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
2 Responses to 'Snow Petrels'
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As a naturalist/writer who has dreamed of going to Antarctica and will never get there, your website is a joy to read. Thanks.
Marcia Bonta
9 Dec 08 at 4:01 am
Very nice images of the Snow Petrels Noah – especially the first two isolated birds.
I have greatly enjoyed the blog for the last few weeks once I heard about it.
We’ll miss you the CBC this year in Eugene.
Jim Maloney
11 Dec 08 at 12:45 pm