell, exchanges the grey colour of the nominate form with black (or very dark grey in females), but is otherwise identical in its behaviour. (wikipedia)

Taken in a rare break between storms and rain over the holiday period this Christmas. It was feeding and singing among storm-strewn seaweed at the sea front of Cuskinny Bay, Cobh, Co. Cork.

The Birds of Ireland: A Field Guide with Jim Wilson
Shorebirds of Ireland with Jim Wilson.
Freshwater Birds of Ireland with Jim Wilson
www.markcarmodyphotography.com

The American bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus is a species of wading bird of the heron family (Ardeidae). It has a Nearctic distribution, breeding in Canada and the northern and central parts of the United States, and wintering in the southern United States, the Caribbean islands and parts of Central America. It is a well-camouflaged, solitary brown bird that unobtrusively inhabits marshes and the coarse vegetation at the edge of lakes and ponds. In the breeding season it is chiefly noticeable by the loud, booming call of the male.

The American Bittern feeds mostly on fish, but also eats other small vertebrates as well as crustaceans and insects. It is fairly common over its wide range but its numbers are thought to be decreasing, especially in the south, due to habitat degradation. However the total population is large, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "Least Concern".

The range of this bittern includes much of North America. It breeds in southern Canada as far north as British Columbia, the Great Slave Lake and Hudson Bay, and in much of the United States and possibly central Mexico. It migrates southward in the fall and overwinters in the southern United States, the Caribbean Islands and Mexico, with past records also coming from Panama and Costa Rica. As a long-distance migrant, it is a very rare vagrant in Europe, including Great Britain and Ireland. (wikipedia)

With meetings arranged for Cork on a Monday morning, I visited my parents in Cobh over the weekend and decided to twitch this extremely rare vagrant to Irish shores on Sunday morning. It was well worth getting out of bed for, despite the terribly overcast and dark conditions. The first live American Bittern in Ireland in living memory. The last record was of a bird found dead by a dog in Tacumshin, Co. Wexford in 1990.

www.markcarmodyphotography.com/blog and www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/RealData/Articles.asp

The Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica) is a species of penguin which is found in the South Sandwich Islands, Antarctica, Deception Island, the South Orkneys, South Shetland, South Georgia, Bouvet Island and Balleny. Their name derives from the narrow black band under their heads which makes it appear as if they are wearing black helmets, making them one of the most easily identified types of penguin. They live on barren islands and during winter congregate on large icebergs of the sub-Antarctic region and the Antarctic Peninsula; however, they require solid, snow-free ground for nesting. The chinstrap penguin's primary predator is the leopard seal. The 16 million Chinstrap Penguins have typical life spans of 15–23 years. (wikipedia)

Chinstrap Penguins spent a lot of time preening after they come back in from the ocean. Taken at Barrientos Island of the Aitcho Island group on the western coastline of the Antarctic peninsula.

www.markcarmodyphotography.com/blog and www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/RealData/Articles.asp

The Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica) is a species of penguin which is found in the South Sandwich Islands, Antarctica, Deception Island, the South Orkneys, South Shetland, South Georgia, Bouvet Island and Balleny. Their name derives from the narrow black band under their heads which makes it appear as if they are wearing black helmets, making them one of the most easily identified types of penguin. They live on barren islands and during winter congregate on large icebergs of the sub-Antarctic region and the Antarctic Peninsula; however, they require solid, snow-free ground for nesting. The chinstrap penguin's primary predator is the leopard seal. The 16 million chinstrap penguins have typical lifespans of 15–23 years. (wikipedia)

The Quark Expedition's ship the M.V. Sea Spirit in the background of a nesting Chinstrap Penguin colony on Barrientos Island of the Aitcho Island group on the western coastline of the Antarctic peninsula.

www.markcarmodyphotography.com/blog and www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/RealData/Articles.asp

The scale of the icebergs in Cierva Cove along the Antarctic Peninsula is very hard to describe. Here, a massive grounded iceberg is slowly melting and eroding over time. The colours of the ice here were hard to describe. The silence and clarity of the air here was breathtaking. No contrails in the sky, no noise of man. It was heartbreakingly beautiful.

www.markcarmodyphotography.com/blog and www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/RealData/Articles.asp

Elephant Island is an ice-covered mountainous island off the coast of Antarctica in the outer reaches of the South Shetland Islands, in the Southern Ocean. Its name was given by early explorers sighting elephant seals on its shores. The island is situated 245 kilometres (152 mi) north-northeast of the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, 1,253 kilometres (779 mi) westsouthwest of South Georgia, 935 kilometres (581 mi) south of the Falkland Islands, and 885 kilometres (550 mi) southeast of Cape Horn.

Elephant Island's name can be attributed to both its elephant head-like appearance and the sighting of elephant seals by Captain George Powell in 1821, one of the earliest sightings. The weather is normally foggy with much snow, and winds can reach 160 km/h (100 mph).

The island is most famous as the desolate refuge of Ernest Shackleton and his crew in 1916. Following the loss of their ship Endurance in Weddell Sea ice, the 28 exhausted men reached Cape Valentine on Elephant Island after a harrowing ordeal on drifting ice floes. After camping at Cape Valentine for two nights, Shackleton and his crew moved 7 miles westwards to a location which offered better protection from rockfalls and from the sea, and which they called Point Wild.

In one of the most incredible feats in the history of sailing and navigation, Shackleton sailed with five other men on a 1,287 km (800 mi) voyage in the open lifeboat James Caird on Easter Monday, April 24, 1916, arriving at South Georgia 16 days later. His second-in-command, Frank Wild, was left in charge of the men on Elephant Island, waiting for Shackleton's return with a rescue ship. They hunted for penguins and seals, neither of which were plentiful in autumn or winter. Many of the crew were already ill and frostbitten, and they were now also in danger of starvation. After four and a half months, one of the men spotted a ship on August 30, 1916. The ship, with Shackleton on board, was the tug Yelcho, from Punta Arenas, Chile, commanded by Luis Pardo, which rescued all the men who had set out on the original expedition. Point Wild contains the Endurance Memorial Site, an Antarctic Historic Site (HSM 53), with a bust of Captain Pardo and several plaques. (wikipedia)

This is one of the glaciers coming down to the sea from the island. It was a breathtaking view.