Antarctic Petrel, 70NM north of South Shetland Islands (Mike Watson)
ANTARCTIC PETREL! I was lucky to be able to shout this a few times on my recent Birdquest, Antarctica: In Search of the Emperor Penguin tour. There’s more to it though. Last time I was down there I only saw one of these ‘Ice Petrels’. It is one of a trio of birds that you really need to go to Antarctica for, along with Emperor and Adelie Penguins. Snow Petrel occurs in South Georgia, South Polar Skua can be seen in the northern hemisphere and the Antarctic form of Imperial Shag is currently lumped. That’s it. Early one morning I was making my usual pre-birding visit to the hot chocolate machine in the saloon of MV Plancius when one flew past the window. In a panic I raced around the ship trying to get the message to the other folks on the tour, failing miserably and by the time I had gone through all the motions of that it was flying away from the ship, into the distance, not to be seen again. That was it, no photo, just a few views through spray-covered windows. Although I had just seen a terrific bird I felt deflated, a crazy outcome of what should have been an exciting experience. My pals said I was wrong to have attempted to get anyone else, birds often come and go quickly and if you want to see it then you ought to be on deck looking. I’ve come around to this way of thinking and it really is the only practical solution. If something significant turns up and sticks for a while then the expedition team can use the communications system to announce it.
Antarctic Petrel no.#1 in a force 10 snow storm wasn’t easy to see, it didn’t stay for long and while it did, viewing conditions were poor
After our first brief sighting, north of the South Shetland Islands (but south of the convergence), which was only seen by a couple of us, we had to wait for a few days until the next, which was in glorious sunshine in the Bransfield Strait and circled the boat for at least five minutes, allowing everyone to get up on deck and see it thanks to the tannoy. It was high-flying and often above eye-level, with two Pintado Petrels and after some time their circling became quicker and the trio gained height before zooming away somewhere.
Antarctic Petrel Sighting no. #2 is much more obliging complete with evening sunshine and blue sky!
We were all quite happy to see this one, but some folks arrived too late to get a look at its upperside. So, the pair of them that followed the boat for almost TWELVE HOURS (!!!) on our northward journey in the Drake Passage was very welcome indeed. We could take a rest, have something to eat etc and go out on deck and there they were, still zooming around the boat, in better light in the afternoon and with a gang of other excellent seabirds. A quite incredible encounter, after which we couldn’t wish for better. They were so close at times you could almost reach out and touch them as they sped past deck six! I even saw them from my cabin porthole. Alain had three together late in the afternoon, before all of the seabirds veered away, more or less at the convergence. What a great experience that was, even better than the penguins for me!
Antarctic Petrels nos. #3 & #4 were even better, almost twelve hours of buy one get one free!
The Antarctic Petrels occasionally dropped lower to water level, allowing some great looks at the upperparts
Antarctic Petrel is a powerfully built seabird, hardly surprising considering where it lives
Antarctic Petrel - Ian Lewington painting effect?
Antarctic Petrel through the wake
Following the leader, Black-browed Albatross, with an Antarctic Prion in tow
Pintado (or Cape) Petrel for comparison, I love the description in Howell’ & Zufelt’s excellent Oceanic Birds book that ‘Antarctic Petrel looks like a Pintado Petrel that has been organised’.
Snow Petrel - we were treated to so many great looks at the other ‘Ice Petrel’.