Found 81 results
Blogpost 19 March, 2012
Melanie Mackenzie – Museum Victoria Now that we’ve finished collecting specimens, the EVOLHIST biology team on board the James Clark Ross is busily working away in the ship’s labs. Dr …
Blogpost 16 November, 2016
New blog from ship’s doctor Helen Jones as RRS James Clark Ross arrives at Signy research station in the South Orkney Islands Well, and what a wonderful couple of days …
Blogpost 31 December, 2014
December in King Edward Point began with the arrival of the Royal Research Ship James Clark Ross (JCR). She brought down all the supplies and the doctor (me) for the …
Blogpost 30 November, 2014
In the small hours of the 15th November the James Clark Ross slipped her moorings at the fuel bunkers of Punta Arenas and headed out into the Straits of Magellan, …
Blogpost 20 November, 2014
October saw the arrival of the first Dash 7 of the season containing the first of the summer staff, and quite a few other planes from different Antarctic programs. It …
Blogpost 1 June, 2014
The first day of December was a memorable one for me: after nearly 3 long weeks of sailing the Southern Ocean on the James Clark Ross, I finally made it …
Blogpost 30 November, 2013
It is now November, and spring is in the air on Bird Island. Seal puppies are appearing at an ever-increasing rate, the penguins and albatrosses are jealously guarding their eggs …
Blogpost 25 November, 2013
On a chilly November morning, a group of excited folk crowded around the bronze statue of a Siberian Husky outside BAS headquarters in Cambridge, preparing to set off on a …
Blogpost 31 March, 2013
It’s now March, the days are starting to draw in and winter is coming to Antarctica. It’s that time of year when anyone not staying for the approaching winter (or …
Blogpost 28 February, 2013
Much like every month on Bird Island, February has hurtled by in a bit of a blur, and we now find ourselves with little over a week until the final …
Blogpost 30 November, 2012
The inhabitants of Bird Island have been having quite an eventful time since Jon wrote our last diary entry. One of the most significant events has been the arrival of …
Blogpost 30 April, 2012
April at KEP is usually the point that summer starts to wind down and winter begins; numbers on station drop and the makeup of shipping changes from Tourism to Fishing. …
Blogpost 30 April, 2012
The beginning of April on Bird Island saw the successful completion of the building projects which were started last month. In particular, the rusty and decrepit old jetty was gradually …
Blogpost 31 March, 2012
Most significantly this month, we have been joined by two new team members. Paula O’Sullivan and Jo Cox are both familiar faces to BAS; Paula having worked as a boating …
Blogpost 28 February, 2012
February at Halley this year, despite being the shortest month, seemed much longer. Everything was about timing. Do we have enough time to make the station ready for wintering? Do …
Blogpost 17 February, 2012
BAS cruise JR 275 departed the Falkland Islands on the James Clark Ross in early February and will sample the South Scotia Ridge, southern South Sandwich Islands and Weddell Sea …
Blogpost 31 December, 2011
Cargo and Christmas were the main features of December at Rothera. The arrival of the BAS ship RRS James Clark Ross turned the base into an even busier place than …
Blogpost 30 November, 2011
The 2011–12 Signy Island research season began in the early hours of the 16th November, as the Royal Research ship James Clark Ross, having left the Falklands several weeks earlier, …
Blogpost 30 November, 2011
‘Remember, remember the fifth of November’ It was indeed one of the more memorable Guy Fawkes’ nights of my life: I had only arrived a few days previous with fellow …
Blogpost 31 October, 2011
The beginning of October saw a hefty amount of snow still with us here on the fair isle of South Georgia. It was in these snowy conditions that visitors arrived …
Blogpost 31 March, 2011
Well it was almost a year to the day that I was on the Ernest Shackleton and waved goodbye to the winter team of 2010 as they stood on the …
Blogpost 30 March, 2011
Good morning, outside world! As I sit here typing this, the first few snowflakes of winter are starting to fall outside the window, and Rothera is well and truly taking …
Blogpost 28 February, 2011
February started with a bang. As part of BAS winter training we have an annual major incident scenario to make sure we are all ready and well rehearsed just in …
Blogpost 30 November, 2010
November was my first full month on the Island. A whirlwind month, despite being unusually calm, warm, and sunny. Experienced winterers recounted tales of woe & snow; of clouds in …
Blogpost 30 November, 2010
Welcome to Bird Island When I told people that I was going to live on a tiny island in the sub-Antarctic for two and a half years, most of them …
Blogpost 31 March, 2010
So here we are at the start of another winter season at Halley! Since late Feb the numbers on base have dropped from 111 to 11. It has been a …
Blogpost 28 February, 2010
It was the beginning of February and I had now been in Antarctica a full 2 months as one of the new summer chefs. The time was flying and everything …
Blogpost 31 December, 2009
