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This morning we took the ferry across the channel, the Strait of Magellan, to what is called the big island (Isla Grande) in Tierra del Fuego. During the 1.5 hour windy, but sunny and calm crossing, we could see small Magellanic Penguins floating on the water, Black-browed Albatrosses (one of the smaller albatross, yet the largest bird we saw), along with Magellanic Diving-Petrels, South American Terns, and a Southern sea lion. The weather this year, in spite of the bone-chilling wind, is warmer than normal for this time of year.
We disembark with our bus at Porvenir. This is a land of cold winds sweeping in from the Antarctic. Rocky and sandy soil, no trees whatsoever, low-lying, sparse vegetation, tussocks dotting the grass grazed short by ever-present sheep. The few houses are made of bright metal or siding, no wood; we see no people, rarely any traffic on the gravel roads.
There could be a population explosion of sheep; nearly every ewe had one, if not two lambs trailing behind. Overgrazing on these old Patagonian grasslands is a real threat to birds. Our first stop was one of the inland lakes (Laguna Verde) to catch the small Magellanic Plover, a natty grey and white bird with bright pink legs found in a narrow range. We saw one, tossing stones along the edge of the lake.
After a picnic lunch we traveled down the eastern shore of the bay (the western shore of the island) to the King Penguin colony. The penguins began coming about ten years ago to breed on a section of the rocky shore. The group numbers 50-60 individuals, adults and molting young, transforming from huge downy brown balls into stunning black/white/orange adults. But the process leaves behind a soft layer of wispy feathers covering the rocks, and subadults in mid-molt are in an awkward teenage stage. Adults were out feeding leaving the young to stand silently, occasionally extending wings to cool off, or slowly trudging along the rocks to make the trek between groups. A drive back north through the island brings us to Cerro Sombrero for the night.
Other mammals we saw today: a beautiful Southern Gray Fox nursing two kits, and many guanacos (a type of llama).
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