Bird of the Week – Chinstrap Penguin
There are birds whose appearance is so distinctive that you automatically understand how they got their name. That would include the Chinstrap Penguin.
Chinstrap Penguin, Pygoscelis antarctica
Chinstraps breed on a swatch of stormy islands from South Georgia to the South Shetlands. Among the breeding sites is a series of colonies on Deception Island, a huge, drowned volcanic caldera, breached on one side by the Southern Ocean. You can see the cinders underfoot in this photo, taken on the shore of Deception Island.
There are an estimated 16 million Chinstraps. So long as humankind leaves the krill alone, the species should do well. Unhappily, climate change and the failure of consensus on regulating fishing in the Southern Ocean may have dire consequences for this species, too.
For more bird images, please visit Frozen Feather Images.
43 degrees here, that is C. Same old same old, about half a day of light and half a day of dark, no midnight
sun or noon-day moon. No penguins either. Lots of birds, I know not who or what they are. Frigate birds
are always around. Soaring above the beaches and the surf. I know nothing about them except that they are
magnificent flyers.
From the perspective of a geologist our current problems concerning climate change are rather trivial and of little importance. Extinction, even mass extinction is just part of the formula of life. It is and isn’t a “fair game”.
If anything, we should be concerned about our own futures. But we appear disinclined in that direction even though we supposedly so cherish the value of human life. More like we cherish the value of human labor that can immensley enrich a few. We are so proud of our system of government that has survived
for the remarkable period of roughly 250 years. Compared to the 3 billion year history of things living
which we know not of.
Is it possible that we could through our stupidity, short-sightedness and devotion to delusion to sterilize the planet and render it inert? Maybe. But probably not. And even if we could it would not matter a whit.
We hardly know how small and insignificant we are.
And as long as we think we are something exceptional, we will remain both very small and very insignificatnt.
We are just a part of nature. Nature can and has shown clearly that i can exist without us. What we need to figure out is tht we cannot live without nature.
Nature is not usually generous.
Thanks much for that Krubo..and also..Mother Nature..gives ya high points for that, a ‘days pass’ as it were. Now then..get ready to keep kicking buttski..around your world/the cyber world..as you are’ singing-choir’ here..but the others..oh my..those Others!..frown..sigh…
John Crace reduces the trigger-happy former Alaskan governor’s Christmas musings to a rootin’-tootin’ 600 words:
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/dec/02/good-tidings-sarah-palin-digested
Looking at the cute chinstraps..and wondering..what would the earths populations be like..kindness-wise..and happiness-wise..if we all looked at, enjoyed..heaps more pictures and news bits..of our critters..and dumped the celeb. news pics of, kardasian-coma inducing coverage? Could the ave. American dolt..be..redesigned..into a thoughtful sort..? Perhaps..this holiday season..start the changes..sneakily, slooowly..by buying books as gifts..for all those good folks..of any age. (books..yeah. Have someone..show ya one a real one.. I have heard..they still exist…;)
Adorable.
Seven below zero here, and the sun won’t struggle over the ridge until 1:52 this afternoon.
Those chinstraps would feel right at home.