Fresh Marmite November’s diary ended with Mike returning to base on the RSS James Clark Ross, having spent most of the previous month loitering in the Falkland Islands. As the …
Blogpost 30 November, 2009
A Glimpse of Life on the Outside At the time of volunteering to write this month’s entry for the Rothera Diary, I had no reason to suspect that I might …
Blogpost 30 November, 2009
It is my first visit to Bird Island and I have heard nothing but glowing comments about this place. I was worried that this would lead me to disappointment but …
Blogpost 31 October, 2009
October on South Georgia is the most amazing month. From having seen the first elephant seals arrive in September and the first pups born around the vernal equinox, the massive …
Blogpost 30 April, 2009
The month of April had an interesting but late start for me on Bird Island, arriving back from a two-week stay (or as some less sympathetic base members have called …
Blogpost 28 February, 2009
February has been a wonderful month at King Edward Point. It’s a great time to get out and about, up a peak, fossick on a beach or sit and watch …
Blogpost 31 January, 2009
January, the month just flew by down here at KEP, with a lot happening on base that kept the entire team busy and on our toes. The year 2009 got …
Blogpost 30 November, 2008
Beasts of England For much of early November, Bird Island was covered in fog. Going out across the island to do the day’s work, familiar landmarks like Tonk and La …
Blogpost 30 April, 2008
April is a month of transition on Bird Island. For many of the animals that call this place home during the summer, April is the month that sees them depart …
Blogpost 28 February, 2008
The BAS team at King Edward Point consists of nine people. The Base Commander, Doctor, three Scientists, a Generator Mechanic, and Electrical Technician and two Boatmen. Our main accommodation block, …
Blogpost 28 February, 2008
Being still in the midst of wildlife breeding season February is always a busy month at Bird Island keeping the zoological field assistants at a hectic pace. The young in …
Blogpost 31 December, 2007
I remember thinking as I left my interview for Field Operations Manager in Rothera Station at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) that I should take a good look around as I …
Blogpost 30 November, 2007
This month’s diary entry will have the distinctive mark of a new arrival on Bird Island: his head filled with the overwhelming sights and sounds of this amazing place – …
Blogpost 30 November, 2006
10 November – Base Relief After our initial arrival date of Saturday 4th November was confounded by sea ice that was thick enough to walk on but not thick enough …
Blogpost 31 October, 2006
October has been a month of new arrivals, and some farewells on both the animal and human side of things. This month has also seen the winter period, when there …
Blogpost 30 September, 2006
Sunshine and snow on Bird Island September has to be my favourite month of the winter. The days are getting significantly longer and the weather is just the best – …
Blogpost 31 July, 2006
With the Antarctic Darts Championship under our belts, midwinter done and dusted and no imminent birthday celebrations, July was always going to be a quieter month. I thought I would …
Blogpost 30 April, 2006
What a month it has been. The first day of April bought the start of this year’s Wandering Albatross chick census, with the eight members of base all taking to …
Blogpost 31 December, 2005
What a month! December, usually a month of joyous celebration has lived up to this reputation admirably on Bird Island. The RRS James Clark Ross now long gone, it was …
Blogpost 30 November, 2005
Another month of comings and goings As mentioned at the end of last month, on the 29th, the Morrisons boys turned up, along with our resident base commander Vicky Auld, …
Blogpost 30 November, 2005
Excitement abounds Hi to all the devoted readers of the KEP Newsletter. November has been quite a milestone at KEP. The majority of KEPers celebrated their first year on South …
Blogpost 30 April, 2005
Summer’s end April marks the end of the busy summer, the last of the summer visitors have gone – the scientists, technicians, tourists, seafarers, mountaineers and, of course, the taxidermist. …
Blogpost 28 February, 2005
A busy month Hi to all our avid readers and Welcome to KEPs February edition. I’m one of the new team fish scientists at KEP. After being south for four …
Blogpost 30 September, 2004
Spring The Bird Island Castaways unchanged after 5 months of isolation….. September is the beginning of spring on Bird Island; many of the migratory birds are beginning to return, a …
Blogpost 15 April, 2004
Our Summary of Signy Mar After the mad tango of the opening months the last six weeks have been more of a stately waltz towards closing the station down. Winter …
Blogpost 28 February, 2004
Leaving the Nest Feb : 2004 February had almost gone before we realised that it had arrived. It has been immensely busy with a steady flow of scientific and base …
Blogpost 31 December, 2003
The Bird Island Flying Times December’s Bird Island newsletter could be called the The Bird Island Times, or, to be more precise, the The Bird Island Flying Times, given the …
