Part I: Seals teeth and whales ears - Scott Polar Research Institute ...

grating, chirring noise and I located them in a cranny about 6 ins across which
extended into the rock for about a yard. One was sitting on a formless bundle of
feathers that looked as though it might be a dead nestling but I didn't try too hard to
retrieve it as the snowies can eject evil red oil to a distance of 2-3 ft. I also watched a
flock of about 60 Cape pigeons flying along the coast. They also had been seen only
infrequently in the previous few weeks.
While collecting water at our well-pool several snow petrels flew around the
crags in a band, doing acrobatics. One pair flew off across the face of the cliff
repeatedly diving at each other with harsh metallic chirring. I saw several go to what
were evidently nesting crannies and climbed up the rock face to have a look at them.
They all had accumulated droppings and loose feathers so were evidently nests. It
seemed that the adults returned to roost after hatching and fledging of young, since
in some of these sites there were two birds. Then I scrambled up the gully to the
Northeast of the main crags and found many snow petrels in nest sites there. Their
tracks in the new snow made it easy to spot the nests. On one ledge half way up the
crag were six unfledged giant petrel chicks.
By the end of March the pack was all along the eastern shores of the island, with
larger floes and growlers close inshore and a gradation outwards to very small
particles on the seaward border. Several Cape pigeons were flying about and their
plumage pattern merged perfectly into the background of small ice lumps,
particularly when it was dull. Was there any significance in this protective
coloration? I could see none, as the species has no obvious enemies other than skuas
near the nest, against which it would serve as protection. The pair of snow petrels
wasn’t in their nesting hole and I was able to remove and examine the mass of
feathers - which proved to be a nestling in very advanced plumage.
At the start of April I had a look at all the young giant petrels and ascertained
that they still retained their rings. I also found six on Knife Point, which we had
missed and must ring soon. It had been raining and I was soaked but saw a young
giant being fed by a parent and stopped to take notes - so got even wetter. That
evening I sent Bill Sladen at Hope Bay a list of ring sizes, which I had determined for
different species and there followed a long discussion, though reception was not very
clear. Then Dr Fuchs came on from Stonington and said they had been listening and
could I allocate Stonehouse some numbers to fit in with the new system. He was
ringing penguins; I suggested 60301-60400, then had an R/T chat with him and told
him which skins were particularly needed by the Natural History Museum, and so
on.
Bill Sladen sent a message saying that he would send me information from
Murphy (R C Murphy: Oceanic birds of South America, the Antarctic bird watcher’s
bible at that time). Apparently Bill's lab wasn't usable so he hadn't got much done,
but hoped to concentrate on sheathbills and terns. I told him I would work on
chinstrap penguins, snow petrels and terns and we could exchange notes. In the
event I didn't do much on terns, but spent much time watching and ringing the
giants.
I went out to ring snow petrels one evening. About 80 were flying about above
the crags and over the brash in the bay. There appeared to be some sort of territorial
organization because, if one landed near the nest of another pair, there was an outcry
of harsh chirring and one of the sitting birds might even give chase, mouth open,
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