Port Lockroy & Petermann Island, Antarctica
What may seem commonplace or totally useless to one species may be more valuable than gold to another. In fact, here in the far south, a tiny rock has been known to be the cause of neighborhood aggressions. Here a pile of tiny pebbles might mean the difference between life and death. Acquisition of this treasure trove is attained by many hours of manual labor generally but today the strategy was pure and simple thievery. It seemed that no matter where we turned whether it be on Jougla Point or Petermann Island, the gentoo penguin population was stressed to find sufficient building blocks for their nests.
High thin clouds scratched the deep blue sky and drew a rainbow around the sun. Glaciers poured from valleys and ice floes glittered as they drifted upon the quiet seas. On shore at Jougla Point and Goudier Island gentoo penguins waited, their patience wearing thin. Six feet or so of snow still covers the rocky shores and nesting time is now. The more experienced of the species crowd the few exposed ridges while others go through the motions of courtship and preparation but eggs laid in snow soon become nutritious meals for waiting skuas. As Weddell seals snored, oblivious to all the action, on a tiny ledge a penguin sat, eggs tucked tightly against its belly. Together the pair had marched from here to there and back again carrying stones, miniscule and large, delicately arranging them to make the perfect platform, high and dry, safe from the melting snow and muddy flow. One mate was out for the day, feeding and fattening to return and take its turn incubating the precious egg. Was it the location or the construction that drew the attention of at least seven others? Or had this pair borrowed from all of the others to build their abode? Over the course of several hours the gang attacked. One after the other they marched to this lonely nest, dogging the sharp and snapping beak of the lone inhabitant. He or she could not leave the developing progeny to give chase. It could only crouch and defend. One by one the stones were removed and added to other new constructions.
Further south, on Petermann Island, nesting was well underway in spite of the snow that hindered our pace. Adélie, gentoo and even one chinstrap seemed to have the breeding season well in hand. But here too thieves were hard at work. The wealthiest seemed to be those who stole more from their neighbors than their neighbors nipped from them.
