Nature's Freedom: The end of a season

I’ve only worked for BAS for 6 months, and have been on BI since the end of November. I’ve learned a ridiculous amount, and will continue to do so during the remainder of my time here. It is now a few days until last call, when the RRS Ernest Shackleton will drop off supplies, post and take away Sian, Lucy and Al who have been here for 18 months. I’ve been busy sorting out export permits for the biological samples, sorting out related cargo, and figuring out what needs to be sent out for repairs. There has been a sudden change from daily fieldwork to daily emailing and office work. Instead of living in my thermal baselayers, I actually have been wearing normal people clothes.

Inquisitive fur seal pups off the end of the jetty

The nights have been drawing in, meaning that we are doing our late checks (ensuring generators are working as they should be, there are no fire risks etc) in the dark, and actually having a possibility of seeing stars on rare clear nights. On Paddys day, we all gathered on the beach under the stars after a hearty meal and some whisky. The majority took photos, whilst others lay on the picnic bench which was seal territory until 2 months ago, watching the stars. This was my first view of the southern stars, and it was nice to see the familiar orion amongst the new constellations.

The mornings are darker too, and fieldwork rarely starts before 9.30 now. In a few months, it won’t be light until 11am, and even then the sun won’t rise above the hills, meaning that base won’t be hit by sunlight for a few months.

Last week, I walked up and around wanderer valley looking for scats, finding pools and slow-flowing sections of streams frozen. Lumps of tussock and rocks in the streams were slippery and frozen, and I even had to prise some frozen scats from the ground. Once winter fully hits, I’ll be walking around with spikes on my boots, armed with a paint scraper or chisel to remove the poos.

The outgoing team are finishing their packing and making plans for their reintroduction to the real world. For myself and Tim, we’ve got to ensure we have learned everything we need, and ask any last questions before our counterparts depart. Last week myself, Tim, Ian and Lucy had a winterers night, with the four of us staying at Fairy Point Hut, metres away from 'little mac', a small colony of macaroni penguins. We played games, drank mulled wine, and picked names out of a bowl to determine who we would make midwinters presents for. As Christmas is such a busy period, midwinter is the main celebration of the year. We'll carry on the Antarctic tradition of having a big meal and take a few trips and play games to bond as a team.

Winter team about to set off up the hill to Fairy Point

Playing cards and drinking wine whilst a storm rages outside

Drinking coffee with penguins on a clear morning after

Outside Fairy Point Hut

Yesterday we did the last summer wandering albatross census. Carried out across the entire island, every nest was checked for a successfully hatched chick, a failure, or a remaining egg. See a chick preening beside its' parent, and playing at nest building here. I covered Mount Cym and Farewell Point, and was greeted by thick fog which made finding the birds, and scree paths difficult. Despite the weather, it was a nice day and I even found time to pop down to middle mac to see the penguins before they leave for the winter. At the moment, the ship is likely to arrive on Tuesday if the forecast doesn't change drastically. Landings are never set in stone down South, with storms, swells and ice being unpredictable. It's a case of 'stand by to stand by', and you know a landing is actually happening only when the tender or RIB is at the end of the jetty.