tiabunna's photos with the keyword: East Antarctica

Following the interest in my previous shot (link in note) of the pair of South Polar Skuas Stercorarius maccormicki , here's a wider shot to give more context. Although it's easy to dislike skuas because they predate on penguin chicks and eggs, they also fill a very useful role as scavengers, keeping the area clean: natural decay in Antarctica is very slow indeed.

The French antarctic base of Dumont d'Urville is situated on a series of rocky islands. There are thousands of nesting Adelie penguins in the surrounding area. This panorama was taken looking westward along the coast from near the station, which is to the right. The note has a larger version of the image. Use the 'satellite view' if looking at the location.

A pair of South Polar Skuas Stercorarius maccormicki which have just laid claim to a spot in an Adelie penguin colony, screeching defiance to other skuas circling overhead. With neighbours like these, you have to feel sorry for the penguin in the background! I later showed this to a French biologist, who told me he had banded the nearer skua several years previously and appreciated the information on its location.

Plant life is remarkably resilient. It can be found growing even in the permanent cold of Antarctica in the form of lichens and mosses, such as this. On the right is a section of Adelie penguin egg shell. Contact with moss, such as this, probably explains the green stain on the penguin seen in the note.

This "Ice City" with ice skyscrapers appeared over the horizon as we travelled late at night near the coast of East Antarctica. Taken on long zoom, it was in fact even further away than it appeared, but had been raised above the horizon and stretched upward by the effect of temperature inversions above the cold sea, to create what is called a "Mirage Fata Morgana". When we eventually reached the iceberg, it was little different from the one at right: the magical effect disappeared with proximity.

Near the coastline of East Antarctica at about midnight on Midsummer's Day, with 'sunset' at the Antarctic Circle travelling eastward along the horizon to the south and reflected on clouds and icebergs to the north. I like it on black (press Z).