Ever wonder what a penguin colony sounds like at night? This is from our southern study colony on Antipodes. Our camp is located about 50 ft away so we get to hear (and smell) them all night long.

Crèching is imminent for the erect-crested penguin chicks. But being too big to fit under dad means that they are now exposed to the sun. On bright sunny days the colonies can get very warm, so the chicks resort to rather dramatic panting to stay cool. I’m sure they are relieved when night comes.

This big erect-crested penguin chick has figured out how to game the system. That’s not its dad beside it. This chick belongs to a neighbor. Over several days we watched it get fed by its mom and then waddle over to the neighbor and successfully get fed a second time by another chick’s mom.

We often stop for a break in this gully when crossing the central plateau of Antipodes Island. Thjs time we had the privilege of being visited by a very curious pair of skuas. They were busy testing our boots and packs for at least 20 minutes before we had to continue our walk.

While we were fighting to walk over the ridge in 40 knot winds, these northern giant petrels were having the time of their life. They really are amazing seabirds. #antipodesisland

Caught a sweet moment today while doing nest checks.