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SAUNDERS ISLAND a Wealth of Falkland Wildlife

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SAUNDERS ISLAND a Wealth of Falkland Wildlife SAUNDERS ISLAND A wealth of Falkland wildlife www.falklandsconservation.com SAUNDERS ISLAND THE FALKLAND ISLANDS The Falkland Islands archipelago lies GRAND JASON 350 km (280 miles) to the east of the South STEEPLE JASON N FLAT JASON SEDGE ISLAND JASON ISLANDS ELEPHANT JASON Cape Dolphin American continent. It consists of two large SOUTH JASON PEBBLE ISLAND SAUNDERS KEPPEL Swan ISLAND CARCASS ISLAND Pond ISLAND Macbride Head DUNBAR Foul Bay Limpet Ronda ISLAND Creek islands, East and West Falkland, and more WEST Salvador Rincon Seal Port Bay POINT Purvis Douglas Grande Johnsons Byron Shallow Bay Port San Carlos Station Harbour ISLAND Dunbar Sound Horseshoe Volunteer Point MT CAROLINE Chata WEST Hill Cove Ajax Bay Port Louis SPLIT ISLAND Bay Creek Eagle Point than 750 small islands and islets. Roy Cove Many Branch MT ADAM Berkeley Sound FALKLAND San Carlos Teal Inlet Brookfield Long island KIDNEY ISLAND King Crooked Inlet 2297 D PASSAGE George Port N Port William ISLANDS UGrantham Bay Howard O Sound MT USBORNE S STANLEY Cape Pembroke NEW Chartres 2312 Shag D WICKHAM ISLAND N HEIGHTS Dunnose Cove A Mt Pleasant L Bluff Cove Head K Darwin Airport L A Fitzroy SWAN F Goose Green Queen ISLANDS EAST BEAVER Charlotte Spring Lake A Bertha’s ISLAND Bay Point I Mare Harbour Sulivan C Beach N hoiseul Sound FALKLAND Port Fox Bay Fox Bay O Lake West East Walker Richards Double F Creek WEDDELL Hammond GREAT ISLAND Creek ISLAND A LIVELY ISLAND Smiley Channel South RUGGLES L Harbour ISLAND Port Edgar North Arm ELEPHANT CAYS Port Stephens MOTLEY ISLAND TRISTE Hoste Inlet ISLAND BIRD ISLAND Port Albermarle SPEEDWELL 52°S 1500 ISLAND BLEAKER ISLAND ARCH ISLANDS Cape Meredith 1000 GEORGE ISLAND Bull Point Porpoise Point 500 BARREN ISLAND SEA LION EASTERLY Miles 0 010203040 SEA LION ISLAND Heights in feet 01020 30 40 50 60 above sea level Kms 61°W 60°W 59°W 58°W BEAUCHÊNE ISLAND Saunders Island is situated just off the north coast the two bedrooms). The bathroom has a shower, of West Falkland. It is about 145 km (90 miles) sink and toilet. This accommodation is isolated, from Stanley. and you may not see anyone else from when Saunders Island is reached by an hour’s flight from you are dropped off until early on the day of Stanley, or Mount Pleasant Complex, with the your departure. A hand held radio is supplied for Falkland Islands Government Air Service (FIGAS). emergency use only. Passengers from cruise ships arrive by Zodiac Rookery Inn at either the North or South Beach at the Neck, Located 10 km (6 miles) from the Settlement, depending on weather conditions. close to southern rockhopper penguin and black- Visitor Accommodation browed albatross colonies, Rookery Inn is a tourist Four self-catering properties all have central cottage that can sleep up to four people in two heating, gas cooker, fridge and all the crockery twin bedrooms. It has 24hr power, a bathroom and utensils you will need for your stay. Bedding, with sink, toilet and shower. A hand held radio is bed linen and towels are provided. supplied for emergency use only. In the Settlement: Contact The Main House, sleeps up to 10 in two twin, one David and Suzan Pole-Evans Tel: +500 41298 Fax: +500 41296 single, one double and one triple room. There is a Email: [email protected] shower room, bathroom and toilet, plus a dining room and sitting room with radio and TV. The modernised Stone House, built in 1875, sleeps up to six people in one double and two twin rooms. There is a kitchen, utility room, toilet, a bath ‘with bath and shower’, a washing machine, TV, and radio and WiFi hotspot. At the Neck Although only 16 km (10 miles) from the Settlement, it takes about an hour by Land Rover to reach The Neck, a superb wildlife location. The Cabin here, which has 24-hour power, can sleep up to eight people (two sets of bunk beds in each of Rookery Inn COVER PHOTO: Black-browed albatrosses About Saunders Island Saunders Island (12,400 ha, 30,640 acres) Saunders Island has exceptional wildlife. is the second largest offshore island in the It contains one of the most accessible black- Falklands and is named after the 18th century browed albatross colonies in the Falkland British Admiral Sir Charles Saunders. In 1765 Islands. King, southern rockhopper, it (Port Egmont) was chosen as the first British Magellanic and gentoo penguins all breed settlement in the Falkland Islands. Today it is here. Many waterbirds are found on the owned by the Pole-Evans family, who run it as ponds, including silvery grebes. Saunders a traditional farm (principally for wool) with Island is internationally recognised as