Wedding anniversary

Again I was awake early on the Sunday morning and despite it being our wedding anniversary the thought that we had only a few hours left on the island had me up and keen to get out. Simon was not so sure but by the time we had had a cup of tea and the sun was shining he was happy to come too so we set out at 6am and headed back southwards towards Leopard Beach, seeing dolphins swimming in the bay and stopping on the way to watch the stragglers of the gentoo penguin colony making their way down the hill to the sea.

Walking along the sandy beach in warm sunshine watching penguins entering and leaving the water was quite idylic. We then visited the smaller gentoo colony and watched Falkland skuas circling on the lookout for unguarded nests to rob. After climbing a small hill we made our way back listening to sea lions roaring on a small island in the bay and watching two of them swimming along near the shore.


After having breakfast and packing up we had time for another short walk before being driven back to the airstrip where are plane was due to arrive at mid-day. We had seen so much and been so well looked after we were sorry to be leaving such a lovely place but suspect we will return sometime.


Our return flight was much smoother and we flew over some of the other islands before returning to land in heavy rain at Stanley.

When I recieved a phone call after lunch asking if I could go to work I declined (one of the advantages of being a bank nurse) and we enjoyed a relaxing afternoon and going to church in the evening.

Imperial shags

After enjoying the packed lunch we had been given sitting in a sheltered sunny spot beside some tussac grass we headed off along the north coast of the island which was steeper and more rugged with sea cliffs and reminded us of Pembrokeshire (apart from the numerous penguins popping into their burrows!). We had been told we would pass a colony of imperial or king shags but were not prepared for the sight of thousands of them all in a small area, and again they seemed unperturbed by us only a few feet from them.

Their nests are built on piles of hardened mud, and presumably droppings, which they obviously return to each year, and are almost touching each other. They were making nests of seaweed but largely seemed to be stealing it from each other and there were some vigorous tugs of war going on.

The fishy smell was very strong but they were beautiful, especially when seen close up. With iridescent black backs and white fronts, they have large orange knobs above their beaks and violet coloured eye rings.

We then headed up the steep north facing slope (the sunny side in this part of the world) and saw some of the first spring flowers including a ladies slipper which has yellow slipper shaped flowers with a red edge, slightly like a tiny foxglove. We scrambled up to the highest peak - Mount Byng from where we had a great view of the surrounding islands and mainland coast. We saw 2 crested caracaras, the same family as the Johnny Rooks, but much more wary of people and living in isolated pairs.

By the time we had walked back down to the settlement we were ready for a shower and dinner and an early night. We had been blessed by a dry day with intervals of sunshine and only a light wind which was very different to what had been forecast.

Sea elephants

Sorry about the delay in continuing, not quite sure where the week has gone.
Having woken early last Saturday I went for a walk before breakfast and saw lots of interesting birds along the beach near the settlement including tiny Cobb's wrens which are endemic to the Falklands but only live on islands which are free of cats, rats and mice. They nest under rocks on the beach. I also saw 2 oyster catchers on their nests at the top of the beach. Their dark green speckled eggs are very hard to spot in their nest of stones. There were also lots of tussac birds, rather like very small blackbirds, but remarkably inquisitive and tame, coming right up to your feet, and I watched one building a nest under a pile of fence stakes near the house.


After breakfast Rob drove us up towards the north end of the island near the airstrip and dropped us off. We set off to explore the North - West Point and as soon as we reached the beach were surprised to see a huge bull sea elephant or elephant seal just in front of us. Despite having read about them I was still amazed at the size of it and we were standing only a few feet from it. The mature males grow to more than 5 metres long and weigh 4 tons. They have an extraordinary nose almost like a short elephants trunk and can open and close their nostrils. Most of the time he just lay dozing but occasionally sat up and opened his mouth wide revealing some large teeth. They seem very ungainly on land when dragging themselves along but are very agile in the sea.


As we walked around the point we saw lots of them, many in groups of a mature male with his harem of females and pups, but also some groups of immature males. Most of the adults have scars on their brown coats where they have been fighting. The new born pups are black and are only suckled for about 3 weeks in which time they quadruple their weight. The females then mate and return to the sea. The pups moult and get a thick coat that is silvery grey on their undersides and dark grey on top - very thick and soft to touch.


