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Penguins at dusk
A gentoo penguin family settle in for the evening.
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Alabtross and chick
More than 227 species of bird have been identified in the Falkland Islands, including over 800,000 breeding pairs of black-browed albatross
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Penguin surfing
A gentoo penguin rides a wave back to shore
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Bluff Cove Lagoon
Beautiful blue skies, the long white sandy beach and colourful foliage characterise Bluff Cove Lagoon (c) Hattie Kilmartin
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Diddle-dee berries
Native Diddle-dee berries ripe for picking - growing wild and traditionally used to make jam and jelly the berries are also popular food for geese and sheep (c) Alan White
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A Falklands beach
Light surf on a typical coastline (c) S Cameron
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Gorse in full bloom
Spring on Pebble Island (c) A White
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Kelp Goose
A Kelp gander overlooks the Pebble Island coast (c) A White
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Sunset at Weddell Island
Resemblng a volcano, the sun goes down in a blaze of glory (c) M Beaton
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Baby Chiloe walks on water
A baby Chiloe Widgeon makes a desperate dash across the stream (c) D Pettersson
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Black Necked Swan
An adult swan takes flight from a quiet pond (c) D Pettersson
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Escaping penguin
A Gentoo penguin makes a frantic effort to reach the beach as a seal closes in behind it
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Flying penguin
Who said penguins can't fly. Surfing to the shore this Gentoo penguin definitely got airborne (c) D Pettersson
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Variable Hawk
Hawk perching on the horse corral at an East Falkland farm (c) S Jaffray
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Gentoo penguin
splashing around in the cool Soth Atlantic waters
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King chick
A newly hatched chick is balanced precariously on the feet of an adult King Penguin (c) D Pettersson
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Leopard Seal
An occasional visitor to the Islands this Leopard Seal enjoys the sun at Volunteer Point (c) D Pettersson
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Penguins in silhouette
King Penguins at sundown (c) D Pettersson
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Penguins head to sea
Gentoo and Magellanic Penguins take to the water
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On Golden Pond
Teal Ducks enjoy early morning tranquillity
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Surf
Fighting gale force winds surf thunders to the shore (c) D Pettersson
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Surfing penguin
A Gentoo rides the waves at Volunteer Point (c) Derek Pettersson
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Crested Duck
A flock of Teal search for titbits in salt water pools (c) D Pettersson
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Sand Pipers
White-Rumped Sand Pipers with Sea Cabbage foilage (c) D Pettersson
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Black-Browed Albatross
An adult Black-Browed Albatross and young chick (c) G Moulds
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Albatross
Black-Browed Albatross in flight (c) G Moulds
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Black Oyster Catcher
Found on most coasts and often inhabits steep cliffs (c) G Moulds
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Patagonian Fox
Introduced in the early 1930s the Patagonian Fox inhabits six islands on West Falkland (c) M Beaton
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Striated Cara-cara
Known locally as the Johnny Rook, this inquisitive bird is always on the lookout for mischief (c) G Moulds
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Ladies Slipper
Discovered in 2004 to be endemic to the Falklands this small preennial flowers briefly during November and December (c) M Beaton
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Falklands Grass Wren
Common in wet areas with thick grass or rushes the Grass Wren flies reluctantly and prefers to creep away when disturbed (c) M Beaton
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Long Tailed Meadow Lark
A juvenile meadow lark soon after leaving the nest (c) M Beaton
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Young foxes
Patagonian foxes explore on Weddell Island (c) M Beaton
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Long Tailed Meadow Lark
Kown locally as a Robin or Starling the male has the brighter plumage (c) M Beaton
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Seal
Observing the photographer
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Upland Geese and dolphins
Upland Geese and Peales dolphins mingle near the shore
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Gentoo Penguin
A birds eye view (c) Hattie Kilmartin
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Grass Wren
Grass Wren dwarfed by tussac grass on East Island (c) Hattie Kilmartin
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Swirls of kelp
Parts of the kelp forests are often dislodged in storms and are deposited on the beaches (c) Hattie Kilmartin
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Teaberries
A low growing shrub which produces large pink and white juicy berries in March and April - early settlers used the leaves to make tea and the berries are still used to make cakes and puddings and more recently Teaberry vodka (c) Hattie Kilmartin
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Snowy Sheathbill
A friendly and curious bird when there is food around (c) Hattie Kilmartin
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The native Diddle-dee berry
Used for making jams and jelly, the heavily laden plants lend a splash of colour to the camp in summer
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Sunset at Weddell Island
Resembling a volcano, the sun goes down in a blaze of glory (c) M Beaton
Flora
A short walk in the Falklands will reveal an amazing variety of plants for those who know where to look! 175 species and one hybrid are native; 14 of these are endemic to the Falkland Islands of which 6 are globally threatened. 241 introduced species have been counted of which 139 are considered naturalised making a grand total of 417 plant species.
The real enthusiast will enjoy seeking out some of the endemics e.g. Vanilla Daisy, Snake Plant, Lady’s Slipper. Others may simply appreciate the beauty of delicate flowering plants such as the Pale Maiden and the Dog Orchid, the stories associated with plants like Balsam-Bog and Scurvygrass or the tastes of some berried plants, diddle-dee and teaberry.
"Plants of the Falkland Islands", Ali Liddle details some of the main species encountered along with some tasty recipes for common berries and leaves.
Please note that a number of Falkland Island plants are protected by Falkland Islands Legislation with fines of up to £3000 imposed for picking or destroying such plants. Photography, of course, is easy!
Lichens, although not strictly plants, are also found in abundance in the Islands due to the unpolluted atmosphere. Take a look on rocks, bones, trees, wooden fences, pebbles – you will see lichens everywhere! Little is known about Falkland lichens; an excellent opportunity for study.
Find out more about the fascinating flora of the Falklands from the Falklands Conservation flora webpage.
