Penguin Webcam
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Posted by Rosemary Drisdelle Nov 11, 2006 |
Gentoo Penguins begin nesting at GARS O’Higgins research station in late October. This research station maintains a group of webcams that provide a delightful window into the lives of these captivating birds. Click here to be taken to the page where you can select your favorite view of the nesting penguins:
- Penguin cam 1 renews its picture every fifteen minutes. It provides two pictures of the colony – one fairly close up and a wide angle shot from farther away. You will see a lineup of nesting penguins on the concrete base of the antenna as well as other nests on the bare ground around the antenna. Penguins that are not sitting on nests are seen here and there throughout the colony.The wide angle picture is a good perspective from which to keep track of the receding snow banks. If you click on “picture details” to the left of the shot, you will get an interesting annotated picture that identifies other features of the station.
- Penguin cam 2, like cam 1, renews its picture every 15 minutes and has two views. One is a close-up picture of a nesting Gentoo penguin, with a second nest just behind. The wide angle shot steps back to include at least five nests, though some of them are right at the edge of the picture and the whole nest can’t always be seen. Remember that these pictures show what’s happening right now! This cam will be irresistible once the eggs hatch.
- Station cams 1 and 2 can be seen on the same page (the bottom link). These pictures of the station itself, with the penguin colony at the edge, show a seascape that changes daily. The weather is usually clear and the beautiful icebergs that come and go in the background are quite fascinating. A human can sometimes be seen quite close to the penguins – presumably one of the scientists manning the research station.
Enjoy the webcams, and if you’re reading this after the Gentoo Penguin nesting season is over, drop back in October when the next season is starting: Gentoo Penguins come back to the same place year after year. Hopefully webcams do too!
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