I came into town to post pictures here but the computers are being cranky today, so I have none for your viewing pleasure. I hope you al had a happy Easter. It is a bigger holiday here than in the U.S. and I enjoyed celebrating it. Saturday I went to a candlelight Catholic ceremony that is celebrating the coming Easter morning. It was simply, joyful, and lovely. Tomorrow we leave for the province of Mendoza for a field collection trip. Watch out lizards, here I come.
A special congrats to Karen, who got engaged this weekend to the great Merrill! I am incredibly thirlled for you both, and I am glad I get to be your roomie one more time this summer.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
It´s a small world
On Sunday I called my folks at the normal time, 2pm here, and was surprised to find that my Dad had already left the house and my Mom was rushing out the door. Wasn´t it only 8am there time? Walking back to my apratment afterwards I realized that it is not fall but spring back home which means that although Argentina fell back one hour, the northern part of the world sprang ahead. That means that now the world is two hours smaller than it was a few days ago. My family in Washington is now only 4 hours behind instead of 6, and the folks in Utah are only 3 hours different instead of 5. Now if only it worked that way with the mail service...
When Darwin stopped by Patagonia on his way to fame and fortune in the Gallapagos, he said that here "the wind sweeps the land like the broom of God." He wasn´t joking. The the only thing that can resist it are the rocks, and at low tide when the sand is wet, even they leave tracks. It is incredible.
When Darwin stopped by Patagonia on his way to fame and fortune in the Gallapagos, he said that here "the wind sweeps the land like the broom of God." He wasn´t joking. The the only thing that can resist it are the rocks, and at low tide when the sand is wet, even they leave tracks. It is incredible.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Penguins! Penguins! Penguins!
I spent Saturday among thousands of Magellin Penguins at Punto Tombo and what a blissful and delightful day it was! The penguins spend most of the year here where they have built millions of nests in the ground up to a kilometer inland from the shore. It is the largest penguin colony outside of Antarctica and I was on cloud nine all day.
After walking through thte nests we arrived at a rocky point where I sat for hours and watched the penguins below. They are incredibly awkward looking as they sway back and forth on their walk to the water. They almost seem as if they are going to trip over their oversized feet. These big curling waves would come speeding towards the shore and these tiny waddling critters would just keep on going towards them. Just as the wave would start to curl over their heads and I would think that the penguin was doomed, it would torpido itself into the wave and transform itself into a graceful animal that could speed and twirl itself throught he water with ease. The green water was very clear so from my viewpoint I could watch them fishing under the water. It was surreal.
Here is one of the nests . The males come here about 30 days before the females to work on the nests and guard them. During this time the males don't eat at all as they can't leave the nests without another penguin taking it over. These penguins are monogomous for life with one hitch. The female returns to the same male from the previous year but if she finds the nest to be below expectations, then she goes and finds a different male.
Groups of penguins stood along the shore for miles in each direction. I was pinching myself all day.
The penguins were incredibly cute when they would turn their heads like this, and I just wanted to stuff one in my bag and take it home with me. In reality, they turn their heads to better judge the distance between you and them. It they decide that you are close enough then they will bite at you. Their curved beaks can easily take off a finger. There were so many penguins that it was hard to watch out for all of them. I didn't see one standing behind a bush and when I walked by it bit my pants. It gave me a good startle, but my leg is still intact. As driver told us on the way down, "penguins funny, not friendly.
The previous post is a video of one of the groups near the shore. If you listen through the wind, which was incredibly strong all day, you can hear the penguins. Animals facinate me on a regular basis, but watching these penguins was really an incredible experince, too difficult to discribe.
After walking through thte nests we arrived at a rocky point where I sat for hours and watched the penguins below. They are incredibly awkward looking as they sway back and forth on their walk to the water. They almost seem as if they are going to trip over their oversized feet. These big curling waves would come speeding towards the shore and these tiny waddling critters would just keep on going towards them. Just as the wave would start to curl over their heads and I would think that the penguin was doomed, it would torpido itself into the wave and transform itself into a graceful animal that could speed and twirl itself throught he water with ease. The green water was very clear so from my viewpoint I could watch them fishing under the water. It was surreal.
Here is one of the nests . The males come here about 30 days before the females to work on the nests and guard them. During this time the males don't eat at all as they can't leave the nests without another penguin taking it over. These penguins are monogomous for life with one hitch. The female returns to the same male from the previous year but if she finds the nest to be below expectations, then she goes and finds a different male.
Groups of penguins stood along the shore for miles in each direction. I was pinching myself all day.
The penguins were incredibly cute when they would turn their heads like this, and I just wanted to stuff one in my bag and take it home with me. In reality, they turn their heads to better judge the distance between you and them. It they decide that you are close enough then they will bite at you. Their curved beaks can easily take off a finger. There were so many penguins that it was hard to watch out for all of them. I didn't see one standing behind a bush and when I walked by it bit my pants. It gave me a good startle, but my leg is still intact. As driver told us on the way down, "penguins funny, not friendly.
The previous post is a video of one of the groups near the shore. If you listen through the wind, which was incredibly strong all day, you can hear the penguins. Animals facinate me on a regular basis, but watching these penguins was really an incredible experince, too difficult to discribe.Monday, March 10, 2008
Penguin video
I took this video at Punto Tombo. The groups of penguins would be completely quiet and then for no apparent reason they would start talking. As I was watching and filming this group, penguins from further inland would walk right next to me on their way to join the others. I had to watch my step because if a penguin thinks you are in its way it will bite your leg, and those beaks are strong enough to take off a finger if you let them.
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