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Offline khurram

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Beautiful penguin march
« on: December 20, 2010, 04:55:37 AM »


Beautiful penguin march

P-p-p-posing for their close-ups, these are the penguins who live on the remote island of South Georgia in the South Atlantic.

And while pictures of the inhabitants of Britain's most outlying colony are common - these are possibly the most stunning ever taken.

British photographer, Nick Garbutt, became very friendly with his subjects after travelling to witness the massive colony, made up of around a quarter of a million birds.
Kings of the road: Penguins at a breeding colony on the beach at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia, loiok almost as if they're wandering along a road

Kings of the road: Penguins at a breeding colony on the beach at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia, loiok almost as if they're wandering along a road

In one image, taken in natural harbour Salisbury Plain, he can be seen directly in front of two king penguins.




In others, they troop to the shore and back to feed their hungry offsprint, while one pair put on a spectacular display of courtship - almost creating a mirror image of each other.

The king penguins are shown to be intimate creatures, and greet each other by rubbing their stomachs together and arching their beautiful gold crested necks.




Garbutt, from Cumbria, took a three week voyage on a ship called the Vavilov.

He sailed from Ushuaia in Argentina's Tierra del Fuego, to the Falklands and from there to the remote island.

The voyage also took him to the Yalour Islands and Peterman Island off the Antarctic Peninsula.
Getting to know you: Photographer Nick Garbutt was allowed to get quite familiar with the king penguins on South Georgia

Getting to know you: Photographer Nick Garbutt was allowed to get quite familiar with the king penguins on South Georgia

'There was curiosity on both sides,' said Nick.

'I also felt exhilaration from being surrounded by the sounds, smells and sight of such a large mass of birds.

'It was a really immersive experience.'

Nick was able to take the amazingly intimate shots through careful observation and physical rigour.
Spectacular scenery: The penguins are pictured against the backdrop of Gold Harbour, in South Georgia

Spectacular scenery: The penguins are pictured against the backdrop of Gold Harbour, in South Georgia
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Offline khurram

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Re: Beautiful penguin march
« Reply #1 on: December 20, 2010, 04:55:50 AM »



'Birds were constantly moving between the colony and the sea with different individuals and groups were going back and forth.

'Often when one sets off, others seem to follow and they trudge the same paths as previous birds.

'Every so often little lines of penguins form as they plod down to the water's edge. I watched this for a while with several groups, then inched my way in on my belly towards the line they were walking.
On the beach: Penguins prepare for a spot of fishing in the clear blue seas of the South Atlantic

On the beach: Penguins prepare for a spot of fishing in the clear blue seas of the South Atlantic

'I was able to approach to within a metre and the penguins just walked by.

'Sometimes they'd be inquisitive and look at me and occasionally even look at their reflection in the wide-angle lens.

'It was quite overwhelming to be surrounded by all these birds that were also so bold and confiding as subjects.




Nick was also struck by the lonely beauty of the South Georgian landscape - an emerald wilderness thousands of miles away from motherland Britain.

'The island wildness left me feeling insignificant,' said Nick. 'As if I was standing on the edge of existence.'

King Penguin colonies are present all year-round on South Georgia.
It really is a bit crowded: An estimated quarter of a million King Penguins in the penguin breeding colony at South Georgia

It really is a bit crowded: An estimated quarter of a million King Penguins in the penguin breeding colony at South Georgia



During winter months the penguins have the beaches to themselves. From early spring, which falls in November, they share the beaches with huge colonies of elephant seals.

There are several king penguin colonies on South Georgia.

Salisbury Plain is second largest colony on the islands, with over 250,000 birds in total.

South Georgia is a British Dependent Island administered from the Falklands.



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Offline peter86

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Re: Beautiful penguin march
« Reply #2 on: December 22, 2010, 01:15:25 PM »
I have not found a place to introduce yourself. So, I chose this place to begin. This is a topic or, I like penguins. Hope you will post many more articles about them.
Have a nice day .::Smiley:.
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Offline jackhudson

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Re: Beautiful penguin march
« Reply #3 on: December 22, 2010, 06:15:16 PM »
Hey Peter, Here is some well known information about Penguin. I hope all will enjoy. I found it somewhere and thought to share with you.

A penguin is a water bird that unfortunately can't fly. It has webbed feet and wings that look like flippers. It uses its wing flippers for underwater swimming. Many penguins live in the icy waters in or near Antarctica.

Penguins are a type of flightless bird that spends most of its life in the sea. They rarely visit land except to raise their young. Penguins have short legs and tall, torpedo-shaped bodies. On land they are able to stand upright, and because of their stature, they walk with a waddle. They may appear awkward, but penguins actually walk about as fast as people. They also climb rocky shores by hopping from rock to rock. Some penguins travel over ice and snow. But penguins travel best by swimming, hour after hour. Penguins swim below the surface, and they leap above the surface for a quick breath of air. They also dive much deeper than any other bird. Some species are able to reach nearly 900 feet (275 meters) below the surface. Those deep divers can hold their breath for up to 20 minutes.
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