The seals feed on penguins and fish and squid for which they are able to dive to incredible depths, staying underwater for long periods (one book says depths of up to 1500m & 90 minutes).

We also saw a few Southern sea lions but these were much shier and ran into the tussac grass or the sea, although interestingly a female and 4 large pups we had seen near home a couple of weeks ago had been very unconcerned at our presence.

There are also some fresh water ponds where we saw a variety of geese, ducks, grebes and waders and watched Magelanic penguins having a bath.

An amazing weekend

We have just had an amazing weekend away to celebrate our 34th wedding anniversary. After being told different departure times for our flight to Carcass Island it was finally confirmed that we were due to depart at 2:30 so we checked in a bit before 2pm. The local airport is only about 10 minutes drive away. You have to be weighed as well as all your luggage and the pilot allocates seats accordingly to balance the plane. There was an extremely strong and very gusty wind on Friday afternoon so I was very grateful to have taken an anti-sickness tablet before we went as it was very bumpy.

The Islander plane can take 7 passengers if 1 sits next to the pilot. There was 1 other person going to Carcass Island and 2 others going on to somewhere else. We had the seats behind the pilot and there are big windows next to them so we had a great view out - though somewhat scary as we flew very low over hill tops and along hillsides. When we landed on the grass airstrip there was a landrover waiting for us and the driver had cleared the geese and sheep from the runway. The landrover had a trailer with fire fighting equipment on. After the plane had taken off again the trailer was returned to a small shed near the airstrip on our way back to the settlement which was about 30 minutes drive.

When we got there we were welcome by Lorraine McGill. She and her husband Rob have owned the Island since 1974 and are so hospitable and have a wealth of information and wisdom to share. They have sheep and beef cattle but also run the island as a nature reserve and welcome visitors. They employ someone to help on the farm and a Chilian cook and his wife to help in the house.


After a welcome cup of tea and homemade cakes we set off at 5pm for a walk before dinner.
We were keen to see the colony of Gentoo penguins and were very surprised when Lorraine told us we would find them on the top of a 500 foot high hill about a mile from the house. Somewhat disconcertingly as we trudged up the hill a striated caracara (known locally as Johnny rook) kept swooping down within inches of my head. These birds of prey are remarkably unafraid of people and love to steal anything you put down - I was wondering if I was going to lose my hair!


As we reached the top of the hill there was this amazing sight of hundreds of penguins. They look rather like king penguins but smaller and were busy re-arranging there nests of pebbles and twigs of diddle dee, a low growing bushy plant, and talking to each other. We were able to sit just a few feet from the edge of the colony and some came up really close to look at us. A few of them were already sitting on eggs. Each day these penguins walk all the way down to the sea to feed and then in the evening trudge back up the hill. Apparently they used to nest lower down and there is still a small colony closer to the shore. About 5 years ago there was a red algae tide affected the area and many of them died but the survivors moved to the top of the hill and have stayed there since.

We then walked down towards Leopard beach where more Gentoo and Magellanic penguins were coming out of the sea. passing lots of upland geese with goslings and teal with ducklings on a small pond. Beacause this Island has been kept free of cats, rats and mice birds flourish and we saw so many different ones. There are no native trees on the Falklands although there are some planted around settlements. However there is tussac grass which grows up to about 10 feet tall in huge clumps and provides shelter and nesting sights for many birds. In many places over- grazing by sheep or cattle has killed the tussac grass but there are still large areas around the coast of Carcass Island.


We had seen Magellanic penguins before as there are some at Gypsy Cove not far from Stanley. They return here late September to breed and are smaller than the Gentoo penguins. They nest in burrows they dig in the peaty soil and return to the same burrow and the same mate each year. On Carcass Island there are thousands of them and the hillsides along the coast look like rabbit warrens but with penguins standind outside the burrows or diving down the holes when they see you instead of rabbits. They call to each other with an amazing braying sound, particularly in the early morning and evening - hence their local name of jackass penguins. I was woken at 3:30 the next morning by the noise they were making near the house and this was followed by a beautiful dawn chorus of small birds in the trees outside our window.

