The last few weeks of my time on Bird Island passed in something of a blur. Jon was quickly back on his feet following his too-close encounter with an aggressive fur seal and following a couple of weeks confinement he was glad to be back to work. The stitches were removed and his leg has healed well, though it was a salient reminder to us all of the dangers of complacency when working around unpredictable wild animals.

Jon’s recovery saw and end to my time as temporary seal-biologist. I had enjoyed being involved in Bird Island’s science programme and felt that I was becoming better acquainted with our resident seal colony. We had been tracking mothers and pups via radio-transmitters and monitoring their progress as the mothers alternated between feeding their pups on shore and returning to sea on foraging trips. These trips could last up to 7 or 8 days, during which time the pups were left to fend for themselves son the beach or high up in the tussock around base. By this time the pups were becoming enthusiastic swimmers, which often made tracking them difficult. Fortunately they never strayed far from shore and the water in the most popular swimming areas seemed to boil as playful pups tested out their flippers.

My daily excursions to Gazella Peak continued, though visibility was often poor. On many occasions I found myself standing on the cliffs to the North of the Island where the rock dropped dramatically into the sea only to find that the surface of the water was obscured by thick fog. This gave impression that the cliffs themselves descended into some bottomless chasm, perhaps reaching to the very deepest depths of the earth. The muffled cries of albatrosses and turns nesting below drifted up through the fog as though tormented souls were trapped below, pleading for release from the foggy depths.

Back at base we enjoyed the excitement of two visits from RRS James Clark Ross as she made her way past us to the Falklands before heading South again towards the Antarctic Peninsula. Jaume left us during the first of these ships calls, returning to Cambridge to continue his work as head of the Marine Mammals department. This season had been his 10^th trip to Bird Island in as many years and we toasted this milestone on the eve of his departure. He was replaced 2 weeks later but Iain, another Cambridge-based scientist who visited to oversee the last few weeks of the summer’s seal work.  Iain is also a veteran of many seasons at both Bird Island and South Georgia. He proved to be a lively and enthusiastic addition to the base and we enjoyed his stories of life in pursuit of seals and other animals around the world.

Ships calls also brought contact from home in the form of mail, the first that we had received since our arrival. This was particularly welcomed by the wintering members of the team. Long months away from home had left them craving for comforts that came in the form of letters and parcels from home. These contained treasures such as sweets, cookies and other treats including books, movies, music and games to help pass the long winter evenings ahead. Long-awaited lenses and other photography equipment were received enthusiastically and trips to the ridge were hastily arranged to try out new equipment.

Fresh food was also delivered and the team dined heartily on fresh salads, eggs, fruit and vegetables imported from the Falkland Islands. Strict biosecurity procedures were observed to avoid the introduction of alien species and several bugs and spiders were apprehended and detained for return to the Falklands for identification.

On the ridge above the base the Wandering Albatross were busy raising their families. Eggs were hatching and weeks of waiting were over as the chicks appeared. Helpless at first and almost naked, their white fluffy down soon appeared as they snuggled beneath their patient parents. Jen and Steph patrolled the study area daily to record hatching dates and nest failures they carefully compiled their data and entered it into one of the most comprehensive and long-running databases of its type.

As the month progressed I turned my attentions from the animals to the preparation of cargo for export during ‘last call’ when RSS Ernest Shackleton would deliver the last supplies of the year and also collect waste, outgoing cargo and members of the team who were not intending to stay through the winter. This is a time of great excitement and no small measure of apprehension for all base staff. Last call represents the start of the winter season, during which the base will be manned by only four personnel - three scientists and one technician.  In each case this will be their first experience of winter on Bird Island. They will have no physical contact with the outside world until the first ships call of the following summer season – this is likely to be seven months away. While contact with friends and family can be maintained via phone and internet, there will be no mail, no visits and no way off the island. There are no boats at Bird Island and our nearest neighbours on South Georgia do not have a boat capable of reaching us. In the event of dire emergency our only hope is that a fishery patrol vessel would be diverted to rescue a casualty, though in winter this is likely to take days or even weeks. While this isolation persists throughout the year, during the summer season we can  at least be assured of a ship’s visit at least every 3 months. The wintering team do not have this luxury. 

As the Shackleton made her way towards us from the Falkland Islands we tracked her progress through increasingly bad weather.  Eventually her Captain was forced to change plans and make a dash for shelter to the North of the island. As the weather deteriorated they were denied even this option. As they shipped spray in force 10 seas the only option was to hove-to, turning away from their intended course and face into the weather, holding position as best they could until the storm abated. Two days later, having received something of a pounding, we finally received a call over VHF radio. The Shackleton was finally in range and ready to make her approach to Bird Island. Unfortunately the weather was still not on our side. Holding position tantalisingly close to shore, Shackleton was unable to launch her cargo tender into the heavy swell.  After waiting, without success, for an improvement in sea conditions, we were forced to watch as she steamed away from us towards South Georgia where she planned to deliver cargo before returning to us a few days later. In the meantime we were stranded…..