The moment September arrives, people in the Falklands start to talk about spring. It’s hard not to assume as the days lengthen quickly that the cold days of winter are behind us. However, the one thing I have learnt about Falklands’ weather is that it is entirely unpredictable. This year, for most of September spring has seemed a long way off. For one thing it was cold (often between 0 and 3 degrees) and it snowed a surprising amount of times. Not great big dumps of fluffy snow, which rarely happen here, but frequent flurries of wind-driven, hail or wet snow. Opening my curtains in the morning this September, I was surprised more than once by the fact that the world had turned white overnight. The only way it was different to mid-winter was that the snow disappeared quickly and was often gone by midday.
It started to feel like Spring was never going to arrive and then in these last few days of the month it’s clear it’s happening. The Magellanic penguins, who leave for the winter (very sensibly) have started to return. They are fat after months of fishing and feeding and ready for the hard work of mating and raising young. The males come first and spring clean the burrows ready for their mate, it means getting a bit muddy but that just shows what diligent spring cleaners they are.
It’s amazing how seeing these little penguins for the first time each year lifts one’s spirits, which rise even higher when you hear them calling in their distinctive, donkey-braying voices. This penguin at Gypsy Cove has his residence right next to the tourist path – since Magellanics generally return to the same burrow each year, I assume that they’re quite happy being snapped all summer.
It’s not only the penguins telling us that spring is here – crocuses are poking their heads out in some gardens and a friend of mine even had early daffodils in a sheltered spot in West Falkland. Well she had daffodils up to the moment where they were flattened by some snow, but the plants definitely know it’s spring.
Walking this weekend, I could really see the spring green showing, with new growth on the Boxwood, bright green flushes of new growth on Balsam Bog and Tussac Grass in flower. Before long it will be time to look out for the charming, delicate, low to the ground flowers of spring and summer.
Oh yes and the first cruise ship has come in to Stanley and I’ve seen my first cruise ship tourists – no doubt about it. Spring is definitely sprung.
