Snow Petrels

December 8, 2008

Snow Petrels, ghostly birds of pack ice in southern latitudes, have become increasingly common at Cape Crozier as the sea ice breaks up this spring. We are seeing so many, in fact, that they may be nesting somewhere nearby. Breeding has never been confirmed on Ross Island, so the game is on: we must find a nest!

Easier said than done, of course. Snow Petrels lay their eggs in crevices on inaccessible cliffs. There are plenty of cliffs around here. Each day, we scramble to the summit of a nearby 1,200-foot peak to watch the ocean for whale activity, and, more often than not, a Snow Petrel starts dive-bombing your head during an hour-long vigil (swooping within five feet of your face). But, that bird appears and departs as sneakily as a ghost (a white bird is tough to track against white snowfields), and we can’t figure out where it’s coming from. I have a feeling we’re gonna find a nest somewhere, though. Stay tuned!

Snow Petrel

Snow Petrel And Water

Snow Petrel Strafes The Penguins