Sparrow Cove

it's a short walk to the colony

penguins have sturdy footing, making them excellent climbers

and then checks out the strangers

hello stranger, how are you today?

a Turkey Vulture soars high above to check for carcasses

no, penguins cannot fly, so flapping your wings is a useless exercise

Time's up, the Land Rovers stand ready

nearby graze Upland Geese, female to the left, male to the right

nobody knows what really goes on in a penguin's brain

a well-fed juvenile waits for the parents to bring in more food

the Gentoo penguin colony of Sparrow Cove

Sparrow Cove, a small bay just north of Stanley Harbor, is home to a colony of a few thousand Gentoo Penguins.

Tourists arrive at a small jetty and then have to endure a bumpy 4WD-ride over rough peatlands to get to the penguins, all the while staying clear from a still active minefield.

At the colony a simple rope separates the species but Gentoo are not shy and several will cross the border to check out the visitors.

But most just stand there, contemplating life or digesting lunch, while others lay down for a nap or just waggle around.

The Gentoo here have no migration cycle and most live yearlong in the same colony.

Breeding pairs are monogamous and cheaters are kicked out. The rudimentary nests are made with pebbles that are fiercely guarded and stolen.

Breeding season is from June through December, so when we visited Sparrow Cove in February 2008 there were no young chicks but we did see some juveniles with the typical brownish plumage.

the 4WD-drive to the Gentoo colony keeps a safe distance from the still active minefields

after arrival at the jetty we depart for a bumpy ride over boggy peat fields

humans are supposed to stay at the other side of he rope

taking a quick beauty nap is a smarter choice

a late arrival hurries to the scene

on the way back we pass a remnant of the Falkland War