Blogpost 30 November, 2003
Bird Island Dorchester November has been a month of endless variety on Bird Island from both science and base life aspects. The most visible change has been the emergence of …
Blogpost 15 November, 2003
It seems as if it has taken forever to finally get to Signy. It’s a small research station by BAS standards with a complement of only eight at the moment, …
Blogpost 31 October, 2003
Pasty off October has seen winter turn into summer here at KEP, with no time for spring in between. John and I went on our long-awaited winter trip during the …
Blogpost 30 April, 2003
Comings and goings April has been a month of comings and goings. We have seen the arrival of winter snow and ice, and of the first of our most impressive …
Blogpost 28 February, 2003
WANTED – seals, penguins and albatrosses WANTED!! Have you seen this pup, penguin, whale, moth or worm? No sorry we haven’t but we’ll ask our mates! Come on chaps I’m …
Blogpost 28 February, 2003
Back to school! February has seen us all go back to school, well actually lots of schools. As well as the ubiquitous Doc School which this month has included a …
Blogpost 30 November, 2002
Practice emergencies and a real birthday November usually marks the beginning of summer for Bird Island. However, the winter has stubbornly refused to depart and every time we thought the …
Blogpost 30 November, 2002
Celebrations November has been a busy month down here at King Edward Point. The tourist season started on 1st November, with the cruise ship Explorer coming alongside. We are due …
Blogpost 31 October, 2002
RRS James Clark Ross arrives October was the month of scrubbing. This was not because the mess in my office had reached evolutionary proportions but rather because of the time …
Blogpost 31 October, 2002
New faces As I am writing these few lines at the end of this October month, spring or summer have yet to arrive. The island is still coated in snow, …
Blogpost 30 September, 2002
The latest newsletter ever!! Well I think the best way to start this newsletter is with an apology for its lateness!! I believe I have managed to get the award …
Blogpost 30 April, 2002
Last Call as winter begins Welcome to Winter on Bird Island – at last! It has been a very interesting and unusual month here. The last newsletter ended with “under …
Blogpost 31 January, 2002
A New Year begins Welcome to another instalment of the life and times of Bird Island and its inhabitants, human and animal. Our newsletter this month actually begins in late …
Blogpost 30 November, 2001
First Impressions The peaceful isolation of Bird Island was almost shattered with the arrival of the James Clark Ross (JCR) on the 2nd. But as it turned out the shattering …
Blogpost 31 October, 2001
Summer Personnel Arrive The island silence of waves and birdcall was shattered by the cacophony caused by fuel barrels being rolled up a steel walkway, and numerous people marvelling at …
Blogpost 30 November, 2000
Relief, visitors and the wildlife proliferates Bird Island Diary As the newest member on the station I have the honour (!) of writing the newsletter at the end of my …
Blogpost 31 October, 2000
New arrivals at Bird Island Bird Island Diary New arrivals at Bird Island mark the transition from winter to summer activities. Where would the human community of Bird Island be …
Read more on Bird Island Diary — October 2000 (new arrivals)
Blogpost 2 February, 2016
Bird Island has undergone several changes since the last diary entry in November. The summer breeding season is in full swing, and in some cases is starting to quieten down …
Read more on ANTARCTIC BLOG: Exploring an island abundant with wildlife
Blogpost 30 July, 2007
Rothera July Diary My name is Kelvin Murray, I am the Field Diving Officer and my job is to manage all diving operations at Rothera. I work very closely with …
Blogpost 19 April, 2007
It’s 4 am in the morning on 19th April and I’m on Night Watch, a good opportunity to write the monthly web diary, or so I thought! Hello, I’m Birgit, …
Blogpost 28 February, 2006
People are always asking me what it’s like working in Antarctica; we ask ourselves the same questions, since each of us go to different stations and field camps. What can …
Blogpost 31 January, 2006
I’m serving in the Royal Navy, I joined just over two years ago as a pilot and have been lent to BAS for a few months to work here at …
Blogpost 30 December, 2005
Rothera Web Diary December 2005 by Pat Fielder Well there we go, the blink of an eye and another month has disappeared under our belts here at sunny Rothera-by-the Sea. …
Blogpost 30 June, 2005
Rothera Diary, June 2005 Hi everyone, June is such an exciting time to be in Antarctica. The main reason being that the 21st June is mid winter’s day, very significant …
News 1 February, 2005
A unique collaboration between science and music makes a return to the Royal Festival Hall on Saturday 30 April as the Antarctic Symphony, by acclaimed British composer Sir Peter Maxwell …
Read more on The Philharmonia Orchestra performs Antarctic Symphony
News 11 November, 2004
10 November 2004 Email users and art gallery visitors around the UK can soon receive a daily drawing ?live? from Antarctica. Artist Simon Faithfull is embarking on an epic two-month …