Shopping

After I had written yesterday I went out to do a bit of shopping. The main supermarket here, the West store, is run by the Falkland Island Company (FIC). They import a limited range from Waitrose and Iceland (but not at UK prices) and also other products. The FIC also have shops selling household goods, tools and building materials, clothes, stationary and books, and car parts.
There is also the Seafish Chandlery which sell quite a lot of food and deli items as well as various other things like outdoor clothing and fishing tackle. The Kelper Stores are smaller and sell mostly food - more of which is well past its sell by date but often cheaper. Then there are several shops which sell very stange combinations of things ranging from some food items to farming supplies to car parts and household goods. Most shops are in portacabins or even peoples houses and don't look like shops so it is taking a while to find where is the best place for what. There are also several gift shops and galleries mainly catering for the tourist trade in the summer. There is a nursery / garden centre on the edge of town which grows produce in large polytunnels and sells seeds, garden accessories and gifts.
You can find most basic items somewhere although there is not always much choice and things are often out of stock until the next shipment comes in. Also many things, particularly bulky light objects are very expensive.
There is one service station selling petrol, diesel and kerosene and that also has a small shop attached.

Transport

Well I have sown some seeds and it is trying to rain again so I thought I would add a bit more.
As it is our wedding anniversary on Sunday we have booked to go to Carcass Island (one of the smaller islands to the north-west of West Falkland) for the weekend where we are hoping to see some different wildlife including elephant seals. The Falkland Islands government air service (FIGAS) flies to many parts of the islands, doing a trip around to wherever people want to get on or off. When we booked a couple of weeks ago we were told that we would be on the 10:30am flight but when I rang to confirm this morning it seems we now won't be going until 3pm which is a bit disappointing as we are still on the morning flight back on Sunday. They announce on the local radio each evening who is going where on the next days schedule so you wouldn't get away with slinking off for an illicit weekend!
We bought and shipped out here a second hand Mitsabushi double cab pick-up which arrived before we did. When we went to collect it we found that the battery was completely flat and when jump started the alarm sounded continuously. However one of the local garages got that sorted out after the weekend and I was able to sort out insurance, registration and tax and get new number plates made. Simon has since enjoyed a couple of off-road driving experiences.
We also shipped out 2 new mountain bikes which we use to get to work and around town. Having not ridden a bike for nearly 30 years I am still rather wobbly on mine, particularly when it is windy!
About 99% of the vehicles here are 4 wheel drive with about half being landrover defenders and many with lots of extra items like metal tracking, ropes, spades and spare wheels strapped on top to assist when "bogged".
The government have pledged to put gravelled roads to all the settlements in "camp", that is everywhere outside Stanley, but once you leave these it is easy to sink into the peat bogs.
The speed limit is 25mph in town and 40mph outside town and the police are strict in enforcing it. It is easy to get distracted when driving or cycling into or out of town as going along beside the harbour there are usually interesting birds to see.
Stanley is built on a grid system on a steep hill and traffic going up and down the hill has priority over that going across the hill at junctions apart from the bottom road that runs by the harbour.
Until recently there was a boat called the Tamar that regularly supplied the coastal settlements and smaller islands but this has recently been replaced by a car ferry called the Concordia Bay which runs between East and West Falkland twice a week so it is now possible to drive to the West but apparently it is not able to go to all the places that the old boat did, so some communities are more isolated.
October 6th was a public holiday (peat cutting day, although few people now cut and burn peat) so we went out for a drive around quite a bit of East Falkland which was really interesting. As we had blizzards over the weekend the central mountains were all snow covered and very impressive. We went through a deep ford and realised later that we had lost our front number plate.
We have also explored quite a bit locally and had some nice walks.

