Timeout for Antarctica
Text and images by Hugh Powell January 10, 2011This year's expedition will be aboard a ship—any penguins we see will be swimming. These knee-high birds are amazing mariners—totally at home on floating ice. A line of Adélie Penguins makes its way to open water at Cape Royds, Antarctica. South Polar Skua sits in view of Ernest Shackleton's hut, built in 1908. Terminus of the Barne Glacier. The seals in the distance are about the size of couches. Adélie Penguins are 1 of only 2 penguins that live in the southern Ross Sea.
This post is just to let you know you’ll likely see a reduction in posting over the next month. That’s because your trusty blogger is taking a break from regular Cornell Lab duties in order to go on a research expedition to Antarctica through the middle of February.
I’ll be mainly writing about an oceanographic expedition in the Ross Sea, whose mission is to explore why its waters are some of the most productive in the world (one reason why so many penguins live there). That won’t leave a ton of time to write about birds—but when I get a chance I’ll be posting here about what I’m seeing—so be sure to check back every so often.
I’ll also post short updates to our Facebook page, so check up on me there! While I’m gone, you’ll also be able to find posts about Cornell Lab news here, written by my coworkers Miyoko Chu, Pat Leonard, Annetta Parke-Houben, and others. (And thanks to them for covering for me while I go on this dream assignment!)
To whet your appetite, and because it’s not really fair to put the word “Antarctica” in the title and not show you at least one penguin, here are some photos from a previous expedition I took to Antarctica, in 2007. See you in February!


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