Met up with the team at Falklands Conservation – Karen, who's head of the shallow marine survey project that we're volunteering under and Alistair who's on secondment from RSPB wardening in the Shetlands. Alistair trained us on the type of survey we'd be doing, walking 1km transects, recording substrate every 50 metres (and taking a photo of it with the lovely quadrat and code sheet), kelp levels, slope, vegetation, land use, GPS coordinates, and of course, birds spotted over sea and land, and what they were up to. Also revised the type of birds we'd likely see, and get a briefing on our mission! Survey areas north around Cape Dolphin and Elephant Beach on East 
Falkland, and sections on Saunders Island and Weddell Island. Ten days and nine nights of surveying, equipped with our tent, food and survey equipment. This time we borrowed a fabulous tent from FC, equipped with a cooking and separate storage 
areas, and with extra guy ropes to tether it in likely high winds. Also borrowed two four season sleeping bags... all ex BAS equipment apparently. All significantly bulkier and heavier than our own equipment, but nonetheless necessary... We had learned from our equipment limitations in Torres del Paine. 
On East Falkland we had the added luxury of an FC Rover, on the outer islands it was first by an 8 seater Britten Norman Islander (our names and times were announced on the radio the night before) and then by what 
transport could be found, or by walking.
First visits to Cape Dolphin and Elephant Beach got us into the swing of things – best sightings of course were the Gentoo (the most Pingu like of the penguins) and Magellanic (sort of simple-minded looking penguins) colonies, but also great to see Peregrin 
Falcons, Night Herons not to mention hundreds of Kelp Geese, Steamer Ducks, Gulls and Giant Petrels. Camping on Cape Dolphin was fun, so much easier to camp out of a car than to carry everything.
A mad rush back to Stanley to resupply 
and catch the flight to Saunders Island. Incredibly bumpy ride in the almost gale like winds (it took us 1 hour and 5 mins to fly there, and 40 mins to fly back a few days later). Camping on “the Neck” in gale force winds, resulting in a broken pole, both of us lying on a flapping tent to stop it from blowing into the sea and an emergency repair. But what a place... home to the tiny Rockhopper penguins, as well as the Gentoo and King, and of course thousands of Magellanic (of which we were camped amongst). Also a colony of Albatross close by, still with chicks on their bizarre looking nests. Surveys also found nice gangs of plovers and sandpipers.
Next on to Weddell Island, which was our favourite place on the islands. Population three – Martin and Jane our hosts, and Denzil, the farmhand. Island is the size of Malta and Martin and Jane are there as managers/custodians/restorers of the property. Amongst other things they
run the lodge on the island, and are very supportive of conservation and made our stay both extremely comfortable (even the night camping in almost zero degrees by Kelp Creek!) and welcome. Stayed in their lodge for two nights on arrival and departure, ate fabulous food home grown, and even a not so wee dram
or two of Laphroig. Good surveys too, but best of all was the 20 or so Commerson Dolphins in the harbour just outside the window. Martin and Jane... if you ever tire of your jobs and “lifestyle choice” we'd be happy to relieve you of Weddell command!
In total... approximately 24 hours of actual surveying, covering 
11, 1km transects on three different islands in 7 different locations. It rained, the wind blew gale force, it hailed, it was so hot and sunny we were in our shirt sleeves and so cold we were in double sleeping bags. We drove a Rover over 200 miles, many hours across open moorland, we walked with all our equipment, food and extra sleeping bags, we took off and landed at all sorts of tiny settlements and grass airstrips in a tiny aircraft. We met some great people, and contributed to the body of knowledge and conservation of the Islands. Fabulous way to explore this bizarrely enchanting place. More pics here.
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