an 6,000 sheep. Important Bird Area (FK14). It has a complex shape with dramatic scenery, The Island is sheltered and has a slightly milder being about 21 km (13 miles)from east to west climate than elsewhere in the Falklands and and almost as wide from north-east to south- as a result many native plants thrive here. It is west. The highest point (457 m, 1,462 ft) is the an Important Plant Area (IPA15) with 9 of the summit of Mount Richards. There are wetlands 14 Falkland endemic plants and 6 nationally and permanent lakes, sand dunes and steep threatened species. cliffs – particularly towards the northern and These include populations of the striking western coasts. A narrow waist of sand, silvery buttercup and hairy daisy. The Neck, leads to Mount Harston and Elephant Point. Elephant SAUNDERS ISLAND Point N Cliff Point Black-browed Bird checklist T Southern h See enlargement albatross e King penguin elephant H Mt. Harston on Page 7 seals o for more detail Gentoo penguin ly C T i 1421 Macaroni penguin ty Rookery Mt. N Southern rockhopper penguin T East O he 1384 Point M Magellanic penguin N eck G Please follow the guidelines E White-tufted grebe T Silvery grebe MAINTAIN A DISTANCE of Mt. Richards R Black-browed albatross 6 m (20 ft) between you and >6 m O P Southern giant petrel any wildlife at all times. First British Settlement Rock cormorant Mt. Egmont WILDLIFE HAVE RIGHT OF WAY e King cormorant 1500 v AT ALL TIMES. Do not block wildlife Co aler Black-crowned night heron from returning or entering the sea. 1250 Se SAUNDERS Black-necked swan no smoking SETTLEMENT Kelp goose TAKE CARE on steep slopes and 1000 Bluff Pt. Brett Hill B Sand Pt. slippery rocks. RE Piano Point Upland goose 750 TT H Big Ruddy-headed goose LEAVE GATES as you find them. AR Pond Magellanic 500 BO Red Point penguins Flying steamer duck no fires U Falkland steamer duck BE AWARE of biosecurity. R 250 Horse Island Chiloë wigeon Do not introduce invasive species to the area. Speckled teal 0 Ranee Bay Crested duck BE CAREFUL not to trample the Height in feet do not litter Yellow-billed pintail burrows of nesting seabirds, above sea level Cinnamon teal particularly those of Magellanic Mt. Rees Turkey vulture penguins. Avoid walking across areas of high burrow density. Penarrow Pt. Variable hawk Sand Beach Crested caracara Penarrow Pt. no flash Kilometres Striated caracara Penguin 0 1 2 3 4 5 Peregrine falcon Island Magellanic oystercatcher LAMBING SEASON KEY Blackish oystercatcher The lambing season is from October to 0 0·5 1 2 3 4 Beach Miles Two-banded plover December. During this time visitors are asked to Rufous-chested dotterel take extra care not to disturb ewes as they may Wildlife Falkland skua abandon lambs if startled. viewing area Kelp gull Dolphin gull Wire fence Brown-headed gull Vehicle track South American tern Tussacbird Road Dark-faced ground-tyrant Falkland pipit Falkland thrush Falkland grass wren Long-tailed meadowlark White-bridled finch Black-chinned siskin Vanilla daisy Variable hawk Falkland woolly ragwort The Black-browed Albatross The largest albatross colony on Saunders Island Young albatrosses head out into the southern stretches along the steep northern slopes of ocean, ranging over the Patagonian Shelf and Mt Richards. Every spring in mid-September beyond in search of fish and squid. Some travel around 12,000 pairs of albatrosses return here to as far as the coast of southern Brazil. After breed, with a preference for elevated sites where fledging, it will be at least five years before the updrafts assist their take-off and landing. young birds return to their colony. Black-browed The adults are very large; mainly white, with albatrosses are known to live up to 30 years. a blackish back and upper wings, a grey tail Colonies of black-browed albatross exist at 12 and a distinctive black ‘eyebrow’ streak over Falkland Islands sites and make up the majority and through the eye. Their heavy, hooked pale (70%) of the world population. In 2011 the orange bill is used to catch prey. They are black-browed albatross was re-classified from magnificent birds with a 2·5 m (8 ft) wingspan Endangered to Near Threatened as it is no that enables them to glide effortlessly over the longer estimated to be undergoing such a rapid southern seas. population decline. However, they are still at Black-browed albatrosses return to the same nest risk from commercial fisheries where they can in the same colony and mate for life. Their nest is be caught on hooks and drowned. Although the a 50 cm (20") tall solid pillar made of mud and Falkland fishery employs methods to minimise guano with some tussac grass and seaweed that these problems, the species remains at risk across has a depression in the top.
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