I think it’s fair to say that the most frequently asked question before I came to the Falklands was – How many penguins are there?

The answer is apparently up to a million each year – depending on which information source you look at. There are 5 types of penguin that nest on the Falklands – these are: Magellanic, Gentoo, Kings, Rockhoppers and Macaroni. I have been lucky enough to see all of these on previous visits, but I know you are interested in what I’ve seen this time!

Then on arrival, the most frequently asked question has been – Have you seen a penguin yet? So it seemed only fair to do any early post about penguins.

Last weekend I went for a walk to my local beach – Rookery Bay – about 20 minutes walk from my house.  It’s a bit of a change from Weston Shore – my local waterfront in Southampton…

And I did see a couple of Magellanic penguins – who are starting to come ashore to clean out their burrows and prepare for mating.

Magellanic penguins choose to nest in burrows near beaches – this one is contemplating the slow waddle and climb up to his burrow. Apparently they are monogamous, the males come ashore first to reclaim their burrows and clean them up – then the females come soon after and egg laying starts in October – so more and more should be arriving. Although I could only hear a couple, I could hear lots – they sound a bit like donkeys braying as they call to each other – a trait they share with the 3 other banded penguins species, including the Jackass in South Africa.

This weekend I drove out to Gypsy Cove – a favourite point for tourists to observe penguins near Stanley.  I was walking up the path (which keeps you from treading inadvertently on burrows) when I realised I was being observed

The amazing thing about the Falklands is how relaxed the wildlife is about people – especially when there’s only one of you and you are being quiet.  As I went on my way I began to get my eye in for Magellanic penguin spotting, at least being black and white they stand out on the grass!

So three weekends in and I’ve seen penguins on two of them – more photos of penguins to come without doubt!