Home and garden

We were met at the airport by Rob, one of Simon's colleagues, and driven the 35 miles to Stanley. After a quick tour of the town we were taken to our house and were very pleasantly surprised. We have a very spacious 4 bedroomed bungalow to the east of town. The garden is large and sloping, more steeply at the front than the back, and we have views out over the harbour. I can even keep an eye on Simon windsurfing from our lounge window.
The garden is mostly very rough grass and rocks. Our tenancy agreement contained all sorts of clauses about not having anything in your garden apart from a wheelie bin and not planting any trees or shrubs but somebody seems to have got away with planting a couple of small trees in the past which are very welcome. A small area at the back had previously been used for vegetables and I am gradually enlarging it and also digging a flower bed at the front of the house. I have various seeds growing in pots on window sills at the moment.
Vegetable gardening is rather challenging with cool temperatures, strong winds, salt spray, numerous rocks that are too big to dig out and frequent vists from wild geese. I have a 10 foot x 15 foot polytunnel on its way with our last freight but we do not yet have permission to put it up and I don't know if I will be able to dig the 8 holes required for the foundation poles without hitting solid rock. Many of the local people have polytunnels in their gardens - some of them really big ones.
The major incentive for gardening is the scarcity and high price of fresh (or more usually stale) vegetables and fruit in the shops. A few things are grown locally but most are brought in from Chile by air or boat. Small leeks and tomatoes are about £1 each, a very small head of brocoli, a small cabbage, or a small cucumber about £3 each, a pineapple £8 or £9. A 5 kilo bag of potatoes is £6.
Our soil is a mixture of peat, sand and stones and dries out very quickly. I bought a sack of general purpose compost from the garden centre - it was Arthur Bowers imported from the UK and costing nearly £14 . I think I will be going peat digging at some point! I have already been and collected a load of horse manure from the common, where there are quite a few horses kept, but need to get another load soon. It is quite time consuming wandering around with bucket and spade and carrying it back to the vehicle as the horses roam over a vast area.
A couple of weeks ago we noticed water seeping out from under the bath and found that the carpet in the next bedroom was soaking wet. The men from the public works department were called in to investigate (one advantage of renting your house) and it turns out the shower has been leaking for a long time. Considerable demolition has taken place and then the job abandoned as the PWD also do funerals and there have been 3 deaths recently. However the workmen are back today so progress is being made. Also the plumber is going to fit an outside tap for us which will be very useful for watering the garden and rinsing windsurf kit.
Kerosene is used for heating and hot water, bottled gas for cooking and you buy cards to top up the electricity meter. These all seem much dearer than in the UK but petrol and diesel are much cheaper . However we don't usually drive far at all!
Well the rain has stopped and the sun is trying to shine so I am going to rake down a patch of garden and sow some carrots while the soil is damp.

Weather

I was wondering whether to work backwards or forwards chronologically or just to write about different topics. It will probably end up being a mixture but as Simon has posted a picture of our garden with snow on and as we are British I thought I would start with the weather.
It is certainly very variable. As we flew into Mount Pleasant airport the mountains were covered with snow and I was struck by the huge number of lakes and ponds we flew over and how indented the coastline is. When we left the plane the wind hit us and it felt cold!
It is very often windy and sometimes extremely windy although there are occasionally calm sunny days when it is really warm. Last Saturday we had gale force winds. In fact one of the old wrecks in the harbour - the Jhelum, which has been there since it was declared unseaworthy in the 1870's partially disintegrated during the storm and ancient timbers washed up on the shore. (I noticed when taking some stones and garden rubbish to the tip yesterday that they had been collected up and dumped which seemed rather a sad end for such relics). When we went for a walk along the promentary on the far side of the harbour (the sheltered side) on Saturday evening I was glad to be wearing my long thermal undies, fleece, windproof coat, hat, scarf and gloves.
However Sunday afternoon was still and sunny and I felt hot in a T shirt when we climbed Tumbledown Mountain (scene of fierce fighting shortly before the liberation of Stanley).
Generally it has been very dry since we arrived but we have had rain the past couple of days.

Spring in the Falklands

You may wonder what spring is like in the Falklands. They say you can have 4 seasons here any time of year - guess which this is! (The date is 5th October and it shows our garden, overlooking Stanley harbour).

Here we go!

Well, this is my first attempt at blogging so I am going to write a short one as a trial to see if it works. Simon set this up at the weekend and as it is raining this afternoon (so not out in the garden trying to dig a flower bed) I thought I would give it a go.
The trouble is where do I start?
For those of you who we have not been in touch with for some time I had better fill you in a bit. Earlier in the year Simon saw a job advertised with the Falkland Islands government which he applied for and was successful. There then followed a few months of form filling, medicals, dental appointments, lots of decorating and getting our house up together ready to let (many thanks to John and Cara who did a lot of the work), sorting, packing and disposing of most of the contents of our house. I had injured my right shoulder in a fall skiing in January and had surgery in June so was quite incapacitated for much of the time.
With frantic last minute packing, much left undone and some emotional goodbyes we flew from Brize Norton on the military flight on Sept 4th. With a stop of a couple of hours in Ascension Island we arrived here the next afternoon.