As we cruised north today, on the last leg of the southern portion of our journey up the South American coast, we were accompanied by a wonderful variety of soaring seabirds. During the morning the winds were high and the dark blue seas broke into whitecaps all around us. Fortunately, it was a following sea and the Caledonian Star rode it beautifully, giving us an excellent, stable platform from which to watch the birds riding the wind all around us. As is often the case with pelagic bird watching (that is, birding on open ocean waters) the birds were some what patchy, concentrated in the areas where upwelling currents had caused blooms of phytoplankton, supporting a diverse marine food web which in turn supported the birds. Even so, there were always several species to be seen and in the concentrated areas the number and variety of birds were really astounding.
Most dramatic of all were the albatrosses. Cruising low over the waves and then soaring up with just a twist of their long wings, these peripatetic giants of the seabird world escorted us throughout the day. We identified no fewer than five species, a remarkable total, including the Wandering Albatross (whose wingspan is greater than any other living bird), as well as Royal, White-capped, Gray-headed and Black-browed Albatrosses. While these ponderous leviathans of the air cut graceful arcs over the sea, their tiny cousins the Wilson's Storm Petrels were winging inches above the spray, darting here and there, dabbling the water with their feet in search of the tiny crustaceans which are their prey. Equally tiny Red-necked Phalaropes flitted among them, virtually the only birds we saw which did not belong to the Albatross or Petrel families. And it was the petrels, masters of the open ocean environment, which were the most diverse of all. From the heavy-bodied Southern Giant Petrel to the small, delicate Stejneger's Petrel, we saw a marvelous variety of these "perfect seabirds". Their family is known as the tubenoses, after the large tubes on their upper bills from which excess salt can be excreted, allowing them to drink salt water as they spend their lives at sea. Over the course of the day we also encountered White-necked Petrels, White-chinned Petrels, and Pink-footed Shearwaters, all members of this diverse family.
Later, in the afternoon, the wind began to lie down and the birds soon settled as well. Robbed of the energy of the wind which allows their effortless flight, many of the albatrosses and petrels sat down onto the water to rest and wait until the wind resumed. Standing on the foredeck of the Caledonian Star, I was able to take this photo of a Royal Albatross, second largest after the Wandering, taking off on its remarkable ten foot wingspan as we approached. The bird flew on a few meters and then settled once more onto the water while we sailed on, toward new adventures.
Most dramatic of all were the albatrosses. Cruising low over the waves and then soaring up with just a twist of their long wings, these peripatetic giants of the seabird world escorted us throughout the day. We identified no fewer than five species, a remarkable total, including the Wandering Albatross (whose wingspan is greater than any other living bird), as well as Royal, White-capped, Gray-headed and Black-browed Albatrosses. While these ponderous leviathans of the air cut graceful arcs over the sea, their tiny cousins the Wilson's Storm Petrels were winging inches above the spray, darting here and there, dabbling the water with their feet in search of the tiny crustaceans which are their prey. Equally tiny Red-necked Phalaropes flitted among them, virtually the only birds we saw which did not belong to the Albatross or Petrel families. And it was the petrels, masters of the open ocean environment, which were the most diverse of all. From the heavy-bodied Southern Giant Petrel to the small, delicate Stejneger's Petrel, we saw a marvelous variety of these "perfect seabirds". Their family is known as the tubenoses, after the large tubes on their upper bills from which excess salt can be excreted, allowing them to drink salt water as they spend their lives at sea. Over the course of the day we also encountered White-necked Petrels, White-chinned Petrels, and Pink-footed Shearwaters, all members of this diverse family.
Later, in the afternoon, the wind began to lie down and the birds soon settled as well. Robbed of the energy of the wind which allows their effortless flight, many of the albatrosses and petrels sat down onto the water to rest and wait until the wind resumed. Standing on the foredeck of the Caledonian Star, I was able to take this photo of a Royal Albatross, second largest after the Wandering, taking off on its remarkable ten foot wingspan as we approached. The bird flew on a few meters and then settled once more onto the water while we sailed on, toward new adventures.
